Devin Tuel and Stephen Harms are Native Harrow. They’re very familiar to us on the ATB pages after we called 2022’s Old Kind Of Magic “a swirling and sophisticated homage to the 60s/70s” and Closeness from 2020 “Thoughtful, timeless and exquisite.”

Their new album Divided Kind (available everywhere on 13th September – watch out for our review – through Different Time Records/Kartel Music Group) continues their discography of “rich, engrossing records” and “instant classics” while single-mindedly following their own artistic code, acquiescing only to the exigence of the song – each song its own world with its own rules. 

In the first of two features from the duo, we’re joined by frontwoman/songwriter Devin Tuel who explains how Joy Of Cooking is “a band that encapsulates everything I love about music.”

I would like to talk about a band that, until a few years ago, I had somehow gone most of my life without hearing. No one mentioned it, I never heard the sounds coming through a speaker in a hip city cafe as I chatted to friends, no DJ ever spun it on public radio, nothing!… and while they are now one of my favorites, I am also sharing in hopes that some others out there wouldn’t have heard the good word and I can maybe pass along somethin’ sweet. Further,  I am ten years into my career as the front woman of Native Harrow and I feel this music is a good indication of some of what’s to come (if inspirations are anything to go off).

From the opening pulsing of the keyboard,  the thumping bass that bounces with the drums and a solid percussion shaking through the left speaker comes this voice – a voice like nothing I had ever heard. Reminiscent of Janis Joplin, but polished. Who was she? I had to know. It was Terry Garthwaite and the band was Joy of Cooking. Don’t The Moon Look Fat And Lonesome sung me into a new chapter of my life. 

“All we do is try / Someday I’m gonna know the reason why”  –  Waiting For The Last Plane

The songs on their 1972 album Castles spoke to me at a time when I was transitioning from a young folk singer with a powerful voice to a woman with something to say and a life of lessons and many miles lived. Terry sounded real to me. Vulnerable but strong, sexy and sophisticated. I needed to know more, so I did some digging and wasn’t surprised to learn they were heavily involved in the Bay Area’s music scene at the height of the Feminist Movement. They were one of the first rock bands on a major label to be led by multiple female musicians (pianist Toni Brown + Garthwaite) and to sing about feminist issues. Pretty cool! 

“I believe my bad luck is gonna change” – Three Day Loser

During a time when the rest of the music world was digging acid rock, Joy Of Cooking was laying ground to ring in an era on their own unique sound – a melting pot of folk, rock, jazz, gospel, and blues. Musically, there is so much to hear when you drop the needle on their albums. Flutes, harmonicas, harmonies, shakers, guitars, saxophones. Something we always do in Native Harrow is to never have many rules when creating our songs. The first song can have soulful vibraphone, the next a spectral folk mellotron oboe, then rock n’ roll maracas, followed by a jazz ensemble. And I think Joy of Cooking is similar in that there isn’t one set genre they adhere to. It’s just, “Does the song sound good? Is it vibin’?”.

“Gonna make a few changes / I’m gonna rewrite my script” – Beginning Tomorrow

I really look to other female frontwomen to give me courage when I am struggling under the weight. I harness their strong spirit to remind me of my own. Joy Of Cooking is a perfect band for this. Toni and Terry carried the music supported by their band and I would have loved nothing more than to see JOC live during their height. There is such energy in these songs; trading solos, soaring harmonies, and gorgeous songwriting. To me, they are a true rock n’ roll band. Hope you’ll check them out! My favorite record is Castles.

Our thanks to Devin and look out for Stephen’s Why I Love on our pages.

Here’s Native Harrow’s Goin’ Nowhere:

Native Harrow online: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

You can read more from our extensive archive of Why I Love pieces from a wide array of artists on an even wider array of subjects, here.

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