new album

SINGER-SONGWRITER ARIELLE SILVER CELEBRATES FIFTH ALBUM WATERSHED WITH RECORD RELEASE SHOW AT HOTEL CAFE ON OCTOBER 6TH

PERFORMING WITH ALL-STAR BAND AND JOINED BY OPENING ARTISTS ALICE HOWE & FREEBO

"Lovely songwriting" - The Boston Globe

“...superb stage presence and is so confident and strong on stage, the audience just eats it up” - Music Connection

“We’ve all been in situations where the plans we made were never brought to fruition — and Arielle asks us to think of those memories on her thoughtfully delivered song of breakups and ghost ships passing in the night.” - Americana Highways on “Ghost Ships”

“Ghost Ships‘ is an airy folk song from Arielle Silver’s new album ‘Watershed‘, it floats – naturally enough – on the waters of recollection and consolation as Arielle Silver reflects on things that happened and the dreams that never came to be me” - Americana UK on “Ghost Ships”

“An urgent and commanding vocal” - American Songwriter

Watershed Record Release Party - BUY TICKETS

LOS ANGELES, CA - On October 6th LA based folk-pop artist Arielle Silver will be releasing her forthcoming fifth album Watershed, and will be performing the album with her full band at the Hotel Cafe’s Main Stage in Hollywood, CA the same night. A ten-song offering that traverses the valleys of American roots music, Watershed showcases Silver’s stunning approach to songwriting and storytelling, and the rich imagery, empathy, and insight she imbues in her creative work. Conceived in the quiet of the pandemic quarantine, Watershed takes its title as much from that watershed moment in time as it does from the North American spaces where the story-songs take place. Renewing and reflective, water runs through many of the songs as crosscurrents that connect ideas to experiences, and people to places. 

Silver’s band is rounded out by a group of accomplished musicians and performers, including the album’s producer Shane Alexander, Darby Orr (Gary Myrick, David Newman), Carl Byron (Michelle Shocked, Rita Coolidge, Hot Club of Los Angeles), Kevin Stevens (Michael Stipe, Natasha Bedingfield, Shakira), and guest cellist Rob Hodges.  With special guests Alice Howe & Freebo, the Watershed release party will kick off on the Main Stage at 6:30pm.

“I approach my live shows the way that I approach writing on the page,” says Silver when asked about how she prepares for her performances. “When I'm performing, I think about the spaces between the songs as similar to the whitespace on the page, and think about what the purpose of that space is. I try to create an arc for the show not only energetically, but also from a narrative standpoint. How do these songs fit together? How does the story relate to the performance as a whole?” 

This consideration also carries Silver through the songwriting process to gorgeous results: fully realized songs that waste no space in delivering moving messages to listeners, while recalling past experiences and relationships, or settings that shape these narrative-based stories and emotional musings. In all, Silver crafts moving pieces that capture the heart and soul of the human condition. 

Early Watershed singles “Bramble Vine,” “Ghost Ships,” and “Rickie Lee” have earned praise and support from numerous outlets and publications including Americana Highways, Twangville, Americana UK and more, with “Ghost Ships” finding approval from one of the song’s inspirations, writer Cheryl Strayed. A literary mind who cites inspiration in writers like Strayed, Jane Austen, Jeanette Winterson, and Mary Oliver (to name a few), Silver's lyrics read like moving self-contained stories, and are further elevated by her striking instrumental and vocal performances. When writing, Silver asks herself “what is the mission for this song in the world? If I’m going to spend time creating a song, and people are going to listen, why is it worth their while? Where’s the real treasure in this song?” 

Creative writing adjunct faculty at Antioch University and the founder of Bhavana Flow Yoga studio, Silver’s writing and songwriting pulls inspiration from her childhood and surroundings, from engaging character-based narratives, and a deep sense of spirituality. Growing up with the music of Paul Simon, Elton John, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, and John Denver has led Silver through troubadour traditions across the valleys of the great American music genres.e. She finds equal inspiration in the sounds and storied histories of Laurel Canyon and Greenwich Village.

