The members of Heartsville are Dee Dee Miles (l-r), Matt Holley and Kimberly Andersen. EAST BRUNSWICK — Music and religion are a big part of Kimberly Andersen’s life, so perhaps it’s only appropriate that her band make its official debut at a house of worship.
The township resident is one-third of the newly formed singing group Heartsville, which will perform at the Unitarian Society, Tices Lane, at 10 a.m. on July 24. Matt Holley of Hopewell and Dee Dee Miles of Hamilton complete the pop/rock trio.
During the July 24 concert, audience members can expect to hear songs from different areas of pop music. The songs will incorporate the use of piano, guitar, congas, harmonica, autoharp and djembe, an African drum.
Norm Weiss and Marc Pfeiffer of the band Glass Planet will also appear.
“We have similar ranges but different sounds, which is what makes it interesting,” Andersen said of the singing group. “Dee Dee and Matt have a lot of energy and great senses of humor, and that translates well on stage.”
While Andersen and Miles cover a range of octaves, they are both alto singers; Holley is a low bass singer.
“It makes for a very good blend,” Andersen said.
The group members united after singing with the symphonic choir Princeton Pro Musica, for which Miles serves as chorus manager. The three, along with other members of Princeton Pro Musica, later toured with Todd Rundgren, a musician and songwriter who is best known for his songs like “Hello, It’s Me,” “I Saw the Light,” and “Bang the Drum All Day.”
“Todd has written and performed a variety of great songs and produced other artists’ albums for decades,” said Andersen, who performed with Rundgren as part of The Grendels.
“Todd Rundgren has many, many devoted fans who are just incredible people. They happily go to all these shows and share their experiences and have fun together. They were very complimentary and enthusiastic about our performances,” Anderson said.
Andersen moved to East Brunswick in 1988 and has been involved with the musical community since a young age. She has lived in New York City and London, and studied music at Carnegie Mellon and Syracuse universities.
She plays the keyboards, a primary instrument for the Heartsville trio, as well as guitar.
She got involved with the Unitarian Society after having children years ago, she said.
“Unitarian universalism encourages people to form their own beliefs rather than follow dogma. The religious education program for children is wonderful … it encourages connection, environmental conscientiousness, teaches of the many different religions, and so on,” Andersen said.
She described the upcoming performance as more of a “service rather than a concert.”
“The goal is to provide music and content [readings and sharing] in a way that is not standard for a religious service, and reach people with accessible pop music,” she said, adding that most of the music consists of songs people know and can relate to.
“The theme is comfort — something we all need,” she said. “I really expect the service to be very meaningful and moving.”
The service is free of charge, and refreshments will be served afterward. For directions, visit www.unitariansociety.org. For more information about the event, email [email protected].