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"Hooked Is Irresistable" - Emil Adler, October Project

A lotus flower begins at the bottom of a pond and takes a journey toward the light before it blooms into the beautiful creation it will become. The journey for the Philadelphia based band Lotus Hill has been much like that of a lotus flower – from their previous bands they have moved toward this new endeavor and a brighter future.

Featuring the lead vocals of Christine Moll and Peg Carroll, this band that formed from the ashes of the now defunct Anam Cara, Broken Jones, Three Stories High, and The Phoenix Trap has created personal songs and a sound that falls somewhere in the middle of a jam session between 10,000 Maniacs and the Indigo Girls with a tinge of rock thrown into the mix.

Lotus Hill began when Carroll was invited to perform at a Christmas show at The Point. She contacted her friends Moll and guitarist Kevin Henry to join her. That one show led the trio to take on a side project. They started rehearsing together and writing songs that delved into the positive and negative personal situations they found themselves in. They wrote songs that keep an eye on the positive – even during some negative situations. As they discovered their connection, this side project began to come into full focus and the trio decided to take it further. In order to make the line-up complete, the band added drummer Mark Robart and bassist John McMullen.

“When this first started, Christine, Peg and I used to call band practices our therapy sessions,” said Henry, “It's just as important to us to talk and laugh with each other as it is to write and play music. It's these friendships and that bonding that inspires a lot of our song writing.”

In 2006, the band ventured into the studio with local recording engineer/producer Cliff Hillis, an outstanding songwriter in his own right. The process of recording took longer than expected when both Carroll and Moll had children. Moll gave birth to two sets of twins in the span of a year and Carroll and Henry, who acted on growing attraction to each other, got married, and gave birth to their first son.

“For a band to last this long through not playing out for two years, taking breaks to start families and then still wanting to get back together, it shows our commitment to each other and to the music,” said Moll. “When we first started out, our practices were purely creative and writing was the focus. We talked openly about everything from our personal lives and relationships to how we felt in our past bands. We have made a conscious effort to make this band a positive band, not just in our song writing and lyrics, but with our band name and the way we treat one another.”

In 2008, the band released their self-titled debut album. The 14 songs on the album stand as personal reflections of the three main songwriter’s lives over the past few years. Moll wrote ”Oceanwide” for her longtime partner. The standout “I’ll Be There” details the previous marriages and divorces that Henry and Carroll went through and the couple wrote “Secrets” about hiding their growing attraction to each other. Other highlights on the recording include the catchy “Breakdown” and “The Way She Walks.”

“You know, when you love what you do success doesn't matter as much- however we are getting a really positive response to our music- and that feels really good, “ said Carroll. “I would be happy with whatever kind of success comes with this band.& I think when there are 5 minds thinking the same way, it's very powerful.“

Now with five children and a growing musical project, the band looks to build a strong regional following and maintain the original goal of the band – to have fun and create positive music. So far, the band has graced the stages of venues such as Puck, Chaplin's, Steel City Coffeehouse, Milkboy Coffeehouse, Tin Angel and performed at the popular Dewey Beach Music Conference in Delaware. Positive reviews have accompanied each show and the band looks to continue the trend in 2009. The band is currently booking shows and looking to expand their legion of fans.