Silver serves as the President of FAR-West (Folk Alliance Region West), where she fosters and promotes the work of artists, songwriters, and more across traditional, contemporary, and multicultural folk music, storytelling, and performing arts. She additionally serves as a key team member for the SONA Foundation, a charitable organization that supports songwriters and music creators through resources, programs, and grants for career development, mental health, and financial wellness.

Born on Florida’s Gulf Coast and raised along the Atlantic seaboard, Arielle now lives just a traffic jam away from the Pacific Ocean in her adopted home of Los Angeles. Memories of places and times serve as touchstones through her songs, as does the troubadour music traditions that she heard from her guitar-strumming architect father. Throughout her music and storytelling runs an ethic of care, along with an essential wellspring of interpersonal relationships and ecological notice.

In addition to her record release show in Los Angeles, Silver will be hitting the road this fall for her East Coast tour

Photo by Anabel DFlux

KEEP UP WITH ARIELLE SILVER

WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

MATT LOVELL RELEASES DEBUT LP "NOBODY CRIES TODAY"

OUT NOW: 

MATT LOVELL’S DEBUT LP NOBODY CRIES TODAY

Photo: Jason Lee Denton

Photo: Jason Lee Denton

"Lovell lends his smooth tenor to well-crafted and soulful songs about love, loss and finding his way in a complicated world. It’s a promising if not especially groundbreaking debut for a singer willing to range around with confidence even when he’s wrestling with complicated subjects. The songs…hold together in a soothing package that conveys a healthy disregard for musical boundaries" - The Associated Press

“Need some escapism? Matt Lovell has you covered” - PopDust

"Lovell knows how to tap into a part of himself that can bring the emotions…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." - American Songwriter

“Inspired by Lovell's own experience with pain and trauma…intended to serve as a light, reminding others it's possible to make it to the other side of their grief or misfortune” - Variance Magazine

“Singer-songwriter Matt Lovell grew up learning to sing three-part harmonies in a household steeped in soul and Southern gospel, influences which have wound their way into the music he makes today. Those roots anchor the tracks on his forthcoming LP, Nobody Cries Today” - Glide Magazine 

“The album offers great variety and showcases Lovell’s natural songwriting and lyrical talent... the album ebbs and flows, offering the listener something new at every turn…this album has something for everyone. We are excited to share it with the world”  - Groundsounds

"And while Lovell likes to ‘tell stories by first explaining how they end,’ this project feels like it’s just the beginning of something bigger" - Euphoria. Magazine

"The time is now right for Lovell to share his songs with the world, and you’ll be glad for that...Lovell writes and sings songs that easily put him on the same plane with Ray LaMontagne…and make no mistake. You can’t help but feel something when you hear the lyrics in these songs" - Americana Highways 

“A bit celebratory, and a bit haunting” - The Indy Review

“Ultra-soulful, expressive vocals…pure and honest emotion" - Sound Thread

“Matt Lovell boasts a vocal that is somewhere between Bernhoft, Adam Levine, and Ray LaMontagne. The combination is a winning one as it is a voice that seeks out your soul and connects with it immediately." - Chimeo 

“A beautiful country-soul album” - Adobe & Teardrops

“Beautiful riffs and calming guitar notes” - Unheard Gems

“Give it a listen. This is one you won’t want to miss.” - LA On Lock

"The moment I clicked play...I started smiling immediately" - Music is My Life

"This artist creates bewitching combinations...a gifted and talented singer-songwriter" - Independent Spirits

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Nashville-based singer/songwriter Matt Lovell has released his debut album, Nobody Cries Today. Recorded in Nashville and produced by Jars Of Clay’s Matt Odmark, the album’s nine tracks encompass an eight-year journey of survival and self-acceptance. “Lovell’s gentle spirit shines throughout,” said The Associated Press in its review. “From the slow-roll gospel cuts, ‘Be Free’ and ‘The Gospel’ to the nostalgic closer ‘The Way That It Was,’ he always sounds at peace with himself….Lovell’s wheelhouse is blue-eyed soul, but the mix regularly suggests a variety of influences.” "There are two things that immediately stand out when listening to the record,” remarked Euphoria Magazine. “The first is Lovell’s beautiful, raspy voice that colours each song wonderfully. The second is the reliance on acoustic guitars throughout the album. This should come as no surprise – the singer-songwriter is based in Nashville, after all. But as tempting as it is, it would be a disservice to the distinct variety of influences to pin Lovell down to just one genre." 

