The Borrower's Debt
Los Angeles, California, United States
Music
Press
Merging Folk, Indie cool and 4 part harmonies it is very easy to call The Borrower’s Debt my new favorite band in Los Angeles.
Effortless music that goes straight to your head.
- Rob Daily - Daily Unsigned
...I was quite anxious to see what wonders The Borrowers Debt would have in store for the audience. Suffice it to say, they did not meet my expectations. The Borrowers Debt surpassed them by leaps and bounds.
Their first song, The Ballad of Elijah Rhodes, off of their A Treehouse Narrative EP, was a perfect intro to their set and gave the audience a good feel for them as a band. The harmonies were spot on and the arrangement was perfect. I quickly realized that I was witnessing a show that I would be anxious to witness again as soon as I left the lounge.
Throughout the set the band changed instruments, which only show their diverse talents. Where singer Tommy Gardner switched from acoustic guitar to piano during one song and added the harmonica to another, beautiful harmonizer and lone female, Callie Ray, switched from acoustic guitar to ukulele. The very talented banjo player and amazing harmonizer, Jordan Hearn, also had a few songs where he switched to acoustic guitar as well as the harmonica. The newly joined member, Justin, stuck to his fierce playing of the upright bass and joined in on harmonies every once and a while.
Unlike some bands, The Borrowers Debt transitioned through instruments smoothly and displayed their personalities with playful banter and charming personalities. It was surprising to me that they owned the stage like any of the other, more seasoned greats out there. They even had the balls to take on Cold Plays The Scientist and make it their own. Seeing that song being played by a folk band was an experience all on its own. It was one of those moments where you feel like the covered version was much better that the original version.
The entire night was completely enjoyable. Nights such as this one should serve as reminders that there are some truly amazing bands out there that are not as well known as they should be. It’s somewhat disheartening and all the times frustrating. There is so much undiscovered talent out there across the world. All that these artists are waiting for is an audience with an open mind and attentive ears to listen. That thought has me thinking about how amazingly well bands like The Borrower Debt will do once they meet that type of audience. - Rachel Stephens - Sofar Los Angeles
Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young... Tommy, Jordan, and Callie Ray? The talented trio of transplants known as The Borrower's Debt certainly project the impression that they are the lost members of rock supergroup, CSNY, through their intricate medley of heart-warming lyrics, soulful three-part harmonies, and rustic undertones. TBD's debut EP, "A Treehouse Narrative" keeps folkrock fresh and relatable as airy vocals speak to those who have ever risked it all in an attempt to pursue their goals. The band's pleasantly honest disposition is captured in their latest video for the track "Walking Home From Hollywood", in which TBD reflects on the roads traveled in order to form the group, beginning to have their dreams of coming up in the industry realized, and the joys of coming home. The Borrower's Debt will be performing with the Show Ponies at the Olde Tyme Christmas Show presented by Pi5 Music in Van Nuys on December 14th. - Anais Barajas - The Deli Magazine - Los Angeles
"Congrats to The Borrower's Debt...loved their harmonies!" - PerezHilton.com
"The trio’s debut EP, A Tree House Narrative, released in March, 2012 is filled with soulful vocal harmonies and a “rustic” acoustic sound."
"...soulful vocal harmonies and airy acoustic riffs bring out the peaceful tone of the track sounding similar to rock icons Fleetwood Mac in their early years"
"A Treehouse Narrative EP is a masterpiece!" - Indie Music Reviewer
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Four singer/songwriters from 4 different towns comprise Los Angeles indie acoustic outfit The Borrower's Debt. Inspired by 30's roots music, 70's Laurel Canyon folk, and everything in between, intricate harmonies are the group's trademark. Guitar, banjo, upright bass, and harmonica set the stage for a performance as nostalgic as it is inventive. They've played at the venerable Hotel Cafe numerous times, at LA's spectacular Greek Theatre before the Monkees, and were Decembers local artist of the month for the Deli Magazine. The cult following they've developed in Los Angeles has grown exponentially for the relatively young band- find out why.
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Fans liken TBDs sound to that of The Lumineers, Fleetwood Mac, and the Civil Wars, and fellow musicians wax poetic over their spot-on harmonies. The Borrowers Debt puts on an enthralling, intimate live show, during which strangers become fans and fans become friends.
"All that we take we give back, in some form or another."
Accolades:
March 2013
National TV performance on AXSLive TV
Daily Unsigned Featured Artist
February 2013
Opened for The Lone Bellow at The Hotel Café
December 2012
Artist of the month- The Deli Magazine LA
November 2012-
Opened for The Monkees at The Greek Theatre
Released Walking Home from Hollywood Music Video
September 2012-
Opened for John C. Reillys band at the Annual Evening Under the Harvest Moon Gala by TreePeople
July 2012-
Performed for Jay Leno and Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa at the CA Coalition for Clean Air Awards April 2012-
Released EP, A Treehouse Narrative, 5 stars from IMR
March 2012-
Opened for Nicki Bluhm and The Gramblers at The Hotel Cafe
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