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

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SHADWICK WILDE RELEASES HIS ‘WATER WORLD’ OPUS OF AN ALBUM FOREVER HOME

OUT NOW VIA SOFABURN RECORDS
“In a perfect world, many of these songs would become standards.” - Americana Highways 

“Though the instrumentation and songwriting feel heavily drawn from a more traditional approach to Americana, the production and vocal styling feels more akin to more modern pop sensible acts like Bahamas. Wilde’s voice is smooth and personable with a natural warble and an effortless ability to take to falsetto notes to great effect.” - Glide Magazine (on “Easy Rider”) 

“​​With his piercing lyricism and unwavering commitment to his craft, Shadwick Wilde has not only cemented his status as a masterful songwriter but has also extended an intimate invitation into the quiet recesses of his heart and home.”  -  B-Side Guys

“There are lines that dance with poetry, but Wilde’s greatest talent, which he does here, is making listeners feel the weight of what he is carrying around in his head.” - Leo Weekly 

“ The final product is an emotional and almost cinematic journey.” - Louisville Public Media (on “Without You”)

“Through it all is Wilde’s deep commitment to self-reflection and to protect everything that makes life worth living, even the bad stuff.” - Rainbow Rodeo
“Easy Rider” warmth of his guitar strings, and the accompanying video shot on 16mm film, there is no pretending that these moments are solid and effortless..." -Folk Radio UK

FOREVER HOME: LISTEN 

Louisville’s Shadwick Wilde has released his opus of an album  Forever Home out today on SofaBurn Records, produced by renowned Nashville drummer Ken Coomer (Billy Bragg, Will Hoge, Margo Price, Vance Joy, Al Green, Wilco, and Uncle Tupelo). The album is available on all digital platforms as well as on limited edition colored vinyl versions of the album HERE.  

Wilde cut his teeth as a guitarist in hardcore bands in his youth, and after spending time in San Francisco, and Havana, settled in his current home in Louisville, Kentucky, and began writing his own songs and forming the first iteration of Quiet Hollers. After the band’s 2013 rootsy- midwestern album I Am the Morning, the band worked at a relentless pace, releasing a record every two years, and producing content, all while rigorously touring the U.S. and Europe winning over crowds with their transcendent live shows.  After a decade of this unforgiving cycle, Shadwick decided to get off the album release tour cycle merry-go-round and ushered in the most prolific writing period of his career. The result was the Quiet Hollers’ 2022 release Forever Chemicals and the stunning ten songs that comprise Forever Home recorded at Coomer’s Cartoon Moon studio in Nashville. 

Working with Coomer was a practice in surrender for Wilde. In the past, Wilde’s recording process was a push for perfection, and with Coomer Wilde had to let go of the reins and succumb to Coomer's process of letting the songs unravel on their own. The result is ten stunning songs that are an exercise in finding contentment in the present, in lieu of the inevitable state of doom constantly looming in the background. The album opens with the acoustic guitar-driven song “Easy Rider,” which was the first single released from the album.  When asked about the song Wilde told Folk Radio UK that he tried “to capture the truth of the ennui that can creep in when life becomes too peaceful or happy. Depression always wants to step in and throw things off balance, for me anyway.”

“Easy Rider” was followed by “Without You,” an existentialist love ballad examining the frailty of memory, the truth of impermanence, and our clinging to one another that Louisville Public Media called “... an emotional and almost cinematic journey,” then “Floating Away,” a song about the inevitable impermanence in love relationships that Rainbow Rodeo called a  soft protest against mortality’s cruel interruption of love.”  Both “Without You” and “Floating Away”  are close to the demos and reflect Coomer’s signature style of minimalism of this album, recording live with minimal takes to preserve the emotion and spontaneity of the creative process.  The album concludes with the title track “Forever Home,” which encompasses the dichotomy of family life and the life of an artist. “ I want to be at home with my partner and our beautiful child, surrounded by nature, away from the ugliness of our crumbling society,” Wilde told Under the Radar Magazine. “But I also want to be out in it, seeing it all— the beauty, the grime— rock and roll clubs, loud music, sweaty, imperfect humanity. I have been trying to find a way to do both. It’s hard to find balance. Sometimes I do want to burn it all to the ground, start fresh— and leave the wanderer’s life. But the pull is strong.”  

Wilde has joked that this album was his  ‘Waterworld,’ the colossal disaster of a movie that almost ruined Kevin Costner’s career. “ The parallels are difficult to ignore,” Wilde told Twangville. “ Both he and I nearly bankrupted ourselves to bring our apocalyptic visions into reality. I have been thinking and writing a lot about water these past few years; how Heraclitus said we can never step into the same river twice… both the human and the river being in a constant state of flux. Our bodies have roughly the same salinity as the ocean, the source of all life on Earth. I learned a lot of letting go, in the process of making this record. We all are in this river of time, everchanging. All we can do is row, row our little boat, gently down the stream– making small adjustments to our course, but ultimately heading toward the same destination: the ocean that is eternity, the infinite vastness of the cosmos. When the waves of this life come and knock us down, we have a tendency to forget that we too are the ocean, and that in fact, everything does come in waves.”

Shadwick has been on tour performing his solo material with the Quiet Hollers and will be playing an album release show presented by Louisville Public Media’s WFPK on September 30th before heading over to Europe to play Rootzz 2023 in the Netherlands.

KEEP UP WITH SHADWICK WILDE

Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube |  Spotify 

TOUR DATES

Sept 23  Guestroom Records OKC @ 2pm Oklahoma City, OK **

Sept 23 - The Colony - Tulsa, OK**

Sept 24 - Replay Lounge - Lawrence, KS**

Sept 30  Headliners Music Hall - Louisville, KY **

Oct 28  Rootzz 2023 @ 7:30pm Breda, Netherlands

** w/ Quiet Hollers

^ w/ Lacey Guthrie

SINGER-SONGWRITER ARIELLE SILVER’S SWINGING ROCKABILLY “RICKIE LEE” PAYS HOMAGE TO LEGEND RICKIE LEE JONES

THIRD SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM WATERSHED PREMIERES VIA TWANGVILLE

"Lovely songwriting" - The Boston Globe

“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”

“Arielle Silver is a born communicator, exudes intelligence and humanity” - Music Connection

“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
“RICKIE LEE” : LISTEN | WATCH

LOS ANGELES, CA - LA based singer-songwriter Arielle Silver has released “Rickie Lee” a bluesy, swinging rockabilly-esque ode to legendary artist and musician Rickie Lee Jones. The third single from her forthcoming fifth album Watershed (due out October 6th), “Rickie Lee” captures the fascination Silver felt when gazing upon Jones on the cover of her eponymous 1979 album. “Like much of the eponymous first album from namesake Rickie Lee Jones, it’s as much R&B and jazz as it is folk. It pays tribute to a much earlier watershed moment for Silver when she first heard that Jones LP,” says Twangville in the official premiere for the song and video. A flirty homage to discovery - of music, new ideas, and romance - the song’s vibrant electric slide guitar, warm Wurlitzer, and energetic drum kit lay the foundation for Silver’s vocals to soar. “You could say I was a new tune seeker / You could say she was a new groove preaching girl,” Silver sings. “She might say it was a track for scratching / She might say it was the needle catching.” 

“Rickie Lee” is joined by a stunning music video starring dancer/actor Nicole Riviere (who has danced on stage and in music videos for artists like Peaches, Basement Jaxx, and Elvis Costello) and directed by DP/cinematographer Sacha Riviere. For Arielle, partnering with Nicole and Sacha was a no-brainer. After experiencing burnout in their respective creative endeavors, Arielle and Nicole both turned to yoga to rejuvenate their creative spirits while beginning new teaching careers. Nicole and Sacha moved into Arielle’s next door apartment, and around this time both Arielle and Nicole found their way back to music and dance, respectively. Partnering with Nicole and Sacha (who has worked with groups including Crash Adams, Hyper Crush, and Stevie Nader), the three crafted an approach to honor Rickie Lee Jones’ artistry and legacy. 

The seeds for the song were planted when Silver and a fellow songwriting friend challenged each other to write a song a week. Using “record player” as a prompt, Silver tapped into a memory from a party back in college when she watched a girl queue up the eponymous Rickie Lee Jones album on the record player. “When I was in college, I had this realization that 90% of the voices I was listening to were male. I decided to more consciously seek out women songwriters, women musicians, women vocalists and in particular, singer-songwriters,” says Silver. Two records in particular, Joni Mitchell’s Court and Spark and Rickie Lee Jones’ self-titled album, made a massive impact on Silver’s songwriting interest and approach. 

“As I started listening to more songs and stories by women, it opened up this whole world to me. You never know the influence that something's going to have on you at the time, but looking back on those two records and all those songwriters that I discovered at that time, I see how they were models for me as a young writer. As a young woman, I saw myself as worthy and capable of taking the microphone, because I now had models of other women who had gone down that path before.”

A literary mind who cites inspiration in writers like Cheryl 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?” 

This consideration 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. 

“Rickie Lee” follows singles “Ghost Ships” and “Bramble Vine” as a preview for her fifth album Watershed. With support from Americana UK, American Songwriter, and more, the album was produced and recorded with Shane Alexander, whose partnership with Silver during the making of her previous album A Thousand Tiny Torches continued throughout the recording and production of Watershed. 

Silver is a consummate storyteller whose Americana-roots-influenced songs are rich with imagery, empathy, and insight. 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. 

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, all artists introduced to her by her father on acoustic guitar, has led Silver through troubadour traditions across the valleys of the great American music genres; Americana & roots music, folk, blues, county, and more round out Silver’s style. 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 of folk, country, and rock 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.

Silver will be performing Watershed in full on October 6th in Los Angeles at the Hotel Cafe with a full band and special guests Alice Howe & Freebo, in addition to an East Coast tour this fall.

