SAD DADDY PREMIERES NEW SINGLE “COLD RAIN” VIA HOLLER

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Photo by Annemarie Sundell

LISTEN: “COLD RAIN”  

Arkansas/Texas four-piece roots powerhouse Sad Daddy has released “Cold Rain,” the latest track from their forthcoming LP, Way Up In The Hills, due out on January 28th. “As soon as you hear it, it makes sense that 'Cold Rain' was recorded in a studio out in the wilds of the Arkansas woods, looking out on a lake, breathing in the overwhelming depth and vastness of the American landscape,” says Holler. in their premiere. “'Cold Rain' blends [Joe] Sundell's scratchy box-banjo sound with Rebecca Patek's yearning fiddle in this simple and strangely uplifting song for simpler times that sounds like the soundtrack to the pre-apocalypse.” 

"I thought about the loss of control we were all going through, both as individuals and as a society, and how it made some of us feel like the walls were closing in,” bandmember Joe Sundell tools Holler. of the song’s inspiration. "In trying to come up with some imagery that depicted that in some form, I imagined the last two verses – first a guy whose life is turned upside down and finds himself in a hole at the bottom of a lake, and then the idea that if things keep progressing the way they are, we all have to jump into this new reality and learn to swim." 

“Cold Rain” follows lead single “Charlie Pickle,” about an old-timer who just wants to dance and doesn’t care what others think about it, and its accompanying hilariously heartwarming video made of band- and fan-sourced footage.  

LISTEN // WATCH: “CHARLIE PICKLE” 

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

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

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

With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging rejuvenated with Way Up in the Hills. With a more down-home and old-timey feel than their previous albums, they all stretched themselves a bit to create a common theme and new songs together. Unique to Sad Daddy, all of the members sing lead and write original tunes--the convergence of influences and interpretation of feeling into sound is a stylistic blend of the very best elements of American Roots Music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz, and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, soul, and funk, they combine many influences, creating an indefinable genre of their own.   

THE SULLY BAND RELEASES NEW SINGLE “WHEN THE BATTLE IS OVER (ft. REBECCA JADE)”

DEBUT LP LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT!   SET FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 11TH  
VIA BELLY UP RECORDS 

Photo by Steve Sherman

LISTEN: “WHEN THE BATTLE IS OVER (ft. REBECCA JADE)” 

Today, San Diego 10-piece powerhouse The Sully Band has unveiled their new single “When The Battle Is Over.” This hidden Dr. John-penned gem was originally recorded as a one-sided boast by Delaney & Bonnie, and later by Aretha Franklin. The Sully Band gives the song a fun and funky update, flipping the tune into a rollicking duet between Sully and the soulful Rebecca Jade (Sheila E., Elton John, Dave Koz). “When The Battle Is Over” is from The Sully Band’s debut LP, Let’s Straighten It Out!, set for release on March 11th via Belly Up Records/Blue Élan Records. “This song was a howl to perform in such an iconic studio setting with the equally inimitable Rebecca Jade, one of the true talents of our time,” says frontman Bob “Sully” Sullivan. 

Let’s Straighten It Out! was conceived in the hallowed halls of Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California (formerly A&M Studios). With it, Sully and his bluesy, nine-piece beast of a band take us on a journey through the ups, downs, and all-arounds of love by way of 10 classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul, blues, and R&B tunes.  

The album was recorded in only five jam-packed days, with “mostly-live” versions of carefully curated love-themed songs that made a mark when they were originally released and yet also feel relevant today. Sully’s soulful, heartfelt vocals cut across layers of horns and guitars that take the listener on an emotional arc of joy, disappointment, struggle, and redemption. 

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Head Todd) provided the musical curation that makes up Let’s Straighten It Out!. Anchored by Grammy Award-winning slayer of the bass, James East (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and many others), The Sully Band is composed of seasoned, accomplished players who hail from diverse locales like Japan, Panama, and the island of Lemon Grove. The horn section features sax-flute-harp-man Tripp Sprague (Kenny Loggins, The Little River Band, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and trumpet and flugelhorn player Steve Dillard (The Righteous Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd). 

Sully caught the music bug at age six after picking up a nylon-string guitar and playing the first few chords of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” with his dad. In high school, the barrel-chested, all-American football player rocked out to Boston and Foreigner with his buddies, starred in every show-tune-laden musical theatre production through college, and ended each day with James Brown or Stevie Wonder on his Pioneer receiver.   

In his 20’s, after pounding the unforgiving Los Angeles pavement trying to cut a record deal, he embarked on a 35-year detour, traveling a storied path from Price Club cashier to self-made entrepreneur and national radio/TV personality, ultimately finding his way back to his first true love: music.  

Now, after years away from the stage, he is back in full force. He and the band have been playing regional and national shows to small but mighty crowds, from Southern California’s legendary Belly Up Tavern to Austin’s illustrious Antone’s Nightclub, making his mark as a compelling musician and live performer ready to “Straighten it Out.” 

UPCOMING SHOWS: 
1/20 - The Mint - Los Angeles, CA 
3/17 - Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA 

ABOUT BELLY UP RECORDS 

Belly Up Records is the recording component of the legendary Belly Up concert venue, located in Solana Beach, California. Opened in 1974 with only a couple of mics and no stage, it soon became a frequent stop for legends like John Lee Hooker, Etta James, and BB King and hosted classic performances by Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, The Neville Brothers, and Toots and The Maytals. Since then, many artists have stopped by on their way up the ladder, including No Doubt, Black Eyed Peas, Mumford and Sons, and Childish Gambino, while artist underplays at the venue in recent years include The Killers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, Ben Harper, Damian Marley, and even Tom Jones. And, perhaps most famously, the Rolling Stones played a private event in 2015. With over 100 live recordings in the Belly Up catalogue, The Sully Band’s Let’s Straighten It Out! is the label’s first studio release. 

