Search - Mary O. Harrison :: Factory of Days

Former Charm School singer-songwriter Mary O. Harrison celebrates the release of her debut album, Factory of Days. Two years in the making, Factory of Days is an amalgamation of orchestrated pop and folksy Americana, borne from influences as diverse as the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, XTC, Elvis Costello, and Talking Heads. Mary O. s music career began in 1999, when she and Jenny Hutton formed Charm School, a quartet that blended modern power pop with old school new wave influences. Called one of Atlanta s best and often overlooked pop jewels (Creative Loafing, July 2004), the bands recorded output consisted of Career Day EP (2002) and Tomorrow Is Today (2004). Both records were recorded by Jason NeSmith at Bel Air Studios in Athens. Following the release of Tomorrow Is Today, Mary O. took her songwriting in a different direction and began working with NeSmith on a solo record in December 2005 that would eventually become Factory of Days. Using more piano and acoustic guitar, and substituting more folk and moodiness for pop, Mary O. set out to make a record that would showcase each song with arrangements to fit the song, free from the need to adhere to the continuity of a band s sound. Several musicians were brought into the sessions to flesh out the record, giving the record an orchestrated feel. Charm School played its last show in May 2006, and Mary O. then assembled a band for live performances. Mary O. s live band now consists of Kim Ware on drums, Michelle Friedman on bass, and John McNicholas on guitar. Mary O. s live band has spent the last 18 months playing the Atlanta market and re-interpreting the songs from Factory of Days.