WILD HEART CLUB PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “GLITTER ON THE DRUM” VIA GLAMGLARE

Photo: Anna Haas

DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU 
OUT ON NOVEMBER 12TH 

LISTEN: “GLITTER ON THE DRUM”   

Today, with the release of lead single “Glitter On The Drum,” Nashville-based band Wild Heart Club has announced their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou, due out November 12th. The song, which feels like mourning the loss of a lover while soaring across a roller-rink under twinkling lights, was inspired by a YouTube comment on a Robyn video. The music sparkles, but its glittery edges are sharp. 

“She creates irresistibly fascinating indie-pop, by blending elements from different kinds of genres, freely employing digital and analog tools as needed,” noted glamglare of Kristen Castro, the creative force behind the band. “While many artists these days tend to take from different musical styles and using a plethora of different instruments, Castro stands out. Her songwriting comes from a personal place but its message is universally understood. She manages to offer intimacy with her soothing, reassuring vocals yet also keeps us on the edge. Most notably thanks to her stellar guitar work which takes on new heights in the magnificent ‘Glitter on the Drum.’” 

“‘Glitter on the Drum’ started as a guitar melody in the middle of night when I couldn’t sleep,” says Castro. “I was channeling Maja Ivarsson from The Sounds and Warpaint when I was writing the song and the word glitter came out of nowhere. I grew up listening to a lot of disco unwillingly whenever my dad worked out in the garage so I have a lot of subconscious 80s influences. I found a disco drum beat in Logic and that became the backbone of the song. I was listening to a lot of Robyn at the time and a person commented on her video saying she’s the only one who makes them cry on the dance floor,” she adds. “That was the pulse of the song, self-talk and crying on the dance floor.” 

~  

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.”          

ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU TRACK LISTING  
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) 

INTRODUCING: SPENCER LAJOYE

Photo: Whitney Wilson and Hannah LaJoye Photography

  NEW SINGLE “HOUSE FIRES” OUT TODAY  

REMEMBER THE OXYGEN EP 
SET FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 5TH 

LISTEN: “HOUSE FIRES”   

Boston-based singer/songwriter Spencer LaJoye has announced their forthcoming EP Remember The Oxygen with 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. 

~ 

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.” 

THE SLANG PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “DIVIDE” VIA V13

Photo: Morris Photography

DEBUT FULL-LENGTH LP DIVIDE   SET FOR RELEASE SEPTEMBER 24TH 

LISTEN: “DIVIDE”   

Today, Washington, DC-based rock duo The Slang has unveiled “Divide,” the title track from their forthcoming debut LP set for release on September 24th. “Divide” is about the moment a relationship is over, and you’re bracing for the inevitable impact from the crash about to occur. “Armed to the teeth with style, grace, and aplomb, The Slang is reemerging with their brand new single…,” said V13 in the song’s premiere, calling it “a juicy slice of melodic power pop, reminiscent of one of those radio songs that somehow finds its way onto every format…A very strong first full-length offering, The Slang is confidently moving forward in the right direction, with both precision and self-assurance.” 

“I sometimes see a divide growing as people reveal their true personalities,” says frontman John Bobo of “Divide.” “It could be personal or viewed in the context of society. Careful to not choose a side… the hope is that people will explore the divide and find a way to come together.” “Divide” follows the release of “Disguise,” a hook-laden dreamscape that brims with shimmering guitars that explores our tendency to hide our true selves from others, and "Nothing Lasts Forever," about addictions, and unhealthy vices and attachments.  

LISTEN: “DISGUISE”   

LISTEN // WATCH: “NOTHING LASTS FOREVER” 

Divide features 10 sparkling alt-rock gems written by co-founders John Bobo and Felix Nieto, and produced by Nieto. “It’s our first full-length album, so we used that to our advantage to take risks that we may not have on our prior EP’s,” explains Bobo. “As the expression goes, ‘Stories Don’t End,’ so what happens after the movie ends and the credits have rolled? Divide is an album about trying to overcome the inevitable, but continues asking that question of ‘what happens next?’”  

Offering a distinct blend of power-pop, alternative, and contemporary rock, The Slang is comfortable testing genre lines and taking their time to capture the minutiae of modern life. With a laid-back intensity that infuses their music, lead vocalist/multi-instrumentalist John Bobo serves as the main songwriter while bassist/multi-instrumentalist Felix Nieto focuses on production. Both artists share a kind of low-key perfectionism: hands-on, hyper-attuned to textural detail, and aware of what elevates a song from good to great. “We want to do it right,” says Bobo. “And we’re willing to do whatever it takes to make the best possible track each time.”   

With smooth vocals and striking guitar melodies, The Slang is often compared to bands like Snow Patrol and The Killers, but with a modern twist and more experimental production value. “We care about the experience, whether on headphones or at a live show,” says Nieto, whose production adds a sleekness and edge. Bobo’s introspective lyrics explore singular moments that define human relationships. This beautiful blend of respective talent is evident on Divide, which features the band’s characteristic melodic precision, bright, electric guitar-driven anthems, and top-quality production, but with a more pop-leaning sound.  

Be sure to follow The Slang via the links below for the latest news, updates, and tour information, and check out their hilarious Facebook group The Slang Gang. 

SEAN ROWE PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “SQUID TATTOO”

Photo: Joe Navas

NEW LP  THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS 

OUT ON OCTOBER 8TH VIA FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS 

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  

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 

LISTEN: “SQUID TATTOO”  

Today, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Sean Rowe has unveiled his new single “Squid Tattoo,” the latest from his brilliant forthcoming LP The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights, due out on October 8th via Fluff & Gravy Records. “'Squid Tattoo’ is 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,” Rowe explains of the track. “I think it’s a common thought experiment that a lot of us go through at times and certainly intensifies with the element of alcohol. I think it says more about our mind’s ability to color our own stories rather than the reality of real love. And in that sense, 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.” 

“Squid Tattoo” follows “Little Death,” a song which Rowe says 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: “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:  

9/22 - 9/25: Nashville, TN | AMERICANAFEST (Official Showcase) 
9/30: Portsmouth, NH | The Press Room 
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 

ANGUS GILL UNVEILS NEW DUET WITH JIM LAUDERDALE “WHITTLING AWAY” VIA BLUEGRASS TODAY

NEW LP THE SCRAPBOOK OUT ON SEPTEMBER 24TH

LISTEN // WATCH: “WHITTLING AWAY”   

Today, ARIA and three-time Golden Guitar nominee Angus Gill released “Whittling Away,” a duet written and performed with the legendary Jim Lauderdale, that highlights the resilience and strength people are displaying in the midst of these trying times. The track appears on Gill’s forthcoming LP The Scrapbook, due out September 24th via Rivershack Records/MGM.  

