RACHEL
Fiddler Rachel Rosenberg is our fearless bandleader and she also writes all our original songs. Rachel calls her songwriting style “psychoanalytic country” and explains, “my mom used to say, ‘when you want to tell someone just what you think, write them a letter – but don’t send it.’” She took that advice to heart, with a musical twist. Even though Rachel’s songs come from a decidedly contemporary feminine perspective, her lyrics and melodies feel timeless, with easter eggs a-plenty for classic country fans who are paying close attention to her wordplay.
ZACH
Multi-instrumentalist Zach Meyer is a master of funk who’s always the last man standing at any late-night jam. Zach’s soulful singing and mandolin picking are what stand out most on stage. But behind the scenes he is also the producer (and often co-writer) of Rachel’s originals, adding those catchy hooks and infectious grooves that make the songs feel familiar the first time you listen. Zach also graces the stage with a whole lotta other projects: his own old-timey stringband, the Flat Earth Rounders (catch them at Toad on the second Tuesday of each month!), Grain Thief, Dumpster Debbie, and Cajun Surprise, to name just a few.
SOPHIE
Sophie Wellington’s already well known for her uniquely playful and spontaneous approach to music. Her powerhouse vocals and jazzy sensibility really make our trio harmonies pop, while her signature guitar rides are somehow both delicate and adventurous at the same time. Sophie’s a lifelong old time musician whose toured widely with her 5-string fiddle and percussive dancing shoes.
ALEX
Sought-after sideman Alex Formento is the icing on our cake. Years ago Alex started out as our “special guest” and we quickly realized we didn’t want to go without him. His juicy, perfectly-timed pedal steel and telecaster riffs add just the right honky tonk texture to each of our songs. Alex plays pedal steel in a bunch of local bands now, but we’ll take the credit for converting him from a bluegrass guitarist into full-fledged country music aficionado.
DAN
Dan Bui is probably best known as the mandolin player the virtuosic funk-grass band, Twisted Pine, but in the Talking Hearts he holds down the low end. A masterful bass player, Dan plays all the notes you want to hear and nothing more, creating a perfect pulsing pocket for the band to fall into. Dan can already play any genre under the sun but still he’s always down to try something new with a big smile on his face. He’s also a skilled mixing engineer and gets a big shoutout for making our records sound so good no matter what idea we throw his way. (Horn section, anyone??)
MIKE
Whatever groove the song calls for — classic shuffle, train beat, country waltz, swamp pop triplet, you name it — Mike Harmon’s drumming is the glue that binds it all together. He also plays in Grain Thief alongside Zach, but you might not recognize him because in that band he’s on bass. Mike engineered the Talking Hearts records at his very own Wachusett Recording Co. using a live band all-in-one-room setup with vintage microphones, creatively positioned blankets and sleeping bags, and a makeshift drum cave. He’s currently moving that studio over to his new hometown of Boscowen NH, so hit him up if you’ve got any recording needs.