To Gentlemen is the debut release for Her Crooked Heart, Rachel Ries' new project. This quartet of tunes was culled from a larger, rollicking session recorded in the woods of WI, winter of 2016/17. The songs on To Gentlemen are a snapshot of the album yet to come; an album that is in turns disarmingly spare and deeply danceable. All the songs wade through the ever-rich and roiling waters of loving, leaving and finding new life again.

Recorded in Eau Claire WI at Pine Hollow & hive.
Co-producers: Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries
Guitar, vocals: Rachel Ries
Drums, Percussion: Shane Leonard
Bass: Pat Keen
Saxophone: Mike Lewis
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: John DeHaven
Recorded & Mixed by Brian Fredrick Joseph at hive.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice
Layout & Design: Rachel Ries
Photography: Jesse Johnson

Vinyl / CD / Artwork

To Gentlemen

ARE YOU GOOD YOU ARE is from Her Crooked Heart's first EP: TO GENTLEMEN. The quartet of EP tunes are culled from a larger, rollicking session recorded in the woods of WI, winter of 2016/17. The songs on To Gentlemen are a snapshot of the album yet to come; an album that is in turns disarmingly spare and deeply danceable. 
 
Recorded in Eau Claire WI at Pine Hollow & hive.
Co-producers: Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries
Piano, vocals: Rachel Ries
Drums, Percussion: Shane Leonard
Bass: Pat Keen
Saxophone: Mike Lewis
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: John DeHaven
Recorded & Mixed by Brian Fredrick Joseph at hive.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

To Gentlemen (EP)

Are You Good You Are

Recorded in Eau Claire WI at Pine Hollow & hive.
Co-producers: Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries
Piano: Rachel Ries
Recorded & Mixed by Brian Fredrick Joseph at hive.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

Recorded in Eau Claire WI at Pine Hollow & hive.
Co-producers: Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries
Guitar, vocals: Rachel Ries
Recorded & Mixed by Brian Fredrick Joseph at hive.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

To Gentlemen (mp3)

Loving You

Recorded in Eau Claire WI at Pine Hollow & hive.
Co-producers: Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries
Guitar, vocals: Rachel Ries
Drums, Percussion: Shane Leonard
Bass: Pat Keen
Saxophone: Mike Lewis
Trumpet & Flugelhorn: John DeHaven
Recorded & Mixed by Brian Fredrick Joseph at hive.
Mastered by Jeff Lipton at Peerless Mastering, Boston, MA
Assistant Mastering Engineer: Maria Rice

Adrian

Ghost of a Gardener was recorded in Chicago at Pieholden Suite Sounds, studio of the late Jay Bennett (Wilco). Co-produced by Rachel and David Vandervelde, the album features Emmett Kelly (Cairo Gang, Bonnie “Prince” Billy), Gregory Alan Isakov, Evan Bivins (Cary Ann Hearst, Jump Little Children, Duncan Sheik), to name a few.

Producer: Rachel Ries
Co-Producer: David Vandervelde
Recording/Mixing Head Engineer: Matt Dewine at Pieholden Suite Sounds
Assistant Engineer: David Vandervelde
Additional Engineers: Christopher MacDonald, Paul Currerri
Mastering: Paul Gold at Salt Mastering

Rachel Ries: piano & vocals
David Vandervelde: electric guitar & vocals
Ari Bolles: upright bass & vocals
Evan Bivins: drums & percussion
Kristin Slipp: vocals
Cole Kamen-Green: trumpet
Alec Spiegelman: flute
Devon Sproule, Raina Rose, Carrie Elkin, Danny Schmidt: choir

Holiest Day

Standing Still (feat. Gregory Alan Isakov)

Ghost

Words

Production by Shane Leonard & Rachel Ries 
Recorded by Brian Joseph at Pinehollow and hive.
(Thank you Evan Middlesworth!)
Mixed by Brian at hive.
Mastered by Zach Hanson and Brian Joseph.
Additional recording by Shane at The Bungaleau and Rachel in her Petite Palais. Letters string arrangement by Rob Moose; Pleasant Valley Reservoir strings arranged by Rob and Shane Leonard. All strings performed and recorded by Rob Moose. Woodwinds on Young Love arranged, performed and recorded by Alec Spiegelman.
Photography by Sheri Mason
Styling by Andrew Medlin with assistance from Rachael Price
Hair and makeup by Robin Watson Hamilton

Rachel Ries: vocals, guitars, piano, rhodes
Shane Leonard: drums, percussion, guitars, organ, vocals
Pat Keen: upright, electric bass
Rob Moose: strings
Mike Lewis: saxophone
John deHaven: trumpet, flugelhorn
Ben Lester: pedal steel
Alec Spiegelman: bass clarinet, alto flute
David & Sarah Ries: For a Song sibling harmonies

All songs written by Rachel Kay Ries © 2017 (Crooked Heart Songs SESAC) except tracks 6 and 8 written by Rachel and Shane Leonard (Gourdon Publishing ASCAP)

To Love To Leave To Live

Purchase

I Fell In Love

Windswept

Young Love Is Like Nothing

Pleasant Valley Reservoir

HER CROOKED HEART is the new name; the new music of Rachel Ries – multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer, hired gun, singer. Her Crooked Heart’s first release, To Gentlemen (CD & 7” vinyl EP), hits the ground spinning May 5, complete with Rachel’s own limited edition artwork and featuring members of Bon Iver & Field Report.
 
Along with numerous and diverse collaborators through the years, Rachel has proven herself ever-curious to expand her sound, her scope, and sail on past the confines of ‘singer-songwriter.’ After all, sometimes what the heart wants is a syncopated horn line and a string section; a choir of angels and a bass synth, leaving exaltation and devastation in their wake.
 
But one thing has remained true since RR’s first homespun release: her sly and compassionate voice, excavating the depths of an all-too-human heart, armed with levity and a pen. It’s the messy humanity that’s of interest here. The trying and failing; the loving and losing and loving again. The choosing to be brave even when you’re shaking in your tattered boots.
 
So please, make welcome: Her Crooked Heart. She’s been here all along.

Her Crooked Heart

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