Album Notes

A side project of singer-songwriter Lauren Zettler and guitarist Cameron Mizell, Be Still was formed in 2009 during a summer tour when the two decided to record some different music... simply for the sake of doing it.

The DIY-duo worked hard earlier in the year to self-release On Your Back Porch, a seven song EP under Zettler's name, and spent the rest of the year on stage supporting the effort. To change the pace a bit, they conceived Be Still as a studio side project and tackled what you might consider the antithesis of the singer-songwriter genre: Christmas music.

"Sounds Like Snow" fills a small but growing niche in the holiday release section, which is typically filled with well-worn classics or glossy productions from last year's pop stars. This Christmas album is assertively indie-folk, creatively employing non-traditional sounds like backwards guitar, an egg-timer, and harmonium. Mizell's chops as a multi-instrumentalist come in handy, creating the perfect bed of textures for Zettler's pure, floating vocals on top.

The result is a haunting Christmas album that covers all bases: There's the classic "I'll Be Home for Christmas," a contemporary take on "Baby, It's Cold Outside" (sung solo, sans duet), and even an original, the title track, "Sounds Like Snow."

Even though this is NOT your mom's Christmas album (unless she's really, really cool), there's something for everyone.

Be Still is:
Lauren Zettler – Vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonium, glockenspiel
Cameron Mizell – Electric guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, ukulele, harmonium, glockenspiel, effects