Chimney Choir
2014: Rivers & Roads
Chimney Choir combines folk harmonies, ambient electronics, and swirling textures of rhythm and melody into a style of music that is not easy to define. They began in 2011 with a guitar, banjo, mandolin, and suitcase drum and have since toured the country extensively, recorded and released five recordings, and developed layers of electronics, live looping, and percussion. They still remain fascinated with folk music and traditions while they constantly evolve and experiment - their performances often take on a theatrical quality that has incorporated puppetry, ritual, dance, storytelling, interactive video and even a sci-fi mini-drama. Chimney Choir has earned several consecutive nominations for Westword's 'Best Avante-Pop' band, and was awarded Best CD Release Show (Westword) for their four-part thematic album release of the critically acclaimed (compass) album in the summer of 2013. In collaboration with Denver's cutting edge ballet company, Wonderbound, they created the full-length ballet 'BOOMTOWN', which debuted in April 2015 to rave reviews and several encore performances. They are currently recording the (dream) album, funded by crowdsource fundraising and a grant from Colorado Creative Industries, set to be released in the spring of 2016. The album deepens Chimney Choir's ever-evolving remix-collage technique, combining acoustic and electronic instrumentation, sampling, and evocative vocal and string arrangements with theatrical songwriting, intricate percussion and ambient drones.