HYPEREXTENSION ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF ITS PUBLISHING DIVISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC

HYPEREXTENSION ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF ITS 

 PUBLISHING DIVISION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

WARNER CHAPPELL MUSIC

Los Angeles-based sync licensing company HyperExtension is excited to announce the launch of its publishing division through a worldwide partnership with Warner Chappell Music, the global publishing arm of Warner Music Group. As part of the deal, Warner Chappell will oversee administration for the new HyperExtension publishing division in addition to offering support for HyperExtension songwriters through its Creative Services department. 

For nearly the past decade, HyperExtension has built a reputation for providing exemplary music from around the world to all platforms of visual media, including film and television, advertising, trailers, and more. The first signings to the new HyperExtension publishing division include Erik Mattiasson (Melpo Mene), Christopher Barnes (Gem Club), and Henry MacLean and Dylan Grossman (Maryanne Bold).  

HyperExtension founder and CEO Rachel Komar started the company with a holistic approach to artist development and sync licensing, with exceptionally artist-friendly deals. The company’s roster is intentionally small and hyper-curated, enabling the team to give each artist the attention they deserve. “I started working in music half of my life ago, finding undeniable musical talent, helping build their careers, and watching them grow,” says Komar. “I am thrilled to have found such a wonderful partner in Warner Chappell. This partnership has opened us up to new opportunities on a global scale, for our growing roster of exceptionally talented writers, all the while respecting and supporting our artists-first ethos.” 

Warner Chappell Music EVP and Global Synchronization Leader, Rich Robinson, added: “We’re always looking to partner with companies that share our approach to getting songwriters heard and supporting them at all stages of their careers. Rachel and the HyperExtension team have curated a talented roster of writers and artists, and we’re excited to join forces to find new opportunities for these incredible songs.”

KEEP UP WITH HYPEREXTENSION

PUBLISHING PLAYLIST || WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER

ABOUT HYPEREXTENSION

HyperExtension is a connection between music and visual media. The Los Angeles-based company’s carefully curated roster includes artists from around the world in the genres of rock, pop, ambient, electro, soul, and more. The company’s passion lies in artist development, creatively exposing their roster’s work to new avenues, and developing new revenue streams for their clients.

ABOUT WARNER CHAPPELL

Warner Chappell Music, the global music publishing company of Warner Music Group, is home to a wide array of legendary songwriters and a rich catalog of contemporary hits and influential standards. With offices in more than 20 countries, Warner Chappell provides deep expertise across a range of creative services and the most innovative opportunities for songwriters and copyright holders. Warner Chappell, which has a history dating back more than 200 years, currently publishes and administers music from A-Lin, Angèle, Apache 207, Ava Max, Aya Nakamura, Bruno Mars, Capital Bra, Celeste, Chris Jeday, CJ, Cole Porter, Dan + Shay, Dave, Duran Duran, El Guincho, Fraser T. Smith, Gamble and Huff, Gene Autry Music Group catalog, George Gershwin, George Michael, Grateful Dead, Jasmine Sokko, Jesse & Joy, Justin Tranter, Kacey Musgraves, Katy Perry, Kevin Yi, Kool & the Gang, Led Zeppelin, Lin Xi, Lizzo, Madonna, MNEK, Oscar Holter, Pablo Alborán, Pop Smoke, Quincy Jones, Rauw Alejandro, RAYE, Stormzy, Summer Walker, Ta-You Lo, Thomas Rhett, and Tones and I, among many others.

Follow Warner Chappell Music on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

RYANHOOD PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “UNDER THE LEAVES” VIA POPMATTERS

RYANHOOD PREMIERES NEW SINGLE 

“UNDER THE LEAVES” VIA POPMATTERS   

NEW LP UNDER THE LEAVES OUT ON APRIL 16TH  

Intricate and challenging, Ryan’s acoustic guitarwork creates a steady and solid foundation for Cameron’s lyrics to shine - American Songwriter  

Acoustic fusion aces Ryanhood offer an all-natural shot in the arm with Under the Leaves...Mixing bluegrass speed, jam-ready melodies, and pop-rocking forward momentum, two guys with guitars challenge decades of easy-listening ‘rules.' - Nashville Lifestyles 

The pair continue to innovate on their folk pop brand, bringing a refreshing energy and sweetness into new music that resonates in with that special warmth reserved for acoustic instruments. - Atwood Magazine 

This Tucson, AZ duo really knows how to get your feet tapping while delivering a genuine message about internal reflection - The Indy Review 

Photo: Ehab Tamimi

LISTEN: “UNDER THE LEAVES”   

Award-winning, Tucson, Arizona-based acoustic duo Ryanhood, comprised of Ryan David Green and Cameron Hood, has released “Under The Leaves,” the title track from their forthcoming album, set for release on April 16th. "Continuing their path as Tucson-based trailblazers, their upcoming LP, Under The Leaves, sees Ryanhood exploring news means of innovating their sound,” remarked PopMatters. “Besides acting as composer, vocalist, guitarist, and mandolinist, Green’s also slipped into the project as its sole producer. Throughout, he impresses with the vibrance through which he conveys their collection of strings and harmonies. Taking the vocal lead on the duo’s ritual new single, Hood is a confident navigator. He’s deceptively at-ease as he heartily commands its unusual instrumentation; the track is a swirl of strings and multisided percussion in 5/4 time. Hi lyrical inspiration, meanwhile, explores fresh territory just as well.” 

Lyrically, the song was inspired by the Wendell Berry poem, “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,” where he writes: “Ask the questions that have no answers / Invest in the millennium / Plant sequoias / Say that your main crop is the forest that you did not plant, that you will not live to harvest. . . .”In the face of everything fast and new, Berry is talking about cultivating deep, slow roots—something seemingly missing from our modern lives,” explains Hood. “Additionally, Quaker Thomas R. Moore writes, ‘We are bowed down with burdens, crushed under committees, strained, breathless, and hurried, panting through a never-ending program of appointments. . . . [we] postpone till next week that deeper life . . . for this week is much too full.’ And as tempting as it is to call that the curse of the modern life, knowing that he wrote those words in 1941 reveals that our busyness is not something that this wifi, hi-def culture is doing to us, it’s something we’re bringing with us into the culture.” “Under The Leaves” follows the release of previous singles “Wide Awake In A Dream,” “Appy Returns,” and “The Fight.” 

LISTEN: “WIDE AWAKE IN A DREAM” 

LISTEN: “APPY RETURNS” 

LISTEN // WATCH: “THE FIGHT” 

Named ‘Best Group/Duo’ in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood got their first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. They’ve since gone on to perform more than a thousand shows in 45 U.S. states over the past decade, and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more.  

Their latest album, Under the Leaves, sees the lead guitarist Green stepping into the role of sole producer, weaving a tapestry of lush strings and rich harmonies. The album, like their shows, is driven by strong acoustic guitar performances and is at turns energetic, hopeful, and quietly moving—a musical invitation to breathe, and to soak in a river of melodies and harmonic hooks.  

Hood, the band’s primary lyricist, has waded into those musical rivers with dream-like verses about seeds and forests, breath and wind, and the cycles and seasons that frame our lives. Throughout the album’s songs, a question is asked: How do we create meaningful and lasting change in a world filled with division and turmoil? The offer on Under the Leaves is to slow down and face the one thing we have the power to change - ourselves - as the duo sings on the album’s second track, “the only revolution is the one within.”  

Under The Leaves will be available digitally, as well as on vinyl and CD. The band has also written a companion book, featuring essays and stories behind the songs, expanded artwork, and photography that is also available for purchase. Click HERE to order. 

UPCOMING SHOW DATES: 

4/11 Tucson Folk Festival 2021 - Tucson, AZ 

4/16 - Under The Leaves, Under The Stars - Tucson, AZ  

4/17 - Under The Leaves, Under The Stars - Tucson, AZ 

5/30 - MeadowGrass Music Festival - Colorado Springs, CO 

CONNECT WITH RYANHOOD:   

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

AWARD-WINNING MUSIC DOCUMENTARY PARALLEL LOVE: THE STORY OF A BAND CALLED LUXURY ARRIVES AT STREAMING PLATFORMS MAY 18th

AWARD-WINNING MUSIC DOCUMENTARY

PARALLEL LOVE: THE STORY OF A BAND CALLED LUXURY

ARRIVES AT STREAMING PLATFORMS MAY 18th 

“…an eye-opener” - NPR

PARALLEL LOVE TRAILER || WATCH  

The award-winning documentary Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury will be available on digital platforms including iTunes and Amazon beginning May 18th, 2021 via Random Media.

Directed by Matt Hinton (PBS documentary “Awake My Soul: The Story of The Sacred Harp”), the film follows the path of Luxury, a band from small-town Georgia, who, on the cusp of success, suffer a devastating touring wreck with long-term consequences. In the intervening years, they continue to make records and three members of the band become Eastern Orthodox priests. Through interviews and archival footage, Parallel Love tells the gripping and poignant story of Luxury and documents the making of a new record, Trophies, now as priests.

The film first delighted audiences in the summer of 2019 with a theatrical release via Abramorama earning accolades in the media (NPR Weekend Edition Saturday feature; “Vibrant. Full of surprises.” -Film Threat; “I couldn’t take my eyes off it. A brilliant tribute.” -Paste Magazine) and film festivals including “Best in Fest” for the Covellite International Film Festival and “Audience Award” of the Gasparilla Film Festival.

ABOUT MATT HINTON:  Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Matt Hinton grew up loving movies but believed that rock n roll was the more realistic career path. While playing in various bands, he studied Religion and Philosophy at Georgia State University, followed by graduate school at Emory University where he studied Theology. While teaching Religion at Morehouse and Spelman Colleges in Atlanta, he produced, directed (with his wife, Erica Hinton) and edited “Awake, My Soul: The Story of the Sacred Harp (2008),” his first feature documentary that aired on PBS. “Parallel Love: The Story of a Band Called Luxury” is his second full length documentary film.

