The Early Mays Release New EP 'Prettiest Blue'

Pittsburgh-based duo The Early Mays (Ellen Gozion and Emily Pinkerton) have released their new EP, Prettiest Blue. " Restoratively vintage, their no-frills roots music brings a warmth that is often missed in raucous contemporary releases," For Folk's Sake said of the band.

Somewhere on the border between old-time music and modern American songwriting, The Early Mays have built a band with harmonies that feel like home. It's a partnership that has shared slow-burning, perfectly paired vocals for ten years-from NPR's Mountain Stage to house concerts all over the mid-Atlantic.

From the old-time music community, The Early Mays have absorbed the culture of deep listening that's central to playing with sensitivity. "Revivalists like us-who didn't live and breathe Appalachian music growing up-still learn and create by ear for the most part," Pinkerton explains. "Being able to carry hours of tunes in my head was life-changing. And there is new meaning to uncover each time you return to a field recording or slowly build a relationship with a mentor."

That practice of deep listening-and slow, careful craftsmanship-spills over into every Early Mays performance and production as they sculpt their warm, immersive sound. The past ten years have been a steady search for musical and spiritual sustenance: for themselves and for their listeners. "Prettiest Blue is about keeping your eyes trained on something brighter, even in the midst of sadness," reflects Pinkerton.

When recording albums, the band has explored everything from a single condenser mic in a church sanctuary to analog tape and vintage compressors. To obtain a particularly pared down, "in the room" sound for Prettiest Blue, they recorded at Audible Images in Pittsburgh, PA with Hollis Greathouse, and combined live takes with multi-tracked vocals and cello.

Drawn by Alex Perialas' work on Richie Stearns and Rosie Newton's latest release, The Early Mays decided to mix at Pyramid Sound Studios in Ithaca, NY. "Alex gave the mixes the exact acoustic blend we'd been hunting for, transparent and lush at the same time," says Pinkerton.

Cellist Nicole Myers joins the band on Prettiest Blue, lending sweeping melodic lines to support the vocals and old-time textures. She is a founding member of Cello Fury (www.cellofury.com), an ensemble that bridges rock and classical music.

"Her flexibility as a player has made this project especially poignant. She always adds the right emotion to the song," says Pinkerton. "She's a beautiful collaborator," adds Gozion, "and she takes the time to understand our music inside and out." The deep tones of the cello are a match made in heaven for banjo, harmonium, and fiddle arrangements that underpin "crystal-clear voices" and "stunning harmony lines" (Adam Hurt).

A decade of friendship is palpable in the co-arranged songs, as well as the dedication to craft and the sustained pursuit of a rich acoustic aesthetic. You may find yourself comfortably swaying in that neo-traditional space-somewhere between old-time and songwriter sensibilities-getting a glimpse of how much these songs have been cared for.

Listen to the new EP here: