Bio
Harriet Riley & Alex Garden’s music presents a novel, hypnotic dialogue between a highly unusual pairing of instruments - fiddle and vibraphone. Each piece they perform is original and inspired by interesting single word track titles with definitions given alongside to guide the listener’s attention. Their music takes in flavours from trad folk, minimalism and jazz and they regularly collaborate with Stevie Toddler on double bass - adding texture and depth to their sound.
The duo regularly work with Live Music Now - devoting time to making music more accessible and collaborative in spaces where live music is rare - such as SEN schools and care homes. Their performances and workshops are fun, dynamic, inclusive and often involve elements of storytelling and group participation.
A stunning mix of dreamlike atmospheres and mesmerising energy, a bridge between different genres and one of the most adventurous albums in recent years.’ (Nominated - Album of the Year 2020) Bright Young Folk
‘Wonderfully gentle...really beautiful’
BBC Radio 3 ‘
Really interesting and lovely’
BBC 6 Music
Meet the team
[photo credit to Tom Jacob]
— Harriet Riley
Originally from Devon, Harriet grew up in a musical household and went on to study Orchestral Percussion at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. She has experience in a range of genres from 8-piece jazz ensemble Tezeta to orchestral playing with BBC National Orchestra of Wales, studying gamelan in Bali to folk duo with Alex Garden. Harriet performs regularly with Spindle Ensemble, a contemporary classical quartet. Their second album, Inkling was pressed to vinyl and released by Hidden Notes Records in 2021. Harriet works in a number of dance and theatre projects playing solo percussion, most recently for children’s circus theatre company Can't Sit Still. ‘Sonder’, released in 2020, was the debut album of a folk duo with Harriet Riley and Alex Garden. She is currently a composer and performer for Thimble Theatre and has been working freelance in Bristol since she graduated in 2014.
www.harrietrileymusic.com
![[photo credit to Kate Griffin]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610e42c88b287208e9a0cf3d/1629726815827-823WOBAC27HL0BA4180Z/alex+g.jpeg)
[photo credit to Kate Griffin]
— Alex Garden
Alex Garden is a fiddle player, guitarist, composer and producer with a unique approach to instrumental music as a result of 10 years experience performing folk, classical and improvised music around the UK. Alongside regularly performing with The Drystones, Sheelanagig, Harriet Riley & Alex Garden, Tarren, Ellie Gowers and Rachael Dadd Alex is a recording artist who produces a broad variety of collaborative work from experimental electronic music to string arrangements. Alex studied music at University of Southampton, graduated in 2017 and moved to Bristol shortly after, where they have immersed themself in the city’s thriving music scene. Their longest running project The Drystones has been nominated for the BBC Young Folk Award and received an Arts Council England project grant in 2021 for a new tour in partnership with EFDSS, English Folk Expo and Halsway Manor - with a mission to involve more younger audiences in UK Folk music.
![[photo credit to Dasha]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/610e42c88b287208e9a0cf3d/1629726924575-9BGJGK27FFDEDWSHC1K2/Stevie+Jo.jpeg)
[photo credit to Dasha]
— Stevie Toddler
Stevie toddler is a Bristol based double bass and bass guitar player. Her musical background began in the classical world but she soon took interest in many different genres including jazz, alternative pop and Brazilian music. She now performs under her own name, as well as with Anglo-Brazilian 7-piece, soma soma; pop- punk songstress, Nuala Honan and folk minimalism outfit, Harriet Riley and Alex Garden.
www.toddlersounds.com