INTRODUCING: THE SULLY BAND

DEBUT LP LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT! 
SET FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 11TH  VIA BELLY UP RECORDS

On March 11, 2022, The Sully Band, voted Best Live Band at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards, will release their debut LP, Let’s Straighten It Out, conceived in the hallowed halls of Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California (formerly A&M Studios). With Let’s Straighten It Out, Sully and his bluesy, nine-piece beast of a band take us on a journey through the ups, downs, and all-arounds of love by way of 10 classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul, blues, and R&B tunes. The album will be released via Belly Up Records, and marketed and distributed by Blue Élan Records.

This labor of love album was recorded in only five jam-packed days, with “mostly-live” versions of carefully curated love-themed songs that made a mark when they were originally released and yet also feel relevant today. Sully’s soulful, heartfelt vocals cut across layers of horns and guitars that take the listener on an emotional arc of joy, disappointment, struggle, and redemption.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Head Todd) provided the musical curation that makes up Let’s Straighten It Out. Treasured tunes like Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” and Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” share the tracklist with lesser-known nuggets like “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” by Ray Charles; the title track, first recorded by Latimore in 1974; Shuggie Otis’ “Ice Cold Daydream”; and “I Wish It Would Rain,” first made a hit by The Temptations. Acclaimed San Diego soul singer, Rebecca Jade, shared vocal duties with Sully on Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) and Jessie Hill’s “When the Battle Is Over,” while on “If You Love Me Like You Say,” the late Albert Collins is evoked by Anthony Cullins, the 20-year-old guitar sensation from Fallbrook, California.

Anchored by Grammy Award-winning slayer of the bass, James East (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and many others), The Sully Band is composed of seasoned, accomplished players who hail from diverse locales like Japan, Panama, and the island of Lemon Grove. The horn section features sax-flute-harp-man Tripp Sprague (Kenny Loggins, The Little River Band, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and trumpet and flugelhorn player Steve Dillard (The Righteous Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd).

Sully himself is an enigma. He caught the music bug at age six after picking up a nylon-string guitar and playing the first few chords of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” with his dad. In high school, the barrel-chested, all-American football player rocked out to Boston and Foreigner with his buddies, starred in every show-tune-laden musical theatre production through college, and ended each day with James Brown or Stevie Wonder on his Pioneer receiver.  

In his 20’s, after pounding the unforgiving Los Angeles pavement trying to cut a record deal, he embarked on a 35-year detour, traveling a storied path from Price Club cashier to self-made entrepreneur and local radio/TV personality, ultimately finding his way back to his first true love: music. 

Now, after years away from the stage, he is back in full force. He and the band have been playing regional and national shows to small but mighty crowds, from Southern California’s legendary Belly Up Tavern to Austin’s illustrious Antone’s Nightclub, making his mark as a compelling musician and live performer ready to “Straighten it Out.”

LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT! TRACKLIST

When The Battle Is Over 
Hallelujah, I Love Her So
Ice Cold Daydream
I Wish It Would Rain
Nothing From Nothing
If I Could Only Be Sure
Gimme Little Sign
If You Love Me Like You Say
Let’s Straighten It Out
Higher And Higher

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ABOUT BELLY UP RECORDS

Belly Up Records is the recording component of the legendary Belly Up concert venue, located in Solana Beach, California.  Opened in 1974 with only a couple of mics and no stage, it soon became a frequent stop for legends like John Lee Hooker, Etta James, and BB King and hosted classic performances by Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, The Neville Brothers, and Toots and The Maytals.  Since then, many artists have stopped by on their way up the ladder, including No Doubt, Black Eyed Peas, Mumford and Sons, and Childish Gambino, while artist underplays at the venue in recent years include The Killers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, Ben Harper, Damian Marley, and even Tom Jones. And, perhaps most famously, the Rolling Stones played a private event in 2015.  With over 100 live recordings in the Belly Up catalogue, The Sully Band’s Let’s Straighten It Out! is the label’s first studio release.

ABOUT BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS

At Blue Élan Records it’s about the Music, it’s about the Artist, it’s about Collaboration. Blue Élan Records is a young and fresh independent label headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 2014 by veteran entertainment attorney and music lover Kirk Pasich, his son and musician Connor Pasich, and an experienced label team, Blue Élan believes in doing things differently. 

Blue Élan is the happy home of more than 20 artists, including 2-time Grammy® winner Rita Coolidge, the late Rusty Young, Soul Asylum, Grammy® nominated Colin Devlin (The Devlins), Gerry Beckley (America), outlaw country's Jesse Dayton, LA’s own Ozomatli, and self-assured newcomers like Chelsea Williams and Rod Melancon, who contribute to a full house of exciting and diverse talent across all genres. Blue Élan embraces a self-starting ingenuity and offers our artists a creative and nurturing music haven where they can continue to grow and flourish.  

MACKIN CARROLL RELEASES HIS DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM LEARNING HOW TO SWIM OUT TODAY

“The energy is absolutely FANTASTIC. Not only does the up-tempo vibe keep it moving, there’s also this sense of imminent danger that emanates from the track.” - Ear to the Ground Music

 “The pleasant vocals flow smoothly and instantly charm you with relatable lyrics. The agile guitar lines sound playful, yet they are extremely absorbing and interesting to follow.” -  Tonic Grain

“It’s pure, honest and relatable. The melodies are beautiful and listening to it feels like watching a beautiful movie.”   - Thread

“When you are spinning songs from Mackin Carroll (he/him), you find yourself exploring the mind of someone who is beyond eclectic.  The musician’s work taps into the beautiful arrangements from indie rock acts in the early 2000s.  You hear elements of folk and undying spirit that are effectively touching.” - Ghettoblaster Magazine 

LISTEN TO LEARNING HOW TO SWIM: HERE

Los Angeles’ Mackin Carroll has released his debut full-length album Learning How to Swim out today.  The album is 11 Introspective songs of hi-fi, homespun recordings that range from whispers to shouts, from solo singer-songwriter tracks to fuller rock arrangements with psychedelic drum machines, and hints of Americana that drift into dream pop. But underneath all the rich layers and textures, is pure honest emotion and dynamic songwriting that paints a beautiful picture of the inner and delicate workings of Carroll’s soul. 

This album started to take shape at the heart of the pandemic. Carroll had done some producing before this record, but the forced isolation gave him no choice but to dig in. So dig he did, obsessively writing and recording demos in his room. He enlisted a group of trusted peers for feedback and credits working on this album for getting him through the first year of the pandemic. 

The album starts with the title track and most recent single "Learning How to Swim,” which is about childhood depression and not being armed with the tools to overcome it, and the space that creates between you and your loved ones. It's Carroll writing both as his younger self and to his younger self, assuring him that even though he feels like he’s drowning, he’ll learn how to swim. “I heard Duncan Trussell on his podcast reference something to the effect of ‘the madman drowns in the same waters that the mystic swims,’” Carroll told Atwood Magazine, “ and that dynamic of swimming vs. drowning really stuck with me. It’s really about finding equanimity as a hyper-emotional person and navigating the intensity that comes with that. And it feels like that’s what the heart-wisdom that comes with age is: not getting out of the water, but learning how to swim.”

Leading into the album Carroll released the bright, folk-rocky tune packed to the brim with fresh sounding lyrics and witticisms called “Anxious in the Alley,”  written right after he graduated from college that focuses on the anxiety of feeling too old and too young at the same time.  The next single, “Black Hole Song (I Miss You)”, is a breakup song inspired by outer space that Ghettoblaster Magazine said was "Forthcoming with a level of chillness and openness...."  It was written at the beginning of the end of a romantic relationship, right around when NASA took the first picture of a black hole. The song contemplates the questions such as ‘Where does love go when it leaves?’ ‘Where does matter go when it passes through a black hole?’ All explored over a saturated drum machine and creamy, echoey guitars. 

The third single, “Vampires' ' released right before Halloween, Carroll wrote when he was 19 and is the oldest song on the record. Heavily influenced by Wilco’s  A Ghost Is Born.  The song is about emotional vampires, projection and anxiety.

Raised in the suburbs of Southern California,  Carroll cut his teeth in scrappy garage bands, playing bass guitar and shouting his poetry that he wrote in his bedroom or in the back of math class. These days, Carroll, often clad in a skirt or dress (wearing traditionally female clothing helps him feel free) always catches fire live, shouting and whispering, transcending and connecting. Harkening back to the melancholia of 00’s indie artists Carroll describes his influences as “If they were carpooling, Conor Oberst would be driving, Sufjan Stevens would call shotgun, and Jeff Tweedy and Ben Gibbard would be staring out the windows in the back seat, while Ben Folds was tied up in the trunk”. He studied bass in college and spent a summer busking in Galway, Ireland after getting kicked off of a farm while crafting some of the songs for this record. In addition to this record, he occasionally scores audio dramas and short films and has had a podcast called “Happy Sad Talk Thing" that he’s done for five years where he interviews other creatives, gets personal, and mostly says silly shit while messing around on the Wurlitzer patch on his keyboard. 

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ACE OF HEARTS RELEASES HIS SINGLE “DEADBEAT BOULEVARD” + ANNOUNCES HIS DEBUT FULL LENGTH ALBUM FROZEN IN TIME OUT 12/10

LISTEN TO DEADBEAT BOULEVARD:  HERE

Los Angeles based chemistry major-turned-viral sensation-turned-youtuber-turned-musician Jacob Rabon IV, known to his YouTube empire as Alpharad which has accumulated over 1 Billion views, but to music fans as the audio-visual project Ace of Hearts has released his new single Deadbeat Boulevard, a fun  pop-rock song about watching a close friend start a relationship that you know will not turn out well. This is the first single off his forthcoming  full-length album, Frozen in Time due out on December 10th.

