New York Magazine - USA (2020-09-14)

54 newyork| september14–27, 2020

Lastyear,theFieryFurnaces’

El eanorFriedbergerandartist

MichaelBerryhillfoundtheperfecthouse

ina not-yet-hiptownupstate.

Now theycan’twaitto havevisitors.

bywendygoodman

S

o justrecently,my brotherandI startedplay-

ingtogetheragain,” saysEleanorFriedberger,

who,alongwithherbrother,Matthew,formedthe

bandtheFieryFurnaces,whichhadbeenonhia-

tussince 2011 whilethey eachengagedinvarious

soloprojects.Theyrecordedtheirnewsingle,

“DownattheSoandSoonSomewhere,”inFebruaryina

studioupstate(they areworkingontheirnextalbumnow)

nottoofarfromthishouse(pictured),wheresheliveswith

theartist MichaelBerryhill.

TheFiery FurnaceswereformedinBrooklynin2000,

whenthatwasstilla vibrantscene.Friedbergermovedto

UlsterCounty in 20 13,whenshecouldn’t affordtolivein

thecityanymoreasa full-timemusician.Sheboughta

placewitha friendinKerhonkson,a onetimeBorscht

Belt resorttown,andmadea go oftryingtofixupwhat

shedescribesas“thishugefactorybuildingthat we

thoughtwouldbea funthingtotackle.”

Maybeitwastoomuchtotackle.Lastyear, sheand

Berryhilldecidedtolookfora housetogether,butthey

A Mid-Century

in theCatskills

With Room

to MakeArt

EleanorFriedbergerand

MichaelBerryhill’s 1955 home.

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