Kind Cousin

MA'AM Records

Growing up in Louisiana, Allison Bohl DeHart fell into music from a young age. Singing in the church choir DeHart had a natural inclination towards music, but without technical training she did not have a grasp of what she could do. She just knew she loved to sing.

As she got older her outlets to experiment with her own music were few and far between in her hometown of Bossier City, Louisiana. She knew her voice was unique with character, which she held on to like a well-kept secret. She trained herself to sing harmony by singing along to the voices that were prominent during the 50s and 60s girl group era.

Music remained a passion as she went on to college where she studied the art of filmmaking. Learning to capture the beauty in a scene lent itself well to the abstract form of songwriting she cherished. It wasn’t until she graduated and film turned into a career that she revisited songwriting as a creative outlet.

A chance encounter with a friend who was putting together a singer songwriter showcase allowed her to bring her music to an audience. She crafted three songs with the help of a house band who brought music to her words giving them a new life. She performed to local acclaim, which validated her pursuit of songwriting. With her first show behind her she was asked to open for the same showcase again, allowing her to form her own band, Kind Cousin.

DeHart continued developing songs for her own record while she also spent time writing, recording and touring in several other Louisiana bands like Carbon Poppies and t-kette. She also recorded and released a Harry Nilsson tribute EP “On Nilsson” with Brass Bed which was featured on Vice, Drunken Werewolf, My Old Kentucky Blog, and Impose Magazine.

After developing an album worth of her own songs, she was ready to record and started auditioning spaces to find the unique sound and vibe she was looking for. She eventually found an old chapel that her husband and drummer Peter DeHart (of Brass Bed) and sound engineer Aaron Thomas could live and work in for a week to create the record.

She collaborated with the people who would be the best fit for the sound she was trying to achieve. Whittling down each song one by one to only what was absolutely needed she quickly found her rhythm. Learning how to manipulate the unique voice she held on to as a child as different characters for each song, her vision started coming together as the album “Tremendous Hem” was formed.

Her debut full-length album set to release on September 23rd on MA’AM Records.