Album Notes

Rachel Ries ("reese") crafts songs of love & loss and the steady tussle between city & country – each with its pull; each with its perfection. Hailing from South Dakota but residing in the wilds of Chicago, she writes, makes homemade jam and tours from small town to city and back. She is often backed by the Brawny Angels, comprised of Ariel Bolles on upright bass & vocals and a revolving cast of musicians scattered about the country.

"Without a Bird," Rachel's second full-length album, is a warm and carefully orchestral record, featuring some of Chicago's finest musicians: Kevin O'Donnell on drums (Andrew Bird’s Bowl of Fire, Neko Case, Jon Rauhouse); Joel Paterson on guitar & pedal steel (Bloodshot Records, Devil in a Woodpile, Kelly Hogan); Alison Chesley on cello (Bob Mould, Poi Dog Pondering, Verbow); Ariel Bolles on upright bass & vocals (Bakelite 78, The Middle 8) and Maria McCullough on violin. At the core of the album, though, are Rachel's unmistakably subtle and telling vocals, offered up with care by her electric & acoustic guitars, piano and Wurlitzer.

The new album was recorded & mixed analog and is available on both CD & vinyl through Rachel's own label, SoDak Records. Visit www.myspace.com/rachelries to purchase an LP of "Without a Bird."