ChamberFolk: The future of original string music. Unapologetic genre-benders, Harpeth Rising fuses Folk, Newgrass, Rock and Classical into something organically unique. Three classically trained musicians playing original music, as intricately arranged as a string quartet, lyrically rooted in the singer/songwriter tradition, and wrapped in three-part vocal harmonies reminiscent of both Appalachia and Medieval Europe. Building from the tonal depth of the cello, layer in the shimmering sounds of a violin and the strikingly natural addition of banjo to create a sound at once familiar and impossible to categorize.

Each musician holds classical performance degrees from some of the most venerated schools in the world: Indiana University, Oberlin, Eastman School of Music. But their classical background is only one dimension of this trio’s powerful musical voice. Hailing from vastly different parts of North America, each member of Harpeth Rising brings different influences to the core sound. Maria Di Meglio (cello), was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. She was drawn to the music of her first generation Italian and Balkan roots, and grew up learning Eastern European folk songs alongside classical repertoire. She attended many classical programs throughout NYC, including LaGuardia High School (the “Fame” school), and Manhattan School of Music’s Pre-college Division. Michelle Younger of Charlottesville, VA, comes by her modern spin on old-time infused banjo authentically; her family has been in the United States for generations, and she is a descendant of Cole Younger, a member of the James-Younger Gang and the namesake of his very own banjo tune. Jordana Greenberg (violin) grew up listening to the sounds of Stan Rogers, Leonard Cohen and Natalie McMaster in her native Canada before moving to Southern Indiana as a child. She studied classical violin by day through the pre-college program at Indiana University, and spent her nights learning the folk tunes and classic rocks songs that her family plays at the annual post-Passover jam session.

Against All Tides, Harpeth Rising’s sophomore album as a trio, is proof that authenticity and complexity can live in harmony.

Altogether, they present a picture of determined optimism: Things are not as they should be, but we will push back, against all tides.