Hem

Information

Members:
Sally Ellyson - Vocals
Dan Messe - Piano, Glockenspiel, Celeste, Harmony Vocals
Steve Curtis - Guitar, Mandolin, Harmony Vocals
Gary Maurer - Guitar, Mandolin, Harmonica, Harmony Vocals
Bob Hoffnar - Pedal Steel Guitar, Dobro
Mark Brotter - Drums, Percussion
Heather Zimmerman - Violin
George Rush - Bass
Dawn Landes - Harmony Vocals, Glockenspiel
Genre:
Folk - Pogressive
Hometown:
Brooklyn, New York
Record Label:
Nettwerk Music Group
 
Hem

Hem

"This exceptionally musical production has beautiful folky-Elizabethan-Irish-Scottish-doo-wop songs by a group called Hem. Someone, please, ask Hem to write a show." - Newsday "Music, as you may have gathered, is far from incidental to the production...
Kelly
Kelly
There was a fantastic review of the play in The Hollywood Reporter!!! Esp. about the music...
John
John
The show at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park was amazing. The cast and band combined for the best Shakespeare in the Park I've ever seen, thanks!
Hem

Hem A dream day in the studio-Audra, Raul & Anne came by to record their songs. The music is bursting with all the life & energy of the show, & yet it still sounds as sweet & polished as any Hem album. Even more, the 2 new songs we added are a revelation; Listening to Raul's song ("Where Is Fancy Bred?") makes me practically levitate, & now it looks like Anne will sing harmony on Audra's new song-how's that for a duet?!

Kelly
Kelly
The play was Awesome- Spectacular!! The music was performed so well!!! Can't wait to hear the cast album and the new record...
Carolyn
Carolyn
Saw the show Sun night. What a fine production! Great music and great Shakes!
Hem

Hem Currently polishing up the extra Twelfth Night song for Audra McDonald(aka "Olivia")...it's amazing how knowing that her voice will soon be singing it concentrates the mind on the task. Next up, Raul Esparza's (aka "Orsino's") song...

Lisa
Lisa
Just can't get enough HEM!!!!!!
Jeremy
Jeremy
Can't wait to hear it!
Hem

Hem

Hem
Hem
Okay, as far as anyone on our end knows, there is no link anywhere (as of now) to purchase/pre-order the Twelfth Night album via iTunes. It will, of course, be made available to download thru iTunes once it's been released (but you wouldn't need to pre-order that). The pre-orders are specifically for actual CDs that you can hold in your hands (or used as a Frisbee/projectile as my 4 year old just demonstrated...).
Doug
Doug
Just ordered my copy. Hope to enjoy it soon..
Hem

Hem "Come Away Death" seems to be the audience favorite, though most people leave the theater humming "The Wind and the Rain"; That's no wonder given that the song ends the play, then continues as an instrumental reel throughout a joyfully staged and choreographed dance, and is finally hammered firmly into everyone's subconscious as it plays (and plays) under the bows, curtain calls, and exit music. Hey Ho...

Hem

Hem

The music is all writ for Twelfth Night (see last post), and not a moment too soon -- we finished recording the score yesterday, the on-stage band (comprised of actor/musicians and, oddly, our own Tal...
Hem

Hem

You can check out the latest mention of "Twelfth Night" in the NY Times Arts section section. For additional information about Shakespeare in the Park, visit The Public Theater website at www.publict...
Hem

Hem ou can check out the latest mention of ‘Twelfth Night' in the <a href="http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/30/julie-white-joins-twelfth-night/" target="_blank"><u>NY Times Arts section</u></a> section.

Source: artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com
Hem

Hem Okay here is the scoop: Hem has been hired by the Public Theater to score/write songs for their production of Twelfth Night starring Anne Hathaway and Audra Mcdonald. This show is part of their Shakespeare in the Park series that runs at the Delacorte in Central Park every summer. Twelfth Night runs from June 10th through July 12th. As you can imagine, we are practically bursting with excitement (and terror)...

Tara
Tara
you guys can do anything. you're magic.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth
Wow! Congratulations!
Hem

Hem 25 songs: that's (currently) the count for the new album. We've never had so many (potential) outtakes before–and I don't wanna take any out

Dawn
Dawn
Make mine a double!
Mike
Mike
One of Hem's greatest assets is the fact that you never skimp on an album! Lots of great music on an album at a great price and I'll ALWAYS come and see you when you're in town! Keep setting that high standard for all music lovers!
Hem

Hem Holy balls, that Stones cover turned out good! Just when I think Sally couldn't possibly get any better, she'll go ahead and sing something that just leaves my ears/heart gasping.