“Despite growing up far from bluegrass music’s native home, he says that the sound has called to him since he was a child,” said Bluegrass Today of Gill, who hails from New South Wales, Australia. Gill told Bluegrass Today that “Whittling Away” was initially inspired by the heroic struggles his mom went through getting her mother into a nursing home, and it actually served as the catalyst for entire full album, 

“I have always wanted to record a bluegrass album with players that are incredibly passionate about the genre, and know it like the bow of their fiddle or the metal picks on the tops of their fingers…people that have bluegrass in their blood,” Gill told Bluegrass Today.  

“I had half a dozen bluegrass songs that I had written from several years ago that I restructured or altered for this project. I wrote a few new ones and then we had all of the songs for a new record. I called up Tim (Crouch) and asked him if he would play and co-produce the album with me, and we brought Randy (Kohrs), Clay (Hess), and Tony (Wray) onto the project and recorded it all remotely at the start of 2021,” he added. “It’s pretty cool because it sounds like we were all playing in the same room, despite being over 15,000 kms away.”  

“Angus is one of the most creative and talented people I’ve ever worked with,” said Lauderdale of the collaboration. “It was an honor to get to write with and sing with him. I hope we can do much more down the road!” “Whittling Away” follows the release of album single “Always On The Run.” 

LISTEN: “ALWAYS ON THE RUN” 

Recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic, The Scrapbook features Gill backed by a stellar lineup of Grammy winning musicians, and affords him the chance to show a different side to his well-honed songwriting and musicianship. Along with his duet with Lauderdale, Gill also recorded a duet with bluegrass icon Jerry Salley which appears on The Scrapbook.  

Previously, Gill has supported country music superstar Kris Kristofferson and collaborated with music legends including Steve Earle, Adam Harvey, James Blundell, Gina Jeffreys, Diesel, and many more. Gill is one of the youngest Australians ever to have performed at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. There, he shared the stage with Charles Esten, who is also featured on the album. Pre-save and pre-order The Scrapbook HERE.              

TRACK LISTING  

Always on the Run (Angus Gill/Thomm Jutz)  

Samson (Angus Gill/Bill DiLuigi/Kirsti Manna)  

Whittling Away featuring Jim Lauderdale (Angus Gill/Jim Lauderdale)  

Caught Between a Rock and a Heartache (Angus Gill/Rivers Rutherford)  

Feet of Clay (Angus Gill/Charles Esten)  

Let’s Have a Drink (To Not Drinking Again) featuring Jerry Salley (Angus Gill/Jerry Salley/Bill 

Whyte/Aaron Wilburn)  

The Scrapbook (Angus Gill/Bill Whyte)  

Put ‘Er There (Angus Gill/Gary Burr)  

Still Missing (Angus Gill/Thomm Jutz)  

Heartquake (Angus Gill/Thomm Jutz)  

Forget Me Not (Angus Gill/Bill DiLuigi/Kirsti Manna) 

LULA WILES SINGER/GUITARIST ELEANOR BUCKLAND PREMIERES THIRD SINGLE “I’M NOT SAYING” VIA POPMATTERS

Photo Credit: Laura Partain

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

“I’M NOT SAYING” (OUT 9/10)
LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

BOSTON, MA. – Singer/songwriter, guitarist Eleanor Buckland releases “I’m Not Saying,” her third single from her forthcoming solo debut You Don’t Have To Know, on Friday 9/10. Eleanor will begin her tour in support of the album with two performances at the Brooklyn Americana Festival on Friday 9/17 and Saturday, 9/18 and continue through the fall.

“I’m Not Saying” examines the unhealthy side of relationships and debuted today on Popmatters: “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.” 

Eleanor Buckland first made her mark in the Boston-based folk-rock trio Lula Wiles that has become an acoustic music scene favorite with their three critically hailed albums. During this time, however, Buckland was also working on another musical project – her own album. You Don’t Have To Know (due October 29 on Soundly Music) spotlights a different side of Buckland’s musical interests as it sets her deeply personal songs against inventive indie rock arrangements.

On You Don’t Have To Know, Buckland takes listeners on an emotional journey as her songs address love complicated and love lost, explore struggles with depression and insecurity, and grapple with feelings of uncertainty and helplessness. Or as Buckland succinctly describes the album: “It’s about me trying to figure out who I am and who I was at that time.”

BUZZ

“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…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

“…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

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

“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

U.S. TOUR DATES

SEPT 17 / BROOKLYN, NY @ Brooklyn Americana Festival

(@ 6:30 pm DUMBO Archway 155 Water St, Brooklyn, NY 11201)
SEPT 18 / BROOKLYN, NY @ Brooklyn Americana Festival

(@ 6 pm Liberty View – Pier 6 Plaza @ Brooklyn Bridge Park)
NOV 5 / NEW YORK, NY @ Rockwood Music Hall

NOV 7 / CAMBRIDGE, MA @ Club Passim (2 shows)

“DON’T LOOK DOWN” (OUT NOW) YOUTUBE || STREAM
“STATIC” (OUT NOW) YOUTUBE || STREAM
“I’M NOT SAYING” (OUT 9/10)  LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

LETTERS TO CLEO ANNOUNCE FALL TOUR + ANNUAL HOMECOMING SHOWS

Photo Credit: Chris Sikich

After two years, Boston's Alt. Rock pioneers Letters to Cleo will be headed back out on the road this fall for a short run of intimate shows on the east and west coast including their annual pair of homecoming shows at the Paradise Rock Club in Boston. The band will be doing two nights at the Paradise with both single and two-day tickets available.  The idea for the annual homecoming shows started in 2016 when the band was on the road supporting their first release in 17 years, their Back to Nebraska EP.  The band was on stage at the Paradise playing to an enthusiastic and elated hometown crowd when their manager suggested “same time next year?,” and now this year will be their fourth annual set of homecoming shows.  In addition to the two Boston shows the tour starts out in Southern California  with stops in New York City and Hamden, Connecticut. "I’m so excited for Cleo to be back playing shows after 2 years,” says Michael Eisenstein. “We’re playing some of our favorite venues and resuming our tradition of ending the tour with homecoming shows at The Paradise in Boston the weekend before Thanksgiving. We can’t wait!"

