Watch Sympathy and the Lion’s heartwarming KettlePot Sessions and catch them at MusikFest August 6th

Lancaster folk duo Sympathy and the Lion will be playing at this year’s Musikfest. The group, which consists of John Shavel and Michael Burke, formed in 2011 via an advertisement on Craigslist. Last year, the band put out its first, self-titled album. The incredible mix of cello and tenor guitar evokes almost immediate nostalgia for lost country roads and wooded forests, especially on the first track “Diego”. The accompanying vocals create for a warm listening experience.

In March, Sympathy and the Lion did a session with Kettle Pot Tracks, where they played “Wide-Eyed Dove”  and “Invisible Lines”. Between the two songs lies the spectrum of their music. “Wide-Eyed Dove” is a beautiful, haunting piece of Americana while “Invisible Lines” is a soulful love song. They also played their most recent song, a powerful gorgeous tune “Hail Hail”. Recently, the band released a really cool cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence”, courtesy of Music For Everyone which you can check out here. The duo’s intricate blend of instruments and vocals give a new look at the time worn subject of love.

Catch the band at this year’s Musikfest August 6th at Martin Guitar Stage at 9 pm. They will also playing at this year’s World Cafe Beta HiFi  Festival. Get more details about the shows here. Watch “Wide Eyed Dove” below.

Sympathy & the Lion — Wide-Eyed Dove from Michael Batchelor on Vimeo.