Photo by Anabel DFlux

KEEP UP WITH ARIELLE SILVER

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BONNIE & TAYLOR SIMS RELEASE THEIR SELF-TITLED DEBUT

RIAA CERTIFIED RECORDING ARTISTS TRAVERSE AMERICANA ROOTS MUSIC, COUNTRY, FOLK AND MORE ON EXPANSIVE EPONYMOUS ALBUM

“In this latest project, the band veers back towards Americana roots, bolstered by woody acoustic guitar and toe-tapping percussion, and topped with heartfelt, raw vocals from Bonnie on tracks like “Devil and the Deep Blue Sea” and “Texas Again.” - Daily Camera

“...a testament to the duo’s musical finesse. It reaffirms their standing as a formidable presence in Colorado’s musical landscape, leaving an indelible mark.” - Last Day Leaf

Bonnie’s vocals shimmer at the forefront, adding a stunning layer of depth and emotion…” - Folk n’ Rock

“The vocals that follow exude a warm and comforting familiarity, pulling at the heartstrings with their emotive delivery. The production is rich with energy, and as the chorus vocals come alive, adorned with lovely harmonies, the song reaches new heights.” - Wax Vinyl Records

“...relatable storytelling is beautifully delivered through Bonnie's smooth, expressive vocals which are accompanied by intricate guitar riffs and steady drum patterns, creating an overall warm atmosphere perfect for a laid-back day home alone.”  - Caesar Live and Loud

LISTEN TO BONNIE AND TAYLOR SIMS : LISTEN

Colorado-based Texas natives Bonnie & Taylor Sims have released their self-titled debut Bonnie & Taylor Sims today. The album displays the husband-wife duo’s carefully crafted songwriting and storytelling, and is an exploration  of the dichotomy of beauty and pain, hope and destruction, and transition and duality. Leading into the album the duo showcased their sonic range with the release of three stunning singles. "The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea," is a portrait of their edgy-punk-rock-reality that has been bubbling right beneath the surface. It was followed by “Texas Again,"  a beautiful song about nostalgia initially written as a "Grapes of Wrath" type of story about the Sims family, and “The Cigarette Song” that sees Bonnie at her most vulnerable taking an entry out of her diary and putting it out there for the world. 

The album is rounded out by seven additional tracks including the Americana power anthem “I Am a Woman,” which finds Bonnie delivering a captivating vocal performance with grace and power as a response to the events over the past few years that have seen our culture step backward in regards to equal rights and body autonomy. “Side by Side” is a Texas shuffle about the deep love and connection the two have for each other. “Levelland” is a tribute to the town where Bonnie & Taylor first met and the album concludes with the haunting and beautiful lullaby “Lay Yourself to Sleep.”

“We realized that we wanted to make an album that wasn't a “country record,” wasn't a “rock record,” but a collection of all the things that we had been working towards, and all the types of songs that we were writing,” says the duo when asked about their approach to writing and recording the album. “When the pandemic came around, and through 2021, we had extra time on our hands. We were able to take a breath and start writing the songs we really wanted to write. We didn't have to necessarily cater to a particular sound of the band that we already had.” 

“With the kind of fans that we already had, we had assumed what we thought they wanted, which is always incorrect. The fans want you to be authentic, and it doesn't matter what kind of music you’re making.” The result soars to stunning effect; Bonnie & Taylor Sims reflects the duo songwriters’ authentic, relaxed (but considered) approach to crafting music, one that doesn’t sweat the results but reveals and celebrates the songwriting path and process. 

Bonnie & Taylor are serial creators, always striving to learn and innovate. When not working on their own projects the two are collaborating, playing and supporting other artists in the singer-songwriting, teaching music and songwriting to children and constantly growing and evolving on their own through songwriting workshops and camps. Both grew up in Texas, Bonnie in a musical family who fell in love with Bluegrass at an early age and Taylor in a house filled with the music of Texas songwriters like Robert Earl Keen, Guy Clark, and  Townes Van Zandt. Bonnie is pragmatic in her approach to songwriting and enjoys structure and marking off tasks, while Taylor is moved more by "the muse" who lets his creativity wander. The two met at South Plains College in Levelland, Texas in the music program and have been partners in life and music ever since.

Although this  album is their debut album as Bonnie and Taylor Sims, the two are RIAA Certified Gold recording artists. They have seen breakaway global success with their song “I See Red” which has over 270 Million streams with their project Everybody Loves an Outlaw, had a major label deal with Columbia, have toured the world, and graced the stages of major festivals. Amidst this wave of newfound success Bonnie and Taylor never lost touch with the thing that was most important to them: writing songs and making music with each other. With the shift the world took during the pandemic came the need for the duo to go down a different path and change directions artistically.  

They complement each other in the best way possible, and this idea of opposites fits perfectly into where this record sits. 

BONNIE & TAYLOR SIMS TOUR DATES

11/4 the Barn, Longmont

11/15 the Armory, Fort Collins

11/16 Animas City Theatre, Durango

11/17 Sherbino Theater, Ridgway

11/18 LuLu's Downstairs, Colorado Springs

11/19 eTown, Boulder, CO

KEEP UP WITH BONNIE & TAYLOR SIMS

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THE VINYL RECORD MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS

The Vinyl Records Manufacturing Association (VRMA) is excited to welcome in new members Vantiva (Global), Key Production Ltd. (UK), Stamper Discs (UK), Galactic Wax (USA) and Takt (Poland). These organizations join over 48 member companies and individuals including Third Man Pressing, CopyCats Media, Big Loud Records,  Stoughton Printing, Furnace Record Pressing, Welcome to 1979, and more.

 “Vantiva Supply Chain Solutions is excited to join VRMA as a company increasing vinyl manufacturing capacity for clients and music lovers around the globe,”  said Rob Wipper, President of Vantiva SCS. “ We look forward to sharing our decades of insights and experience in precision manufacturing, custom packaging & assembly, and order fulfillment & logistics with fellow association members and partners.” 

“We are very pleased with the growth of the association over these last few months which includes partners throughout the supply chain and companies of all sizes,” said VRMA President Dustin Blocker. “We believe that with the rapid growth of our industr, that it is more essential than ever to increase our interconnectivity to continue our path towards a sustainable and healthy business environment around the globe. ”

There are currently fifty-two pressing plants in the US that are conservatively producing 193,550,000 records per year.  Globally, the annual number is 359,888,000, with close to 200 plants targeted to be online by the first quarter of 2024.

The sale of Vinyl Records has seen continual growth year-over-year for the past 17 years. Last year, in 2022, was the first time in over 30 years that vinyl record sales surpassed the sale of CD’s in the U.S. Currently, vinyl sales for the first half of 2023 in the United States are up 22% from the previous year (23.6 million-first half of 2023 vs.19.4 million in 2022), as reported by Luminate in their mid-year music report. 

With the boom in the vinyl business the country's top manufacturers gathered together to create the Vinyl Records Manufacturer Association (VRMA) in December of 2019, becoming a formal legal entity in May of 2022.  The VRMA is a professional trade association of independent businesses committed to the craft of vinyl record manufacturing through collaboration, advocacy, standardization, and education. The association serves to advocate for the industry at large, with a focus on education and providing the latest and most accurate information industrywide. The association serves as a forum for member companies to engage in ongoing discussions, various issues, and opportunities related to other new technologies and the future of the industry as a whole. 

The VRMA currently has over 48 members from across the vinyl industry, which include not only half the pressing plants in the United States, but also audio companies, plating, mastering, packing, technology, record labels, and, of course, record stores. 

As membership continues to grow within and outside of the United States, the VRMA continues their work with a focus on communication with the launch of a recent education initiative on the vinyl making process for those within, and outside of, the vinyl making industry with the production of the Audio Quality Control Manual available for free to all members and the accompanying YouTube series that goes in-depth on the intricate process of audio quality control for vinyl.

KEEP UP WITH THE VRMA

WEBSITE // YOUTUBE // LINKEDIN 

LOS ANGELES FUNK COLLECTIVE ‘SCARY GOLDINGS’ SCARY GOLDINGS LIVE! FEATURING JOHN SCOFIELD ALBUM OUT TODAY

“It’s a world where jazz and funk meet the jam space, and musicianship and great ears lead to sounds that spin your head and often surround your soul”. - Goldmine

 “The enthusiastic crowd that couldn’t keep from dancing….. Goldings’ funky textures and unusual settings on the B-3 organ were a thing of wonder.”  -  Downbeat 

“... just show up and get in the groove.” - WBUR

LISTEN TO SCARY GOLDINGS LIVE! FEATURING JOHN SCOFIELD: HERE

The Los Angeles-based funk collective Scary Goldings have released Scary Goldings LIVE! feat. John Scofield. 

Scary Goldings is a collaboration between world-renowned, Grammy-nominated keyboardist and composer Larry Goldings, and the digitally native collective and YouTube sensations Scary Pockets, anchored by keyboardist Jack Conte and guitarist Ryan Lerman. The live album includes  9 fan favorite tracks featuring the legendary Grammy Award-winning guitarist John Scofield. Goldings has been a long-time associate and collaborator of Scofield’s and was responsible for bringing him on board as a guest guitarist for a handful of shows with Scary Goldings.  Both Conte and Lerman grew up listening to, and idolizing both Goldings and Scofield, so sharing the stage with these two musical giants has been a bucket list item for them both. The chemistry on stage was so magical that the group decided to capture the lighting in a bottle, recording multiple shows and releasing a live album of Scary Golding's staples. All the songs on the album were recorded last year at Jazz A La Villette in Paris, with the exception of  “Professor Vicarious,” which was recorded in Los Angeles at the Echoplex. 

The group recreated the magical collaboration at this year’s  Newport Jazz Festival where their set was praised by the Providence Journal, The Boston Globe, Downbeat, and more. The group will be bringing the alchemy from the album to the festival setting at the end of this month at the Monterey Jazz Festival. 

