Grouper is a one-woman project featuring electro acoustic music by Liz Harris of Portland. Harris grew up on the northern California coast. Her music combines soft guitars and keys with ethereal vocals. This, along with the use of reverb and tape delay results in a unique, spooky and surreal musical experience.
Some of her top hits include “Heavy Water/I’d Rather Be Sleeping” from her 2008 album Dragging A Dead Deer up A Hill, “Moon Is Sharp,” “Alien Observer,” “Vapor Trails” and “She loves me that way” from her 2011 album A I A: Dream Loss/Alien Observer. Music blog Gorilla vs. Bear ranked her 2008 album at number two among the best albums of the year. The album was also featured at number 38 of Pitchfork Media’s 50 best albums of 2008.
Harris has been mercurial when it comes to releasing music, employing various formats and collaborations. She relies on her instinct to decide which songs work for which projects.
In 2005, she self-released her self-titled first album on a full-length CD-R. In 2006, she followed it with EP He Knows and in 2007 Wide, a 12-inch single. She collaborated with Xiu Xiu in 2006 for the album Creepshow and with Tiny Vipers in March this year for the album Foreign Body.
Grouper signed with Free Porcupine in 2005 and released the critically acclaimed album Way Their Crept. She re-released this album and her some of her songs from Dragging A Dead Deer up A Hill under Type Records. Her 2011 effort was an expansive double album. Grouper was a supporting act for hipster favorite Animal Collective in spring 2009. Harris found the experience with that music world intimidating because she says that she isn’t motivated by contract, money or expectations. On stage, Harris appears to be shy and distant, making the audience pay more attention to her music.