Frozen Time follows two EP ‘s  Scorpion Queen and Monophobia, both released in 2020 which collectively went on to amass over 10 Million Streams. Inspired by artists such as the  Black Keys, MIKA, Marina, Death Cab for Cutie, Wallows, this new album is a culmination of everything that has mattered to Rabon  in the past year. Each song is a reference to a journal entry from the past year. For Rabon the vulnerability of sharing his innermost thoughts on the album has been  both exhilarating and terrifying at the same. With the writing of Frozen in Time Rabon, took a hold all the things he felt were holding him back, and took a headwind and turned it into a tailwind. He hopes for this album, and the level of honesty it puts forth is that he will be able to help someone, even just one person, feel a little bit less alone. 

Born in Oklahoma City, OK  Rabon has had a lifelong passion for video and cinematography. He created his main YouTube channel in  2014 and Since its creation, he has made various gaming videos on his channel. Rabon attended the University of Oklahoma while making YouTube videos as a full-time job.His original goal was to be a writer, director, or editor of some kind, but soon learned that in being someone else's editor he couldn't have as much creative freedom as he could making his own content.  Alpharad’s YouTube channel has grown to over 2.5 Million subscribers and yielded over 1 Billion views.

Frozen in Time (Album out 12/10) 

1. Lights Off

1. Deep Space

2. Find Me In Your Dreams

3. Silver Lining

4. Monophobia II

5. Your Name  (ft. Adriana Figueroa)

6. Queen of Everything

7. Deadbeat Boulevard

8. Waiting for Your Call

9. A Life Frozen in Time

https://twitter.com/aceofhearts

https://www.instagram.com/aceofhearts.music

https://www.youtube.com/c/Alpharad

LIZ VICE REIMAGINES HOLIDAY CLASSICS ON A SOULFUL HOLIDAY WITH LIZ VICE

“Chance the Rapper and Kanye West may use gospel elements to give their music a reverent lilt, but the genre hasn’t had many crossover evangelists since Kirk Franklin’s hip-hop bombast brought it to the pop charts in the 1990s. Enter Ms. Vice, whose version of gospel is more rootsy than radio. She has a rich voice that fits easily into her groovy yet understated arrangements; the result recalls the gentle revival of artists like Leon Bridges. “ - The New York Times

“Liz Vice walks the stony road to redemption, delivering tunes that celebrate the victory over the illusions that hold us down while acknowledging the heavyweight of self-doubt and missed opportunities for loving others that we bear.” - No Depression

“Liz Vice is unpretentious and uncomplicated on Save Me, a gospel album that aims straight for the spirit. Vice’s faith-based music, influenced by legends Mavis Staples and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, is lifting.”  - Bitch Magazine

“The mindfulness she brings to the stories she tells on Save Me proves essential, and powerful.” - NPR

“No matter what listeners’ relationship with faith, religion, or belief might be, Vice’s message is as old as time – and more necessary than ever.”  - The Buegrass Situation

Gospel Chart-Topper Liz Vice has released  A Soulful Holiday with Liz Vice out today on Oro Music .  Vice  not only performed on but handled the arrangements and co-produced the EP alongside Niji Adeleye who is currently on tour with Harry Styles’ playing keys in his band. The three-song EP features an all-star group of musicians that includes Leonn Meade on Drums (Richard Ashcroft, Tom Jones), Curtis Cumberbatch on Guitars (Ed Sheeran, Little Mix, Michelle Williams, Emma Bunton, Rebecca Ferguson, Eric Benét ), Arran Powell on Bass (Emeli Sandé). Liz's soulful take on these arrangements and performance breathes a new funk-filled life into these holiday classics. “You know, I told myself that I wouldn’t put out a Christmas EP,” says Vice.” But this team was an absolute dream. The cream de la cream. The cream of the crop. Nothing beats making music with your friend and then listening to the final project over and over and over again.  Super thankful it all came together. Everyone did an amazing job.”

This EP follows Vice’s reinterpretation of the Woody Guthrie classic This Land is Your Land released earlier this year. NPR’s Folk Alley commented“ Vice’s minor chord version rings with a spaciousness that opens it poignantly into a lament: a lament for the unjust killings of black men and women and indigenous peoples by police brutality and unjust systemic racism.” 

Vice who is originally from Portland, spent time living in New York and has now settled in Los Angeles is somewhat of an accidental artist. At age 19, Liz was put on hemodialysis due to failing health. Her life was saved by a kidney transplant she received in 2005. After college, Liz set out to pursue a career in film production, but when she joined up with a new church and began to sing with a worship team on Sundays, everything changed. She got the call, a call she knows was from God to share the gift of her voice with anyone who would listen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                In college, Liz set out to pursue a career in film production, but when she joined up with a new church and began to sing with a worship team on Sundays, everything changed. She got the call, a call she knows was from God to share the gift of her voice with anyone who would listen. 

Liz Vice’s sound is a fusion of Gospel and R&B, with dynamic and soulful vocals, and lyrics, deeply rooted in spirituality, that give her work a  timeless feel. Her last full-length album, Save Me,  debuted in the top 25 on the Billboard Gospel charts, was featured in NPR’s  First Listen program, received praise from the New York Times, No Depression, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, Bitch Magazine and more.  Vice’s music and live performances have put her on the map as an artist to watch. She has shared the stage with artists such as Lake Street Dive, Rodriguez, Joss Stone, The Wood Brothers, Lecrae, Blind Boys of Alabama and performed at Mavis Staples’ 80th Birthday at the Apollo alongside Mike Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger sharing the stage with such artist as  David Byrne, Norah Jones, Jon Batiste, Warren Haynes and more. 

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WILD HEART CLUB RELEASES DEBUT LP “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

OUT TODAY:

WILD HEART CLUB’S DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU

“A delicious slice of 80s-inspired goodness, lushly textured with simmering synths and fiery guitar licks” - East Of 8th

“…irresistibly fascinating indie-pop” - glamglare

LISTEN: ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU 

 Today, Nashville-based dream-pop outfit Wild Heart Club has released their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou. Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kristen Castro, the creative force behind the band, is a genre-crossing artist known for blending a surprising range of electronic, digital, and analog elements into her dreamy, atmospheric indie-pop. She built a name for herself as an independent solo artist with a penchant for electric guitar, a dark sensibility, and a bracing tenderness reminiscent of acts like the Cocteau Twins.

The album, an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy tracks with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen, explores a gamut of emotions—lows like processing the effects of a toxic relationship and navigating being gay while trying to love someone who wants to keep the relationship a secret, and highs like reveling in the magnetism of undeniable chemistry with the one you love and learning to forgive. 

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness,” she says. “This is music for them, as always.” Castro wrote, recorded, and primarily produced Arcade Back in Manitou herself, playing every instrument heard except for percussion. The process helped her deal with heartbreak after a particularly difficult breakup. 

“I never let myself fully produce or write the way I wanted. I felt like I had something to prove and I was always watering down what I had to say or not putting myself first musically,” she reveals. “Being in such a deep place of loss made it easier to be honest. I wrote this album to help myself out of a really dark place. I left a band I was in for 6 years in 2018 and then went through a breakup in 2019. For a month in 2020, I broke down and wrote these songs. I had zero intention of an album coming about but am happy it worked out that way.”

There’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation throughout and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore. The album’s title track is a fine example - a beautiful song about revisiting a place full of happy memories after the end of a relationship. “My ex loved everything Colorado because she’s from there - one of my favorite moments was running from the rain in downtown Manitou Springs and finding cover at this penny arcade. I didn’t really think of that memory a lot so I was surprised when the idea came about,” Castro explains. The song’s accompanying video filmed in and around the actual Arcade in Manitou Springs, Colorado, was featured exclusively at The Colorado Springs Gazette and offers a glimpse into the area’s ethereal landscape.

WATCH: “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, Castro’s early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. With Wild Heart Club, she's blended a lifetime of influences—hip-hop, folk, and even her time spent in metal bands when she was younger—to create an intoxicating, synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscape laced with her breezy, candied vocals: a dream-pop confection that's one part Sigur Rós, one part Heart, and all parts Kristen Castro. Wild Heart Club evolves her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment. 

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”       

Arcade Back In Manitou is available to download at iTunes and Amazon Music. Be sure to follow Wild Heart Club at the links below for the latest news and updates.

ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU TRACKLISTING 

Her, If Losing You Had A Sound

Arcade Back In Manitou

Unhappy

Glitter On The Drum

Ever You Go

Down From The Heavens

Chemistry 

Tupelo Honey

Rainbow

Overflow (Ruled by Saturn)

OUT TODAY: PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES’ NEW LP SINNER-SONGWRITER VIA DIXIEFROG RECORDS

"The 14-track release...is packed with winners" - The Daily Herald  

"Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself." - PopMatters 

"Rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate" - Pancakes and Whiskey 

"Stirring" - Ghettoblaster Magazine  

"Every verse he utters virtually oozes with emotion. We’re here for it." - East of 8th  

"...it’s easy to hear the blues in his palette, but there is far more to Scales’ sound than that...Its Scales’ voice, hauntingly soulful, that carries the gravity here" - The Indy Review 

LISTEN: SINNER-SONGWRITER  

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has released his long-awaited LP Sinner-Songwriter via DixieFrog Records. “This album was a perfection of what my previous effort was on the Sinner-Songwriter EP,” he says. Scales was inspired by his uncle BB King to forge his own musical path; it wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of his uncle’s influence into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

The album, recorded in LA, Nashville, Chicago, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin during the pandemic, is about love, loss, and legacy, and features Scales’ unique blend of guitar-driven indie rock combined with the story-laden blues in his DNA, a style he calls “Dive Bar Soul.” His most recent single, the sultry “Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone,” began as a beat in a bedroom that was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). 

WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

“When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.” As he explores that legacy, he sings, "I come from sons and daughters of lambs who escaped the slaughter / My bloodline should have stopped with Bones and Chains in that blue water / What will they say when they put me in my grave? / Gammy told me “Son, you better keep our flame.” 

