The Nields

The Nields are one of the most exciting of the new breed of contemporary folk-rockers. They’ve been lighting up the indie circuit since 1991, originally traveling the continent as a five-piece band. Today, sisters Nerissa and Katryna perform as a duo, with a few full-band shows each year. They’ve been described as equal parts Beatles, Cranberries and Joni Mitchell, and have also been compared to The Indigo Girls, and The Roches. The Chicago Tribune reports, “As the work of the Everly Brothers or the McGarrigle Sisters has amply demonstrated, there are few sounds as sublime as close harmonies rendered by siblings. In the case of western Massachusetts folk rockers the Nields, the siblings are sisters Nerissa and Katryna Nields, and their inimitable vocal blend is a disarming mix of clean folk harmonies and clenched Generation-X angst.” SPIN Magazine penned “On first listen, some might glibly categorize this acoustic folk trio-turned-modern rock quintet as Alanis Fronts the Indigo Girls. But listen to [the Nields] twice and you’ll start to catch the twists in the tales, the quirks and ironies that make every song a short story. And then you’ll be hooked.”

The Nields have been lauded for their gorgeous, lilting, sibling harmonies, their wise, classic, folk/pop songs, their hilarious banter on stage, and their generosity and warmth in performance and engagement with their fans. “A masterful mix of modern folk with an alternative edge” (Minneapolis Star Tribune), and The Austin Chronicle raves, “If there’s one constant here, it’s The Nields sisters beautifully sweet vocal harmonies that sound eerily like the Roches singing Lush in a really big room. It’s infectious stuff.”

Songs “snap like cinnamon sticks” (Musician Magazine) with “a gentle explosion of high-strung harmonies and spare arrangements. On The Nields’ latest album, November, the band covers a slightly reworked “America the Beautiful,” and is joined by old friends and fellow travelers, including Dar Williams, Chris Smither, Peter Mulvey, Vance Gilbert, Ben Demerath, and their own children, plus members of a local youth chorus. According to the band, the lyrics were tinkered with (“And crown thy good in neighborhoods…”) to reflect what today’s poets might hope for our country. Though many of their songs tackle critical issues: the climate crisis, the situation at the border, and the fragility of our democracy, the message of hope pulses through each track with a strong and steady heartbeat.

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