The Hello Strangers

Rank #1 Mercersburg, PA Americana / Folk Rock / Indie

About

Members: Larissa Chace Smith - Vocals/Guitar, Brechyn Chace - Vocals/Accordion, Supported by: - Dave Holzwarth - Bass, Spencer Pheil - Ld. Guitar, Trent Rensh...

Sounds Like: Lucinda Williams, Neko Case, Kathleen Edwards Page

Manager: Self-Managed

Bio: What does Austin-influenced, rural-Pennsylvanian, indie sister-folk sound like? Verbosity aside, it sounds uniquely like The Hello Strangers, a sister duo whose haunting harmonies and original, wittingly noir songwriting style are the backbone of their sound.

The Hello Strangers were born out o... See Full Bio

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Status

Camping at Trough Creek State Park today!

Press

“Hell hath no fury quite like a woman scorned. Such seems to be the mantra of Mercersburg, Pa.'s The Hello Strangers, however clich? that age-old adage may appear to be. Actually, their latest six-song effort, "Introducing Max Schmidt" (released in 2010), is Exhibit A for how easily that phrase is able to translate into the music world with grace and power. Sisters Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace aren't just mad -- they are stinkin' mad, and they have no problem with expressing such scathing anger in tunes filled with musical backdrops that are heavy on pop-country and words that are bursting at the seams with poignancy and command.”

— Colin McGuire, The Frederick News-Post

“AirPlay Direct is proud to announce that “The Hello Strangers” have taken home the grand prize package for the “APD Win an Americana Record Deal” contest. “It is hard to describe how it feels to win an Americana record deal after years of gigging and self-promotion at the grassroots level,” says Larissa of The Hello Strangers. “Just being in the Top 5 with the caliber of artists we were paired with was an honor alone. We feel we have just won the contest of our lives, and are incredibly grateful and excited to work with the team that AirPlay Direct has assembled for us.” “The Hello Strangers have such a unique sound that cuts right at the roots of the Americana genre. Fresh, innovative structures with unforgettable vocals,” says Robert Weingartz, Chairman and CEO of AirPlay Direct. To discover broadcast quality recordings of their independent project, visit www.airplaydirect.com/thehellostrangers.”

— AirPlay Direct

“Then there’s the random chance find that turns you onto something you really love and makes the drudgery more than worth it. That’s what happened with The Hello Strangers, an independent alt.country/folk rock band out of the unlikely location of Mercersburg, Pennsylvania, a two-stoplight town just this side of the Maryland border. I began streaming their EP Introducing Max Schmidt and was totally flabbergasted. It was better than anything I’d heard in a long time. After several relatively insane conversations (mostly about various retro desert foods), a package arrived at my door bearing a rubber-stamped cowboy boot and a Mercersburg postmark. Like a kid at Christmas, I ravenously tore into the oddly pregnant bubble-wrap envelope to discover not just Max Schmidt, but a package of pistachio pudding mix. Ok, I admit, I liked these gals already, but I assure you this review was in no way influenced by any attempts at bribery, no matter how randomly awesome.”

— Jason D. 'Diesel' Hamad, No Surf Music

“Old Styles, New Voices: Young Bluegrass Musicians A Younger Generation of Pickers are Cropping Up, Keeping the Spirit of Bluegrass Music Alive and Well. by Greg Yost + photos by Jamie Turner, Jason Turner and Ryan Smith, Ryan Smith Photography • • • The drawing wail of a strummed fiddle; the low-pitched, thumping flair of an upright bass; and the finger-plucking twang of the banjo. The stringed, acoustic sounds of traditional American bluegrass music are deeply rooted in the folk songs brought to the New World by European immigrants, many of whom settled in the Appalachian Mountain Range stretching through parts of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland, including Washington County. ”

— Greg Yost, Hagerstown Magazine

"We heard a sister group on a local radio station -- the Ginn Sisters -- this roots, folky thing -- and we were like, we can totally do this. We have to do this." So they started singing songs together in that genre and found that it worked; they were able to write a lot of songs fairly quickly, with a repertoire of a couple dozen originals to date. In high school, Chace-Smith played folk rock in the vein of the Indigo Girls; by college, she was listening to all genres; and then she studied reggae extensively for her graduate work. "I grew up in an age when country music was so under the radar," she said, adding that most people she knew would comment that they "listen to everything but country." But country is in the midst of a renaissance, she said. Americana music is huge in Austin, and now all over the country. "The scene is really inspiring to us. The Americana aesthetic -- we sort of settled into that. ... I feel like we've found a home in this genre."

