The Far Field
Tacoma, WA | Established. Jan 01, 2014 | SELF
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Reviewed by Harry Kaplan
Very nice original music from Tacoma, Washington. It is a lovely mix of folk and country and even a little Neil Young and Crazy Horse thrown into the mix. The Far Field started in the Fall of 2014 by Jon Borcherding as a creative outlet for his songwriting. Shortly thereafter, he was joined by Ted LeCompte on keyboards. Borcherding and LeCompte form the core of The Far Field, which is always evolving and changing. Their self titled debut contains a lot of very talented local musicians. In addition to the duo of Borcherding and LeCompte, there is Graham Hammond on bass; Ben Johnston on drums; Melissa Guthrie on backing vocals; Maggie Booher on violin; Bronwyn Haggerty on cello; Dave Harmonson on pedal steel; and, Caleb Baker on backing vocals. The lineup looks more like an orchestra than a folk band. But all of the players are put to good use and create a rich and beautiful album that is very listenable.
I am reminded of the joke from the Blues Brothers movie, “we have both kinds of music – country and western”. The Far Field have both kinds of music as well country and folk. But, they also have some Celtic and some rock and roll. So that would actually make four kinds of music, if my math skills are correct. They play all four genres extremely well. I am partial to the country numbers that have pedal steel, Killdeer and This Old River. However, there is a little something for everyone. If you like some Neil Young style songs, then Roses For You, Little Blue Ball, and First Frost will scratch that itch. If you are fan of the more Celtic sounding songs, you will love Fir Tree, The Flood, and Gone. There truly is something for everyone. A very impressive collection from The Far Field. - TWANGRI-LA
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
The Far Field began during the summer of 2014 when singer/songwriter Jon Borcherding found fellow Far Fielders through an online personal ad. “It was an interesting process, he recalls, I think I auditioned at least one escapee from a mental institution.”
The process took several months and led to the close, vocal partnership that formed between Borcherding and singer, Erica Martin. Keys player, Ted LeCompte brought a sense of drama with his musical theatre experience.
Their sound is reminiscent of the revival-folk of the 60’s full of jangly guitar, accordion and wheezing harmonica. Piano and organ add elements that are at once ethereal and carnival-like. These sounds form a rusty fence that encloses a core of tight vocal harmonies. One audience member quipped that The Far Field’s sound is like “Neil Young meets Peter, Paul & Mary during a power outage.”
The Far Field is a band capable of rapid expansion that can include drums, bass, violin, cello, choir and more. That being said, they most often perform as an acoustic trio, without drums. This makes The Far Field ideal for intimate venues that cater to acoustic music lovers.Band Members
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