Of single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement.” Album standout "O, Hallelujah” a roots-tinged foot-stomper that has surpassed 260K+ streams on Spotify alone. The 14-track journey closes with "Tell Me How I Sound Again," a commentary on microaggressions. "I’ve been told that I 'talk white' my entire life and when you break down what that actually means, it’s horrifying," he explains. "Intelligence and eloquence being equated with whiteness? So, I wrote the song. A person on my team suggested I rename it 'tell me how I look again' 'so people get it,' and I realized how important the song really was.” 

Sinner-Songwriter is available now on all streaming platforms, iTunes, and Amazon Music. CDs and vinyl are available for purchase/pre-order HERE, and a CD/vinyl bundle is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Phillip-Michael Scales at the links below for the latest updates.  

TOUR DATES  

11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)  
11/7 - 11/11 - THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - TITUSVILLE, FL 
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show) 
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI 
12/10 - BEACHLAND BALLROOM - CLEVELAND, OH 

OUT TODAY: SPENCER LAJOYE’S NEW EP REMEMBER THE OXYGEN

Photo by Anna Haas

LISTEN: REMEMBER THE OXYGEN  

Today, Boston-based singer/songwriter Spencer LaJoye has released their new EP Remember The Oxygen. The four-song concept album is about LaJoye’s truest self, and is the first EP under their new, truest name, written before, during, and following their coming out as transgender/non-binary. 

Album opener ”'Breathing' is the story of LaJoye figuratively learning to breathe  again. “When I remembered to breathe my own oxygen rather than meeting and anticipating everyone else’s needs first, I learned a lot of things (for one: I am not a girl. Oops!). It’s the story of me grabbing my own oxygen mask,” they explain. "This song told me a truth about myself before I even knew it was true. 

The EP continues with “Where The Air Is Clearest,” a story about LaJoye’s childhood with their best friend, Chris. The song is about innocence, and losing that feeling when bullying and depression became a reality. It is an ode to the good times—and a plea to always remember them.  

“Reclaiming myself as a nonbinary person was about so much more than gender.,” LaJoye explains of EP track “House Fires.” “To summon up the resolve to say 'these boxes aren’t for me,' I also had to say, 'these relationships aren’t for me, these systems aren’t for me, this people-pleasing disposition is not for me.' Ultimately, on the other side of all of that going up in flames, I found clarity and peace...and I’m still settling into who I am." "House Fires" is the story of deciding what parts of ourselves and our lives we hold onto when everything else burns. 

WATCH: “HOUSE FIRES”   

LaJoye wrote closer “Feast” one week after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, where 11 people were killed, and one week before LaJoye was to plan a ceremony for that year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, to honor 22 people who had been murdered in documented transphobic hate crimes in the US that year. Most were, and continue to be, trans women of color, and the number of trans lives lost to anti-trans violence has increased every year since then. “This song came out of me thinking about the ways we remember those who have gone before us (it often involves food),” LaJoye says. “It’s about remembering. And paying tribute.”  

With Remember The Oxygen, LaJoye documents them becoming who they really are, a journey that involved just as much looking to the past as it did moving towards the future.“As it turns out, I knew who I was from the very beginning,” says LaJoye. “I knew how to breathe all along. To re-becoming myself. I just had to let some things burn, let some things hurt, and finally, remember my own oxygen.” 

~  

Spencer LaJoye’s dynamic acoustic tones and layered vocals are reminiscent of melancholic 60s folk songs - but their genre-bending doesn’t end there. Resonant vocal loops spin these classic sounds into delightfully boppy pop songs that are both mesmerizing and haunting with their detailed, autobiographical lyrics.  

LaJoye is a folk/pop singer-songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist who has garnered a growing fan base around the world through live performances, live streams, and an ever-increasing loyal Patreon community. Charming, humorous, and acutely self-aware, their live performances leave audiences crying, laughing, and wanting more.  

One of eight in a family of musicians in rural Southwest Michigan, LaJoye picked up a violin at the age of five, and pursued classical music until college, when they swapped their bow for a pen. They wrote their first EP as a closeted queer kid in a historically conservative Christian college while pursuing a degree in theology. Their songwriting and theologizing became tools of self-empowerment amid a culture of shame. Now an outspoken nonbinary bisexual, LaJoye’s goal is to foster a life-affirming community through music and to “bring people to church” at their shows.  

Their first EP We’ve Been That Way Before won the WYCE Jammie Award for Listener’s Choice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and most recently, LaJoye was chosen as a winner of the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition.  

Remember The Oxygen is available for purchase via iTunes and for streaming on all platforms. Be sure to follow Spencer LaJoye at the links below for all the latest news and updates. 

REMEMBER THE OXYGEN TRACKLIST  
BREATHING 
WHERE THE AIR IS CLEAREST 
HOUSE FIRES 
FEAST 

WILD HEART CLUB RELEASES NEW SINGLE “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

WILD HEART CLUB’S NEW SINGLE “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU” OUT TODAY

DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU OUT ON NOVEMBER 12TH

Photo Credit: Anna Haas

LISTEN: “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU” 

 Today, Nashville-based dream-pop outfit Wild Heart Club has released the title track from their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou, due out November 12th. 

“Arcade Back In Manitou,” a beautiful song about revisiting a place full of happy memories after the end of a relationship, is the fourth single from the album. “I wrote the chorus when I was about to board a flight,” recalls frontwoman and creative force Kristen Castro. “My ex loved everything Colorado because she’s from there - one of my favorite moments was running from the rain in downtown Manitou Springs and finding cover at this penny arcade. I didn’t really think of that memory a lot so I was surprised when the idea came about,” she says. 

“The way Dolores O’Riordan sang was a huge inspiration to me, I wanted to write a song the way ‘Dreams' by The Cranberries made me feel. I also just love how she’s not saying any words in the chorus of that song, just singing a sort of obscure melody that makes the song - that’s where the ‘Oohs’ in ‘Arcade’ came from,” she adds of the track, which features an electrified solo from Castro that gives listeners a little taste of her prodigious guitar skills. 

“Arcade Back In Manitou” follows “Down From the Heavens,” which Castro says is about “all the build-up I’ve had about being gay since I was a teenager. Love is hard enough and then when you add being queer, it’s even harder. One time I played with my ex who used to sing at a church and it was such a bizarre experience watching all the people in the pews sing along to a girl who was in love with me but was also keeping me a secret,” explains Castro. “I had this vision of a god wrapped in color walking up to my ex and basically saying fuck it, go and love her, she’s more than a secret.”

Wild Heart Club also released album track “Unhappy,” inspired by Castro’s childhood, where she fondly recalls hearing her brother’s hypnotic hip-hop music through the wall, and lead single “Glitter On the Drum,” a track that feels like mourning the loss of a lover while soaring across a roller-rink under twinkling lights and that was inspired by a YouTube comment on a Robyn video. The music sparkles, but its glittery edges are sharp.

LISTEN: “DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS”

LISTEN: “UNHAPPY” 

LISTEN: “GLITTER ON THE DRUM”

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kristen Castro is a genre-crossing artist known for blending a surprising range of electronic, digital, and analog elements into her dreamy, atmospheric indie-pop. She built a name for herself as an independent solo artist with a penchant for electric guitar, a dark sensibility, and a bracing tenderness reminiscent of acts like the Cocteau Twins. 

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, her early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. Castro’s latest project, Wild Heart Club, builds off the hybrid style of her solo work, evolving her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. The synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscapes are laced with Castro’s breezy, candied vocals: think Sigur Rós meets Heart. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment. 

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness. This is music for them, as always.” Arcade Back in Manitou was written, recorded, and produced primarily by Castro herself. 

She started writing the songs that would become Arcade Back in Manitou while recovering from heartache after a particularly difficult breakup. The album is an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy songs with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen. There’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation, throughout and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore. 

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”

OUT TODAY: PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES’ NEW LP SINNER-SONGWRITER VIA DIXIEFROG RECORDS

"The 14-track release...is packed with winners" - The Daily Herald  

 "Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself." - PopMatters 

 "Rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate" - Pancakes and Whiskey 

 "Stirring" - Ghettoblaster Magazine 

 "Every verse he utters virtually oozes with emotion. We’re here for it." - East of 8th 

 "...it’s easy to hear the blues in his palette, but there is far more to Scales’ sound than that...Its Scales’ voice, hauntingly soulful, that carries the gravity here" - The Indy Review 

LISTEN: SINNER-SONGWRITER

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has released his long-awaited LP Sinner-Songwriter via DixieFrog Records. “This album was a perfection of what my previous effort was on the Sinner-Songwriter EP,” he says. Scales was inspired by his uncle BB King to forge his own musical path; it wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of his uncle’s influence into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

The album, recorded in LA, Nashville, Chicago, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin during the pandemic, is about love, loss, and legacy, and features Scales’ unique blend of guitar-driven indie rock combined with the story-laden blues in his DNA, a style he calls “Dive Bar Soul.” His most recent single, the sultry “Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone,” began as a beat in a bedroom that was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). 

WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

“When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.” As he explores that legacy, he sings, "I come from sons and daughters of lambs who escaped the slaughter / My bloodline should have stopped with Bones and Chains in that blue water / What will they say when they put me in my grave? / Gammy told me “Son, you better keep our flame.” 

Of single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement.” Album standout "O, Hallelujah” a roots-tinged foot-stomper that has surpassed 260K+ streams on Spotify alone. The 14-track journey closes with "Tell Me How I Sound Again," a commentary on microaggressions. "I’ve been told that I 'talk white' my entire life and when you break down what that actually means, it’s horrifying," he explains. "Intelligence and eloquence being equated with whiteness? So, I wrote the song. A person on my team suggested I rename it 'tell me how I look again' 'so people get it,' and I realized how important the song really was.” 

