Young Heirlooms

Kelly Fine and Christopher Robinson’s intertwined voices soothe and comfort the listener’s ears, offering a welcome blend of familiar old influences and new interpretations. - Music Emissions

Kelly Fine and Christopher Robinson’s intertwined voices soothe and comfort the listener’s ears, offering a welcome blend of familiar old influences and new interpretations. - Music Emissions

Young Heirlooms are a folk duo from Cincinnati made up of singer/songwriters Kelly Fine and Chris Robinson, formerly of indie-pop band Walk The Moon. Their gorgeous, close-knit vocal harmonies and sophisticated country-leaning folk-pop melodies embody a modern, yet timeless, quality. Kelly’s smooth and sultry voice recalls Allison Krauss, and Chris’s mandolin and guitar styles are heavy on bluegrass rhythms that they weave into the fabric of their unique Americana quilt.
Their very promising self-titled debut album was released in April to great praise. They are currently playing out in support of its release and will make their way up I-75 for a show at Canal Street Tavern on Sunday, July 21, along with Bella Ruse, Happy Melodies and BJSR.
In anticipation of their upcoming show, Fine chatted with us about the formation of the band in Appalachia, their diverse influences and more.
How did Young Heirlooms form and what other musical projects were you involved in prior?
Young Heirlooms formed via Barn Jam in 2010 – a University of Dayton fundraiser for a service program I was involved with in undergrad called UDSAP (University of Dayton Summer Appalachia Program) – where 15 students go down to Salyersville, Ky. to foster communities with the Appalachian culture. Chris and I each played that night. I watched his set on the main stage and really only noticed him out of the group … I didn’t get to stick around to say anything to him because I was up next on the solo stage. He came up to me right after my set and we jammed that night. We started writing the next day. Chris has been in a wide variety of bands throughout his musical journey, his most recent involvement was in Walk The Moon. I had been performing as a solo artist for three years before I met him, and dabbled with Dayton project Honey and The Milk with BJSR (Ben Rivet). It didn’t take long for Chris and I to realize we wanted to truly commit to Young Heirlooms, so we had to walk away from our other projects to give full life to this one. So far, it’s working. – Kelly Fine
In reviews of your music, you have been compared to some great musicians like Brian Wilson and Fleet Foxes, but who else influences your diverse sound?
We are influenced by Ryan Adams and have been sort of thrown into that singer/songwriter category. We take great influence from Punch Brothers, which is headed by Chris Thile, [the] mandolin mastermind that inspires Chris and I. We are inspired by Father John Misty … I think that we have our own distinct sound though. We pull from these contemporary artists, but Chris and I have been raised on a musical foundation of jazz, bluegrass, The Beatles and Dylan. All of our influences sort of meld together into this new sound. – KF
Your very promising self-titled debut album came out in April. How has the response been?
So much hard work and love went into its writing, performing and production. The response has been incredible. We are so proud of it and so excited that people are so interested in it. We have been asked to press it to vinyl and we would love to. It really lends itself to that kind of warm sound. We recorded it analog, so it only makes sense to someday press it. – KF
The jaunty rhythm and locomotive-like vocal melody of “Workin’ Man” is my favorite on the album. Which is your favorite song to play live?
Thank you. “Workin’ Man” is such a dear song to me personally! I’m so glad you like it! All of these songs are really like our babies … These songs are written with intention, and sometimes that meaning changes over time. For instance, you write a song about one thing and then a year and a half later you find that song guiding you through another experience with an entirely different meaning. In those times of re-realization and new meaning, those are the times the songs feel like the best to play … the songs are deep and rich with memories and emotions, and it’s nice to exercise those memories and emotions through our music. It’s a total plus that we’re being well received simultaneously. – KF
Are you currently writing in preparation for your next album? Will you be playing any new songs at your upcoming show at Canal Street?
Yes. We are working on writing our new album. We might be playing a new tune or two at our upcoming show at Canal Street, but we really like to let the songs breathe during our writing process. I would go into the evening expecting to be moved, and entertained. – KF
What can we expect from your live show?
Honest storytelling that hopefully touches you! – KF
- Dayton City Paper