ABOUT LUXURY: Chris Foley (bass), Lee Bozeman (vocals), Jamey Bozeman (guitar) and Glenn Black (drums) formed Luxury in the early 90s as a post-punk band influenced by The Smiths and Fugazi. Matt Hinton joined the band in 1999 finalizing their current line-up. After signing to Tooth & Nail for their debut release Amazing and Thank You (1995), Luxury was poised to move to the next level when fate intervened, and a touring wreck changed their fortunes as well as their ambitions. Luxury convalesced and regrouped to put out two additional albums The Latest & The Greatest (1996) and Luxury (1999) before (temporarily) calling it quits. The focus shifted from stardom to family, while Chris, Lee and Jamey also pursued their own path to Orthodox priesthood. Six years later, the band reconvened for their fourth effort Health And Sport (2005). Following a decade long break, the band reconvened to work on material for 2019s Trophies, their latest full length offering. Earlier this year, Luxury released the EP One-Sided on vinyl. Luxury is currently in the studio working on a new album due in late 2021.

ABOUT RANDOM MEDIA: Random Media is a content company that acquires and distributes films on a worldwide basis through movie theatres, digital platforms, cable, satellite, and television networks and through conventional brick and mortar retailers. Random Media is known for its commitment to building strong, supportive relationships with its filmmakers. The companies’ library includes over 200 films, including the acclaimed films: Hoaxed,  Killswitch: The Battle for the Internet,  Fare,  House by the Lake and  Yamasong: March of the Hollows. 

KEEP UP WITH PARALLEL LOVE THE DOCUMENTARY

Website || Facebook || Twitter || Spotify

DAVID COOK ANNOUNCES FULL BAND SHOWS TO SUPPORT THE LOOKING GLASS EP RELEASE IN APRIL AND U.S. TOUR DATES IN SEPTEMBER

DAVID COOK ANNOUNCES FULL BAND SHOWS TO SUPPORT

THE LOOKING GLASS EP RELEASE IN APRIL

AND U.S. TOUR DATES IN SEPTEMBER

Photo Credit: Jake Harsh Photography

 SINGLE “FIRE” OUT TODAY || LISTEN 

NASHVILLE, TENN. – Musician/actor David Cook announces first performances with a full band in over a year to support his highly anticipated EP The Looking Glass (out April 16, 2021). Broadcast on concert live streaming platform Mandolin from Ocean Way Studios in Nashville, he will perform three shows: Sunday, April 18th, The Looking Glass EP release show; Sunday, May 2nd, a fundraiser to benefit The National Brain Tumor Society; and Sunday, May 16th, an extended set highlighting his newer offerings and additional songs from his catalog. All shows to begin at 7 pm CT and tickets are available at the BOX OFFICE.

David is also happy to announce the U.S. leg of his 2021 tour beginning September 11th in Cincinnati and continuing to the Northeast before wrapping in Columbus, OH on September 25th. It will be followed by his previously announced co-headline tour with Kris Allend billed as “Dave & Kris Go to Europe Acoustic Tour” scheduled for October 2021.

The Looking Glass EP is a six-song set recorded in Nashville with producer Andy Skib. Earlier this week, David premiered the third single “Fire” on Parade Magazine: “[‘Fire’] combines a driving rhythm with a jubilant sense of want that is palpable.”

In 2020, David released two singles from the EP. The first, “Reds Turn Blue,” a nod to the manic highs (reds) and lows (blues) of anxiety, something David has struggled to overcome since his season seven win on American Idol. As David told People.com, “This song became a therapeutic process for me, as a way to personify my anxiety and make it something other than me — which in an odd way has helped me navigate my relationship with it.” To capture that struggle, David worked with artist Justin A. Nixon to create a visual that was, “sci-fi and sinister” but left open-ended to represent “that constant battle between anxiety and myself.”

And the second, “Strange World,” is “my homage to this year,” said David. “Staring out of windows at the world outside, feeling disconnected from it, and trying to find those moments that would normally exist outside, inside.” 

The Looking Glass EP will be released on April 16, 2021 with live stream and tour dates to follow.

LIVE STREAM CONCERTS VIA MANDOLIN

PURCHASE TICKETS HERE

APRIL 18 / EP RELEASE SHOW @ 7 pm CT

MAY 2 / FUNDRAISER FOR THE NATIONAL BRAIN TUMOR SOCIETY @ 7 pm CT

MAY 16 / EXTENDED SET OF FROM HIS CATALOG @ 7 pm CT

U.S. TOUR DATES

SEPT 11 / CINCINNATI, OH @ Ludlow Garage

SEPT 12 / CANTON, OH @ The Auricle Outdoors

SEPT 15 / NORTHAMPTON, MA @ Iron Horse

SEPT 16 / DERRY, NH @ Tupelo Hall

SEPT 17 / CAMBRIDGE, MA @ Sonia

SEPT 18 / NORFOLK, CT @ Infinity Hall

SEPT 20 / NEW YORK, NY @ City Winery

SEPT 21 / PHILADELPHIA, PA @ City Winery

SEPT 23 / ANNAPOLIS, MD @ Ram’s Head

SEPT 24 / PITTSBURGH, PA @ Thunderbird

SEPT 25 / COLUMBUS, OH @ Rumba Cafe

THE LOOKING GLASS EP || PRE-SAVE

RELEASE DATE:  APRIL 16, 2021

“REDS TURN BLUE” OUT NOW SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

 “STRANGE WORLD” OUT NOW SPOTIFY || YOUTUBE

KEEP UP WITH DAVID COOK

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

BEN COSGROVE’S NEW SINGLE “OVERPASS” OUT TODAY NEW LP THE TROUBLE WITH WILDERNESS OUT ON APRIL 23RD

BEN COSGROVE’S NEW SINGLE

“OVERPASS” OUT TODAY

NEW LP THE TROUBLE WITH WILDERNESS

 OUT ON APRIL 23RD 

An impressionistic ode to the life that grows between the urban cracks…Cosgrove works solely in abstracts, using minimalism and deeper concepts to paint portraits with a soft, muted palette - WBUR 

The expansiveness and thrill…is illustrative of Cosgrove’s musical vision. The push and pull of dynamics, the utilization of the whole range of the piano and the dense, sweeping pianism makes ‘Templates For Limitless Fields of Grass’ well… limitless - Sound Of Boston

LISTEN TO “OVERPASS” via SOUNDCLOUD // SPOTIFY

 Pianist/composer Ben Cosgrove has released “Overpass,” the newest single from his forthcoming LP The Trouble With Wilderness, set for release on April 23rd. Each track on the album is about finding beauty in everyday spaces - not just places "set aside" for their scenic attributes, like natural parks, but in the cracks of sidewalks and rusted building structures and anywhere else our eyes land. "Overpass" was inspired by a big interstate highway that ran between the town where Cosgrove sheltered-in-place last year and the river beside it. Of the song, he says: "I was struck again and again by the absolute jungles of plant life exploding from all its edges, particularly under all the various little bridges that carried the highway over little streams and roads and such. It’s centered on that guitar-like repeated pattern at the beginning, but as the song goes on, its focus broadens to all these hazy, raw, interesting textures at the edges of the melody – much like the plants growing from the concrete, or like watching the landscape change as you drive down a highway.” “Overpass” follows the release of album tracks “Templates For Limitless Fields Of Grass” and “The Machine In The Garden.”

“TEMPLATES FOR LIMITLESS FIELDS OF GRASS”

 SPOTIFY // SOUNDCLOUD

“THE MACHINE IN THE GARDEN”

 SPOTIFY // SOUNDCLOUD

The Trouble With Wilderness is a lush, textured, and expansive set of 12 new songs that consider the role of nature and wildness in the built environment. Cosgrove has spent a lot of his career in collaborations and artist residencies with national parks, performing solo across the lower 48, and all of his solo compositions have been centered around those kinds of areas - until now. With the new LP, he encourages us to recognize beauty in the smallest blades of grass breaking through pavement, and in structures that have been overtaken by the wildness of nature. You can hear this when you listen to the album's tracks, as he distills his observations and brings them to acoustic, percussive life on his keyboard. 

“I found I was spending a lot of time on stage talking about national parks and oceans and wilderness areas, and not enough about the places that people are more likely to encounter in their everyday lives,” explains Cosgrove. The new songs illuminate his unique position as a musician suspended somewhere between genres: “I’m either a singer-songwriter who doesn’t sing, or I’m a composer who behaves like a singer-songwriter,” he has said in more than one interview, and his chatty, disarming stage presence would certainly make him seem more like a folk musician than a classical pianist. In addition to his solo instrumental work, Cosgrove regularly tours, records, and collaborates with artists from across the worlds of folk, rock, and Americana music, and while some moments on the album recall the work of George Winston, Keith Jarrett, Nils Frahm, or Ludovico Einaudi, his extensive experiences performing with bands like Ghost of Paul Revere are evident in more percussive, rhythmic songs like “The Machine in the Garden,” "Overpass," and “This Rush of Beauty and This Sense of Order.” “I think the practice of formally or informally dividing the world up into a bunch of conventionally beautiful ‘natural’ parts and another bunch of utilitarian, unpretty, ‘unnatural’ ones is one of our society’s more misguided and lastingly harmful tendencies,” Cosgrove notes in the album’s liner notes.

The songs on The Trouble With Wilderness, faithful to this concept, are characterized by their textural contrasts and striking juxtapositions: ethereal and asymmetrical clouds blooming above a churning and insistent piano pattern, tapped and plucked noises from all over the inside of a piano snapping wildly over a graceful bassline, or delirious, ecstatic arpeggios that slowly burst free of their constraints. The production by indie-folk maestro Dan Cardinal (Josh Ritter, Darlingside, Lula Wiles, Session Americana, The Ballroom Thieves) both emphasizes the physicality of the instruments involved and elevates the sounds to places that are uncannily gorgeous and sometimes almost surreal. The result is an uncommonly beautiful set of songs and a massive step forward in Cosgrove’s idiosyncratic and increasingly mature body of work. Like the vernacular landscapes he looked to in composing it, the music on The Trouble With Wilderness sits on the narrow balancing point between order and wildness and manages to lean simultaneously into both.