Sinner-Songwriter is available now on all streaming platforms, iTunes, and Amazon Music. CDs and vinyl are available for purchase/pre-order HERE, and a CD/vinyl bundle is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Phillip-Michael Scales at the links below for the latest updates.  

TOUR DATES 
10/29 - 20 FRONT STREET - LAKE ORION, MI (Record Release Show)  
11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)  
11/7 - 11/11 - THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - MIAMI, FL 
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show) 
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI 
12/10 - BEACHLAND BALLROOM - CLEVELAND, OH 

PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE”

SINNER-SONGWRITER LP OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH
VIA DIXIE FROG RECORDS

Photo by Bryan Iglesias

LISTEN // WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has unleashed “Your Love’s Working Me To The Bone,” the smoldering new single from his forthcoming LP Sinner-Songwriter, set for release on October 29th via Dixie Frog Records.

What began as a beat in a bedroom was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). It’s about a draining relationship where narrator laments having to do all of the emotional labor in the relationship—one they don’t want to leave, but know it’s probably for the best. 

“Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone” follows “When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.”

Of album single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement; rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate,” and follows an earlier release of bluesy anthem “O, Hallelujah.”

LISTEN: “WHEN THEY PUT ME IN MY GRAVE (ft. ARCHIE LEE HOOKER)”

LISTEN: “ANOTHER MAN'S SIN” 

LISTEN: “O, HALLELUJAH”

Growing up, Phillip-Michael Scales had an uncle who played guitar for a living. He knew it was a big deal but didn’t understand the significance that his uncle’s name was B.B. King. Even though Scales played guitar, he shied away from soloing and most things blues-related. Instead, he fell in love with songwriting when an English teacher told him “A great writer can make their reader identify with anyone.” The trouble was he couldn’t find his story in the blues.

Born with a fierce independent streak and a passion for performing, Scales fronted his own indie bands, wrote and recorded his own music, and worked to make a name for himself on his own terms. All the while, his uncle just smiled a knowing smile and encouraged him to “stay with it.” As he began to discover “the blues” in his private and personal life, their relationship grew closer.

It wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of it into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

Throughout its 14 soulful tracks, Sinner-Songwriter, Scales explores, growth, mistakes, being black in America, searching for love, and finding your place in the world. He calls his sound “Dive Bar Soul,” blending indie rock storytelling with the passion of the blues. His single “O, Hallelujah” has broken 200K plays, he has been featured in Rolling Stone France, and is in regular rotation on Nashville’s Radio Station Lightning 100. Scales’ music has taken him all the way to the Middle East, as well as festivals across Europe and North America. He has opened for Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Raffoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan. 

TOUR DATES

 10/8 - McMENAMINS WHITE EAGLE SALOON - PORTLAND, OR
10/27 - GOLDEN DAGGER - CHICAGO, IL (Record Release Show)
10/29 - 20 FRONT STREET - LAKE ORION, MI (Record Release Show)
11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)
11/7 - 11/12 -  THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - MIAMI, FL
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show)
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI

OUT TODAY: SEAN ROWE’S NEW LP "THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS" VIA FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS

[T]he album takes flight on the strength of Rowe’s voice. Almost a growl at times, it falls somewhere between George Ezra and Richard Thompson, with maybe a hint of Tom Waits. Ultimately, though, Rowe doesn’t sound like anybody else — and that’s what cinches this as a dynamic new album, and Rowe as an artist on the rise. - The Associated Press

Marvelous - The Boston Globe 

Sean Rowe alludes to the duality of the human spirit in all of us...and brings insight when it comes to a broken heart — a theme that resonates for this gifted songwriter - KCRW 

With deep vocals and deeper lyrics, singer/songwriter Sean Rowe’s latest album cuts to the core. - The Daily Gazette

Sean Rowe writes vivid, lived-in songs and sings them with a voice that reverberates through your bones. No one sounds like he does, and when you hear the first few notes of a Sean Rowe song, you know you’re about to have your heart ripped out of your chest and unceremoniously handed back to you — in the best way. - No Depression

This is an intensely poignant album with Rowe’s baritone voice so commanding and emotive, it’s impossible not to feel something. - Glide Magazine 

Between his earnest rumble of a voice, lyrics so genuine they can’t be fiction and the no frills production, these musical sketches bring us closer to connecting with Sean Rowe from a place total vulnerability. - Holler

A punch to the gut showcase - Americana Highways

Whilst Rowe forages in a literal sense for edible wild food, he also forages as a singer/songwriter, turning his feelings and experiences into a kind of universal nourishment that can be appreciated by all who care enough to listen. - Americana-UK 

There’s something about Rowe’s baritone that cuts right to the core, the feeling of heartbreak and reckoning palpable at every turn. - Mother Church Pew

Sean has been foraging around in the space between regret and hope, he’s found enough sustenance to keep him going and to share The Darkness Dressed In [Colored] Lights to a ravenous world. - The Rocking Magpie 

The catch cry here could well be – ‘choose your attitude to life’ – and rise from the ashes and denounce despair. All the songs cut to this chase and the record gives us the fullest array of emotions. - Listening Through The Lens

LISTEN: THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS

Today, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Sean Rowe has released his brilliant new LP The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights, out via Fluff & Gravy Records. Rowe drew on an array of influences—from Radiohead to Waylon Jennings, Kurt Vile to David Lynch—to craft this cinematic new album, one forged in the fires of self-discovery and acceptance.

Through its 11 gut-punching tracks, Rowe tackles everything from losing oneself in the despair of heartache to rising from the ashes—the paradox between what once was and what now is, and sometimes being lost in the in-between. His powerful baritone spans the gamut of emotions—and on this record, he makes it clear that at some point it’s hard not to feel them all at once. Every song cuts right to the quick.

“The songs on this record tell a story of heartbreak purgatory, of knowing intrinsically that it’s too late to save what you’ve got, but trying like hell anyway,” noted No Depression. “The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights is about the chaos that comes when your life is upended, then learning who you are when you emerge on the other side of it. Fleeting affairs (‘Squid Tattoo’), fantasies of what could be (‘I Won’t Run’), foregone conclusions (‘Toast’), and self-destructive patterns (‘Honey in the Morning’) line these textured arrangements of synth, pedal steel, keys and horns. And for all the tragedy residing in these stories, Rowe knows it’s better to feel it all than to go numb.” 

The songs evidence a journey and their commonality is clarity—the result of work Rowe’s been doing to build a fitter, happier version of himself. He credits therapy and a guided ayahuasca retreat with helping him to reach this understanding. Over the course of an intense weekend, he had experiences that stripped away his anger and defenses and brought him to a place of intense beauty and peace--he realized we create the heaven and the hell that swirls in our heads, and we have to choose in which of those dimensions we want to reside. This album is ripe with both.

 ~ 

Rowe has also spent years in the woods exploring, foraging, and obsessively learning all that he could about the natural world around him. Through his web series, Can I Eat This?, he’s found a means of indulging two of his great passions: music and nature. In each of the episodes of Can I Eat This?, Sean goes on a foraging mission for all manner of wild foods and uses the harvest to prepare some tasty creation. To check out Can I Eat This? visit Sean's YouTube Channel

The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights is available on CD and double-vinyl, as well as on all streaming services.  Click HERE to order. 

TOUR DATES:
10/20: Vienna, VA | Jammin Java
10/24: Norfolk, VA | North Shore Point House Concerts
11/3 & 11/4: Brooklyn, NY | Union Pool
11/5: Kennett Square, PA | Kennett Flash
11/6: Rochester, NY | Abilene
11/19: Northampton, MA | The Parlor Room
11/20: Egremont, MA | Egremont Barn

SPENCER LAJOYE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “BREATHING”

REMEMBER THE OXYGEN EP SET FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 5TH

Photo by Whitney Wilson & Hannah LaJoye Photography

LISTEN: “BREATHING” 

Boston-based singer/songwriter Spencer LaJoye has released “Breathing,” the new single from their forthcoming EP Remember The Oxygen, set for release on November 5th. "'Breathing' is the story of me learning to breathe my own air again, so to speak," LaJoye explains. "When I remembered to breathe my own oxygen rather than meeting and anticipating everyone else’s needs first, I learned a lot of things (for one: I am not a girl. Oops!). It’s the story of me grabbing my own oxygen mask. I first wrote this song as part of a home-recorded concept album for a Netflix show, The Haunting of Bly Manor. I took on the project during quarantine, simply as a matter of fun, and the whole thing felt like a breath of fresh air," they continue. "This song told me a truth about myself before I even knew it was true. Once I realized that this song I wrote for this just-for-fun concept album was actually about my truest self, I knew it had to be on this first EP under my new truest name." 

“Breathing” follows the release of powerful lead single “House Fires.” "Reclaiming myself as a nonbinary person was about so much more than gender.,” LaJoye explains of the song. “To summon up the resolve to say 'these boxes aren’t for me,' I also had to say, 'these relationships aren’t for me, these systems aren’t for me, this people-pleasing disposition is not for me.' Ultimately, on the other side of all of that going up in flames, I found clarity and peace...and I’m still settling into who I am." "House Fires" is the story of deciding what parts of ourselves and our lives we hold onto when everything else burns.

LISTEN: “HOUSE FIRES”  

Spencer LaJoye’s music feels like taking a long walk on cracked pavement. Their dynamic acoustic tones and layered vocals are reminiscent of melancholic sixties folk songs - but their genre-bending doesn’t end there. Resonant vocal loops spin these classic sounds into delightfully boppy pop songs that are both mesmerizing and haunting with their detailed, autobiographical lyrics.

Out of Boston, Massachusetts, LaJoye is a folk/pop singer-songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist who has garnered a growing fan base around the world through live performances, live streams, and an ever-increasing loyal Patreon community. Charming, humorous, and acutely self-aware, their live performances leave audiences crying, laughing, and wanting more.

