She Keeps Bees

She Keeps Bees are a Brooklyn-based indie rock duo known for their retro, bluesy sound. Their debut LP, Minisink Hotel, arrived in 2006 and drew comparisons to artists like Cat Power, PJ Harvey, and inevitably the White Stripes for their stripped-down guitar-and-drums setup. Gradually refining their sound without sacrificing grit as they entered the 2010s, they took an even more minimalist approach to their haunting fourth album, 2014′s Eight Houses, and experimented with adding shadowy electronics to 2019′s Kinship.
Initially the solo project of singer/songwriter Jessica Larrabee, she recruited producer Andy LaPlant in 2006 to help record her songs, and he eventually came aboard full-time as the band’s drummer. She Keeps Bees’ first album, Minisink Hotel, arrived later that year and was met with a positive reception; LaPlant’s distinctive, atmospheric production lent itself well to Larrabee’s soulful delivery and strong attitude. The Shhhh EP followed in 2007, and in 2008, they issued their follow-up album, Nests. Now reaching a wider audience, the band hooked up with British indie Names Records for the 2009 EP Revival and U.K. release of Nests, which they supported with a European tour. In keeping with their D.I.Y. aesthetic, they continued to release their music independently back in the U.S., delivering the LP Dig On in 2011.
Shifting their focus more toward their folk roots, Larrabee and LaPlant brought in producer Nicolas Vernhes (Spoon, Dirty Projectors, Deerhunter) to help make their fourth album, 2014′s Eight Houses, which was released on L.A. indie label Future Gods Records. After signing with Ba Da Bing Records, they retained its quiet intensity while adding electronics to their palette for 2019′s Kinship. ~ Timothy Monger