Retsin

Tara Jane O'Neil first crossed paths with Cynthia Nelson in 1993 while both were launching initial nationwide tours with their bands Rodan and Ruby Falls. Drawn together by a mutual interest in straightforward home recording methods and melodic indie rock, the pair entered a romantic and creative partnership in 1994. They began working together under the name Retsin yet stayed active in their original groups and took part in assorted side endeavors, including roles in the independent film Half-Cocked. In 1995 they joined the resolutely DIY Simple Machines roster and issued their first album, Egg Fusion. While O’Neil formed the chamber-folk group the Sonora Pine, Nelson turned to tracking Ruby Falls’ debut LP; the duo kept Retsin moving forward with nearly nonstop involvement in other recording projects. Over the next two years they logged extensive road time, sometimes augmented by a rhythm section and sometimes stripped down, sharpening their skill at delivering acoustic material onstage. A support slot for New York City’s Ida on one such tour produced the spontaneous one-day collaboration Ida Retsin Family. When Simple Machines closed in 1998, Retsin aligned with the Chicago label Carrot Top, whose owners shared similar independent values. On the subsequent releases Sweet Luck of Amaryllis (1998) and Cabin in the Woods (2001), the project evolved into a assured neo-folk ensemble, largely setting aside electric guitars and conventional indie-rock instrumentation in favor of banjo, accordion, and violin.