Young Heirlooms are a folk duo from Cincinnati made up of singer/songwriters Kelly Fine and Chris Robinson, formerly of indie-pop band Walk The Moon. Their gorgeous, close-knit vocal harmonies and sophisticated country-leaning folk-pop melodies embody a modern, yet timeless, quality. Kelly’s smooth and sultry voice recalls Allison Krauss, and Chris’s mandolin and guitar styles are heavy on bluegrass rhythms that they weave into the fabric of their unique Americana quilt.
Their very promising self-titled debut album was released in April to great praise. They are currently playing out in support of its release and will make their way up I-75 for a show at Canal Street Tavern on Sunday, July 21, along with Bella Ruse, Happy Melodies and BJSR.
In anticipation of their upcoming show, Fine chatted with us about the formation of the band in Appalachia, their diverse influences and more.
How did Young Heirlooms form and what other musical projects were you involved in prior?
Young Heirlooms formed via Barn Jam in 2010 – a University of Dayton fundraiser for a service program I was involved with in undergrad called UDSAP (University of Dayton Summer Appalachia Program) – where 15 students go down to Salyersville, Ky. to foster communities with the Appalachian culture. Chris and I each played that night. I watched his set on the main stage and really only noticed him out of the group … I didn’t get to stick around to say anything to him because I was up next on the solo stage. He came up to me right after my set and we jammed that night. We started writing the next day. Chris has been in a wide variety of bands throughout his musical journey, his most recent involvement was in Walk The Moon. I had been performing as a solo artist for three years before I met him, and dabbled with Dayton project Honey and The Milk with BJSR (Ben Rivet). It didn’t take long for Chris and I to realize we wanted to truly commit to Young Heirlooms, so we had to walk away from our other projects to give full life to this one. So far, it’s working. – Kelly Fine
In reviews of your music, you have been compared to some great musicians like Brian Wilson and Fleet Foxes, but who else influences your diverse sound?
We are influenced by Ryan Adams and have been sort of thrown into that singer/songwriter category. We take great influence from Punch Brothers, which is headed by Chris Thile, [the] mandolin mastermind that inspires Chris and I. We are inspired by Father John Misty … I think that we have our own distinct sound though. We pull from these contemporary artists, but Chris and I have been raised on a musical foundation of jazz, bluegrass, The Beatles and Dylan. All of our influences sort of meld together into this new sound. – KF
Your very promising self-titled debut album came out in April. How has the response been?
So much hard work and love went into its writing, performing and production. The response has been incredible. We are so proud of it and so excited that people are so interested in it. We have been asked to press it to vinyl and we would love to. It really lends itself to that kind of warm sound. We recorded it analog, so it only makes sense to someday press it. – KF
The jaunty rhythm and locomotive-like vocal melody of “Workin’ Man” is my favorite on the album. Which is your favorite song to play live?
Thank you. “Workin’ Man” is such a dear song to me personally! I’m so glad you like it! All of these songs are really like our babies … These songs are written with intention, and sometimes that meaning changes over time. For instance, you write a song about one thing and then a year and a half later you find that song guiding you through another experience with an entirely different meaning. In those times of re-realization and new meaning, those are the times the songs feel like the best to play … the songs are deep and rich with memories and emotions, and it’s nice to exercise those memories and emotions through our music. It’s a total plus that we’re being well received simultaneously. – KF
Are you currently writing in preparation for your next album? Will you be playing any new songs at your upcoming show at Canal Street?
Yes. We are working on writing our new album. We might be playing a new tune or two at our upcoming show at Canal Street, but we really like to let the songs breathe during our writing process. I would go into the evening expecting to be moved, and entertained. – KF
What can we expect from your live show?
Honest storytelling that hopefully touches you! – KF
- Dayton City Paper

A mandolin and an acoustic guitar.

It’s not the typical rig that arrest a bar room crowd at MOTR pub or Southgate House Revival. But the Young Heirlooms has been doing just that for more than three years with their heartfelt, folksy reinterpretation of Americana.

After near-constant touring, a lot of stylistic growth, and one major format change, the duo released their first studio album this month.

Christopher Robinson and Kelly Fine are better known as the Young Heirlooms. They put a modern twist on a blend of traditional Americana, jazz, bluegrass and country. Their 11-song, self-titled album comes after nine months of recording interspersed with a torrent of tours that reach as far as Chicago. The songs are stories, and fuse Fine’s lyrical explorations of character and feeling to Robinson’s musical landscapes of mood and melody.

