hello dollface
Georgetown, Colorado, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2010 | SELF | AFTRA
Music
Press
"The band’s greatest strength: the understated complexity
of their performance and songwriting...the
structure of these selections may appear to be
laid-back pop tunes on the surface, but slowly
unfold to display the musical chops of this disciplined trio.
This is indie soul that wears both the sophistication
of jazz and the loose attitude of funk, but presents
it all with a touch of subtlety that most bands couldn’t duplicate.
The trio has clearly struck gold with their release Virtue 2012
which has the ability to appeal to a wide range of music lovers.
With endless creativity and an insatiable penchant to deviate
from conventional song structures, this group is bound to
have a long life on stage and in the studio.”
-Jason Randall Smith of Impose Magazine - Cyber PR
“Edward’s vocals take a sultry, mellow tone that makes associations
with The XX's female vocalist Romy Madley Croft impossible to overlook.
This is love at first listen. If you haven't heard of Hello Dollface,
there is no better time than now to take a listen. This group is only
going up from here, and it would not be surprising to see them make
it onto Billboard within the next year or so.”
-Alec Cunningham Ariel Publicity - Ariel Publicity
"Two years, two independent releases on i-tunes (No Empty Pages EP April 2010, Speaker Door LP October 2011), and 31 original songs later, this female fronted, 4 piece Indie-Soul project is back in the studio with their most impressive sonic repetoire to date. This is an extremely dedicated group of musicians that since their formation in 2010, has been busy racking up an ambitious 150+ shows across their home circuit in the four corners, touring cities across Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona.
They have most recently graduated into "serious" with their purchase of a tour van and will be touring the Northwestern states upon the release of the new record "Virtue" in early fall of this year.
As a listener it is difficult to draw a comparison of Hello Dollface with a specific group or genre. Yet, they're definitely on to something and you can't miss them live. This band has the chops and prowess to speak to fans of Zepplin throwing out their cover of "Since I've been Lovin' You" while also reflecting maturity and a promising future in their eclectic collection of original music.
Big bright clean riffs woven into intricate arrangements take you on a soul-driven revival with a disco-plated rhythm section in what echoes a mashup of reminiscent funk-you throwbacks and flickers the indie festival scene depending on what decade speaks to you. Edwards' bluesy vocals glue the soultry signature sound of HDF and just may own your soul or melt your heart right into Dollface land."
- Independent Artist Management Team May 2012
"With their 3rd album in the 3 years frequenting KDUR, this band has become pros at the whole D.I.Y. thing making a lot with a little. They have a great fan-base where in the last couple times playing the local theaters, Hello Dollface has sold-out shows to over 300 people and I honestly cannot think of too many bands that have regularly sold-out performances atany venue. It is one of those things you walk out and go 'my God where did all these people come from?'"
- Bryant Ligget Station Manager KDUR 91.9 93.9 college radio September 2012
"With their 3rd album in the 3 years frequenting KDUR, this band has become pros at the whole D.I.Y. thing making a lot with a little. They have a great fan-base where in the last couple times playing the local theaters, Hello Dollface has sold-out shows to over 300 people and I honestly cannot think of too many bands that have regularly sold-out performances atany venue. It is one of those things you walk out and go 'my God where did all these people come from?'"
- Bryant Ligget Station Manager KDUR 91.9 93.9 college radio September 2012
"Hello Dollface is one of Durango’s hardest working bands. In just three years, this four-piece indie soul group has done more than 200 shows, released three albums and quit their “jobs” … all in a sincere effort to live and relay their truth: “Live with love, passion, peace and purpose.” You can help them by picking up a CD at one of these shows. They’re launching a kick-starter campaign on Friday 10.5.12 to raise $10,000 to distribute their third record, “Virtue,” nationally."
- Chris Aaland, reporter Durango Telegraph September 2012
"Hello Dollface hails from a small town called Durango, tucked into the southwest corner of Colorado. But they haven’t stayed put, racking up miles playing shows across Colorado, Mexico, and Arizona. Their music has the same vagabond soul — meandering between blues, jazz, and folk pop and even making its way over to Scandanavia for a tune. “Den Svenska Laten” translates to “The Swedish Song,” and, true to its name, is a Baltic waltz sung entirely in Swedish. Violin, soft percussion, and plucked strings are braided with Ashley Edwards’ husky, silky vocals. “Capital Me” is more percussive, jazzier fare with reverberating guitars, xylophone, and a strutting bass. But it’s “Great Wall” that really picks up the pace, galloping along while the violin whinnies and the xylophone twinkles. It’s a sad and hopeful little melody from a band of restless romantics. Check ‘em out."
- Published by Kate B Artist Features OurStage August 20, 2012
"No stranger to Flagstaff and a name suggesting sugar and spice...Hello Dollface is sultry and bluesy with the occasional Rocky Mountain rootsy rhythm slipped in."
- FlagLive March 2012
"Mixed up melodic indie/soul with an ever-so-bluesy slant."
- Santa Fe Reporter December 2011
"A unique sound that encompases many genres while still keeping an identity."