One of eight in a family of musicians in rural Southwest Michigan, LaJoye picked up a violin at the age of five, and pursued classical music until college, when they swapped their bow for a pen. They wrote their first EP as a closeted queer kid in a historically conservative Christian college while pursuing a degree in theology. Their songwriting and theologizing became tools of self-empowerment amid a culture of shame. Now an outspoken nonbinary bisexual, LaJoye’s goal is to foster a life-affirming community through music, and to “bring people to church” at their shows.

Their first EP We’ve Been That Way Before won the WYCE Jammie Award for Listener’s Choice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and most recently, LaJoye was chosen as a winner of the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition.

This fall, LaJoye will release their new four-track EP, Remember The Oxygen, written before, during, and following their coming out as trans/gender non-binary. The songs document them becoming themselves, a journey that involved just as much looking to the past as it did moving towards the future. “As it turns out, I knew who I was from the very beginning,” says LaJoye. “I knew how to breathe all along. To re-becoming myself. I just had to let some things burn, let some things hurt, and finally, remember my own oxygen.”

SINGER/SONGWRITER JAMIE MCDELL RELEASES ENDEARING NEW SINGLE, “NOT READY YET” + ANNOUNCES HER OF SELF-TITLED ALBUM, SET FOR RELEASE ON FEBRUARY 25, 2022

“...but the true stunner is McDell’s unforced voice” -  Rolling Stone

“The New Zealander enchants with airy vocals and confessional lyrics” - Billboard

“McDell’s voice carries such weight with you feeling every poignant word...honestly, she’s a modern-day Stevie Nicks” - New Music Collection

 "exuberant piece of classic alt-country .."  - Rolling Stone Australia

“Showcasing more richness and density than the typical banjo and fiddle exercise, the album contains waves of haunting tremolo guitar, fuzzy squalls, heavy distortion and a keen sense for crafting rewarding, sometimes even dramatic, vocal melodies.” - All Music

“....raw confessionals, breezy anthems and plaintive storytelling rooted in the tradition of old school country and folk balladeers.” - Wide Open Country

LISTEN TO “NOT READY YET” : HERE

Critically acclaimed singer/songwriter, Jamie McDell, has released her heartfelt new single “Not Ready Yet”, today via ABC Music.  “Not Ready Yet”, produced by Nash Chambers, is a precursor to Jamie’s upcoming self-titled album, set to drop on February 25, 2022 via ABC Music which is available for  pre-order HERE.

Discussing the sentiment behind the song, Jamie said, “I’ve always wanted to create a groove reminiscent of the 90s The Chicks, and I’m hoping this comes close. I had mumbled the falsetto chorus melody into my voice memos before jumping into a session with my producer Nash and Phil Barton. The lyrics came from a place of comfort in not knowing what’s next for me and taking my time to figure it out. Motherhood is something I want in the future, something that I’m really looking forward to if I’m to be so lucky. But I’m not ready yet and maybe, in today's world, that is all I should need to say.”

With a video for the single still in the works, Jamie and her partner created this breezy, carefree lyric video. Jamie says, “The Auckland lockdown meant I wasn't able to work with the director I'd planned to. My partner and I were lucky to be located at Pauanui Beach at the time, where we've spent nearly every summer for the past decade. We decided we could make some visuals out of the hike we do up the local mountain often. I've had many deep thoughts on this beautiful trail and it felt like it connected to the sentiment of the song, just reveling in every stage of the journey to who knows where.”  View HERE.

McDell’s fourth studio album was recorded in Nashville, the gifted singer-songwriter teaming up with Nash Chambers in his eastside studio and drawing on the amazing musical talents of Dan Dugmore, Jedd Hughes, Dennis Crouch, Shawn Fichter, Jerry Roe, Jimmy Wallace, Tony Lucido, and Ross Holmes, along with guests such as the McCrary Sisters, Robert Ellis, Erin Rae and Tom Busby (Busby Marou). This new long-player contains Jamie’s most brutally honest moments, in both writing and performance, while the musicians and production take you on a modern journey through 70s folk and country, blended with a healthy dose of roots and rock. 

Born in New Zealand, at the age of 7 McDell’s father left his job at an Auckland law firm to shift her mother, younger sister, and Jamie onto the high seas and began living aboard a yacht in the Mediterranean. It’s here Jamie wrote her first song, a sea shanty to the dolphins. Also on that yacht lived a small collection of her parents’ favorite cassette tapes, which luckily included albums by Jimmy Buffett, John Denver, and James Taylor. The young artist quickly formed a particularly strong bond with these records and she fondly remembers watching her parents perform Buffett duets - and occasionally chiming in, learning how to harmonise with her mother. An eager learner, Jamie then picked up the guitar after studying her fathers’ John Denver chord book collection and has never looked back. 

Now at age 28, New Zealand singer/songwriter Jamie McDell has achieved a prolific amount in her formative years. Being signed to EMI at age 16 sparked the beginning of a successful musical journey, making her a household name across the nation. With the release of her debut album ‘Six Strings and a Sailboat’, she went on to achieve Gold album sales, receive three NZ Music Award nominations, winning Best Pop Album of 2013. Then her sophomore record ‘Ask Me Anything’ gained global attention, seeing album track ‘Moon Shines Red’ featured on American TV series Pretty Little Liars. 

In March 2017 Jamie made a trip to Nashville, looking for a change of scenery and to connect with the environment that birthed much of the music throughout her youth. It’s here she wrote the songs that would make up the fabric for her third record “Extraordinary Girl”. She met with expat Australian producer Nash Chambers for coffee one day and decided they shared the same musical values. Not long after that meeting McDell arranged to fund her first independent record “Extraordinary Girl”, which was recorded over the space of two days later in 2017 at House of Blues studio in Nashville. She then returned home for the albums’ release, promotion, and supporting tours throughout New Zealand and Australia. 

Then in early 2019 Jamie relocated to Toronto, Ontario for a new chapter and to be closer to Nashville. It’s here she found herself sitting on the floor of her tiny apartment, feeling overwhelmed and frustrated with a friend in a troubled relationship, and out came the powerful song, Botox. “It’s a story depicting the dangers of silencing our instincts and compromising our values, just because a significant other has you convinced that you need fixing,” Jamie says. This track would then fuel a new era of unapologetic honesty in McDell’s songwriting, and the release of The Botox EP. 

After opening a US tour for Robert Ellis (Texas Piano Man) in early 2020, Jamie made her return to Nashville to begin working on this new studio album.

KEEP UP WITH JAMIE MCDELL

WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM

TAYLOR SCOTT RELEASES THE 70’S INSPIRED GROOVE-FILLED SINGLE “THROWBACK GROOVES”

"Taylor Scott is one of the most talented singer/songwriter/guitar monsters I have had the pleasure of working with. His ability to distill complex human feelings into concise 4-minute epics for an artist as young as he is is truly extraordinary, and then to rip a face-melting solo on top of it all? Just remarkable to say the least.” - Steve Berlin

 "If ever a song title could reflect a track, this is it as the music exemplifies exactly what the title suggests. With the smoothness of John Mayer, Scott sings with effortless cool and comforting vibes as he’s backed by a dreamy rhythm section.” - Glide Magazine

"Taylor Scott is the epitome of an old soul. He seems to know a little bit about everything, has his OWN sound as a vocalist AND a guitar player, and is full of good ideas and advice. I always look forward to making music with Taylor and this record is BAAD to the BONE."

 - Eric Benny Bloom (Lettuce)

“With their combination of soul, funk, blues, and rock ‘n’ roll, Taylor Scott’s music is gaining a reputation for transcending the limitations of a single genre.” - Elmore Magazine

"Hidalgo and company also know how to send the elevator back to the bottom. This time, it was to bring the brilliant Denver guitarist Taylor Scott on stage, with his Les Paul and Willie Nelson braids, to slay on Duane Allman-esque lead guitar throughout the show’s last batch of rollicking tunes."

 – Westword Denver

"Taylor Scott is a relatively new artist who has already done some remarkable things.” - Twangville

“Taylor is an incredible songwriter – his lyrics are thoughtful and gritty.”  - Tour Stories

“Taylor Scott is one of those artists that can do it all. A heartfelt, sincere songwriter with extraordinary guitar chops and a deeply soulful voice.” - Dave Alvin

"Hearing Taylor Scott is like hitting the jackpot. This unassuming kid from Denver is a monster." 
- Gigcity.CA

LISTEN TO “THROWBACK GROOVES”: HERE

Denver-based guitar virtuoso Taylor Scott is excited to release his new single entitled “Throwback Grooves”.  Produced by his friend and mentor Steve Berlin (Los Lobos), and featuring Lettuce’s Eric Benny Bloom on trumpet, the new single is out now.  

“I wrote ‘Throwback Grooves’ up in Wyoming on New Year’s Eve, and I guess I was feeling nostalgic,” Scott told Glide Magazine. “That’ll happen on New Year’s Eve. I was thinking about someone from my past and how whatever was going on with us, we always had the best music playing. I try to make sure that’s always the case. In the car, around the house, whatever is spinning should be the bomb. I’m always conscious of the music that accompanies a moment so I guess writing a song about it felt natural. When memories play like movie scenes inside your head, do they ever come with music? Throwback Grooves is about that.”

Last year was a year of reckoning for roots-rock artist Taylor Scott.  After a tough year weathering personal storms, and having live music come to what seemed to be an indefinite pause, Taylor realized the only option was to shift his perspective, and he decided to use the time to reflect and regroup.  “I recommitted myself to music and personally had to work through so much. I felt like I was hitting my head against the wall for so long, and something finally just broke open. ‘Some of the new songs dealt with those dark months, charging ahead, because the only way out of it was to go forward through it.  The others are so happy and lighthearted, and I haven’t written that way for years. I’m feeling celebratory now, and those songs reflect that.”

