Sometimes music hits you in a place that is so perfect and sublime — you can feel it and appreciate it the deepest places in your heart, mind, and, yes, soul. The Deer’s Cry, a Nashville-based quartet (Karen Ballew on harp, harmonium, and lead vocals; Patrick Atwater on upright bass and bass guitar; Bryan Brock on drums and percussion; and Will MacLean on banjo, acoustic guitar, and electric guitar), makes music of this sort — a stunning amalgam of Americana/folk, Celtic, world, bluegrass, and jazz (and more!) that hits all of those soul-deep places within us. The band’s brand new album, “Heal The Heart,” is glorious and gorgeous, with a sense of comfort, wonder, love, and healing woven throughout every carefully crafted track.
Amplify Music Magazine is pleased to premiere the full album stream here today for fans to take a complete first listen. We also sat down with Ballew recently to talk about the album, and you can read our Q&A below while you listen.
Your album is really fantastic. Tell us how you came to gather this collection of songs together.
Songwriting can be an interesting process. In December of 2020, I was deeply searching for healing and hope. “Pieces” was the first song I wrote, and from there, other ideas and symbols would present themselves, often at the most unexpected times! I would quickly grab my phone to record a voice memo. There are two older, traditional texts and two poems on the album in addition to the lyrics I wrote—all four have been special to me for quite some time, but I never thought I’d set them to music or that they’d appear on an album together! I began to notice phrases and symbols connecting the songs: the heart as the central image, trees and sunlight, deep peace and flowing air, and, of course, the birds as messengers of hope.
What was the recording process like? Did it go the way you expected? What was your favorite moment or moments in the studio?
First, we recorded all four of us playing together live, and then we added additional layers of vocals and instruments. Over the span of three months, we scheduled ten days of recording time and focused on three to four songs per month. Our producer, Nick Bullock, was great about encouraging us to try different ideas—watching my bandmates Bryan Brock record auxiliary percussion and Will MacLean come up with banjo and guitar parts was a blast! Patrick Atwater, our bassist, recorded six bowed bass lines on “Dogwood Tree,” which ended up sounding super cool.
Kristin Weber recorded violin, Austin Hoke was on cello, Leif Shires played trumpet and flugelhorn, and Simon Yeh played tenor saxophone and clarinet. We were also joined by Hannah Holbrook on piano, vocals, and accordion.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from the recording process. All I can say is Nick and our assistant engineer, Ethan Howard, made it an inspiring, enjoyable experience! My favorite moment in the studio was recording vocals for “The Sermon of St. Francis.” We thought the song needed a vocal bridge to transport the listener to that glorious moment when all the birds came to land around St. Francis. Nick told me to imagine that I was standing by a stream in a forest with sunlight pouring through the leaves and the birds flying towards me. “Just sing what you see,” he said. I’d never done that before, on the spot, but it was a marvelous way to create and be truly present in the moment.
Do you have a favorite song on the album? What makes it stand out for you?
The songs are all special to me for different reasons, but if I had to pick a favorite, I’d say “Morning Light.” The intimate, acoustic soundscape expands to a broader, cinematic soundscape over the course of the song. For me, the range of emotion communicates how I felt through the writing, recording, and production of this album. It’s been an epic journey, challenging and stressful at times, but ultimately one that has changed me for the better. The chorus for “Morning Light” comes from the “Cherokee Morning Song” (adopted from the Tihanama Nation). The text “We n’ de ya ho” in the Tihanama language translates: “I am of the Great Spirit, it is so.” That sums up the hope of the whole album for me, and my belief that we are not alone, left to fend for ourselves with no consequence or purpose, but that in this universe there is a greater creativity, a greater purpose, that invites us to learn, to grow, and become what we are truly meant to be.
What do you hope listeners get from listening to this album? What would you like the message or messages to be?
One of the beautiful things about art is that, after it’s created (and even during the creation process!), it takes on a life of its own. There seems to be a gradual conditioning in our culture that teaches us to stop listening, to stop believing. It often forces us to create false securities and a false sense of self. Art has the capacity to shine light into these dark places and show things as they truly are. It can open a channel for compassion and understanding, perhaps where there wasn’t one before. For me, I hope listeners are reminded of the wonder and possibility in our universe, the gift of friendship, and the beauty in their own souls.
How would you describe the music that you make?
The Deer’s Cry is a collaborative venture. The music that we make reflects the art that inspires us; everything from folk, gospel, bluegrass, jazz, classical, Celtic, rock, and world music. Usually, I write the lyrics and melody for a song, but it always evolves once I bring it to the band. Their musicianship profoundly expands the depth and range of these songs! I’ve been immersed in Irish music for the past 15 years, so the vocals have an Irish traditional vibe, with some influence from other folk traditions and choral singing. Bryan, Will, and Patrick are versatile musicians with quite the eclectic taste in music—it’s always exciting to hear what they come up with!
What’s coming up next for you once the album comes out this week?
We will be performing an album release show in Nashville at the Analog at Hutton Hotel on Wednesday, October 5th. We are looking forward to our friend Hannah Holbrook joining us for that! On Saturday, October 22nd, we’ll be doing a concert in Abilene, Texas at the Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest, and we are excited for the opportunity to perform on the “Today in Nashville” show on Tuesday, December 6th!