Letters to Cleo formed in 1990 in Boston, lead by guitarist Greg Mckenna and singer Kay Hanley. The band came onto the national spotlight with the release of their first hit single "Here & Now,” released by Giant Records (a subsidiary of Warner Brothers Records). The song reached No. 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Singles chart. The band’s music could be heard on many of the top TV shows and films throughout the 1990’s, including the cult classic 10 Things I Hate About You, where the band contributed 4 songs to the soundtrack and were featured in the film.  The band played their last show in 2000 and each of the members went on to have successful careers working in different areas of music from the production, writing, performance, musical directing etc.

In addition to Back to Nebraska, Letters to Cleo released a Christmas EP in 2019  called Ok Christmas, in addition to releasing their first three albums Aurora Gory Alice, Wholesale Meats and Fish and Go! On vinyl for the very first time through a limited edition pressing. Copies of all three albums along with the vinyl version of Back to Nebraska are available on LettersToCleo.net 

TOUR DATES

November 11 The Parish at House of Blues  Anaheim, CA+
November 12 Troubadour West Hollywood, CA +
November 16  Bowery Ballroom New York, NY ^
November 17  Space Ballroom Hamden, CT ** 
November 19  Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA **
November 20 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA **

+ Supported by Dear Elise 
** w/ Charly Bliss
^ w/ Tracy Bonham

NASHVILLE ARTIST BETTY RELEASES MISTAKES MADE, LESSONS LEARNED EP TODAY

Photo Credit: Taylor Napier

MISTAKES MADE LESSONS LEARNED || PURCHASE/STREAM

NASHVILLE, TENN. – Nashville artist Betty Reed has released the debut EP Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned today! The EP premiered earlier this week on Americana Highways.

“[Mistakes Made Lessons Learned] is a concept album, if you consider that the concept is ‘life.’ Ranging from clarifying misjudgments (on “Misunderstood”) to releasing resentments (on “Let it Out”) the album simply tracks individual development…” – Americana Highways

Drawing on personal experiences, Betty Reed relates stories of everyday life through her music. Struggles. Triumphs. Journeys. Her expressive vocals and clever lyrics resonate throughout her debut EP Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned, produced by Bill McDermott.

It’s an eclectic collection of songs that showcase Reed’s ability to write and perform across a musical spectrum. The first single “Karma” is about that moment you are free from an abusive relationship while the other person finally gets their comeuppance. “Misunderstood” sheds light on the #MeToo movement and standing up for ALL victims of harassment or assault.

While “Let It Out” and “Happy” are about her experiences with depression — the ways in which she finds her way out of the dark and into the light.

“Even though the subject matter of most of songs is serious, I mask it with an upbeat vibe—it’s this veneer of cheeriness that you feel you have to project in order to feel normal.”

Mistakes Made, Lessons Learned is out today!

“The polished country-pop tune is meaningful in so many ways, a bold statement about an important issue that for too long has been swept under the rug.” – V13

“Reed’s liberating version of payback is transformed into a modest pop number where instead of wishing ill upon her former partner, she finds freedom in personal happiness and self-love.” – AudioFemme 

“As an artist who writes songs inspired by not only her own life experiences but also moments and events she’s been witness to around the world, ‘Misunderstood’, about the #MeToo movement and standing up for victims of harassment or assault, is already, unsurprisingly, resonating strongly with and deeply touching those who have heard it.” – Popwrapped 

“…sounds upbeat and empowering — and it is, but with a twist… optimistic outlook bubbles throughout the peppy song — even when Reed confesses in the verses that she has trouble opening her heart to people.” -The Boot

 “KARMA” (OUT NOW)  SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

“MISUNDERSTOOD” (OUT NOW)  SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

HAPPY (OUT NOW) SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

MISTAKES MADE, LESSONS LEARNED OUT TODAY!

KEEP UP WITH BETTY REED
WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM || TWITTER || SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE || TIKTOK

GUITARIST JOHN SIERRA (OF THE ALT/ROCK BAND ATTALUS) MAKES SOLO DEBUT WITH FIRST SINGLE “A DREAM WORTH KEEPING” OUT NOW

Photo Credit: Flightless Bird Photography

"A DREAM WORTH KEEPING" || STREAM

RALEIGH, NC. – Raleigh singer/songwriter and guitarist John Sierra  – formerly of the Raleigh-based band Attalus on Facedown Records –makes his solo debut with the single “A Dream Worth Keeping” out today. Acoustic guitar with heavenly harmonies, the first single explores the ambivalence between fear, desire and our dreams.

As John explains, "‘Dream Worth Keeping’ is a conversation with myself about pushing through fear when it comes to desires and dreams. It’s my way of working through frustration and deep regret. I spent much of my life trying to prove myself to others, living in a ‘dream-only’ world, hiding in addiction or behind others who I deemed better, for fear of rejection.” 

The single is featured on the debut album The Wonder (out 11/5) that 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

KEEP UP WITH JOHN SIERRA

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

DESTROY BOYS RELEASE THEIR “ALL THIS LOVE” SINGLE FROM THE FORTHCOMING ALBUM OPEN MOUTH, OPEN HEART OUT OCTOBER 8 VIA HOPELESS RECORDS

“ 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

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

“A forceful vocal from Roditis likens her adolescent harassment to the hysteria of a witch-hunt, as a wall of electric guitar chords and Malik’s formidable backbeat support her.” -  East Bay Express 

"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

"They stay true to punk’s roots with the angry material, fast tempo and guitar riffs. It has such an wrathful sound to it that the lyrics are just begging to be screamed." - Riff Magazine 

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

“Led by singer Alexia Roditis’ sarcastic and wistful singing and Vi Mayugba’s shredding guitar, held down by Narsai Malik on drums, they pay homage to and represent an evolution of all things classically punk, making music that is a searing reminder of how recklessly expressive punk rock was designed to be.” - Culture Collide

LISTEN TO “ALL THIS LOVE”: HERE

Northern California’s three-piece Destroy Boys have released their new single “All This Love,” the fourth track from their forthcoming album Open Mouth, Open Heart, produced by Will Yip. Coming out October 8th, the album is available to pre-save and pre-order  HERE.