CONNECT WITH BEN COSGROVE:  

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

OUT TODAY: MELISSA CARPER’S NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD

OUT TODAY:   

MELISSA CARPER’S NEW LP 

 DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD 

Not unlike Loretta Lynn, Melissa Carper is giving us scenes and stories and vignettes that kind of play out between home and the honky-tonk  - NPR  

Daddy’s Country Gold showcases Carper’s ability to stretch out a note or a phrase to pull at our hearts, and her artful way of delivering a lyric with the just-right emotional power imbues these songs with a power that stays with us long after the final notes fade. - Folk Alley 

Singer-bassist Melissa Carper sounds like a voice from a bygone era...Evoking the cool, smoky croon of a lounge singer, Carper gives some winking commentary about having a good time. - Rolling Stone Country  

It’s a tricky thing that Carper has done. She clearly revels in recreating the music of her heroes, carefully preserving the sense of romance and immediacy of the old classics. Yet by bringing her own experiences into the canon, she is unearthing a history that includes so many more of us, finally allowed to speak out through memories forgotten due to silence and taboo. - No Depression  

Yearning, stone cold country - Wide Open Country 

Through two previous solo albums and three side bands, Melissa Carper's worked a number of styles to find the fit for her voice, and it finally comes together spectacularly with Daddy's Country Gold. - The Austin Chronicle 

The album is real deal country music, the kind that dabbles freely in blues and jazz and swing, and it funnels every ounce of charm and honeysuckle that Carper lends to her ensemble work and amplifies it exponentially - The Arkansas Times 

Daddy’s County Gold stays light on its feet, and Carper sings with ease...Carper is a first-rate songwriter, as her new music demonstrates. - Nashville Scene 

There's so much to recommend about Daddy's Country Gold, the dazzling new album by out singer/songwriter Melissa Carper, it's hard to know where to begin. - The Bay Area Reporter 

A new batch of songs from Melissa Carper is something to smile and rub your hands together about like waiting for permission to cut into an apple pie. - Saving Country Music 

Right away, you can tell that you’re in for an album that is much different than what you might ordinarily hear. - Glide Magazine 

Melissa Carper has made a perfect album…A daring array of players and special guests accompany Carper across a dozen tracks dressed to the nines in clean, cool jazz-infused hillbilly serenades that linger in the air like fresh-cut hay. - Sound and Soul 

As a dish cooked up with the spice of many talented hands, there rightfully should be a line out the door to sample this new album by Melissa Carper…it’ll meet all your expectations for classic country music with a dose of carefree humor.  -  Americana Highways 

Melissa Carper is a talented singer-songwriter and upright bass player who is worth our intention - Americana-UK 

We’re not only making new memories when listening to Melissa Carper’s latest…but we’re revisiting old ones thanks to the sweet, sentimental sound of…Daddy’s Country Gold - TrunkSpace 

There’s something so absolutely refreshing about straightforward, old-fashioned playing. An homage at points, but very much of Carper’s sound…the right amount of rascally sweetness of a country night out. - Country Queer 

LISTEN: DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD   

Today, singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has released her critically-acclaimed new LP Daddy’s Country Gold; the album debuted in the Top 50 on the Americana Radio Charts, and that position continues to climb. “She obviously… has such a perfectly executed vintage sound on this album, but she’s very subtly subverting the form,” said Robin Hilton of NPR. “Daddy’s Country Gold—the image that it might bring to mind is that of reaching back to songs and stories and styles handed down, and that is one layer of it for her…but it also is a reference to her own wonderfully butch nickname,” added NPR’s Jewly Hight. “There are elements of stoicism and sentimentality and pining, just like you hear from Loretta Lynn on her album, but I enjoy the fact that you can…hear Melissa Carper do a song like ‘Old Fashioned Gal’ using the language of kind of classic country and pop and jazz and making explicit in whimsical, playful ways that at the person she’s envisioning is a woman.”  

As Folk Alley noted in the album’s premiere, "We don’t have to dig very deep into Melissa Carper’s rich vein of songwriting and sing before we hit gold, for from the opening note on her new album her shimmering and pure vocals and the lush instrumental carpet on which her voice floats glimmer with a vibrant sheen that tells us we’ve struck it rich here.” “On Daddy’s Country Gold, Melissa Carper demonstrates why the Great American Songbook has been so enduring. While Carper’s effortless bass lines and her band’s elegant piano accents recall an era we now call ‘classy,’ it’s Carper’s ingenious songwriting that takes the spotlight,” No Depression said. "Daddy’s Country Gold isn’t simply an easygoing album with a vintage sound; for Carper, it’s an effort to retrieve stories deliberately buried in the past…By using sounds straight from the past, she is queering history.” 

Carper’s refreshingly unique style calls to mind greats like Kitty Wells, Billie Holiday, Loretta Lynn, and Janis Joplin, beautifully conveyed in the grooves of the album’s 12 sparkling gems. She enlisted fellow bassist Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) and producer/engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price) to co-produce the album and bring her dream to life. Recorded live to tape at Tokic’s analog studio wonderland The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the album features Crouch (bass), Chris Scruggs (guitar, steel guitar), Jeff Taylor (piano, organ, accordion), Matty Meyer (drums, percussion), Billy Contreras (fiddle), with guest appearances from Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell, and legendary pedal steel maestro Lloyd Green.  

WATCH: “I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU” 

 WATCH: “MAKIN’ MEMORIES” 

Daddy’s Country Gold is just that—twelve glittering Carper originals of the country, western swing, and jazz variety. From the first notes of album opener “Makin’ Memories,” to the whimsical “Would You Like To Get Some Goats,” and the heart-wrenching tenderness of album closer “The Stars Are Aligned,” Carper’s lifetime of work, experience, and wanderlust culminates in a beautiful portrait of heartfelt music, written by a road-lovin’ gal who has lived these songs and spent her life playing music for folks that still love the real thing. 

As a child, Carper, who acquired the nickname “Daddy” years ago from her bandmates for always knowing how to “take care of ‘bidness’,” would lay her head underneath the family record player as she listened to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other greats from her parents’ collection. After a childhood spent in her family’s country band and a stint in the University of Nebraska’s music department, the wayfaring Carper found herself in the historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, learning to busk with the old country songs she loved as a child. She soon relocated to music hubs like New Orleans, New York City, Austin, and eventually Nashville, founding award-winning bands like power trio The Carper Family, playing festivals and gigs across the globe. Carper also holds a spot in award-winning Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy, and founded roots duo Buffalo Gals with Sad Daddy bandmate and girlfriend Rebecca Patek. 

Daddy’s Country Gold is available digitally, on CD, and vinyl. Click HERE to purchase. Be sure to catch Melissa Carper perform live on Facebook on Monday, March 22nd at 6:00 pm CDT as part of The Boot’s Live & Socially Distant series streamed HERE and HERE. You can also see Melissa Carper perform with Rebecca Patek in their duo The Buffalo Gals on Wednesdays at 6:30pm CDT, streamed live HERE.  

UPCOMING TOUR DATES 

March 19 -  Austin, TX @ Sagebrush - 7pm CDT (outdoors)  

May 21 - Little Rock, AR @ Fassler Hall - 5pm CDT (outdoors)  

May 22 - Eureka Springs, AR @ Gotahold Brewing - 4pm CDT (outdoors) 

June 17 - Nashville, TN @ Station Inn - 8pm CDT (indoors & live stream)  

CONNECT WITH MELISSA CARPER:   

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

GIRLS WRITE NASHVILLE ANNOUNCES MARCH 28TH SING THROUGH THE QUARANTINE DRIVE-IN LISTENING PARTY EVENT & KICKS OFF SPRING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN

GIRLS WRITE NASHVILLE ANNOUNCES  

MARCH 28TH SING THROUGH THE QUARANTINE DRIVE-IN LISTENING PARTY EVENT 

& KICKS OFF SPRING FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN  

CONNECT WITH GIRLS WRITE NASHVILLE: 

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Today, Nashville-based, nationally-acclaimed 501c(3) Girls Write Nashville* kicks off their spring fundraising effort, which will continue until March 28th. Donations will go toward future free programming for Title I schools. Supporters will receive an advance copy of the album, merchandise, perks, and access to additional virtual concerts and workshops. Click HERE to donate.  

Girls Write Nashville is also thrilled to share “Toxic Love,” the single from the program’s newest student-written and produced album Sing Through The Quarantine. “Toxic Love” was written and performed by 8th grader and program participant Gentry Wooten. The album is set for release on March 26th and will be celebrated with a Drive-In Listening Party on March 28th at the United Way of Greater Nashville. The album will be broadcast in full from 3pm-4pm CST via WXNA’s Teen Power Radio Hour. Click HERE for more listening party information.  

LISTEN: “TOXIC LOVE”  

Each season, students enrolled in the program work with professional female artist mentors, learn to write and produce original music in a supportive community of peers, and are guided through the vulnerable process of releasing that work into the world. Due to the onset of COVID-19, the program, like countless others, was forced to adapt as Safer-At-Home initiatives began just as the students were preparing to record. Girls Write Nashville pivoted and arranged a remote-recording project and created a full suite of low-cost virtual classes for K-12 students. Students each wrote a “song from quarantine,” then worked, for the first time in program history, on recording their own songs at home, using a cloud-based recording app. Songs were then sent to local female studio musicians to help complete the tracks. The result is an inspiring, entirely remotely-recorded album of youth-written songs about life in 2020 that ranged from rap and spoken word pieces about racial justice to a cheeky trance-pop take on toxic relationships and social distancing, a screamo-metal catharsis about the pandemic, and bittersweet, beautiful embraces of the full emotional range of loneliness and isolation.  

“So much of the value of Girls Write Nashville is in learning leadership skills: becoming artistically resilient, speaking authentically, advocating for your voice, and overcoming self-doubt and fear of rejection,” says program co-founder Jen Starsinic. “Not making a record this year really wasn’t an option to us. It just didn’t seem within our mission or what we try to teach and model for our participants.”    

“Being in this program brought so much excitement to my day,” commented one young participant. “I really looked forward to this safe space where I could be creative and have a good time. I learned more about music and how much effort it really takes. I really appreciate music more now. I have had the opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings in my melodies and verses. Girls Write Nashville is the best program yet! Thank you to all the loving and amazing people involved.” 

Girls Write Nashville and their co-ed wing Loudmouth Community Music currently offer free Girls Write Nashville programs to certain MNPS schools, their Girls Write Nashville All-City Mentorship program open to all students in Davidson County, and low-cost ($20-40/month) co-ed Loudmouth Community Music K-2nd, 3rd-5th grade, and middle and high school classes. All programs are taught by the organization’s trained trauma-informed teachers using original modernized music education curriculum focusing on songwriting and production and guided by the values of equity and empowerment. Interested students should go to www.girlswritenashville.com to complete a basic registration information form and will be contacted by a staff member to coordinate enrollment.    

