The road to rock and soul: Harmless Doves

Based in Orange County, California, the Harmless Doves began as the musical outgrowth of roots rock singer/songwriter George Hartline. After returning from a tour of Iraq with the Marine Corps Reserves, the Alabama native relocated to the West Coast in the mid-2000s to pursue his musical dreams. After a few years of gigging around as a solo act, he put together the Harmless Doves as his backing band and began to build a sizable regional audience with his amiable blend of blues, rock, and folk in a style reminiscent of acts like Counting Crows and Dave Matthews Band. Following a 2007 live album, they made their studio debut in late 2011 with the release of Down to the River, a seven-song record billed to George Hartline & the Harmless Doves. As their popularity increased, Hartline eventually dropped his name from the marquee and the album was reissued in 2013 with an extra track and attributed simply to the Harmless Doves. Returning in 2016 with a retooled lineup, they delivered the Temporary Fix EP, which expanded on their hard-driving, rootsy sound with horns, strings, and a strong vocal presence. -Timothy Monger, ALLMUSIC.com