Rafters
Boston, MA
“Boston duo blends cello with soaring vocal harmonies”
After a year of touring, and a residency in Fanueil Hall’s Street Performer Program, Tall Heights have stripped down their sound and released a wintry little EP entitled Rafters. For the first time, they wrote, played, and recorded all five tracks alone and it seems that shedding outside influence has worked in their favor. The new songs are slow and insightful, marking a departure from their pop-tinged folky debut Smoke Signals, and the EP as a whole is more mature in its composition and its subject matter.
While the meat of their sound comes from a mellifluous mix of guitar, cello and vocal harmonies, a low-fi recording style and unique percussion act as perfect condiments. Drums were omitted in favor of knitting needles and a steel pipe, and careful listening reveals the sounds of singing birds and a thunder storm that were picked up during the recording. The title of the EP feels appropriate, as old and lonely things are reoccurring themes in the lyrics.
Tall Heights sought expertise for their mastering from Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering, known for his work with Counting Crows, Martin Sexton, and Rufus Wainwright. The duo celebrated the September release of Rafters with three shows in Boston, New York, and Washington, DC. (Self-released)
Produced by Tall Heights
Mixed by Tall Heights except for “The Hollow,” mixed by Jared Fiske at Foundation Studios
Mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering Studios