THE EARLY MAYS RELEASE NEW EP PRETTIEST BLUE
“The Early Mays create Appalachian-inspired songs built on deep country sensibilities, masterful singing and a sweet old-time sound.” - The Pittsburgh City Paper
“The Early Mays are exceptional storytellers, singers and musicians who craft their songs with the utmost care and attention; they’re a joy to listen to.” - Folk Radio UK
“The Early Mays offer an inward-looking, heartfelt approach to Appalachia” - For Folk’s Sake
“...a really fresh take on this traditional music” - WRCT
“...it’s impossible to overlook the care and respect that went into recording these songs, which are, simply put, timeless.” - Mother Church Pew
“...haunting and achingly beautiful” - Adobe & Teardrops
"...a winning combination” - Americana-UK
"This is just pure classic folk." - If It's Too Loud
“Ellen Gozion and Emily Pinkerton understand their music better than many artists understand their own." - Sound Bites
Art: Ron Donoughe
LISTEN: PRETTIEST BLUE
Today, Pittsburgh-based duo The Early Mays (Ellen Gozion and Emily Pinkerton) have released
their new EP, Prettiest Blue. “ Restoratively vintage, their no-frills roots music brings a warmth that is often missed in raucous contemporary releases,” For Folk’s Sake said of the band.
Somewhere on the border between old-time music and modern American songwriting, The Early Mays have built a band with harmonies that feel like home. It’s a partnership that has shared slow-burning, perfectly paired vocals for ten years—from NPR’s Mountain Stage to house concerts all over the mid-Atlantic.
WATCH: “ON A DYING DAY”
From the old-time music community, The Early Mays have absorbed the culture of deep listening that’s central to playing with sensitivity. “Revivalists like us–who didn’t live and breathe Appalachian music growing up–still learn and create by ear for the most part,” Pinkerton explains. “Being able to carry hours of tunes in my head was life-changing. And there is new meaning to uncover each time you return to a field recording or slowly build a relationship with a mentor.”
That practice of deep listening–and slow, careful craftsmanship–spills over into every Early Mays performance and production as they sculpt their warm, immersive sound. The past ten years have been a steady search for musical and spiritual sustenance: for themselves and for their listeners. “Prettiest Blue is about keeping your eyes trained on something brighter, even in the midst of sadness,” reflects Pinkerton.
When recording albums, the band has explored everything from a single condenser mic in a church sanctuary to analog tape and vintage compressors. To obtain a particularly pared down, “in the room” sound for Prettiest Blue, they recorded at Audible Images in Pittsburgh, PA with Hollis Greathouse, and combined live takes with multi-tracked vocals and cello. Drawn by Alex Perialas’ work on Richie Stearns and Rosie Newton’s latest release, The Early Mays decided to mix at Pyramid Sound Studios in Ithaca, NY. “Alex gave the mixes the exact acoustic blend we’d been hunting for, transparent and lush at the same time,” says Pinkerton.
Cellist Nicole Myers joins the band on Prettiest Blue, lending sweeping melodic lines to support the vocals and old-time textures. She is a founding member of Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com), an ensemble that bridges rock and classical music. “Her flexibility as a player has made this project especially poignant. She always adds the right emotion to the song,” says Pinkerton. “She’s a beautiful collaborator,” adds Gozion, “and she takes the time to understand our music inside and out.” The deep tones of the cello are a match made in heaven for banjo, harmonium, and fiddle arrangements that underpin “crystal-clear voices” and “stunning harmony lines” (Adam Hurt).
A decade of friendship is palpable in the co-arranged songs, as well as the dedication to craft and the sustained pursuit of a rich acoustic aesthetic. You may find yourself comfortably swaying in that neo-traditional space–somewhere between old-time and songwriter sensibilities–getting a glimpse of how much these songs have been cared for.
PRETTIEST BLUE TRACKLIST
The Ballad Of Johnny Fall
On A Dying Day
Shakin’ Down The Acorns
Bury Me Under The Weeping Willow
My Home’s Across The Blue Ridge Mountains