— Lauren LaRocca, Frederick News-Post

“Such is the case with The Hello Strangers. I have two words: Love ‘em! Here’s why. The first thing I thought of when I heard the vocals was Ani Difranco. That eventually wore off and gave way to me lapsing into a Karin Bergquist coma. The Chace sisters–Larissa and Brechyn–have been writing songs together since about 2006. They added Dave Holzwarth (bass), Kevin Shannon (guitar), and Katie O’Neil (drums) to round out their line-up in what we have in the Introducing Max Schmidt EP. Or I’m assuming it’s supposed to be an EP; there are just 6 tracks, so hopefully a full-length release is in the works. Great band. I hope they put out more material soon.”

— Frissonic.net, Frissonic.net

“The band's name is The Hello Strangers, but the two principal members are anything but strangers - they're sisters. Brechyn Chace and her sister, Larissa Chace Smith, decided to pool their musical talents a few years ago. The result of the merger so far has been a band, live dates, a move to another state, an EP and now a tour that brings them to Philadelphia on Dec. 1 for a show at the Grape Room.”

— DENNY DYROFF, Daily Local News

“The Hello Strangers, a local band based in Mercersburg, PA, is currently promoting its new album entitled Introducing Max Schmidt. The band began in 2007 as a duo comprised of sisters Brechyn Chace and Larissa Chace Smith. Larissa and Brechyn agreed to answer a few questions for The Billboard. ”

— Sandrine Berre , The Wilson Billboard

“Even over the phone, the sister songwriters-Brechyn and Larissa-and singers of local Mercersburg band The Hello Strangers, have a captivating presence that transfers just as well on the phone as it does in their music. Powerfully sung lyrics hold emotion like a rain catcher, saturating every word with meaning and quenching the musical thirst of devoted fans and first-time listeners alike. Talking to the sisters was captivating, their effervescent personalities and sisterly antics made talking to them just as enjoyable as listening to their music.”

— Janessa Demuele, The Wilson Billboard

“The music of The Hello Strangers takes me into another decade, maybe into a black and white movie set in the Appalachians or Hill Country of Texas, where the women are tough and passionate. It's spooky, got some gorgeous harmonies and just the right amount of twang.”

— Jamie Freedman, Examiner

“Larissa Chace Smith and Brechyn Chace have always wanted to be in a band. After moving back from Austin, Texas, to their hometown of Mercersburg a few years ago, the sisters’ dream became a reality with the creation of The Hello Strangers. Adding to their dream, the group’s first album, “Introducing Max Schmidt,” has just been completed. Coming together “We were inspired by the music down there,” Smith said. “All we listened to (in Texas) was country.””

— Rachel Bryson, The Record Herald

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Sat
Jul 20

Rock & Roll Hotel
Washington, DC, US | 8:00pm
Rock & Roll Hotel
Washington, DC, US
Sat Jul 20 8:00pm
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The Highballers and The Hello Strangers bring Americana and Alt Country to The Rock and Roll Hotel. "They said they had a low-down sound and that came out as gnarly blues rock--thick and deep with piercing lead guitar runs and dual male/female vocals...The second song moved into a psychobilly terrain which was not as fast as say a Gun Club, but had a nice Sadies feel to it...Fans of the really assertive roots bands like the Knitters or the Sadies will eat this music up. " -DC Rock Live
Fri
Jul 26

South Mountain Folk & R…
Biglerville/Gettysburg, PA, US | 8:00pm
South Mountain Folk & Root...
Biglerville/Gettysburg, PA, US
Fri Jul 26 8:00pm
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Date and time TBD
Fri
Aug 16

Maryland Theater
Hagerstown, MD, US | 6:00pm
Maryland Theater
Hagerstown, MD, US
Fri Aug 16 6:00pm
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Maryland Theatre "Wind Down Fridays" Event
Tue
Oct 1

The Thought Lot
Shippensburg, PA, US | 8:00pm
The Thought Lot
Shippensburg, PA, US
Tue Oct 01 8:00pm
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Sun
Oct 27

Whitetail Resort Outdoo…
Mercersburg, PA, US | 12:30pm
Whitetail Resort Outdoor F...
Mercersburg, PA, US
Sun Oct 27 12:30pm

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Comments

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Ponderosa Breeze
Hello Stranger! Listening to your cool tunes. Keep em coming, we diggit! especially Poor Dear, nice!
Ben Aaron
Beautiful music here, Hello Strangers. Your voices blend incredibly well and the recordings are flawless. Great job!
Luscious Purr
Sweet vocal harmonies that can only be achieved by sisters. We try to catch you whenever you're in Hagerstown. We're new to Reverb Nation but we've been fans for quite a w...
Shane Alan Swaim
I am listening to "Poor Dear.' Hauntingly beautiful folk song with a driving rhythm and thought-provoking lyrics. Sincerely, Shane
Smith III
Nice work! I came by to show you some love and support, you can return the favor by stopping by out page. Put A Stamp On it!
Stuart Shaw
Relic and Beautiful...