The Ovaries-Eez deliver ‘Moon Birth’; stream an exclusive preview track

On its new album, Moon Birth — released this week on the Whatever Forever label — Lawrence folk trio the Ovaries-Eez reaches for ethereal sounds. Granted, the group’s gorgeous three-part harmonies are still the focus and the joy, but the new CD also finds room for Cloud Dog’s Brett Grady and Jim Martin, who add further texture to the lush singing with, respectively, viola and percussion (among other things).

In addition to rounding out the rhythmic structure of the songs, Martin also produced Moon Birth, further distinguishing it from the group’s debut full-length, I Saw You In My Dream.

“Jim and Brett actually added the extra instrumentation after, during the mixing process,” says Ovaries-Eez member Amber Hansen. “We sort of anticipated that it would be a different sound, which was a process we were looking forward to, even though we weren’t quite sure what that would be.”

Monica George agrees, explaining that trying new things is important to the group.

“I think Jim and Brett were kind of there at the perfect time for us,” she says. “I think, initially, we were just planning on doing what we play live, and recording that album, but then Jim would send us recordings with a tambourine or other subtle percussion, and we loved it.”

The three agree that they were enthralled by the process, and that the additional sounds — beyond three voices and quiet electric guitar — didn’t diminish the vocal sound. In fact, the voices shine through on the album’s closing track, “Blue Screen,” on which Grady’s viola almost sounds like a flute, lending an arresting, baroque aspect to the Ovaries-Eez’s already delicate folk.

Two of the songs on the album were written by other artists. There’s “Bones In My Way,” by Carey Scott, and Max Yoder’s “Max’s Song,” and both Scott and Yoder are fellow musicians on Whatever Forever. Given that the label seems like one big family, it’s only natural to see the artists on the label cover one another’s music.

Whatever Forever is probably best known as a cassette label, but the release of Moon Birth comes on compact disc. It’s kind of a head-scratcher to see a tape label putting out a CD, but the group’s Johni Lacore insists that it makes sense.

“We were unsure about releasing it on tapes, and our original idea was just to release it online,” Lacore says. “But they were like, ‘You need physical copies,’ and they went and made CDs for us.”

The need for physical product, even in a digital age, is still important, and looking at the packaging for Moon Birth, you’d be a fool not to pick it up. The cover photo by Nicholas Ward is delightful, and the lunar theme continues with the imagery of the disc itself. All around, the Ovaries-Eez has put together an ecstatic recording — a feeling that extends to the material written since Moon Birth was made.

“The new songs seem to be a little more upbeat,” George says. “Who knows what else we’ll come up with, but at least so far, a few of our songs seem to be that way: a little more sassy.”

The Ovaries-Eez’s release show for Moon Birth is at 7 p.m. Friday, January 6, at Love Garden Sounds in Lawrence. Teri Quinn and Angie Schoenherr open the show, and special guests will appear throughout. Full details can be found here, and you can pre-order the album from Whatever Forever here. Listen to an exclusive stream of “Blue Screen” below.