ERIKA LEWIS RELEASES NEW SINGLE “A THOUSAND MILES”

"A classic country heartbreaker you can dance to" - Wide Open Country  

"On her debut solo album, Lewis...trades in her blue notes for pure country. Lewis reveals a clear prettiness that much of her former work obscured, as well as formidable songwriting skills." - OffBeat Magazine  

“Down home rock & roll” - Glide Magazine  

“...able to sweep up all the sadness and pain of the human condition and bundle it up into something sweet and strangely uplifting…Taking the clear-eyed charm of Gillian Welch or Laura Cantrell and adding a cheeky twist of girl group sass” - Holler.  

"Tuba Skinny’s Erika Lewis tries her hand convincingly at Americana on this...It’s a genre exercise, just like Tuba Skinny’s take on traditional jazz, but I’ll take exercises this well executed." - My Spilt Milk    

"This feels like it was written to be a soundtrack to a period piece about mid-20th century America and we’re here for it." - Ear To The Ground  

“...light and modern take on folk while still being rooted in the traditional side of the genre” - If It’s Too Loud  

"The voice of an angel" - Beehive Candy 

Photo credit: Sarrah Danziger

LISTEN: “A THOUSAND MILES” 

Asheville-based singer-songwriter and member of beloved New Orleans collective Tuba Skinny, Erika Lewis, has unveiled “A Thousand Miles,” the latest single from her forthcoming album A Walk Around The Sun, set for release on April 29th. “‘A Thousand Miles’ was written when I first met an old lover of mine,” Lewis explains. “It encompasses the magic and possibility I was feeling at the time, the feeling that comes with new love.”  

"On "A Thousand Miles," Lewis takes us on a breezy classic country ramble, her angelic voice soaring above an easygoing waltz adorned with warm pedal steel and fiddle. Its release follows “Unsatisfied,” a song born from life in New Orleans and navigating the dynamics that come with relationships that revolve around the never-ending nightlife. Twangville said the track is “a taste of good music to come." “Unsatisfied” follows “Loser,” a song about the push and pull of romantic relationships, being willing to do anything to make them work but not really knowing what to do, and learning to move on. 

LISTEN: “UNSATISFIED”  

LISTEN: “LOSER” 

A Walk Around The Sun is a series of lyrical vignettes that examine the margins between love and loss, joy and grief, and longing and contentment. Lewis deepens her sonic palette across classic country, cosmic Americana, and dreamy indie-folk while enveloping a wide scope of roots music styles. Whether it’s through sweeping strings, pedal steel, a hybridized psych-rock guitar, or Lewis’ soaring vocals, A Walk Around The Sun takes a closer look at the connections between lovers and friends, and the effect of these relationships on the self. 

Produced by John James Tourville (The Deslondes) and recorded in Nashville at Andrija Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter, A Walk Around the Sun features 11 all-original songs that reflect Lewis’s songwriting power across narrative and textures. 

After a health scare in 2020 that required surgery that could damage her vocal cords and effectively end Lewis’ career, friend Lani Tourville inspired her to push through and record an  album before the surgery. A Walk Around The Sun is another chapter in Lewis’ expansive songwriting and a testament to her fortitude in the face of near-overwhelming pain and doubt.  

Lewis excels at bottling sweeping, deeply relatable themes, and unraveling the human experience, all while pinpointing her place in these stories and within the world at large. Her approach as an artist and performer is informed by the years she spent cutting her teeth busking in the streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter and in Europe.  

In New Orleans, Lewis joined a team of fellow street performers and friends, making traditional jazz and swing music as Tuba Skinny. Eventually, she built up the momentum to record her own material outside of the group, finding inspiration in fellow New Orleans-based musicians, and songwriters including Alynda Segarra, Kiki Cavazos, Sam Doores, Riley Downing, Meschiya Lake, and more.  

A Walk Around The Sun is now available for pre-save and pre-order, click HERE for more information. Be sure to follow Erika Lewis at the links below for the latest news.  

AUSTIN DUO BETH // JAMES RELEASE “BOY GENIUS” TODAY! FIRST SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM GET TOGETHER DUE JUNE 3, 2022

Photo Credit: Madeline Northway

“BOY GENIUS”: STREAM

AUSTIN, TX – Blending American tradition, modern folk and hints of indie pop and rock, Austin’s Beth // James is led by the husband/wife duo of Mikaela Beth and Jordan James Burchill. They are readying their debut full length album Get Together for release June 3rd. Today, they share the first single “Boy Genius” available now. 

“Boy Genius” is about the kind of person who thinks they know everything about everything and cannot wait to tell you about it. “Unfortunately, we all probably know someone like this,” says Mikaela. “Thankfully, songwriting is there for you when you need to vent and that’s how Boy Genius came about.”

Lyrically, the story was set at a fictional bar in South Austin called “Johnny’s on the Southside”, while musically it’s inspired by Fleetwood Mac who combine insightful lyrics and vocal harmonies.

“The breezy sound and pleasant dynamic shape this delightful song, while the irony in the lyrics bring more colors to it… ‘Boy Genius’ is a beautiful embodiment of folk pop patterns, performed in a passionate and refreshing manner.” -Tonic Grain

ABOUT BETH // JAMES

Beth // James is the Austin-based husband/wife duo of Mikaela Beth and Jordan James Burchill who met at the University of North Texas’s prestigious jazz program. Both highly accomplished players, Jordan and Mikaela are deeply embedded in the Austin music scene, and have gathered a constellation of like-minded friends who contribute throughout the record. Jordan has been a collaborator of Austin psych-rockers White Denim in the past, and their shared love of jazz, great songwriting, and all things guitar proved to be a perfect fit. Their song “Lion Eyes” from the debut EP All In Life made its way into Spike Lee’s Oscar-nominated BlackKklansman.

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ASHLEY MYLES “DELIVERS THE GOODS” (-EARMILK) DEBUT EP TIDES OUT TODAY!

Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez

TIDES EP OUT NOW

STREAM

LONG ISLAND, NY – Soulful singer/songwriter Ashley Myles sings about tides, fires, and storms—all phenomena that could describe her voice on her forthcoming EP Tides, out today!

 “Myles delivers the goods with her commanding vocals that cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter.”  -EarMilk

Tides EP showcases four tracks that dive deep into the understanding that there are situations we can’t change. The soul-infused pop songs carry their own, but it’s Myles’ voice that really lifts them up. Working with co-writer and producer Rob Kleiner (Kylie Minogue, CeeLo Green) in his Los Angeles studio, Myles transformed her songs into forces of nature.

BUZZ

“anthemic…profoundly influenced by Myles’ background in musical theater/dramatic arts and passion for storytelling.” - Jazziz

“The energy of [‘Fire’] is so beautiful and the production is smart and professional which took this song to a new whole level. In twists of an airy groove, this talented artist captivates our hearts with her ethereal and explosive harmonies.” - Independent Spirits

“Heavy and deep indeed – reflected in the turbulent, dramatic nature of the music… the poignant ‘Bricks’ is the standout. Vocally, Myles delivers powerfully matching the messages in the music.” - Soulandjazzandfunk.com

 “This is R&B-soaked pop music that is reminiscent of musicians like Adele, where the vocals take center stage as the melodic and emotional drive of the song. As Myles continually comes back to the lyrical motif of “keep rolling,” there’s a sense of perseverance and encouragement that rises to the surface.” – Alchemical Records

“…super strong with vibrato in all the right places and the bluesy drawl that really fits the edge of the song, call and response never hurts in my opinion either. Great edgy track..” – Hot Lunch Music

“TIDES” SINGLE (OUT NOW)

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“FIRE” SINGLE (OUT NOW)

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EDIE CAREY SHARES “THE CHAIN” AVAILABLE TODAY + NEW ALBUM THE VEIL DUE JUNE 3, 2022

photo credit Steve Willis

“THE CHAIN” SINGLE

LISTEN | STREAM/PURCHASE

Colorado Springs, CO - Folk/Americana singer-songwriter Edie Carey is readying her latest collection of songs for her eleventh album The Veil due June 3, 2022. Produced by Scott Wiley, the album features Grammy-nominated friend and frequent collaborator Rose Cousins and Mai Bloomfield (Jason Mraz, Sara Bareilles). Throughout the twelve songs set, Carey weaves her “gentle story-telling, rich with humanity and insight.” (-Paste)

Today, she offers “The Chain,” written with her friend and fellow Colorado songwriter Megan Burtt. “The Chain” is about feeling like we are never enough in the eyes of another, that no matter what we do or try to prove, their view of us remains unchanged. It’s a song of realization, of recognition and, ultimately, of letting go.

