Mary Fahl (former Lead Singer of The October Project)

Overview

“Sounding like no other singer of her generation” (Allmusic.com), Mary Fahl is an expressive, emotional singer/songwriter who first achieved fame as lead singer and co-founder of the mid-1990s NYC- based chamber-pop group October Project. The hallmark of their sound was Mary Fahl’s awe-inspiring power vocals over gorgeous melodies played with passion and sophistication. As a solo artist, Mary has released several compelling albums, including the fantastic re-working of Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the Moon” for V2 Records and her wonderful, original studio album “The Other Side of Time” on Sony Odyssey. She has also written and performed songs for several major motion pictures, including the lead song (“Going Home”) for the Civil War epic Gods and Generals. Her most recent album “Live at the Mauch Chunk Opera House”, winner of the Indie Acoustic “Album of the Year” award, is a collection of twenty-four tracks recorded live at one of America’s oldest vaudeville theaters that captures the soaring, soul-permeating vocals and musical breadth that makes the Mary Fahl concert experience what the Portland Press called “soul-permeating”. The show was filmed for PBS and is currently airing on PBS affiliates around the country. Fahl’s elegant, cinematic songs draw on classical and world music sources, American art song, as well as thinking man’s folk-pop which she performs with an earthy, viscerally powerful contralto that Boston Globe critic Steve Morse calls “a voice for the gods that can transport listeners to other realms”. Her music appeals to a wide range of musical enthusiasts, including a large, loyal fan base of Mary Fahl evangelists. Her discography includes: With the October Project; October Project (1993, Epic Records); Falling Farther In (1996, Epic Records). Solo career - Lenses of Contact EP (2001, Roughmix Records); The Other Side of Time (2003, Sony Odyssey); Gods and Generals – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003, Sony Classical); The Guys – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2003, Sony Classical) Classics for a New Century (2003, Sony Classical); Mary Fahl: From the Dark Side of the Moon (2011); Love and Gravity – (2014, Rimar Records); Mary Fahl: Live from Mauch Chunk Opera House – Live album, DVD and PBS (2014, Rimar Records). Most recently, Fahl has been touring around the U.S. to promote Love and Gravity. The album is filled with flowing, folk-etched ballads produced by the legendary John Lissauer, who has collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of our time – including producing Leonard Cohen’s classic recording, “Hallelujah.” Seven of the 10 songs on Love and Gravity were composed or co-written by Fahl, including the powerful tribute to true love, “Move Mountains, Turn Rivers Around” (written for her husband, renowned deep-sea oceanographer and marine ecologist Richard Lutz); the unflaggingly romantic “When Johnny Loved June” (honoring Johnny Cash and June Carter); and the rousing “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright.” The album also Includes two already-released singles: an inspiring re-imagining of the Joni Mitchell classic, “Both Sides Now;” and Fahl’s tribute to 9/11 rescue workers, “Dawning of the Day,” set to a traditional Irish melody. Fahl and author Anne Rice (“Interview with the Vampire”) have a mutual admiration. Rice mentions both Mary and an October Project song, “Take Me as I Am,” in her new novel, “The Wolves of Midwinter” and asked Fahl to compose a theme song for the audiobook. With John Lissauer as co-writer, Fahl created the powerful and haunting “Exiles: The Wolves of Midwinter,” which was released concurrently with the novel on October 15, 2013. “I referenced ‘Take Me as I Am’ because I was hearing that song in my head, and Mary Fahl singing it, as I wrote the scene,” said Anne Rice. “I am so honored and thrilled that Mary was inspired to write ‘Exiles’ as a result. It’s haunting and beautiful and exactly conveys the mood of the novel.” Fahl, who hails from Rockland County, NY, lives in an idyllic setting in eastern Pennsylvania with her husband. Their 17th century house overlooking the Delaware River — complete with waterfall and surrounded by acres of gardens and woods, inspires Mary’s ongoing songwriting.