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New Music for Reuniting
During the pandemic, hearing terms like “coping” and “pivot” became a cultural norm. In music, venues fell silent and artists across the world asked themselves what they could do. Della Mae asked what they could do for fans.
While the members of Della Mae live in distant geographies individually, the band continued to stay connected remotely. Beginning as one-off performances in April 2020, band members kicked off what became 15 months of weekly live-streamed performances that brought together their fans for lead singer Celia Woodsmith’s “Pretty Songs for a Sunday” and for founding fiddler Kimber Ludiker and guitarist Avril Smith’s “Monday Night Hoedown.” These weekly shows on Facebook -- and the band’s Patreon fan club which included weekly Zoom cocktail hours that are still going strong -- have allowed band members and listeners to build a new kind of bond and deeper relationship through intimate performances and the shared experience of getting through the seemingly endless months of isolation together. This dedicated community of new friends ultimately inspired and funded Della Mae’s new project “Family Reunion.”
In May 2021, after all were vaccinated, they converged at Tonal Park Studio in Maryland. The band that had been talking, texting, Zooming, teaching, writing, and playing was finally able to get back together - and they wanted to record the immediate moments that transpired.
"We are always evolving, changing, and growing as a band - there is always further to go and more to experiment with musically. To me, this record is about independence, ownership, trust, and family. We relied on our instincts, skills and musicianship. It is also a bit about catharsis - rising from the ashes of a global pandemic with new skills, songs, and outlook on life." - Celia Woodsmith
“Family Reunion” is a collection of recordings that capture the energy, vulnerability, power, and solidarity so many are experiencing in this time of reconvention.
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