“Edie Carey’s plaintive vocals will give you pause, and invite you into that still place where you can safely ask yourself tough questions from within a tense relationship: ‘will I ever be enough for you’?” - Americana Highways

 “You can’t quite believe how lucky you are to write a healing song with a friend in your kitchen and then get to witness the magic of it becoming something real and tangible and beyond what you could have imagined in the studio,” says Carey.

“The Chain” is the first single from her forthcoming album The Veil available June 3, 2022.

ABOUT EDIE CAREY: For the last 22 years, Carey has been working as a full-time performing songwriter, touring rigorously to promote her award-winning records, which now include Come Close, her 2002 live CD, When I Was Made (2004), Another Kind of Fire (2006), itsgonnabegreat (a 2008 collaboration with Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Rose Cousins), 2010′s Bring The Sea, 2014’s award-winning ’Til The Morning: Lullabies and Songs of Comfort (a duo album with Sarah Sample), and most recently, paper rings: 8 love stories, her 2016 collection of love songs commissioned by her fans. Looking back, Carey has to wonder if she’s accidentally ended up exactly where she was supposed to be. "Carey may have started out wanting to be a doctor but she found her true calling in music. Her pop-folk songs are smart tales of love, life and longing." -Chicago Sun-Times 

KEEP UP WITH EDIE CAREY

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XANDER AND THE PEACE PIRATES TIMELY SINGLE “WE CRY” OUT TODAY + ALBUM ORDER OUT OF CHAOS AVAILABLE MAY 6th

“WE CRY”: LISTEN/BUY 

LONDON, ENGLAND - Xander and the Peace Pirates timely and poignant second single “We Cry” is brimming with their singular specialities in sound: timeless, soulful blues-rock that can lure listeners hearts and minds into their magical musical sonic- sphere. Following in the wake of “Leave The Light On”, the new single is out today, with the 10-track album Order Out Of Chaos due for release on 6th May and available for pre-order.

“We Cry” echoes of classic tracks in its tempo, and in Keith Xander's beautifully nuanced lead vocals and guitar work, around which the band build a rich, unfolding soundscape of melody. It's no wonder 'Whispering' Bob Harris proclaimed: “This band are just awesome and take me right back to my OGWT (Old Grey Whistle Test) days,” on BBC Radio 2.

Straightaway, this track hooks the listener with its opening riff, then draws them in with its laid-back, infectious melody and sweet as honey vocals and unique lead guitar. The latter becomes even more impressive when you watch the band’s videos and witness lead singer and guitarist Keith Xander play with such expressiveness and fluidity. Keith was born without a right arm below the elbow, so plays his guitar using a prosthesis and hook with a pick attached at the end. 

As Classic Rock Magazine noted, “The novelty of frontman Keith Xander's guitar approach — he lodges a plectrum in the hook of his prosthetic arm — is soon overshadowed by this band’s convincing splice of soul, blues and country.” 

In short, Keith’s virtuosity simply rivals the best in the business, on a totally level playing field and the band’s seductive sound speaks for itself. What’s more, while the song and virtuosity are timeless, the inspiration behind the song lies very much in the present, and — as is characteristic of Xander and the Peace Pirates’ work — there are positive, inspirational, thought-provoking themes and messages.

“This song is about how, when Humans become divided within themselves, they imagine enemies that are not there,” the band explain, “They no longer see that everything is part of what they are and divide up into things that they think they know and understand.Those who are in positions of power (or at least believe they are) are often living in a tightly held illusion that they are separate from the whole. Within that illusion, they appear to use their power to create enemies and wars between innocent people who would not usually have issues with each other; only to serve their personal agendas of control and power over the masses. ‘We Cry’ expresses the struggle of all of our Human family becoming divided through this persistent illusion of separation.”

The following are just some of the choice testimonials and excellent critiques that the band has generated from the press and music industry.

The novelty of frontman Keith Xander’s guitar approach – he lodges a plectrum in the hook of his prosthetic arm – is soon overshadowed by this band’s convincing splice of soul, blues and country.” - Classic Rock Magazine, UK
 
"Xander and the Peace Pirates have done a number of concerts with us in Germany now and it has been a musical and personal pleasure to work with them. They are really very unusual but most importantly, they are very good." – Manfred Mann 
 
"Very cool. The guy plays and sings great! Hard to believe these guys are from the UK. I like it!" – Steve Lukather (TOTO) 
 
“This guy is not only inspiring but lovely too!” – Rick Allen (Def Leppard)
 
“They’re a great band with a big future for sure” – Joanne Shaw Taylor 

“LEAVE THE LIGHT ON” SINGLE 

STREAM || VIDEO

ORDER OUT OF CHAOS ( OUT 5/6/22)

PRE-ORDER

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LOS ANGELES BAND CALLING CADENCE RELEASES “CALIFORNIA BARTENDER” SINGLE FROM THEIR FORTHCOMING SELF-TITLED DEBUT ALBUM OUT MAY3 ON HI-RES RECORDS

“… a sound that's as warm and diverse as the duo's native California.” - Folk n’ Rock

“Their voices are a match made in heaven, and that paired with their unique songwriting skills make Calling Cadence something truly special. All of that wrapped up in beautiful melodies that mix classic rock with country influences makes one of the best bands we’ve seen in recent times.” - The Honey Pop

”L.A. band Calling Cadence has released a new song with an old-school vibe. The band says the song “Throw My Body” was recorded without the use of any computers; the performance was captured with a vintage tape machine.”  -  KTLA (on “Throw My Body”) 

“...capturing the classic sound of Motown on record, and combining 

classic musical forms with modern lyrical narratives.” - The Indy Review 

“...it’s a smorgasbord of folk, rock, soul, punk, jazz and country with an easy-to-digest attitude and gotcha hooks. All that, coupled with the extremely high level of musicianship, 

makes the end product easily absorbed.” - The Audio Beat 

“The band casts a large net and has clearly soaked up inspiration from a disparate cross-section of some all-timers while forging their own sound that could sit comfortably next to Chris Stapleton (“Took a Chance”) or… Michael frigging Jackson (“This Time”). There’s Memphis Soul, and A.M. Gold in them hills too. A veritable smorgasbord of sonic exploration and goodness.“ - Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity

CR: Michelle Shiers

LISTEN TO “CALIFORNIA BARTENDER” HERE

Los Angeles band Calling Cadence has released their fourth single, “California Bartender” — out today on hi-res records off their forthcoming self-titled LP. Fronted by Oscar Bugarin and Rae Cole, Calling Cadence is a band rooted in harmony — harmony between voices, between songwriters, between genres like rock, country and Southern soul. The result is a sound that's as warm and diverse as the duo's native California, where Oscar and Rae first crossed paths. 

“California Bartender” was written from the real-life perspective of Rae working as a bartender in Los Angeles. While the song has an uplifting summertime feeling, at its lyrical core are the very real and sometimes heartbreaking stories overhead from across the bar. This song is a window into the ups and downs of aspiring artists in Los Angeles, a city that can be unforgiving and merciless. “I love having Oscar as a bandmate because we are able to work simple jams into meaningful songs in a way that feels effortless when we align. Most of the lyrics/chords from our original improvised jam remained in the final production,” says Rae.

Calling Cadence has received support from legendary Los Angeles rock station KLOS. They were featured on the popular KLOS Friday morning Heidi & Frank show. Additional radio support has come in from Nashville's WMOT, WCNR in Charlotte, WPYA in Birmingham, WCLX in Burlington, KSYM in San Antonio. 

