The Horde and the Harem is a collective of musicians from across the country who have all gravitated towards the mystique of the lush Pacific Northwest. Ryan Barber, the founding member, started the project in 2009 by pulling together other Seattle transplants and West Coast natives. The band self-released their debut EP Harvest followed by their 2012 full-length A Long Midwinter to critical acclaim. The Horde has toured extensively over their few years as a band and played at festivals such as Bumbershoot, Capitol Hill Block Party, Northwest Folklife, and SXSW. The band has also been fortunate to have multiple songs from all of their releases on rotation by KEXP. Throughout the years, the lineup has changed but some things remain constant – devotion to their craft as musicians and a lust for creation. This craft and creation put The Horde back into the studio in the winter of 2013 to record their new EP, Fairweather Friends, which was released April 12, 2014.
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2022 / 11 / 15
SMI covers our release party
“The Horde and The Harem have a sound that I can’t immediately pin down, and I count that as a very good thing. TH+TH is contributing something new, exciting and different.” – Seattle Music Insider was at our FWF EP release show. Read their full review and check out some pics here.
2014 / 04 / 23
Best New Bands Live Review
Best New Bands came out to our CD release show on 4.12 and wrote up a pretty great review of the show! “Many turned out to Tractor Tavern on Saturday night to celebrate the release of local favorite The Horde and the Harem’s new EP Fairweather Friends. It was a night filled with great music, dancing, camaraderie, and costumes made from Goodwill bed sheets.” – Caitlin Peterkin, Best New Bands. Check out the full review here.
2014 / 04 / 21
JamSpreader gives FWF 4/5 stars!
“Indie folk-pop darlings The Horde and the Harem are back and better than ever with their brand-new EP, “Fairweather Friends!” The album features six uplifting tracks that will bring out your whimsical side with their peppy, yet sophisticated sound that will have you dreamily floating along in no time.” – JamSpreader reviewed the Fairweather Friends EP. Read the full review here.
2014 / 04 / 18
Seattle Weekly Album Review
Our beloved Seattle Weekly has reviewed our new EP and we couldn’t be happier! “There’s a real sense of closeness here, one that incorporates the strengths of all involved without making each song seem like a battle for the spotlight—something all groups should strive for.” Read the full review here.
2014 / 04 / 09
American Standard Time
According to the wonderful blog, American Standard Time, “The Horde and the Harem are in no danger of slowing down.” You got that right folks! Check out the lovely review here.
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