Gold Leaves

Grant Olsen, one member of the Seattle-based folk-psych revivalist duo Arthur & Yu, pursues solo work under the name Gold Leaves. Drawing from the eclectic ‘60s songcraft of performers like Fred Neil, Skip Spence, and Scott Walker, Olsen initiated efforts on his solo debut during 2007, but a theft of his laptop and notes forced a complete restart. Numerous personal transformations unfolded for Olsen throughout those years, encompassing marriage, travel abroad, and the birth and death of loved ones, which provided fresh insight for the endeavor. Gold Leaves issued its full-length debut The Ornament via Hardly Art in summer 2011, thanks to contributions from Jason Quever (Papercuts) who participated both behind and in front of the microphone, percussionist Ben McConnell (Beach House, Au Revoir Simone), backing vocalists Thao Nguyen (Thao with the Get Down Stay Down, Thao & Mirah) and Amy Blaschke (Night Canopy, Minus the Bear), as well as rootsy indie rock outfit the Moondoggies; the record merges Olsen's ragged vocals with soul-meets-'60s psychedelia arrangements in an autumnal blend.