Sofa is proud to announce the debut album of Montreal-based band House of Gold, a very special group playing American composer Isaiah Ceccarelli’s songs and compositions. House of Gold is a quartet that blends quiet melodies and songwriting, chamber music, minimalist folk song, improvisation, jazz harmony, and early music influences into an immersive and embracing sonic experience. Composer, drummer, and singer Isaiah Ceccarelli has built a repertoire of songs around his original texts and intimate music, inspired by his years of composing new chamber music for various ensembles, drumming for jazz, pop, and folk bands, singing in early-music choirs, and travelling the world as an improviser and composer. The music is brought to fruition by the talents and input of multi-instrumentalists Katelyn Clark, Eugénie Jobin, and Frédérique Roy.

House of Gold’s album is fantastical and patient. Each song develops its melody in a different way, using careful layers of voice, drums, organ, and synths. Jobin and Roy’s voices combine into an almost otherworldly sound, bringing out stark harmonies and unisons while giving a tender focus to the lyrics. Minimalistic drums suggest a pulse, but this never dominates the vocal quality of the songs. The organ, synths, and other instrumental components weave in and out of the album, adding a dreamlike atmosphere.

Isaiah Ceccarelli says of the project: “The idea for House of Gold began to form in 2017 when I was asked to write some music for an ensemble that was performing at a gallery in Montreal’s Parc-Extension neighborhood. That’s where I met Frédérique Roy and Eugénie Jobin, who were members of the ensemble. Having already formed a solid musical relationship and friendship with Kate Clark for the past ten years—and with a recording together on my first Another Timbre album—it didn’t take long for the band to form.