Ben and Ellen Harper

The most affecting albums exist as documents – of a time, place, relationships. Childhood Home by Ben and Ellen Harper is that and more. It is the history of a family written in song by a mother and a son, where they come from, hardships transcended, the place they have arrived. “This album is a portrait and it's a conversation,” Ben Harper says from the kitchen table of his mother's home. Ellen Harper, his mother and collaborator on the album, nods and smiles. The house is nestled in the foothills beneath the San Gabriel Mountains. It is a setting that is integral to the evocative and honest record they have made. “What you hear, it's the sound of this place,” Ben offers. “The sound of this town, and my grandparent's legacy.”

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the artist