Guitarist Ryan Lerman met his Scary Pockets co-founder keyboardist Jack Conte when the two were still in high school in Marin County, California. It’s a relationship that has informed and influenced him, musically and professionally, ever since. Both musicians tend to be systems-level thinkers who focus on the process instead of the outcome. This process type of thinking has resulted in incredible productivity and a massive online following. Scary Pockets have released at least one new video a week on YouTube since 2017, racking up 1 Million Subscribers and over 350 Million views, and a loyal audience of funk enthusiasts worldwide. They’ve recorded hundreds of songs featuring a continuously rotating lineup of quality musicians and singers. Their collaborators include a wide array of artists including Jacob Collier, Louis Cato, Louis Cole, Tyler Duncan, Joey Dosik, Larry Goldings, Caleb Hawley, Cory Henry, Theo Katzman, Lawrence, Adam Levy, Monica Martin, Jake Sherman, Antwaun Stanley, Jack Stratton, and Cory Wong. Scary Pockets continues to tour regularly with a rotating group of musicians. They will be touring the southeast U.S. in October before heading to Europe in November where they will be playing a number of shows and festivals including the Netherlands Rockit Festival and the London Jazz Festival.  See more on Scary Pockets touring at https://www.scarypocketsfunk.com 

SCARY GOLDINGS UPCOMING TOUR DATES 

Sept 22 Scary Goldings ft. John Scofield Monterey Jazz Festival

KEEP UP WITH SCARY GOLDINGS

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ISAAC WATERS RELEASES WIDESCREEN JOURNEY ACROSS INDIE-ROCK WITH EXTENDED PLAY 002 VIA hi-res records

SOPHOMORE EP PREMIERES WITH ATWOOD MAGAZINE

“Charming and churning, warm and wondrous, Watters’ Extended Play 002 is a contemplative collection of gentle giants: Intimate reflections that sound sweet and hit hard, demanding our undivided attention as the artist spills his soul.” - Atwood Magazine on Extended Play 002 

“Watters is haunting and archival in the way he approaches songwriting, retracing memory with deep contemplation of the human experience. Sonically, Watters’ music has a lingering effect.” - Impose Magazine

“There are few more compelling narrators of the human condition right now than Watters, who turns his writerly eye toward the disparity in wealth in Los Angeles on the new single.” - Buzzbands LA on “Coconut In The Street” 

“Watters has been dipping his toes in assorted genres over the years, but he seems to rest most comfortably along the mesmerizing continuum between minimalist folk and moody theatricality.” - Magnet Magazine

“Blending unique sounds with deep and sometimes haunting lyrics, Watters conjures up a new perspective for listeners and burgeoning artists.” - Los Angeleno 

“Extended Play 001 offers a first full glimpse of his restless and idiosyncratic artistic impulses, with tracks diverting towards minimalist art pop, funky indie rock, and off-kilter balladry… the EP closes off with “Sliding,” a slinking and smoky effort carried by bass-driven grooves and Watters’ decadent vocal melodies.” - Under The Radar 

“...it’s hooked me, line and sinker. ‘Everywhere I go, I leave a little sadness,’ sung in the vein of Wolf Parade’s wobbly warbles? Take my money.” - Monster Children 

“The result is a collection of songs (with more to come) that reflect different shadows of Watters’ LA life, but also process fears and anxieties about the natural world, climate change, and apocalypse that’s very much “in the air” for the artist.” Glide Magazine

EXTENDED PLAY 002: LISTEN

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today LA based multi-disciplinary artist and songwriter Isaac Watters has released Extended Play 002, his thoughtfully-crafted sophomore release for hi-res records. “Watters’ new EP is a fun fever dream that defies easy categorization; a record that comes to life with warmth and wonder, graceful melodies and glistening vocals full of turbulence and raw turmoil,” says Atwood Magazine in the official premiere of the four-song release. A journey across indie-rock, post-punk, art rock, dream pop, indie folk and more, the release marks a stunning achievement for Watters, whose singular voice and patient songwriting are on full display. Watters’ music considers his and humanity’s place on Earth, how the natural world shapes its inhabitants and vice versa, and the fibers that connect us all. Watters channels these internal musings and observations while tapping into a celebrated sonic lineage of trailblazing songwriters who came before him, including Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Dan Bejar, and more.

Closing song “Can You Hear Me Now” joins Watters’ previous singles in underscoring the thought he imbues in his songwriting and the recording process. Describing the song as either a conversation wrestling with a higher power, or a phone call with his brother, Isaac rounds out his second EP on “Can You Hear Me Now” to a stunningly poignant effect. “Can you hear me now? I was trying so hard,” sings Isaac, as if the clouds are parting. “Can you hear me now? I was trying to understand.” There’s an admirable stillness in the messages Watters presents in his songwriting and delivery that is on full display across the song and EP.

When asked about the environmental themes and imagery he touches on across the release, Issac finds hope in the scenes of disaster and ruin that are presented in his lyrics. “I think there's always this longing for a world where things are better and things aren't dying and everything is alive, and the ocean is cold, and the sun is shining,” says Isaac. “There’s this idea I sometimes think about, that longing for a place like that.”

“I feel like music is a way to process what we aren't actually able to think about,” says Watters when asked about what he hopes listeners take away from Extended Play 002. “I hope that it's music that is comforting to people in this era that we're living in. And that it could be something that would be helpful for people.”

“Can You Hear Me Now” rounds out the EP, and follows lead singles “All I Need,” “Coconut In The Street,” and “My Heart is an Ocean.” With praise from publications including Impose Magazine, Magnet Magazine, Buzz Bands LA, Under The Radar and more, the release hints at more music to come from Watters in the future.

Working with producer Matt Linesch and hi-res records, Watters found recording in analog to be a creatively fruitful approach. Eschewing the endless directions that digital recording can present, along with the headache that constant tinkering and overdubbing can inspire, recording to tape provided Watters and company a more direct road map to carrying these songs to completion, and overall simplified the process. Working within limits can inspire a more successful, and ultimately more human approach. “We did the record with four rolls of tape, each song lives on that length of tape. We couldn't go back and add stuff in. Everybody that we had playing on [Extended Play 002] was flawless. They would do one take, and that would be the song.”

A multi-disciplinary artist,  Frank Gehry apprentice, and accomplished set designer (Westworld, For All Mankind, and many others), Watters’ is always considering the relationship between sight and sound, and how the two influence and affect his work.

Born in Mexico City, John Isaac Watters grew up in Oaxaca & later outside of Tucson, AZ. In 2002 He moved to Los Angeles to study architecture, going on to work for Frank Gehry while at the same time starting to write music and perform with friends in the USC music school. To date, he has released 4 albums as John Isaac Watters: Parachute Tramps, CASAS, Campanas, and Past Hope Now. Also in 2019 he released an EP as Rainstorm Brother - a new project with his long time collaborator Tyler Chester.

Besides touring nationally, from 2014-2020 he held multiple residencies in LA, the longest running was at the historic Hyperion Tavern in Silver Lake. At that residency, John attracted many notable guest performers including Jackson Browne, Madison Cunningham, Bedouine, Mark Eitzel (of American Music club), Dan Bern, Anna Nalick, Garrison Starr, Will Butler (of Arcade Fire) and many others.

Isaac is an artist's artist and in addition to music has a robust career as a visual artist. He started his career working with the legendary architect Frank Gehry and later designed multiple low-income housing projects in Los Angeles.  His architecture work led to set design in 2015 with his first project Chappaquiddick. He has gone on to design sets for existential shows such as OA, Westworld and For All Mankind, which helped shape the worldview projected in the EP (full IMBD credits HERE). Most recently he designed the sets for the buzzed-about film Don't Worry Darling and is a member of LAMB design collective where he worked on the design for last year's Met Gala In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.

Photo by Stone Shannon

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“LITERATE FOLK POP” SINGER-SONGWRITER ARIELLE SILVER NAVIGATES PAST CURRENTS AND THE INNOCENCE OF FIRST HEARTBREAK ON “GHOST SHIPS”

SECOND SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM WATERSHED PREMIERES VIA AMERICANA HIGHWAYS

“Beautiful” - Cheryl Strayed

“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

“A beautiful melody, a Silver signature, is combined with her wonderfully clear and ringing alto vocals that leave no doubt that the lyric is king here. It’s a melody that is easy to sing along with and becomes an instant hit between the ears.” - A Little More Vodka, A Little Less Milk on “Bramble Vine”

“Arielle Silver is a baker of pies and a penner of poetry.” - Americana UK

"Lovely songwriting" - The Boston Globe

“With a keen sense of how a song works; expressive lyrics…Silver wrestles with and makes peace with the world.” - Acoustic Music
“What Really Matters”…was born from both an introspective internal analysis of her own life as well as two tragic events near her Los Angeles residence…filled with an infectious percussive groove, hand claps, foot stomps and an urgent commanding vocal.” - American Songwriter on “What Really Matters”

“GHOST SHIPS” : LISTEN | WATCH

LOS ANGELES, CA - LA based singer-songwriter Arielle Silver has released “Ghost Ships,” an evocative folk-pop song and second single from her forthcoming album Watershed, out October 6th. “The video is hopeful, foreboding and simultaneously lovely and soothing, just like the song itself,” says Americana Highways in the premiere for the stunning stop-motion video crafted by accomplished animator Damon Wellner. Navigating through musings on youthful love and the innocence of first heartbreak, “Ghost Ships” finds inspiration from two literary sources, including Cheryl Strayed’s essay “Ghost Ships” from her book Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life From Dear Sugar, as well as writing Silver had previously published. With the official seal of approval from Strayed herself, who described the song as “beautiful,” Silver sets a course through reflective waters on “Ghost Ships.”

“A song about journeys not taken, the idea for this emerged from a flash essay I wrote called ‘The Sleeping Porch,’ first published in Under The Gum Tree.” Silver’s stunning guitar layers, paired with lush vocals and a beautiful cello feature underscores the lessons learned through yesterday’s currents. Joined by an all-star cast of performers and instrumentalists including producer Shane Alexander, Justine Bennett (Jakob Dylan, Liz Phair), Denny Weston Jr. (KT Tunstall, Don Was) “Ghost Ships” is a voyage into the past, while recognizing these lessons and relationships are ultimately a compass for the future. 

The video was completed in collaboration with Wellner, who translated Arielle's vision and journey with the song into what you see today. “When we first talked, I shared the studio recording and lyrics with him, along with the 13-point sketch that I had imagined,” says Silver on the collaborative process. “He showed me some paper-animation work that he had done for a previous project, and it felt like we were exactly on the same page (no pun intended) right from the start.”

Wellner and Silver also snuck in multiple easter eggs in the video that reference her written work, as well as images and details from her everyday life. It's a breathtaking effort that truly enhances the meaning and power of the song. "The story in the opening magazine shot was of ‘The Sleeping Porch.’ The next imagery of the piano was from a home where I was performing a house concert, and the rest of the furniture and pictures are from my living room. That's my cat leaping onto the piano bench."

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?” 

This consideration 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. 

