MP3 Austin and Elliott - Truth That Hurts

Harmony duo mixes folk and pop, bringing catchy melodies and cutting lyrics

5 MP3 Songs
FOLK: Folk Pop, ROCK: Folk Rock



Details:
Austin and Elliott's new mini CD "Truth That Hurts" is produced by Lorne Entress (Lori McKenna, Catie Curtis, Mark Erelli) and features guitarist Duke Levine (Mary Chapin Carpenter, Jonatha Brooke, Ellis Paul) and bassist Paul Kochanski (Resophonics). Dealing with themes of love gained and lost, the CD's 5 original songs are rich with memorable melodies, cutting lyrics, and striking harmonies.

Combining folk, pop, and rock influences, the energetic live duo is comprised of singer/songwriters Chris Elliott (vocals and guitar) and Lisa Austin (vocals, bass, guitar, and 6-string banjo)and have been performing all around New England, as well as New York and New Jersey.

A native of Western Massachusetts, Lisa Austin began playing live while living in Boulder, Colorado in 1998-1999. She was a Lillith Fair semi-finalist for an opening spot at the 1999 Colorado Lillith Fair, and since then she has played and sung in many venues throughout Boulder and Massachusetts. Her songwriting is dark and traditional-folk inspired, filled with rural imagery, reflecting her love of and reverence for the natural world. She often sings from unique points of view, such as a fisherman drowning at sea or a westward journeying pioneer who discovers his family dead on Christmas Day.

Born and raised in Binghamton, NY, Chris Elliott sings of love, death, America, food service, and other mythic themes. According to Club Passim's Matt Smith, "his songs run the gamut from bitingly ironic to honestly beautiful." With an MFA from Emerson College, he also writes poetry, which is evident in his literary writing style. The unusual handmade acoustic guitar Chris plays was won in the WUMB 91.9 FM/Borders Books and Music Songwriter Competition. The guitar was crafted by luthier Alan Carruth, and its deep, powerful tone accommodates Chris' style, which alternates soft fingerpicking with vigorous strumming.

Also available at Austin and Elliott's web site is their debut CD 13 Songs Plus, which is packed with 21 songs performed in stark powerful fashion. Greg Grant of the Online Folk Festival has this to say: "Just two voices and an acoustic guitar, but the songs are impressive, particularly the mythic folk ballad "Blackwater Dam," which has a timeless quality difficult to achieve."