“All This Love” is as close to a ballad as the band gets on this new album. The song is a lament about  yearning 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.  This song follows three blistering singles. “ Muzzle,”  that Alternative Press called “Ferocious,”  and about which Refinery 29 said “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 Harderbeat said the song is “Lyrically poignant and musically full of hooks, this is the sort of track that just doesn’t sound like it reflects the subject matter until you really listen to it. A track that rewards multiple listens.” The last single release,  “Locker Room Bully” that KQED called “a proverbial middle finger that offers a swift takedown to petty-minded interlopers,”  saw the band punching back at bullies and the toxicity of the internet, with its culture of supporting half-truths and warped reality.

Although Open Mouth, Open Heart is the band's third full length album, it’s an album of firsts for Destroy Boys. Recorded in Philadelphia earlier this year during 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. The album also features two songs recorded in Spanish, “‘Te llevo conmigo” and  “Lo peor,”  another first for Destroy Boys. “I grew up bilingual,” Roditis told the East Bay Express. “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.” The album is a huge step forward for the band both musically and the depth and density of subject matter. “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.”

Destroy Boys are Violet Mayugba (guitar/vocals) and Alexia Roditis (vocals/guitar), rounded out by drummer Narsai Malik. The punk trio have been redefining West Coast punk, making waves from the California shoreline to the UK, sharing stages with up-and-coming bands like Mannequin Pussy as well as punk stalwarts such as Face To Face and Lagwagon. In addition to having racked up over 60 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 20 thousand user-made videos and over 3.5M views. Their visceral personal tales have won over the hearts and ears of eager listeners who pack out their shows. The band will be back on stage playing shows in the Bay Area later this fall. 

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PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES ANNOUNCES SINNER-SONGWRITER LP OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH VIA DIXIE FROG RECORDS

 NEW SINGLE “ANOTHER MAN’S SIN” PREMIERES

Photo Credit: Bryan H Iglesias

VIA PANCAKES & WHISKEY

LISTEN: “ANOTHER MAN'S SIN

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales unleashes “Another Man’s Sin,” the smoldering new single from his forthcoming LP Sinner-Songwriter, set for release on October 29th via Dixie Frog Records.

“‘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,” said Pancakes & Whiskey in the track’s premiere. “Starting with Phillip-Michael’s soaring voice and a simple guitar chord, the song makes us listen intently and when the undeniable hook kicks in, we can imagine ourselves at a dark and dusty bar whilst sipping whiskey and stomping about. What stands out for us in this single and the album as a whole, is the honesty of the lyrics and the vivid storytelling, quite likely a trait he learned from his legendary uncle B.B. King"

“This is one of my favorite tunes off the record,” Scales told Pancakes & Whiskey. “Most people have pivotal moments that inform how we act in the relationships that follow (for better or worse). ‘Another Man’s Sin’ is about the bad cycle of passing on the hurt because we’ve been hurt.”

~

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.” 

LISTEN: “O, HALLELUJAH” 

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.

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DAVID FRANZ EXAMINES THE DELUSIONAL SIDE OF OPTIMISM ON THE THE DEEPLY PERSONAL SINGLE RELEASE “FOR MY OWN HEALTH”

DAVID FRANZ EXAMINES THE DELUSIONAL SIDE OF OPTIMISM ON THE 

 THE DEEPLY PERSONAL SINGLE RELEASE “FOR MY OWN HEALTH”

Photo Credit: David Heart

“FOR MY OWN HEALTH” || LISTEN

Southern California-based producer songwriter and label head  David Franz releases “For My Own Health.” The third single from his forthcoming album To The Unknown which is due out September 24th.  The song is a dark look at 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 idea for the song came to Franz while on out a run, attempting to burn off some negative energy from a fight with his now ex-fiancée.  About halfway through the run, the lyric  "my optimism is a disease, my rose-colored glasses are making me bleed" came to mind and was on loop in Franzs’ mind for the duration of the run. Once he was back at home the lyrics just started to spill out of him. “ The song wrote itself,” says Franz.  “I was just the conduit to verbalize the emotion and meaning. My hope is that the song can help others that are stuck in a negative space to put some clear words to their feelings, and then empower them to be decisive about making a change. It certainly did those things for me.” 

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

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MONIQUE DEBOSE RELEASES THE "YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN ONE" ALBUM AND ACCOMPANYING PERSONAL GROWTH COURSE

MONIQUE DEBOSE RELEASES THE  

YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN ONE ALBUM AND ACCOMPANYING PERSONAL GROWTH COURSE

Photo Credit: JQ Williams

““YOU ARE THE SOVEREIGN ONE”” || LISTEN

Los Angeles transformational entertainer Monique DeBose continues to innovate through harnessing the power of music to inspire and empower with the release of her  You Are the Sovereign One album and accompanying  7-week transformational course, to arm women with the tools to  live a sovereign life. The seven lessons in the 7-week course incorporates music, movement, and intimate conversation—to transform participants from the inside out with each of the lessons being structured around and named after songs from the album. Monique will be hosting a transformational celebration of the release which will include a  performance and workshop preview for the program co-hosting by Monique’s husband and master coach Rich Livtin. The event has just under 400 RSVP’s thus far.  “I couldn’t be more excited for this celebration of great music and transformational experiences,” says DeBose. “‘You Are Sovereign One’ is the embodiment of everything I want to give back to the world. A celebration of the release through celebrating  you, the listener.” 

The album contains 16 tracks and is the second chapter of You Are the Sovereign. The first chapter, The Sovereign One,  a 7 track collection that was released in 2018 debuted at #2 on the iTunes Jazz charts just ahead of Tony Bennett and Diana Krall’s Love is Here to Stay album and just behind her idol Ella Fitzgerald’s  Ella and Louis album. Her relationship with Fitzgerald has reached full circle moment this year,  DeBose will be playing the role of Ella Fitzgerald in the upcoming podcast Behind the Icon which looks at the life and legacy of Marilyn Monroe. “Ella Fitzgerald was the first artist who somehow through her voice inspired me to be a singer, “ says DeBose There is something that she ignited in me when I would hear the amazing dance in her voice all throughout her range and to what her skat and seem to have so much fun while she was performing,  She was a doorway and portal into my own voice.” 

