harmonies for hire
Margaret Wehr (she/her) is a Portland-based vocalist, violinist, singer-songwriter, and member of queer folk band, Lo Pony.
Known for her impeccable ear and ability to blend with any voice, Wehr is one of the most sought-after back-up singers and session musicians in the Portland music scene, and has worked with over 80 artists in the past two decades.
Recent collaborators include Sleater-Kinney, Y La Bamba, Chris Pureka, Jacob Miller, Alexis Mahler, Moorea Masa & the Mood, Isabeau Waia’u Walker, Lo Steele, EL VY, Haley Johnsen, and more.
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Press
June 3, 2021 - NLE Media
“Chris Robley Gets Extra Personal, and Extra Political, on Latest LP, A Filament In the Wilderness of What Comes Next, Out Sept 14”
“One summer night, Robley sat on his porch with his wife, playing a new rough mix he’d just received from his collaborators 3000 miles away. He listened to Anna and Margaret’s voices and began to cry. ‘It’s really a moving experience the first time you hear other singers taking your words somewhere you couldn’t,’ he says. ‘And there’s a spot in one of the songs after we’ve all sung separately where Anna, Margaret, and I join up to sing a harmony together. That’s when the tears really started.’”
July, 2018 - Tahoe Onstage
“High Sierra: For Y La Bamba, Music is Conversation.”
“Wehr and Mendoza have a vocal kinship onstage and off… They sing Spanish tongue twisters together — Mendoza writes them. Wehr learns them. Then Wehr teaches them back to their creator… ‘I can’t memorize everything quickly,’ Mendoza said. ‘She’s a rock for me. Her saying it helps me memorize and finish it.’ … It’s powerful to hear two people share vocal parts together with pinpoint precision, but it’s special when they share the meaning, as well. Wehr researches Mendoza’s lyrics as homework for clarity, then asks her for a personal translation for emotion. ‘It makes a difference in how it feels,’ Wehr said. ‘The meaning is so important.’
October 23, 2015 - Vortex Music Magazine
“EL VY: Trading Moves”
“Knopf handled the musical direction and performance aspects during multitudinous takes of keys, guitars, synths and bass, while inviting Portland friends to supply the drums (Drew Shoals), violin (Lauren Jacobson) and backing vocals (Moorea Masa, Allison Hall, Margaret Wehr)—almost entirely recorded in the basement of the Falcon Art Community … The female vox, integral to several songs, were actually a last-minute addition. With Knopf grabbing Masa and her harmonious partners from across the hall, it was ‘one of those moments where you’re just so grateful to live in Portland,’ Knopf says. All of the Portlanders really shine on the record.”
October 7, 2015 - 4AD
“EL VY: New EL VY Track ‘Paul Is Alive,’ Plus Television Debut”
“EL VY recently made their US TV debut last week with a live performance on Conan. Matt and Brent were joined by drummer Andy Stack (Wye Oak), bassist Matt Sheehy (Lost Lander) and backing vocalists Moorea Masa, Allison Hall and Margaret Wehr for an electrifying live rendition of title track ‘Return To The Moon (Political Song For Didi Bloome To Sing, With Crescendo)’.”
March 20, 2015 - Vortex Music Magazine
“At the Altar of the Three Muses: Women, Music, and Fashion in Portland.”
Margaret Wehr, a singer and classically-trained violinist in Promise the Moon, also performs as a folk-guitar soloist. Wehr double-majored in music and women’s studies…‘I’m always finding myself in bands with men and I have to ask myself, ‘How do I express my voice?’ I love to put something out there that makes people uncomfortable: speaking from my perspective, things that I experience, things that I observe, ways that other people treat me and view me. It can be a struggle to get people to listen and not just look at you and make a judgment,’ Wehr explains. ’I always want the female audience members to feel empowered.’”