*ABOUT GIRLS WRITE NASHVILLE:  

Girls Write Nashville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to empower expression and build a creative music community and mentorship for girls. Started in 2016 as a community arts project on a $2,800 Metro Arts THRIVE grant, it has since grown into a vibrant small nonprofit start-up serving over 200 students and has been featured on NBC’s Today Show, USA Today, The Tennessean, The Nashville Scene, and American Songwriter Magazine, amongst others. It is proud to be one of the only music education organizations nation-wide designed from the ground up to ensure the values of equity and empowerment in its program structure and curriculum. 

By focusing on community-building, authenticity, and the vulnerability of creative risk-taking, Girls Write Nashville participants not only receive a world-class music and songwriting education, but they find their voice: building the confidence, leadership, self-advocacy, and social-emotional skills needed to truly thrive as human beings in any arena.  

The organization is honored for support from partners such as Morris Light & Sound, USA Today Network/Gannett Foundation, Hattie B’s, Predators Foundation, Bart Durham Injury Law, Fanny’s House of Music, Green Iris Records, BMI Foundation, D’addario Foundation, and Alphagraphics.  

RYANHOOD PREMIERES SINGLE "WIDE AWAKE IN A DREAM" VIA ATWOOD MAGAZINE

RYANHOOD PREMIERES SINGLE 

"WIDE AWAKE IN A DREAM" VIA ATWOOD MAGAZINE  

NEW LP UNDER THE LEAVES OUT ON APRIL 16TH 

Intricate and challenging, Ryan’s acoustic guitarwork creates a steady and solid foundation for Cameron’s lyrics to shine - American Songwriter 

This Tucson, AZ duo really knows how to get your feet tapping while delivering a genuine message about internal reflection - The Indy Review 

Photo: Ehab Tamimi

LISTEN: “WIDE AWAKE IN A DREAM”   

Award-winning, Tucson, Arizona-based acoustic duo Ryanhood has released “Wide Awake In A Dream,” a poignant new track from their forthcoming album, Under The Leaves, set for release on April 16th. “It’s getting to be that special time of renewal and rejuvenation – and while the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage throughout the United State and around the world, we’re beginning to see a faint light at the end of a very long tunnel. It’s time for a breath of fresh air, and today that comes in the form of Ryanhood’s achingly expressive new single,” said Atwood Magazine in their premiere. “A breathtaking folk ballad full of bright acoustics and soaring violin work, ‘Wide Awake In A Dream’ captures love’s dreamy wonder with elegancy and delicate grace.” 

“I was thinking about those big, almost painfully-big feelings at the beginning of a relationship,” lead guitarist Ryan David Green told Atwood Magazine. “Shortly after I graduated from college (Berklee College of Music in Boston), I met the girl who would later become my wife. I taught her weekly guitar lessons, and she would come and help sell our CDs when we street performed at Quincy Market. I had a huge crush on her but didn’t tell her for the longest time. This song is about those times, laying awake at night, filled with those huge feelings, but not yet having revealed them.” “Lyrically, Ryan is painting dreamlike worlds,” bandmate Cameron Hood said, adding, “and I think that’s a good metaphor for what he’s done with the melodies, rhythms, electric guitars, and string sections of this whole album.” 

“Wide Awake In A Dream” follows the release of fiery instrumental jam “Appy Returns” and lead single “The Fight.” “‘The Fight’ and its intellectualism is a strange though perfectly complementary companion to its mainstream indiepop sensibility,” said American Songwriter of the song. “While the rhythm clutches the primal hunger for melodicism, the subject matter challenges you to reach in deep and ponder what it takes to achieve peace, eventually encircling the truth that change can only come from within.” 

LISTEN: “APPY RETURNS”  

LISTEN // WATCH: “THE FIGHT” 

Named ‘Best Group/Duo’ in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood got their first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. They’ve since gone on to perform more than a thousand shows in 45 U.S. states over the past decade, and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more.  

Their latest album, Under the Leaves, sees the lead guitarist Green stepping into the role of sole producer, weaving a tapestry of lush strings and rich harmonies. The album, like their shows, is driven by strong acoustic guitar performances and is at turns energetic, hopeful, and quietly moving—a musical invitation to breathe, and to soak in a river of melodies and harmonic hooks.  

Hood, the band’s primary lyricist, has waded into those musical rivers with dream-like verses about seeds and forests, breath and wind, and the cycles and seasons that frame our lives. Throughout the album’s songs, a question is asked: How do we create meaningful and lasting change in a world filled with division and turmoil? The offer on Under the Leaves is to slow down and face the one thing we have the power to change - ourselves - as the duo sings on the album’s second track, “the only revolution is the one within.”  

Under The Leaves will be available digitally, as well as on vinyl and CD. The band has also written a companion book, featuring essays and stories behind the songs, expanded artwork, and photography that is also available for purchase. Click HERE to order. 

CONNECT WITH RYANHOOD:   

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

LETHAL AMOUNTS PRESENTS DESTROY BOYS LIVE ONLINE MARCH 27TH AT 7PM PST

LETHAL AMOUNTS PRESENTS DESTROY BOYS

 LIVE ONLINE MARCH 27TH AT 7PM PST

"Channeling the spirit of anarchic American garage rock and melodic sensibilities of classic Bay Area punk into short snarling songs, Sacramento’s Destroy Boys whip up noise that is truly timeless.”  - Rock Sound

“The band’s sardonic, biting tunes are a perfect blend of political subterfuge, headbang-able rhythms, and the overall catharsis of unrestrained self-expression. It’s scratchy punk that reminds listeners that it doesn’t really matter how technically sound you are, although Destroy Boys certainly have that covered as well, it’s about the passion, dammit.” - V13

“Destroy Boys have earned high-profile fans like Billie Joe Armstrong all before graduating from high school. - UPROXX

TICKETS AVAILABLE :  HERE

Los Angeles art gallery, promoter and connoisseur of cool Lethal Amounts is excited to announce their debut concert film with Hopeless Records and  San Francisco Bay Area Destroy Boys taking place March 27th at 7pm PT.  Lethal Amounts founder Danny Fuentes has built a reputation as the torchbearer of the counterculture, celebrating the cultreshifters of the past while championing up and coming creatives. The gallery has become a living and breathing history lesson of Punk Rock with photo exhibits from Leee Black Childers, the official photographer of Andy Warhol’s Factory to legendary Los Angeles photographer Edward Colver, who is best known for capturing some of the most iconic images of the hardcore punk era in Los Angeles.  Destroy Boys Live will be Fuentes’ directorial debut. 

“For outsiders and outliers, Danny Fuentes’ gallery is a place to call home.”  

- The Los Angeles Times

Destroy Boys are a three-piece band founded by Violet Mayugba (guitar/vocals) and Alexia Roditis (vocals/guitar). Rounded out by drummer Narsai Malik they have been redefining West Coast punk, making waves from the California shoreline to the UK, sharing stages with up and coming bands like Mannequin Pussy as well as punk stalwarts such as Face To Face and Lagwagon. They’ve also racked up over 40 million streams, with the numbers ticking upward every day without fail. Their visceral personal tales of scene bullies, elitist cliques, betrayal, and unrequited love have won over the hearts and ears of eager listeners ranging from the fervent teens who pack out their shows to Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (see his mention in the Rolling Stone cover story HERE via Instagram HERE).  

The band just released their searing new single “Muzzle,”  through their new label partner Hopeless Records,  that Alternative Press called “Ferocious”  and RockSound commented that with “less than a minute in length and packed tight with thrashing guitars and barked vocals, it's a kick to the temple that is simply impossible to ignore,”  The song has been added to the top punk and alternative rock playlists on streaming services all around the world, was added to SiriusXM’s Faction channel and has received early spins on numerous radio stations in Europe. 

“Destroy Boys aren't playing nice in "Muzzle," kicking ass and taking names in the high-energy new single about fighting back against the powers that be. Turn this one all the way up.” 

- Refinery 29

The single was just a taste of what’s come. The band has been working on a new album and after a 2020 that promised tours with Against Me! and Vundabar, as well as a slot on the Sad Summer Festival, the livestream offers up a front row treat for fans who haven’t seen the band live in a year, with incredible live performances of the new single “Muzzle,” fan favorites such as “Fences,” and “Duck Eat Duck World” that was featured in Tony Hawk Pro Skater 1 + 2.  In addition to the performances the film gives a look into the recording process, and intimate interviews with the group on how they got their start playing shows and touring while they were in high school.

This is not the band's first foray into collaborating with Lethal Amounts.  Earlier this year Destroy Boys launched their second merch collaboration with Lethal Amounts (See HERE)  so working with Fuentes  on the livestream was a natural fit.   “Lethal Amounts was an absolute joy to work with,” says Roditis. “Danny has a wonderful creative vision and we loved collaborating with him on this project. He let us be free and be ourselves, while inputting his slick and unique twist on things.” 

“To me,  Destroy Boys have that feeling of timelessness, says Fuentes. “I've seen them live and I got chills up my spine watching a band I knew no songs to yet. They just took me to another place in my mind, probably to that place when music and concerts were so new and exciting as a kid. They have something eternal about them and I wanted to capture a bit of that essence in a film and not just another  “live-stream” in a pandemic kinda world. Their energy is intoxicating and their self awareness is inspiring. I felt it was important to not just see them perform but see them as artists in the process of creating as well as giving us a glimpse of their personal philosophies.”

KEEP UP WITH DESTROY BOYS

WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK

ABOUT LETHAL AMOUNTS 

Our humble beginnings start with a logo, our now infamous Lethal Amounts “LA Safety Pins”, helped launched the name and image of the brand. Lethal Amounts began as a clothing line predominantly focussing on graphic t-shirts being hand screen printed.  With their first brick and mortar store they launched the gallery that quickly bloomed into a haven for outsiders and confrontationists.  Lethal Amounts showcases the extremes of individuals who have moved culture forward, living on the edge outside of societal norms and challenging traditional views on sexuality.  Rock ’n Roll of the past that has crossed over into pop culture fanaticism, street culture influences and cult hero worship. Artist’s who have shown in the gallery include Leee Black Childers (the house photographer for Andy Warhol’s Factory), famed punk rock photographer Edward Colver, Nick Zinner from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Al Jourgensen, Psychic TV and more. Additional highlights include the Nick Cave Smoking exhibit, Spiritual Cramp : Christian Death exhibit and documentary launch, Shawn M. Crahan (of Slipknot’s) His Whores exhibit, an Anton LaVey event featuring an exhibit of photography and ephemera from the colorful, and notorious cultural icon, Goodbye Pogo: The Art of John Wayne Gacy and Once Upon a Time in 69' : The Life of Charles Manson.

