I can't stop listening to A Kinder History, the recently released debut EP from the Buffalo-based indie chamber-folk band Tiny Rhymes. Listening to the lead single "Arrows," it's hard not to fall a little bit in love with the band's intricate harmonies, plucky string arrangements, and songwriter Sharon Mok's gorgeous vocals.
Take a listen:
Born and raised in Ontario, Mok left Canada to pursue an education in piano technology at Florida State University and currently resides in Buffalo. A classically-trained pianist, she picked up the guitar for her current songs, writing modern folk melodies that are at times gleaned from Chinese traditional folk music.
The song "Gold Mountain" was influenced by Wayson Choy's novel All That Matters, which follows the lives of the Chen family in Vancouver during the 1930s and 40s. "I remember being fascinated by the story," Mok says, "especially by the fake papers and assumed identity that were necessary to evade the Chinese Exclusion Act."
A Kinder History is available for download from Bandcamp. Preview the album:
For more information on Tiny Rhymes, follow the band's updates on Facebook, Twitter and Soundcloud.
