Mary Fahl

Endowed with an extraordinary vocal span, Mary Fahl delivers as an intensely expressive and emotionally charged singer/songwriter whose primary recognition stems from the three-year tenure she shared with October Project. Rather than adopting the fragile, youthful persona favored by certain 1990s female artists such as Suzanne Vega, Natalie Imbruglia, or Jewel, Fahl has consistently projected vocals that are expansive, sturdy, and richly resonant. She has herself remarked that she prefers female singers to project womanly presence rather than girlish affect. Drawing inspiration from Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell, and Sandy Denny, Fahl grew up in Rockland County, NY, and continues to reside in the northeastern United States. Following high-school graduation, she enrolled at McGill University to study medieval literature and briefly contemplated an acting profession before concluding that music alone merited her full commitment. In the early 1990s she assumed the role of lead vocalist for October Project, an East Coast folk-rock and adult-alternative ensemble that issued two lyrically evocative albums on Epic: the self-titled 1993 debut produced by Peter Collins and the 1995 follow-up Falling Farther In. Although the group never achieved widespread commercial success, it cultivated a devoted, if modest, audience. Epic nevertheless terminated the contract in 1996. Supporters anticipated a subsequent release on an independent imprint such as Rykodisc or Rounder, yet October Project disbanded shortly thereafter. Fahl subsequently launched a solo career; during early-2000s performances she presented both original material and October Project staples including “Bury My Lovely” and “Return to Me.” Only after the ensemble dissolved did she begin composing her own songs; she contributed no writing during her time with October Project, but co-authored the four tracks that comprise her first solo EP, Lenses of Contact. Issued by Rough Mix in 2001 and produced by Jeffrey Lesser, the EP preceded her first proper full-length solo album, The Other Side of Time, which appeared two years later.