- KSUT Radio November 2011
"Speaker Door is a seven-song collection of down-tempo R&B, soul, funk and rock, with a tango sung in Swedish thrown in to round out the undefinable sound Hello Dollface is going for; it is something truly unique, yet recognizable no matter what genre the band is dipping into". - Durango Herald October 2011
"Hailing from our twin sister-city of Durango, Colo., HDF is some-how bluesy and soulful even with an upright bass and an acoustic guitar. They put it all together with a beautifully braided, blond lead singer and jazzy drums."
- - Mia's, Flagstaff, AZ. September 2011
"Speaker Door (2011) is a professionally produced record, highlighting the sound of a band that could easily delight festival audiences in addition to providing a musical backdrop in a smoky jazz club if you could still smoke in jazz clubs."
- 91.9 KDUR Radio September 2011
"A band that specializes in soulful folk and world music."
- Kudos AZ.com July 2011
"Georgeous...and a little creepy"
- FlagLive May 2010
Uniquely down-tempo and independent, with some soul. - Taos News September 2010
"Georgeous...and a little creepy"
- FlagLive May 2010
"Durango-based Hello Dollface is garnering a reputation regionally for its unique indie/blues/soul vibe." - - The Journal May 2010
Bio
Hello, Dollface is comprised of Ashley Edwards and Jesse Ogle and may vary between a 2-10 band most often touring as a power quartet kicking the sound with gutsy, fresh, soulful, raw energy over a tight rhythm section
A well lit female-fronted eclectic soulchild born into a sea of evocative bass heavy, disco-plated live percussive backbeats. Noteably "salty, sweet, aggressive, and visceral," Hello Dollface delves into a genre touring sonic scope more associated with rock idioms, all the while throwing back deep grooves with newschool ploys that seal the energy in this group of golden soul-funkster vagabonds.
Hello Dollface is currently working on their 5th studio album due out in 2015. As a teaser, the band will be releasing a 5 track "Live" EP, their first collection of live recordings as a kickoff for their Northwest Intuition Tour this summer, celebrating new music, their roots in the west coast, and first international touchdown in Canada, and Mexico later in the fall.
additional members
alex morrow. drums
easton stuard. flute, organ, synth, keys
ben scharf. melodica, keys
jeff girioux. alto saxaphone
mary elizabeth holby. fiddle, violin
chris benevidez. tenor saxaphone.
gen gaus. vocals
charlie hall. vocals
our story...
(THE WHOLE ENCHILADA)
Before we banded together in band chemistry paradise, Jesse Ogle (bass) had been touring hard in the Northwest with his own Oregon-based electro-jazz-funk project, with a strong calling back to his desert roots. A Northern Cali native dubbed with some Maui roots, Ashley Edwards (vocals, keys, guitar) grew into her own studying, living, writing, and wandering Spanish coasts and Scandinavian shores and into the Southeast Asian marketplaces. Somehow our life paths both landed us smack dab in the middle of no capital of music, southern Colorado. But now, we are 5 years in and 200% consumed by passion for music. This lifestyle is full-time. Roy Hargrove said, "if you go all in... the music will take care of you".. and it has in so many ways. People ask us all the time of course "What music do you play?" -Our music has a home in soul, because thats where it comes from.
Magnetized together like elements sparking in the Four Corners, not your average music buzztown, we are adventurous and aggressive in heavy pursuit, treading mountains and deserts to put our music and energy on the map. People in the Southwest are very supportive. We have been working toward establishing a global community with a shared a vision of passionate, purposeful, conscious, creative living. Because of this, Hello Dollface reaches beyond our home-base. The community has been a backbone sustaining us through 5 records, approaching 700 shows across the US including several sold-out theater shows.
The music is always evolving. Our sets have shape, diversity, and direction. We begin a journey, taking the listener to different places within and outside themselves. We call it a genre tour...its a conundrum of a slower soul ballad moving into a more fresh, gutsy technical-piece with elements of electronica and jazz, tailed by a few synthy pop songs, and then followed up with a lyrical, rootsy, indie-folk, driving into a heart wrenching r&b jam with some maui remnants of reggae in there somewhere.
The lyrical content is empowering to the individual, geared toward motivating our inner-selves to reach beyond the average buzz of what society and media convey or portray as acceptable existence, in other words- live your passion!
OUTREACH & MISSION
We love our community and we work hard to give back as much possible. We have hosted and participated in numerous benefits and have raised funds for scholarships with an array of non-profits in our region. As a response, our community has supported us, helping us raise $10,000 in a 30-day Kickstarter campaign to distribute our 2012 release "Virtue" nationally. In 2013, we founded iAM MUSIC, which is now a 501c3 non-profit music education program as well as professional artist network, in which we actively teach youth and adults and are aiming to bridge the gaps in traditional music ed, giving artists a place to express themselves.
Community is not only the place we live daily, but in a broader sense, it is where we belong, grow, nurture, share our talents, make our living playing shows, and exchange ideas. Humans are ignited and inspired by each other and we wish to expand and bridge our connections beyond individuals, urban cityscapes, and social or political boundaries. We are all magical; we came here to create!
Band Members
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