KEEP UP WITH LETHAL AMOUNTS

WEBSITE || FACEBOOK || INSTAGRAM

THOMAS DAMBO THE WORLD’S MOST PROMINENT RECYCLE ARTIST SHARES HIS NATIONWIDE GIANT TROLL ART EXHIBITION AND TREASURE HUNT

THOMAS DAMBO THE WORLD’S MOST PROMINENT  RECYCLE ARTIST SHARES HIS

NATIONWIDE  GIANT TROLL  ART EXHIBITION AND TREASURE  HUNT 

“GIANT TROLL FOLK FEST”

BRINGING JOY TO MILLIONS

WATCH THE VIDEO : HERE 

Artist and climate activist Thomas Dambo who also carries the title of the world's most prominent "recycle artist" took on his most ambitious project to date during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Last year (2020) was slated to be the biggest of Dambo’s career.  There 25 sculptures planned in 8 different countries including installations at the Olympics, Burning Man Festival, Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, every single one of which was canceled within a span of a few weeks. In March of 2020 Dambo and his team traveled home to Copenhagen from San Juan, Puerto Rico leaving behind a half-finished sculpture. The shutdown triggered an immense amount of panic in Dambo over the possibility of having to let go of his team, losing his warehouse, and the entire business drove him into a deep depression. After the initial shock wore off and the reality of COVID-19 grounding most of the world for what would be an unknown amount of time sunk in, Dambo did what he does best,  and started developing ideas for sculptures to serve his home country of Denmark. If people couldn’t travel or go on vacation then he would do something to bring that sense of joy and excitement to them. The result was the nationwide exhibition was named "Den kæmpestore troldefolkefest!" which roughly translates into "The Giant Troll-Folk-Fest," a story about humans and nature coming together told through 10 sculptures built throughout his home country of Denmark. Having zero budget for the project Dambo reached out on his social media asking if anyone was willing to give a hand - and over the course of the ten sculptures around 1000 volunteers laid hand on the sculptures. “I just went from having so many projects, to having no projects at all,” Dambo told BlackBook Magazine. “Covid wiped my calendar clean. So the project was a way of putting my mind away from that loss, but also of directing that energy towards something positive. I think we had a thousand people come out and help scavenge wood, take pallets apart…and make sandwiches. It was really a community project, and we adhered to Covid protocol of course.”

The location of each sculpture was kept secret. Dambo created a webpage www.trollmap.com with all green crosses on the locations for clues, a Treasure Hunt for the sculptures, enabling seekers to find each of the giant trolls hidden throughout the country. Each piece can be reached by foot or bike rides. The trolls have been visited by hundreds of thousands of people and what started out being a project for Dambo to lift his spirits, turned into something positive and uplifting for the entire country, and those around the world who followed the project online. 

Dambo is best known for his giant troll sculptures (5-15 meters) all made out of reclaimed materials.  For Dambo each sculpture is an opportunity to educate visitors on a problem that exists in the world, explaining complex problems with an element of fun through folklore. Dambo spends almost as much crafting these stories as he does the sculptures, all of which explore our relationship with the planet. His work has taken him all over the world to build over 76 trolls, attracting millions of visitors, and garnering international media attention (BBC, National Geographic, VICE, Colossal, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Creative Boom).  “I want to take trash and turn it into something that will open people’s eyes and minds,” Dambo told National Geographic. “We shouldn’t throw the world out—then we’ll have a world with no mountains, no woods.”

Not only have these exhibits been a source of joy and brief escape during the shutdown due to COVID-19 in his own country but all over the world, including here in the U.S. Last month the Chicago Tribune wrote a piece on a "Save the Trolls" petition (via Change.org) that was started by Chicago resident Delilah Durbin to save an exhibit of 6 sculptures at the Morton Arboretum that were built in 2018 and were scheduled to be removed on January 31 of this year.  Durbin told the Tribune that “To end their life like this by just removing them doesn’t complete the story for me. I feel they have more life to live." Dambo's Giant Troll exhibit yielded the park's highest attendance in its 97-year history (1.26 Million) the year it opened in 2018. Dambo is flattered by the effort to save his exhibit and as a recycle artist does not want to see any of his work end up in the trash, especially since each sculpture was made from trash and recycled materials,  but there was no agreement in place as to what happens to the trolls post exhibit, so the fate of these pieces it up to the park. 

KEEP UP WITH THOMAS DAMBO

WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK

TREASURED CANADIAN MUSICIAN ALAN DOYLE ANNOUNCES NEW EP BACK TO THE HARBOUR OUT MAY 21 COVER OF CLASSIC SHANTY "LEAVE HER JOHNNY" OUT TODAY

TREASURED CANADIAN MUSICIAN ALAN DOYLE ANNOUNCES NEW EP BACK TO THE HARBOUR OUT MAY 21

COVER OF CLASSIC SHANTY "LEAVE HER JOHNNY" OUT TODAY

Photo Credit: Dave Howell

"LEAVE HER JOHNNY" – WATCH | LISTEN

 Alan Doyle, Canadian national treasure and unofficial ambassador of Newfoundland's rich musical traditions, will release a new EP, Back to the Harbour - a collection of songs to celebrate his love of folk music – on May 21. The album was produced by Joel Plaskett at The New Scotland Yard in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. Featured alongside Doyle on the album are Kendel Carson and Cory Tetford from his touring band, along with Plaskett himself.

Back to the Harbour features three original songs plus unique spins on three classics: "Back Home on the Island" by one of Newfoundland's most popular musical groups Wonderful Grand Band; "Let It Be Me" popularized by legendary duo The Everly Brothers; and the first single, the shanty "Leave Her Johnny."

"Leave Her Johnny" is available at all digital streaming services and retailers today.

"This shanty of a ship’s last day is one of the dozen or more songs I don't remember learning," Alan says of "Leave Her Johnny." "I realize this may seem odd to some, as in most parts of the world people have one or two songs they don't remember learning, like Happy Birthday or Silent Night. But in Newfoundland we have so many songs that are just part of our language. I doubt many from around here could tell you when they learned I'se The B'y or Lukey’s Boat. We just know them."

Back to the Harbour follows Rough Side Out, Doyle's chart-topping country album released last February, and Songs from Home, a collection of music from Doyle and an all-star lineup of Newfoundland artists, which was released in November. Doyle – the songwriter, producer, actor and author – is a 12-time JUNO Award nominee for his solo material and work with his iconic band Great Big Sea. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of Canada for his contributions to the musical traditions of Newfoundland and for his commitment to numerous charitable initiatives. His most recent book, All Together Now: A Newfoundlander's Light Tales for Heavy Times, was released in November 2020 and quickly became a national bestseller.

ALAN DOYLE

 “LEAVE HER JOHNNY” | WATCH | LISTEN

ALBUM: BACK TO THE HARBOUR OUT MAY 21, 2021

KEEP UP WITH ALAN DOYLE

Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter |  YouTube | Spotify

MELISSA CARPER PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “BACK WHEN (ft. SIERRA FERRELL)” VIA WIDE OPEN COUNTRY NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD OUT ON MARCH 19

  MELISSA CARPER PREMIERES NEW SINGLE  

“BACK WHEN (ft. SIERRA FERRELL)” VIA WIDE OPEN COUNTRY   

NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD OUT ON MARCH 19 

Yearning, stone cold country - Wide Open Country 

Singer-bassist Melissa Carper sounds like a voice from a bygone era...Evoking the cool, smoky croon of a lounge singer, Carper gives some winking commentary about having a good time. - Rolling Stone Country 

Daddy’s County Gold stays light on its feet, and Carper sings with ease...Carper is a first-rate songwriter, as her new music demonstrates.”- Nashville Scene 

A new batch of songs from Melissa Carper is something to smile and rub your hands together about like waiting for permission to cut into an apple pie. - Saving Country Music  

Captivating and authentic vintage country - Glide Magazine  

As a dish cooked up with the spice of many talented hands, there rightfully should be a line out the door to sample this new album by Melissa Carper…it’ll meet all your expectations for a classic country music with a dose of carefree humor.  -  Americana Highways  

Melissa Carper is a talented singer-songwriter and upright bass player who is worth our intention - Americana-UK  

There’s something so absolutely refreshing about straightforward, old-fashioned playing. An homage at points, but very much of Carper’s sound…the right amount of rascally sweetness of a country night out. - Country Queer  

Photo: Aisha Golliher

LISTEN: “BACK WHEN”   

Singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has unveiled her newest single “Back When (ft. Sierra Ferrell),” a track from her forthcoming album Daddy’s Country Gold, set for release on March 19th. "A lot of my songs are based on my real life experiences and with 'Back When' every single word of that was lived and true," Carper told Wide Open Country in the song’s premiere. "I started writing it a bit after a breakup while longing for the relationship I once had with someone--that is, the beginning of the relationship when we were in love and everything was wonderful.  It was written with a hopeful desire that things could be as they once were, and though that never happened, I feel like this song does have that hopeful air that maybe 'back when' could happen again, for any relationship that has lost that spark.” “Back When” follows singles “I Almost Forgot About You” and “Makin’ Memories.”  

WATCH // LISTEN: “I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU”  

 WATCH // LISTEN: “MAKIN’ MEMORIES” 

Carper’s refreshingly unique style calls to mind greats like Kitty Wells, Billie Holiday, and Loretta Lynn, beautifully conveyed in the grooves of the album’s 12 sparkling gems. Carper enlisted fellow bassist Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) and producer/engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price) to co-produce the album and bring her dream to life. Recorded live to tape at Tokic’s analog studio wonderland The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the album features Crouch (bass), Chris Scruggs (guitar, steel guitar), Jeff Taylor (piano, organ, accordion), Matty Meyer (drums, percussion), Billy Contreras (fiddle), with guest appearances from Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell, and legendary pedal steel maestro Lloyd Green. 

As a child, Carper, who acquired the nickname “Daddy” years ago from her bandmates for always knowing how to “take care of ‘bidness’,” would lay her head underneath the family record player as she listened to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other greats from her parents’ collection. After a childhood spent in her family’s country band, Carper attended the University of Nebraska on a music scholarship, spending much of her time in the library devouring every Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole album she could find. Around this time, Carper’s father gifted her a full collection of Jimmie Rodgers’ recordings, which was a pivotal moment in finding her unique style of songcraft.  

