Harris (band)
Encyclopedia
Harris was an American rock
band formed in Lowell
, Massachusetts
in 2000. The group independently released one studio album, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
, along with numerous EPs, before disbanding in April 2009.
. After releasing several EPs, Harris independently recorded, produced, and released their only full-length album, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
, in 2005. The album's release was followed by a self-booked tour of the United States and Canada, which was met with mixed reviews. Harris toured Europe in the summer of 2008, and amicably disbanded in April 2009 due to the members' increasing family and career obligations. Their final recording, Snake Says Woof, was released on April 18, 2009 at their last show, which took place at the legendary Middle East
Downstairs nightclub in Cambridge, Massachusetts
.
but was made up of diverse styles, with influences such as The Police
. The Boston Herald
described the band's music as a dynamic mix of "smooth sounds and harsher, heavier clashes". "We try to mix as many genres as we possibly can and try to come out with a coherent, original sound," drummer Rob Lynch described. Harris had a shared writing process among its five members, who would switch instruments in order to share ideas. Harris frequently played in the Boston
area, and was described by Northeast Performer
as a "comforting presence in local rock."
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band formed in Lowell
Lowell, Massachusetts
Lowell is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, USA. According to the 2010 census, the city's population was 106,519. It is the fourth largest city in the state. Lowell and Cambridge are the county seats of Middlesex County...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
in 2000. The group independently released one studio album, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks is a studio album released by American rock band Harris in September 2005. The album was independently recorded, produced, and released by the band...
, along with numerous EPs, before disbanding in April 2009.
History
Harris was formed by vocalist/bassist Mike Nastri and guitarist Matt Scott in 2000 while they attended UMass LowellUniversity of Massachusetts Lowell
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public university in Lowell, Massachusetts, and part of the University of Massachusetts system...
. After releasing several EPs, Harris independently recorded, produced, and released their only full-length album, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks
The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks is a studio album released by American rock band Harris in September 2005. The album was independently recorded, produced, and released by the band...
, in 2005. The album's release was followed by a self-booked tour of the United States and Canada, which was met with mixed reviews. Harris toured Europe in the summer of 2008, and amicably disbanded in April 2009 due to the members' increasing family and career obligations. Their final recording, Snake Says Woof, was released on April 18, 2009 at their last show, which took place at the legendary Middle East
The Middle East (nightclub)
The Middle East is a live music venue, bar and restaurant in the Central Square area of Cambridge, Massachusetts. Having featured a huge variety of musicians since 1987, the establishment, with its upstairs and downstairs rooms, "is the nexus of metro Boston's rock-club scene for local and touring...
Downstairs nightclub in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
.
Music
Harris's music was rooted in rockRock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
but was made up of diverse styles, with influences such as The Police
The Police
The Police were an English rock band formed in London in 1977. For the vast majority of their history, the band consisted of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
. The Boston Herald
Boston Herald
The Boston Herald is a daily newspaper that serves Boston, Massachusetts, United States, and its surrounding area. It was started in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States...
described the band's music as a dynamic mix of "smooth sounds and harsher, heavier clashes". "We try to mix as many genres as we possibly can and try to come out with a coherent, original sound," drummer Rob Lynch described. Harris had a shared writing process among its five members, who would switch instruments in order to share ideas. Harris frequently played in the Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
area, and was described by Northeast Performer
Performer Magazine
Performer Magazine is an American music magazine aimed at independent musicians. It has been in publication since 1991 and is distributed nationally throughout the United States. The magazine focuses primarily on musicians who are unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment...
as a "comforting presence in local rock."
Members
- Rob Blatt – drums (2000–2002)
- Jon Day – guitar (2002–2009)
- Rob Lynch – drums, percussion (2002–2009)
- Mike Nastri – vocals, bass (2000–2009)
- Jim Reed – keyboard, vocals (2003–2009)
- Matt Scott – guitar (2000–2009)
- Mike Seluk – guitar (2000–2002)
- Andrew Sutherland – keyboard (2000–2003)
Studio albums
- The First Few Year (2001)
- The Light Is Seeping Through the CracksThe Light Is Seeping Through the CracksThe Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks is a studio album released by American rock band Harris in September 2005. The album was independently recorded, produced, and released by the band...
(2005) - Tales from the Split, Vol. 1 (2007) (Split LP with the French band Spudgun)
- Snake Says Woof (2009)
EPs
- The Early Year (2000)
- Live: Long Beach Arena, March 7, 1987 (2001)
- The Hottastic Sessions (2002)
- New Morning Pulse (UrinineUrinine RecordsURININE Records was an independent record label started by Sid Sowder in Indianapolis in 1994. The record label shared its name with his zine. In the years that followed, the record label would move with Sowder to Kansas City and ultimately to Boston...
, 2003)
Additional references
- Carradini, Stephen (October 1, 2005). "Review: Harris, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks." Independent Clauses.
- David (October 14, 2005). "Review: Harris, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks." Silent Uproar.
- Del Costello, Philip (March 1, 2004). "Review: Harris, New Morning Pulse." Indie Workshop.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (June 2004). "Live review: April 24, 2004." The Noise.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (July/August 2004). "Live review: June 16, 2004." The Noise.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (October 2004). "Live review: September 2, 2004." The Noise.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (May 2005). "Live review: April 10, 2005." The Noise.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (October 2005). "Live review: June 23, 2005." The Noise.
- Gisselbrecht, Steve (November 2005). "Live review: October 14, 2005." The Noise.
- Glenwood (November 2005). "Review: Harris, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks." The Noise.
- Mathews, Kevin (Spring–Summer 2006). "Review: Harris, The Light Is Seeping Through the Cracks." Pop Culture Press.
- Nolan, Jon (October 26, 2005). "Live review: October 18, 2005." The Wire.
- Sleepy Eddie (June 2004). "Live review: April 24, 2004." The Noise.