ALADDIN's Marina Pires Releases Debut Album As The Heartstrings Project

Marina Pires was set to make her Broadway debut in March as "Jasmine" in Aladdin. The day she took her press photos at the New Amsterdam, was also day the pandemic shut down all theaters in New York City. Prior to this, in 2019, Marina's folk band The Heartstrings Project had decided to record their debut album without any idea of what was to come. While setting up an album release tour around the Aladdin schedule, the world stopped, and the band began navigating a new virtual landscape.

After signing to Tiny Records, the team took time to adapt, and finally decided to release their debut album shadow people on December 11th, 2020. The album will feature the band's signature three-part harmonies, atmospheric instrumentation & lyrical storytelling that transcends genre.

This evolving family band is fronted by Luke Wygodny, Marina Pires, & Elias Wygodny with Sam Quiggins' magical cello loops and Peter Spero's cinematic elements on the keys. Each of the members are talented multi-instrumentalists who believe in the power of words & live performance.

"There's beauty in a thought, which turns into a word. A shield or a weapon, that's for us to decide..."
- excerpt from "don't forget about me," shadow people

The Heartstrings Project originally began in 2015 as an artists collective in New York City started by brothers Luke and Elias. In 2017, with the addition of Marina, The Heartstrings Project turned its attention towards enriching the global community through music. Theatre has often been their escape, but the roots of their craft has always stemmed from songwriting & storytelling.

"That voice it controls and it takes a hold. It makes you feel small, it'll keep you cold. And it tells you it loves you then it swallows you whole. Cause that voice is the heart of your achin' soul."
- excerpt from "run," shadow people

Partners Marina & Luke wrote these songs while traveling the country on separate tours: Gloria Estefan's On Your Feet! & The Bengson's Hundred Days. When the band came back together after almost two years on the road, they all met up for a writing retreat. The Barn Arts Collective right on the ocean in Maine was where they put the finishing touches on shadow people.

shadow people is a narrative album that takes you on a journey starting with the first single and intro, "am." Throughout the album, shadow people covers themes of identity, self-discovery, uncovering truth and acceptance, until its conclusion on the song "pm."

shadow people is out on all streaming platforms December 11th. Please contact us for any exclusives, interviews, or with any inquiries.

The Heartstrings Project will also be performing at Yusuf / Cat Stevens' virtual CatSong Festival this Saturday, December 5th, beginning at 12pm PST. Watch it on youtube.com/yusufcatstevens.