“Ghost Ships” and first single “Bramble Vine” follow Silver’s 2020 acclaimed album A Thousand Tiny Torches. With support from Americana UK, American Songwriter, and more, the album was produced and recorded with Shane Alexander, whose partnership with Silver continued throughout the recording and production of Watershed. 

Silver is a consummate storyteller whose Americana-roots-influenced songs are rich with imagery, empathy, and insight. 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. 

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, all artists introduced to her by her father on acoustic guitar, has led Silver through troubadour traditions across the valleys of the great American music genres; Americana & roots music, folk, blues, county, and more round out Silver’s style. 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 of folk, country, and rock 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.

Silver will be performing Watershed in full on October 6th in Los Angeles at the Hotel Cafe with a full band and special guests Alice Howe & Freebo.

Photo by Anabel DFlux

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LETTERS TO CLEO ANNOUNCE FALL TOUR DATES IN CELEBRATION OF THE 3OTH ANNIVERSARY OF AURORA GORY ALICE

Photo by Chris Sikich

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the release of their seminal album Aurora Gory Alice, Boston's Alt. Rock pioneers Letters to Cleo will head out on the road this fall for a short run of intimate shows on the East Coast, playing the album in its entirety. The band will be doing their annual set of shows at the Paradise with both single and two-day tickets available, along with a  show at Brooklyn Made in New York. All tickets are on sale Friday. 

Letters to Cleo formed in 1990 in Boston, led by guitarist Greg Mckenna and singer Kay Hanley. This upcoming tour will feature original members Kay Hanley (vocals), Michael Eisenstein (guitar), Greg McKenna (guitar), Stacy Jones (drums) along with longtime collaborator Joe Klompus on bass.  Aurora Gory Alice, the band’s debut album, was originally released on CherryDisc Records in 1993. The albums received loads of press attention and local radio play around New England which led to the band signing to Giant Records, and the re-release Aurora Gory Alice in 1994. The album’s song “Here and Now'' became an instant hit after appearing on the soundtrack for the wildly popular 90s TV show Melrose Place. The song reached #10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Singles chart, was in the top 100 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the album debuted at #3 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. To this day “Here & Now” continues to be a fan favorite and one of their most popular songs. 

The band’s music could be heard on many of the top TV shows and films throughout the 1990s, 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 production, writing, performance, musical directing etc. The band was thrust back into the pop culture spotlight via a cameo Parks and Recreation, playing themselves, the obsession of the show's  state auditor Ben Wyatt  played by Adam Scott. The band  achieved the pinnacle of pop culture validation as a subject in a Sunday version New York Times crossword puzzle.   Letters to Cleo reunited in 2016 for the release of Back to Nebraska EP, their first release in 17 years. The accompanying tour and incredible feedback from the elated hometown crowd at the Paradise Rock Club fans is what inspired their annual fall homecoming shows, which is now in its sixth year. 

The band is thrilled to be celebrating the album that gave them their start, especially returning to their hometown of Boston. “It’s unbelievable it’s been 30 years since the release of AGA. We expected that album to be our swan song but we ended up finding ourselves creatively and it really changed our lives. We can’t wait to celebrate its 30th birthday!” says guitarist Michael Eisenstein. Aurora Gory Alice,  along with Go!, Wholesale Meats and Fish, and their most recent EP releases Back to Nebraska and OK Christmas are available on vinyl at LettersToCleo.net.

TOUR DATES (on Sale Friday)

November 15 Brooklyn Made New York, NY

November 17 & 18 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA

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“LITERATE FOLK POP” SINGER-SONGWRITER ARIELLE SILVER CONTEMPLATES COMPLICATED RELATIONSHIPS OVER PIE IN “BRAMBLE VINE” - HER FIRST SINGLE IN THREE YEARS

FORTHCOMING ALBUM WATERSHED TO BE RELEASED OCTOBER 6th 

“Arielle Silver is a baker of pies and a penner of poetry.” - Americana UK

"Lovely songwriting" - The Boston Globe

“With a keen sense of how a song works; expressive lyrics…Silver wrestles with and makes peace with the world.” - Acoustic Music

“What Really Matters”…was born from both an introspective internal analysis of her own life as well as two tragic events near her Los Angeles residence…filled with an infectious percussive groove, hand claps, foot stomps and an urgent commanding vocal.” - American Songwriter on “What Really Matters”

“Silver builds upon the tradition of performers like Carole King and Sarah McLachlan…With crystal-clear lyrics weaving considerable narrative depth.” - Neufutur 
“...creative and inventive tunes that capture your soul and make you want to fly. The songs are “sad” in feeling, yet very uplifting and enriching in context, and leave you feeling refreshed and vibrant.” - Music Connection

“BRAMBLE VINE” : LISTEN | WATCH

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today LA singer-songwriter Arielle Silver released the folk-pop ballad “Bramble Vine,” the first offering from her forthcoming fifth album Watershed out October 6th. Silver was inspired by the blackberries that grew outside her childhood home for the song, and leads the viewer through piemaking and a performance in the Kevin Rhoades directed and produced music video. “One day I was making pie and thinking about relationships,” says Silver, “and thinking that some kinds of love are complicated but worth the work.” An earthy, scenic singer-songwriter ballad in 6/8, “Bramble Vine” is grounded in acoustic guitar and tender piano, and exemplifies Silver’s literary approach to songwriting, or in her words - “literate folk pop.” 

“Some kind of love is like that / sweetness buried in a thorny patch / bramble vine, heat, and time / form a heart from the scraps,”  sings Silver over delicate acoustic strumming and an understated Wurlitzer. “Bramble Vine” is rounded out by memorable performances from celebrated musicians including producer-singer-songwriter Shane Alexander (backing vocals, electric guitar, glockenspiel), composer Darby Orr (bass, piano, Wurlitzer), and Denny Weston Jr. (drums, percussion). 

As a longtime yoga practitioner and storyteller, Silver’s goal as a songwriter is to carry these practices and philosophies into her music, and to imbue the songs with a sense of purpose for those listening. 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?” 

This consideration 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. 

“Bramble Vine” follows Silver’s 2020 acclaimed album A Thousand Tiny Torches. With support from Americana UK, American Songwriter, and more, the album was produced and recorded with singer-songwriter Shane Alexander, whose partnership with Silver continued throughout the recording and production of Watershed. 

Silver is a consummate storyteller whose Americana-roots-influenced songs are rich with imagery, empathy, and insight. 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. 

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, all artists introduced to her by her father on acoustic guitar, has led Silver through troubadour traditions across the valleys of the great American music genres; Americana & roots music, folk, blues, county, and more round out Silver’s style. 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 team member for the SONA Foundation, a charitable organization that advocates on behalf of songwriters and music creators. 

Born on Florida’s Gulf Coast and raised up and down 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 of folk, country, and rock 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.

Photo by Anabel DFlux

KEEP UP WITH ARIELLE SILVER

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ISAAC WATTERS CONTEMPLATES LONELINESS, UNDERSTANDING, AND THE SEA ON NEW SINGLE “MY HEART IS AN OCEAN” VIA hi-res records

FORTHCOMING EXTENDED PLAY 002 TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 30TH

“Watters is haunting and archival in the way he approaches songwriting, retracing memory with deep contemplation of the human experience. Sonically, Watters’ music has a lingering effect.” - Impose Magazine

“There are few more compelling narrators of the human condition right now than Watters, who turns his writerly eye toward the disparity in wealth in Los Angeles on the new single.” - Buzzbands LA on “Coconut In The Street”

“Watters has been dipping his toes in assorted genres over the years, but he seems to rest most comfortably along the mesmerizing continuum between minimalist folk and moody theatricality.” - Magnet Magazine

“Blending unique sounds with deep and sometimes haunting lyrics, Watters conjures up a new perspective for listeners and burgeoning artists.” - Los Angeleno

“Extended Play 001 offers a first full glimpse of his restless and idiosyncratic artistic impulses, with tracks diverting towards minimalist art pop, funky indie rock, and off-kilter balladry… the EP closes off with “Sliding,” a slinking and smoky effort carried by bass-driven grooves and Watters’ decadent vocal melodies.” - Under The Radar

“...it’s hooked me, line and sinker. ‘Everywhere I go, I leave a little sadness,’ sung in the vein of Wolf Parade’s wobbly warbles? Take my money.” - Monster Children

“The result is a collection of songs (with more to come) that reflect different shadows of Watters’ LA life, but also process fears and anxieties about the natural world, climate change, and apocalypse that’s very much “in the air” for the artist.” Glide Magazine
Watters has the ability to connect on a higher level, and his work signifies his sincere way with words, his adeptness at creating moments of innocence, and the way his music reverberates. All of this while at the same time not being raucous.” - The Review Geek

“My Heart is an Ocean”: LISTEN

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today LA based multi-disciplinary artist and songwriter Isaac Watters has released his latest single “My Heart is an Ocean,” the third offering from his forthcoming release Extended Play 002, out August 30th via hi-res records

There’s a stunning spaciousness to Watters’ sound across the single- full but never crowded, and ample space for the humanity in his voice and songwriting to shine through. Watters finds loneliness in the vastness of the ocean, always connecting the natural world to his internal compass, overtop of gentle acoustic strumming and dynamic synth sonics. “It’s a lonely place and there’s a lot of trash floating / I wish I was floating back into your arms,” he sings, equally pensive and forlorn.  Watters describes “My Heart is an Ocean” as a love song, “but not just romantically, it’s about a longing to understand and be understood.”

A howling post-chorus caps off a captivating echoing chorus from Watters, a rallying call for connectivity and understanding in a sea of isolation. “They say the Earth’s oceans are mostly getting warmer / that the ice is melting and I know it’s true,” sings Watters, tapping into the changing climate in this extended metaphor. “Maybe someday soon, maybe sooner than later / the whole world will be ocean, and you’ll be lonesome too.”

Watters’ knack for evoking deeply personal emotions by using nature and his surroundings as an extended metaphor is what separates him from other songwriters in this day and age. There’s a constant conversation happening between the self and the surrounding environment, and the way the two shape each other has always been at the forefront of his storytelling.

“My Heart is an Ocean,” follows previous singles including the stunning “All I Need” and haunting “Coconut in the Street,” both to be included in Extended Play 002. His second release through Los Angeles based label hi-res records, the EP captures Watters’ singular voice and widescreen vision to songwriting, which is further supported by the warmth of the labels analog-recording approach.

