The Fiery Furnaces

The Profile

The Fiery Furnaces are an American indie/art-rock duo formed in 2000 by siblings Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger, originally from Oak Park, Illinois and long associated with New York. Their acclaimed, genre-scrambling catalog includes Gallowsbird's Bark (2003), Blueberry Boat (2004), Rehearsing My Choir (2005), Bitter Tea (2006), Widow City (2007), Remember (2008), and I'm Going Away (2009). After a hiatus beginning in 2011, they reunited in 2020.

Siblings Eleanor and Matthew Friedberger (Chicago-area/Oak Park origins; New York-based). Rehearsing My Choir (Rough Trade, 2005) features their grandmother Olga Sarantos narrating; collage-like, experimental approach with abundant keyboards/harpsichord, garage blues, synth-pop touches, and Dadaist humor; Blueberry Boat noted for sprawling, multi-part songs; Bitter Tea praised for melodic flow and backward-played vocals; Widow City highlighted for kaleidoscopic, rock-opera-like structures.

Reviews celebrate the Friedberger siblings’ adventurous, story-driven pop: from the sprawling Blueberry Boat to the theatrical Rehearsing My Choir and the melodic yet wonky Bitter Tea. Widow City earns praise for its kaleidoscopic, cut-and-paste rock opera energy. The band’s sound blends indie pop, art rock, synths, harpsichord, garage blues, and Dadaist humor. Overall tone: admiring of their invention and restless complexity.