Seattle’s Glass Heart String Choir bring their Baroque-Pop to New Zealand
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.
For three shows of the tour they will be joined by Wellington dream-pop act French for Rabbits. They will be joining forces in New Plymouth (the bands previous New Plymouth show sold out), Palmerston North and Wellington. The trio of shows follows a recent tour in the USA, appearances at SXSW and the release of new single ‘Middle of the House’. The band have had music featured in Vampire Diaries, Being Human and they have opened for the likes of Lorde, Agnes Obel and more in their varied career. They’re currently working on their third record which is tentatively due out in late 2020.
