Helen Money

Helen Money

Helen Money is the solo project of Alison Chesley, a cellist and composer from Los Angeles, now based in Chicago. She works in avant-garde and experimental music, using the cello in ways associated with a lead guitar and drawing on a background in rock music. Her music is described through contrasts of raw, melodic material and darker, minimal, hypnotic passages.

Background and solo work

Chesley begins releasing solo work in 1994. As Helen Money, she builds performances around cello, presenting a sound that is both sparse and forceful. Her stage presence is also noted as an important part of the project.

Band work and collaborations

Before her solo career, Chesley is a founding member of Verbow, an Epic Records artist. She also opens for a wide range of acts, including Shellac, Earth, The Bad Plus, Huun-Huur-Tu and KTL. In addition, she works and records with Bob Mould, Disturbed, Anthrax, Broken Social Scene, Frank Orrall and Mono.

Composition for film and dance

Outside recorded music, Chesley composes for film and dance. Her credits include the soundtrack for the documentary Indestructible, as well as two works for Chicago-based Mordine and Company Dance Theater, Quest and Time Stilled.

Recordings

Her second album is recorded with Greg Norman at Electrical Audio and mixed by Sanford Parker at Semaphore Studios. It is released on Table of the Elements and Radium.