The Giant’s Harp self-titled debut EP released in April and expands on the band’s work in the classic psychedelic, folk, Americana and country rock genres.
Photo credit: The Giant’s Harp, Gordon Clark
EASTHAMPTON — Local band The Giant’s Harp, a new group made up of musicians from rising force in the New England Grateful Dead music scene Mind Left Body, debuted their self-titled debut EP in April and are serving as an example of independent artists forging their path in the region.
Released on April 1, the album marks a significant moment in the artist’s journey as it not only represents the first recorded release of original music for The Giant’s Harp, but also shows the original musical output from musicians in Mind Left Body.
Gordon Clark, guitarist and vocalist for both bands, told Reminder Publishing they are excited to have their first batch of original music released with high hopes for many more songs to come in the future from the local band. The Giant’s Harp self-titled debut EP is available on all major streaming platforms.
The Giant’s Harp was formed through an evolutionary birth from the group Mind Left Body, or MLB, a group that performs authentic and heartfelt takes on the music of the Grateful Dead. The group has garnered attention for their musical approach, but Clark and band members have now devoted time and energy to expanding on their work through The Giant’s Harp.
“The idea was let’s get together and play some music and we found some people who dug the same type of music, ethos and approach,” Clark said of the band’s background.
Along with Clark, band members include Brian Marchese on drums, Parker McQueeney on the keys and vocals, and on bass is Scott Wolfram and Seth Deysher.
Clark added Mind Left Body came from members’ passion for their work and it not only has turned into a successful act, but brought together the members of The Giant’s Harp and led to another level of artistic expression for the group.
“We were basically just trying to do something that we didn’t really think was happening, or was finding a hard time finding ourselves,” Clark explained on the band’s history through MLB. “We think we’re doing something that’s a little bit different and the audience has responded to that in a really positive way. They seem to dig what we’re doing.”
Now with The Giant’s Harp self-titled debut EP out, Clark said The Giant’s Harp is used as a vehicle of pure creative expression through their pursuit of live performances with original compositions. The band attributes its artistic style to their expansive musical roots collectively and individually in the classic psychedelic, folk, Americana and country rock genres.
From the years of using the Grateful Dead songbook for Mind Left Body performances, the framework in exploring the music for the band was rewarding both musically and spiritually, said Clark. He added that when brainstorming how the group could create original music and use it as a platform for achieving artistic goals as a vision, The Giant’s Harp was born.
The six-song EP features titled tracks, “The Poor Souls Heartache Parade,” “I See the Sun,” “Lost Without You,” “Change in the Wind” and “To Do Something Wrong.” Clark said he hopes people who check out the EP will appreciate the band’s efforts and attempt to expand on a music genre they are so passionate and familiar with.
“Music in particular is the kind of medium that has a certain power to make us feel in ways that I haven’t really fully grasped myself but have been very interested in my whole life now,” Clark said.
Clark shared a quote he had in his head thanks to a recent book he had been reading that helped capture his passion behind this new EP from The Giant’s Harp.
“The only thing humans can be uniquely attributed to is stories and music.”
Clark added that the type of musical journey they are on is very much interested in connecting with people through the music and providing unique experiences through live performances of the music.
“It’s something that’s very powerful and I think people understand that in some sort of way. There’s a certain type of music where our typical day-to-day perception of where we are in a given moment, how we might be feeling, a certain perception of time and space — where you’re kind of released from this form — so to speak. And it’s something this particular group of musicians are specifically interested in doing and thoroughly trained to do given our individual and collective musical pedigrees. The Giant’s Harp is more than just another band, because we are trying to explicitly frame out or provide a structure that attempts to provide this specific experience.”
Clark said their previous work and the famous work of the Grateful Dead that inspired MLB has given The Giant’s Harp a path forward in creating and expanding on new sounds from a familiar base.
“I think in a way — especially given the ethos of the Grateful Dead and Robert Hunter — it’s something that clearly exists in some way out there in the world, and so if we can tap into that and kind of build on it and build this world in the way that we’re interpreting in our own experiences, that’s really kind of the goal,” Clark said.
Clark told Reminder Publishing a couple weeks after The Giant’s Harp release that at that point, personal and local feedback had been positive, even if he’s taking it all with a grain of salt. He added it appears to have brought some excitement to local live show frequenters and that the band hopes to take this momentum forward as they continue down this new musical journey.
“It’s kind of fresh and I think people are digging that,” Clark said. “The EP is kind of one puzzle piece. Really, what we’re aiming to do, is take these songs and apply them in a live setting. That’s where the magic happens. To me, people seem to really dig it so far and we’ve just been trying to get the word out there on some level for what we’re doing, but ultimately, I think folks are most excited about hearing this live and having that experience.”
Clark said the band is booking shows in the Pioneer Valley all throughout the summer to get the work of the EP out there and in a live music setting. The only booked performance for The Giant’s Harp as of print time for this summer will come on Aug. 8 at The Stone Church in Brattleboro, Vermont. This show will feature both Mind Left Body and The Giant’s Harp.
Having accomplished the goal of creating an EP and putting it out into the world, Clark said he and band members are thankful for the experience of creating this EP and the support of art and music lovers that are within the Pioneer Valley.
“You talk to anyone playing music here in the valley, in Western Mass., Massachusetts, keep expanding out, basically you talk to any musician, it’s not easy. There’s a lot of challenges,” Clark said. “There’s this modern world that we’ve had to adapt to. In a lot of ways, that’s meant a lot of opportunities — the ability to independently record something, publish, distribute, that’s something that really was not possible at all back a generation ago, really, and so that’s really positive, but there’s also challenges associated with that.”
Clark said most of the time he has journeyed in making music to be released during his career, he often expects some financial losses to come with the territory. But, like in this case, when the EP is finished and out there for people to consume, nothing beats knowing the hard work has led to its release to the world.
“There’s advantages and disadvantages. Yeah, you’re able to put something out to the world and that’s a cool opportunity, but on the financial side it’s a little bit different. It’s that idea of persistence and there is a path forward and there are uncertainties,” Clark shared. “So, it’s nice to be in a place where people can appreciate music and art in general. It’s really a unique spot living here and is really rewarding in that way.”
The Giant’s Harp self-titled EP is available to stream on all major platforms. To learn more about the band or information on live shows, visit thegiantsharp.com.