“There’s a moment when something ties into the universe, transcends the oral experience," says Mark Santangelo, the album’s producer. "This album has that."

With 10 years experience at Warner Bros in Los Angeles, his own label—Element 111—and a hand in countless audio and multimedia projects around Cincinnati, Santangelo still pauses for a breath and a distant look when he speaks of the Young Heirlooms.

“It’s one of the best things I’ve ever produced in my 35 years of production,” he says. “It represents the best of the classic style of Americana recording.”

Robinson and Fine are both from musical, Cincinnati-based families. Robinson, 28, comes from a home with two “gigging” parents who also taught private music lessons—his father piano and his mother the flute.

“It was a way of life—my parents having their music jobs, and making money playing music,” he says.

Robinson played music all through childhood—trumpet, electric bass, guitar—before settling on electric and acoustic guitar. He played his way through half a dozen bands, experimenting with everything from rock and pop punk to blues and jazz.

Fine grew up in the Mariemont area. Her father is a jazz percussionist, and she recalls running around the house as a child to the likes of Steely Dan. Music lessons began at the age of 3, with piano and voice lessons beginning when she was 6.

“I’ve always been humming or playing music of some sort,” Fine says. “It’s a form of self-expression for me, almost to excess.”

In first grade, her teacher stopped a reading group to ask Fine to stop humming so loudly. “Afterward the teacher said, ‘You’re going to be a singer one day.’ I didn’t even realize that the others could hear me.”

In Feb. 2010 Robinson’s band, Come On Caboose, played a back-to-back set with Fine at a benefit for the University of Dayton’s Appalachia Club. Fine was a graphic design student at UD and belonged to the club; a member of Robinson’s band happened to be related to the benefit host.

Robinson approached Fine after the concert. The pop-y yet genuine resonance of her performance impressed him. She recognized his technical and expressive musical ability. Admiration for bands like Chicago, The Beatles and Bob Dylan sealed the bond. The two began writing music in Cincinnati the following day.

As Robinson and Fine generated material, they drew together a full band that comprised of acoustic and electric guitar, horns, electric bass and drums. The ensemble wrote music and played shows all over Cincinnati.

After just three months together, the Young Heirlooms were nominated for the 2010 Cincinnati Entertainment Award. The band even produced a seven-song album that nearly made it through final production—but the music didn’t sit right with Fine and Robinson.

“The sound we made wasn’t good for the songs or the story,” Robinson says.

It was too big, too congested. Fine’s lyrics and Robinson’s melodic styling cried out for a simpler format. The two walked out of a studio mixing session in January 2011 knowing that the band was going in the wrong direction.

“It was a delicate subject,” Fine says. “Should we stick it out with our friends or be true to ourselves?”

In the end, Robinson and Fine walked away from the band. The members scattered—two moved to Los Angeles, one stayed in Cincinnati as part of the Pinstripes, and another in the Saturn Batteries.

By the early months of 2011, the Young Heirlooms were again a duo, and they began to rework their material from scratch.

“At the very core is us,” Fine says. “Us” means a guitar and two voices. Mandolin plays a large role as well because it's an instrument with a high end that reaches beyond and accents the musicians’ vocal range.

The simplified format puts Robinson and Fine in a position to write music that touches the truest parts of themselves. Honesty is central to both the lyrics and music, which Robinson labors to infuse with mood and melody that are technical while remaining accessible.

“We start with a musical idea and quickly follow with words," he says. &q - Soapbox Cincinnati

FOR FANS OF: The Civil Wars, The Oh Hellos, Fleet Foxes, Shovels & Rope

REVIEW: We initially talked about Young Heirlooms earlier in the year when they released their initial three track EP titled, “One Louder Studio Demo”. You can check out our thoughts on the EP here. It was a solid first effort from a local duo to bring clean harmonies and solid folk to your ears.

Here we are months later and we get to take a look at their first full release. I’m glad to see that the songs from the EP made it onto the album as they were great, but impressed to see that added to them. The LP shows more of what Young Heirlooms can be and where they are able to go musically.


