As the old adage goes, there’s strength in numbers, and these five bands for harmony lovers prove that vocals are no exception to this rule. We’ve been singing alone and with one another since time immemorial as a way to celebrate, mourn, rally, and soothe. Harmonies are ancient. So, when a band is able to achieve chillingly good intonation with one another, the effects it has on the listeners are even more profound.
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If you’re a vocal harmony lover, you know the feeling well. Here are five bands that harness the power of a perfect vocal blend in their respective genres.
Say She She
Say She She’s origin story perfectly encapsulates the connection singing together creates. Two of the three members, Piya Malik and Sabrina Mileo Cunningham, met each other as neighbors when they could hear each other—both classically trained vocalists—rehearsing through their apartment walls. Malika and Cunningham met Nya Gazelle Brown during an impromptu jam session in Harlem and hit it off musically.
The trio is backed by an airtight funk band that adds hypnotic grooves and driving percussion to the women’s three-part harmonies. We recommend harmony lovers start with the band’s 2022 single “Forget Me Not,” which sounds as precise and clean live onstage as it does on the record.
Infinity Song
Infinity Song is a Brooklyn-based soft rock band that proves nothing blends quite as beautifully as sibling harmonies. Indeed, Abraham, Angel, Israel, and Momo Boyd create complex, layered harmonies to melodies that stand alone even without embellishments. (Although, who wouldn’t want those embellishments there?) The band got their start performing in various outdoor locales around New York City before signing with Roc Nation in 2016 and releasing their debut album ‘Mad Love’ in 2020.
One of our favorite Infinity Song tracks is “Slow Burn” off their 2023 album ‘Metamorphosis.’ The lyrics seem to speak to anyone who’s ever been in a lonely, topsy-turvy period of change, and the band’s impeccable harmonies certainly add to the emotional impact.
Mountain Man
Mountain Man is a folk trio rooted in Appalachian tradition with a distinct, contemporary flair. Featuring Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig, and Amelia Randall Meath, the group met in college and began collaborating in the late 2000s. Mountain Man’s sparse arrangements and production style allow their vocals to shine, evoking a sound that comfortably resides somewhere between saccharine and spooky.
The band’s 2018 release, Magic Ship, is chock full of beautiful harmonies, but our personal favorite is the cozy fourth track, “Rang Tang Ring Toon.” The song captures the warmth of a cool summer night, with fireflies twinkling in the grass and the smell of dinner wafting through the windows.
Tiny Habits
Fellow Berklee College of Music graduates Cinya Khan, Maya Rae, and Judah Mayowa formed Tiny Habits in 2022 after casual videos of the trio singing together in their dorm rooms went viral the year before. And there’s a good reason for their seemingly overnight success. Each time you think you know where Tiny Habits’ lush harmonies will fall, they pull the rug out from under you with an unexpected dissonant addition.
If you needed any more convincing of their harmonic prowess, then the intro to “Tiny Things” makes their case extraordinarily well. Harmony lovers will swoon over how the band’s voices move together as agile and unencumbered as if it were a solo singer, a common theme throughout the group’s growing discography.
Trousdale
Wilson Phillips fans, meet Trousdale. This vocal pop group consists of Quinn D’Andrea, Georgia Greene, and Lauren Jones, all of whom are powerhouse vocalists in their own right. Drawing inspiration from Crosby, Stills, and Nash and HAIM, the Los Angeles-based trio combines the best of pop and folk worlds to create a sound that’s fun, a little bit retro, and also unapologetically honest and empowering.
Trousdale’s cover of the Beach Boys’ “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” is a beautiful testament to their three-part harmonies on a familiar background. But “If I’m Honest” is another great place to start, featuring their talents as writers with earworm choruses and tongue-in-cheek lyricism.
Photo by Momodu Mansaray/Getty Images for Roc Nation