Leading into the release  You Are the Sovereign One had already begun the journey of touching and transforming lives through the release of two singles. The first single,  “Brown Beauty”  was written as a love letter to all women of color, and received an incredible response from women from across the globe (see the movement HERE). As a mixed-race woman, DeBose has spent most of her life living in double consciousness and oscillating between two worlds (black and white).  The video  for the song features women who have contributed to the ‘Brown Beauty” movement on social media (See more HERE), through posting content that reflects their interpretation of Brown Beauty.  Bust Magazine ran a feature on the song and movement calling Monique a "creative looking to transcend the boundaries of what it means to create art and inspire others,”  along with the legendary feminist magazine Ms. Magazine who featured the "Brown Beauty" story as part of their Black Feminist In Public Series

The second single was the Gospel-inspired single “Human Condition,” which features speaker, author, and transformational leader Preston Smiles and was written to activate self-love and acceptance. The “Human Condition” is a free three-day course focused on self-acceptance and self-love.  “What Monique allowed herself to channel in this song is nothing short of genius and is exactly what the world needs right now,” says Smiles.  “We are being asked as artists, as teachers, as mothers, as fathers as students to step forward and raise the flag of love and remind  people of who and what we are and this song represents that to the nth degree and  I am blessed and grateful to be a part of it in any way that I could.”

 In addition to the new music,  DeBose is the Recording Academy's 2021 class and where she will be contributing to the decisions made for the 2022 Grammy Awards. Her podcast MORE with Monique has been inspiring conversation on tough subjects and has cultivated an incredible community of women who are all choosing “MORE” for themselves. Each episode features conversations with two women from completely different backgrounds covering a topic of “choosing more…..” faith, courage, purpose, sex, etc. Bonus content from each episode is then shared in the  Women Choosing MORE Facebook Group HERE where the conversation is continued with guests and community members.

RSVP to the You The Sovereign One Transformational Experience: HERE

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BRITISH SINGER/SONGWRITER NEWTON FAULKNER RETURNS WITH INTERFERENCE (OF LIGHT) ON OCTOBER 8th

BRITISH SINGER/SONGWRITER NEWTON FAULKNER RETURNS WITH

INTERFERENCE (OF LIGHT) ON OCTOBER 8th

Photo Credit: Stevie Kyle

“FOUR LEAF CLOVER” || LISTEN

British singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner will release his new album Interference (Of Light) on October 8, 2021 with distribution through BFD/The Orchard in North America. The album will be released via Battenberg Records on various vinyl, CD and digital formats.

Four years on from his last studio album, Newton Faulkner has been working throughout lockdown from his recording studio in East London, exploring a number of new and unexplored styles and musical ideas, using them as the building blocks for this album. Twisting these inside out, he has pushed himself further and further. “I’m not very precious any more,” he remarks. “The music is a bit chunkier, it’s definitely way heavier and much less acoustic than previously. I feel like the stuff I’ve written recently is simpler, but it’s tasteful… it works as songs. I can feel it.”

Interference (Of Light) is an album that has seen Newton push himself musically and vocally: “I want to boil things down to their strongest form,” Newton says. “It’s about the songs. However good you are at playing, if the voice isn’t up to scratch and the songs aren’t good enough, no one is going to listen to them. It’s grizzly, soulful, and a step further,” he says of his new material. “Vocally, I’ve learned a huge amount over the years. I was a guitarist and a writer who sang. That’s kind of where I came from. And now I feel like my voice has caught up with the stuff I was doing on guitar.”

Set to be released on October 8, and available to pre-order now, the new album Interference (Of Light) is Newton Faulkner at his most daring, and also his most familiar. Keeping to his trademark songwriting and storytelling, this album reflects his feelings on current times. “I don’t think things get better or worse. They just change,” he remarks. “I’ve kind of purposefully steered away from any of the cliques that have appeared around me. I’ve just remained this weird, solitary figure. I love it!”

The album will be released on vinyl, CD and digital formats, all featuring different track lists as Newton explains: “The way people listen to music has changed dramatically in the time I’ve been making and releasing music and, for me, each medium has a different purpose and requires a different approach. Interludes, a huge part of ‘Hand Built By Robots’, make no sense being streamed on an online playlist, but work amazingly on a CD and vinyl is different experience again. So, I’ve decided to package this album differently for each format; streaming sites will get a 17-track album, with no interludes clogging up your shuffles, the CD will be 17 tracks plus interludes for a smoother flow, and the vinyl will be 11 tracks specially curated, by me, to work on one disk with the best possible flow from one side to the other and the best possible sound.”

Since the release of his debut album Hand Built By Robots in 2007 (featuring the smash hit ‘Dream Catch Me’), Newton Faulkner has become one of the UK’s most successful singer-songwriters of this millennium. Later this year, he will be heading out on tour to play to live music-starved fans across the UK, starting with a few socially distanced gigs, many of which are already sold out. Plans for a North American tour are in the works.

INTERFERENCE (OF LIGHT) || OUT 10/8/21

PRE-ORDER

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ELEANOR BUCKLAND’S SECOND SINGLE “STATIC” PREMIERES ON UNDER THE RADAR TODAY! THE LULA WILES SINGER/GUITARIST MAKES SOLO DEBUT WITH YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW DUE OCTOBER 29th ON SOUNDLY MUSIC

ELEANOR BUCKLAND’S SECOND SINGLE “STATIC” PREMIERES ON

UNDER THE RADAR TODAY! 

THE LULA WILES SINGER/GUITARIST MAKES SOLO DEBUT WITH

YOU DON’T HAVE TO KNOW DUE OCTOBER 29th ON SOUNDLY MUSIC

Photo Credit: Laura Partain

“STATIC” LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

 Eleanor Buckland continues to push outside musical boundaries on her second single “Static” available on 8/20.

Fighting against her own anxiety and inspired by the fearlessness she witnessed in others, Eleanor went to the studio with a unique goal in mind. “In the studio, we wanted this song to have reckless momentum as is often the case with anxiety,” Eleanor explains. “So, we let the electric guitar and Wurlitzer drive that intensity of sound.”

Under The Radar  enthused in their premiere, “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…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.” 

Eleanor Buckland first made her mark in the Boston-based folk-rock trio Lula Wiles that has become an acoustic music scene favorite with their three critically hailed albums. During this time, however, Buckland was also working on another musical project – her own album. You Don’t Have To Know (due October 29 on Soundly Music) spotlights a different side of Buckland’s musical interests as it sets her deeply personal songs against inventive indie rock arrangements.  

Last month, she debuted with the single “Don’t Look Down” that premiered on BTR Today: “…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.”