The album brings out a blend of indie/folk that fits the duo of Kelly Fine and Christopher Robinson so well. It’s the nü-folk (or neo folk as the duo calls it)! While you get the standard strings, mandolins, and amazing harmonies, there is also a more atmospheric tone to some of the tracks. More depth and breadth than your standard finger picking folk album has the ability to bring you. It’s an album that can reach a broad audience while finding it’s home in the hearts of true folk/indie lovers.

For me, what carries over most on the LP is the emotion in the vocals. Fine and Robinson craft some of the most beautiful and at the same time haunting melodies that you will hear. Calmer and darker tracks like “Either Way I”, “No Moon”, and “Traveling Band” will grip you. These tracks are the ones that show the heart behind the chords. They are the ones you close your eyes to and let them take you away. They are almost a polar opposite of some of the standard folk fare that you find with songs like “Never Truly Dear”, but that’s what I like. These two aren’t a one trick pony. It’s the ability to explore their sound and provide an overall experience to the album.

We’ve said a lot of good things about Young Heirlooms in our initial review of their EP that still holds true on the LP. The harmonies..damn those gorgeous harmonies. I mean seriously, a soft spot in my heart for good female/male folk duos. Fine and Robinson are moving to the top of that list with the chemistry they have in their songs. The ability in some to sound like they are singing only to each other and you’re lucky enough to get to hear it. The instrumentation, the production, and the craftsmanship of the songs…its all here.

So what do you do with all of this information? Well, you go out and buy the album…duh (buy it here folks!). It’s storytelling in song. It’s emotion and heart on six strings. For folks that may have thought the EP was too folky, please don’t pass up the LP. The new tracks will impress. If this is where Young Heirlooms are going then we should be in for a treat. Keep up with all of their shows and information at the links below. - Former Misfits

Young Heirlooms is a great name for what Chris Robinson and Kelly Fine have going on between them. "Young" is freshly birthed and free from the taint of preconceived notions, and "heirlooms" are things passed down from parent to children, valued by an ancient generation and cherished by the ones that come next. Young Heirlooms' music is a lot like that; sounds handed down from a bygone era and loved for their history but remained in a new contemporary setting. Keep and eye out for a much-needed Young Heirlooms recording.

Sounds like: The Civil Wars pretend they're Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Bear study the Civil War. - CityBeat

Pomegranates opened the show with their enchanting, shimmering Art Pop, followed by the first exposure for most people in the audience to singer/songwriter/pianist Kelly Fine’s new band, Young Heirlooms, who were up for the “New Artist of the Year” prize. Decked out in duds befitting a 1920 Jazz ensemble (particularly Fine, who looked stunning in her retro-chic wear), Young Heirlooms did all they could to capitalize on the moment, performing a flawless collection of bright, horn-laden Indie Pop. - CityBeat

The nominations have been selected, and now it’s up to you to choose who should win trophies at this year’s Cincinnati Entertainment Awards (CEAs).
Back for the 15th year, the CEAs are decided by public voting (save the Critical Achievement Awards, which are chosen by the nominating committee) and the awards will be given out Sunday, Nov. 20 at the Madison Theatre in Covington. You can place your votes here.

The deadline for voting is Friday, November 11 at noon.

Greater Cincinnati acts from all genres active from October 2010-October 2011 were eligible. The time frame for “Album of the Year” (which, really, should probably be “Recording of the Year”) consideration is the same. Specialists in many facets of the local music community — from writers and bloggers to radio hosts and club owners — were asked to be a part of the nominating committee.

Artists receiving multiple nominations this year include Walk the Moon, the recent RCA Records signees who scored as many nominations as they possibly could, with five, including Artist of the Year and Album of the Year. Indie Pop faves The Seedy Seeds, who’ve been nominated several times over the past few years, scored four CEA.11 nominations, while rocker Brian Olive, Electronica group Skeetones, Garage Pop trio The Greenhornes and Indie foursome Pomegranates each earned three nominations.

