Harvest Ministers - Strange Love Letter - new album + download

Formed in Dublin in at the dawn of the 90's by Will Merriman, I was lucky enough to work with the Harvest Ministers in the middle of that decade when I was with Setanta Records. A friend who was living in Dublin had turned me onto them following the the release of their debut album on Sarah Records, Little Dark Mansion, sometime in 1993. Just as I joined Setanta in 1995, they were releasing their second, A Feeling Mission. Despite working with amazing artists like Edwyn Collins, and the Divine Comedy, the Harvest Ministers (or "Harveys" for short) became one of my favorites...Will's music was, as it still is today, sort of a folky version of Ray Davies. His lyrics can be as detailed as Davies' only more personal and a bit more cryptic.

Here is "Railroaded" from that first album on Sarah. Rod Stewart, if you're out there, record this song. It'll be a fucking smash.



In 1996, we brought the band over to record their third album (second for Setanta) in Hoboken, NJ. Orbit was the result. A bit uneven perhaps, but it contained a few gems nonetheless - the title cut being one, as well as "A Feeling Mission" which had not been included on the album of the same name. I loved it so much I made them include it.

Over the years since then, Will has been fairly quiet...an EP (Embezzling Kisses) in 2000, and an album (My Star Is Shining, 2003) was pretty much it following that rush of productivity in the mid 90's. Until now...Strange Love Letter is their new, self-released album, and dare I say it's Will's best & most consistent since A Feeling Mission way back in '95. Here is a track for you to check out with the kind permission of Mr. Merriman himself. You have to love this title:

The Harvest Ministers "Punks, Maidens, and Genitalia":


Places to check them out:
- iTunes - Four albums by the Harveys (Little Dark Mansions, Feeling Mission, Orbit, and Strange Love Letter) can be purchased on iTunes by clicking here.
- Myspace - Visit their Myspace page for more music samples.
- CD Baby - Visit their page on CD Baby if you'd like to order Strange Love Letter on compact disc.
- And for good measure, Facebook here.