On March 29, Colorado-based musicians Haley Harkin and Carly Gilliland, known professionally as Carly Anne, will grace the stage at Steve’s Guitars. Harkin and Anne have been friends and collaborators for several years, and despite working in different genres, they often merge their talents to create a whole new sound that they are excited to share with an audience.
Harkin’s voice and lyrics combine the classic sound of folk with the romantic passion of a poet. Listening to her, one can almost feel themself standing barefoot in a river on a scalding hot day. The naturalistic themes in her music tell of her love for humanity, love, and a strong desire to make a difference.
Harkin has described Anne as versatile. She is influenced by psychedelic and progressive rock, soul, funk and folk music. As a multi-instrumentalist and experimental performer, her sound is so hypnotic and captivating that one could feel they are walking through a historic art exhibition of the Renaissance. Anne has also performed with many bands and loves collaborating.
“Carly inspires me as a person, and musically, I get inspired by her,” Harkin told The Sopris Sun. “Playing together feels so natural.”
Originally from Austin, Texas, Harkin came to Fort Collins three years ago for the nature and the music scene. Through a twist of fate, Anne was living in Fort Collins at the same time after leaving her home in Bellingham, Washington to pursue a graduate program in music therapy. Anne now resides in Steamboat Springs.
“I moved out here amid a band I was in’s album release process, which was kind of sad because we had worked so hard on it. But the album was released, and I was off to Fort Collins. Then, I started focusing on my solo project. I thought, ‘I got this place, I got myself and I’ve got some songs I’ve written and recorded,’” Anne stated.
Their paths crossed when Harkin stumbled upon one of Anne’s shows at The Atrium.
“I was at a taco place that’s connected to The Atrium, and she was playing fiddle with a string band called Nightbird. I had been living there at that point for six months, and I decided to reach out to her on Instagram and from there we connected,” Harkin explained.
“She asked if I wanted to throw some fiddle on some of the tracks for her album. We got together and instantly felt good around each other. We had fun talking and hanging out, and then when we started playing,” Anne stated.
This stop at Steve’s is part of Harkin’s current tour across the state. She said she had been planning a tour for some time and wanted to play at Steve’s, seeing that other musicians she follows had played there.
“I keep tabs on what venues other musicians are playing, and I had seen [Steve’s Guitars] on the radar for a while,” Harkin stated. “I knew I wanted to play there. I’ve never been there because I haven’t been to Carbondale, but it seems pretty cool.”
In another twist of fate, Anne was skiing in Steamboat Springs one day, and when she discussed her upcoming show with people on the lift, they guessed where she’d be performing right away.
“I always go skiing and rode the chairlift with three guys from Carbondale. I said, ‘Oh, I’m gonna be playing a show in Carbondale.’ They responded, ‘Is it at Steve’s?’ It’s cool that it’s this well-known hub for music, and I love getting to play places like that because it means this is where people like to see music,” said Anne.
Anne explained that she is excited to bring her music to new ears. A sentiment she shared with Harkin is that if even one person leaves the show impacted in some way, it will be a win.
“This is such a beautiful opportunity for connecting with an audience, and I hope that even if it’s just one person who likes it, I will have accomplished something. And maybe they will, in turn, follow me on my musical journey,” Anne expressed.
“I love to inspire, give people hope and plant seeds of love. That has always been in my music, and those are my intentions for this show,” Harkin added.
To get tickets for this show on March 29 at 8pm, visit www.stevesguitars.net