On You Don’t Have To Know, Buckland takes listeners on an emotional journey as her songs address love complicated and love lost, explore struggles with depression and insecurity, and grapple with feelings of uncertainty and helplessness. Or as Buckland succinctly describes the album: “It’s about me trying to figure out who I am and who I was at that time.”

ABOUT ELEANOR BUCKLAND

Born and raised in Maine, Buckland comes from a family full of musicians. Her grandmother, Betty Buckland, was prominent in the New England bluegrass scene, while her father, Andy Buckland, played electric guitar in Boston area bands. It’s not surprising then that someone who grew up playing bluegrass fiddle music as well as a healthy dose of Michelle Branch and Sheryl Crow would wind up with varied musical tastes – something Buckland clearly demonstrates on her solo debut.  

“DON’T LOOK DOWN” (OUT NOW) YOUTUBE || STREAM

“STATIC” LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

Photo Credit: Laura Partain

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OUT TODAY: AJ LEE AND BLUE SUMMIT’S NEW LP I’LL COME BACK

OUT TODAY: 

AJ LEE AND BLUE SUMMIT’S NEW LP I’LL COME BACK

“Indeed they deliver a well-rounded and texturally diverse set of contemporary bluegrass that honors the tradition while sounding fresh and vital, where the tones of the instruments; deft, tasteful playing; and tight, intricate arrangements are employed to great effect in support of Lee’s emotionally resounding, powerhouse vocal delivery.” - The San Francisco Chronicle 

“Between the interplay among the instrumental lines, the passion conveyed in Lee’s voice and the grooving feel of the rhythmic engine, everything comes together to seamlessly produce Americana perfection.” - American Songwriter   

“…it is hard to argue with their success…Like many young performers, when Lee started her group in 2015 they began to experiment and push against the boundaries of what they had grown up playing, but in the end the grass calls them home.” - Bluegrass Today  

"This band is good in the bluegrass way: they use their skill not to show off, but  

to build songs that are sturdy as houses, with plenty of room for guests, and ready for any  

weather.” - Country Queer   

LISTEN: I’LL COME BACK   

Today, award-winning Bay Area-based roots powerhouse AJ Lee and Blue Summit (“AJLBS”) have released their brilliant new LP I’ll Come Back. Unlike their first record, which featured experimentation with session musicians and electric instruments, the new album is a pure reflection of the live sound of the group, hearkening back to their acoustic roots. Each band member performs at their peak, and the variety of songs on the record caters to their broad fanbase. Certain tracks fall more in the classic bluegrass realm of songwriting, while others fall into that hard-to-define realm of acoustic Americana that blends mesmerizing lyricism and acoustic mastery. 

Although falling loosely under the bluegrass label, AJLBS generally plays sans banjo, a configuration effectively used to create unique space and texture in the arrangements not as commonly found in the music of their peers.  Drawing from influences such as country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music, the band uses the lens of bluegrass as a vessel through which to express and explore the thread that binds and unifies all great music. 

“The origins of the band go back 16 years, when a 7-year-old Lee joined the Palo Alto group the Tuttles, a family band assembled by renowned bluegrass multi-instrumentalist and educator Jack Tuttle featuring his children, Molly, Sullivan and Michael, all virtuosic prodigies themselves,” said The San Francisco Chronicle. “Although only 23, Lee is a seasoned and celebrated veteran of the greater Bay Area bluegrass scene and nine-time winner of the Northern California Bluegrass Awards for best female vocalist, exhibiting a musical depth and maturity beyond her years.”  

“Lee is part of the same class of [Youth In Bluegrass] artists that produced Molly Tuttle. In fact, AJ was a member of Molly’s family band for many years, performing as The Tuttles with AJ Lee when they were teens,” said Bluegrass Today. “Now heading up her own group, Lee is out front on lead vocals and mandolin, supported by Molly’s younger brother, Sullivan Tuttle, and Jesse Fichman on guitar, Jan Purat on fiddle, and Chad Bowen on bass.”  

Although falling loosely under the bluegrass label, AJLBS generally plays sans banjo, using their configuration effectively to create unique space and texture in the arrangements not as commonly found in the music of their peers. Drawing from influences such as country, soul, swing, rock, and jam music, the band uses the lens of bluegrass as a vessel through which to express and explore the thread that binds and unifies all great music. I’ll Come Back is available for purchase HERE.  

TOUR DATES  

AUG 20 - Mauch Chunk Opera House @ 8:00pm - Jim Thorpe, PA  

AUG 21 - Della Mae's Fam Fest @ 2:00pm - Round Hill, VA 

AUG 22 - Stages Music Arts @ 7:00pm - Cockeysville, MD 

AUG 26 - Casa Flamenca, Inc. @ 7:30pm - Albuquerque, NM 

AUG 27 - Wildwood Sounds @ 7:00pm - Del Norte, CO 

AUG 28 - Taos Center for the Arts @ 7:30pm - Taos, NM 

AUG 29 - Number Thirty Eight @ 8:00pm - Denver, CO 

AUG 30 - MainStage Brewing Company @ 6:00pm - Lyons, CO 

AUG 31 - Sherbino Theater @ 7:00pm - Ridgway, CO 

SEP 1 - Dolores River Brewery @ 7:00pm - Dolores, CO 

SEP 3 -  Four Corners Folk Festival 2021 @ 7:00pm - Pagosa Springs, CO 

SEP 10 - Sierra Meadows @ 7:30pm - Ahwahnee, CA 

SEP 11 - Black Oak Concert Series @ 7:00pm - Tuolumne, CA 

SEP 18 - Whale Rock Music Festival @ 7:00pm - Templeton, CA  

SEP 19  - Lodi Grape Festival Grounds @ 6:00pm - Lodi, CA 

SEP 24 - FreshGrass Festival 2021 @ 11:00am - North Adams, MA 

SEP 22-25 - AMERICANAFEST -  Nashville, TN [Official Showcase] 

OCT 1 - Sisters Folk Festival 2021 @ 12:00pm - Sisters, OR 

OCT 8 - McCabe’s Guitar Shop @ 8:00pm - Santa Monica, CA 

OCT 9 - Paramount Ranch @ 3:00pm - Agoura Hills, CA 

OCT 30 - Felton Music Hall @ 8:30pm - Felton, CA 

NOV 20 - Hopmonk Tavern @ 8:00pm - Novato, CA^ 

^w/ The Coffis Brothers 

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WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOLVES? "BALANCE AN REVERENCE FOR MUSICAL TRADITION WITH AN IRREVERENT SENSE OF HUMOR" (-XPN) ON SOPHOMORE ALBUM HARD FEELINGS OUT TODAY

WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOLVES? "BALANCE AN REVERENCE FOR MUSICAL TRADITION WITH AN IRREVERENT SENSE OF HUMOR" (-XPN) ON SOPHOMORE ALBUM HARD FEELINGS OUT TODAY  

"Deep subjects, brought into manageable perspective by merciless satire." - At The Barrier

Photo Credit: Jesse Gennett

“HARD FEELINGS” VIDEO || WATCH

HARD FEELINGS ALBUM ||  SPOTIFY OR PURCHASE

 Philadelphia-based duo Andrew Fullerton (vocals, guitar) and Matt Orlando (vocals, banjo) - behind the quirky, punchy nügrass band Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves? – find their full voice on the sophomore album Hard Feelings out today!

