Denali

Description

Emma Hill and longtime band mate Bryan Daste are at it again. The Alaskan duo, who have been compared to Gillian Welch and David Rawlings, are set to release their fifth full length album this fall. Entitled "Denali", the album was co-produced with Evan Phillips (Whipsaws, Easton Stagger Phillips) of Alaska and features many of the state's finest players. Emma Hill grew up in Alaska, coming from the small village of Sleetmute and later moving into Palmer for high school. In 2006 Hill decided to move to Portland, a thriving music scene, to continue her education and pursue her musical aspirations. In 2007 Hill met Daste and they began their collaboration. Seven busy years, four widely well-reviewed albums, and thousands of tour miles later, the duo are going strong, bringing remarkably intimate lyrics to life with their poignant harmonies, lonesome pedal steel, and Hill's honeyed voice and confident delivery. Critics have described their sound as ranging from folksy Americana to catchy alt-country. Hill moved back to Alaska in the fall of 2011, combining performing for her fan base in the state with travel south for regional and national tours. She stays busy year round performing solo as well as with Daste both in Alaska and the states. The pair plays various venues but their signature performance experience is the house concert. The intimate setting of a house show lends itself perfectly to their style and will continue to be a staple of their tours this year as they promote "Denali", the newest addition to an impressive body of work. Press Quotes: "(...[M]uch warmth and sincerity to appreciate in this melodic, heartfelt, low-key record. " - Pop Matters "Emma Hill is not afraid to sing. In fact, her voice's countrified richness, delicate inflections and fear-no-range transitions make it easy to imagine that's all she ever does." - Willamette Week "...[I]ntimate, heartfelt, sincere..." -The Long Journey, Italy "Delightful vocals allied to some strong songs makes this girl from the far North worth a listen." - Maverick Magazine "Homey vocals with heart." - Jukebox Heroines "Emma Hill is a young woman with plenty of creative power." - Hooked on Music Germany "Rooted in Americana and spouting a folk pop sensibility." - No Depression "The kind of voice that one can easily fall in love with." - The Philadelphia Examiner "Following in the footsteps of Sarah Harmar, Kathleen Edwards, and Caitlin Cary." - Ctrl Alt Country, Belgium "She shoots from the heart." - Rambles.net credits released 11 November 2014 Emma Hill - lead vocals, acoustic guitar Bryan Daste - vocals, pedal steel guitar, banjo, upright bass, 12-string and baritone guitars, harmonium, glockenspiel, Omnichord, saxophone Evan Phillips - vocals, electric guitar, percussion James Dommek, Jr. - drums, percussion Tim Easton - resonator guitar Megan Palmer - fiddle, vocals Corwyn Wilkey - trumpet Kat Moore - keys Kate McVey - viola Kevin Charlestream - cello Co-produced by Evan Phillips, Emma Hill and Bryan Daste Recorded by Evan Phillips at The Wolverine Den, Anchorage, AK Additional engineering by Bryan Daste at The Magic Closet, Portland, OR Mixed by James Glaves Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA Assistant mastering engineer: Maria Rice Cover art by Laura Lauterbach Graphic design by Alan Wasem Thank you to all of our friends, family and fans for your continued support. We love you. tags tags: americana folk acoustic alt-country americana roots rock banjo folk pop folk rock harmony vocals pedal steel singer-songwriter Anchorage. Review: Sultry, Reflective, Emotional, Adventurous, Tender. All reasons you should BUY THIS ALBUM! - From the very first track on "Denali", the song "Bright Eyes" weaves into your soul with Emma Hill's soft, sultry voice and the angelic sounds of Bryan Daste's background vocals - and when you're singing along - there's a great "Ba-ba-ba-ba" in there that really sticks with you! I personally LOVE a good "Ba-ba-ba-ba". The title track, "Denali" is an obvious reflection of the travels that Emma has experienced on tour and throughout her life and how her home state has affected all her senses - having "Seen the lights of Paris and it still takes my breath away...to see Denali." "An Epic". Such a beautifully written song about the moment you lay eyes on your Forever Love. You just know, sometimes...everything about it - the smells, the excitement, the electricity - it's all captured in the lyrics of this love song. "Sad Again" is another favorite - there are some pretty amazing pedal steel solos in this tune and really drives home the forlorn feeling this song is trying to portray. The pleading in the lyrics of someone to accept them - flaws and all - is almost more than the listener can bear, but Emma's voice has you entranced. But really, folks...can we talk about "Lioness" for a minute? As if the song itself isn't strong enough lyrically - based off comic book character that Emma made up in her head, the incredible delivery of this tune with the haunting and "dangerous" pedal steel and other artistic touches that the various instrumentation lends to the song makes it soar. AS IF THAT WASN'T ENOUGH...with the help of Eric Power, from Austin TX, they managed to create a SPECTACULAR music video to Lioness. It was released by CMT Edge and Mtv on November 18, 2014 and is such an absolutely perfect depiction of the song - using "shadow animation with a silhouette aesthetic using a combination of semi-translucent and opaque paper". Check out this amazing video here: http://www.cmtedge.com/2014/11/18/emma-hill-uncovers-the-legend-of-the-lioness/ If you're a fan of Emma's music already or being turned onto her music now, sign up on her email list at www.emmahillmusic.com