Harpeth Rising to bring dynamic lyrics and three part harmony to Lancaster County

If you go

What: Harpeth Rising performance

Where: Chestnut House Concerts, 603 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster

When: 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 9

Cost: Donations taken at the door, suggested $15 to $20 and it goes directly to the artist

To reserve tickets: Email tlehman9@gmail.com or call 717-940-9311

The three women of Tennessee-based Harpeth Rising try not to put a label on their music.

"I kind of encourage people to just listen and see what they can take from it," said Jordana Greenberg, the group's lead singer and violinist. "Our goal is to be as original as possible."

The rest of the band, made up of Rebecca Reed-Lunn (banjo, vocals) and Maria Di Meglio (cello, vocals), plays a mash up of music inspired by 1960's rock, folk music and the British Invasion.

Harpeth Rising will bring its storytelling lyrics and three part harmony to Lancaster County on Jan. 9 at Chestnut House Concerts. The show will highlight the group's fourth album, "Tales From Jackson Bridge," featuring "The Sparrow," "House of the Rising Sun" and "Burn Away Your Troubles."

The women met while they were studying classical music at Indiana University and have been touring the United States and Europe for the past five years. If touring to promote their fourth album wasn't enough work, Greenberg said, they've also written and are getting ready to release the band's fifth album, "Shifted."

The writing process is unique for the band, Greenberg said. They often gather at one of their homes in Tennessee where they cook a huge meal, put on a pot of tea and get to work.

Greenberg has penned most of the band's songs, although her father, David Greenberg, has written a few, as well. The music itself is a group effort and something each take on with pride, Greenberg said.

"The creative aspect of it is so important, and we consider it to be a part of the song that you can't separate," she said. "You could say that's our favorite part of the whole job."

The band has a rule that they have to try everything. If someone makes a suggestion they have to play it through and see if it works.

"Sometimes it seems outside of what you could have imagined, but it turns out to be the right thing," Greenberg said.

While the band has played in various locations in the past five years, some places stand out as favorites, Greenberg said. They travel to the United Kingdom every year, where they seem to have the largest fan base.

They also enjoy visiting Colorado, where roots music, which focuses on the original styles of folk, blues and rock, is flourishing, she said.

"These places are sometimes so different from where we live now or even where any of us came from," she said. "We really love an enthusiastic audience."

For those who might be going to see Harpeth Rising for the first time, Greenberg suggests coming with an open mind. The songs will vary from intimate, folk pieces to high energy performances, she said.

"These songs are about our lives, how we view the world and how the world views us," she said. "We really just want people to be able to enjoy that."

Also check out

Top 10 songs of 2014

Hot concerts of 2015: Miranda Lambert, Justin Townes Earle, OK Go and more