ABOUT BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS 

At Blue Élan Records it’s about the Music, it’s about the Artist, it’s about Collaboration. Blue Élan Records is a young and fresh independent label headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 2014 by veteran entertainment attorney and music lover Kirk Pasich, his son and musician Connor Pasich, and an experienced label team, Blue Élan believes in doing things differently.  

Blue Élan is the happy home of more than 20 artists, including 2-time Grammy® winner Rita Coolidge, the late Rusty Young, Soul Asylum, Grammy® nominated Colin Devlin (The Devlins), Gerry Beckley (America), outlaw country's Jesse Dayton, LA’s own Ozomatli, and self-assured newcomers like Chelsea Williams and Rod Melancon, who contribute to a full house of exciting and diverse talent across all genres. Blue Élan embraces a self-starting ingenuity and offers our artists a creative and nurturing music haven where they can continue to grow and flourish.  

CONNECT WITH THE SULLY BAND: 

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY 

WILD HEART CLUB RELEASES NEW VIDEO “RAINBOW”

WILD HEART CLUB PREMIERES NEW VIDEO “RAINBOW” VIA AUDIOFEMME

DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU OUT NOW

“Castro continues to walk a path that is deeply honest, living fully in her truth as she works to pass on the core message embedded into her music: it gets better.” - Audiofemme 

Photo: Anna Haas

WATCH: “RAINBOW” 

Today, Nashville-based dream-pop outfit Wild Heart Club has released a video for “Rainbow,” a track from their debut LP, Arcade Back In Manitou, which came out November 12th. 

“In Japanese culture, there’s a special method of repairing a broken object. Known as Kintsugi, the art form uses lacquer mixed with gold to not only mend broken pottery, but celebrate its imperfections, incorporating the broken pieces into the object’s history,” says Audiofemme in the video’s premiere. “The art from continuously revealed itself to Kristen Castro – singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist behind Wild Heart Club – while in the writing process for her new album...But before she could walk the path to her destiny, she had to embrace her own brokenness.”

Castro created Arcade Back In Manitou to help her process the aftermath of a difficult breakup, though she penned the track when she and her ex-girlfriend had just begun dating. “When you’re young and in love, you’re looking for any sign to tell you you’re on the right path. I saw so much magic in that moment and in that person, and looking at myself now, even though I miss her, I feel like all my favorite parts of her are part of me now,” Castro told Audiofemme. “I love when the sky is crying and all of a sudden you get a rainbow. For some reason, I felt like that sky, and I was like, ‘I deserve a rainbow. Is she my rainbow?’ I’ve had a lot of sadness in my life, so it’s just looking for signs.”

In the live acoustic video, Castro stands on a beautiful California beach with just an acoustic guitar and the sound of the waves to accompany her gentle voice, baring her soul as she sings, “Break down like a waterfall/When your tears dry there’s a rainbow/Lost in love, lose yourself/When your tears dry there’s a rainbow.”

LISTEN: ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU 

WATCH: “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, her early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. Castro’s latest project, Wild Heart Club, builds off the hybrid style of her solo work, evolving her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. The synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscapes are laced with Castro’s breezy, candied vocals: think Sigur Rós meets Heart. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment. 

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness. This is music for them, as always.” Arcade Back in Manitou was written, recorded, and produced primarily by Castro herself. 

She started writing the songs that would become Arcade Back in Manitou while recovering from heartache after a particularly difficult breakup. The album is an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy songs with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen. There’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation throughout, and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore. 

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”         

SAD DADDY RELEASES HILARIOUSLY HEARTWARMING VIDEO FOR "CHARLIE PICKLE"

SAD DADDY’S NEW VIDEO “CHARLIE PICKLE” PREMIERES VIA TWANGVILLE

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

Photo: Annemarie Sundell

WATCH: “CHARLIE PICKLE”

 Arkansas/Texas four-piece roots powerhouse Sad Daddy has unveiled their hilariously heartwarming new video for “Charlie Pickle,” the lead single from their forthcoming LP, Way Up In The Hills, due out on January 28th. “It’s about an old-timer who just doesn’t care what other people think and is frequently spurred to dance,” says Twangville in the video’s premiere. “It always reminded the band how friends and fans dance at shows. Fiddler Rebecca Patek came up with the idea of having friends send clips of themselves dancing, and as luck would have it Halloween was upon them. The clips were edited together to create the video for Charlie Pickle...If this doesn’t leave you with a smile, you need some serious therapy.”

LISTEN: “CHARLIE PICKLE”

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

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

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

 With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging rejuvenated with Way Up in the Hills. With a more down-home and old-timey feel than their previous albums, they all stretched themselves a bit to create a common theme and new songs together. Unique to Sad Daddy, all of the members sing lead and write original tunes--the convergence of influences and interpretation of feeling into sound is a stylistic blend of the very best elements of American Roots Music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz, and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, soul, and funk, they combine many influences, creating an indefinable genre of their own.  

INTRODUCING: JESSE CORRELL

NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “AN ICY COLD”  PREMIERES VIA POPWRAPPED 

INNER SHIBORI LP DUE OUT FEBRUARY 11TH

LISTEN // WATCH: “AN ICY COLD” 

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Jesse Correll has announced his forthcoming LP Inner Shibori, out on February 11, 2022, with the release of the album’s lead single and video, “An Icy Cold.” “I remember sitting in the waiting room at a doctor’s office and the opening line – ‘Seaweed, ‘round my ankle, a cork-screwed tentacle’ – scrolled through my mind. I wrote it pretty quickly in an attempt to describe cycles of resentment and misunderstanding that were tearing my relationship apart. A relationship that, at that time, I thought was fine,” Correll told PopWrapped, who called the track a “lyrical oceanic dreamscape, one that became a metaphor for Correll’s subconscious becoming aware of a troubling situation before his mind or body did.”