The album continues their subversive and often humorous approach to heavy subjects. “This record is about the difficult conversations we have with ourselves, our partners, and our friends and family,” says Fullerton. “And also how do we have these conversations with empathy.”

“It’s just the two of us when we tour, so Andrew and I have these very deep, existential conversations about our lives, love, nihilism, music, and all these different things,” adds Orlando. “The songs were born from those conversations”

Recently, the duo released the video for the title track “Hard Feelings” about a weary, time-tested relationship with accompanying video directed by Big Howl (Nicole Atkins “Brokedown Luck” & “Mind Eraser”, Netflix’s Worn Stories). For the video, the Big Howl art department built the Andrew and Matt dummies from a YouTube tutorial and most of the dolls were sourced from co-director Paul Triggiani’s mom’s personal doll collection.  

“The Big Howl guys really understand the bizarre tenderness I try to convey in my songwriting,” says Andrew Fullerton. “Usually I send them the song and they say ‘how weird do you want to get’ and I just say ‘I trust you.’ You can tell from the story that the woman and her dummies go back away and their relationship has it’s up and downs as well.”

The sophomore album Hard Feelings is out now.

BUZZ

“Indie-folk duo Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves balance a reverence for musical tradition with an irreverent sense of humor, and both of those worlds collide in their new music video for ‘Hard Feelings.’” – TheKey.xpn.org 

“There’s a definite energy to the band Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves, and the touch of banjo slowly building its way in to anchor [“Little In Love”] is a sweet touch. Enjoy the Americana sentiments of what’s sometimes known as the “6w” band. And really — who isn’t a little in love with everyone?” - Americana Highways 

“…indicative of that easy folk approach, with a light, country tone that’s easy on the ears… a beautiful and wistful fiddle. You may be pursuing what you love, but there are residual effects of that, some of which are not always so positive on others.” – V13 

“Listening to Hard Feelings is a little like experiencing a whirlwind.  The songs are all great fun, there’s a lot of energy and (deliberately) little subtlety…this is an album that you can hear over and over and find new quirks in the lyrics each time.” – At The Barrier

HARD FEELINGS ALBUM ||  SPOTIFY OR PURCHASE

“QUITTIN'” SINGLE  || SPOTIFY OR YOUTUBE

“LITTLE IN LOVE'” SINGLE || SPOTIFY OR YOUTUBE 

KEEP UP WITH WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOVES

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BOSTON INDIE ROCKER THE COLLECT POND RELEASES "GRUNGE-Y... SHIMMERING"(-BTR TODAY) NEW SINGLE “GO ALONG” ON 8/6

 BOSTON INDIE ROCKER THE COLLECT POND RELEASES

"GRUNGE-Y... SHIMMERING"(-BTR TODAY) NEW SINGLE “GO ALONG” ON 8/6

“The Collect Pond reveals chapters of Danny Moffat’s life via ominous reflecting pools… right when the water seems eerily stagnant, a wave of relief arrives to wash away the sticky feeling of malaise…” - Vanyaland

Photo Credit: Mike Mororissey

“GO ALONG” LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

The Collect Pond is the moniker for Boston-based singer-songwriter and audio engineer Danny Moffat. Today, The Collect Pond premieres the second single "Go Along" from their forthcoming third album Long Range on BTR Today.

“Combing his emotional singer-songwriter style with more grunge-y inspirations is quickly becoming Moffat’s M.O.…vocals express intense emotion with each note, all while surrounded by shimmering strums and picks of the guitar.” - BTR Today 

"Go Along" continues the acoustic fuzz-pop fare from last year’s release In the Garden, but ups the ante with electronic production and bigger drums. “I came up with the guitar riff one night and the whole song just kind of revealed itself to me very quickly,” explains Moffat. “It has a distinct 90s feel that turned out to be a poppier version of My Bloody Valentine, or maybe my own version of the Smashing Pumpkins and Oasis.”

It follows “Burrow,” the first album single, with its cascade of guitar textures, twinkling keys, and arena-ready drums with a ghostly voice building throughout, exorcising the fear felt in 2020 into dark atmospheric dream-pop. The cover art for "Burrow" is by fellow musician/artist Kevin Alvir (aka Kevin Hairs).

“Despite its downtrodden cadence, the new track turns the tide on melancholy… the steady shoegaze of ‘Burrow’ comes emboldened by a sense of authority—both over your own headspace, and your country’s future.” - Vanyaland

The Collect Pond is a geographical location in New York, NY, chosen by Moffat for his own music since the imagery of an oasis in the city seemed fitting, as recording and self-expression offered a similar kind of respite, a way to cope with the tenseness that permeates New York life. It also creates of coexisting mix of species in one ecosystem, or musically speaking, a myriad of influences and styles under one name. 

On the new album, Long Range (out 9/24), Moffat mixes folk elements from past The Collect Pond output, while adding harder tinged rock elements that raise the stakes sonically. Long Range offers more guitars, more electronic instruments, and more live drums. The result is an amped up sound that takes the listener on a weird and wonderful journey into Moffat’s pandemic escapist headspace.

ABOUT DANNY MOFFAT

Danny Moffat is a recording engineer who began recording under the moniker The Collect Pond while in New York City. There, he assisted on albums for The Happy Fits and Cold Fronts with producer Ayad Aladhamy (Passion Pit), was a session guitarist for BMJ Studios where he laid tracks on “Diamonds” by Que Believe, and worked as a receptionist at Electric Lady Studios.