LISTEN: NOBODY CRIES TODAY

“I often tell stories by first explaining how they end. Somehow the destination of a tale creates something like a center of gravity to draw all the details of the past towards the final point,” Lovell has said of his process. “The story told in these songs has had several endings and several beginnings, a natural byproduct when a project spans the course of so many years. In these years of writing and recording, I have gathered quite a wild palette of paints. 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,” he said. “These songs 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.”  

WATCH: “TROUBLE”

WATCH: “BE FREE”

WATCH: “ALLIGATOR LILLY” 

WATCH: “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 in Nashville 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.” 

Nobody Cries Today is available for download at iTunes, Amazon Music, and Google Play. The album will be available on vinyl this fall - be sure to follow Matt Lovell at the links below for updates. 

NOBODY CRIES TODAY TRACKLIST

TROUBLE

90 PROOF

SABOTAGE

ALLIGATOR LILLY

BE FREE

NOBODY CRIES TODAY

DIME ADIOS (SAY GOODBYE TO ME) ft. Leigh Nash

THE GOSPEL

THE WAY THAT IT WAS

CONNECT WITH MATT LOVELL:

Website || Facebook || Instagram || Spotify || YouTube

 

411 MUSIC GROUP RELEASES “DEEP PULSE EXTRACTION” BY COMPOSER BENJI MERRISON + ANNOUNCES THE COLLABORATIVE ALBUM 'THE LIGHT & DARK: LONDON' OUT 11/15

411 MUSIC GROUP RELEASES  “DEEP PULSE EXTRACTION” SINGLE BY COMPOSER BENJI MERRISON + ANNOUNCES THE COLLABORATIVE ALBUM THE LIGHT & DARK: LONDON OUT 11/15

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Los Angeles’ 411 Music Group has released the single “Deep Pulse Extraction” by UK based producer Benji Merrison. This single follows “Troopers Hill”  from Hospital Records artist Keeno released earlier this month. Both songs are off of the forthcoming collaborative album The Light & Dark: London due out November 15th.

The project was conceptualized and produced by 411 Music Group’s CEO, Kristen Agee. “The concept came to me after I was almost in a plane crash coming back from Canada earlier this year,” says Agee. “I eventually made it home to Los Angeles, slept for 3 days, and woke up with this idea in my head. Good and bad things happen simultaneously all the time. It’s taken me over 30 years to understand that life is not black and white. Light and darkness move together, and without one, you don’t have the other. It’s possible to have a good and bad day, positive and negative experiences and a full spectrum of emotions throughout every step. That’s part of being human, and it’s okay. It’s a difficult concept to unpack, which brought me to the studio to write and record this album.”

The idea of putting together a project that brought together composers with different backgrounds and talents had been stirring in Agee's mind for a while, with the vision of recording with an orchestra at Air Studios in London. There were some obvious choices when choosing a theme that could have been catered to sync, but Kristen decided to make this album about the music versus allowing sync and marketing dictate direction. Agee called two Los Angeles based composers, Brian Carr and Steve Edwards, with whom 411 collaborates with often,  as well as UK composer Benji Merrison, and Drum and Bass Hospital Records producer and DJ, Keeno, to but a twist on the concept of the standard orchestral sound. Each composer was asked to contribute original pieces based on the concepts of “dark” and “light.” Ideas and tracks were traded back and forth for months. The group went into Air Studios in August and came out with a stunning collection of 17 compositions. In addition to recording live strings, the entire process was documented on video, the footage of which will be released over the next few weeks. 



GREG HOLDEN RELEASES WORLD WAR ME

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Listen to World War Me :  HERE

“Greg Holden is an artist who wants to do good, a tall order for anyone nowadays, but I feel safe with him leading the charge.” - Baylen Leonard (The BBC & The Bluegrass Situation)

Just in time for Brexit, Los Angeles based artist and UK expat Greg Holden has released his fourth studio album World War Me in conjunction with BMG Recordings.

