Ten years ago, singer-songwriters Hilary Kaufmann and Robert Watts walked out of Mark Hallman’s Congress House Studio in Austin, Texas with the five-song EP These Fine Moments, named after a line in one of their songs.
Today, I am super excited to introduce this musical duo to you and let them tell you a bit of their story. Their music is fresh and creative and I haven’t found one song on their newly released album I didn’t like! Their harmony is perfection and the unique chord progressions kept me engaged! I think you’ll agree with me when you listen. But in the meantime, they have a story to share about how the Pandemic has affected their lives.
How has the pandemic affected us, both personally and as musicians?
As far as the toll on us personally, we had already quit our jobs prior to the pandemic to tour more. So when everything shut down and little was expected of us, we stayed up late, slept late, developed our culinary skills, and drank entirely too much wine and Mescal.
Hilary re-read all of the Harry Potter Books, and I read biographies and watched documentaries. We found common ground by re-watching all of the Marvel movies, the old Star Trek, Picard, and the new Star Trek Discovery series.
But as the reality set in, we were left with a void, and asked ourselves “what are we going to do now?”
So we opened up our garage doors and gave concerts for the neighbors, learned how to live-stream, and started recording the songs that are on our new self-titled record.
Hilary was eventually able to go back to work part-time, and now she is around other people a lot. But I’m still home all day, and it’s hard on me being by myself so much of the time. I probably drive Hilary crazy when she is home since she’s the only one I have daily contact with. But if I’m driving her crazy, she hides it pretty well.
From a musician’s standpoint, we don’t know what’s going to be left when the pandemic plays out, or what is our role is going to be. We’ve spent years making contacts and cultivating relationships with clubs and venues around the country, and most of those are probably not coming back.
For now we’re just doing what we can, a little live-streaming and some zoom interviews to promote our record. Having more time on our hands has not automatically translated into more writing and rehearsing, so we really have to put forth an effort to be creative and to stay in shape mentally and physically.
Being musical partners and being in a relationship has actually helped us get through the pandemic and brought us closer together, I can’t imagine trying to keep a band together during these times.
**I think a lot of us can relate to Robert’s words**
And now, here’s a snippet from their new album. Please leave a comment and let them know if you enjoy it!
You can connect with Robert and Hilary here:
I love their creativity in opening up the garage doors and singing for the neighborhood- smart thinking! Wishing Robert and Hilary the best of luck!
I loved that too, Jacquie! I know the neighbors must have enjoyed the entertainment. Thank you for stopping by!
Thanks Jacque! We hope to start those up again in a week or 2, will be sure and post some video clips on our social media.
Beautiful song. Thanks for sharing, Jan
My pleasure, Jill! Thanks for stopping by!
That was a fun one to record, with Ken Stringfellow from the Posies, REM and Big Star doing his parts from his home studio in France!
Thank you, Jan for the introduction to Robert and Hilary. Their sound is terrific.
My pleasure, John! Thanks for stopping by!
😊
Thanks John!
Thanks Jan and everyone for listening, and thanks for the kind words. Means a lot to hear it from people outside of our friends/family circle! Live show broadcast tonight (Sun. 28th) at 6:00 Central from One-2-One Bar in Austin. You Tube Link https://youtu.be/2RRrESINcek
Hi, Robert and Hilary!! Thank you for posting your live show. I will tune in if at all possible!! I’m happy people are enjoying meeting you guys and thanks for stopping by! Best wishes to you both!
Great tune and powerful video. Thanks for the post, Jan.
Thank you, John. I appreciate you stopping by and leaving a comment!
Thank you for sharing this duo with us, Jan. The song beautifully captures the journey of life and our common destination. Too often we forget that we walk together and someday will meet again. All the best to them. 💗
Well-said, Gwen. Thank you for stopping by, giving the song a listen, and leaving a comment! I appreciate you!
Thanks Gwen! It was fun to make, glad you like it.
Hi, Erika. I agree completely. It is a beautiful song. The fresh style and incredible harmony really speak to me. thank you for stopping by today to support these artists!
Their voices are very harmonious! Thanks for sharing this duo with us, Jan! 🙂
Thank you, Yvette! I’m thrilled that you stopped by today! Have a great Sunday!
Sad song, but the talent shows through. Has to be rough watching all the venues dry up. I think we’re all curious what the other side of this is going to look like.
You said a mouthful, Craig. We are all curious about what the other side of this pandemic is going to look like but especially for music artists who haven’t been able to work for over a year. They are all searching for other ways to share their music. Thank you for stopping by today!
Yep, for sure. We had shows in the Seattle area, Bay Area, Colorado and KC we had to cancel ☹️. Maybe by summer we can start trying to book again, we’ll have to see which venues weathered the storm.
From Robert’s fascinating post, I see him and HIlary as true Troubadours, simply the best. Good Luck as you forge a splendid career for yourselves ~ and I have strong feeling you will do just that.
Thank you so much for your encouraging comment for these artists, Parris. They do embody the true troubadour in their voices and their words. I appreciate you stopping by!
Thanks Parris! We’ll keep at it!
Thanks Parris, one thing we have control of is the writing and recording, so we’ll keep at it as long as we can!
Jan, loved your post today and could relate to Robert’s words. But the trailer (if that’s what it could be called) – wow! Loved it! I am a fan of harmonies (Everly Brothers, Bee Gees, Beatles, to name some oldies) and was totally enthralled by the song and video, which was certainly thought provoking. Thanks for sharing the music of this awesome duo.
Hi, Maura Beth. I’m so happy you stopped by today. What we think of as a book trailer is to these artists, a music video. I agree. Their harmony is amazing. Thank you so much for stopping by and supporting these artists!
Thanks Maura Beth! ❤️
My, what a beautiful beautiful song! I love the style and the light and uplifting effect it has!
Thanks Erika!
You are very welcome!