Watters will be performing in Los Angeles at Gold-Diggers on July 28th with Clara-Nova, with more performances slated throughout the summer.

Photo by Robbie Jeffers

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LOS ANGELES FUNK COLLECTIVE ‘SCARY GOLDINGS’ RELEASES “LOUIS COLE SUCKS” SINGLE FEAT. JOHN SCOFIELD + ANNOUNCES SCARY GOLDINGS LIVE ALBUM OUT SEPTEMBER 8TH

LISTEN TO  “LOUIS COLE SUCKS” : HERE

The Los Angeles-based funk collective Scary Goldings have released “Louis Cole Sucks,” the first single from their forthcoming live album Scary Goldings LIVE! feat. John Scofield is out on September 8th. 

Scary Goldings is a collaboration between keyboardist Larry Goldings, who has made a name for himself playing world-renowned artists such as Jack DeJohnette, James Taylor, John Mayer, and more, and the rotating funk ensemble Scary Pockets, anchored by keyboardist Jack Conte and guitarist Ryan Lerman. 

The group had the honor of collaborating and performing with the legendary Grammy Award-winning guitarist John Scofield, who is featured on the album and will be joining the group at the Newport Jazz Festival and Monterey Jazz Festival this summer and fall. “Having worked in John Scofield’s band on and off since the early 1990s, it was an obvious choice to bring him into the Scary Goldings world,” says Larry Goldings. “We have a great musical and personal rapport, and for Ryan, Jack, and the whole band, it was definitely a dream come true.”

 The album, including the single “Louis Cole Sucks”, was recorded last year at  Jazz A La Villette in Paris, with the exception of “Professor Vicarious” which was recorded in Los Angeles at the Echoplex.  “I grew up listening to John Scofield,” says Ryan Lerman.  “So, it was a real trip to hear the sound I used to come home from school and practice to, coming from the amp next to me on stage. He’s just the greatest. “

Guitarist Ryan Lerman met his Scary Pockets co-founder keyboardist Jack Conte when the two were still in high school in Marin County, California. It’s a relationship that has informed and influenced him, musically and professionally, ever since. Both musicians tend to be systems-level thinkers who focus on the process instead of the outcome. This process type of thinking has resulted in incredible productivity and a massive online following. Scary Pockets have released at least one new video a week on YouTube since 2017, racking up 1 Million Subscribers and over 350 Million views, and a loyal audience of funk enthusiasts worldwide. They’ve recorded hundreds of songs featuring a continuously rotating lineup of quality musicians and singers. Their collaborators include a wide array of artists including Jacob Collier, Louis Cato, Louis Cole, Tyler Duncan, Joey Dosik, Larry Goldings, Caleb Hawley, Cory Henry, Theo Katzman, Lawrence, Adam Levy, Monica Martin, Jake Sherman, Antwaun Stanley, Jack Stratton, and Cory Wong.

SCARY GOLDINGS UPCOMING TOUR DATES 

July 13  August Hall San Francisco, CA

July 14  The Guild Theatre Menlo Park, CA

July 15 The Teragram Los Angeles, CA

July 16  Belly Up Solana Beach, CA

Aug 6  Scary Goldings ft. John Scofield at Newport Jazz Festival

Sept 22 Scary Goldings ft. John Scofield Monterey Jazz Festival

Scary Goldings LIVE! Ft. John Scofield 

(out September 8)

1. We Come In Peace

2. The Shakes

3. Professor Vicarious

4. Disco Pills

5. Take My Jet

6. Louis Cole Sucks

7. The Shiner

8. Day Old Socks

9. Scary Poppins

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GOLD-CERTIFIED SINGER-SONGWRITER JAMIE MCDELL RELEASES HER BEACH HOUSE EP

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

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

"Endlessly enchanting, it’s a voice that comes around once in a generation. If Jamie McDell defines her first decade of artistry, then McDell is bound to make waves.” -  Holler Country

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

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

“a poignant moment of self-awareness…” - The  Boot

“The song has McDell examining her flaws with sweet melodic vocal twirls and jangly guitars.” - Parade Magazine 

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

LISTEN TO  BEACH HOUSE: HERE

Gold Certified New Zealand music award winner Jamie McDell has released her stunning new EP Beach House out today worldwide. Jamie has been a working  musician for close to 15 years and this collection of songs came from the weight of navigating a career as a creative, especially under the limitations of the pandemic, that  left her feeling exhausted and burnt out on the fickleness of the music industry. In January 2023, when travel restrictions had eased, McDell returned home to New Zealand, taking the opportunity to connect with family and travel across the ditch (the Tasman Sea) to record some new tracks. 

 The sanctuary of being at her husband’s family-built beach house gave her the space to express and exercise her self-doubt through songwriting. She was also able to reconnect in person with her producer and manager Nash Chambers at his sister, Kasey Chambers’  studio to record  the songs that would become the Beach House EP.  The title track, “Beach House,”  is a catharsis of feeling born out of the frustration Jamie had towards the fickle nature of the music business. At the time of  writing the song she had serious thoughts about leaving music and was three months into a job search.  The second song “Madeline” started to come together while Jamie was still living in Canada. It is about the road less traveled and the growth and fulfillment that transpire from uncertainty. It was inspired by a group of women in her friend circle, all of whom had left bad relationships out of a determination to be anything but confined or defined. The third song that rounds out the EP is a cover of Tracy Chapman’s  “Talkin Bout a Revolution.” Jamie was drawn to the message and ethos of the song, which  resonate just as strong, if not stronger now than when it was originally released in 1988.

McDell, who is now 30 started her career at 16, was signed by EMI, and went on to achieve Gold Certified Album sales and receive multiple New Zealand Music Award nominations. She abandoned her major label roots to pursue music that was closer to her heart and began writing and recording in Nashville.  In March 2017 Jamie made a trip to Nashville, looking for a change of scenery and to connect with the environment that birthed much of the music throughout her youth. It’s here she wrote the songs that would make up the fabric for her third record “Extraordinary Girl”. She met with ex-pat Australian producer Nash Chambers for coffee one day and decided they shared the same musical values. Not long after that meeting McDell arranged to fund her first independent record Extraordinary Girl, which was recorded over the space of two days at House of Blues studio in Nashville. She then returned home for the albums’ release, promotion, and supporting tours throughout New Zealand and Australia.

After opening a U.S.  tour for Robert Ellis (Texas Piano Man) in early 2020, she would then visit Nashville once again, teamed up with Chambers in his eastside studio, and gather the amazing musical talents of Dan Dugmore, Jedd Hughes, Dennis Crouch, Shawn Fichter, Jerry Roe, Jimmy Wallace, Tony Lucido and Ross Holmes, along with guests such as the McCrary Sisters, Robert Ellis, Erin Rae, and Tom Busby (Busby Marou). Her self-titled album, Jamie McDell, released in 2022, contains some of McDell’s most brutally honest writing and performances, while the production takes the listener on a modern journey through 70s folk and country blended with a healthy dose of roots and rock. This record became Jamie’s fourth full-length release that was praised by media from around the globe. 

Jamie is returning to the U.S. playing songs from this EP at her first shows on U.S. soil since early 2020.  

TOUR DATES

June 21 - The Station Inn, Nashville, TN

June 22 - Old Town School of Folk Music w/ Adeem the Artist, Chicago, IL 

June 23 - Moccasin Creek Festival, Effingham, IL 

June 30 - House Concert, Houston, TX  

CONNECT WITH JAMIE MCDELL

 Website | Instagram |Twitter | Facebook | Youtube | Spotify

ISAAC WATTERS TRAVERSES THE STREETS OF LOS ANGELES IN ETHEREAL SINGLE “COCONUT IN THE STREET” VIA hi-res records

FORTHCOMING EXTENDED PLAY 002 TO BE RELEASED AUGUST 30TH

“Watters has been dipping his toes in assorted genres over the years, but he seems to rest most comfortably along the mesmerizing continuum between minimalist folk and moody theatricality.” - Magnet Magazine

“Isaac Watters, too, poignantly connects with his past on the typically immersive “Child in the Rain,” - Buzzbands LA

“Blending unique sounds with deep and sometimes haunting lyrics, Watters conjures up a new perspective for listeners and burgeoning artists.” - Los Angeleno

“Extended Play 001 offers a first full glimpse of his restless and idiosyncratic artistic impulses, with tracks diverting towards minimalist art pop, funky indie rock, and off-kilter balladry… the EP closes off with “Sliding,” a slinking and smoky effort carried by bass-driven grooves and Watters’ decadent vocal melodies.” - Under The Radar

“...it’s hooked me, line and sinker. ‘Everywhere I go, I leave a little sadness,’ sung in the vein of Wolf Parade’s wobbly warbles? Take my money.” - Monster Children

“The result is a collection of songs (with more to come) that reflect different shadows of Watters’ LA life, but also process fears and anxieties about the natural world, climate change, and apocalypse that’s very much “in the air” for the artist.” Glide Magazine
”Watters has the ability to connect on a higher level, and his work signifies his sincere way with words, his adeptness at creating moments of innocence, and the way his music reverberates. All of this while at the same time not being raucous.” - The Review Geek

“Coconut In The Street”: LISTEN

LOS ANGELES, CA - Today LA based artist and storyteller Isaac Watters has released the ethereal “Coconut In The Street,” his latest single and second offering from his forthcoming release Extended Play 002, out August 30th via hi-res records. A stunning and haunting single that presents a number of harrowing vignettes while traversing the streets of Los Angeles, “Coconut In The Street” examines the ever-growing chasm between wealth and poverty in the city, and the potential tragic ends that await all sides of this divide. 

Watters’ signature setting-based storytelling narrative thrives on the scenes he paints from roaming nighttime crosswalks, traveling LA’s most recognizable arteries, and passing its disenfranchised inhabitants. A steady, contemplative acoustic strum accompanied by shimmering, delayed-out synth sonics set the pace for this uncanny nighttime walk as Watters reflects on his place throughout it all. “We’re all going to the corner bar / see you in the morning if I don’t make it that far / either way it’s been a real good time / tired of trying to bring it back.” As the song progresses, a chilling call-and-response from Watters solidifies the songs’ identity in the sidewalk, filling the space within the cracks.