The track’s accompanying video was directed, filmed, and edited by Anana Kaye and Irakli Gabriel of Duende Vision Productions, and choreographed by Rebecca Steinberg, in collaboration with the featured dancers. “The song is about destructive cycles that can happen in relationships; when I was working with the Anana, Irakli, and Rebecca, the question came up early on regarding whom we should cast: one couple? Male/Female? Did it matter? The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to be clear that this song is about love, and what happens in all relationships,” Correll continued. “The song took on a deeper meaning for me – making it more clearly about what we can take from any one relationship to the next.”

~ 

Shibori is a traditional Japanese resist-dyeing technique wherein a pattern is made by binding, folding, or compressing a natural fabric, dyeing it, and then releasing the bind and pressure to reveal its pattern. When the fabric is returned to its flat form after dyeing, the design that emerges is the result of the bound and tied three-dimensional shape. The cloth sensitively records both the form and the pressure; the “memory” of the tied shape remains imprinted in the cloth. 

“The technique spoke to me. We endure a lifelong process of unfolding, unbinding, unstitching, and unblocking. Little by little, we see that what we thought were stains, are intricate patterns; the design of unseen hands,” Correll shares. He explores this parable on his latest album, Inner Shibori, a timeless and elegantly expressive record that feels like a singer-songwriter album draped in torch-song finery.  

Inner Shibori, produced by Correll and Anne McCue, is his fourth record since 1994, and his second release after a 15-year hiatus from music. Oozing luxury and longing, the album brims with sophisticated and tastefully sentimental songs, its smooth musicianship recalls the lonely balladeering of Frank Sinatra and Chet Baker – the type of recordings made at Capitol Studios in Hollywood during the 1950s and 1960s. The songs are also interwoven with threads of Americana, R&B, soul, and folk, recalling contemporary artists such as Ray LaMontagne, Jacob Collier, and Madison Cunningham.  

Correll’s last release, 2015’s Held Momentarily, was an intimately soulful bedroom production that captured the joys of romantic and personal reclamation – this included a new love relationship and returning to music. A Berklee graduate and a lifelong musician, Correll was based in New York, then followed his muse to Music City, where he blossomed as a songwriter, a member of the Nashville music community, and a popular podcaster. In parallel, Correll and his lady were two marriage-resistant lovers that decided to do the thing, but unfortunately, their seven-year union unraveled in under a year of marriage.  

What seemed and felt like a bottom became a turning point of self-reflection, acceptance, and even a love rebirth. This journey became an inner Shibori experience for him, and he processes it on his album.  “It was like a breakup with my former self. I had been running from old stuff – like early abandonment – and I needed to address them to move on. There is definitely a story of the greatest love ever followed by the worst pain ever,” he says.  

Reflective, redemptive, and triumphant, Inner Shibori simmers with classic R&B, heavenly harmonies, and jazz-tinged soul-pop. “This album felt like a homecoming,” Correll explains. Rebirth, the record I made at the end of my Berklee years, hinted at my musical identity. I can see now that I got lost for a while, and struggled to find my way back. Held Momentarily was a turning point. I needed all of those years of being lost to be able to fully express myself as a musician; as a human being. Making this record, and finding my home in the Nashville music community, has been a peak experience that I will never forget.” 

INNER SHIBORI TRACKLIST
Go Deeper 
One More Time
 Begin Again, Again 
Life
An Icy Cold 
Backyard Thursday 
Fetch The Water 
Inner Shibori 
I’ll Just Keep Tryin’ 
Dusty Sweetness
Hope Like Adrenaline 
Slow Accepting 
Worst Of Both Worlds 

CONNECT WITH JESSE CORRELL:

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

BRIAN MACKEY ANNOUNCES FORTHCOMING LP GOOD MORNING IRELAND

 NEW SINGLE “MY ONLY FRIEND” OUT TODAY

LISTEN: “MY ONLY FRIEND”

 Singer/songwriter Brian Mackey has announced his forthcoming LP, Good Morning Ireland, with the release of a new single, “My Only Friend.” During a routine soundcheck before a show at The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville, a sound emerged from the right side of the stage, a happy ditty from Mackey’s friend and guitar lord, Jeff King (Brooks & Dunn, Reba McIntyre).  

“I was so happy to have a show that wasn’t 2500 miles away from home for once, and I was happy to be playing somewhere with him because he’s one of those people that has the natural ability to make you breathless with laughter,” Mackey recalls. “Jeff started playing, and we were looking at the line forming outside the front window.  I declared, ‘It’s good to be here again, I hope this feeling never ends, so great that you’re around me now.’ It was a true statement, and so the song was written.” 

The track also features Jeff King's wife, Tammy King, a singer/songwriter and fiddler (Steeldrivers, Chris Stapleton), along with his daughter Delana King, who added her beautiful, sweet-and-no-pretense-style harmonies. 

“My Only Friend” follows Mackey’s powerful single "Saturday Night Sleeping," released in May 2021,  Mental Health Awareness month. The song was about his son who lost his life to opioid addiction in 2018. Mackey partnered with The Recording Academy’s nonprofit MusiCaresⓇ to donate the proceeds from the single towards treating substance abuse. Both songs appear on Good Morning Ireland, to be released in Spring 2022.

LISTEN: “SATURDAY NIGHT SLEEPING” 

Brian Mackey voices what often goes unsaid with warmth and vulnerability that is reminiscent yet new. He's often been told that he has a sound that combines a healthy balance of folk, pop, rock, and Americana, drawing comparisons to artists like the late Jim Croce. Originally from the northern Florida panhandle, he was raised on a diet of 90s alt-rock and 70s folk music.  

