Biography
Led by songwriter Helen Rush, Metal Mountains emerged as a direct extension of Tower Recordings, the seminal Vermont-based experimental folk collective that began operating in the mid-'90s amid the broader New England and national folk scenes whose participants overlapped with acts including Jackie-O Motherfucker. Following the collective’s dissolution in the early 2000s, its alumni continued issuing recordings under a growing variety of monikers. While leader Matt “MV” Valentine grew hyper-prolific through his MV & EE partnership with Erika Elder, multi-instrumentalist Helen Rush—guitarist, bassist, percussionist, and keyboardist—moved more gradually toward solo work. When she formed Metal Mountains in 2007, the project remained a full band despite revolving around Rush’s quiet, ethereal songs. Two fellow Tower Recordings veterans, Pat “PG6” Gubler and violinist Samara Lubelski, completed the lineup. Rush also delayed entering the studio, ultimately issuing the self-titled debut in 2010 at Sonic Youth’s Echo Canyon.
Albums