Anyone who has spent time in the city will recognize the scenes that Watters sees at night, as well as the contrasts between the haves and have-nots in a shadowed cityscape. A group of friends on their way to the next bar while passing a homeless man sleeping on the street, a man trying to sell mangoes from a plastic bag on the intersection in 110 degree heat, an addict who wanders to the edge of the freeway, a construction worker who removes his harness and helmet and leaps from the newest luxury highrise. 

“These are all scenes I was thinking about while writing “Coconut In The Street,” says Watters. “But really it's just a song about being out in Los Angeles at night. Roaming the streets with your friends, or trying to find someone to be your friend. All these images are things that happen in LA. I think it's something about the compression of wealth and poverty, facelessness and celebrity. It drives people to the extremes.”  

It’s true that the city attracts hopeful dreamers hellbent on dreams of grandeur, but Watters’ ability to hold a mirror to Los Angeles’ less examined subjects that live in the shadows is what separates him from other LA based artists and songwriters, and carves a place in a storied tradition of deeply moving, meaningful songwriting.

“Double back flip of the new glass tower downtown / Is that you they found? Is that your enemy? / Is that the friend you always meant to be,” sings Watters, a reminder of the stakes facing the city’s vulnerable.

“Coconut In The Street” joins previous single “All I Need” as the first two offerings from Extended Play 002, his second release via Los Angeles based label hi-res records. Watters found a partnership in the label, and in producer/engineer Matt Linesch, whose analog-first approach to recording and production perfectly encapsulates and supports the warmth of Watters’ artistic vision and songwriting approach. 

Watters will be performing in Los Angeles at Gold-Diggers on July 28th, with more performances slated throughout the summer.

Photo by Robbie Jeffers

KEEP UP WITH ISAAC WATTERS

PRESS MATERIALS | WEBSITE | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | BANDCAMP | SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC

WILL DAILEY LAUNCHES HIS TEN DOLLAR SONG TOUR

FEATURING A NEW SONG EXCLUSIVELY AVAILABLE ON THE ROAD + SEASON TWO OF SOUND OF OUR TOWN PODCAST W/ DOUBLE ELVIS MEDIA + IHEART RADIO

Cr Pat Piasecki

Acclaimed independent recording artist and performer Will Dailey is hitting the road this Spring in support of his $10 Dollar Song, a project created with the intention of prioritizing human connection over algorithms and analytics. 

There is a piece of vinyl artwork of Joni Mitchell's Clouds hanging in Dailey's home studio. It’s a piece of art that originally hung in his teenage bedroom and has been with him ever since. 

Dailey’s newest song, “Cover of Clouds,” is a 7 minute long love letter to Joni Mitchell, the cover image and her reign in Dailey’s consciousness from the first time he picked up a guitar. Once the song was complete, came the daunting task of mentally preparing to put this piece of art out into an unrelenting cascade of content. The thought of sending this particular song out there - another precious work amongst thousands of precious works - relinquished to the abyss of digital platforms with a prayer felt disrespectful, and for Dailey, paralyzing. 

“Our job as artists is to stay connected and filter the world genuinely. It’s the reason why Joni persists,” says Dailey.  “But when we all crowd under the same spotlight all the time, indulging an algorithm, sometimes, love and connection gets lost. This vast and wondrous sea of content with every creator trying tastefully to beg our community to click, swipe up, binge, stream, create videos to a sound can end up drowning out the art. I wanted something different for this song.”

“Cover in the Clouds” will be traveling with Dailey on this 16 city tour. There will be an antique discman on the merch table at every tour stop with the song queued up.  Fans can pay what they like to take the discman and listen to the song before or after the show.  Accompanying the discman will be a journal with artwork, song credits and lyrics, in which listeners can, if they like, leave their name, date, place, reaction, doodles, and dreams. This will be the only way to hear and experience the song. 

A true sonic survivor, Dailey’s sound has been described as a Venn diagram of multiple genres with a rich vintage vibe that weaves through his authentic and energetic performances, with DIY spirit fueling everything he does.  He has shared the stage and studio with Eddie Vedder, Willie Nelson, Roger McGuinn, Kay Hanley, G Love, Steve Earle, and Tanya Donelly. In June of 2013 he was featured on a Stephen King/John Mellencamp project produced by T Bone Burnett called The Ghost Brothers Of Darkland County and, in that same year, also released an original song he wrote inspired by Jack Kerouac's Tristessa.  Dailey has played at Farm Aid four times alongside Neil Young, Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews and John Mellencamp. His 2018 album, Golden Walker, hit #1 on Billboards Northeast Heat seekers. The Boston Herald called the album: “A new peak” and named it an Album of the Year. 

As venues began opening their doors post pandemic in 2022, Dailey added another feather to his already full hat with the launch of his Double Elvis/iHeartRadio produced podcast, Sound of Our Town - that became an Apple Podcast spotlight. The show is a travel podcast about the music in the next town you visit: Not only where to go to hear and experience the best music and why; but what sounds shaped that city or town’s culture and why live music is so vital to our current moment and our existence.   

Season two of Sound of Our Town will be launching on May 11th with episodes airing in conjunction to Dailey’s tour dates.  This next season will take listeners across the country from Providence, RI to San Diego, CA with stops at some of the country’s most legendary music towns such as Detroit, Washington, DC and Seattle, in addition to hidden musical gems such as Milwaukee, WI, Portsmouth, NH and Asheville, NC. Subscribe HERE to keep up with the show. 

Will Dailey’s 10 Dollar Song Tour

4/06 Club 321 – Worcester, MA

4/07 Firehouse - Newburyport, MA

4/19 Rockwood Stage 2 - NYC, NY

4/20 Danny Clinch Gallery - Asbury Park, NJ

4/21 City Winery (opening for Verve Pipe), Philadelphia, PA #

4/22   Cafe 9 - New Haven, CT

4/28 Portsmouth Music Hall Lounge – Portsmouth, NH

5/03  Hart Theatre at the Egg (opening for the Wallflowers) - Albany, NY*

5/05  The Cabot (opening for the Wallflowers) – Beverly, MA *

5/11 One Longfellow Square – Portland, ME

5/12 Tourists - North Adams, MA

5/13 Askew (opening for Rhett Miller) - Providence, RI

5/24 Gear Fest, Fort Wayne, IN

5/25 Fitzgerald’s – Berwyn, MA

5/27 Kiki’s House of Righteous Music – Madison, WI

5/28 Anodyne -  Milwaukee, WI

# supporting the Verve Pipe

* supporting the Wallflowers

^ supporting Rhett Miller

KEEP UP WITH WILL DAILEY

Website //  Facebook // Instagram // Twitter: // Spotify // Youtube 

Guitarist Gretchen Menn to be Honored at the 11th Annual She Rocks Awards

Stellar guitarist joins lineup of honorees that include Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs (Fitz and the Tantrums), hit songwriter Shelly Peiken and more at live event on April 13, 2023 in Anaheim, CA.

VIP Tickets Packages On Sale Now, HERE

Photo of Gretchen Menn by Larry DiMarzio

(photos courtesy of She Rocks)

Anaheim, CA, March 20, 2023– The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) is proud they will honor guitarist Gretchen Menn at the 11th annual She Rocks Awards. The event celebrates and honors female artists, industry executives and media personalities throughout the music landscape.

Gretchen Menn is the guitarist and a founding member of Zepparella, the acclaimed Led Zeppelin powerhouse, and has performed as a solo artist throughout the U.S. and in guitar festivals in Switzerland and Germany. Her first solo album, Hale Souls (2011) is an offering of original, instrumental works. Her second release, Abandon All Hope (2016) blends modern and classical instruments in intricate, cinematic compositions that evoke a musical journey through Dante’s underworld. She is currently working on a third solo album. 

Gretchen  joins the recently announced distinguished honorees for the 2023 She Rocks Awards: Iconic singer Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums and founder of Diversify the Stage, guitarist Mary Spender, hit songwriter Shelly Peiken, and others.  

“Being honored with the Inspire Award means the world to me. If I have encouraged or inspired anyone along their musical paths, I consider that a huge achievement,” Gretchen shares.

The 11th Annual She Rocks Awards ceremony will take place at 6:30 pm PT on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at The Ranch in Anaheim, California, and will be streamed live. The event will be a hybrid of in-person and virtual components, including a live red carpet and an online silent auction. Sign up here for a link to watch.

This high-energy evening will include live music performances, awards and speeches, celebrity appearances, and much more. A VIP gift box  is also available — the ultimate She Rocks experience for those viewing the livestream from home—including gifts from PRS Guitars, Monster Energy, Sennheiser, Cuccio, Earthquaker Devices and many others, valued at over $250. All packages and tickets are available for order now here.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards full roster of honorees include:

• Judy Collins - Platinum-selling singer/songwriter icon whose landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame

• Noelle Scaggs - Co-frontperson for multi-platinum band, Fitz and the Tantrums and founder of Diversify the Stage

• Gretchen Menn - guitarist and member of Zepparella

• Shelly Peiken - GRAMMY-nominated, chart-topping hit songwriter

• Mary Spender - guitarist, singer, songwriter and Youtube star

• Michelle Bell - VP of Creative for Roc Nation

• Lisa S. Johnson - photographer and author of 108 Rock Star Guitars and Immortal Axes

• Katherine Wing - VP of Marketing for Roland, drummer

• Stacey Ryan - Chief Operating Officer for School of Rock

• Helen Culleton - Chief Operating Officer for Audiotonix

Hosted by PRS Guitars, this year’s opening performer will be Canada’s own Juno award-winning alternative act, The Beaches. Their latest single, "Grow Up Tomorrow," spent 7+ weeks at Number 1 on Alternative Radio, and Elton John described their last album as “The best rock album of last year.” 

This year’s event is co-hosted by former She Rocks Awards honoree Lisa Foxx, radio host for myFM and iHeartRadio, and Aijia Grammer, LA-based, pop songwriter, vocal producer and musician.

