Biography

Hieronymus Harry’s debut album invokes a time, place, and feeling that is strikingly different from our present moment. Harkening back to the late 1960s when artists like Skip Spence, Pentangle, and the Incredible String Band conjured madcap, mystical worlds, The River of Doom captures naturalistic performances on acoustic instruments to create a spellbinding collection of surrealist folk songs. Co-produced by Patrick Lefler (ROY) and mastered by Jeff McMurrich (U.S. Girls, Jennifer Castle, Constantines) the album features Harry’s haunting falsetto accompanied by airy harmonies from Sophia Ruby Katz (Shirley Hurt) and the courtly strings of cellist Eliza Niemi.

Until now, Harry has made his bones as a collaborator, performing with acclaimed Toronto acts such as Mr. Joy, Matthew “Doc” Dunn, ROY, Carl Didur and more. Each of these projects have expanded his musical palette, but none scratched the itch of jesterly whimsy that informed his solo songwriting as Hieronymus Harry. The lengthy, meticulous process of assembling Mr. Joy’s densely layered albums inspired an opposite approach for The River of Doom, as Harry recorded its songs live, fast, and loose with double bassist Matt Coldwell and Lefler on 12-string guitar.

“I wanted to imbue the music with a sense of discovery,” explains Harry, “to create from a place where people’s raw reactions to the music are made foundational. When you open the door to unpredictability, little moments can land just right and create so much magic in the process. The result feels like a unique happening, which is a very exciting place to grow a recording from.”

The River of Doom’s lyrical concepts emerged during a period of personal upheaval. Against the backdrop of a dissolving relationship, a reno-viction from his home, and the beginning of the pandemic, the second half of 2020 found Harry and his partner travelling around North America in a 17-foot trailer. This combined with a newfound interest in Eastern religions and spiritual practices led to an exploration into his attachments and desires as the source of much turmoil in his life. “The River of Doom is like this everflowing stream of uncontrollable experiences,” says Harry. “This album is about coming to terms with that chaos and finding peace within it.”

The jaunty, meandering “Nymphs & Satyr” harnesses forlorn love as a vehicle for pleasure and growth. Harry sounds awestruck as he intones “don’t you know this is heaven?” A pained feeling of melancholy pervades the jangly bounce of “Colour of the Mirror” as he reckons with treasuring the ephemeral. “Radiant Planet” is a spellbinding tangle of twangy guitar solos, drawing on the teachings of spiritual guru Ram Dass to explore how joy and oneness have been inside us all along. “Once you find that place within yourself, that bright sun, other people can come inside and meet you on that level,” concludes Harry. “It’s always there for us to step into it. We meander in and out, but finding contentment with its absence can be the quickest way back in.”

- Jesse Locke