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Two musicians, recently transplanted from New York City to the tranquil woodlands, have found a new rhythm in nature as they embark on their latest creative venture. Straw hat to high hat, American Gothic to abstract art, acoustic to electric, songwriting to live instruments recording—meet your new multifaceted Poconos local band, Maisy & the Microbes. Here’s a behind-the-scenes glimpse of their artistic process and creative portraits.
Tucked away in the lush, wooded haven of the Poconos, two musicians have left behind the frenetic pace of New York City to find inspiration in nature’s quiet rhythms. Their new venture of establishing a Poconos local band has led them to a creative sanctuary where they write and record harmoniously with the surrounding landscape.
In this blog, I take you behind the scenes—not just to show you the musicians at work but also to give you a glimpse of the natural world that cradles their creative process. I wanted to capture more than just their studio; I wanted my photographs to frame the whispering pines, the gentle streams, and the expansive skies that now shape both their lives and their sound.
Your New Poconos Local Band
Meet Gabrielle Heller (guitar, vocals) and Robert Davis (drums, percussion, guitar, piano). There’s also Maisy, a cheerful young black-and-white canine making it to this new Poconos local band name. They found me through a local Google search and shared their story.
“We like to think of ourselves as a meeting sort of halfway between progressive rock and folk-pop,” they tell me. And indeed, their music, much like the landscape they now call home, is a convergence of contrasts: upbeat vocals and traditional instrumentation that blend complexity with simplicity. The years they spent studying English literature and music theory are justified in every lyric, every note—each piece imbued with a thoughtful balance between narrative depth and accessible melody. Here in the Poconos, their compositions have evolved, infused with the natural world just beyond their window.
As you journey through these photographs, you’ll see the duo crafting music focusing on authenticity—acoustic guitars, piano, drums, and harmonies that fill the wooded air. There’s an undeniable connection between their original sound and the environment around them. The towering trees and misty mornings have given their progressive rock and folk-pop fusion an earthy warmth that’s difficult to achieve in the confines of a city. My set aims to pull back the curtain, revealing not only the passion and dedication behind their songs but also the untouched beauty that’s now an essential part of their story.
Where the Magic Happens
There is a rare and quiet privilege in watching musicians create—the kind that feels like a sacred secret shared only with those who dare to linger in the stillness between notes. It is a dance of vulnerability, as raw emotion finds form in melodies, and words take shape out of tangled thoughts.
I asked Gabrielle and Robert to show me how their magic is done: what their favorite spots are, what they have around, and what movements their bodies make and faces reflect.
You witness the hesitation, the spark of discovery, the stubborn pursuit of the perfect chord—a process as organic and alive as the music itself. To be present in those moments is to glimpse the heart’s true language, watch the ordinary transform into the extraordinary, and see time slow as an invisible force coalesces into a song.
Recording Studio
This Poconos local band records and produces songs in the comfort of its own home recording studio. I made it a point to make this step part of their story and creative portraits. Being a creative myself, I know how my followers appreciate peeking behind the scenes and unveiling a bit of post-production magic.
Similarly, I had fed my—and that of many consumers—curiosity by filming the t-shirt printing process, demonstrated by my dear friend JP. This supposedly boring and straightforward technique hides so many complex and intricate steps!
We Are Local
One of the key concepts we were developing was their newly acquired breathing room to tap into the power and inspiration of nature. Maisy & the Microbes is the Poconos local band that lives among us (10 minutes from me!) in one of the numerous communities. They would love to become your new artistic and funky neighbors!
Album production keeps them busy, but what musicians would mind stepping out of their studio for an occasional live performance, whether on a lake shore by a bonfire, in someone’s cozy living room, or on a festival stage?
So here’s for the Poconos local band feel, folks. These portraits were shot around their property. One was a nod to the American Gothic by Grant Wood, and the other was to the animated musical The Bremen Town Musicians, a beloved cartoon from my Soviet childhood. In the latter, a princess runs away with a strolling musician and his gang of pets.
Jazz It Up!
Coming from the city, I thought they couldn’t lack some classy nightclub traits. Lo and behold, here is the proof that a Poconos local band can be multifaceted!
Being Ourselves
This was an all-day experience, and we changed many outfits and images. In the end, we wanted them just to be themselves: playful, natural, and cute. The final and so meaningful set of portraits was born. I like them a lot for their unpretentious feel, culminating with the authentic portrait of Maisy & the Microbes.
Credits and Behind-the-Scenes
I only got one behind-the-scene shot of the instrument room. Of note, as soon as I published my status update with this BTS shot to my Facebook profile, a local musician asked me to connect with this Poconos local band to discuss his recording needs. How cool to help with such local connections!
For the fellow musicians and collectors out there, here are some of their instruments that made it to the photoshoot:
Gabrielle:
- The guitar I use is a Martin 000 15M guitar (@martinguitar)
Robert:
- Takamine New Yorker guitar (@takamineguitars_official)
- Taylor 814ce guitar (@taylorguitars)
- Paul Reed Smith Custom 24 guitar (@prsguitars)
- Gibson SG guitar (@gibsonguitar)
- DW Collectors Series drums (@dwdrums) with Zildjian custom symbols (@zildjiancompany)
- Steinway M grand piano (@steinwayandsons)
To see and hear more of this Poconos local band, visit their YouTube channel.
