Open, real and raw. That's how you describe the sound that comes from the throat of The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, the offspring of Steve and Meredith (MJ) Roth who realized that together they made beautiful music. Speaking for them both is the Hangman himself, writer and singer for the 'neo-bohemian' band that, once it's gotten its hold on you, leaves you gasping for breath.

"I'm one half of The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, a two-piece, acoustic-based, adult alternative band." Steve introduces. "Meredith completes the main lineup. Though I tend to do most of the writing and singing, we take turns singing lead, adding harmonies, playing percussion, etc. I play guitar and help out on djembe and hand-snare drum."

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Steve and MJ went from strangers to friends and finally to partners as tight as the nooses knot. "I had been playing solo for a few years when I met MJ at a writer's night I hosted in 2004. She started showing up at gigs, so I let her play my breaks. Eventually, she started singing harmonies to what I was doing. I was finishing up my solo project, "beautiful addiction," and she added some parts to a few of the songs. We started booking shows together, added percussion, and figured out more parts we could do as a duet. We didn't even realize we were a band until a couple years later."

Steve continues, "We eventually got tired of booking ourselves as Steve & Meredith. So boring. We initially toyed around with some names that would match our "Bohemian" tendencies. We liked the name Thread but it was already taken. A lot of our songs and those we sing have to do with innocence and guilt, sin and redemption, so we went by Murder & Thread for a while. But we decided that was too dark; like some hip-hop or metal name. While we were in the studio recording our CD, 'If I Should Stumble,' our producer suggested The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter, the name of an album from a sixties, psychedelic band called The Incredible String Band. We liked the imagery it created: innocence and guilt, mortality and sin."

This imagery raised spirits, all too literally, one memorable night. "We've also had some strange things happen that have played into our name. We were playing our favorite coffeehouse back in Clarence, New York, one night and both noticed something different in the sound; like an extra reverb or ethereal instrumentation ringing through the beams and rafters. As we were packing up, someone asked if we heard "the girl" playing with us. According to local lore, the house is inhabited by a spirit from the 1800's and she accompanied us on one or two songs. Not that we buy into that," Steve claims. "But it does lend itself to the name we've chosen."

With their new handle and a grip on their goals, Steve and MJ set out for southern scenery to seek their fortune. "Presently, we're living in Nashville, just trying to soak up the vibe of the city, play as much as we can, learn about the industry and make connections. We'd love to find out how to do music full-time. Being the culmination of our perspective, history and influences makes The Hangman's Beautiful Daughter unique. We realize our limitations and have found how to manipulate them into something unique and interesting. We have a familiarity about us, but one that's hard to nail down. We're open to keep plugging away as an indie on our own, or finding a label/publisher to partner with."

When it comes right down to it, it's a perspective all Steve's own that lends his songs their one of a kind characteristics, showing that there is more than one way to view what's all around us. "I've always felt somewhat of a misfit, and unable to see things the way the rest of my family and friends did. In songs and movies, I'd skim over the obvious and find images and meaning below the surface. It's a blessing and a curse. Music is the only thing that makes sense to me," he bares. "There's a parable in the Bible about a man who finds a treasure in a field. He goes home and does everything he can to save up so he can buy that field and the treasure buried beneath it. It's his goal and mission. Mine, too."