Though they call western Massachusetts home, Parsonsfield draws their name from the rural Maine town. It was there that they cut their debut, Poor Old Shine, which established them as a roots force to be reckoned with. The New York Times hailed the band as, "boisterously youthful yet deftly sentimental," while Folk Alley dubbed their songs, "the most jubilant and danceable indie roots music this side of the Carolinas." Their rowdy live performances only upped the ante, with The Bluegrass Situation falling for their "fun and frenzy" and No Depression raving that they'll, "give you rich five-part harmonies one minute, sound like bluegrass on steroids the next, and then rock you over the head with unbearably cool and raucous Celtic rhythms."
With the follow up album, Blooming Through The Black, in addition to placing microphones on each instrument, additional mics were set up throughout the factory (the farmhouse-turned-recording-studio of Josh Ritter keyboardist/producer Sam Kassirer) just to capture the feel of the enormous space, which itself became another instrument in the band's already-impressive repertoire.
The band's joy is palpable. They trade instruments, share microphones, and shoot each other big grins. They sing in tight multi-part harmonies, their voices blending like they've been doing this together all their lives. That's because Parsonsfield is a family band, not by birth but by choice. And with an album this thrilling, it's only a matter of time before you share their same enthusiasm.
Don’t miss Parsonsfield at MPMF on Sunday, September 25th!
Enter to win a pair of Weekend Passes HERE!
