Hem Tickets

Hem is a musical group from Brooklyn, New York. Band members include Sally Ellyson (vocals), Dan Messé (piano, accordion, glockenspiel), Gary Maurer (guitar, mandolin), Steve Curtis (guitar, mandolin, banjo, back-up vocals), George Rush (bass guitar), Mark Brotter (drums), Bob Hoffnar (pedal steel guitar), and Heather Zimmerman (violin). The group sometimes expands to include other musicians and even orchestral accompaniments.

Their music has been variously described as "folk", "indie", "Americana" and "roots", but none of these labels fully captures their sound. Stylistically, their songs bridge Stephen Foster, 19th century American parlour music, Appalachian folk music, gospel music, traditional American ballads, the European art song, early jazz and even contemporary classical music -- via the coffeehouse performance style typical of today's urban music scene.