Artist Spotlight: Meet MRS. HENRY
Can you talk about any specific themes or motifs that run throughout 'Keep On Rising?'
‘Keep On Rising’ is a rock opera, and thus themes and motifs are running wild on this one! The record starts off with the first of many, the lyric and melody of “Keep On Rising.” From that seed, you can start to hear the roots, stems, branches, and blossoms that grow all the way to the finale of “Hope, Keep On Rising.” By the end of the album, that original melody has bloomed into an Amazonian skyscraper of a tree with ALL the themes, motifs, and hooks rolled into one massive stadium rock anthem. From the choir chant of “Everybody” to the syncopated keyboard run in “Doing It Right,” there is a constant cycling and evolving on this album of lyrics, guitar riffs, harmonies, drum beats, and bass lines. There was a real joy in composing this rock opera and finding new ways to imagine and reimagine a melody, or quote a previous idea that brings new light to it. Listeners will have a lot of fun hearing bits and pieces come and go and return throughout our hero’s journey.
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this album?
There were many memorable moments during the recording of ‘Keep On Rising,’ one that comes to mind is the day we tracked “I Don’t Want To Let You Go.” It was a silly but productive Friday. The end of a long week, one of those days when the shoes go off and you let all your inhibitions collectively go … I think we even had a good old-fashioned pizza party that night. We must have recorded 6 or 7 songs to tape that session, including some real album bangers “Peace, Love, Rock N Roll” “We Are A Rock N Roll Band” and “We’re Gonna Win.” This was the build-up of several weeks of writing and composing, trial and error, and some serious overtime on the grind. The creative juices were flowing so we started off the morning with something fresh and fun which became the song “I Don’t Want To Let You Go.” All I had was the chorus, the riff during the chorus and a rough idea on how the verse should feel. I grabbed my acoustic guitar, not realizing it was still tuned to Open G from the night before, and started to play the riff which came out sounding extra strange. The dog's ears perked, I said “oops” and everyone looked bewildered and said “well that sounds cool!” An hour later we had the wacky song that you hear today. It is very in-between the cracks, and it cracks us up to play it. To this day we all have to discuss who plays what in what key because we all are playing different things at once. It is a strange and beautiful mess and it sounds like how it is.
Which song(s) from 'Keep On Rising' do you think best represents your artistic vision?
I think the song “Hope, Keep On Rising” is a go to in representing our artistic vision. “Bye, Bye, Baby” might be another. Both songs feature our interplay of lead vocals, passing the baton from one singer to another. We want and welcome the crowd to sing with us, so we write songs that have singable parts to them. Vocal harmonies and riffs for days, plus the characteristic feel changes and bombast that the group is becoming known for. Akin to The Band, we are always finding ways to flip beats or change things up and just enough so that the listener can take notice, but not too much so it throws you off. Except when we want to. Also, there is always room for a guitar solo!
What do you enjoy most about performing live and connecting with your audience?
We love the opportunity to surprise and challenge ourselves. We always want to give the audience a show they will never forget. No gig is ever the same, and every performance is tailored to that night, city and venue. It keeps us entertainers entertained while we provide the entertainment. The element of chance and risk, the component of “danger” is what makes rock n roll alive and breathing. The stage is the environment for that sorta thrill. When the room is electric and the energy is abundant, there is a magic in the air that is second to none.
How do you manage the dynamics among band members on stage to create a cohesive and engaging performance?
As a band, we all occupy our own space both sonically and physically. We give one another time and room and know when to lean in and support. You gotta help your brother and you gotta let them fly when the time is right. Visually, you’d be amazed how tight we can cram together on stage (we’ve got A LOT of gear), but we also like to stack the group in tight. A nod to The Band learned from Bill Avis (The Band’s legendary road manager) and Levon Helm’s own desire to keep the group together as much as possible. On the stage and off. We’ve all got great sense and timing as a whole and are unique as individual members. The more we play together, the more that thing that is MRS. HENRY becomes stronger and tighter. The core of the group has been together for 10 years. You can say we are starting to get to know one another by now.