Music

Where Ocean Meets Land (2011)

​1.Backroads / 2. Move On / 3. The Reflection / 4. Pencil Frame / 5. The Bird / 6. Heart of the Ocean / 7. Red-Winged Blackbird / 8. Western Wind / 9. Hold Your Breath / 10. Monster / 11. Mountain Song

Riding the momentum created by his 2009 release, Constancy of Stars,  which gained national exposure through extensive touring and Sirius XMs The Coffeehouse station with heavy rotation of the song Soul on the Line reaching #11 in top  played songs on the station, Connor Garvey came back to the studio with the desire to record an even stronger album to delve into the depths of the songwriting craft. His fan-base was calling for the recordings of many of their stage favorites (i.e. The Bird, The Reflection, & Monster) and these fans also helped raise nearly $6,000 for the album. So, while Constancy of Stars was Garvey's proof that he was worth the listen, this new album is the representation of a community-based and supported musician seasoned on the road...a very supportive road at that!

Where Ocean Meets Land, Connor's fourth studio release, explores many of the dualities of the human condition: connection and distance (The Reflection), fear and hope (Hold Your Breath, Monster, Move On), roots and wings (Backroads, The Bird), as well as meaningful story based songs (The Bird, Pencil Frame, Western Wind). Even the cover art, acquired from a NASA satellite image, highlights how the meeting grounds of many of these dualities, such as the ocean and the land, are often more intertwined and connected than a linear border. Songs such as Monster and Hold Your Breath speak to personal and societal hurdles in our life paths, Darlin you know, the money is thin, like leaves of a tree, when the winter sets in. While this album welcomes in these life challenges it is not without good foot tapping- hook singing songs that make you smile, and a good old love song (Heart of the Ocean) which professes, As the heart of the ocean is pulled by the moon, the heart of me is pulled by you.

Nine of the eleven songs on this album are fleshed out with a dream-team of musicians including Tom Murphy on mandolin and Jonathan Best (David Byrne) on piano who both also left memorable tracks on Constancy of Stars. New to this album are Colin Winsor on bass (Gypsy Tailwind), Dan Boyden on drums (Model Airplane, Christian Cuff), & Pete Morse on electric guitar (Pete Kilpatrick Band). Singer songwriter Sara Hallie Richardson brings her beautiful soaring vocals to numerous tracks on the album complementing Garvey's voice perfectly and Putnam Smith, friend and tour partner with Connor, brings his deep bass voice and smooth claw-hammer banjo to the songs Hold Your Breath, The Reflection, and Western Wind. Garvey opted to leave Move On and Mountain Song as straight solo acoustic songs to highlight the intimacy of his life performance and warmth of his voice.

Whether one is drawn to the fast-pace grooves (Western Wind, Pencil Frame, or Red-Winged Blackbird) the more laid back driving songs (Backroads, The Reflection, or Hold Your Breath) or the powerful heart songs (Monster, The Bird, or Heart of the Ocean) there is something on this album for everyone and a common thread of hope that not only ties this album together but connects to a core in all of us.

The album was recorded with Pete Morse at Busted Barn Recording in Portland, ME (Putnam Smith, Pete Kilpatrick) & Mastered with Pete Morse and Lance Vardis at Red Vault Recording in Portland, ME. Album representation and distribution is by Mishara Music.