Pitchfork

Photo by Murat Eyuboglu

You may not know Marla Hansen by name, but there's a good chance you've at least heard-- if not seen-- the talented young lady. As an unassuming but in-demand violist, she's lent her string-pulling skills to the likes of Kanye West (even appearing with the MC on "Saturday Night Live") and Jay-Z (as part of an orchestra that backed Mr. Carter when he did Reasonable Doubt at Radio City Music Hall in June of 2006).

Hansen's also dabbled extensively with non-chart-topping music-makers, including the New Pornographers (playing on Challengers), the National (singing on Boxer), and Oneida (playing on The Wedding). And she rolls with a fine crew, including Sufjan Stevens, Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), and Rob Moose (of Antony's Johnsons and MBD), all of whom guest on the gal's debut musical offering, an EP entitled Wedding Day.

The six-track set hit shops today (September 4) courtesy of Standard Recording Company and features Sufjan on vocals, piano, and hand percussion, and Worden on vocals. Other contributors include My Brightest Diamond family members Sebastian Krueger, Nate Lithgow, and Maria Jeffers.

As a honeymoon of sorts to follow Wedding Day, Hansen will hit the road with fellow friend of Sufjan Denison Witmer. After a pair of record release outings, their tour kicks off September 20 in Athens, Ohio. Hansen will also join Sufjan as he performs his ode to the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, "The BQE", at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in early November.

Wedding Day:

01 A Friend Indeed
02 Shuffle Your Feet
03 Wedding Day
04 All Clear
05 Talk to Me
06 Hollow and Bold

Marla Marla Marla:

09-08 Brooklyn, NY - Sound Fix Records (in-store)
09-11 Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
09-20 Athens, OH - Baker Union *
09-21 Urbana, IL - Pygmalion Music Festival *
09-22 Madison, WI - University of Wisconsin Terrace *
09-23 Chicago, IL - Schubas *#
09-24 Grand Rapids, MI - Ladies Literary Club *
09-25 Upland, IN - Taylor University *
09-26 Indianapolis, IN - 1051 *
09-27 Atlanta, GA - Eddie's Attic *
09-28 West Columbia, SC - New Brookland Tavern *
09-29 Clemson, SC - Edgars *
09-30 Durham, NC - Duke Coffeehouse *
10-01 Norfolk, VA - The Boot *
10-02 Arlington, VA - IOTA Café *
10-03 New York, NY - Knitting Factory Tap Bar *
10-05 Hanover, NH - Fuel Rocket Club *
10-06 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church Chapel *
11-01 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Academy of Music ^
11-02 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Academy of Music ^
11-03 Brooklyn, NY - Brooklyn Academy of Music ^

* with Denison Witmer
# with Picastro
^ performing "The BQE" with Sufjan Stevens