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Har Mar Superstar describes new project, Heart Bones

Heart Bones is a collaboration between Sean Tillmann (aka Har Mar Superstar) and Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog/ Sweet Spirit).
Heart Bones is a collaboration between Sean Tillmann (aka Har Mar Superstar) and Sabrina Ellis (A Giant Dog/ Sweet Spirit).Barbara FG
  Play Now [3:43]

by David Safar and Luke Taylor

November 06, 2018

"It's a new project, basically kind of a co-writing project between me and Sabrina," says Har Mar Superstar about Heart Bones, the emerging collaboration between him and Austin, Texas, musician Sabrina Ellis.

"I'm just a huge fan of her as a frontperson and a songwriter," Har Mar says about Ellis, known for her work as part of the bands A Giant Dog and Sweet Spirit.

The project grew out of a friendship Har Mar — aka Sean Tillmann — and Ellis formed while their bands were touring together a couple years ago. "We just became really good friends and decided to start writing some duets," Tillmann explains. "The fun of it is that every other month, I'll fly down to Austin and we'll write a few songs and hang out, and then on the other months, she'll come up here and we'll record."

Produced by Aaron Baum and BJ Burton, the first single from Heart Bones is called "This Time It's Different." Tillmann says it's the first in a string of new songs Heart Bones will be releasing over the next few weeks.

Their upcoming tour, "Har Mar Superstar and Sabrina Ellis Do the Songs of Dirty Dancing," came about as a way to introduce Heart Bones to audiences; they've already sold out their show at the Turf Club in St. Paul, Minn., on Wednesday, Nov. 21. "When we wrote ['This Time It's Different'], we kind of realized that we're kind of writing maybe like an updated version of what would be on a Dirty Dancing soundtrack now, so that's kind of where we came up with the idea for the tour," Tillman says. "Like, 'Why don't we just do that and play five of our own songs at the end?' and introduce this project to the world before we have the whole album ready to go."

A future Twin Cities concert date is under consideration; in the meantime, Tillmann hints the show at the Turf Club and subsequent tour dates will include Dirty Dancing-inspired choreography. "We're definitely going to challenge ourselves to make some moves and make it a full cohesive show," he says.

Listen to New Hot with David Safar on Monday, Nov. 5, just after 11:45 p.m. Central to hear the new song from Heart Bones.

Heart Bones biography - on Har Mar Superstar's website

Heart Bones - on Twitter