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Artist
The Bell and the Hammer
12+ albums
swell seasonThe Bell and the Hammerdon perisKoala FiresJon Foreman
about
The Bell and the Hammer is the moniker that husband and wife duo Dan and Serenity Johnson chose after a long list of uninspired and rejected band names. Literary in its roots, "The Bell and the Hammer" is the name (and subject) of the second chapter of C.S. Lewis’ 'The Magician’s Nephew', a book in the popular children's series 'The Chronicles of Narnia'. They follow in a distinguished line of Husband-Wife duos (Over The Rhine, Ellery) that have rooted their inception in Cincinnati. However, marriage is where the similarities seem to end. While still steeped in the folk genre, their sound is more immediate. With a single guitar accompanied by occasional clarinet parts, the melodies are central and showcase Serenity Johnson’s controlled vocal technique. The songs have a connecting theme: pain. "I am aware that most of our songs are about pain or misery of some sort. I have tried to write happy songs, but I'm no good at it." says Serenity in a recent blog post. "Dan and I have agreed, though, that most people have had their fair share of pain so we have shouldered on with our sad songs." Somehow the songs don't come off depressing. They just feel familiar. Although the couple has been writing music for several years, they have only recently committed to playing out and finishing their debut full-length album. The fruits of their labor are beginning to pay off as evidenced by the their consistent 2009 show schedule and the small suite of songs they have recorded. They are h