Calling Cadence, the band's self-titled debut album, showcases a group whose songs nod to the past while resolutely pushing forward. It's a classic-sounding record (recorded, mixed and mastered straight to analog tape) for the contemporary world. Computers were only employed for streaming prep and CD replication. Produced by David Swartz and Matt Linesch, the album is being released on their own hi-res records label. The producers and the band thought long and hard about diving into the all-analog domain but came to the conclusion that the final product would benefit in a way that digital would not allow. The 15 songs shine a light on Calling Cadence's strength as a live act, blending Oscar and Rae's entwined voices with vintage keyboards, guitar heroics and plenty of percussive and low-end stomp. Josh Adams (Norah Jones, Beck, Fruit Bats): drums, Elijah Thomson (Father John Misty, Nathaniel Rateliff): bass, and Mitchell Yoshida (Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros): keyboards, round out the core band.

For Calling Cadence (whose name pays tribute to Oscar's time in the army), recording to analog tape wasn't just a production choice; it was a way of maintaining honesty with themselves and their audience. Like the classic albums that inspired Calling Cadence's layered vocal arrangements and warm, guitar-driven sound, the record is a genuine snapshot of a band on the rise. And, once again, it all comes back to harmony.

Calling Cadence will be playing at the Mint in Los Angeles on March 30.  More information can be found HERE. 

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THE SULLY BAND’S DEBUT LP LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT! AVAILABLE VIA BELLY UP RECORDS/BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS + DEBUTS AT #3 ON BILLBOARD’S BLUES CHART

NEW SINGLE “WHEN THE BATTLE IS OVER (FT. REBECCA JADE)” NOMINATED FOR A 2022 SAN DIEGO MUSIC AWARD

“Let’s Straighten It Out captures the band’s show-stopping magic…Put this slab of vinyl on the turntable — or crank up your iPhone —and get the party started.” - No Depression 

“...just plain fun. No matter your age, this is dance-around-the-living-room music.” - Twangville 

 “...one of the most ethnically diverse ensembles in San Diego” - San Diego Union-Tribune 

“...a thrilling new approach to Soul.” - Blues Blast Magazine 

“...a love letter written in album hits and deep cuts from icons who paved the way” - Blues Rock Review 

"The Sully Band doesn’t just play and sing these numbers, they own them” - The Rock Doctor 

“…a voice matured by a bucketload of life’s rich experiences; and finally earning his rightful place at the table"        - Rocking Magpie 

“...this band is firing on all cylinders….Excellent!" - Bman’s Blues Report 

"If you’re looking for a party in your ears, look no further than The Sully Band…." - Mother Church Pew 

 LISTEN: LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT!  

MARCH 22, 2022 — On March 11th, San Diego’s “Best Live Band,” The Sully Band, released their debut LP Let’s Straighten It Out! via Belly Up Records/Blue Élan Records to much critical acclaim and an entry at #3 on Billboard’s Blues chart this week. The album was curated and produced by multiple GRAMMY-Award winner Chris Goldsmith. With it, Robert “Sully” Sullivan 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 band celebrated the lauded debut with a triumphant album release show at the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach, California on March 17th, packing the legendary 600-person venue to near capacity. Special guests included Sydney Sierota of Echosmith singing a reprised version of “Cool Kids,” Rebecca Jade joining the stage for “When The Battle Is Over” and “RESPECT,” and Anthony Cullins joining for “If You Love Me Like You Say.” 

While the show was already made magical by the enthusiastic crowd and guest performances, it was also an extremely personal experience for Sully himself, as the show paid tribute to his close friend and work-wife of 25 years, Russ T Nailz, a San Diego personality, who died suddenly on March 9th while filming the show he co-hosted with Sully called “On the Air with Sully, Little Tommy & Russ T Nailz.” 

Photo by: Steve Sherman / @tsherms

The album’s “When The Battle Is Over (ft. Rebecca Jade)” written by Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) and Jessie Hill, was nominated for a 2022 San Diego Music Award for Best R&B, Funk or Soul Song.  

Let’s Straighten It Out! also features Billy Preston’s “Nothing From Nothing” and Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher,” treasures which 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, appears alongside Shuggie Otis’ “Ice Cold Daydream,” and “I Wish It Would Rain,” first made a hit by The Temptations. On “If You Love Me Like You Say,” the late Albert “Iceman” 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 all over the globe. 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, Lynyrd Skynyrd). According to Rock & Blues Muse, “This band sounds like they’ve been together for years.”

Click HERE to stream and download Let’s Straighten It Out!, and head over to the Blue Élan Records website to purchase merch and album bundles and pre-order Let’s Straighten It Out! on vinyl.

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.

INTRODUCING: BOB MARSTON & THE CREDIBLE SOURCES FORTHCOMING DEBUT LP SO LONG DUE JUNE 3RD + NEW SINGLE “SO LONG” OUT TODAY

LISTEN: “SO LONG”  

SPOTIFY | SOUNDCLOUD  

Today, Birmingham, Alabama-based band Bob Marston & the Credible Sources have announced their forthcoming debut full-length LP, due out June 3rd, with the release of its title track. Marston wrote "So Long" after reflecting on how to be a better friend, take equal responsibility for disconnection, and put in equal work for reconnection. 

"It ends with an expression of patience and love, or patient love,” Marston explains. “A call to action inviting the narrator, the subject, and the listener to realize that we often forget where these rifts came from and to explore coming together in love to heal. Coming together knowing that the solution lies among a loving community."  

The Credible Sources are equal parts roots rock backing band and high-flying, improv-ready aces. Truly a whole greater than the sum of its wildly capable parts, the band is known for its intricately-woven guitar parts, tight and compelling bass and drum grooves, and pure, emotive vocals, a sound that garners comparisons to The Grateful Dead, Wilco, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and more. 

Marston (acoustic guitar/electric guitar/lead vocals) is accompanied by George Hipp (acoustic guitar/electric guitar/dobro/ backing vocals), Natalie Valentine (backing vocals), Aaron Branson or Eric Onimus on bass, and drummer Brett Huffman. So Long also features keyboard master Matt Slocum (Railroad Earth, Jimmy Herring, and more), powerhouse vocalist LaToya Matthews, and monster bass player Adrian Marmolejo (Early James and the Latest). Trombonist Chad Fisher (St. Paul and the Broken Bones), Allen Branstetter (St. Paul and the Broken Bones) on trumpet, and Gary Wheat on saxophone and clarinet bring horn-infused heat, while award-winning fiddler Adam Purvis, Niamh Tuohy (violin), Melanie Richardson-Rodgers (viola), and Patty Pillon (cello) provide cinematic strings.  

The album’s tracks explore love and devotion through the lens of attempts to salvage a challenging relationship, the processing of a painful breakup, and a patient plea for reconciliation, to pondering life’s big questions and commentary on issues of social injustice and society. Ultimately, So Long is about striving to find humanity in ourselves, our friends and lovers, our communities, and in society as a whole.  

Whether you need comfort through the depths of loss, heartache, and grief, are looking for a soundtrack to your summer, or just want to dance, you will find it in the grooves of So Long. Brought together by luck, fate, and destiny, this band of seasoned professionals and unproven hotshots upends stereotypes and breaks paradigms as it brings a message of love, honesty, empathy, and infinite possibility to the world, one song at a time.  

So Long is available for pre-order at iTunes and Bandcamp. Be sure to follow Bob Marston & the Credible Sources at the links below for all the latest news and updates. 

