Local collective String & Fader is going toe-to-toe with Audrey Harrer as as a part of their “Versus” series. The series is a remix and collaboration project that culminates a one night concert and a free album where various electronic artists remix the celebrated album. Harrer is a composer, vocalist, and harpist gearing up to release her latest album Alphabet Rain. “I started playing the harp four years ago and when I started this project I didn’t know where it was going,” Harrer said. “I wanted to gain an understanding of how the harp can be used beyond the traditional sense, it’s very exploratory.”
Harrer will be presenting Alphabet Rain in full accompanied by a string quintet from the Cambridge Philharmonic this Thursday, July 16 at 8:00 p.m. While the album is not yet released, advance copies will be made available to those in attendance. Alphabet Rain is a collection of chamber songs with a rock approach as Harrer pushed herself towards new sounds in 10 hour sessions that lasted through the night recording in the cavernous halls of 1867, a masonic temple turned recording studio in Chelsea. Harrer invited numerous friends and colleagues to be guests in the recording process. Even her work-study student came in to drum, “it was all about finding the right person,” Harrer said.
Harrer is continuously looking for connections and spaces where music and drama can collide. Looking to Thursday night, you can expect a hybrid of concert-going experiences walking in the door. Think thick draping curtains, couches, and folks nestled comfortably on the floor in an open studio space. Among good company you’ll be able to sip on a cocktail hand-crafted just for the night and named after the album. Opening up the evening will be Kuwaiti singer/songwriter Yousif Yaseen, string quintets including Christopher Barnes (Gem Club), Chadley (String & Fader), Danny Fratina (Beantown Swing Orchestra), and Will Ponturo. Additionally, local folktronica duo Skinny Bones will grace the stage prior to Harrer’s debut of her new works.
Interested parties should inquire via alphabetrain@gmail.com for details and location.