Singer-songwriters and multi instrumentalists Sherry-Lynn Lee and George Paolini, had a chance meeting at an open mic that transformed unlikely bedfellows into sympathetic artistic souls. The duo, who perform as 23rd Hour, debuted Perfect Strangers a body of work that melds eclectic and urbane musicality with pop accessibility and poetic sentiments.
Singer Sherry-Lynn Lee says of their most recent standout track:
“I was inspired to write this song about a friend of mine who was in an inter-racial relationship and her family strongly disapproved. It was a difficult time for her. It was hard for her to know that her relationship was causing her family anxiety, but at the same time, she was very upset by the fact that her family, the people she grew up with and loved, could make such racist comments. The other issue was, how does she talk about that to her love without making him feel bad? Without giving him reasons to hate her family? Should she worry about hurting her family when they were clearly in the wrong? That’s what the verses are about. The pre-chorus goes “maybe it’s right to think we deserve better”, meaning we deserve the right to be in love with whoever we choose. The chorus emphasizes that we can be very compatible despite apparent differences.”
23rd Hour was created after a chance meeting at a coffee house transformed unlikely bedfellows Sherry-Lynn Lee and George Paolini into sympathetic artistic souls. They come from different backgrounds, genres and eras, but when their individual aesthetics intertwine, they hit that sweet spot of subtle adventurousness epitomized by artists such as James Taylor, Joni Mitchell, Norah Jones, and The Civil Wars. Their debut album Perfect Strangers wraps visceral stories with clever wordplay and elements of jazz, classical, rock, folk and pop. Their sound is notably organic, employing acoustic instruments and, when electric, a very clean, unprocessed tone.
Listen to “Same Things” here: https://soundcloud.com/23rdhr/same-things
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