Aye
“The tunes these two fine women weave are beautiful and soulful enough to
inspire even the most cynical bastard to dance.”~ Northeast Performer Magazine
“The voices of Aye are remarkable, and capable of melodic mesmerism…voices that alone distinguish them in the crowded
singer/songwriter field.”~ Seven Days Newspaper
Celebrating With Aye
“Earlier this year, I judged a Lilith Fair competition in which female acts vied for a chance to play the side stage on this summer’s Great Woods Lilith dates. One of the acts that impressed me was a duo called Aye, featuring Marsia Shuron Harris and Adrienne. According to the latter, the group plays an eclectic mix of soul, folk, rock and world music.
That sounds like pretty daunting territory, but the duo’s dynamic vocal range allows them to dip into these different musical reservoirs.”
~ Ken Capobiano/CNC Arts
Boston Globe
written by David Wildman
On The Rise
When Adrienne Zolondick (who goes by her first name only) and Marsia Shuron Harris wrote the song AYE (pronounced I-yay), they had made up the word, giving it the meaning “celebration of life.”
It wasn’t until after they decided to name their new musical group AYE that they learned the word they had created really did exist. They found it in an African language spoken by the Yoruba, and it does, in fact, mean something akin to celebration of life.
“We knew then that this group was something we needed to explore,” says Harris. Her deep, soulful voice helps create a distinctive blend with guitarist Adrienne’s crystalline, higher-pitched vocal sound.
The two met while performing separately on the streets of Harvard square in 1991. Both had been pursuing burgeoning careers, playing at coffeehouses and clubs like Christopher’s (now called Toad) and the Channel. They formed AYE, and after playing a few Boston shows decided to take their act down to Key West, Florida.
Live they perform as a duo, but for their recordings, they have built an entire band sound using additional players and overdubs. The result is a commercially viable product, especially with Adrienne’s voice, which brings to mind the sweet resonance of Jennifer Kimball, and Harris’s sound and look.
“Someone described our music as Universal Rock,” says Harris. “Considering the name of the group, I think that is appropriate.