SO LONG TRACKLIST 

BY THE WAY 

DIAMOND A DAY 

 REAL MAGIC, GOOD PEOPLE 

RIGHT BY YOU 

PICK UP YOUR GUITAR 

SO LONG 

SUNDAYS 

LYIN’ EYES 

PICK YOU FIRST 

FAR & WIDE 

MRS. HENRY ANNOUNCES DRUNKARD’S DREAM ARTS AND MUSIC + NEW COLLABORATION WITH LEGENDARY SONGWRITER JACK TEMPCHIN

Photo by Andrew Huse

San Diego band Mrs. Henry is excited to announce their new forthcoming project with legendary songwriter Jack Tempchin that will be debuting their project live at   Drunkard's Dream Arts + Music Festival, presented by Blind Owl & Bad Vibes Good Friends at ReBru Spirits in San Diego’s Barrio Logan on April 9th, 2022. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Rollin From the Heart, an organization providing disadvantaged and at-risk youth the opportunity to participate in skateboarding, surfing, and camping in an effort to promote a more active lifestyle and encourage positive choices.

Tempchin is best known for penning some of the Eagles’ most beloved songs including “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” and co-writing “ Already Gone,” “The Girl From Yesterday,” and “It’s Your World Now.” In addition to the Eagles, Tempchin has written songs for artists such as George Jones, Glenn Campbell, Emmylou Harris, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and several other legendary artists and groups. 

“Jack Tempchin is our Obi-Wan,” says Blake Dean (Vocals and Bass for Mrs. Henry). “Before meeting Jack, our band Mrs. Henry was battling away through their plot, making big plans and deals to support a massive recording effort, a three-record rock opera called Hope Keep On Rising. We were in the middle of making music videos and scheduling international tours. We were also in the middle of doing a second guest-riddled 3 hour Last Waltz concert. It was there we were fortunate enough to have Jack sit in and jam with us. During a rehearsal, we ran a couple of Waltz songs and during a break, he just started quietly strumming and singing one of his originals. One by one we all gradually started joining in and picking up on his chorus and filling our own ranges to harmonize. It clicked. It was awesome. Jack said something like ‘well... I ain't Bob Dylan and you ain't The Band... But I think we've got something here.’”

Mrs. Henry is led by Dan Cervantes (Howlin Rain guitarist + Blind Owl label owner), and is rounded out by Jody Bagley (Vocals and Keyboards), Blake Dean (Vocals and Bass), and Chad Lee (Vocals and Drums).  The group was ignited by a consciousness-changing West Coast tour in 2015. Since then, Mrs. Henry has spent the last five years on the road building an unrivaled reputation for their brand of intergalactic boogie with a torrent of improvisation, and in turn, a cult following atop their already well-established individual credits (Howlin’ Rain, The Schizophonics, The Silent Comedy). Endurance is their vocation and bringing unapologetically live music into a new era is their mission. 

“A musician can play with a lot of players in his life, but it’s not how good the players are that give the band a chance to be truly great. What makes greatness is how well you fit together..isn’t it?” says Tempchin. “You can’t create this kind of magic, like love or friendship, you just have to keep living and looking until you find it. Once you find it, hang on, because you probably won’t find it again. I feel like the MRS HENRY band and I were so lucky to find each other.”  The Jack Tempchin featuring Mrs. Henry will be releasing music, a collection of original songs later this year. For a sneak peek into what’s to come watch “Waiting,” performed live HERE. 

On November 25, 1976, legendary rock group The Band called it quits, and they, along with a group of iconic friends and musicians, documented their legendary final performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco with the help of filmmaker Martin Scorsese. In the spirit of celebrating music and the collaborative spirit of the performance, Mrs. Henry set their sights on paying homage to that historic night by recreating it in their hometown of San Diego. 

Planning and rehearsing for the event took nearly a year, and the stress nearly broke up the band. But for Mrs. Henry, the challenge ignited a new purpose and an infectious wave of inspiration. On November 26, 2017 Mrs. Henry performed the Last Waltz in its entirety with a wonderful community of San Diego artists, along with guest performances by Pat Beers of The Schitzophonics, Brenden Dellar of Sacri Monti, Jesse Lee of The Paragraphs, Clinton Davis, Noah C Lekas and more. 

WATCH “DON’T DO IT” FROM MRS. HENRY PRESENTS THE LAST WALTZ HERE

The show was recorded and released by Blind Owl on multiple formats including a triple vinyl set, mixed by Stephen Kaye (The Growlers, Ziggy Marley), mastered by Joe Bozzi, known for his work with Last Waltz alumni Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and housed in a high-quality LP jacket designed by artist Roy G. Biv.  The vinyl package also includes an exclusive bonus 7” featuring studio versions of “The Weight” and “Evangeline.”  The film premiered at the Oceanside Film Festival  (more details HERE),  was a part of the International Shorts Film Festival. 

Mrs. Henry will be revisiting this magical night by performing music from The Band at the Drunkard’s Dream Arts & Music Festival.  The festival will feature additional performances by celebrated groups including slick and defiant surf-rock duo Puerto, frenetic brass band Fresh Veggies Micro Brass, scuzzy garage/shoegaze outfit Feliz, and Zack Oakley of the Southern California psych giants JOY. The festival will additionally feature the work of celebrated artists and vendors including Hard To Kill Leather, Errant Gem jewelry by Rafael Rios-Mathioudakis, and Por La Mano Press by  Irie Iye and Dientes Perdidos.

KEEP UP WITH MRS. HENRY

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LOS ANGELES SINGER-SONGWRITER TEDDY GROSSMAN RELEASES HIS HIGHLY ANTICIPATED DEBUT ALBUM SOON COME

"Grossman’s lyrics tread the classic territory of a failed love affair, while his vocals cast the track in the bruised cries and irresistible melodies of Otis Redding or Bill Withers. - Under the Radar

“It’s lushly orchestrated, adorned with strings, horns, organ, slide guitar and backing vocals. Not unlike contemporary soul men such as Curtis Harding, Benjamin Booker, Nathaniel Rateliff and Anderson East, Grossman does right by his R&B and folk heroes.” - Buzzbands LA

“With its lyrics about opening up to someone and letting the walls come down in order to give love and receive love, the song has a throwback soul sound that is sunny and hopeful. Drawing on the 60s and 70s R&B and soul music, the song carries a deep groove and sensuality. It’s also a wonderful showcase for Grossman’s silky smooth vocals."  - Glide Magazine

“Sometimes we still reach our destination even when our path veers off course. For singer-songwriter Teddy Grossman, that meant a much longer journey into seeing his dream of a debut solo album realized.” - Americana Highways

His lyrics are both relatable and personal, and his story, even at its beginnings, is worth hearing.“ - SongFacts

“The L.A.-based singer/songwriter creates soulful music with melodies that linger in listeners’ minds. “ - American Songwriter

“Teddy Grossman …...takes inspiration from the heartland folk feel of Neil Young’s Harvest for an intimate look at Grossman’s joy in finally feeling settled after a cross-country move.” - UPROXX

 Listen to Soon Come: HERE 

LA-based singer/songwriter Teddy Grossman has released his highly anticipated debut album Soon Come, which was a lifetime in the making. 

Although a lifelong music lover & maker, pursuing a career in music was put on the back burner. After a decade of his own music playing second fiddle to the life of a traveling salesman, Grossman picked up everything and moved to Los Angeles, where he soon began recording what would become, Soon Come, leaving behind his job and former life along the way.  The ever-soulful singer-songwriter emotes like a man who has been down many paths, only to arrive back definitively where he’s forever belonged. “I need to be able to look back at my life and say I gave it a real go.”  This steady perseverance, this take-no-prisoners passion of Grossman’s— it all goes a long way in explaining why the multi-talented artist has finally arrived at this moment, his moment, which comes pouring forth via his cerebral and sublimely centered songs— the sort that speak to years of hard-won wisdom and, well, maybe a bit of luck. 