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Mackey released his single "Keep the World Alive," written and recorded remotely as an anthem for 2020 and how the world as we knew it has changed - simultaneously with the loss of his brother. 

Mackey recorded his forthcoming album Good Morning Ireland, his second full-length effort, at Sony Tree Studios in Nashville. A writing project during 2019-20 with his friend Jeff King (Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire) sparked several tracks, including standouts “My Only Friend” and “Saturday Night Sleeping.” 

In 2018 and 2019, Mackey toured with Kate Voegele and Tyler Hilton on their joint European tour and on Hilton’s solo tour, with Howie Day, and American Idol winner Taylor Hicks. The tours supported a collection of singles, "Promise Me," "Don't Own Much," "Underwater," and "Learn To Be," produced in Los Angeles by Jon Levine (Rachel Platten, Andy Grammer). "Learn To Be" charted #1 Most-Added for three weeks in a row, tied with John Mayer on the US FMQB A/C Charts. During this timeframe, he also toured with David Bromberg in the US, with Ron Pope in Europe, and Jon McLaughlin for select dates.  

In 2015, he released his first full-length album Broken Heartstrings, a very personal collection of pop-infused American folk-rock, spurred by loss and then renewal, signifying a new beginning for Mackey. He assembled a talented team: producer Sam Ashworth, engineer Richie Biggs (Tom Petty, The Civil Wars), bassist Mark Hill (Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban), and guitarist Jeff King (Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntyre). 

Broken Heartstrings yielded his hit single, “Are You Listening,” which, after being featured on YouTube by gamer Gronkh about the PlayStation 4 game “Until Dawn,” became a runaway hit in Germany. The song peaked at #8 on the A/C Radio Charts in the US, charted top 25 on German iTunes, was on the ‘100 Most Sold’ chart on Amazon Germany, had over 400k streams on Spotify, and resulted in sold-out shows throughout the country. Be sure to follow Brian Mackey at the links below for updates and the latest news.

UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
5/7 - The Peacock Performing Arts Center - Hayesville, NC

CONNECT WITH BRIAN MACKEY:   

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

SAD DADDY RELEASES SINGLE “CHARLIE PICKLE”

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

LISTEN: “CHARLIE PICKLE”  

Today, with the release of lead single “Charlie Pickle,” roots powerhouse Sad Daddy announces their forthcoming LP, Way Up In The Hills, due out on January 28th. “It's about a conceptualized character, an ol’ timer named Charlie Pickle,” says Sad Daddy’s Brian Martin. “Charlie’s a man who’s lived it all, seen it all, and done it all. He’s not interested in fitting in or impressing anyone. He just wants to cut loose on a dance floor and let the music take him wherever it’s going to take him.” 

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

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

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

With a long and dedicated history of making their audiences happy, Sad Daddy is emerging rejuvenated with Way Up in the Hills.  With a more down-home and old-timey feel than their previous albums, they all stretched themselves a bit to create a common theme and new songs together. Unique to Sad Daddy, all of the members sing lead and write original tunes--the convergence of influences and interpretation of feeling into sound is a stylistic blend of the very best elements of American Roots Music. From the sounds of early blues, jazz, and jug bands to early country, folk, old-time, bluegrass, soul, and funk, they combine many influences, creating an indefinable genre of their own.   

WAY UP IN THE HILLS TRACK LIST 

Arkansas Bound  
Bacon  
 Big River  
Live Real Lean 
Cold Rain  
Charlie Pickle  
 Hangin' Them Clothes on the Line  
Make it Roll  
Up in the Hills  
Sunday Evening 
Back in Arkansas  
Poor Man's Son  
Wild Road 
Arkansas Bound Reprise 

LOS ANGELES SINGER-SONGWRITER TEDDY GROSSMAN RELEASES HIS LATEST SINGLE “READY”

“With its lyrics about opening up to someone and letting the walls come down in order to give love and receive love, the song has a throwback soul sound that is sunny and hopeful. Drawing on the 60s and 70s R&B and soul music, the song carries a deep groove and sensuality. It’s also a wonderful showcase for Grossman’s silky smooth vocals."
 - Glide Magazine

“The L.A.-based singer/songwriter creates soulful music with melodies that linger in listeners’ minds. “- American Songwriter

“Teddy Grossman...takes inspiration from the heartland folk feel of Neil Young’s Harvest for an intimate look at Grossman’s joy in finally feeling settled after a cross-country move.” - UPROXX

"Sprinkled with horns and fuzzy Big Muff tones, “Out Of Thin Air” is a warm glass of rye whiskey cupped in your hand while you digest your meal and watch the Lions lose another game.” - Golden State

Listen to “Ready”: HERE 

LA-based singer/songwriter Teddy Grossman has released his latest single “Ready”, off of his forthcoming debut solo full-length LP due out early next year. 

“Ready was written during the later stages of recording the album” Grossman told Glide Magazine, “an album I've always dreamed of making, in the early stages of a budding relationship. It's a song about opening up, and letting a little love in.” Having finally arrived in this sense, the song finds Grossman opening up to both a new partner and way of life - with his music at the forefront.

Although a lifelong music lover & maker, pursuing a career in music was put on the back burner for a time, but after a cross-country move to Los Angeles Grossman took the leap to embark on that long-gestating journey.  He’d always been a lifer at heart — his childhood was spent ingesting Otis Redding and Steve Wonder, Bob Dylan and The Band — but upon graduating college, he took the road often traveled and held down an all-consuming tech job, ever the weekend warrior recording and touring with his former band on the margins. A few years back, however, after a near-decade in Chicago and New York City, all the while holding down the desk job, in 2018, Grossman was finally ready to take the plunge.  “Moving to LA and finding my community here unquestionably changed everything,” says Grossman looking back at his decision to break out on his own and transform his passion into his livelihood.