“Throwback Grooves” smooth vibe follows “Bleeding Out,” the scorching and gritty funk track released on the heels of his buzzed-about performances at this year’s FloydFest.  These songs and more performed live at the festival helped him win over fans including Keller Williams and Leftover Salmon with whom he gave a blistering performance (see HERE).  After a year of isolation and live streams, Taylor Scott Band jumped back into touring with a smoking Summer 2021 tour, and Taylor is currently on the road wrapping up a tour supporting Carbon Leaf that hit the Pacific Northwest.  Taylor Scott Band will continue to perform live throughout the year with shows in the Mountain states.  

TOUR DATES

OCT 9  Bluebird Theater - Denver, CO*
OCT 15  Vilar Performing Arts Center - Beaver Creek, CO
OCT 23 The Lodge at Wood Boss Brewing - Denver, CO
NOV 20  Chautauqua Auditorium  Boulder, CO
NOV 27 Schmiggity’s - Steamboat Springs, CO
DEC 10  OP Rockwell Cocktail Lounge & Music Hall - Park City, UT
APR 29-MAY 1  Sweetwater 420 Festival - Atlanta, GA
*Supporting Carbon Leaf

KEEP UP WITH TAYLOR SCOTT

WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || INSTAGRAM || SOUNDCLOUD || YOUTUBE

DESTROY BOYS RELEASE THEIR THIRD FULL-LENGTH ALBUM "OPEN MOUTH, OPEN HEART" OUT TODAY VIA HOPELESS RECORDS

"Destroy Boys” is the poster child for modern punk. Its three members — frontperson Alexia Roditis, guitarist Violet “Vi” Mayugba and drummer Narsai Malik — create personal, visceral music with a one-of-a-kind point of view.” - INTO

“ Using their platform on gender and racial equality as well as LGBTQIA+ rights, Destroy Boys channel that same unbridled passion into their lyrics. The group give a voice to the underrepresented with a fresh perspective on love, loss and everything in between.” - Alternative Press

“Hailed by many as the next great punk band, and with over 40 million streams as confirmation, Destroy Boys play hard with heavy guitar tones that radiate tuneful defiance and steely pop hooks in equal measure.”  - Heavy Magazine 

“Personal is political for Destroy Boys.’ - SF Weekly

“......it's safe to say Destroy Boys have successfully carved their niche in punk rock.” - Guitar World

"Originally from Sacramento and now based in San Francisco, Destroy Boys is an absolutely need-to-know punk trio.” - San Francisco Chronicle

"Channeling the spirit of anarchic American garage rock and melodic sensibilities of classic Bay Area punk into short snarling songs, Sacramento’s Destroy Boys whip up noise that is truly timeless.” - Rock Sound

“The fresh-faced, young female-fronted band are pumping fresh blood back into the life of power punk.” - Ladygunn

LISTEN TO OPEN MOUTH, OPEN HEART: HERE

Northern California’s three-piece Destroy Boys have released their third full-length album Open Mouth, Open Heart produced by Will Yip, out today on Hopeless Records. The album is available worldwide on all major streaming services, as well as vinyl online and at your local record store. 

Destroy Boys are Violet Mayugba (guitar/vocals) and Alexia Roditis (vocals/guitar), rounded out by drummer Narsai Malik. The punk trio has made a name for themselves writing visceral, personal songs of scene bullies, elitist cliques, betrayal, and unrequited love - and have won over the hearts and ears of eager listeners ranging from the fervent teens who pack out their shows to Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (see his mention in the Rolling Stone cover story HERE via Instagram HERE). The band has been redefining West Coast punk, making waves from the California shoreline to the UK, sharing stages with up-and-coming bands like Mannequin Pussy, established acts such as All Time Low and The Story So Far, as well as punk stalwarts Face To Face and Lagwagon. In addition to having racked up over 80 million streams, their music can be heard in Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 game, and Tik Tok has embraced them to the tune of 30 thousand user-made videos and over 3.5M views. Most recently the band was tapped by Fender Guitars for the launch of the Fender's  Player Plus Series.

Although this is their third full-length album, Open Mouth, Open Heart marks a number of firsts for the band. Recorded in Philadelphia earlier this year during the lockdown, Roditis, Mayugba and Malik lived in their own little bubble,  for the first time being able to patiently build the songs layer by layer.  Entering the studio with producer Will Yip, (who produced all the songs on the album except for “Muzzle” which was produced by Martin Cooke), with songs that were more fully formed allowed Yip and the band time and freedom to focus on the production. Another first includes writing and recording two in Spanish, “‘Te llevo conmigo” and  “Lo peor.”  “I grew up bilingual,” Roditis told the East Bay Express when asked about ‘Te llevo conmigo.”  “This song is a tribute to my grandparents. I didn’t get to know them but I feel them around me, so I wanted a song to honor them,”  I haven’t heard many metal songs in Spanish, so I was excited to write it.” 

Open Heart, Open Mouth is a huge step forward for the band both musically and the depth and density of subject matter. “ This album is just a lot more dynamic,’ Roditis told INTO.  “There’s more guitars and leads — like, I play something, Vi plays something different, which is cool. It has a wide range of genres and types of songs: there’s a sort of metal-y song, we have that acoustic song, we have more mid-tempo Nirvana bangers, we have a political punk song. So it’s different in that everything that we put out, I feel like, sounds different than what it was but is still like a version of that. Like, we have children and they’re the same but look different, you know — like cousins.” 

The band released 5 singles, leading into the album that showcases their growth and diversity as songwriters and musicians. “Everyone adding their own element makes the songs come alive,” says Roditis, “but the biggest difference was going from 19 to 21. I feel like a different person, esthetically.”  The first track“ Muzzle,”  that Alternative Press called “Ferocious,” is a blistering minute-long track.  Refinery 29 commented that “Destroy Boys aren't playing nice on ‘Muzzle,’  kicking ass and taking names in the high-energy new single about fighting back against the powers that be.”

The second single “Drink”  is a raw and honest look at the relationship that can exist with mind-altering substances, and how it can be both destructive and comforting. Brooklyn Vegan called it a “ripper,” and the SF Weekly said is “the most fascinating of this year’s trio of Destroy Boys singles, also commented that the song displays impressive lyrical depth. On a casual listen, it sounds like a love song wrapped in a pop-punk arrangement. Closer inspection reveals that ‘Drink’ is describing something closer to a love-hate relationship, and the subject of affection and revulsion is alcohol. It’s a candid, nuanced look at addiction.’

The next single  “Locker Room Bully”  saw the band punching back at bullies and the toxicity of the internet, with its culture of supporting half-truths and warped reality. KQED described it as “a proverbial middle finger that offers a swift takedown to petty-minded interlopers,” “Locker Room Bully,” was followed by “All This Love” which is as close to a ballad as the band gets on the album. The song is a lament about  earning for love, and ultimately a realization that you need to first love and connect to yourself before you can be a true partner in a relationship with someone else.  Spinning Platters said that  "The ballad may be more ferocious than any of their more aggressive works. That’s why this is the single of the week. It may end up being the single of the year. “

The single releases were rounded out with “Escape,” a song ironically written pre-pandemic about wanting an out from the regular life, and wanting to go on tour, and wanting to escape reality in any way possible. When the Horn Blows said the song sounds like “a blend of Blondie and the Misfits,” and When it’s Too Loud  said “...when a song is this great it's impossible not to love.’

This has been quite a year for Destroy Boys who have not only survived a pandemic, but a wave of online bullying, and after having to pull out of the Sad Summer Fest due to mental health reasons,  have regrouped and just this week played a blistering set of shows to packed houses in Northern California and in the Pacific Northwest. The band will be taking these new songs on the road on a National Headlining tour that kicks off in Southern California next month. 

U.S. TOUR DATES 

NOV 19 Chain Reaction Anaheim, CA
NOV 20 VooDoo Room San Diego, CA
NOV 21 Nile Theater Mesa, AZ
NOV 23 Antone's Austin, TX
NOV 24 Ruins Dallas, TX
NOV 26  The End Nashville, TN
NOV 27 Purgatory At The Masquerade Atlanta, GA
NOV 28 Crowbar Tampa, FL
NOV 30 Local 506 Chapel Hill, NC
DEC 1  Songbyrd Music House Washington, DC
DEC 2 Space Ballroom Hamden, CT
DEC 3 Market Hotel Brooklyn, NY
DEC 4 First Unitarian Church Philadelphia, PA
DEC 5 Fête Music Hall Lounge Providence, RI
DEC 6  Brighton Music Hall Allston, MA
DEC 8 Mahalls Cleveland, OH
DEC 9 The Sanctuary Hamtramck, MI
DEC 10 FRI Cobra Lounge Chicago, IL
DEC 11 SAT Odyssey Lounge Springfield, MO
DEC 13 89th Street Collective Oklahoma City, OK
DEC 14 Launchpad Albuquerque, NM

DOUBLE SINGLE RELEASE FROM WILD HEART CLUB

“DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS” & “UNHAPPY” OUT TODAY 

DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU 
OUT ON NOVEMBER 12TH 

Photo by Anna Haas

LISTEN // WATCH: “DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS”  

LISTEN: “UNHAPPY”    

Today, Nashville-based dream pop outfit Wild Heart Club has unveiled two singles - “Down From The Heavens” and “Unhappy” - from their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou, due out November 12th.  

“‘Down From the Heavens’ is about all the build up I’ve had about being gay since I was a teenager,” says Kristen Castro, the creative force behind Wild Heart Club. “Love is hard enough and then when you add being queer, it’s even harder. One time I played with my ex who used to sing at a church and it was such a bizarre experience watching all the people in the pews sing along to a girl who was in love with me but was also keeping me a secret,” explains Castro. “I had this vision of a god wrapped in color walking up to my ex and basically saying fuck it, go and love her, she’s more than a secret.” Castro also created a beautiful live acoustic performance video to accompany the single. 

