Originally from Asheville, North Carolina,[5] Lattimore was raised in western North Carolina.[6] Her mother was also a harpist, and so Mary learned to play the harp when she was 11 years old. She was not very interested in it at first, but this began to change as she got better at it.[7] She studied at the Eastman School of Music where she worked on the college radio.[8] While taking summer classes at UNC, Lattimore also worked briefly at WXYC in Chapel Hill.
Musical career
One of Lattimore's first musical activities was her contribution to the Valerie Project, which released its self-titled debut album in 2007. This album was intended to be an alternative soundtrack to the film Valerie and Her Week of Wonders.[5]
Lattimore released her first solo effort in 2012, a self-titled cassette, on Fred Thomas' Life Like imprint. The following year, this album was re-released by Desire Path Recordings[9] as The Withdrawing Room.[5]
In 2014, Lattimore and Zeigler released Slant of Light on Thrill Jockey.[3]
On 18 May 2018, Lattimore released the album Hundreds of Days, which received critical acclaim.[11][12]
Lattimore's harp work is featured in an episode of Atlas Obscura released in 2021.[13][14] On Steve Gunn's album Other You (Matador, August 30, 2021) she contributed to "Sugar Kiss", an instrumental duet.[15]