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!

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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

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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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SEAN ROWE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “LITTLE DEATH”

SEAN ROWE RELEASES NEW SINGLE 

“LITTLE DEATH”  

NEW LP  THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS 

OUT ON OCTOBER 8TH VIA FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS 

Photo credit: Joe Navas

LISTEN // WATCH: “LITTLE DEATH”   

Today, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Sean Rowe has released “Little Death,” the latest from his forthcoming LP The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights, due out on October 8th via Fluff & Gravy Records. “The dissolving of a relationship can be an internal kind of Mad Max, apocalyptic struggle with your brain who seems to be at odds with you. I do think it’s a universally interesting and scary time and worth writing about,” says Rowe, and adds that “Little Death” is about “that strange elation that comes at the end of a long journey with another soul. I originally wrote the song on guitar but while working out the parts in the studio, Ben Lester came up with that signature piano line which stood out to me like the piano in werewolves of London,” he adds. “Not that it sounds like that part but just in the way that you can’t imagine that song without Zevon’s piano line in it!”  

“Little Death” follows lead single “To Make It Real,” which, as Holler said, “looks at the aftermath of heartbreak, when the reality of a relationship's end sets in.” “Lyrically — this is for me — a kind of recurring theme that I find in many of my songs,” Rowe explained. “Which is to say that I’m 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: “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: 

8/12: Syracuse, NY | The 443 Social Club 

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 

NASHVILLE ARTIST BETTY REED WATCHES “KARMA” UNFOLD ON NEW SINGLE OUT TODAY MISTAKES MADE, LESSONS LEARNED EP OUT SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

NASHVILLE ARTIST BETTY REED

WATCHES “KARMA” UNFOLD ON

NEW SINGLE OUT TODAY

MISTAKES MADE, LESSONS LEARNED EP OUT SEPTEMBER 3, 2021

“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

Photo Credit: Taylor Napier

“KARMA” SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

Drawing on life 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, out September 3, 2021. Today, she releases the first single, “Karma” that premiered on AudioFemme earlier this week.

“I decided to make this the first release because it truly captures the flavor and feel of what I'm trying to convey in the overall theme of the EP... independence, standing up for oneself, moving forward from past mistakes,” says Reed.

For the EP, the Berklee College of Music graduate collaborated with Nashville producer, Bill McDermott to create an eclectic collection of songs that showcase Reed’s ability to write and perform across the musical spectrum. The title of the EP is derived from all the missteps the young singer/songwriter has taken in her life and career, putting it all behind her as she continues to move forward and grow as an artist.

Many of Reed’s song are about her experiences with depression — the ways in which she finds her way out of the dark and into the light. You can hear this theme in “Let It Out” and “Happy.”

“Misunderstood” is about finding the strength to assert yourself. “Karma” is about that moment you are free from an abusive relationship while the other person finally gets their comeuppance.

“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 will be released on September 3, 2021.

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MATT LOVELL PREMIERES WES ANDERSON-INSPIRED NEW VIDEO “ALLIGATOR LILLY”

PHOTO: JASON LEE DENTON

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Matt Lovell has unleashed “Alligator Lilly,” a sultry juxtaposition of beauty and danger, an allegory of lost innocence, and the newest single and video from his debut album, Nobody Cries Today, out on June 5th. 

WATCH: “ALLIGATOR LILLY”

“Need some escapism? With his magnificent new video, Matt Lovell has you covered,” said PopDust in its premiere. “Inspired by Wes Anderson films and the ominous allure of Florida beaches, it's full of eye-candy visuals and striking, hypnotic imagery,” notes PopDust. “Sonically, the arrangement is soulful and simple but laden with teasing moments of dreamy synths that briefly open up the track to a more psychedelic plane. Thematically, the song explores the dichotomy between innocence and danger that defines so much of youth. The product was a joyful and exuberant single, a celebration of seduction and freedom, both spiritual and physical. In the days of social distancing, it feels like a time capsule of a former era, when we could just touch each other without risk—a time that will certainly come again, but that seems far away.” "Someone once told me that they couldn't tell if this song was really innocent or really risqué. And that's exactly what 'Alligator' has been from the moment we sat down to write it," Lovell said.

LISTEN: “ALLIGATOR LILLY”

Written with friends Mandy Cook and Tim Jackson, the song was inspired by a lake near the Gulf of Mexico in Florida's panhandle. "One day we were driving along the coast and passed a lake covered in lily pads—so many of them that you could hardly see the water," Lovell told PopDust. "When we noticed the lake was called Alligator Lake, we laughed about what a strange juxtaposition of danger and beauty this was. I started singing the opening lines 'Alligator Lilly, twinkle in your eye, tide is rolling in pulled by the moon up in the sky.' Mandy gasped and we were like two kids in that moment." They drove back to Jackson's house and told him they wanted to write a "silly song about lost virginity."

“Alligator Lilly” follows the video for the album’s soulful lead single “90 Proof,” which premiered via American Songwriter, written during attempts to let go of a relationship that had ended. “Just one listen to Lovell’s voice as he delivers assertive but smooth blue eyed-soul during the song’s conflicted refrain (‘I got 90 proof / that I ain’t over you’) and that’s all the authentic connection the song needs,” said American Songwriter. “Lovell knows how to tap into a part of himself that can bring the emotions of ’90 Proof’ to the surface and doing so is all the more honorable, knowing the story he’s trying to tell, isn’t a made up screenplay; it’s one man being willing to revisit challenging parts of his life and do so with performative solemnity and grace.”

WATCH: “90 PROOF”

LISTEN: “90 PROOF”

All but one of the album’s songs were recorded in 2016 - just months before  Lovell nearly lost his life. On January 20, 2017, he was shot in the chest by a sixteen-year-old who attempted to steal his car. Miraculously, he lived. “This moment created a new center of gravity and re-ordered my understanding of everything I’ve experienced in this lifetime,” he explains. “Many people who experience acute trauma go through somewhat of a euphoric period immediately after the incident occurs, and this was definitely my experience. The level of peace I felt was something I had never touched before. I wrote profusely, I gardened, I brought new life and vigor to my musical ventures, and I made peace with complicated friendships. More than anything, I found a level of great self-acceptance and this created space for me to begin to learn how to live this life.”  

This era ended with the abrupt onset of PTSD, causing the most difficult time Lovell had ever faced. He began to question everything and struggled to find a way to articulate the horrors he was experiencing.  Now, on the other side of recovery, Lovell is excited to sing these songs again for anyone who will listen. “In these years of writing and recording, I have gathered quite a wild palette of paints,” he says. “In a way, Nobody Cries Today has actually been my teacher.  As I have written these songs, each of them has been like a tiny rowboat to get me from one day to the next. They have witnessed me in the years that I was in the throes of trying to find acceptance for myself and for the world I’m living in.  As a gay man of Southern origin, this proved to be a tall order. These songs have also helped me to explore things like zest for life, discontent, hunger, truth, and hope,” he continues. “Nobody Cries Today contains every bit of earnestness, desire, and love that I have to give. 

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