Reared among the Pentecostal pines of Oregon, Rachel Harrington has been doing things in the wrong order for quite some time. She'd had extensive radio play before performing her live show, and she was opening for Grammy winners and nominees before releasing her first record. Now, hot on the heels of her critically acclaimed 2007 debut, The Bootlegger's Daughter, Rachel presents CITY OF REFUGE. Her backing band on the recording is TIM O'BRIEN (fiddle), Mike Grigoni (dobro), Zak Borden (mandolin), and Jon Hamar (upright), with Holly O'Reilly and Pieta Brown on backing vocals. Peopled with characters seeking respite, escape or salvation, CITY OF REFUGE farms personal and mythical stories from the American West, including tales inspired by the memoirs of prostitutes during the Alaska Gold Rush, the cantankerous Harry Truman of Mt. St. Helens, and short story writer (and fellow Oregonian) Raymond Carver. The album is produced by Evan Brubaker and mixed by David Ferguson (Johnny Cash's American Recordings III & IV), released on Rachel's own SkinnyDennis Records. Several tracks from City of Refuge have already been selected for in-store airplay by Starbucks. Fresh off a three month European tour, Rachel is currently touring behind the record as a duo, joined by multi-instrumentalist ZAK BORDEN (Willy Mason). FOR CURRENT NEWS AND TOUR DATES: http://www.skinnydennis.com NOW PLAYING: “I am absolutely enchanted with this record! A brilliant debut ... already a leading contender for Album of the Year in my opinion!” ~ Bob Harris, BBC Radio Q: "FOUR STARS! Gothic tracks on an inspiringly original album ... Q Recommends" Top 12 DIY Pick: "Rachel's voice has just the right combination of temerity and twang" ~ Performing Songwriter “IT’S A CRACKER! The challenge is finding only one area to highlight. ” ~ Miles of Music "FOUR STARS!" ~ Mojo ~ The Irish Times ~ The London Sun “A top-drawer Americana debut .” ~ Smart Choice Music, UK