The first release, The Collect Pond, was a sparse affair, solely acoustic guitars and voice. The first record featured the single “I Never Knew,” which is on the soundtrack to the award-winning short film “Hey Mama” starring Lindsey Broad (The Office, Silicon Valley).

 On the follow up, Moffat upped the production value for a rockier sound on In the Garden, which includes the indie-folk single “Traveling,” that found an audience through playlists and received glowing reviews from the music blogosphere. 

“BURROW” OUT NOW  YOUTUBE || SPOTIFY

“GO ALONG” OUT 8/6  

LISTEN || PRE-SAVE

LONG RANGE COMING 9/24/21

KEEP UP WITH THE COLLECT POND

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NASHVILLE DUO HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “STAY” ON 7/23 ALBUM TALL TALES & FABLES COMING OCTOBER 15, 2021

NASHVILLE DUO HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN RELEASE FIRST SINGLE “STAY” ON 7/23 

ALBUM TALL TALES & FABLES COMING OCTOBER 15, 2021

Photo Credit: Caroline Voisine

“STAY” LISTEN

NASHVILLE, TENN. - On their new record Tall Tales & Fables (out October 15), Nashville duo Haunted Like Human - Cody Clark (multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter) and Dale Chapman (lead singer, lyricist) - delve deeper into inspired songwriting, sparse arrangements, and, naturally, the frisson-inducing harmonies that marked their previous two releases. Despite the album’s title, these songs are honest, above all else. Real, tender, messy honesty.

Today, they premiere the first single “Stay,” that deploys vocal counterpoint to heighten the friction at the heart of the song.

“The stirring acoustic number puts mental health at the forefront, as they ride ravaged waters with grace and ease, alongside a peaceful melody of guitar and strings complementing their haunting, yet serene harmonies.” -AudioFemme

“These are some of my favorite harmonies that we’ve written,” says Chapman. The song deals with a relationship fractured by mental illness, and the harmonies tell both sides of the story. “It’s about looking your demons in the eye, laying all your cards on the table, and reckoning with the damage that’s been done. In the bridge, it’s all stripped down to two people pleading for the other to not give up on them, which I think is so uncomfortably honest and powerful,” Chapman says. Clark and Chapman sing against each other, an iteration of the tension created by the rushed murmur of Chapman’s delivery and refined strings.

“We put a ton of emphasis on storytelling in each of our songs. We tell our own stories, we tell other people’s stories, we tell stories that we’ve seen from touring,” says Cody Clark.  

Limned with nostalgia, soaked in Southern gothic lore, the duo meticulously assembles songs to preserve the spirit of the stories they tell.

With a background in poetry and prose, Dale Chapman’s granular focus on language is simpatico with Clark’s background in classical guitar.

ABOUT HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN:

Hoping to find collaborators who were serious about music, Clark drove from Oregon to Nashville in 2017. Within a couple days, he met Chapman at a coffee shop. She deduced that he was a lost tourist and struck up a conversation, leading to a cowriting session. Next thing they knew, Clark had relocated to Nashville and they were making their first album, Ghost Stories.  On the heels of that, they offered up their Folklore EP, featuring standout single “Feels Like Fire.” While that EP sought to channel the minimalist, intimate spirit of their live shows, Tall Tales & Fables is the next step in their maturation. Polished but not shiny, the album benefits from Mitch Dane’s production. Together with skilled string players, the album developed its own life while staying true to Clark and Chapman’s partnership, one built on literal and metaphorical voices.

 Tall Tales & Fables will be self-released on October 15, 2021.

“STAY” AVAILABLE 7/23

LISTEN

KEEP UP WITH HAUNTED LIKE HUMAN

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

WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOLVES? PREMIERE VIDEO FOR “HARD FEELINGS” ON WXPN’S THE KEY

WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOLVES? PREMIERE VIDEO FOR

“HARD FEELINGS” ON WXPN’S THE KEY 

“Indie-folk duo Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves balance a reverence for musical tradition with an irreverent sense of humor, and both of those worlds collide in their new music video for ‘Hard Feelings.’” – TheKey.xpn.org

Photo Credit: Jesse Gennett

“HARD FEELINGS” VIDEO || WATCH 

PHILADELPHIA, PA –  Philadelphia-based duo Andrew Fullerton (vocals, guitar) and Matt Orlando (vocals, banjo) - behind the quirky, punchy nügrass band Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves? – find their full voice on the sophomore album Hard Feelings available 8/13/21.

Today, they release the video for the title track “Hard Feelings” about a weary, time-tested relationship with accompanying video directed by Big Howl (Nicole Atkins “Brokedown Luck” & “Mind Eraser”, Netflix’s Worn Stories). For the video, the Big Howl art department built the Andrew and Matt dummies from a YouTube tutorial and most of the dolls were sourced from co-director Paul Triggiani’s mom’s personal doll collection. 

“The Big Howl guys really understand the bizarre tenderness I try to convey in my songwriting,” says Andrew Fullerton. “Usually I send them the song and they say ‘how weird do you want to get’ and I just say ‘I trust you.’ You can tell from the story that the woman and her dummies go back away and their relationship has it’s up and downs as well.” 

The video comes on the heels of “Little In Love,” the second single released on 7/9.

“There’s a definite energy to the band Who? What? When? Why? & Werewolves, and the touch of banjo slowly building its way in to anchor [“Little In Love”] is a sweet touch. Enjoy the Americana sentiments of what’s sometimes known as the “6w” band. And really — who isn’t a little in love with everyone?” - Americana Highways

“…indicative of that easy folk approach, with a light, country tone that’s easy on the ears… a beautiful and wistful fiddle. You may be pursuing what you love, but there are residual effects of that, some of which are not always so positive on others.” – V13

The forthcoming album continues their subversive and often humorous approach to heavy subjects. “This record is about the difficult conversations we have with ourselves, our partners, and our friends and family” says Fullerton, “And also how do we have these conversations with empathy.”

“It’s just the two of us when we tour, so Andrew and I have these very deep, existential conversations about our lives, love, nihilism, music, and all these different things,” adds Orlando. “The songs were born from those conversations”

HARD FEELINGS || PRE-SAVE LINK

RELEASE DATE:  AUGUST 13, 2021

SINGLE  “QUITTIN'” || SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

SINGLE “LITTLE IN LOVE'” || SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

KEEP UP WITH WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHY? & WEREWOVES

WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM || YOUTUBE || BANDCAMP || SPOTIFY