With only a handful of songs out to date, Grossman has come out of the gates swinging: his single Leave it on the Line has racked up nearly 500k spins, landing marquee Folk & R&B playlists, What I Owe has garnered praise from New Commute & Uproxx - Indie Mixtape Best New Music, and American Songwriter hails single Power in Pain is “a song, for now, tomorrow, and the years to come”. His latest single Out of Thin Air was co-written with and features Theo Katzman (Vulfpeck) on slide guitar. 

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INTRODUCING: THE SULLY BAND

DEBUT LP LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT! 
SET FOR RELEASE ON MARCH 11TH  VIA BELLY UP RECORDS

On March 11, 2022, The Sully Band, voted Best Live Band at the 2020 San Diego Music Awards, will release their debut LP, Let’s Straighten It Out, conceived in the hallowed halls of Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California (formerly A&M Studios). With Let’s Straighten It Out, Sully and his bluesy, nine-piece beast of a band take us on a journey through the ups, downs, and all-arounds of love by way of 10 classic ‘60s and ‘70s soul, blues, and R&B tunes. The album will be released via Belly Up Records, and marketed and distributed by Blue Élan Records.

This labor of love album was recorded in only five jam-packed days, with “mostly-live” versions of carefully curated love-themed songs that made a mark when they were originally released and yet also feel relevant today. Sully’s soulful, heartfelt vocals cut across layers of horns and guitars that take the listener on an emotional arc of joy, disappointment, struggle, and redemption.

Multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Chris Goldsmith (Blind Boys of Alabama, Ben Harper, Charlie Musselwhite, Big Head Todd) provided the musical curation that makes up Let’s Straighten It Out. Treasured tunes like Billy Preston’s “Nothing from Nothing” and Jackie Wilson’s “Higher and Higher” share the tracklist with lesser-known nuggets like “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” by Ray Charles; the title track, first recorded by Latimore in 1974; Shuggie Otis’ “Ice Cold Daydream”; and “I Wish It Would Rain,” first made a hit by The Temptations. Acclaimed San Diego soul singer, Rebecca Jade, shared vocal duties with Sully on Mac Rebennack (aka Dr. John) and Jessie Hill’s “When the Battle Is Over,” while on “If You Love Me Like You Say,” the late Albert Collins is evoked by Anthony Cullins, the 20-year-old guitar sensation from Fallbrook, California.

Anchored by Grammy Award-winning slayer of the bass, James East (Eric Clapton, Elton John, Michael Jackson, and many others), The Sully Band is composed of seasoned, accomplished players who hail from diverse locales like Japan, Panama, and the island of Lemon Grove. The horn section features sax-flute-harp-man Tripp Sprague (Kenny Loggins, The Little River Band, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, The Four Tops) and trumpet and flugelhorn player Steve Dillard (The Righteous Brothers and Lynyrd Skynyrd).

Sully himself is an enigma. He caught the music bug at age six after picking up a nylon-string guitar and playing the first few chords of “Sitting on the Dock of the Bay” with his dad. In high school, the barrel-chested, all-American football player rocked out to Boston and Foreigner with his buddies, starred in every show-tune-laden musical theatre production through college, and ended each day with James Brown or Stevie Wonder on his Pioneer receiver.  

In his 20’s, after pounding the unforgiving Los Angeles pavement trying to cut a record deal, he embarked on a 35-year detour, traveling a storied path from Price Club cashier to self-made entrepreneur and local radio/TV personality, ultimately finding his way back to his first true love: music. 

Now, after years away from the stage, he is back in full force. He and the band have been playing regional and national shows to small but mighty crowds, from Southern California’s legendary Belly Up Tavern to Austin’s illustrious Antone’s Nightclub, making his mark as a compelling musician and live performer ready to “Straighten it Out.”

LET’S STRAIGHTEN IT OUT! TRACKLIST

When The Battle Is Over 
Hallelujah, I Love Her So
Ice Cold Daydream
I Wish It Would Rain
Nothing From Nothing
If I Could Only Be Sure
Gimme Little Sign
If You Love Me Like You Say
Let’s Straighten It Out
Higher And Higher

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ABOUT BELLY UP RECORDS

Belly Up Records is the recording component of the legendary Belly Up concert venue, located in Solana Beach, California.  Opened in 1974 with only a couple of mics and no stage, it soon became a frequent stop for legends like John Lee Hooker, Etta James, and BB King and hosted classic performances by Curtis Mayfield, George Clinton, The Neville Brothers, and Toots and The Maytals.  Since then, many artists have stopped by on their way up the ladder, including No Doubt, Black Eyed Peas, Mumford and Sons, and Childish Gambino, while artist underplays at the venue in recent years include The Killers, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Buffett, Willie Nelson, Ben Harper, Damian Marley, and even Tom Jones. And, perhaps most famously, the Rolling Stones played a private event in 2015.  With over 100 live recordings in the Belly Up catalogue, The Sully Band’s Let’s Straighten It Out! is the label’s first studio release.

ABOUT BLUE ÉLAN RECORDS

At Blue Élan Records it’s about the Music, it’s about the Artist, it’s about Collaboration. Blue Élan Records is a young and fresh independent label headquartered in Los Angeles. Founded in 2014 by veteran entertainment attorney and music lover Kirk Pasich, his son and musician Connor Pasich, and an experienced label team, Blue Élan believes in doing things differently. 

