The Hope is Shelby Earl and Katie Freeze, a musical partnership born out of a shared love of melody and words and a fierce loyalty to the craft of songwriting. From their first collaboration in 1995, Earl and Freeze, and all who heard them, knew they had stumbled upon something special. The two founded former Seattle band Ravenna, playing shows and building a loyal following in Seattle. After dissolving Ravenna in early 2004, the two begin work on what would become The Hope. The strong melodies and elegant lyrics of The Hope’s piano-based pop-rock songs are brought to life by expressive vocals and rich instrumentation. The duo’s varied musical influences range from pop singer/songwriters such as Rufus Wainwright and Tori Amos, to jazz/theater greats such as Ella Fitzgerald and Sondheim. In a moment, listeners may feel transported from a 1920s cabaret to a 21st century rock show. In The Deep, The Hope’s debut album, is a collection of 12 songs that share the themes of love, loss and searching. Recorded with producer Martin Feveyear (Crooked Fingers,Brandi Carlile, Mark Lanagan, Rosie Thomas), In The Deep features a talented group of studio musicians including Mark Pickerel of Screaming Trees. In The Deep is an album of exceptional and extraordinary beauty.