Since before the Harding Street Assembly Lab (which is nearly a decade old now), Nathan’s ambition has been to promote artists sourced in the Old Dominion. For over twenty years now, he’s had a special place in his heart for a certain Gladys-based troubadour by the name of Brian Hall.
From the mid-90’s & into the 21st century, the tunes of Brian Hall have stood strong in the rushing current of new music. His songs steer clear of descriptors such as “inventive” or “cutting edge”. Instead, they come across as stories from earlier times. That’s not to say that Brian’s work is singular in focus. Over the past two decades, he’s released folk records, bluegrass records, indie pop records, & collections that feel more akin to Roy Montgomery or Loren Connors.
In addition to his own work, Hall embarked on “Outside Records“, a homegrown record label (sound familiar?) where he could release his own projects as well as projects he felt connected to. A pride in the work of central Virginia & North Carolina has been the thread running through each of the nearly two dozen titles presented to date.
Over the summer of 2017, HSAL embarked on revisiting several titles from the Outside Records family. Each week, a new title appeared for streaming on our bandcamp page. Most of these records are nearly impossible to find, leaving HSAL to work through Nathan’s collection & some of the dustier recesses of the web.
- HSAL SPH, Brian Hall (via various personas), “Ephemera” (08/02/17)
- OR14, Brian Hall & Carter’s Ghost, “When Maggie Turns To Fly” (07/12/17)
- OR8, Shytown, “The Piedmont Session” (07/05/07)
- OR-025, Orquestra Altavista, “Gold & Elementary” (06/28/17)
- OR-023, A History Of Silhouettes, “H / A / W” (06/21/17)
- OR17, Brian Hall, “Rubbing Shoulders w/ The Echoes…” (06/14/17)
- OR10, Snake Forcefield, “Treble With The Sweet Snake Prize” (06/07/17)
- ORH-210, Brian Hall, “The Sound Of Summer Voices Breaking” (05/31/17)
- OR-024, Orquestra Altavista, “The Paloma Occasional” (05/24/17)
- OR22, Brian Hall, “Carnival Tricks In The Flatland Darkness” (05/17/17)
- OR16, Brian Hall, “Performs In The Dark” (05/10/17)
HARDING STREET ASSEMBLY LAB 