The wayfaring Carper soon found herself in the historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where she saw street performers for the first time. Busking seemed a very free and appealing endeavor, so Carper diligently learned all the old country songs she loved as a child. She soon relocated to music hubs like New Orleans, New York City, Austin, and eventually Nashville, oftentimes busking to make ends meet until gigs would come along. On the way, she founded award-winning bands like power trio The Carper Family, playing festivals and gigs across the globe, and on shows like “A Prairie Home Companion.” Carper also holds a spot in award-winning Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy, and founded roots duo Buffalo Gals with Sad Daddy bandmate and girlfriend Rebecca Patek.   

Her forthcoming solo record Daddy’s Country Gold is just that - 12 glittering Carper originals of the country, western swing, and jazz variety. From the first notes of album opener “Makin’ Memories,” to the whimsical “Would You Like To Get Some Goats,” and the heart-wrenching tenderness of album closer “The Stars Are Aligned,” this lifetime of work, experience, and wanderlust culminates in a beautiful portrait of heartfelt music, written by a road-lovin’ gal who has lived these songs and spent her life playing music for folks that still love the real thing. 

Be sure to catch Melissa Carper perform live on Facebook every Monday night at 6:00 pm CST, which is streamed HERE. 

CONNECT WITH MELISSA CARPER:   

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

AWARD-WINNING FILM ELECTRIC JESUS SOUNDTRACK OUT TODAY ON JOYFUL NOISE RECORDINGS

AWARD-WINNING FILM ELECTRIC JESUS SOUNDTRACK

OUT TODAY ON JOYFUL NOISE RECORDINGS

VIDEO FOR SINGLE "COMMANDO FOR CHRIST" HERE

VIDEO FOR SINGLE "GIRL (I LOVE JESUS TOO)" HERE

VIDEO FOR SINGLE "BARABBAS" HERE

While coming-of-age music-comedy Electric Jesus continues to charm audiences and critics at film festivals across the country, the soundtrack, Electric Jesus (Music From and Inspired by the Motion Picture) is released digitally on Joyful Noise Recordings today.

Pre-orders for the physical product (vinyl packages) are available online at Joyful Noise Recordings.

Electric Jesus was written and directed by Chris White and features Judd Nelson (The Breakfast Club), Brian Baumgartner (The Office), new/emerging stars Wyatt Lenhart (singer/guitarist), Will Oliver (lead guitar), Gunner Willis (bass) and Caleb Hoffmann (drums) as the fictional band 316, Andrew Eakle (sound man) and Shannon Hutchinson (the preacher's daughter).

Any decent fictional rock biopic requires a convincing soundtrack, and Electric Jesus' director Chris White found the perfect collaborator in Daniel Smith. Smith is a prolific figure in indie rock, having worked under the “Danielson” moniker (and Danielson Famile / Brother Danielson variations,) over the past two decades. He is also an accomplished producer, having helmed Sufjan Stevens’ acclaimed Seven Swans album among many other projects. Smith is known for his highly unique vocal style, characterized by the frequent use of a screeching falsetto. Serendipitously, this sound overlaps perfectly with the screaming falsetto vocals of hair metal.

“In my humble opinion, Smith nails it.” – Columbus Alive 

“Smith, an indie iconoclast whose music has always been informed by Christian faith, reportedly modeled the Electric Jesus music on the likes of Ratt, Poison, Twisted Sister, and Mötley Crüe — and presumably Stryper... Check out the trailer and those three [singles] 316 bangers…” – Stereogum 

“This isn’t an actual ‘80s hair metal band but ‘Commando for Christ’ certainly sounds a lot like Stryper…” – Brooklyn Vegan

In addition to the music of 316, the Electric Jesus soundtrack features four new Danielson songs (including the fantastic sunshine pop of the Beach Boys-influenced "You Can Fly"), plus a track from Steve Taylor & the Danielson Foil, and an instrumental score by Smith's "Familyre Friends." The soundtrack also contains music Smith composed for 316's black metal rivals Satan's Clutch and Bloody Mass.

 But it's the music of 316 that forms the centerpiece of this 21-track release. All of 316's songs are expertly voiced by actor Wyatt Lenhart, also the onscreen front-man of 316. The instrumentation for 316 is provided by guitarist John Montgomery, bassist John Mark Painter, and drummer Patrick Berkery. This ensemble's chemistry is evident on the album's lead single, 316's hilariously bombastic "Commando For Christ" — one of the most brilliant send-ups of metal music since This Is Spinal Tap. The song's ridiculous chorus will likely be stuck in your head for the next few days. "Let's all go commando for Christ!"  

"Electric Jesus doesn't want to save you. But it does want to prove that Christian rock can have a soul." – Document Journal 

"Take a screenwriter who is also a music fan and bring him together with a songwriter who's a movie fan and you have the main ingredients necessary to create the soundtrack for Electric Jesus…" – American Songwriter

 "White understands that the best way to bring religious and non-religious people on the same plane is through music, and he gives Daniel Smith free rein to create some head-banging numbers. Since all of the song sequences are shot, edited, acted, and sung to perfection, you cannot help but enjoy it. That's religious propaganda done well and despite being an atheist, I respect that." – Mashable 

"One of the best' band' movies I've ever seen—one, because the film is a bit of a love letter to Stryper and the whole 80's Christian rock scene, but also because it shows Christian characters in a way that doesn't hate on them OR turn them into fanatical, Jesus superheroes. It's just real, honest, true." – Michael Sweet (of Stryper)

KEEP UP WITH ELECTRIC JESUS

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IMOGEN CLARK RELEASES “RAW AND PERSONAL” (-THE MUSIC) SINGLE “NEVER THIS TIME” TODAY BASTARDS EP, OUT 21 MAY PRE-ORDER NOW

IMOGEN CLARK RELEASES “RAW AND PERSONAL” (-THE MUSIC) SINGLE “NEVER THIS TIME” TODAY
BASTARDS EP, OUT 21 MAY

PRE-ORDER NOW

Photo Credit: Lori Lusk

‘NEVER THIS TIME’ – WATCH | LISTEN

Following the anticipated release of Imogen Clark’s latest single last month, the enthralling “Forget About London”, comes the “raw and personal” (-The Music) new track “Never This Time.”

Penned with Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Rilo Kiley’s Jason Boesel, who also plays drums on the track, ‘Never This Time’ is the second single to be lifted from Clark’s forthcoming BASTARDS EP, announced today and due for release on Friday 21 May (MGM/Potts Entertainment).

It’s a stunning four minutes of honest guitar-driven indie-rock, showcasing Imogen’s raw vocal as she reflects on the deeply personal.

“Two things run in my family – anxiety and alcoholism. I’ve struggled with the former as long as I can remember, and I’ve seen the latter ruin so many people in my life.

“The heartbreaking thing about alcoholism is how it twists people you love, turns them into strangers. This song is about something I’ve learned the hard way – you can give people chance after chance, let them make promises to you and break them, but in the end, if they don’t want to change, there’s nothing you can do, and have to cut the cord before they drag you down with them.

“I had to tap into something so raw to write this song, and I think you can hear that in the finished track.”

PRAISE FOR IMOGEN CLARK… 

“… the song hits all the right pop heights as Clark soars above the instrumental on the anthemic chorus… ascends to dizzying pop rock brilliance.” – Under The Radar 

“Clark has a distinct and fascinating voice, slivers of smoky emotion breaking through the soft, easy-going surface… a decidedly modern indie-pop sound.” – Analogue Trash 

“… poignant narrative and stellar musicianship.” – Beat Magazine

ABOUT IMOGEN CLARK

Imogen Clark is an Australian singer-songwriter, hailing from the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, whose music ranges from arena-ready rock anthems to raw confessional indie pop.

Since 2016, the 25 year-old has released two studio albums and one EP – 2020’s The Making Of Me – and featured on a number of compilation albums.

Cutting her teeth playing in local pubs in the Blue Mountains during her teen years before taking the stage with artists like Shania Twain, Ian Moss and Willie Watson, Imogen has worked relentlessly over the past decade building up her musical chops. She has worked with Mark Lizotte (Diesel), Kasey Chambers and Jim Lauderdale and cites Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) and Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions) amongst her collaborators.

Released in August of last year, Imogen Clark’s The Making Of Me EP garnered widespread acclaim both in Australia and North America. Praised for its raw honesty by fans and critics, the six-track offering showcased Imogen’s powerful vocal and reflective lyrics.

Recorded in LA with producer Mike Bloom (Julian Casablancas, Jenny Lewis) at the helm, The Making Of Me features a star-studded line-up with players from some of the world’s greatest rock bands – from Benmont Tench (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) on keyboard, to Pete Thomas (Elvis Costello and the Attractions) on drums. Local artists Alex Lahey, Clare Bowen, Emma Swift, Anita Lester and more can be found across EP singles ‘Found Me’, ‘My Own Worst Enemy’, ‘The Making Of Me’, and ‘Paper Boat’.

 “NEVER THIS TIME” | WATCH | LISTEN

 “FORGET ABOUT LONDON” | WATCH | LISTEN

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RYANHOOD PREMIERES NEW TRACK “APPY RETURNS” VIA THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION

RYANHOOD PREMIERES NEW TRACK 

“APPY RETURNS” VIA THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION 

  NEW LP UNDER THE LEAVES OUT ON APRIL 16TH 

 Intricate and challenging, Ryan’s acoustic guitarwork creates a steady and solid foundation for Cameron’s lyrics to shine - American Songwriter 

Photo: Ehab Tamimi

LISTEN: “APPY RETURNS”   

Award-winning, Tucson, Arizona-based acoustic duo Ryanhood has unveiled their fiery new single, “Appy Returns,” the second from their forthcoming album, Under The Leaves, set for release on April 16th. “Appy Returns” showcases the pair's serious chops as they set their strings ablaze, paying tribute to the music cultivated in the Appalachian Mountains—with their own Arizona-style, heat-infused spin.  