Hem
Hem
Hola Doug,
Over the years, many, many well-intentioned folks have asked if HEM was an acronym for all manner of monikers – this is our punishment for using all caps on our first album, and all lowercase on our 2nd. To name just a few of the more memorable examples:
"Historical Exploration of Music"
"Heart, Ears, Mind"
"Hoffnar, Ellyson, Messé" (a pedal steel enthusiast, no doubt)... Read More
"Happily Ever More"
"Hours Eat Minutes" (personally, I like this one)
"Howling Monkeys" (that fellow apparently had no use for the E)
"Howard's End by E.M." (this one just hurts my head, with the double E and the lack of Forster)

They get more even more tortured and silly..but no, alas, HEM is not an acronym (and notice we learned our lesson on Funnel Cloud, where we our name is spelled out with a capital H, and a lower case e and m – "Hem" – as in "the Hem of your dress..."
Doug
Doug
Hem it is, and the greatest music known to man will continue to be played in my MK-S, Media Juke-box, thumb-Drive, and CD! Until you get a channel on Sirrius Radio...
Hem

Hem What does a band have to do to find a freaking Uilleann pipes player in this town?!

Tom
Tom
most people can't even SPELL Willeann... er.. Willyean... er... Uillleen... er.. .you know what I mean.
Jennifer
Jennifer
Where are you? There is a great one in Baltimore named Charlie McVicker. I could get you his number
Hem

Hem I finally heard it: For years Tall Steve has claimed that NYC subways, exiting a station, sing "Somewhere" ("There's a place")–it's so true!

Kristin
Kristin
And Katie Hughes is singing this song at my wedding in three weeks! Like heaven in my ears!
Rachel
Rachel
Yes! Glad to know that someone else hears it and it wasn't just my bundle of fatigue and dissatisfaction goosing my auditory cortex.
Hem

Hem We're heading back to Sear Sound to record a few more basic tracks (I know I know, it's been way over a year and we're still recording basics). But it's not as bad as it seems: there's this one new instrumental song called "Underwater, Overnight" that HAS to go on the album, there's a Rolling Stones cover (that is NOT going on the album), and then we have to completely redo "Tides at the Narrows" (that DOES hurt...)

David
David
(Drumming my fingers on the table in anxious anticipation)
Christina
Christina
No Rolling Stones cover? That's it, I'm not buying the album. (I'll just keep whining about no Stones cover. That'll learn ya.)
Hem

Hem

Tall Steve had been carrying around that first beautiful verse from “Seven Angels” for many years. I would often have him play it for me when we shared a room on tour, or before a show if I was feel
Hem

Hem Final polish on "No Word From Tom"–Sal sing's it tonight. Perversely, we saved the title track to our obscurely-named Outtakes album til now

Michelle
Michelle
drove up 70miles to see a band I had just heard of that week... fell in love with Rabbit Songs and then met you and saw you at the Newport in Columbus days later !! so cool! that was... ummmm 2002 ?
Joshua
Joshua
When are you guys coming back to reno?
Hem

Hem too low to crow too tight to write too grey to play too agog to blog too dosed to post too sick to tic...to say today: too beat to tweet...

Hem

Hem

Hem does! Come follow the inane, quasi-real-time ramblings of Dan (and any other Hemmer who wishes to open their Tweet Hole). It'll be like having your owntourrettic, narcoleptic songwriter inside ...
Hem

Hem You can follow Hem on Twitter @hemmusic. It will be like hearing our (but mostly Dan's) thoughts in real time. G-d help us all.

Christina
Christina
That taunting Tweet about the album title? Mean! Very mean!
Hem

Hem "Peep" – I mean "Tweet". Whoops – bear with us while we get our Twitter legs.

Bob
Bob
LOL - twitter legs - sounds like a dancer or something - "Let's hear it for Twitter Legs Johnson!"
Hem
Hem
I seems to be barely literate in these new modes of communication. I do know that my "Tweets" are @hemmusic (I guess @hem was taken). Does this help at all?
RECENT ACTIVITY
Hem changed their Website.
Hem

Hem

"Lost in the Stars" is one of my favorite songs from one of my least favorite composers. Even Kurt Weill couldn’t resist giving this awesome lyric by Martin Gore a pretty little melodic nest instead o.
Hem

Hem

I’m at that point where I’ve found myself surrounded not just by light, but bycolor as well.Alamp glows, and at first all you can see is that there is light where there was once only darkness – a
Hem

Hem

I'm feeling a little better these days; Ironically, the bleak blog was actually a good sign as I can't write anything (song/blog/email) when I'm really down in the well.  For me to write, it requ..
Hem

Hem

"Lost in the Stars" is one of my favorite songs from one of my least favorite composers. Even Kurt Weill couldn’t resist giving this awesome lyric by Martin Gore a pretty little melodic nest instead o.
Hem

Hem

I’m at that point where I’ve found myself surrounded not just by light, but details of bright color as well.Surprising at first, a lamp glows, and at first all you can see is that there is light wher
Alex
Alex
...can touch you now, and change the way you see.

Funnel Cloud is an excellent lens to read this blog through. I agree with your view of the winter; the bitter cold (at least here in Buffalo) seems to be hanging on for dear life.

I don't wish the cold away, though, because it is merely to wish life away. It shall pass on it's own.... Read More

Heck, there's only about two months left of the stuff, anyway. And then, both our corners of the planet (and for that matter, state) will find themselves reborn, renewed, and refreshed.

Excellent entry.
Hem

Hem

I'm feeling a little better these days; Ironically, the bleak blog was actually a good sign as I can't write anything (song/blog/email) when I'm really down in the well.  For me to write, it requ..