Blue Élan is the happy home of more than 20 artists, including 2-time Grammy® winner Rita Coolidge, the late Rusty Young, Soul Asylum, Grammy® nominated Colin Devlin (The Devlins), Gerry Beckley (America), outlaw country's Jesse Dayton, LA’s own Ozomatli, and self-assured newcomers like Chelsea Williams and Rod Melancon, who contribute to a full house of exciting and diverse talent across all genres. Blue Élan embraces a self-starting ingenuity and offers our artists a creative and nurturing music haven where they can continue to grow and flourish.  

MACKIN CARROLL RELEASES HIS DEBUT FULL-LENGTH ALBUM LEARNING HOW TO SWIM OUT TODAY

“The energy is absolutely FANTASTIC. Not only does the up-tempo vibe keep it moving, there’s also this sense of imminent danger that emanates from the track.” - Ear to the Ground Music

 “The pleasant vocals flow smoothly and instantly charm you with relatable lyrics. The agile guitar lines sound playful, yet they are extremely absorbing and interesting to follow.” -  Tonic Grain

“It’s pure, honest and relatable. The melodies are beautiful and listening to it feels like watching a beautiful movie.”   - Thread

“When you are spinning songs from Mackin Carroll (he/him), you find yourself exploring the mind of someone who is beyond eclectic.  The musician’s work taps into the beautiful arrangements from indie rock acts in the early 2000s.  You hear elements of folk and undying spirit that are effectively touching.” - Ghettoblaster Magazine 

LISTEN TO LEARNING HOW TO SWIM: HERE

Los Angeles’ Mackin Carroll has released his debut full-length album Learning How to Swim out today.  The album is 11 Introspective songs of hi-fi, homespun recordings that range from whispers to shouts, from solo singer-songwriter tracks to fuller rock arrangements with psychedelic drum machines, and hints of Americana that drift into dream pop. But underneath all the rich layers and textures, is pure honest emotion and dynamic songwriting that paints a beautiful picture of the inner and delicate workings of Carroll’s soul. 

This album started to take shape at the heart of the pandemic. Carroll had done some producing before this record, but the forced isolation gave him no choice but to dig in. So dig he did, obsessively writing and recording demos in his room. He enlisted a group of trusted peers for feedback and credits working on this album for getting him through the first year of the pandemic. 

The album starts with the title track and most recent single "Learning How to Swim,” which is about childhood depression and not being armed with the tools to overcome it, and the space that creates between you and your loved ones. It's Carroll writing both as his younger self and to his younger self, assuring him that even though he feels like he’s drowning, he’ll learn how to swim. “I heard Duncan Trussell on his podcast reference something to the effect of ‘the madman drowns in the same waters that the mystic swims,’” Carroll told Atwood Magazine, “ and that dynamic of swimming vs. drowning really stuck with me. It’s really about finding equanimity as a hyper-emotional person and navigating the intensity that comes with that. And it feels like that’s what the heart-wisdom that comes with age is: not getting out of the water, but learning how to swim.”

Leading into the album Carroll released the bright, folk-rocky tune packed to the brim with fresh sounding lyrics and witticisms called “Anxious in the Alley,”  written right after he graduated from college that focuses on the anxiety of feeling too old and too young at the same time.  The next single, “Black Hole Song (I Miss You)”, is a breakup song inspired by outer space that Ghettoblaster Magazine said was "Forthcoming with a level of chillness and openness...."  It was written at the beginning of the end of a romantic relationship, right around when NASA took the first picture of a black hole. The song contemplates the questions such as ‘Where does love go when it leaves?’ ‘Where does matter go when it passes through a black hole?’ All explored over a saturated drum machine and creamy, echoey guitars. 

The third single, “Vampires' ' released right before Halloween, Carroll wrote when he was 19 and is the oldest song on the record. Heavily influenced by Wilco’s  A Ghost Is Born.  The song is about emotional vampires, projection and anxiety.

Raised in the suburbs of Southern California,  Carroll cut his teeth in scrappy garage bands, playing bass guitar and shouting his poetry that he wrote in his bedroom or in the back of math class. These days, Carroll, often clad in a skirt or dress (wearing traditionally female clothing helps him feel free) always catches fire live, shouting and whispering, transcending and connecting. Harkening back to the melancholia of 00’s indie artists Carroll describes his influences as “If they were carpooling, Conor Oberst would be driving, Sufjan Stevens would call shotgun, and Jeff Tweedy and Ben Gibbard would be staring out the windows in the back seat, while Ben Folds was tied up in the trunk”. He studied bass in college and spent a summer busking in Galway, Ireland after getting kicked off of a farm while crafting some of the songs for this record. In addition to this record, he occasionally scores audio dramas and short films and has had a podcast called “Happy Sad Talk Thing" that he’s done for five years where he interviews other creatives, gets personal, and mostly says silly shit while messing around on the Wurlitzer patch on his keyboard. 

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ACE OF HEARTS RELEASES HIS SINGLE “DEADBEAT BOULEVARD” + ANNOUNCES HIS DEBUT FULL LENGTH ALBUM FROZEN IN TIME OUT 12/10

LISTEN TO DEADBEAT BOULEVARD:  HERE

Los Angeles based chemistry major-turned-viral sensation-turned-youtuber-turned-musician Jacob Rabon IV, known to his YouTube empire as Alpharad which has accumulated over 1 Billion views, but to music fans as the audio-visual project Ace of Hearts has released his new single Deadbeat Boulevard, a fun  pop-rock song about watching a close friend start a relationship that you know will not turn out well. This is the first single off his forthcoming  full-length album, Frozen in Time due out on December 10th.