The songs that make up  World War Me are the spoils of a psychological war that was waged in Holden’s mind, which he has coined as his “Great Existential Crisis of 2016. It was then and written during the ongoing Existential Crises of 2017 & 2018” says Holden. After moving his life across the country from New York City, and being dropped by his label partner upon arrival, Holden started to question is worth and relevance. So he did what any artist questioning their worth would do to perpetuate their pain - he started googling himself. Holden came to realize his biggest successes were not from music written with the intention to get people to buy, stream, embed, playlist, swipe up or listen, but songs that were written with a purpose and for causes.  “The Lost Boy” (9 Million + streams on Spotify) raised $80,000 for The Red Cross and contributed towards building schools in Africa. “Boys in the Street” (18 + million streams on Spotify) was written for Everyone Is Gay, an organization supporting the LGBTQ youth community, and “Home,” made famous by American Idol’s Phillip Phillips, has been used by countless organizations.

To exacerbate this internal mental battle, Holden decided to record World War Me himself. This DIY mentality spread to the entire album process. Holden put together the artwork for the album, took his own press shots, built a new website and even wrote his own bio. The result is a stunningly honest and self-reflective body of work. Holden wrote the five of the nine songs on the album with his good friend and fellow esteemed songwriter Garrison Starr, and with the exception of  “On the Run” recorded by the legendary producer/songwriter Butch Walker, recorded every song on the album himself, in his home studio in Los Angeles.

The very first song written for the album, "I’m Not Your Enemy" was written the day after the 2016 election with Garrison Starr, while the two were on tour in Europe. Garrison being a lesbian, and Greg being an immigrant in the middle of his Green Card application, both felt extremely on edge, unwanted and abandoned by the country they called home. Instead of coming at the problem with anger though, they attacked it with love and penned “I’m Not Your Enemy” hungover the next day, and performed it that night to an arena of ten thousand.

“This beautiful melody will lure you in, like a hummingbird to the nectar, and replenish your sense of hope. It was never about fighting against something, at least not in total; there is a component that needs to awaken inside each heart, one at a time.”

- ChillFltr (on “I’m Not Your Enemy”)

The album finds a perfect balance between  feelings of warmth and empathy with songs like “I’m Not Your Enemy,”  and “Something Beautiful,” that promote love and understanding, and defiance, with tracks like  “The Power Shift” and “Chase the Money,” penned about the world’s ruling class and our culture’s obsession with money and power.

Holden will be playing songs from World War Me live this Spring on tour in the U.S. and in Europe. “My little album baby is finally coming out into the world after two years of mental instability and fear”, says Holden. “I’m excited for everyone to learn it and sing it back to me on tour, so I can feel self-righteous and arrogant again.”

#WorldTourMe

4.25  The Red Room at Cafe 939 -  Boston, MA

4.26  Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 - New York, NY

5.1 Ortlieb’s Lounge - Philadelphia, PA  

5.2 Jammin Java - Vienna, VA

5.5 The Basement - Nashville, TN

5.10  Freilichtbühne am Kalkberg - Bad Segeberg, Germany

5.12  Paradiso - Amsterdam, Netherlands

5.14  Ponyhof -  Frankfurt, Germany

5.15  Zehner - München, Germany

5.16  Hangar 49 -  Berlin, Germany

5.17 Altes Pfandhaus - Cologne, Germany

5.19  Nochtspeicher - Hamburg, Germany

5.23  St Pancras Old Church - London,  United Kingdom

5.24  The Eagle Inn - Manchester, United Kingdom

6.1  Lost Lake Lounge - Denver, CO

6.3  Sunset - Seattle, WA

6.4 McMenamins White Eagle Saloon & Hotel -  Portland, OR

6.6 The Hotel Utah - San Francisco, CA

6.7  Moroccan Lounge - Los Angeles, CA

Press Materials:

 https://smarturl.it/GregHoldenPR   

https://www.gregholdenonline.com/

https://twitter.com/gregholden

https://www.instagram.com/gregholden/

https://www.facebook.com/gregholden

https://www.youtube.com/gregholden