With the reaction to Grossman’s  initial single offerings from the album, it looks like that  combo of luck and wisdom has come full circle.  “I had this impossible aim of following Music From Big Pink and Voodoo as the north star of this record,” Grossman explains. Part gospel and blues and rock and folk and Appalachia and soul and R&B his early singles won over fans and media alike Golden State called single “Out Of Thin Air,” “a warm glass of rye whiskey cupped in your hand while you digest your meal and watch the Lions lose another game.”  Soultracks said “‘Ready,” “showcases an artist who is more than ready to make his mark in the music world,”   and Under the Radar compared “Giving Up” to the classic soul of Bill Withers and Otis Redding, saying that the song “sports a universal pop appeal, with gospel backing vocals and a standout climactic sax solo, bringing the track to a sing-along fever pitch." The first few singles have garnered over 1 million streams and have featured on Spotify playlists such  Mellow Morning, Retro Soul, and Morning Commute, and  Apple Music playlists’  Acoustic Chill, Long Walk, Smooth Easy, Breaking R&B and New in R&B, seeing him right alongside artists like Leon Bridges, Yola, Lee Fields, Zella Day Brandi Carlile etc. 

Accompanying these stunners are some of Grossman’s most story rich songs, which were saved for the album including, “Crowned,”  a song that sprang forth from an unlikely friendship with the iconic singer-songwriter Bill Withers near the end of the legend’s life. After a chance meeting one night, in 2018, at a small Bill Withers tribute concert in Los Angeles, Grossman and longtime musical collaborator and drummer, Josh Teitelbaum, wound up going over to Withers’ house for a few inspired hangs. The song recounts Bill’s incredible life, referencing a phrase Withers kept saying as he’d run his fingers through his full head of hair during their time together - “I’m Crowned in Glory.” “Why Should I Pretend?,” probably the most personal and poignant song on the album, was first written by Grossman’s grandfather Buddy back in the 1930’s. It was recorded later that decade by jazz icon Louis Prima & his New Orleans Gang. Grossman even plays his childhood instrument, the trumpet on the song, as a tribute to his late grandfather.

“For a long time in my life, I felt this low-grade hum in the background that I wasn’t really where I was supposed to be,”says Grossman. Soon Come, then, he says, “is ultimately a record about hope, and a deep knowing that we’re gonna get there… all in good time.”

Teddy will be playing an album release show in Los Angeles at Gold Diggers on April 13. Ticket information is HERE.

Keep Up With Teddy Grossman

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ERIKA LEWIS PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “UNSATISFIED” VIA TWANGVILLE + A WALK AROUND THE SUN LP SET FOR RELEASE APRIL 29TH

"A classic country heartbreaker you can dance to" - Wide Open Country  

"Fans who know Erika Lewis as the brassy blues singer in front of Tuba Skinny have only gotten a part of the story. On her debut solo album, Lewis...trades in her blue notes for pure country. Lewis reveals a clear prettiness that much of her former work obscured, as well as formidable songwriting skills." - OffBeat Magazine  

“...able to sweep up all the sadness and pain of the human condition and bundle it up into something sweet and strangely uplifting…Taking the clear-eyed charm of Gillian Welch or Laura Cantrell and adding a cheeky twist of girl group sass” - Holler.  

"Tuba Skinny’s Erika Lewis tries her hand convincingly at Americana on this...It’s a genre exercise, just like Tuba Skinny’s take on traditional jazz, but I’ll take exercises this well executed." - My Spilt Milk    

“...light and modern take on folk while still being rooted in the traditional side of the genre” - If It’s Too Loud  

"The voice of an angel" - Beehive Candy 

Photo credit: Sarrah Danziger

LISTEN: “UNSATISFIED”  

Asheville-based singer-songwriter Erika Lewis has released “Unsatisfied,” the latest single from her forthcoming album A Walk Around The Sun, set for release on April 29th. "Although there’s a lot of fiddle and steel guitar on the album, one of my favorite songs veers into a roots rock vein with a driving beat from bass and drums,” Twangville’s Shawn Underwood said of the track. “It’s a tale of trying to manage a relationship when there’s a 24/7/365 party atmosphere all around you and Lewis manages to capture that ambiguity in her vocal delivery...a taste of good music to come." 

"'Unsatisfied' was born from life in New Orleans and navigating the dynamics that come with relationships that revolve around the never-ending nightlife," Lewis, a vocalist in beloved New Orleans collective Tuba Skinny, told Twangville. “Unsatisfied” follows “Loser,” a song about the push and pull of romantic relationships, being willing to do anything to make them work but not really knowing what to do, and learning to move on. 

LISTEN: “LOSER” 

A Walk Around The Sun is a series of lyrical vignettes that examine the margins between love and loss, joy and grief, and longing and contentment. Lewis deepens her sonic palette across classic country, cosmic Americana, and dreamy indie-folk while enveloping a wide scope of roots music styles. Whether it’s through sweeping strings, pedal steel, a hybridized psych-rock guitar, or Lewis’ soaring vocals, A Walk Around The Sun takes a closer look at the connections between lovers and friends, and the effect of these relationships on the self. 

Produced by John James Tourville (The Deslondes) and recorded in Nashville at Andrija Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter, A Walk Around the Sun features 11 all-original songs that reflect Lewis’s songwriting power across narrative and textures. 

After a health scare in 2020 that required surgery that could damage her vocal cords and effectively end Lewis’ career, friend Lani Tourville inspired her to push through and record an  album before the surgery. A Walk Around The Sun is another chapter in Lewis’ expansive songwriting and a testament to her fortitude in the face of near-overwhelming pain and doubt.  

Lewis excels at bottling sweeping, deeply relatable themes, and unraveling the human experience, all while pinpointing her place in these stories and within the world at large. Her approach as an artist and performer is informed by the years she spent cutting her teeth busking in the streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter and in Europe.  

In New Orleans, Lewis joined a team of fellow street performers and friends, making traditional jazz and swing music as Tuba Skinny. Eventually, she built up the momentum to record her own material outside of the group, finding inspiration in fellow New Orleans-based musicians, and songwriters including Alynda Segarra, Kiki Cavazos, Sam Doores, Riley Downing, Meschiya Lake, and more.  

A Walk Around The Sun is now available for pre-save and pre-order, click HERE for more information. Be sure to follow Erika Lewis at the links below for the latest news.  

MICKELSON POKES AT OUR POLITICAL AND IDEALOGICAL DIVIDE ON NEW SINGLE “A MURDER OF CROWS” OUT MARCH 11

“A MURDER OF CROWS” (OUT 3/11/22)

WATCH || PRE-SAVE 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – San Francisco producer/artist Mickelson creates “American folk-rock with a post punk edge” (-Alternative Press) exemplified on his new album Known To Be Unknown available April 15, 2022.

Never one to shy away from controversial topics, Mickelson tackles content gun violence and gun control directly on the “anthemic” (- Americana U.K.)  first album single, “UNarmed American,” released in 2021, and pokes at the political and ideological divide for the second single “A Murder of Crows,” available Friday, March 11.

The song premiered earlier this week on Twangville and today V13 exclusively shares the video.

“Mickelson reflects on the discourse around masks, vaccinations, and personal freedom, set against an ominous banjo backdrop.” - Twangville

“Singer and songwriter Scott Mickelson has had a lot of thoughts and ideas developing in his head in the time since his, and everyone else’s, world changed approximately two years ago. Like all great artists, he’s taken positive inspiration from it all, all while making sure to press the record button as he sits with his guitar, reflecting and deliberating about life and living. Today, we are reaping the benefits of Mickelson’s meditations on the world, with the debut of his new music video for ‘A Murder of Crows.’” – V13

Known To Be UnKnows, his fourth solo album, will be released on April 15, 2022.

ABOUT MICKELSON: Scott Mickelson is an artist/producer from San Francisco. In 2015, he released his solo debut album Flickering that was on the Grammy ballot for “Best Folk Album” and “Best Roots Music Performance”. His follow up full-length A Wondrous Life (2018) and Drowning In An Inflatable Pool (2020) received critics praise in the U.S. and abroad which led to his first European tour in 2019. As a producer, his work includes the critically acclaimed Blanket The Homeless benefit compilation which featured Grammy winner Fantastic Negrito. Last November, he released “UNarmed American” the first video/single from the forthcoming full-length Known To Be Unknown. It premiered on Americana U.K. and led to his invitation to The Mavericks Festival in the U.K. 

