Led by artist and musician Heather C. D. Smith, Bone & Bell makes precisely crafted indie-folk songs that combine haunting vocal harmonies, finger-picked guitar, and swirling instrumentation. Her gorgeously honest voice is the perfect counterpoint for her distinctive melodies and vivid songwriting. The result is a dissonant prayer, both heavenly and tension filled.
Bone & Bell’s first release, Loom (2011), was met with immediate acclaim from fans and critics alike. Within a couple of months, Heather was performing on NPR, Daytrotter, and opening for international acts like Cate Le Bon and Peter Bjorn & John. Organ Fantasies, Bone & Bell’s second release, took a dramatic stylistic turn, as Heather explored sequencing, beat making, and the sounds of 60’s and 70’s organs she had collected from Chicago alleyways. After putting together a full band, Heather released Mourning Brume (2014.) In 2016, tragedy struck. Heather fell down a flight of stairs and crushed her wrist beneath a 40lb box of her own vinyl records. The brutally ironic accident decimated her wrist, leaving her permanently disabled (unable to rotate) and unsure if she would ever play music again. After surgery and years of physical therapy, Heather slowly began to play again by leaning into her newfound constraints. This led to a series of musical discoveries, unique chord voicings, and cathartic songwriting sessions. This transformation from tragedy to triumph has been captured in a series of heartbreakingly honest songs on Bone & Bell’s newest album, “To A Cinder,” set to release in late 2020.
Heather spent her early years exploring the woods of Poetry, Texas with a song on her lips and a dog (Arrow) on her trail. Having been born to a family of artists and musicians, it’s no surprise that she ended up pursuing both. In fact, her entire life has been driven by borderless creativity. Whether it’s songwriting, playwriting or painting, storytelling compels her to create. After discovering a proclivity for technology, she began a career in interactivity multimedia that has allowed her to utilize her multiple skills - creating illustrations, animations, and sound design for mobile games, virtual worlds, and mixed reality experiences. She brings this boundless creativity to her musical career, as well. She has designed all of the album covers, animated multiple music videos and, in her latest release, To A Cinder, she created an interactive, augmented reality song. The listener can interact with AR musical components, creating their own composition, while being surrounded by Heather’s imaginative illustrations.
"Songwriter Heather Smith has a special talent for melancholy, precise folk songs that are instantly hummable and carefully crafted. Her music is regal and charming, possessing a literary feel."
