The Dry Spells

Three students attending Bard College—Tahlia Harbour, April Hayley, and Caitlin Pearce—established the Dry Spells in 2002 after a local news account described a deer hunter’s accidental shooting of a nine-year-old girl. Drawing on traditional folk ballads, the trio produced material that drew comparisons to Judee Sill, Fairport Convention, and the Incredible String Band. Their rustic, arcane textures placed them alongside other like-minded acts such as Vetiver, Fleet Foxes, and Bon Iver. Fellow Bard student Adria Otte, a violinist schooled in classical technique, joined soon afterward, taking up guitar. The ensemble moved to San Francisco in 2004, where another Bard alumnus, Ezra Feinberg, already resided; Feinberg later invited Harbour, Otte, and Hayley to participate in his nascent project Citay. That collaboration left the Dry Spells undeterred, so Harbour, Otte, and Hayley continued working together and added bassist Diego Gonzalez of SubArachnoid Space to complete the lineup. After recording and self-releasing their debut EP, Caitlin parted ways amicably to attend graduate school. The EP reached Antenna Farm Records, which signed the band; their first album, Too Soon for Flowers, was scheduled for release in summer 2009.