Listen to serene folksy harmonies from Philly duo The Sun Flights (playing North Star Bar tonight)

Hat-tip to the good folks at Philly Indie for this one: folksy Philly duo The Sun Flights is celebrating the release of its debut self-titled EP tonight at the North Star Bar for the venue’s Victorian Dining Room concert series. If you’ve never been, you’re in for a treat, both from the band, and the room.

To begin with the room – even though the North Star made its name as a popular down-and-dirty live music venue in the alternative rock heyday of the 90s (and continuing into the aughties), there’s actually a fancy a side to the building. Up a tucked-away flight of stairs on the bar / eatery side of the room is a hidden room with a vaulted ceiling, ornate  (but not gaudy) wooden walls, big windows and cozy seating. At one point in the building’s past it was a dining room, and now it’s the perfect environment to experience the acoustic, intimate, unamplified portion of the venue’s programming.

That’s something that The Sun Flights does particularly well – with fingerpicked guitars and delicate harmonies, they set a striking mood that something in between Azure Ray, Red House Painters, early Tegan & Sara and The Decemberists. Which is to say, a little bit esoteric and haunting, but definitely with poppy influences and aspirations. I could see this duo – Natalie Butts on vocals and guitar, Claire Duncombe on vocals – bringing in more players, exploring arrangements and layers, building into something bigger and Bon Iver-style. But they work just as well in the most basic configuration, which in some ways is even more important. Listen to their song “I Am A Robot” below, visit the venue’s website for more on the show.