Heather Pierson

Early years

After moving with her parents at age 5, Pierson grew up in Hebron, Maine, and began her piano studies at age 6 with Helen Davidson. At age 12, she began playing acoustic guitar, under her father's direction. At age 14, Pierson began playing bass guitar, and at this time formed a rock band called Garajh Mahal; a few months after their formation, Pierson began to play keyboards in the group. This group gained some local notoriety for their unusual and intricate arrangements, and released two cassettes of their original material: Isn't the Same and Newton's Wrench under their own label, Geodesic Publishing.

At age 16, Pierson was asked to join country-rock group North Atlantic Band as a keyboardist and vocalist, and began touring the bottle club circuit of northern New England. In 1994, North Atlantic Band won the Downeast Country Music Association's award for "Best Modern Country" group; that same year, Pierson won the award for "Instrumentalist of the Year" for her rendition of Floyd Cramer's Last Date.

During the mid-90s, Pierson was also a member of a cappella women's trio Lightsisters.

After North Atlantic Band disbanded in 1996, Pierson played in a trio called Soup Sandwich, performing folk rock, country and blues throughout northern New England.

In 1999, Pierson joined world-music ensemble Shambhala, incorporating her talents with keyboard, vocals, world percussion, Native American flute and acoustic guitar. In this same year, Pierson began working with singer/songwriter Kristen Short.

Solo career

In 1996, Pierson released her first solo work, a cassette, entitled Wrestling Angels.

In June 1998, Pierson formed her record label Vessel Recordings, which saw the release of her debut CD, Onward & Upward, a collection of all-original instrumental piano works, dedicated to the memory of her late father.

She released her sophomore Vessel album, Honor The Light, in July 2000 on which Pierson employed only her voice in a collection of a cappella songs and chants.

Vessel Recordings released a third CD in June 2001, We All Have A Song, an album heavily influenced by Native American- and African-style percussion-driven vocal chants. During this time, Pierson was the director of The Circle Voice Singers, an a cappella vocal group which performed many of her original songs.

March 2003 saw the release of Vessel Recordings' first collaborative effort, Between Lives, featuring Pierson and world percussionist Alfred Lund.

Pierson released her fifth CD, Make It Mine, on October 27, 2010. It was recorded at Baked Beans Recording Studio in Harrison, Maine and was mastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine.

Her sixth studio recording, The Open Road, was released on October 2, 2012. It was recorded, mixed, and mastered at Baked Beans Recording Studio in Harrison, Maine.

The Hard Work of Living, released on October 8, 2013, is Heather's seventh studio recording. It was recorded at Baked Beans Recording Studio in Harrison, Maine and was mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine.

Heather's eighth recording, Motherless Child, was released on November 25, 2014. It was recorded at First Universalist Church in Norway, Maine and was mastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering in Portland, Maine.

Currently, Pierson is the pianist for the White Mountain Hotel in North Conway, New Hampshire. She is also the music director for the First Universalist Church of Norway, Maine.

Garajh Mahal

1992 - Isn't The Same

1994 - Newton's Wrench

Solo albums

1996 - Wrestling Angels

1998 - Onward & Upward

2000 - Honor The Light

2001 - We All Have A Song

2003 - Between Lives

2010 - Make It Mine

2012 - The Open Road

2013 - The Hard Work of Living

2014 - Motherless Child