Seattle duo Glass Heart String Choir have an affinity with New Zealand which began when guitar-player and vocalist Ian Williams toured the country with US Chamber-pop songwriter Shenandoah Davis back in 2018. On the trip he met New Zealand artists such as Anthonie Tonnon, and dream-pop band French for Rabbits who he later joined on their US tours.
In February 2020, he will be returning to New Zealand with his own project, Glass Heart String Choir, alongside harp-player, violinist and composer Katie Mosehauer. Their extensive tour covers the north and south, weaving from Auckland to Dunedin with stops including Okarito, Hokitika, Rangiora and Palmerston North.
Glass Heart String Choir’s music is compelling in its use of sweeping cinematic strings layered and looped, intricate harp, piano and guitar arrangements, and Ian’s engaging and emotive vocal delivery. Their songs harks back to baroque composition technique at times, but also draw from classic folk writers such as Leonard Cohen and contemporary counter-parts such as Joanna Newsom and Andrew Bird.