Here's the complete rundown of the 2011 Cincinnati Entertainment Award nominees:




Bluegrass
Ma Crow and the Lady Slippers
Hickory Robot
Rumpke Mountain Boys
Comet Bluegrass Allstars
The Tadcasters

Country
The Tammy WhyNots
Dallas Moore Band
Kelly Thomas and the Fabulous Pickups
Mack West
Tex Schramm and the Radio King Cowboys

Folk/Americana
Shiny and the Spoon
Magnolia Mountain
Sassy Molasses
The Tillers
Josh Eagle and the Harvest City
David Rhodes Brown

World Music/Reggae
The Pinstripes
Baoku Moses
Newport Secret Six
Tropicoso
Ron Esposito
The Cliftones

Rock
The Guitars
Buffalo Killers
Brian Olive
The Kickaways
The Prohibitionists
The Greenhornes

Hard Rock
Valley of the Sun
Banderas
Two Headed Dog
Atlantis Becoming
Chakras

Metal/Hardcore
Pain Link
Black Tractor
Winterhymn
Mala In Se
Livid
Beneath Oblivion

Singer/Songwriter
Daniel Martin Moore
Kim Taylor
Dusty Bryant
Jason Ludwig
Josh Eagle
Joe Hedges

Alternative/Indie
The Seedy Seeds
Pomegranates
Walk the Moon
The Harlequins
Sacred Spirits
The Chocolate Horse

Punk/Post Punk
Vacation
The Dopamines
The Strongest Proof
SS-20
Situation Red
Weakness

Blues
Leo Clarke
Voodoo Puppet
Them Bones
Zachary Burns Band
The Blue Shivers

R&B/Funk/Soul
Freekbass
The Cincy Brass
Ricky Nye and the Paris Blues Band
Erica P.
Iolite
Los Honchos

Jazz
The Faux Frenchmen
The Qtet
Art Gore and the Jazz Knights
Mike Wade and the Ambassadors
Brent Gallaher
Phil DeGreg

Hip Hop
D-Maub
Puck
Vincent Vega
DJ Clockwork
Crack Sauce
Trademark Aaron

Electronic
You, You’re Awesome
Dark Colour
Skeetones
Kry Kids
Pop Empire
Eat Sugar

Best Musical Ambassador to the City
Foxy Shazam
Walk the Moon
The Greenhornes
Brian Olive
Buffalo Killers
Pomegranates

Best Live Act
The Dukes Are Dead
Walk the Moon
500 Miles to Memphis
The Seedy Seeds
The Dopamines
The Cincy Brass
Banderas

Critical Achievement Awards
Not open for public vote

New Artist Of the Year
Belle Histoire
Vaudeville Freud
Young Heirlooms
The Tammy WhyNots
The Kickaways
Freekbot
SHADOWRAPTR
The Ready Stance

Album Of The Year
The Seedy Seeds — Verb Noun
Brian Olive — Two of Everything
You You’re Awesome — Good Point, Whoever Said That
Skeetones – Retrospektive
Walk the Moon — i want! i want!
Josh Eagle and the Harvest City — A Good One is Hard to Find
The Guitars — High Action
Shiny and the Spoon — Ferris Wheel

Artist Of The Year
The Chocolate Horse
Skeetones
Buffalo Killers
The Seedy Seeds
Walk the Moon
Brian Olive
Pomegranates
The Greenhornes - CityBeat

I didn’t know the Know Theater had a downstairs performance area, but I’m really glad I decided to check it out. I caught the local Cinci band Young Heirlooms playing to a pretty big crowd of loving fans. They put on a really well-rounded set of pop music that made me wish they were our local band. Fingers crossed that they can swing by Lexington once or twice in the next year. - You Aint No Picasso

"I love it when I happen upon an unplanned supergem.

That occurred at The Know Theatre’s smaller stage, where I wandered in on The Young Heirlooms’ music. From Dayton, singer/songwriter Kelly Fine is fantastic. Backed by mandolin, guitar, horns and bass, this six-piece was effortlessly bleeding out catchy, tight songs that were touching and definitely ear-grabbing. It seemed like they were having a hell of a lot of fun, and the vocals were amazing. No fancy clothes or gimmicks here, just pure talent, and I was absolutely taken with them. They gave the vibe of creative, natural artists who gelled completely. Hey, this Folk Pop symphony of sounds just worked. I would definitely buy the CD.??" - C.A. MacConnell - CityBeat

If all of that could be funneled into one intersection — one moment in one place, with one set of individuals — without being too heavy or self-important, that crossroads would look a lot like three young folks standing in the middle of a historic building on the edge of an old (but reawakening) city. Three young folks pouring their hearts, histories, goals, and souls into the music. Three young folks letting the sound fill the room. - Cincinnati Refined