While most of their repertoire is vocal-led, co-founder Ryan David Green says he was inspired by the fretwork of electric guitar-slingers like Joe Satriani and acoustic legends like Béla Fleck. “I love instrumental music,” Green told The Bluegrass Situation. “I came up with the main theme for this one in a green room, just before a show back in 2016. I continued to tinker with it for years until I realized the main motif had some similarities to another instrumental of ours, ‘Appy Jam,’ which is a staple of our live set. I decided to lean into this resemblance and make it a full-blown sequel, referencing some of the rhythmic motifs and phrasings from the original, but taking the listener on a whole new journey.” 

“Appy Returns” follows the release of lead single “The Fight.” “‘The Fight’ and its intellectualism is a strange though perfectly complementary companion to its mainstream indiepop sensibility,” said American Songwriter of the song. “While the rhythm clutches the primal hunger for melodicism, the subject matter challenges you to reach in deep and ponder what it takes to achieve peace, eventually encircling the truth that change can only come from within.”  

LISTEN // WATCH: “THE FIGHT”  

Named ‘Best Group/Duo’ in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood got their first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. They’ve since gone on to perform more than a thousand shows in 45 U.S. states over the past decade, and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more.  

Their latest album, Under the Leaves, sees the lead guitarist Green stepping into the role of sole producer, weaving a tapestry of lush strings and rich harmonies. The album, like their shows, is driven by strong acoustic guitar performances and is at turns energetic, hopeful, and quietly moving—a musical invitation to breathe, and to soak in a river of melodies and harmonic hooks.  

Hood, the band’s primary lyricist, has waded into those musical rivers with dream-like verses about seeds and forests, breath and wind, and the cycles and seasons that frame our lives. Throughout the album’s songs, a question is asked: How do we create meaningful and lasting change in a world filled with division and turmoil? The offer on Under the Leaves is to slow down and face the one thing we have the power to change - ourselves - as the duo sings on the album’s second track, “the only revolution is the one within.”  

Under The Leaves will be available digitally, as well as on vinyl and CD. The band has also written a companion book, featuring essays and stories behind the songs, expanded artwork, and photography that is also available for purchase. Click HERE to order. 

CONNECT WITH RYANHOOD:   

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ETHAN GOLD PAYS HOMAGE TO LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK ON TWO SINGLES “ALEXANDRIA & ME” AND “IN NEW YORK” OUT TODAY NEW ALBUM EARTH CITY 1: THE LONGING OUT ON 5/14/21

ETHAN GOLD PAYS HOMAGE TO LOS ANGELES AND NEW YORK ON TWO SINGLES “ALEXANDRIA & ME”

AND “IN NEW YORK” OUT TODAY

NEW ALBUM EARTH CITY 1: THE LONGING OUT ON 5/14/21

Photo Credit: Lori Lusk

STREAM/SHARE “ALEXANDRIA & ME”

STREAM/SHARE “IN NEW YORK”  

LOS ANGELES, CA – Los Angeles-based artist/producer/composer Ethan Gold released two singles today, “Alexandria & Me” and “In New York,” a yin/yang much like the cities they represent. The A-side “Alexandria & Me” is a 90s-inspired guitar driven ode to the City of Angels, while the aptly titled “In New York” is a Sinatra/Waits-ish piano ballad about the Big Apple. 

“Alexandria & Me” is about the thrill of chasing ghosts of pre-gentrification downtown L.A. through a haunted hotel while hearing echoes of ancient Egypt. “Set in a decaying old Los Angeles hotel, this song comes from the exhilaration and terror of disturbing the dead layers of the past,” explains Ethan. “That longing in us to find magic in a city, and the longing of its ghosts calling back to us.”

“In New York” reaches out with romance and nostalgia to a vanished lover or the splendour and struggle of life in New York City itself, “a late-night ode to love in the great city, in the quiet of winter and in the heat of summer.”

The songs will be included on Earth City 1: The Longing (out May 14, 2021), the first in a trilogy of a multipart album about the loneliness of cities, our search for connection with others, and ultimately with the degraded natural world.

The idea for the trilogy came to Ethan after a life changing experience. While working on a film score in New York, Ethan suffered a head injury in a freak accident. Following the accident, Ethan lost his ability to speak and do complex tasks like sound engineering – all of which he had to relearn. Last year, he spoke about the experience with GQ Magazine (South Africa) for an article about the power of meditation and mindfulness that has guided him through his recovery and to today.

ABOUT ETHAN GOLD: Ethan Gold first stepped into public consciousness when he produced and arranged Elvis Perkins’ blog-hyped stunner Ash Wednesday. While moonlighting as bass player and resident musician in his brother Ari’s celebrity-driven folk party band the Honey Brothers, with Entourage star Adrian Grenier on drums, and also scoring his twin’s debut film Adventures of Power, Ethan continued honing his intensely sensitive music, eventually self-releasing his debut art rock album Songs From A Toxic Apartment to underground acclaim (“Emotions delivered with an unfiltered, glaring legibility”- Pitchfork). He then began rolling out a series of videos from the album showcasing his visceral approach, which eventually led him to side work as a video director. Other recent film scores include “The Song of Sway Lake” and 2019s “Don’t Let Go”.

Single “Alexandria & Me” OUT NOW

Single “In New York” OUT NOW

Earth City 1: The Longing COMING 5/14/21

KEEP UP WITH ETHAN GOLD

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DESTROY BOYS RELEASE THEIR SNARLING NEW SINGLE “MUZZLE” AN ANTHEM FOR THE UNSEEN + ANNOUNCE SIGNING TO HOPELESS RECORDS

DESTROY BOYS  RELEASE THEIR SNARLING 

NEW SINGLE “MUZZLE” AN ANTHEM FOR THE UNSEEN + 

ANNOUNCE SIGNING TO HOPELESS RECORDS

"Channeling the spirit of anarchic American garage rock and melodic sensibilities of classic Bay Area punk into short snarling songs, Sacramento’s Destroy Boys whip up noise that is truly timeless.” - Rock Sound

“The band’s sardonic, biting tunes are a perfect blend of political subterfuge, headbang-able rhythms, and the overall catharsis of unrestrained self-expression. It’s scratchy punk that reminds listeners that it doesn’t really matter how technically sound you are, although Destroy Boys certainly have that covered as well, it’s about the passion, dammit.” - V13

“Destroy Boys have earned high-profile fans like Billie Joe Armstrong all before graduating from high school.” - UPROXX

“If Destroy Boys are showing us a current direction punk is going in, maybe we should let them lead us there.”  - If it’s Too Loud

LISTEN TO “MUZZLE”: HERE

The San Francisco Bay Area’s Destroy Boys are excited to announce the release of their hard-hitting compact new single “Muzzle,” out today through their new label partner Hopeless Records.

Destroy Boys are a three-piece band founded by Violet Mayugba (guitar/vocals) and Alexia Roditis (vocals/guitar). Rounded out by drummer Narsai Malik they have been redefining West Coast punk, making waves from the California shoreline to the UK, sharing stages with up and coming bands like Mannequin Pussy as well as punk stalwarts such as Face To Face and Lagwagon. They’ve also racked up over 40 million streams, with the numbers ticking upward every day without fail. Their visceral personal tales of scene bullies, elitist cliques, betrayal, and unrequited love have won over the hearts and ears of eager listeners ranging from the fervent teens who pack out their shows to Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong (see his mention in the Rolling Stone cover story HERE via Instagram HERE).  

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

Having gotten their start playing shows and touring while they were in high school, they’ve seen and dealt with the same issues many teenagers face in a world run by adults: Being talked down to, brushed off, ignored, taken for granted, pre-judged - if they are even seen at all.  These experiences channel directly into their music and that authenticity is one of the main reasons for their rapid rise. Now in their early 20’s, their experiences are no less fraught with similar hurdles. The new single “Muzzle,” is a blistering track exploding with aggression and energy, produced by Martin Cooke (Death Cab For Cutie, Of Monsters And Men, and producer of Destroy Boys last LP Make Room). The song tackles feelings of being seen as disposable and subhuman, feeling out of control and taking your power back. It's an anthem for the unseen, written by Mayugba, and inspired by a toxic relationship where she was mistreated by a man she was in a relationship with. With “Muzzle” Mayugba also takes her first role as lead vocalist, seething out the lyrics  "You don’t know me / You don’t see me / You think I’m trash and you think I’m mean / I am not your fucking mannequin / Clothes pin call up your weekend sin / I am not your Polly Pocket girl /Chucking me in your donate bin."

The band is thrilled that “Muzzle” is their first release with Hopeless, a label whose diversity and particularly the number of women on staff, is something that really appealed to them.  “It’s important to have women, and queer people, people of color, and differently-abled people in all aspects of the music industry, to have that support. Now we’re able to have more of a say in who we work with, and when you have that kind of control, you should do good with it,” says Roditis.  “We’re really excited to be in a place where we can create the album we want to create,” she continues. ”They took our project very personally; they were really excited about us, and they don’t seem to want to infringe on what we have. They want us to maintain our own vision.” 

 "We are so excited to be working with Destroy Boys,” says Hopeless Records Vice President of Marketing Erin Choi. “They're incredibly talented and have such a powerful vision for who they are as a band. They inspire us as people, creatively, and through their passion for social justice. We think they're a great fit for the Hopeless roster."

“Muzzle” is just a taste of what’s to come. The band is working on a new album with Will Yip (Quicksand, The Menzingers, Mannequin Pussy), a producer they highly admire and respect. As for touring, after a 2020 that promised tours with Against Me! and Vundabar, as well as a slot on the Sad Summer Festival, the band’s live trajectory was momentarily checked by the pandemic. But as hopes for future touring grow stronger the group are excited about finally getting back out in front of people, both in the US and abroad.

KEEP UP WITH DESTROY BOYS :

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CHELSEA LOVITT UNVEILS NEW VIDEO “STATE OF DENIAL”

CHELSEA LOVITT RELEASES NEW VIDEO “STATE OF DENIAL”

NASHVILLE RESIDENCY BEGINS IN MARCH

WATCH: “STATE OF DENIAL”

Today, Nashville-based artist Chelsea Lovitt releases her brand new video, “State Of Denial.” Directed by Joshua Shoemaker (Marcus King Band, Nicole Atkins, Vanessa Carlton, and more), the video features Lovitt driving around Nashville delivering flowers. “I had a flower delivery gig on Valentine's Day last year and figured it would be an appropriate setting and easy props to shoot a video for ‘State Of Denial’ in my van, as it's a song about being apart and in love and folks always on the road,” she explains. “I envisioned a sad flower delivery girl making other people happy, apart from her lover and that was a true story. I didn't care because I was about to sell my van and open for Wayne Hancock the next day, and had a record release coming up.” Little did she know, a few weeks later, the world completely shut down—her plans, like so many others’, all canceled. 