BUZZ

“The combination of the layered vocals and instrumental textures, along with a tune that feels immediately familiar, is that ‘UNarmed American’ becomes anthemic.” - Americana U.K.

“Mickelson unveils his most politically charged work to date with Drowning In An Inflatable Pool. It’s an album rooted in a collective frustration about the mismanagement of our country by this current White House administration.” - American Songwriter

“this music is the balance between strong, subtle, unexpected, and sophisticated.” - Paste Magazine

 “I call it anthemic when a band or chorus hits all the notes just riht and the sound becomes bigger than it should be and Mickelson hits it often enough on this album to make it worthy of the highest of recommendations.” - No Depression  

“Flickering, a buoyant composition showcasing that Mickelson offers undeniable musical charm and instrumental dexterity.” - Glide Magazine

KEEP UP WITH MICKELSON

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

SPOTIFY || BANDCAMP

OUT TODAY: THE ACCIDENTALS’ NEW EP TIME OUT SESSION #2 + ON TOUR NOW WITH SPECIAL GUESTS KIM RICHEY, BETH NIELSEN CHAPMAN, & MAIA SHARP

LISTEN: TIME OUT SESSION #2  

Nashville-based, female-fronted trio The Accidentals have released Time Out Session #2, the second installment of their “Time Out” series,  a project where the band seeks out the tunesmiths who inspire them, finding unifying stories through songwriting. Time Out Session #2 features co-writes with Gretchen Peters, Beth Nielsen Chapman, Gary Burr, Tom Paxton, Maia Sharp, Georgia Middleman, and Peter Mulvey.  

“Our first, Time Out Session #1, was about learning how to heal and grieve during isolation, and Time Out Session #2 is a way of continuing that healing through collaboration - repairing cracked foundations; letting hope out of its cage; sharing our burdens,” says bandmember Sav Buist.  Recorded and produced by the band in their Nashville home studio, Crooked Moon Studios, they found a way to tell these stories over the course of two months. This EP speaks to the cycle of travel and the ripple effect of the people we meet along the way - from the whispering hometown ghosts of the past to the farthest northern shores of America, to the call of the winding road - and the bridges and highways that connect us to each other.   

The Michigan-bred, indie-folk trio’s “Time Out” series has turned heads and warmed hearts by forging singular and striking collaborations with some of America’s most important, most celebrated songwriters, among them Dar Williams, Kim Richey, and Mary Gauthier.  

After the Time Out Session #1 single, “Wildfire,” co-written with Kim Richey, was named No. 1 song of the year by FAI Folk Radio Charts for 2021, The Accidentals – Sav Buist, Katie Larson, and Michael Dause – are poised to build on that success with Time Out Session #2 featuring ever more intoxicating collaborations with prominent tunesmiths.  

If Time Out Session #1 was “an anthem for how to fix a broken America” (Rolling Stone), then Time Out Session #2 is the manual. The message is clear that connection, collaboration, and community are at the heart of healing. The Accidentals are bridging differences in generations and backgrounds to create unforgettable musical alliances.   

“These songs are honest and vulnerable and they were written in a safe space with songwriters, that through this process of co-writing, we have come to call friends,” says Larson. “As producers and engineers on this project, Katie and I tried to stay out of our own way and just serve the songs, not overthink it–leave space for the story,” adds Buist. “I think we did that.”     

The Accidentals have kicked off a tour to celebrate the release, and are joined on some of the dates by special guests and collaborators like Hall of Fame writer Beth Nielsen Chapman, Yep Roc Artist Kim Richey, and celebrated songwriter, Maia Sharp. Be sure to follow The Accidentals via the links below for the latest news and updates.  

TOUR DATES:  

3/4 - Listening Room - Grand Rapids, MI^ 

3/5 - Bell's Brewery - Kalamazoo, MI^  

3/6 - Old Art Building - Leland, MI^      

3/9 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI^  

3/10 - Acorn Theater - Three Oaks, MI^  

3/12 - Six String - Columbus, OH^ 

3/13 - City Winery - Nashville, TN^ 

3/18 - The Peace Center - Greenville, SC* 

4/8 - Ramsdell Regional Center For The Arts - Manistee, MI 

4/22 - Village Theater At Cherry Hill - Canton, MI 

5/14 - Michigan Music Video Awards - Marshall, MI 

6/16 - Moccasin Creek Festival - Effingham, IL 

6/17 - Jump Into Summer Festival - Saugatuck, MI 

7/14 - Beaver Island Music Festival - Beaver Island, MI 

8/14 - Power Lake Park - Oconomowoc, WI 

9/30 - Sisters Folk Festival - Sisters, OR 

 ^ - w/ Kim Richey, Beth Nielsen Chapman, & Maia Sharp 

*- w/ Maia Sharp 

ALI SPERRY PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “CLIMBER” VIA THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION + FORTHCOMING LP IN FRONT OF US DUE OUT MARCH 11TH

LISTEN: “CLIMBER”  

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Ali Sperry has released “Climber,” the latest from her forthcoming LP In Front Of Us, due out on March 11th. “In March of 2018, my friend Becca Richardson was sitting across from me in my music room, and as co-writes often go, we got to talking at length about our lives, plans, the music we were both making, our thoughts on the current government administration, and a topic that was very much in the spotlight and on our minds at that moment, the #MeToo movement,” Sperry told The Bluegrass Situation in the premiere. “From these musings, ‘Climber’ took shape — not as a song specifically about a single person or story, but an archetype and universal experience we all know too well. It’s the age-old tale of the charming narcissist who commands the room, puts you on a pedestal until they no longer choose to shine their light on you, and the subsequent anger that fuels the recipient of this behavior to shut it down.” 

“Climber,” the first song on the album, signifies the ushering in of a new era — globally and personally — with a revitalized sense of empowerment and newly minted boundaries. Audley Freed’s electric guitar sounds like it’s having a conversation with Kristin Weber’s strings, building into this catharsis of the final chorus with Allison Russell and Weber’s harmony vocals lifting the melody.  

The track follows the release of “Excuses,” which explores the innate anger that comes from the human experience, “In Your Dreams,” about being your authentic self, and “Cool Under Pressure,” inspired by watching Kamala Harris in the 2020 Vice Presidential Debate. “I stirred with pride to be a woman, pride to witness such a woman demonstrating her ability for leadership,” Sperry recalls. “The way she elegantly fought for her time to speak, insisted upon it, was almost shocking to me, as it was an example too-seldom seen.” 

LISTEN: “EXCUSES” 

LISTEN: “IN YOUR DREAMS”  

LISTEN: “COOL UNDER PRESSURE” 

Sperry, a yogi who grew up in a small Iowa community built around the practice of Transcendental Meditation, moved to Nashville in 2009. Since then, she has become a beloved member of the Nashville creative community, frequently sought after for collaborations and co-writes due to her songwriting prowess. She has shared stages with the likes of Nicki Bluhm, Langhorne Slim, Andrew Combs, Mipso, Kelsey Waldon, Erin Rae, and more.  

In 2020, when faced with a year of trauma, racial reckoning, and downright worldwide existential crisis, Sperry did what she has always done–turned inward and wrote songs that channeled, mirrored, and ultimately distilled those cultural currents into what became In Front Of Us. The album was made in the thick of the pandemic and was produced by her husband, Jamie Dick. The restrictions of life compelled the couple to set up a home studio and create a safe place to make the record, remotely collaborating with friends like Allison Russell, Kyshona, Jill Andrews, Natalie Schlabs, Sadler Vaden, Jill Andrews, and more. 

With In Front Of Us, Sperry wisely avoids long-form folk indulgence for streamlined contours and razor hooks that feel more rock/pop than folk, and are fairly begging for a decent car stereo and an open road. In her singing and writing, she is the people’s champ of the “less is more" ethos. There is a slight echo of Laurel Canyon in the sonics of the record, and, always, the confident under-singing of a woman who knows her words and melodies will happily do the heavy lifting.   