“Unhappy” was inspired by Castro’s childhood, where she fondly recalls hearing her brother’s hip hop music through the wall. “I really admired the freedom in 90s R&B to use unconventional sounds and the hypnotic feel of 90s hip-hop lo-fi beats like The Fugees and 2Pac,” she says. “I was staying with my brother when I made the songs and being around that music again created a new way for me to talk about the blurred lines in toxic relationships".  

“Down From the Heavens” and “Unhappy” follow the release of lead single “Glitter On the Drum,” a track that feels like mourning the loss of a lover while soaring across a roller-rink under twinkling lights and that was inspired by a YouTube comment on a Robyn video. The music sparkles, but its glittery edges are sharp. 

LISTEN: “GLITTER ON THE DRUM”  

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kristen Castro is a genre-crossing artist known for blending a surprising range of electronic, digital, and analog elements into her dreamy, atmospheric indie-pop. She built a name for herself as an independent solo artist with a penchant for electric guitar, a dark sensibility, and a bracing tenderness reminiscent of acts like the Cocteau Twins.  

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, her early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. Castro’s latest project, Wild Heart Club, builds off the hybrid style of her solo work, evolving her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. The synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscapes are laced with Castro’s breezy, candied vocals: think Sigur Rós meets Heart. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment.  

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness. This is music for them, as always.” Written, recorded, and produced primarily by Castro herself, Wild Heart Club’s debut album Arcade Back in Manitou is set for release this fall. 

Castro started writing the songs that would become Arcade Back in Manitou in January 2020, while living with her brother in L.A. and recovering from heartache after a particularly difficult breakup. She was also navigating the breakup of her band and listening to Fleetwood Mac’s Gypsy on repeat. 

Named for a happy memory (visiting a Colorado penny arcade with an ex), Arcade Back in Manitou is an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy songs with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen. The resulting music feels unexpectedly bright, like walking through a clean, sunlit, white-tiled mall in the glowy light of a sitcom flashback. Throughout the album, there’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation, and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore.  

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”          

SEAN ROWE INVOKES CLASSIC COUNTRY INFLUENCES FOR NEW SINGLE

“I WON’T RUN” 
PREMIERES VIA THE BOOT 

NEW LP  THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS 
OUT ON OCTOBER 8TH VIA FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS 

Marvelous - The Boston Globe 

Sean Rowe alludes to the duality of the human spirit in all of us...and brings insight when it comes to a broken heart — a theme that resonates for this gifted songwriter - KCRW  

Rowe’s voice radiates experience and with a robust passion that recalls British artists like Elbow and David Gray. We can grab onto the state our protagonist inhabits, as he is longing and calling out strong though vulnerable and seeped in desire. - Glide Magazine  

Whilst Rowe forages in a literal sense for edible wild food, he also forages as a singer/songwriter, turning his feelings and experiences into a kind of universal nourishment that can be appreciated by all who care enough to listen. - Americana-UK 

Traditional folk-rock…into vibrant alt-rock - Holler  

There’s something about Rowe’s baritone that cuts right to the core, the feeling of heartbreak and reckoning palpable at every turn. - Mother Church Pew 

Sean has been foraging around in the space between regret and hope, he’s found enough sustenance to keep him going and to share The Darkness Dressed In [Colored] Lights to a ravenous world. - The Rocking Magpie 

Photo by Joe Navas

LISTEN: “I WON’T RUN”   

Today, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Sean Rowe has unleashed “I Won’t Run,” the latest from his brilliant forthcoming LP The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights, due out on October 8th via Fluff & Gravy Records. “Sean Rowe promises a lifetime of love in 'I Won't Run,’ a quiet, romantic, traditional country waltz,” said The Boot in the track’s premiere. 

“When Waylon said, ‘I don’t think Hank would have done it that way,’ I’d like to think he was predicting what would become ‘modern country music’,” Rowe said of the song. “One thing I love about the older country songs was the honesty, the humor, and the poetry. Willie, Waylon, Cash, and Kristofferson went straight to the heart for me. I still draw from that stuff. This song is of course a reflection of my influence there."  

The song features backing vocals from artist Courtney Hartman, which Rowe revealed was a happy accident. “I thought her guitar playing on the record to be stellar, and uniquely her own,” he said. “I believe she was just humming along in the control room on the playback and her voice stuck out to me. She was a little sheepish about singing on that track but I was adamant that she sing with me and it’s just not as good without her voice in there.” 

“I Won’t Run” follows the release of "Squid Tattoo,” a song about the fleeting feeling of romantically projecting a future life with someone who you haven’t actually met yet and one that will most likely never happen. “I think there’s actually an underlying sadness in the song despite being on the surface, tongue in cheek," he adds, referencing the song lyrics, "Now I love you/But I can’t believe you’re from Ohio." "I’m really not trying to offend Ohio’s sensibility here. But, a good line is a good line.” Rowe has also released album tracks “Little Death,” which Rowe said is about “that strange elation that comes at the end of a long journey with another soul,” and lead single “To Make It Real,” in which Rowe is “alluding to the duality that I feel is in all of us. All the hidden parts and all the guts that spill out when we’re faced with tragedy, adversity, or a broken heart.” 

LISTEN: “SQUID TATTOO” 
LISTEN: “LITTLE DEATH” 
LISTEN: “TO MAKE IT REAL” 

The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights was forged in the fires of self-discovery and acceptance and is the result of work Rowe’s been doing to build a fitter, happier version of himself. He credits therapy and a guided ayahuasca retreat with helping him to reach this understanding. Over the course of an intense weekend, he had experiences that stripped away his anger and defenses and brought him to a place of intense beauty and peace--he realized we create the heaven and the hell that swirls in our heads, and we have to choose in which of those dimensions we want to reside. This album is ripe with both. 

Through its 11 gut-punching tracks, Rowe tackles everything from losing oneself in the despair of heartache to rising from the ashes—the paradox between what once was and what now is, and sometimes being lost in the in-between. His powerful baritone spans the gamut of emotions - and on this record, he makes it clear that at some point it’s hard not to feel them all at once. Every song cuts right to the quick. 

  Rowe has also spent years in the woods exploring, foraging, and obsessively learning all that he could about the natural world around him. Through his web series, Can I Eat This?, he’s found a means of indulging two of his great passions: music and nature. In each of the episodes of Can I Eat This?, Sean goes on a foraging mission for all manner of wild foods and uses the harvest to prepare some tasty creation. To check out Can I Eat This?  visit Sean's YouTube Channel 

The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights will be released on CD and double-vinyl, as well as available on all streaming services on October 8th.  Click HERE to pre-order. 

TOUR DATES: 
10/1: Portland, ME | Sun Tiki Studios 
10/2: Cambridge, MA | Club Passim 
10.20: Vienna, VA | Jammin Java 
10/24: Norfolk, VA | North Shore Point House Concerts 
11/3 & 11/4: Brooklyn, NY | Union Pool 
11/5: Kennett Square, PA | Kennett Flash 
11/6: Rochester, NY | Abilene 
11/19: Northampton, MA | The Parlor Room 
11/20: Egremont, MA | Egremont Barn 

GUITARIST JOHN SIERRA (OF THE ALT/ROCK BAND ATTALUS) RELEASES “THE WONDER”

“John Sierra has a powerful tenor that can soar to the heights that his songwriting deserves. Give this song a listen and be moved.” - Americana Highways

Photo by Flightless Bird Photography

"THE WONDER" || STREAM

RALEIGH, NC. – Singer/songwriter and guitarist John Sierra – formerly of the Raleigh-based band Attalus on Facedown Records – has released the title track to his forthcoming solo debut EP with “The Wonder” out today.

Americana Highways enthused, “John Sierra has a powerful tenor that can soar to the heights that his songwriting deserves. Give this song a listen and be moved.”

Earlier this month, he debuted with the single “A Dream Worth Keeping,” an acoustic guitar with heavenly harmonies, the first single explores the ambivalence between fear, desire and our dreams that premiered on JesusWired.

The Wonder (out 11/5) marks a departure from the alt/rock sound of his former band with influences that range from The Killers, Mumford and Sons, C.S. Lewis and Puccini.

On his debut album, The Wonder, John Sierra invites listeners on a thoughtful journey into the emotional landscape of the heart. Rich with soaring harmonies, driving acoustic rhythms, and haunting melodies, The Wonder wades through a folk-inspired sound with songs that are unapologetically raw. Exploring heartache, healing, relationship, and working through regret, The Wonder is meant to be an experience for any who would listen.

ABOUT JOHN SIERRA:

His early twenties were categorized by smoky clubs and raging guitar amps, performing as an integral part of the alternative rock band, Attalus, signed to Facedown Records. This foray into the music scene set an incredible foundation for John Sierra's music career. But, this season also marks a great recovery of heart for John. After shipwrecking almost everything beautiful in his life, he was careened into the realization he had lost himself along the way. Even the band had become a false identity. Through therapy, mental health, and a recovery of heart, he began to find the life he had always longed for…

And in that place, from that place, he began to write. To share the story of hope, forgiveness, healing, and restoration he experienced. Each of the songs on The Wonder stem from this season: from the recovery of a young man’s heart towards beauty, to exploring the roots of addiction and the power to overcome, to the active choice to push against regret towards a dream.

 THE WONDER ALBUM (COMING 11/5)
“A DREAM WORTH KEEPING" (OUT NOW)  SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE
"THE WONDER" (OUTNOW)  SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

KEEP UP WITH JOHN SIERRA

WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER || SPOTIFY

LULA WILES SINGER/GUITARIST ELEANOR BUCKLAND RELEASES FOURTH SINGLE "OCTOBER" TODAY!

