HIGH TEA EPK
"The band’s music has an “Alice in Wonderland”-like quality to it, and not just because it was named after a tea party. DeHerdt and Eliot’s songs delve into the intimacies and intricacies of growing up, and all that adulthood entails: love, loss, isolation, frustration. But through it all, they maintain a childlike reverence for stories and storytelling, deftly weaving plot lines, narrative, and dialogue into their music. And like Alice, they have gone through several transformations." - THE BOSTON GLOBE on "Old Cowboy"
"Eliot opens the song in the part of the lonesome cowboy, with DeHerdt taking the third verse from the perspective of his drinking companion, who describes a contrasting reaction to life’s hardships, a kind of hardening of the heart. “You don’t just want agreement in a story,” DeHerdt says. “You want a little bit of friction.” But “Old Cowboy” reaches its apex when the two singers lock into harmony on the chorus. “I’ve always been obsessed with harmony,” says Eliot, who sang in choirs as a boy. The two singers have very distinct voices — hers husky, his unadorned — but side by side they momentarily melt into one." - WBUR'S AMELIA MASON
High Tea Chosen As One Of WBUR’s Top Massachusetts NPR Tiny Desk Entries
High Tea, the indie folk-rock duo hailing from Massachusetts, is a concoction of sweepingly soulful harmonies, guitar riffs to knock your socks off, and a refreshing blend of old blues and new rock. Isabella DeHerdt and Isaac Eliot have come together to fill spaces with homegrown storytelling and Lumineers-esque vocals. Their songs are ripe with americana heartbreak, and tell tales of growing up, going wild, and always coming back to the ones you love.
Their previous releases have been featured on playlists, radio shows, and publications like The Boston Globe, The Greenfield Recorder (among others). The title track of their EP Old Cowboy led them to be chosen as one of WBUR’s top 4 Massachusetts Tiny Desk entries of 2022. Their most recent full-length release, The Wick And The Flame, blended the ambience of groups akin to Bonny Light Horseman with harmonies reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, and Nash, instrumentals that evoke memories of The White Stripes, and stories which build on the folkloric lineage of iconic writers such as the Indigo Girls - creating a new sound wholly unique to High Tea.
High Tea's newest release, the Scuba Diving EP, pushes into new territory while still maintaining their folk-Americana roots. It starts with "Whole Lotta Lovin," an energetic jam with darker undertones, a dynamic song about a mysterious and dangerous romance. The second track, "Elijah (Do It Now)," follows a boy stuck in the trench of generational hyper-masculine trauma, desperately wanting to leave. This is followed by "Bliss Don't Come Quick To Me," a diary entry, a talk with an old friend, the singer lamenting their frustration of quick-fix culture, with the feeling that true happiness is just out of reach. The finale is also the title track, an offering about the debilitating feeling of helplessness that can come with being close to someone on the brink of collapse, pleading desperately for them to "hold on to something."
Whether it’s swelling melodies or smooth harmonies, bluesy guitar licks or the driving beat of a bass drum, High Tea writes from the heart, and their songs are rooted in intimate personal experience yet strive to find the universal understandings of life that all audience members will be able to connect with. They invite listeners into their lives, and the worlds they've created. Come sit by the fire and find a piece of yourself in the music of High Tea
The Stationary Factory / Caffe Lena / The Burren / Stage 33 Live / The Shalin Liu Performance Center / Atwood's Tavern / Florence Night Out / Arcadia Folk Festival / Sofar Sounds / Back Porck Festival / Porcupine Mountains Music Festival / Philadelphia Folk Festival / Acousticool / The Marigold Theatre / Club Passim / Hawks & Reed / The Parlor Room / Rockwood Music Hall / The Stone Church / Jalopy Theater / The Luthier's Co-op / Summer On Strong / Bard College / Sarah Lawrence College / The Rendezvous / Radio Bean / Fruitlands Museum / The Shea Theater / Iconica Social Club / Bishop's Lounge / WZLY Radio Station / O'Briens Pub / Farmington Valley Acoustic Festival / The O's Music Bar / Floodwater Brewing Co. / Northampton Sidewalk Sales / Northampton Farmers Market / Campfire.Festival / The Center School / Firehouse Music Sessions / Splatt's Spontaneous Soirée / Club Passim's Discovery Series / Belchertown Food Truck Festival / Brighton Common Concert / Ashfield Farmer's Market / The Jungle / Belchertown House Concert / Pioneer Valley Brewery / Port City Blue / Askew / Rare Form Brewery / Start Line Brewery / Loretta's Last Call / Charlie O's / Radio Bean / Maine Craft Distilling / The Loading Dock / The Jungle Music Hall / Stage 33 Live / Stone Soup Cafe / Berkeley Springs State Park / Harmony In The Woods / The Valley Music Showcase / The Square Root / John Platt's "On Your Radar"
Press Highlights
The Boston Globe
"Indie-folk duo High Tea emerge from lockdown with an adventurous new set of songs"
WERS
New Discoveries Series
Past Performances
