Olivia + Harrison – The Shadow : Listen

I met Harrison Flynn in 2017 standing in line at Amoeba in LA, waiting to get our copies of Barefoot in the Head signed by Chris Robinson and Neal Casal. If I recall correctly, I think we talked a lot about Sweetheart of the Rodeo maybe, the Dead, the usual suspects. I tried to get him to start a band with me actually but luckily, he held out to work with people who shared talent of his caliber. Harrison’s playing blew me away on this track, and Olivia’s fantastic vocals are a magnificent compliment. Looking forward to a bright future for these two.

Harrison and Olivia Beck are Bay Area natives who met in a college performance class. Since then, they’ve worked together in many bands and both found themselves in Los Angeles to pursue their respective and collaborative musical endeavors.

“They share a love and appreciation for the soulful, magical sounds of the 60’s and 70’s era Laurel Canyon –which not only kept their musical partnership alive, but also inspired the birth of “The Shadow.” Lyrically, The Shadow marks the end of a strained love and the beginning of a woman’s confidence, and is further embodied by Harrison’s hypnotic guitar playing, Olivia’s smoky voice and the stellar contributions of Dylan Nelson on bass and Ben Torres on tabla. Elements of folk, blues and pop can be found in the composition in addition to influences from indian classical music, most notably in the solo section where Harrison and Ben play off each other in a climatic and trancelike fashion inspired by the playing of Ravi Shankar. 

This song was born and recorded in the hills of Laurel Canyon, echoing the reverberations of the artists and dreamers that came before them.  This is the first official release from Olivia + Harrison, and will be far from their last.”

Photo by Nicole L. Galinson