SUSAN CATTANEO RELEASES NEW SINGLE “TIME + LOVE + GRAVITY” FORTHCOMING LP ALL IS QUIET DUE OUT APRIL 8TH

“The tenor of local singer-songwriter Susan Cattaneo’s new album, All Is Quiet, is captured perfectly by its title, and with the help of the twinned guitars of Duke Levine and Kevin Barry she wraps its lyrical reflections in a musical blanket of shimmering beauty.” - The Boston Globe

LISTEN TO “TIME + LOVE + GRAVITY” : SPOTIFY || BANDCAMP  

Boston-based award-winning singer/songwriter Susan Cattaneo has released “Time + Love + Gravity,” the latest from her forthcoming LP, All Is Quiet, due out on April 8th. "A physicist/friend once told me that time moves slower on earth than it does in space because of the earth’s gravity," Cattaneo explains of the track, which juxtaposes pulsing, insistent music with sparse lyrics. "I took that concept a step forward and imagined that when you’re caught in the pain of love’s gravity, time feels like it moves slower as well." 

“Time + Love + Gravity” follows the release of the album opener and title track, a song about all of us coming to terms with a changed world. “The concept of silence became my metaphor for being creatively muted,” she says. “The lyrics speak about 'an end.' For many of us in the music world, the year 2020 meant an end to many things: live performing, cowriting in person, and the tour life," she continues. “It is intentionally the first song on the album because it begins my journey from silence to song."  

LISTEN // WATCH: “ALL IS QUIET” 

With her powerful voice, captivating melodies, and finely-crafted lyrics, Susan Cattaneo is one of Boston’s most respected singer/songwriters. A compelling performer and vivid storyteller, her music blends folk, rock, and blues with a hint of country–call it New England Americana.   

Following up on the success of her chart-topping double album The Hammer & The Heart, which charted #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, yielded a #1 song on folk radio, and was a top 10 album of 2017, All is Quiet features her signature lyrical and melodic craft as she brings her mastery to a quieter place. Embracing simplicity and vulnerability, the nine songs on All is Quiet speak to the personal nature of loss, relationships, and hope for the future. The album was recorded remotely during 2020 and features the beautiful guitar work of national talents Kevin Barry and Duke Levine and was co-produced with Lorne Entress.   

Critics, audiences, and fellow artists have instantly connected with the personal nature of Cattaneo’s songs. She is a three-time Kerrville New Folk Finalist, a three-time nominee for Best Americana Artist at the Boston Music Awards, and she won the 2018 CT Folk Festival. Cattaneo has been a finalist or winner at some of the country’s most prestigious songwriting and music contests including the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, Philadelphia Songwriters Project,  the Wildflower Festival, the Independent Music Awards, the International Acoustic Music Awards, 5 Unsigned Only, the USA Songwriting Competition, the Mountain Stage New Song Contest, and the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.   

She has opened for or shared the stage with Bill Kirchen, Mark Erelli, David Wilcox, Rose Cousins, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Livingston Taylor, Paula Cole, Huey Lewis and The News, Amy Grant, Travis Tritt, and more. Cattaneo is also an in-demand educator and collaborator. As a Songwriting Professor at the Berklee College of Music for the past 20 years, she has helped students work on over 15,000 songs in all musical genres and styles and mentored over 2,000 artists. She is also one half of the indie-folk duo called Honest Mechanik with Paul Hansen of The Grownup Noise. The duo launched their first album in July of 2020 and was nominated for Folk Act of The Year at the 2021 Boston Music Awards.  

*ALBUM RELEASE SHOW* 

  3/3 - The Burren - Somerville, MA 

PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES MAKES NATIONAL TELEVISION DEBUT WITH PERFORMANCE ON THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW

LAUNCHES “TROUBLED WATER” COFFEE BLEND   WITH ANODYNE COFFEE ROASTING CO.  

NEW LP SINNER-SONGWRITER   

OUT NOW VIA DIXIEFROG RECORDS 

Photo credit: Michael Rozman/Warner Bros.

WATCH: PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES’ PERFORMANCE ON THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW  

On February 23rd, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales made his national television debut with a performance of his single “Find A Way” on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Scales has been touring in celebration of the release of his long-awaited LP Sinner-Songwriter, out now via DixieFrog Records. Scales was inspired by close family friend, “Uncle” BB King, to forge his own musical path; it wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of King’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.”   

LISTEN: “FIND A WAY” 

  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.” 

Scales has also partnered with Milwaukee-based Anodyne Coffee Roasting Company to launch a signature blend called “Troubled Water.” The blend was curated by Scales himself, and is named after one of the tracks on Sinner-Songwriter. “Troubled Water” is available for purchase HERE.  

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 news and updates. 

OLIVE VOX RELEASE DEBUT EP TODAY!

“…the pair effectively blend the thick distorted-guitar assault of Mudhoney with a trippy Ty Segall psychedelia, resulting in a sound that is simultaneously aged and ageless.” – FW Weekly

 OLIVE VOX EP - LISTEN

DALLAS/FORT WORTH, TX – Psychedelic, grunge rockers Olive Vox release their self-titled debut EP today!

The five-song set includes previously released singles “Bury Me Low,” “Sunflower,” and “Middle Name” as well as two new tracks “This Is My Home” and “Denial”. The duo has also released the stand alone single “Finger,” a Ty Segall cover released in October prior to their opening for Fuzz at Levitation Festival in Austin.

The creation of singer-songwriter, social media creator/influencer Parker James and his brother guitarist-songwriter Caden Shea, Olive Vox have created a sound well beyond their years with influence of Nirvana, Screaming Trees, Alice In Chains as well as psychedelic influence of veterans Pink Floyd, and more current Ty Segall.

BUZZ

“…a smooth groove machine of a rock ‘n’ roll tune, evoking the gloriously sludgy grunge psychedelia of Screaming Trees, Temple of the Dog and Stone Temple Pilots. Parker’s voice rings out like a young David Gilmour ‘standing by the Nile’ in 1969, while Caden’s guitars purr with the finesse of a freshly refurbished muscle car.” -Dallas Observer 

“…a sound that loves to let the distortion pedals go wild and light the feedback ablaze… nailing the thickness and rawness of what makes psych, blues and garage rock really sit well with young and older audiences alike, Olive Vox is showing plenty of promise in its early goings.” -Central Track

“For a couple of teenagers, this is pretty damn heady stuff as Olive Vox will have you thinking while you bang your head against the living room wall.” - Texas Music Monthly

“Though it’s a ridiculously overused quote pulled from a song Pete Townshend wrote for The Who, it’s applicable to say that the kids are, indeed, alright. Those of us who survived the ’90s will hear the familiar grungy warmth on the 5 songs on the band’s self-titled debut EP while Gen Z will be introduced to something that very few new bands are doing.” - The Big Takeover
“…a vintage rock n’ roll sound that’s more advanced and progressive than you’d expect from young musicians just beginning to find their traction.”  - V13

“…the pair effectively blend the thick distorted-guitar assault of Mudhoney with a trippy Ty Segall psychedelia, resulting in a sound that is simultaneously aged and ageless.” – FW Weekly

Featured on Sirius/XM “Volume West” and SPIN Magazine x Twitch takeover 

Olive Vox EP debuted at #17 on Submodern Radio Top 200 Album Chart

Specialty show radio airplay at: Q104.3 NYC, The Edge Buffalo, KROX Austin, The Point St. Louis, 91X San Diego, KJEE Santa Barbara, KRXP Colorado Springs and WCSF Joliet, IL.

ABOUT OLIVE VOX: Originally from Orange County, CA, Parker & Caden moved to Texas as pre-adolescent kids searching to fit into a new landlocked environment. During the COVID induced lockdown Parker and Caden developed their sound influenced by psychedelic indie rock, garage rock, 90s grunge and more. Their Gen Z perspective makes the music they play resonate to an audience searching for a new sound to embrace.

