The duo behind Antler Chandelier talks about stepping outside the comfort zone

Baton Rouge has plenty of talented musicians, but Kristen Foster might be one of the few who plays a saw.

About two years ago, singer-songwriter and producer Denton Hatcher was helping Ryan Harris record new music at Hatcher’s home studio. They decided one track could use a touch of musical saw, which produces an ethereal, haunting sound similar to a theremin, so they called up Foster, who fronts folk-country outfit Polly Pry.

Hatcher and Foster didn’t know each other well. But after that saw-infused session, they began writing songs together, eventually naming their collaboration Antler Chandelier.

On the heels of intimate shows at local listening rooms and art hops, the duo sat down at Garden District Coffee to discuss their music.

Antler Chandelier was in the midst of preparing for the June edition of Movies & Music on the Lawn, Baton Rouge Gallery’s summer film series in which local bands create a live score for a classic silent film. They were slated to accompany the 1924 Buster Keaton vehicle Sherlock Jr.

Speaking of Hatcher’s songwriting style while they talked over coffee, Foster says, “He can just sit down, and a song just comes out. That’s impressive to me.”

Foster’s only previous songwriting collaborator was her Polly Pry bandmate Anna Byars. Hatcher, on the other hand, had never co-written songs with anyone before.

They learned early on how their contrasting styles can play off each other’s strengths. For Foster, ideas for songs tend to build in her brain over time. “I’ll get an idea for a melody, and I’ll fit the building blocks to the melody,” she says.

Hatcher tends to take a more intuitive, stream-of-consciousness approach. His three previous solo albums are influenced by alt-country, blues and psychedelia, and he thought working with Foster would help him grow as an artist.

“I wanted some help with writing,” he says. “I needed something else more than I had been doing. I just always appreciated her style.”

The first song they wrote together was ironically titled “Living the Dream”—first lyric: “not living the dream.” Hatcher wrote the first draft, and describes the original chorus as, well, “garbage.”

So Foster gave it a try and also tweaked the melody. They eventually recorded it in the bathroom of a rental house in Mexico, where a friend was getting married.

While Foster and Hatcher are the core members, Antler Chandelier’s live show often is augmented by friends, such as Michael Holmes, Becca Babin and Doug Gay.

At press time, the band had yet to put out any public recordings but is lining up shows for the fall, including Sept. 28 at the Hammond Regional Arts Center.

Hatcher has been busy in his studio recording other artists’ music, including the final touches of a new Polly Pry record. They say there could be an Antler Chandelier album by next summer.

Expect with it a sound that blends the quirky Americana of Polly Pry and the meditative folk-blues of Hatcher’s past work. And expect Foster to get good use out of that saw. Find the band on Facebook. 

This article was originally published in the August 2018 issue of 225 Magazine.