He Is We’s story is the sort of tale that should begin with “Once upon a time…” In the summer of 2008, Rachel Taylor and Trevor Kelly went to work at Ted Brown Music Tacoma, Washington. Both felt like outcasts and while the other employees sold flutes and guitars, Rachel and Trevor became fast friends, confiding in each other and realizing they both were musically inclined. Their first collaboration was a track called “Such a Beautiful Sound,” written at a friend’s house,” and the transition from music store co-workers to band mates was a natural next step.
The duo’s quirky songwriting began to get attention when they posted “Pardon Me” online. At first the track got five or six plays a day; later it got thousands. So Rachel and Trevor wrote more songs and the musical connection between the two was apparent from the start.
By 2010 it was time for those fans to have more music than a few online songs. He Is We spent much of the year recording the ten tracks for their debut album with several producers. First with Casey Bates (Chiodos, Gatsby’s American Dream) at his Seattle studio, then with Aaron Sprinkle (Anberlin, Eisley) at his. Later the band flew to New York to record some tracks with Dan Romer (Ingrid Michaelson, Jenny Owen Youngs) and laid down a few more with Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta. Working with so many different producers created what the band feels is a sense of open-minded diversity on the record.
The final album, which was released digitally in November, is a delightfully eclectic collection of acoustic songs that shine with enthusiasm and passion. The album as a whole is lovely and inviting, easily accessible for any listener. The disc evolves that initial meeting in the music store to prancing pop songs that always leave you wanting more. “Making the album turned our little demos into exactly what we were hoping for,” Rachel says. “It made our little babies grow up into beautiful young songs.” This is where you’d expect the story to close with “Happily ever after.” But He Is We is just getting started. As Rachel says, “It’s only going to get better.”
This is a wonderful album, I thoroughly enjoyed listening to it. I even found myself humming some of the melodies later. I hope to hear more great albums from this group in the future!
Buy it here: My Forever is available on Amazon.
~I received a product sample in order to write my review. I received no monetary compensation. All opinions expressed are mine.
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