Doran
Taking their name from a children’s fantasy novel, Doran is a four-person freak folk collective hailing from rural Virginia, New York City, and the Pacific Northwest. From strong backgrounds in traditional Appalachian ballad singing, Eastern European choral music, close harmony arrangement, and original songwriting, Doran’s music is intimately collaborative, bolstered by their knowledge of folk music and folklore and their exploration of deep listening and improvisation. Rich and often eerie vocal harmonies are supported by sparse acoustic arrangements ranging from sorrowful to playful. Doran’s layered, searching music reaches into the spaces between self and other, past and future, inner landscape and outer, and returns with a new language to describe the journey.
Doran is Elizabeth LaPrelle (Anna & Elizabeth), Channing Showalter and Annie Schermer (West of Roan), and Brian Dolphin.
Videos & Press
“A gorgeous and heart-warming album. Flawless vocal harmonies, guitar, fiddle, organ, and dulcimer intertwine together to form a dreamy familiar fabric that feels immediately comfortable. Hazy distant memories of being held and protected in the arms of a loved one as a child spring to mind, unbidden. A healing experience.”
Selected Press for Doran:
A "surprisingly comforting, intimate album, perfect for darkening nights when music can offer warmth," and "a moving, immersive experience." - Jude Rogers, The Guardian
"Recorded in a Virginia mountain town named Rural Retreat, the debut from this quartet of fringe-folk veterans beautifully articulates the weirdness and magic of life outside of the city." -Grayson Haver Currin, Pitchfork
"Doran are not simply poster children for a folk revival, instead offering an empathetic attention to detail and appreciation for the cultural soundscapes present throughout their music." -Matt Mitchell, Bandcamp Daily