Frozen Time follows two EP ‘s  Scorpion Queen and Monophobia, both released in 2020 which collectively went on to amass over 10 Million Streams. Inspired by artists such as the  Black Keys, MIKA, Marina, Death Cab for Cutie, Wallows, this new album is a culmination of everything that has mattered to Rabon  in the past year. Each song is a reference to a journal entry from the past year. For Rabon the vulnerability of sharing his innermost thoughts on the album has been  both exhilarating and terrifying at the same. With the writing of Frozen in Time Rabon, took a hold all the things he felt were holding him back, and took a headwind and turned it into a tailwind. He hopes for this album, and the level of honesty it puts forth is that he will be able to help someone, even just one person, feel a little bit less alone. 

Born in Oklahoma City, OK  Rabon has had a lifelong passion for video and cinematography. He created his main YouTube channel in  2014 and Since its creation, he has made various gaming videos on his channel. Rabon attended the University of Oklahoma while making YouTube videos as a full-time job.His original goal was to be a writer, director, or editor of some kind, but soon learned that in being someone else's editor he couldn't have as much creative freedom as he could making his own content.  Alpharad’s YouTube channel has grown to over 2.5 Million subscribers and yielded over 1 Billion views.

Frozen in Time (Album out 12/10) 

1. Lights Off

1. Deep Space

2. Find Me In Your Dreams

3. Silver Lining

4. Monophobia II

5. Your Name  (ft. Adriana Figueroa)

6. Queen of Everything

7. Deadbeat Boulevard

8. Waiting for Your Call

9. A Life Frozen in Time

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LIZ VICE REIMAGINES HOLIDAY CLASSICS ON A SOULFUL HOLIDAY WITH LIZ VICE

“Chance the Rapper and Kanye West may use gospel elements to give their music a reverent lilt, but the genre hasn’t had many crossover evangelists since Kirk Franklin’s hip-hop bombast brought it to the pop charts in the 1990s. Enter Ms. Vice, whose version of gospel is more rootsy than radio. She has a rich voice that fits easily into her groovy yet understated arrangements; the result recalls the gentle revival of artists like Leon Bridges. “ - The New York Times

“Liz Vice walks the stony road to redemption, delivering tunes that celebrate the victory over the illusions that hold us down while acknowledging the heavyweight of self-doubt and missed opportunities for loving others that we bear.” - No Depression

“Liz Vice is unpretentious and uncomplicated on Save Me, a gospel album that aims straight for the spirit. Vice’s faith-based music, influenced by legends Mavis Staples and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, is lifting.”  - Bitch Magazine

“The mindfulness she brings to the stories she tells on Save Me proves essential, and powerful.” - NPR

“No matter what listeners’ relationship with faith, religion, or belief might be, Vice’s message is as old as time – and more necessary than ever.”  - The Buegrass Situation

Gospel Chart-Topper Liz Vice has released  A Soulful Holiday with Liz Vice out today on Oro Music .  Vice  not only performed on but handled the arrangements and co-produced the EP alongside Niji Adeleye who is currently on tour with Harry Styles’ playing keys in his band. The three-song EP features an all-star group of musicians that includes Leonn Meade on Drums (Richard Ashcroft, Tom Jones), Curtis Cumberbatch on Guitars (Ed Sheeran, Little Mix, Michelle Williams, Emma Bunton, Rebecca Ferguson, Eric Benét ), Arran Powell on Bass (Emeli Sandé). Liz's soulful take on these arrangements and performance breathes a new funk-filled life into these holiday classics. “You know, I told myself that I wouldn’t put out a Christmas EP,” says Vice.” But this team was an absolute dream. The cream de la cream. The cream of the crop. Nothing beats making music with your friend and then listening to the final project over and over and over again.  Super thankful it all came together. Everyone did an amazing job.”

This EP follows Vice’s reinterpretation of the Woody Guthrie classic This Land is Your Land released earlier this year. NPR’s Folk Alley commented“ Vice’s minor chord version rings with a spaciousness that opens it poignantly into a lament: a lament for the unjust killings of black men and women and indigenous peoples by police brutality and unjust systemic racism.” 

Vice who is originally from Portland, spent time living in New York and has now settled in Los Angeles is somewhat of an accidental artist. At age 19, Liz was put on hemodialysis due to failing health. Her life was saved by a kidney transplant she received in 2005. After college, Liz set out to pursue a career in film production, but when she joined up with a new church and began to sing with a worship team on Sundays, everything changed. She got the call, a call she knows was from God to share the gift of her voice with anyone who would listen.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                In college, Liz set out to pursue a career in film production, but when she joined up with a new church and began to sing with a worship team on Sundays, everything changed. She got the call, a call she knows was from God to share the gift of her voice with anyone who would listen. 

Liz Vice’s sound is a fusion of Gospel and R&B, with dynamic and soulful vocals, and lyrics, deeply rooted in spirituality, that give her work a  timeless feel. Her last full-length album, Save Me,  debuted in the top 25 on the Billboard Gospel charts, was featured in NPR’s  First Listen program, received praise from the New York Times, No Depression, American Songwriter, The Bluegrass Situation, Bitch Magazine and more.  Vice’s music and live performances have put her on the map as an artist to watch. She has shared the stage with artists such as Lake Street Dive, Rodriguez, Joss Stone, The Wood Brothers, Lecrae, Blind Boys of Alabama and performed at Mavis Staples’ 80th Birthday at the Apollo alongside Mike Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger sharing the stage with such artist as  David Byrne, Norah Jones, Jon Batiste, Warren Haynes and more. 