ON TOUR THIS FALL TO SUPPORT SOLO DEBUT
YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW DUE OCTOBER 29th ON SOUNDLY MUSIC

"Her album is a musical and lyrical diary of sorts, taking the listener on a journey as she chronicles her personal growth" - Pop Wrapped

Photo by Jen Squires

“OCTOBER” (OUT TODAY)
YOUTUBE || STREAM

BROOKLYN, NY. – Today, singer/songwriter, guitarist Eleanor Buckland releases “October,” the fourth single from her forthcoming solo debut You Don’t Have To Know. The song premiered earlier this week at PopWrapped.

The oldest song on the record, “October” was written when Eleanor was 19 years old and captures a vulnerable version of herself. “I still have so much compassion for that young woman,” says Eleanor. “Trying to figure out how to love and how to navigate heartbreak in those formative years. If I could talk to her today, I would tell her to escape up to Maine to re-center and to heal her heart.” 

Eleanor Buckland first made her mark in the Boston-based folk-rock trio Lula Wiles who’ve made waves beyond the folk community, crossing over into popular music with their innovative modern sound that goes “far beyond the traditional confines of acoustic singer-songwriter music” – Rolling Stone.

With You Don’t Have To Know (due October 29 on Soundly Music), Buckland continues to stretch her musical prowess as inventive indie rock arrangements brush up against her folk/Americana roots while she reflects on her growth through these deeply personal songs.

In an early review, WBUR succinctly captures the essence of the album as “…a collection of country-washed folk-pop songs fit for a sunny drive alongside the tinted foliage of New England autumn” and draws comparisons to heavyweights of the genre, “Buckland’s folksy drawl plays perfectly with this fresh set of pop tunes that are seemingly built for fans of contemporary FM radio acts like Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift, both nostalgically rustic and immediately modern.”

Beginning in November, Eleanor will embark on a short release tour with dates throughout the Northeast. 

 BUZZ

"You Don't Have To Know Eleanor Buckland - but you should." - Brooklyn Roads  

"The new single is an upbeat yet melancholic effort, driven by warm folk twang and Buckland’s endearing vocal timbre, as she sings “I’m not saying that I’ve been crying / I’m not saying that I’m the only one trying” before releasing pent up frustration with her honest and candid lyricism." -Dusty Organ (on “I’m Not Saying”) 

“Throughout, the singer-songwriter sets a magnifying glass over past relationships, exposing their detrimental undertow. She deftly navigates its soaring chorus, brooding with honesty in her reflections on a one-sided romance.”  - PopMatters (on “I’m Not Saying”) 

“…a beautiful outpouring of emotions through the striking poetry about trying to find out who you are… a passionate performance, highly appealing honesty, and individuality wrapped in a familiar form.” – Tonic Grain 

“Restless driving rhythms and smoky guitar licks make their way to the forefront on, “Static,” introducing an anxious and insistent side to Buckland’s music. Yet, while Buckland’s latest work steps away from acoustic stylings, there are still hints of plaintive folk beauty and contemplative personal songwriting woven into the track. Celestial harmonies add a stark beauty to the track, all while Buckland finds herself searching for hope and meaning, but drowned out by the noise of anxiety.” – Under The Radar

“With this exquisite and instantly hypnotizing blend of melodies and lyrics, she connects with the listeners with a tale that is hopeful and inspiring.” – Wolf In A Suit  

“...a catchy indie number that somehow perfectly juxtaposes feelings of desperation and gloom with optimism and hopefulness. With energetic indie beats paired with Buckland’s soothing delicate vocals, ‘Don’t Look Down’ creates a balance between dark and light energies that makes you feel cleansed within.” – BTR Today

“Don't Look Down gives us Eleanor Buckland, a singer who comes to encourage you to live a new life, with new dreams and the desire to feel with absolute renewed sensations everything you can feel to the limit. The proposal of the American is an interesting call so that you can feel free from everything and no one stops you from living in a new way. The ability of this project to catch you off guard and change the way you see things is all we need to be happy without pauses.” ~ Indie Criollo 

“Eleanor Buckland makes a brilliant debut with the indie single Don't Look Down... clean, raw and honest.” - Popmuzik

U.S. TOUR DATES
NOV 5 / NEW YORK, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall
NOV 7 / CAMBRIDGE, MA @ Club Passim (2 shows)
NOV 11 / PORTLAND, ME @ One Longfellow Square
NOV 12 / EXETER, NH @ Word Barn

KEEP UP WITH ELEANOR BUCKLAND

WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || TWITTER || SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

RENOWNED PRODUCER DAVID FRANZ STEPS FROM BEHIND THE BOARD FOR HIS DEBUT ARTIST PROJECT TO THE UNKNOWN OUT TODAY

“Years of unlocking the creative genius of other artists as a co-writer, producer, and record label head has led to the evolution and development of David’s own artist persona for the very first time.”   - Noteworthy Music

“Punched with Cali desert rock, Franz incorporated various degrees of soul and blues to the track.  The spirit of the desert blasts from start to finish with effortless ease.”- Ghettoblaster Magazine

‘David Franz and his psychedelic rock called "My greatest enemy", you have the perfect song for musical introspection at the heart of your feelings.” - Iggy Magazine

“It is a breath of fresh air, with its unique desert rock sound that will truly haunt you.” - LA Music Critic

“A personal journey turned universal, “To The Unknown” captures a timeless spirit in a time of great upheaval, and ignites a fire to help examine our truths and lead us towards transformation from shadow into light.” - Jammerzine

LISTEN TO TO THE UNKNOWN : HERE

From a  combination of scorching life events, social transformation, pandemic lockdown, and personal epiphany, Southern California musician, songwriter, producer and label head David Franz has emerged, like a snake too big for its skin, from behind the producer’s console to the front of the stage and has released his debut album as a solo artist To The Unknown. The 10-track album is steeped in modern production on a foundation of soul and blues. With sounds formed by the spirit of the high desert, the music conjures energies from both outlaws and shamans. Full of self-examination, self-help, and self-harm, the album puts us all to task to question our own self-talk, bias, and self-determination. It’s a testament that personal growth is necessary for the greater good, and that growth is not at all easy.

Self-reflection and desert-tinged sonics are a running theme throughout the record. Franz released three singles leading into the album. The first was “My Greatest Enemy,”  which Ghettoblaster Magazine exclaims “the spirit of the desert blasts from start to finish with effortless ease.” The song is about our inner voice and how we have the choice to control it or have it control us. The past year's lockdown has forced us all to stare down, like gunslingers, our reflections in the mirror and deal with our own negative self-talk. With this song, Franz challenged us all to take back the power from our inner critic and change our internal narratives for the better.  

The second single “Silver Arrow Sunday” that Psychedelic Baby described as “California desert rock with a shamanic outlaw vibe” is steeped in the ethereal and desolate haze of the desert heat. The deeply personal track was written through the lens of a desert mirage, and inspired by a dream about a temptress dressed in deep red, dancing fantastically in a wavery shamanic vision. Her boundless energy slowly pulls David from his tumultuous past and into a fleeting future. The path forward seems positive, even if the direction and the destination are out of focus. Change is never the perfect replica of what we envision it being, but can be beautiful in its mix of clarity and confusion. 

The third, “For My Own Health” is about a toxic relationship and an examination of optimism which is usually viewed as a positive feeling but can discolor reality in a failing relationship and act more like a disease. “When I realized that my own mind was playing tricks on me, telling me to stick it out in a relationship that was unhealthy,” Franz told V13. “I wrote this song to allow myself permission to leave. This song is a resolute awakening... a self-inflicted slap to the face followed by a tight embrace of self and a resolved, confident, and decisive walk away from the past.”

The album is rounded by 10 more tracks that walk the listener through a deeply cathartic healing process. A kinetic spirit and a questing nature have been the engine to his own professional growth and learning, making him that rare creature of left and right brain parity. Creatively, technologically, and temperamentally, his passion for music and teaching has helped numerous artists navigate the choppy waters of the rapidly changing music business. An early innovator, the young Franz wrote the first book about using Pro Tools music production software and designed the curriculum for Berklee’s first online music production course based on that book. He has since written other music production books published by Hal Leonard, online courses for Berkleemusic, lynda.com and LinkedIn Learning, and articles about music for many publications. After teaching at Berkleemusic for almost a decade, Franz was hired by lynda.com first as a course instructor and then as Content Manager for the Audio+Music subject area. After LinkedIn purchased lynda.com, Franz’s position grew into covering a wider range of topics including motion graphics, animation, illustration, and video, all the while learning new video skills and creating world-class online courses. From course author at the first online school to content manager at Linkedin Learning, he’s never had a job title that existed before it was made up for his new position.  

Having a voracious appetite for many different genres of music, Franz founded not one but two record labels. Underground Sun covers a wide-ranging catalog of genres but all have a foundation in soul music. R&B, rock, hip-hop, blues, folk, world, electronic and jazz all find a home on Underground Sun. Underground Sol, co-founded with DJ/producer/entrepreneur Justin Paul, is devoted solely to electronic music and the myriad genres within that broad label. 

Both labels embrace and cultivate diversity and inclusivity, knowing these are not only at the core of a thriving music industry but also imperative to connecting and empathizing with all of humanity. Both Underground Sun and Underground Sol have a strong legacy of launching musicians from under-represented demographics into solid music careers, and David couldn’t be more thrilled to be joining the roster as an artist with his California desert rock inspired sound.

As a musician David has performed with Underground Sun artist Iyeoka in over 20 countries throughout Europe, Africa, and North America, including on several TED talk stages. Previous to that, Franz spent years honing his chops on stage playing shows with a variety of artists including The Bleedin Bleedins and Midatlantic all over the east coast of the US and in Ireland. With the release of To The Unknown Franz is looking forward to playing live but this time at the front of the stage behind the mic. 

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