Brooklyn, N.Y.
Big Hook Americana
www.swearandshake.com

“We’re trying to push these three words as our new genre: ‘Big Hook Americana,’” says Adam McHeffey (vocals/guitar/banjo). He met Kari Spieler (vocals/guitar) at SUNY Purchase but they didn’t start performing together until their last month of college in April 2010, when they recorded a bedroom demo, “Johnnie.” Their moniker comes from an old song lyric, “…swear and shake me endlessly,” which he says, when taken out of context, “the string of words spoke to our commitment and dedication to this project.” 2012’s Maple Ridge is the first set of recordings that the band has tracked live. “Instead of a regular studio set-up, we turned an old hay barn into a studio of our own and performed as if it were a live show in a room full of friends,” he says. “That’s what gives Maple Ridge its special sound: live, energetic and colorful.” Spieler says the band is looking forward to going back to the studio and has new material they intend to cull together. “The options for harmony are so limitless,” McHeffey adds. “We challenge ourselves to surprise people with new ideas while still trying to keep that familiar warmth.”

“We’re trying to push these three words as our new genre: ‘Big Hook Americana,’" says Adam McHeffey (vocals/guitar/banjo)…