Music Preview: Band defined by richly textured and delicate harmonies

They see themselves as a folk band, but Darlingside should not be mistaken for the traditional outfits that appear regularly at the Greystones in Sheffield.

Primarily defined by their richly textured and delicate harmonies, allied to finely crafted original songs, the four multi-instrumentalists from Boston, Massachusetts, have carved their own distinctive niche.

They have been labelled as indie folk, baroque folk pop and 60s folk-pop – with echoes of Simon and Garfunkel, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young and Fleet Foxes.

Make up your own mind when Darlingside return to the Greystones on Friday, July 26 on the night before another performance at the Cambridge Folk Festival.

The dates follow the release of their fourth album, Everything Is Alive, which showcases the individual and collective skills of bassist Dave Senft, guitarist and banjo player Don Mitchell, classical violinist and mandolin player Auyon Mukharji and guitarist and cellist Harris Paseltiner.

For the tour, though, Dave Senft, is staying home, to be replaced by other musicians who appear on the album.

Live and on record, they present a unified voice by clustering around a single condenser microphone, with each member taking turns to sing lead.

In contrast to the lushness and sophistication of their now established approach, Darlingside started in 2009 as five college undergraduates in an indie rock band.

The big change came when they parted company with their drummer as they found a more intricate and graceful direction.

As Harris Paseltiner has put it, they “started gravitating towards singing in unison, passing the melody around, or harmonizing in four parts through an entire song”.

Support on the latest tour comes from New York-born singer-songwriter, harpist and guitarist Lizzie No, who released her debut album, Hard Won, in 2017 and is now promoting her 2024 release, Halfsies.

The Sheffield date has been switched to the Greystones from the Upper Chapel in Norfolk Street in the city centre. It’s a highlight before the customary quieter summer period in the backroom of the pub.

However, one exception will be Saturday, August 10, when the Celtic Social Club – a collective of Scottish and Breton musicians – unleash an effervescent fusion of traditional Celtic tunes, reggae, blues, hip hop, punk, folk and pop.

A free open mic night is scheduled for the Greystones on Monday, August 12.