The She Rocks Awards pays tribute to women who have displayed leadership, excellence and  whose work has had an impact on making the music and audio industry more inclusive.  It has become the event to attend the NAMM Show. Previous award recipients include: Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Gloria Gaynor, The B-52s, Suzi Quatro, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, Lisa Loeb, The Bangles, the Go-Go’s, Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Meredith Brooks, Cindy Blackman Santana, Margaret Cho, Amy Lee, Linda Perry, Dionne Warwick  and many more, plus a collection of leaders and innovators  from all walks of the music and audio industries.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards is sponsored by Positive Grid, Sweetwater, PRS Guitars, Reverb.com, Monster Energy, Shure, Roland, Martin Guitar, Berklee College of Music, D’Addario, D’Angelico, DiGiCo, dw Drums, DiGiCo, Earthquaker Devices, Fishman, Hit Like a Girl, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Korg, MAC Cosmetics, Manley Labs, NAMM, Sennheiser, Taylor, WRiiG, AXS TV, Music Connection and Guitar Girl Magazine. For information regarding She Rocks Awards sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@thewimn.com.

Learn more about the She Rocks Awards, purchase tickets, and find out how to watch the livestream the evening of the awards at sherocksawards.com.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards virtual press conference with the honorees and presenters in attendance will take place on Wednesday March 22nd at 11am PT. Media can register to attend the press conference HERE. 

About The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN)

Founded in 2012, the Women’s International Music Network unites women who work within all facets of the music and audio industries. With theWiMN.com as its hub, the WiMN provides a community for women within the industry while enriching their careers and musical experiences through networking and sharing. The Women’s International Music Network produces the She Rocks podcast, the LIVE: Front & Center web series, WiMN She Rocks Spotlight Showcase Series and the She Rocks Awards, and is founded by music industry veteran Laura B. Whitmore. For more information, visit www.thewimn.com.

Mary Spender, Shelly Peiken, Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs and more to be Honored at the 11th Annual She Rocks Awards

The 2023 Awards co-hosted by Lisa Foxx (iHeartRadio & MyFM) and Aijia Grammer (Singer/Songwriter & producer); Opening act: The Beaches

VIP Tickets Packages On Sale Now, HERE

Top Photo L to R:  Mary Spender, Noelle Scaggs, Judy Collins, Shelly Peiken, Stacey Ryan, Lisa S. Johnson, Michelle Bell, Katherine Wing, Helen Culleton, Hosts: Lisa Foxx, Aijia Grammer, Opening Act: The Beaches

(photos courtesy of She Rocks)

Anaheim, CA, March 13, 2023– The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) is proud to announce honorees singer-songwriter and YouTube sensation Mary Spender, Michelle Bell (Roc Nation), Katherine Wing (Roland), Stacey Ryan (School of Rock), Lisa S. Johnson (108 Rock Star Guitars), Helen Culleton (Audiotonix), for its 11th annual She Rocks Awards celebrating and honoring female artists, industry executives and media personalities throughout the music landscape.

These women  join the recently announced distinguished honorees for the 2023 She Rocks Awards: Iconic singer Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums and founder of Diversify the Stage, and hit songwriter Shelly Peiken.  “During International Women’s Month, I like to give thanks to organizations like THE SHE ROCKS AWARDS who highlight women excelling in the music industry today and every day,” says Judy Collins. “I have been a working musician for over six decades and I know first hand how important supporting women in music is. It's vital to our creativity and our economic growth. It's a great honor to be part of the group of talented women being honored on April 13.”

The 11th Annual She Rocks Awards ceremony will take place at 6:30 pm PT on Thursday, April 13, 2023, at The Ranch in Anaheim, California, and will be streamed live. The event will be a hybrid of in-person and virtual components, including a live red carpet and an online silent auction. Sign up here for a link to watch.

This high-energy evening will include live music performances, awards and speeches, celebrity appearances, and much more. A VIP gift box  is also available — the ultimate She Rocks experience for those viewing the livestream from home—including gifts from PRS Guitars, Monster Energy, Sennheiser, Cuccio, Earthquaker Devices and many others, valued at over $250. All packages and tickets are available for order now here.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards recipients include:

• Judy Collins - Platinum-selling singer/songwriter icon whose landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame

• Noelle Scaggs - Co-frontperson for multi-platinum band, Fitz and the Tantrums and founder of Diversify the Stage

• Shelly Peiken - GRAMMY-nominated, chart-topping hit songwriter

• Mary Spender - guitarist, singer, songwriter and Youtube star

• Michelle Bell - VP of Creative for Roc Nation

• Lisa S. Johnson - photographer and author of 108 Rock Star Guitars and Immortal Axes

• Katherine Wing - VP of Marketing for Roland, drummer

• Stacey Ryan - Chief Operating Officer for School of Rock

• Helen Culleton - Chief Operating Officer for Audiotonix 

Hosted by PRS Guitars, this year’s opening performer will be Canada’s own Juno award-winning alternative act, The Beaches. Their latest single, "Grow Up Tomorrow," spent 7+ weeks at Number 1 on Alternative Radio, and Elton John described their last album as “The best rock album of last year.”

This year’s event is co-hosted by former She Rocks Awards honoree Lisa Foxx, radio host for myFM and iHeartRadio, and Aijia Grammer, LA-based, pop songwriter, vocal producer and musician.

The She Rocks Awards pays tribute to women who have displayed leadership, excellence and  whose work has had an impact on making the music and audio industry more inclusive.  It has become the event to attend the NAMM Show. Previous award recipients include: Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, Gloria Gaynor, The B-52s, Suzi Quatro, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, Lisa Loeb, The Bangles, the Go-Go’s, Cherie Currie of the Runaways, Meredith Brooks, Cindy Blackman Santana, Margaret Cho, Amy Lee, Linda Perry, Dionne Warwick  and many more, plus a collection of leaders and innovators  from all walks of the music and audio industries.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards is sponsored by Positive Grid, Sweetwater, PRS Guitars, Reverb.com, Monster Energy, Shure, Roland, Martin Guitar, Berklee College of Music, D’Addario, D’Angelico, DiGiCo, dw Drums, DiGiCo, Earthquaker Devices, Fishman, Hit Like a Girl, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Korg, MAC Cosmetics, Manley Labs, NAMM, Sennheiser, Taylor, WRiiG, AXS TV, Music Connection and Guitar Girl Magazine. For information regarding She Rocks Awards sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@thewimn.com.

Learn more about the She Rocks Awards, purchase tickets, and find out how to watch the livestream the evening of the awards at sherocksawards.com.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards virtual press conference with the honorees and presenters in attendance will take place on Wednesday March 22nd at 11am PT. Media can register to attend the press conference HERE. 

About The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN)

Founded in 2012, the Women’s International Music Network unites women who work within all facets of the music and audio industries. With theWiMN.com as its hub, the WiMN provides a community for women within the industry while enriching their careers and musical experiences through networking and sharing. The Women’s International Music Network produces the She Rocks podcast, the LIVE: Front & Center web series, WiMN She Rocks Spotlight Showcase Series and the She Rocks Awards, and is founded by music industry veteran Laura B. Whitmore. For more information, visit www.thewimn.com.

ALICE HOWE UNVEILS NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “WHAT ABOUT YOU”

CIRCUMSTANCE LP SET FOR RELEASE APRIL 21

Photo credit: Jim Shea

LISTEN // WATCH “WHAT ABOUT YOU”

Los Angeles-based, Boston-bred, singer-songwriter Alice Howe has released “What About You,” the lead single and video from her forthcoming LP, Circumstance, set for release on April 21st.“ The biggest rock and roll song on the new album is What About You, with Howe’s country-soaked vocals providing a nice contrast to the driving instrumental,” said Twangville in their premiere. “It’s a nod to everyone’s deep desire to find not just a lover, but a best friend and soulmate, or as Howe says, ‘a soul connection.’ Lest you think it’s some angst-ridden anthem, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Howe keeps it playful with references from sharing a Sunday afternoon soundtrack to a lifestyle escape.”

“As you can see from the music video, ‘What About You’ has really brought out my playful side. To me, it feels like a '70s Linda Ronstadt track with a Chuck Berry guitar solo, but the lyrics have a profound message,” says Howe. “It's a song about finding a love that goes way beyond the superficial. Ultimately, it's about believing that that person is out there, looking for you and that you deserve nothing less than to find them.”

Recorded in two sessions at the legendary FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, where Etta James and Wilson Pickett once shook the walls, Circumstance channels their spirits with 11 stirring tracks that pull no punches diving into the vagaries of the heart and her own personal journey. As an old soul inside a 30-something millennial, Howe puts her stamp on Americana’s venerable strands with 10 standout originals evoking both the classic singer-songwriters and the seminal music that once filled airwaves, roadhouses, and juke joints.

“There is so much history there, and I did feel like there was a certain amount of pressure to deliver and be a singer,” Howe recalls of FAME Studios. “I’m in this room with Aretha Franklin and Etta James looking down on me, and it’s like that Mona Lisa thing where the eyes follow you around the room and you’re like: ‘Hi, ladies!’ Those are singers with a capital S.”

Circumstance, produced and arranged by Howe’s creative partner, Freebo, a veteran bass player and former Bonnie Raitt band member, displays her vocal prowess and introspective writing in abundance, mining both her heart and her musical tastes for a deep, personal journey across an Americana soundscape dotted with blues, folk, country, soul, and rock.

Opener “You’ve Been Away So Long,” leads with a resolution to make peace with the turmoil of the past. From there, the journey kicks into high gear with “Somebody’s New Lover Now,” its chiming guitar and Hammond B3 organ creating a perfect fusion of modern country and soul. “Love Has No Rules” features catchy opening guitar hooks, while “With You By My Side,” a serious groove with tight horns and smooth background singers that could have come from FAME’s R&B archives, soars even higher.

But there’s also quieter energy that burns just as brightly. “Let Go” calls forth pensive guitar and lilting piano to tell a tale of healing, while the atmospheric “Something Calls to Me” evokes a mist-filled bayou night and “Travelin’ Soul” serves a shot of country blues straight up. The final track, “It’s How You Hold Me,” written by Dayna Kurtz, beautifully showcases the power and range of Howe’s rich, emotive vocals.

The album is a personal, soulful nod to her influences and the music she loves, all of it sung old-school without auto-tuning. In spirit, it draws from admired singers – Alison Krauss or the 1970s Laurel Canyon circle— but its soul is pure Alice Howe.

Circumstance is available for pre-order at music.alicehowe.com/circumstance. Be sure to follow Alice Howe at the links below for all the latest news and updates.

