Robinson Treacher & Cariad Harmon at UCPAC in Rahway

If entertainment can be defined as an agreeable occupation of the mind, then Robinson Treacher has found a way to encompass this in every aspect of his contribution to music-kind. Whether playing the role as front man to the soul-rock infused Delaware Hudson, as co-collaborator to the Alt-Country based Tensleep, or as a solo singer/songwriter, Treacher seems to drain himself of energy in the ceaseless pursuit of portraying moments of musical passion. This passion is evident in every attempt he makes to involve us, the listeners, in the spiritual orchestrations of emotion that have been meticulously tempered into songs.

Just like the long list of New York City artists before him, Robinson feeds off the honest grit found among the “huddled masses”…coupling the blatantly obvious (to a New Yorker at least) with the deeply personal. Chameleon-like in his approach to his songwriting, he refuses to be pigeonholed into one particular genre. Believing that each song is forged from its own unique terrain, he takes great pains in choosing the vehicle by which passengers might best weather the bumps, potholes, and blind curves found between the first note and the last. Admittedly susceptible to the affectations of the senses himself, he asks his audience to participate emotionally as well as physically in a “whole self ” conceptual challenge, a 360 degree soul search comprised of the most joyous elation to the bitterest of pains.

With the emergence of a true “world” community of listeners and the dissolving of the old guard record company elitists, Treacher’s eclectic songwriting can be allowed to burgeon…flowing freely among the throngs of liberated music enthusiasts…authentic and unabashed in its purity and form.

There are no canvases on which to paint. There are no seminars from which to glean wisdom. There is only the note. Alone, it is just that; strung together, it is a road on which to experience life. Treacher is building this road for himself, but would be the first to admit that the companions define the journey.

Listening to Cariad Harmon, it’s hard to believe that the singer-songwriter spent much of her youth galavanting through the streets of London and dancing until the wee hours of the morning to legendary house and techno DJs at West London’s now defunct Club UK. It’s not surprising, however, to learn that after the parties were over, Cariad returned home to secretly throw on a Tracy Chapman or Bob Dylan album and strum her acoustic guitar.

Being caught between two worlds is a common echo in Cariad’s life. She grew up in the crossroads of two cultures: the cynical sensibility of England, and the romantic innocence of the American dream. With an English mother and an American father, Harmon has often struggled with feeling like an outsider in both the English and American worlds; she now embraces this feeling in her folk-inspired songwriting, which can be ironic, cheeky, vulnerable, and euphoric at times. Cariad’s range in style stems from experiences in frustration, confrontation, and new beginnings, with surviving the precariousness of New York City (her current home base) serving as the overarching theme on her latest album.

In Cariad’s music, conscientiously-crafted harmonies, sensitivity toward the arc of a song, and drum beats that stray from the typical country ditty complement her writing. Her lyrics are delivered with emotional directness and effortlessly flow as she splays them over delicate and nuanced guitar work. Influenced as much by contemporary artists Father John Misty and Ray Lamontagne as legends such as The Band and Carole King, Cariad’s most obvious talent lies in her ability to tell stories.

Cariad’s debut album Four Letters caught the attention of music mini-mogul Adam Dorn (a.k.a. Mocean Worker), who released the album on his label MOWO! Inc. in 2009. In addition, Cariad’s music has been featured in the film The Hawk is Dying (starring Paul Giamatti), and earned her the semifinalist title in the 2013 International Songwriting Competition.
Cariad’s self-titled album, and her most recent – it was released in 2014, boasts performances by Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig of Lucius and Mike Savino of Tall Tall Trees. Co-Producers Oli Rockberger and Chris Abell (Matt & Kim, Pete Yorn, Alabama Shakes) heavily influenced the record’s sound, while executive producer Matt Pierson (Grammy nominees Kirk Whalum, Brad Mehldau), who is largely credited in the jazz community, produced 5 of the album’s 11 tracks, and mixed and mastered the project giving the album a salient voice.