Mahoney Harris: New Single 'Band in Town'

MusicReviews

7 Dec

KATIE BROWN - 7 DEC 2021

“There’s a band in town tonight / Anything could happen ‘cos the time feels right / The singer’s such a show off, the bass player’s high / And the drummer is always the nicest guy”

Newly released single “Band in Town” by Waiheke-based folk-pop artist Mahoney Harris carries just the right blend of warmth and nostalgia to add a shimmering glow to December’s sense of anticipation. Something of a family affair, the track was inspired by memories of her mother and friends getting ready to go out and see bands performing in the evening: the cover artwork features both her mother and godmother, and was designed by Harris’ sister.

“I have some pretty vivid recollections of these gorgeous young women spending the day preparing for whatever band they were going to see that night,” muses Mahoney. “There was excitement, anticipation, gossip, glamour, the thrill of live music, and I was soaking it all up.”

A more upbeat shift in direction from 2020’s wistful “The Shifting of the Light”, the single has a laid-back alt-folk feel with lighter pop flourishes. Recorded, produced and mixed by industry legend Wayne Bell in the loft space at Factory Studios, the single’s final mastering touches were provided by The Lab Studio’s Olly Harmer. Bell’s production approach is a considered one where the purity of Harris’ voice is never compromised, and the atmosphere she’s adept at conjuring up through her lyrics is always complemented with sensitivity, never overshadowed by overpowering instrumentation. The resulting track is warm and dynamic with guitars, keys and natural drums providing a rich canvas for the vocals to sit back on.

The strength of Harris’ vocal approach is in the uncontrived, gentle purity of her tone, and the poetic magic she enfolds in her earthy lyrics through their quiet everyday simplicity. In “Band in Town”, the lyrics translate like the snippets of conversation childhood ears would catch and latch onto while watching the “grown-ups” get ready for evening outings: caught up alongside in the whirl of joy and excitement, you can almost smell the nail polish and feel the rush of anticipation in the air.

With release perfectly timed for a city emerging from a long lockdown, “Band in Town” carries a rather lovely reminder that what was enjoyed in the past is back here and ready to be enjoyed again: there are things to look forward to, and nothing beats live music for getting back into the swing of things!

Listen to the single below.

Find Mahoney Harris on Instagram | Facebook | Spotify