Hello! My name is Rachel and some of you may know me from the band, Danielson.
I am so excited to share with you a new Great Comfort Series, “Into the Mind of the Artist.” I am going to take you on a journey and share with you some “behind the scenes” moments that hopefully will intrigue you and bring greater depth and insight to the music.
Today, I am introducing my friend Mary Brewer of “Frog in the Reeds.” She is an amazing artist as well as songwriter/musician. I met Mary years ago when I was in the midst of Mamma Made Designs. We connected and started working together creating children’s clothing designs as well as designing fabric.

Here are a couple of funny facts that Mary and I laugh about together:

1. My oldest brother is Daniel Christopher. Her oldest brother is Christopher Daniel. They are both artists and musicians. They also both married Norwegian women.
2. As young men, both of our fathers were in the seminary and got philosophy degrees.
3. As young women, both of our mothers were in the convent.
4. Mary’s Dad’s name is David Andrew. I have a brother named David and a brother named Andrew.
4. We both love Danielson.

See? We had much to connect over! Here’s a funny little side story: Last year when Danielson went on tour, Jason (Mary’s amazing husband) learned all the “People’s Partay” parts on trumpet and joined the band on stage. Mary created an amazing “fruit hat” and led the conga line around the bar. This is just the kind of person she is!

The fruit hat story continues. We went to visit that summer and my daughter Esther tried on Mary’s hat. A picture was taken and inspiration struck once again. You have to go and check out this awesome journey of picture to painting.

ESTHER PAINTING PART 1
ESTHER PAINTING PART 2

Mary’s journey into music simply extended from her art–yet another form of creative expression. Sometimes you need someone to bounce ideas off of who won’t judge you when it’s really rough and in process–someone who can see the initial seed of creativity and the potential that is there. Mary is my person and I am hers. We bounce off ideas and listen to each others in all of the rough and ugly beauty there is.

It’s funny how musicians can be so critical of each other and even more critical of themselves. That’s not really funny, but it’s something I’ve noticed. What is that difference of showing off a drawing, painting, sewing creation, and sharing music that you’ve written? There shouldn’t be a difference in my mind as it is all flowing from your creativity as an individual, but it is definitely there. But, I digress.

So, over the past two years, Mary has been on her journey finding her own voice, her own sound, writing, experimenting, succeeding, failing, moving forward one day at a time. When I told her to make an album, she wasn’t sure she could do it.

“Why not?” I say. “Everyone else does.”

Mary sits on her porch in Butler, PA writing and practicing her music.
Mary’s music room.

Look for our next “Into the Mind of the Artist” post! In the mean time, start to get to know Mary more through her BLOG and her MUSIC.

Next time I will tell you how she came up with the title for her newly released album,
“Walking Tour of Spiders in the Woods.”  Go to Great Comfort Records and listen to one of Mary’s songs from her new album! REFUGE

Love,

We at Great Comfort are absolutely thrilled to announce the latest addition to the family: Frog in the Reeds (songwriter/guitarist/vocalist Mary Brewer). The debut album, Walking Tour of Spiders in the Woods, is a prayer uttered in quiet seclusion amongst gentle guitars and softly moaning strings. It is a vehement shout, a flowering shoot of declaration.

Brewer is the product of an upbringing in the wooded hills of Pennsylvania, and a soundtrack of frog calls in a nearby pond, thunder, lowing cows, and the hum of a racetrack on weekend nights. She was influenced by a steady diet of pierogies, seventies classic rock, church hymns, Dukes of Hazzard and Johnny Mathis. Such are the diverse shaping forces felt in her music. Indeed, no single musical classification could tie up this extraordinary collection, but her voice, utterly unique and compelling, binds the bundle effortlessly.

Brewer describes Walking Tour as “…the most difficult and exhilarating painting I’ve ever painted”. Quite. It is a journey of intimacy and sweep, of relaxed authority and unbridled curiosity. Joined by the masterful production skills of Daniel Smith and a merry crew of musician friends on upright bass, flute, drums, tuba, voice, and percussion, Walking Tour of Spiders in the Woods is a joyous march, a poem, a piece of a dream or an exposed inner thought…some sing-alongs, some listening songs, each revealing or communicating with the One who makes all things new.

Go here to listen to ‘Refuge’, and here to order the album. You won’t regret it.