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Meteors and Beating Hearts (2014) & Before The Meteors (Live in Bozeman, MT) (2013)*

Bright Morning / Real Old / Old House / Charlie / Bite That Tastes Good / Willow / Backup Plan / Insignificance / Spark / Meteor / Ride It Out / Tattered Shirt / Irish Song*

 

It takes a certain performer to be deemed “a folk legend in the making” or for greats like David Wilcox and Vance Gilbert to remark “the acoustic tradition is in the right hands.” It is this quality, this spark, that is simultaneously fresh and classic, that sets Connor Garvey apart on stage and on his newest release, Meteors & Beating Hearts.

 

Garvey’s 6th and strongest album yet highlights the richness and enchantment of an established songwriter, the depth of an ever expanding perspective on the world, the comfort of a pure voice, and the confidence of a seasoned band. It is sure to build upon the successes of his 2009 release Constancy of Stars which landed him in the top 6 new Singer Songwriters on SiriusXM’s The Coffeehouse and the 2011 release Where Ocean Meets Land that climbed high on the National Triple-A charts most adds list.

 

Meteors & Beating Hearts has all the elements to make it feel like an authentic Connor Garvey record. The grooves are groovier, the emotions are broader AND deeper, the sound is cleaner, the production is tastier. All of this is built upon road seasoned songs already favorites to many fans. The music draws us in but it’s the lyrics that keep us engaged. Bright Morning, Real Old, Bite That Tastes Good, and Ride It Out get our toes tapping while Willow, Tattered Shirt, Meteor, and Old House send us deeper into an emotional journey through longing, hope, and the seeking of security in an unstable world. Crowd favorites like the jazzy Spark and energetic Charlie add breadth to the record that strikes a wonderful balance of consistent tone and presence with diversity and intrigue.

 

Garvey didn’t have to look far for musicians on this record as the same team that he recorded Where Ocean Meets Land (2011) with, which garnered wonderful support across the country (and beyond), is also the band that’s been playing together ever since. Colin Winsor on bass, Dan Boyden on drums & percussion, & Pete Morse on electric guitar form the backbone of the band with wonderful musical hues added by Sara Hallie Richardson (vocals) and the always amazing Tom Murphy on mandolin. The result of the years of creating music together shines through on the ability to bring the true song to life in a way that leaves room to breath and space to imagine.

 

The album was engineered and mixed by Pete Morse at Red Vault Recording in Portland, ME (Putnam Smith, Pete Kilpatrick) & Mastered with Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering in Boston, MA (Bon Iver, Josh Ritter, Andrew Bird...). The album is represented and distributed by Mishara Music (Barnaby Bright, Peter Bradley Adams, Caitlin Canty).

 

*As a special addition to the project Connor Garvey teamed up with Chris Cunningham (Basecamp Recording and Storyhill) out in Bozeman, MT to record a unique house concert prior to recording the studio album Meteors and Beating Hearts to capture the growth and freshness of the songs. With the addition of the crowd favorite "Irish Song" and the wonderful musicianship of Tom Murphy on Mandolin and Tony Polecastro on Dobro this makes for a GREAT live recording and an original approach to live recordings in general.

Constancy of Stars (2009)

1. Keep it Simple / 2. Seed / 3. Whats the Point / 4. Soul on the Line / 5. Laurabeth / 6. Go Deep / 7. Lead Pipe / 8. Faith Through the Wrong / 9. Dont Need to Look Far / 10. Calling it Home / 11. Growing Towards the Stars / 12. Share My Curse.



*Includes hit track Soul on the Line which had extensive Sirius XM radio airplay on The Coffeehouse garnering Connor a spot in their "Top 6 New Singersongriters of the Year 2010"!

Recorded over the Spring and Summer of 2009 in Bozeman, MT at Base Camp Recording with Chris Cunningham. Album has 12 tracks or which there are varying levels of production. 

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.

 

Songs Sung In Small Rooms (2006)

1. Dangerous Dreams / 2. City / 3. Move On / 4. Disposable Prose / 5. Please Dont Wake Me / 6. Summers End / 7. Crushin' / 8. Streets of Portsmouth / 9.  Stand By Me / 10. Barcelona 



Recorded over the Spring of 2006 at the Electronic Music Studio at Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR, self produced and recorded. 

Hello Life (2002)

1. Days / 2. Times Like These / 3. Dance / 4. Leaving Me / 5. Hello Life / 6.  See Me for Me / 7. Immortal Friend / 8. Katie Song / 9.  Strange Sensation / 10.  Face to the Rain



Recorded over the Spring of 2002 at Bad Dog Studios in South Berwick, ME with Chip Harding while I was in high school. Varying levels of production. 

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