Album Notes

Not many people would postpone their college education to pursue the often unpredictable, cold, and sometimes cruel world of music. However, even with the overwhelming odds of failure, that’s exactly what sisters Megan (22) and Tracy Oliver (20) did. They postponed their graduations from Florida State University and Stanford University for a shot at pursuing their passion- writing and performing music. It wasn’t an easy decision, nor an easy journey, but in less than a year the sisters wrote, arranged, and recorded their debut album The Piano Room. The result is an R&B/Neo-soul album that was inspired by artists such as Lauryn Hill, Beyonce, India.Arie, and Floetry. Their music is already creating a buzz in the Atlanta music scene. What is truly inspirational about Harmony is not only their unyielding belief in themselves and their music, but their courage to take on an industry that no one in their family has done. Growing up in South Carolina, Megan and Tracy spent the majority of their time focusing on academics, leaving music as a hobby. After going their separate ways into different colleges, they temporarily put their music on hold. However, after their sophomore and junior years ended, they headed to New York for the summer, hoping for an opportunity to record some of their music. As fate would have it, they met independent producer Renald Francoeur and within a few weeks, they recorded their first song Bittersweet in Sony Studios. By the end of the summer, Megan and Tracy made what may be the most terrifying decision of their lives- stopping out of school to become artists. Short on funds, they relocated to Atlanta, Georgia. Creative and determined to find success with their music, they built a mini-studio in their tiny apartment with the help of their producer Renald Francoeur. In a few days, they began learning the process of recording music. With only a computer and music software, a keyboard, a microphone, and a small closet, the sisters found a way to write, vocally arrange, and record every song on their album. “People ask us all the time who wrote our songs, where did we record our songs, who arranged it, etc. It shocks people to learn that that we did it on our own. I think they are surprised that two females our age learned to engineer and produce so quickly,” Megan explains. Now that Harmony has finished their first album, they are actively promoting it with live shows in Atlanta and throughout the Southeast. They have begun performing with a local jazz band called Konnected. They are slowly but surely building a reputation as talented singer/songwriters. “Our goal was to create a cd that fully represented who we are at this point in our lives. We are young, but we have dealt with many issues with love and loss. Those experiences are reflected in songs like Fast Lane and So Alone. On the other hand, we also like to dance and have fun and that’s where tracks like Boy I Know Like That and Let Her Go originate from. Our music is a little bit of everything,” says Tracy. Harmony’s appeal lies beyond their beauty and talent, but in their drive and ambition. “Their songs have soul and depth that you don’t expect from a 20 and 22 year old. When I heard their song “Love,” I knew it was a hit. It’s really good music and they did it by themselves. They’ve accomplished in a year what people twice their age are still trying to do,” says their producer Renald Francoeur. Please check them out at www.pianoroomthealbum.com or myspace.com/thepianoroom!