Circumstance Track List

You’ve Been Away So Long

Somebody’s New Lover Now

Let Go

Love Has No Rules

Things I’m Not Saying

What About You

Something Calls To Me

With You By My Side

Line By Line

Traveling Soul

It’s How You Hold Me

CONNECT WITH ALICE HOWE:

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

2023 She Rocks Announcement

Icon Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs of Fitz and the Tantrums, and Hit Songwriter Shelly Peiken to be Honored at the 2023 She Rocks Awards

The Women’s International Music Network presents 11th annual event celebrating

women in music on April 13, 2023 at The Ranch, Anaheim. Tickets on sale now.

L to R: Judy Collins (Photo: Shervin Lainez), Noelle Scaggs (Photo: Catie Laffoon), Shelly Peiken.

ANAHEIM, Calif., January 10, 2023 – The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) reveals Judy Collins, Noelle Scaggs and Shelly Peiken as the first announced honorees at the upcoming 2023 She Rocks Awards. Recognizing women who stand out as innovators and role models in the music industry, the 11th annual live awards event will take place on Thursday April 13, 2023 6:30 p.m. at the Ranch in Anaheim, CA during the NAMM Show. Tickets to attend are on sale now here.

Judy Collins is an award-winning singer-songwriter esteemed for her imaginative interpretations of traditional and contemporary folk standards and her own poetically poignant original compositions. Her stunning rendition of Joni Mitchell's “Both Sides Now” from her landmark 1967 album, Wildflowers, has been entered into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame. Judy’s dreamy and sweetly intimate version of “Send in the Clowns,” a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical A Little Night Music, won "Song of the Year” at the 1975 GRAMMY Awards. She’s garnered several top-ten hits and gold- and platinum-selling albums. This cultural treasure’s 55th album, Spellbound has been nominated in the Best Folk Album category at the 65th Recording Academy GRAMMY Awards in 2023. 

Elektra recording artist Noelle Scaggs may be best known for her larger-than-life vocals and magnetic stage presence as the co-front person for multi-platinum group, Fitz and theTantrums, but the talented songstress is also an accomplished songwriter, whose credits include co-writing her band’s chart-topping, platinum-certified singles “Out Of My League” and “The Walker.” Beyond music creation, Scaggs is immensely passionate about two things: good food and world travel. In 2018 she launched her production house,  Adventures with Scaggs, LLC. Noelle is currently working on her newly founded initiative, Diversify The Stage created to foster more accessible pipelines to careers in concerts, events and touring for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, Female-Identifying, and Gender Nonconforming communities. 

Two-time GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Shelly Peiken has been a prolific, behind-the-scenes force in the music business for more than two decades. She is best known for co-penning culturally resonant, female-empowerment anthems such as Christina Aguilera’s No. 1 hit, “What a Girl Wants,” and Meredith Brooks’ smash, “Bitch.”  Shelly has written for and with The Pretenders, Keith Urban, Britney Spears, Brandy, Selena Gomez, Demi Lovato, Celine Dion, Michelle Branch, Natasha Bedingfield, Bebe Rexha, the list is long…Her songs have appeared in numerous films and television shows. Confessions of a Serial Songwriter earned Shelly a second GRAMMY nomination for Best Spoken Word Album. The memoir chronicles her journey from a young girl falling under the spell of magical songs to writing hits of her own.  Currently Shelly is an educator, a fierce advocate of creators’ rights with SONA (Songwriters of North America) of which she is a founding member. 

“I am always astounded by the passionate and meaningful accomplishments of the ground-breaking women in music that we honor,” says Laura B. Whitmore, founder of the WiMN and co-producer of the She Rocks Awards,“This year we’ll turn it up to 11 for our 11th anniversary! I am excited to shine a spotlight on these fantastic role models…with more to come!”

The She Rocks Awards has solidified itself as the  premier event during the NAMM Show, bringing together industry professionals, music icons, artists, fans and the media. The annual event honors women who are groundbreakers, innovators and have displayed exceptional leadership within the music and audio industry. Past honorees of the She Rocks Awards include The Go-Go’s, Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Lzzy Hale, Gloria Gaynor, Linda Perry, Melissa Etheridge, Pat Benatar, The B-52s, Colbie Caillat, Sheila E, Chaka Khan, Ronnie Spector, Orianthi, The Bangles, and many more, plus a collection of trailblazers and role models from all walks of the music and audio industries.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards will take place on Thursday, April 13, 2023 at The Ranch in Anaheim CA at 6:30 p.m. This high-energy evening includes live music, awards and speeches, celebrity appearances, a fabulous silent auction, amazing gift bags and so much more! Tickets are now on sale, and include dinner and more. This event is open to the public; a NAMM Show badge is not required to attend the She Rocks Awards. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s awards will benefit the NAMM Foundation and Diversify the Stage. Find out more and purchase tickets at sherocksawards.com.

The 2023 She Rocks Awards is sponsored by Sweetwater, PRS Guitars, Positive Grid, Reverb.com, Fishman, D’Addario, Shure, Berklee Online, M.A.C Cosmetics, NAMM, 108 Rock Star Guitars, Sennheiser,  Earthquaker Devices, WRiiG, dw Drums, KORG, Cuccio, Hit Like a Girl, Guitar Girl Magazine, Music Connection, AXS TV and more. For information regarding She Rocks Awards sponsorship opportunities, please contact info@thewimn.com.

More 2023 She Rocks Awards honorees will be announced soon. Learn more about the She Rocks Awards and get tickets at sherocksawards.com. 

About The Women’s International Music Network (WiMN)  

Founded in 2012, the Women’s International Music Network unites women who work within all facets of the music and audio industries. With theWiMN.com as its hub, the WiMN provides a community for women within the industry while enriching their careers and musical experiences through networking and sharing. Founded by music industry veteran Laura B. Whitmore, the Women’s International Music Network produces and hosts events such as, the WiMN She Rocks Showcase series, the She Rocks Awards, and a variety of workshops and panels throughout the year. For more information, visit www.TheWiMN.com.

SAD DADDY PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “ARKANSAS BOUND” VIA THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION

NEW LP WAY UP IN THE HILLS  DUE OUT JANUARY 28TH 

"Sad Daddy do what they do best: mine old-time string music for today's lessons" - The Boot  

"Way Up In the Hills is a marvelous collection of homegrown goodness that encompasses the spirit of the hills while showcasing avid musicianship and songwriting." - The Jamwich  

"...the album is a blanket of warmth in a season of tumbling temperatures, and even features the soothing sounds of bacon sizzling, the perfect accompaniment to round out that down-home feel." - Americana Highways 

“Sad Daddy might be onto something here with this authentic throwback cut" - Glide Magazine  

"Now, that's some blazing bluegrass!" - Last Day Deaf 

"The record is a master class in old-timey, bluegrass sound, especially the vocal harmonies. The song themes cluster around escaping back to the country and living the simple life...Although all four members are certainly capable of laying down fast-paced licks, they left some nice white space on many of the tunes. That generated a laid-back feel that really reflects a few days spent with friends up in the hills."  - Twangville 

"...a down-home rustic and raw kind of sound" - Americana-UK 

Photo: Melissa Brawner

LISTEN // WATCH: “ARKANSAS BOUND” 

Arkansas/Texas four-piece roots powerhouse Sad Daddy has released “Arkansas Bound,” the newest track and its accompanying performance video from their forthcoming LP, Way Up In The Hills, due out on January 28th. “‘Arkansas Bound’ was inspired by living in the big city and longing to go back to a slower pace of life in the country, surrounded by nature,” band bassist Melissa Carper, who wrote and sings lead on the track, explained to The Bluegrass Situation. “I was making a lot of trips from Austin, Texas, back to Arkansas at the time and once I would hit those winding country roads in the Ozark Mountains, a sense of relief would come over me. I’ve been drawn to cities to find the inspiration of various music communities but I really have never loved living in a city. I have spent a good deal of time in and around Eureka Springs, Arkansas, which is a tiny town in Northwest Arkansas, in the Ozarks. There is something about the country there that keeps drawing me back in.” 

“The video was filmed in Greers Ferry, Arkansas, on the boat dock at Brian’s cabin,” she continued. “We reunited at the cabin to make some videos and he had a couple friends visiting. Besides the band, the video features fisherman Madewell and dogs Georgia Peach and Rooster. Sadly, Rooster has passed away since we filmed.”  

“Arkansas Bound” follows “Cold Rain,” a yearning song about navigating our new normal which Holler. called a “simple and strangely uplifting song for simpler times that sounds like the soundtrack to the pre-apocalypse.” Both follow lead single “Charlie Pickle,” a foot-stomping tune about an old-timer who just wants to dance and doesn’t care what others think about it, and its accompanying hilariously heartwarming video made of band- and fan-sourced footage.  

LISTEN: “COLD RAIN” 

LISTEN // WATCH: “CHARLIE PICKLE” 

Since 2010, Sad Daddy has traveled down many a road--together and separately--at times focusing on their solo projects and then reuniting for a band project. The four members, Brian Martin, Joe Sundell, Rebecca Patek, and Melissa Carper, all conspired and united in the sudden spare time of 2020 to create their third album, Way Up in the Hills.  

They all met at Brian’s cabin in Greers Ferry, Arkansas, and over a couple of bottles of chocolate milk and a few jugs of whiskey they collaborated, writing and arranging songs specifically for the new album. A first for Sad Daddy, they took the brand-new bones of each other’s ideas and worked on them as a band to construct and finish the songs. The collective decided on a down-home, back-to-the-country theme—a reflection on the state of the world and the desire to go back to simpler ways and self-sufficiency, goin’ way up in the hills and letting the chaos settle.   

Engineer Jordan Trotter brought his equipment into the cabin and the band recorded 14 original tunes live and in a circle. The feeling of being at a lakeside "home" studio in the serene Arkansas woods was distilled into sound and a genuine relaxed and good time vibe purveys the recordings. Sad Daddy explored using unique sounds, recording stomps on the cabin’s porch, hamboning, using the natural sounds of insects buzzing and bacon sizzling, mouth didgeridoo, handclaps, double clawhammer banjo, and more, along with the foursome’s strong vocals and harmonies.  

Unique to Sad Daddy, all of the members sing lead and write original tunes--the convergence of influences and interpretation of feeling into sound is a stylistic blend of the very best elements of American Roots Music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz, and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, soul, and funk, they combine many influences, creating an indefinable genre of their own.