Photo Credit: Tati Bruening

 “BURY ME LOW” SINGLE

 OFFICIAL VIDEO || STREAM

“FINGER” (Ty Segal Cover) SINGLE

 OFFICIAL VIDEO || STREAM

“SUNFLOWER” SINGLE

 YOUTUBE || STREAM

“MIDDLE NAME” SINGLE

 YOUTUBE || PRE-SAVE

OLIVE VOX EP (OUT NOW)

KEEP UP WITH OLIVE VOX

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SINGER SONGWRITER NEW ZEALAND MUSIC AWARD WINNER JAMIE MCDELL’S NEW SELF-TITLED ALBUM OUT TODAY

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

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

  “Over incandescent instrumentation, McDell examines the price we’re willing to pay for power and possession. Her lyricism lays out devastating depictions of deceit and the rippling fallout from a false sense of security.”  - American Songwriter

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

"McDell has the voice and talent to go huge, and you're going to want to start paying attention to her sooner than later.”  - If It’s Too Loud 

"It doesn’t take long to realize that McDell has a way with words. Not only that, but she manages to sing acid-tongued lyrics in a very sweet voice that almost makes it sound complimentary – to a point." - Americana Highways

“The song has McDell examining her flaws with sweet melodic vocal twirls and jangly guitars.” - Parade Magazine 
“The song is a poignant moment of self-awareness…” - The Boot (on “Worst Crime”)

Listen to Jamie McDell : HERE

Critically acclaimed  New Zealand born singer songwriter Jamie McDell releases her highly anticipated self-titled album today through ABC Music. 

The enchanting artist recorded her fourth studio album in Nashville, 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. 

Containing Jamie’s most brutally honest moments, in both writing and performance, this new long player features musicians and production that takes you on a modern journey through 70s folk and country, blended with a healthy dose of roots and rock.  

The 13 track album includes Jamie’s singles ‘Dream Team’, ‘Not Ready Yet’ and the stunning current release, ‘Poor Boy’. This track has debuted in the Countrytown Radio Airplay chart and features Tom Busby of Busby Marou fame.  It was written by Jamie to acknowledge the powerful influence of her father. Jamie says, “I hope that he knows what a wonderful father he has been, how much he’s taught us about what’s truly important.”  

Explaining how the partnership with Tom Busby came about, Jamie explains, “I had opened a show in Auckland, NZ for Busby Marou and that sparked the idea of me joining the boys on an Australian tour. Tom has been super supportive of my music ever since and I absolutely love the tone of his voice and how it elevates this track!   View acoustic video HERE

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 for 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 harmonize 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.

Though self-titled albums tend to be reserved for debuts, Jamie now at age 28, started in music as a teenager felt that this was the best representation of who she is, and is the sound of a woman who has found her voice. Her music pays tribute to traditional elements of country music while celebrating her  life story, that of her family, her unique perspective, and female narrative.  

Jamie 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 New Zealand. With the release of her debut album Six Strings and a Sailboat, which was certified Gold, went on to receive three NZ Music Award nominations, winning Best Pop Album of 2013. Then her sophomore record Ask Me Anything gained global attention, seeing the 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. She met with producer expat Aria Nominee Nash Chambers for coffee one day and decided they shared the same musical values and have been collaborating ever since.

HEATHER BOND SHARES VIDEO FOR “THE MIRAGE” PREMIERING ON AUDIOFEMME TODAY!

COLLABORATES WITH VIKTOR KRAUSS FOR SOPHOMORE ALBUM THE MESS WE CREATED OUT FEBRUARY 25

Photo Credit: Meg Sagi

“THE MIRAGE” VIDEO || WATCH 

NASHVILLE, TN – Nashville singer/songwriter Heather Bond shares live performance video for “The Mirage” from her forthcoming album The Mess We Created available on all streaming platforms on 2/25/22.

The video features a mostly female band – with the exception of co-writer/producer Viktor Krauss (Lyle Lovett, Bill Frisell, James Taylor, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss) on bass – and is the first video from her visual release of The Mess We Created, out 3/25/22 and currently available for PRE-ORDER.

“What makes the video particularly unique is the way Bond allows each person their moment to shine, the camera capturing each performer’s gifts and the way they light up the room, whether [Melissa] Mattey is grooving to the melody on keys or [Elizabeth] Chan is transfixed on Bond, while [Devonne] Fowlkes and [Emoni]  Wilkins fall into a rhythm with the singer as they sway to the beat in synchronicity… Getting lost in the moment and overtaken by the music was one of Bond’s goals for the video, and it also reflects the ’70s and ’80s influences of her upcoming album, The Mess We Created… - AudioFemme

The Mess We Created is a refreshing, well-crafted, and unique collection featuring first-rate musicians. The songs reveal a maturity gained from years of experience in the music industry. With Krauss as the primarily instrumentalist, along with L.A. drummer Matt Chamberlain (Lorde, Tori Amos) and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers, the album is vibrant, idiosyncratic, and rooted in rhythm. Each song showcases Bond’s effortlessly agile vocal delivery, shifting from the smooth purity of Sade (in “Resist”) to the cheeky sweetness of Kylie Minogue (in “Ich Weiss Nicht”) to the delicate depth of Parisian singer Keren Ann (in “Fountain of Youth” and “Fate”). The album closes in an energetic punch with the spritely, beat-driven single “Feel It.”

The Mess We Created is set for release on February 25, 2022.

ABOUT HEATHER BOND: Nashville artist Heather Bond makes radiant, cinematic indie-pop laced with elements of disco and R&B. Her lyrics reflect on everything from love, seduction, and heartbreak to social media, nostalgia, and politics, with an easy, modern intelligence enhanced by crystal-clear vocals and crisp harmonies. Her sound is both elegant and eclectic, evoking the breezy clarity of piano-pop artists like Norah Jones and Regina Spektor mixed with the jazzy, experimental range of Fiona Apple. The Mess We Created is her sophomore solo release. She is also part of the Nashville group The Daybreaks. 

KEEP UP WITH HEATHER BOND

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INDIE-POP DUO OSHIMA BROTHERS “CASTING A COOL SPELL WITH VIBEY ATMOSPHERIC” (-POPMATTERS) VIDEO FOR SINGLE “DANCE WITH ME”

Credit: Oshima Brothers

"DANCE WITH ME" VIDEO: WATCH

PORTLAND, ME. – Today, Oshima Brothers share the video for the single “Dance With Me” –from their sophomore full length album Dark Nights Golden Days.

The video premiered on Popmatters: “Oshima Brothers are casting a cool spell with the vibey atmospheric of ‘Dance with Me.’ It’s a grooving, low-key tune that runs flush to their roots-pop moniker well, heavily influenced by R&B with a dash of their folksier origins. Oshima Brothers ride the song’s slinky, electric refrain with impressive, self-choreographed dancing in the music video. It features shots of the brothers at work on the tune, cleverly converged to showcase several takes on the same two guys at once. It’s breezy and charmingly vintage.”

For their sophomore album, Oshima Brothers could have taken the safe path and stuck to the "roots-based pop sound that is infectious" (-NPR) on their well-received, 2016 self-titled debut. Instead, Sean and Jamie Oshima conceived a more ambitious, more expansive project that reflects the brothers’ wide-ranging artistic interests. On Dark Nights Golden Days (due April 1, 2022) the brothers have crafted a richly layered, genre-splicing sound that is at once retro and metro, spacious and intimate, lush and graceful. It is a set of music that invites people to dance in grocery stores as well as get lost in the wilderness.

Oshima Brothers are eager to play to live crowds again and share their Dark Nights Golden Days album due April 1, 2022. Confirmed tour dates as follows.

U.S. TOUR DATES

MAR 11 / SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY @ Caffe Lena

MAR 12 / BUFFALO, NY @ Babeville

MAR 14 / GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ Listening Room

MAR 15 / MADISON, WI @ The Bur Oak

MAR 16 / CHICAGO, IL @ City Winery

MAR 17/ INDIANAPOLIS, IN @ Do317 Lounge & Gallery

MAR 18 / ANN ARBOR, MI @ The Ark

MAY 20 / SYRACUSE, NY @ Folkus Project

MORE DATES TBA….

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