The track is featured on her latest album, You Had Your Cake, So Lie In It. “I wrote this song on a harmonica in a field in Delaware the month before going in the studio,” Lovitt recalls of “State Of Denial.” “It was five in the morning and I’d been listening to Dylan. I had ambitions and ideas for this record to be influenced by Blonde on Blonde of course, and since we were doing it on tape and in Nashville I’d been listening to that and Nashville Skyline obsessively. I wrote this when I was in love, after not ever really being in it. It examines psychological issues that maybe stem from being from Mississippi because for some reason we’re prone to be emotional hoarders and it’s hard to ‘sift through that pile’ when it comes to letting go and living in the moment or especially being in love,” she continues. 

“The song reflects on what wasn’t love and what is and why sometimes it’s a bittersweet ‘can’t be,’ because distance and/or your own neuroses get in the way. And it's kind of like the predicament we have on Valentine’s this year when we have to socially distance ourselves and a lot of lovers can't be together. And maybe this year has been a soul-distancing that folks like me have actually needed to figure out and ‘sift through’ our own internal crap and be better people,” she explains. “When else could we have done that in this fast paced world? It's also been a test of what it means to really love somebody, especially when you can't physically be with them.” 

For Lovitt, the multifaceted music of the South is her inspiration. She is immersed in the traditions of country, soul, rock ‘n’ roll, and bluegrass, and her bona fides on guitar and fiddle match her vocal chops, which go from pure honky-tonk to rockabilly to folk and rock ‘n’ roll.

Those contradictions drive Lovitt’s debut album You Had Your Cake, So Lie in It, recorded in Nashville with producer Andrija Tokic at his analog wonderland The Bomb Shelter. It’s an inspired collection of various, mostly Southern musical approaches. It’s also, in subtle and personal ways, a political record that questions America’s obsession with material wealth, toxic relationships between men and women, and explores the way the Trump era corroded values and isolated human beings. You Had Your Cake, So Lie in It is also about tradition and family, and the vagaries of human identity. Her music is complex, full of contradictions, honoring the mystery of the Southern tradition.

Lovitt will perform in The Boot’s Live & Socially Distant series on Sunday, February 14th at 4:00pm CST, streaming live via Facebook and Instagram. She will also begin a month-long residency at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge on Tuesday nights in March, featuring special guests each week. Be sure to follow her via the links below for more details.

CONNECT WITH CHELSEA LOVITT:  

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MELISSA CARPER RELEASES NEW SINGLE “I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU” & VIDEO PREMIERES VIA WESTERN AF

MELISSA CARPER RELEASES NEW SINGLE 

“I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU”

VIDEO PREMIERES VIA WESTERN AF

 NEW LP DADDY’S COUNTRY GOLD OUT ON MARCH 19

Singer-bassist Melissa Carper sounds like a voice from a bygone era...Evoking the cool, smoky croon of a lounge singer, Carper gives some winking commentary about having a good time. - Rolling Stone Country

Daddy’s County Gold stays light on its feet, and Carper sings with ease...Carper is a first-rate songwriter, as her new music demonstrates. - Nashville Scene

Captivating and authentic vintage country - Glide Magazine

As a dish cooked up with the spice of many talented hands, there rightfully should be a line out the door to sample this new album by Melissa Carper…it’ll meet all your expectations for a classic country music with a dose of carefree humor.  -  Americana Highways

Melissa Carper is a talented singer-songwriter and upright bass player who is worth our intention - Americana-UK

There’s something so absolutely refreshing about straightforward, old-fashioned playing. An homage at points, but very much of Carper’s sound…the right amount of rascally sweetness of a country night out. - Country Queer

Photo: Aisha Golliher

 WATCH // LISTEN: “I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT YOU”

Singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has released her latest single “I Almost Forgot About You,” a track from her forthcoming album Daddy’s Country Gold, set for release on March 19th. 

“The idea for 'I Almost Forgot About You' came from a weekend in which I had a very good time and had managed to forget about a love interest that I had been obsessing about,” Carper explains of the song. "When I got back home that phrase came to me, 'I Almost Forgot About You' and I realized I had a song there.  I just kind of tied in the various lost loves of my life to come up with the rest.  It came to me that way and in fact this entire song had a nice easy flow with the way it all came.  I like it when that happens, feels like you are getting help from the universe.”  “I Almost Forgot About You” follows lead single “Makin’ Memories.”

 WATCH // LISTEN: “MAKIN’ MEMORIES”

Carper’s refreshingly unique style calls to mind greats like Kitty Wells, Billie Holiday, and Loretta Lynn, beautifully conveyed in the grooves of the album’s 12 sparkling gems. Carper enlisted fellow bassist Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) and producer/engineer Andrija Tokic (Alabama Shakes, Margo Price) to co-produce the album and bring her dream to life. Recorded live to tape at Tokic’s analog studio wonderland The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, the album features Crouch (bass), Chris Scruggs (guitar, steel guitar), Jeff Taylor (piano, organ, accordion), Matty Meyer (drums, percussion), Billy Contreras (fiddle), with guest appearances from Brennen Leigh, Sierra Ferrell, and legendary pedal steel maestro Lloyd Green.

 As a child, Carper, who acquired the nickname “Daddy” years ago from her bandmates for always knowing how to “take care of ‘bidness’,” would lay her head underneath the family record player as she listened to Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, and other greats from her parents’ collection. After a childhood spent in her family’s country band, Carper attended the University of Nebraska on a music scholarship, spending much of her time in the library devouring every Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole album she could find. Around this time, Carper’s father gifted her a full collection of Jimmie Rodgers’ recordings, which was a pivotal moment in finding her unique style of songcraft. 

 The wayfaring Carper soon found herself in the historic town of Eureka Springs, Arkansas, where she saw street performers for the first time. Busking seemed a very free and appealing endeavor, so Carper diligently learned all the old country songs she loved as a child. She soon relocated to music hubs like New Orleans, New York City, Austin, and eventually Nashville, oftentimes busking to make ends meet until gigs would come along. On the way, she founded award-winning bands like power trio The Carper Family, playing festivals and gigs across the globe, and on shows like “A Prairie Home Companion.” Carper also holds a spot in award-winning Arkansas foursome Sad Daddy, and founded roots duo Buffalo Gals with Sad Daddy bandmate and girlfriend Rebecca Patek.

 Her forthcoming solo record Daddy’s Country Gold is just that - 12 glittering Carper originals of the country, western swing, and jazz variety. From the first notes of album opener “Makin’ Memories,” to the whimsical “Would You Like To Get Some Goats,” and the heart-wrenching tenderness of album closer “The Stars Are Aligned,” this lifetime of work, experience, and wanderlust culminates in a beautiful portrait of heartfelt music, written by a road-lovin’ gal who has lived these songs and spent her life playing music for folks that still love the real thing.

 Be sure to catch Melissa Carper perform live on Facebook every Monday night at 6:00 pm CST, which is streamed HERE.

CONNECT WITH MELISSA CARPER:  

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RYANHOOD RELEASES SINGLE “THE FIGHT” & ANNOUNCES NEW LP "UNDER THE LEAVES" OUT ON APRIL 16TH

TUCSON ACOUSTIC DUO RYANHOOD TO RELEASE NEW LP

UNDER THE LEAVES ON APRIL 16TH

FIRST SINGLE “THE FIGHT” OUT EVERYWHERE TODAY

“THE FIGHT”

 SPOTIFY // SOUNDCLOUD

Award-winning Tucson, Arizona-based duo Ryanhood is thrilled to announce their latest album, Under The Leaves, set for release on April 16th. American Songwriter announced the upcoming LP with the premiere of lead single “The Fight.”

“The more we fight, the more we invigorate the thing we’re fighting against. And without knowing it, the more we as people eventually become the kind of thing we’re fighting against,” Ryanhood vocalist and lyricist Cameron Hood told American Songwriter about the song’s premise of cultural scapegoating. “It’s not about telling another person or group how they should be processing their fears or hurts differently,” he continues. “It’s about noticing how you do it. It has to start with you… with me.” Hood drew inspiration from the likes of French historian René Girard and Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek, Martin Luther King, Jr., and even Psalm 46. The message is intelligent but never pretentious, and shines against the backdrop of bandmate Ryan David Green’s intricate guitar work and arrangement. 

“‘The Fight’ and its intellectualism is a strange though perfectly complementary companion to its mainstream indiepop sensibility,” says American Songwriter. “While the rhythm clutches the primal hunger for melodicism, the subject matter challenges you to reach in deep and ponder what it takes to achieve peace, eventually encircling the truth that change can only come from within.”

Named ‘Best Group/Duo’ in the 2014 International Acoustic Music Awards, Ryanhood got their first break more than a decade ago as street-performers at Boston’s Quincy Market. They’ve since gone on to perform more than a thousand shows in 45 U.S. states over the past decade, and have shared stages with Jason Mraz, Matt Nathanson, Train, and many more. 

Their latest album, Under the Leaves, sees the lead guitarist Green stepping into the role of sole producer, weaving a tapestry of lush strings and rich harmonies. The album, like their shows, is driven by strong acoustic guitar performances and is at turns energetic, hopeful, and quietly moving—a musical invitation to breathe, and to soak in a river of melodies and harmonic hooks. 

Hood, the band’s primary lyricist, has waded into those musical rivers with dream-like verses about seeds and forests, breath and wind, and the cycles and seasons that frame our lives. Throughout the album’s songs, a question is asked: How do we create meaningful and lasting change in a world filled with division and turmoil? The offer on Under the Leaves is to slow down and face the one thing we have the power to change - ourselves - as the duo sings on the album’s second track, “the only revolution is the one within.” 

Under The Leaves will be available digitally, as well as on vinyl and CD. The band has also written a companion book, featuring essays and stories behind the songs, expanded artwork, and photography that is also available for purchase. Click HERE to order.

UNDER THE LEAVES TRACKLIST

UNDER THE LEAVES

THE FIGHT

SEEING IN THE DARK

I DIDN’T HAVE THE CHANCE

APPY RETURNS

GONE BEFORE I GO

NOT ALONE

WIDE AWAKE IN A DREAM

RUINS

MORNING BREAKING 

CONNECT WITH RYANHOOD:  

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