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WILD HEART CLUB RELEASES DEBUT LP “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

OUT TODAY:

WILD HEART CLUB’S DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU

“A delicious slice of 80s-inspired goodness, lushly textured with simmering synths and fiery guitar licks” - East Of 8th

“…irresistibly fascinating indie-pop” - glamglare

LISTEN: ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU 

 Today, Nashville-based dream-pop outfit Wild Heart Club has released their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou. Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kristen Castro, the creative force behind the band, is a genre-crossing artist known for blending a surprising range of electronic, digital, and analog elements into her dreamy, atmospheric indie-pop. She built a name for herself as an independent solo artist with a penchant for electric guitar, a dark sensibility, and a bracing tenderness reminiscent of acts like the Cocteau Twins.

The album, an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy tracks with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen, explores a gamut of emotions—lows like processing the effects of a toxic relationship and navigating being gay while trying to love someone who wants to keep the relationship a secret, and highs like reveling in the magnetism of undeniable chemistry with the one you love and learning to forgive. 

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness,” she says. “This is music for them, as always.” Castro wrote, recorded, and primarily produced Arcade Back in Manitou herself, playing every instrument heard except for percussion. The process helped her deal with heartbreak after a particularly difficult breakup. 

“I never let myself fully produce or write the way I wanted. I felt like I had something to prove and I was always watering down what I had to say or not putting myself first musically,” she reveals. “Being in such a deep place of loss made it easier to be honest. I wrote this album to help myself out of a really dark place. I left a band I was in for 6 years in 2018 and then went through a breakup in 2019. For a month in 2020, I broke down and wrote these songs. I had zero intention of an album coming about but am happy it worked out that way.”

There’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation throughout and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore. The album’s title track is a fine example - a beautiful song about revisiting a place full of happy memories after the end of a relationship. “My ex loved everything Colorado because she’s from there - one of my favorite moments was running from the rain in downtown Manitou Springs and finding cover at this penny arcade. I didn’t really think of that memory a lot so I was surprised when the idea came about,” Castro explains. The song’s accompanying video filmed in and around the actual Arcade in Manitou Springs, Colorado, was featured exclusively at The Colorado Springs Gazette and offers a glimpse into the area’s ethereal landscape.

WATCH: “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, Castro’s early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. With Wild Heart Club, she's blended a lifetime of influences—hip-hop, folk, and even her time spent in metal bands when she was younger—to create an intoxicating, synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscape laced with her breezy, candied vocals: a dream-pop confection that's one part Sigur Rós, one part Heart, and all parts Kristen Castro. Wild Heart Club evolves her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment. 

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”       

Arcade Back In Manitou is available to download at iTunes and Amazon Music. Be sure to follow Wild Heart Club at the links below for the latest news and updates.

ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU TRACKLISTING 

Her, If Losing You Had A Sound

Arcade Back In Manitou

Unhappy

Glitter On The Drum

Ever You Go

Down From The Heavens

Chemistry 

Tupelo Honey

Rainbow

Overflow (Ruled by Saturn)

OUT TODAY: PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES’ NEW LP SINNER-SONGWRITER VIA DIXIEFROG RECORDS

"The 14-track release...is packed with winners" - The Daily Herald  

"Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself." - PopMatters 

"Rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate" - Pancakes and Whiskey 

"Stirring" - Ghettoblaster Magazine  

"Every verse he utters virtually oozes with emotion. We’re here for it." - East of 8th  

"...it’s easy to hear the blues in his palette, but there is far more to Scales’ sound than that...Its Scales’ voice, hauntingly soulful, that carries the gravity here" - The Indy Review 

LISTEN: SINNER-SONGWRITER  

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has released his long-awaited LP Sinner-Songwriter via DixieFrog Records. “This album was a perfection of what my previous effort was on the Sinner-Songwriter EP,” he says. Scales was inspired by his uncle BB King to forge his own musical path; it wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of his uncle’s influence into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

The album, recorded in LA, Nashville, Chicago, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin during the pandemic, is about love, loss, and legacy, and features Scales’ unique blend of guitar-driven indie rock combined with the story-laden blues in his DNA, a style he calls “Dive Bar Soul.” His most recent single, the sultry “Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone,” began as a beat in a bedroom that was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). 

WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

“When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.” As he explores that legacy, he sings, "I come from sons and daughters of lambs who escaped the slaughter / My bloodline should have stopped with Bones and Chains in that blue water / What will they say when they put me in my grave? / Gammy told me “Son, you better keep our flame.” 

Of single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement.” Album standout "O, Hallelujah” a roots-tinged foot-stomper that has surpassed 260K+ streams on Spotify alone. The 14-track journey closes with "Tell Me How I Sound Again," a commentary on microaggressions. "I’ve been told that I 'talk white' my entire life and when you break down what that actually means, it’s horrifying," he explains. "Intelligence and eloquence being equated with whiteness? So, I wrote the song. A person on my team suggested I rename it 'tell me how I look again' 'so people get it,' and I realized how important the song really was.” 

Sinner-Songwriter is available now on all streaming platforms, iTunes, and Amazon Music. CDs and vinyl are available for purchase/pre-order HERE, and a CD/vinyl bundle is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Phillip-Michael Scales at the links below for the latest updates.  

TOUR DATES  

11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)  
11/7 - 11/11 - THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - TITUSVILLE, FL 
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show) 
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI 
12/10 - BEACHLAND BALLROOM - CLEVELAND, OH 

OUT TODAY: SPENCER LAJOYE’S NEW EP REMEMBER THE OXYGEN

Photo by Anna Haas

LISTEN: REMEMBER THE OXYGEN  

Today, Boston-based singer/songwriter Spencer LaJoye has released their new EP Remember The Oxygen. The four-song concept album is about LaJoye’s truest self, and is the first EP under their new, truest name, written before, during, and following their coming out as transgender/non-binary. 

Album opener ”'Breathing' is the story of LaJoye figuratively learning to breathe  again. “When I remembered to breathe my own oxygen rather than meeting and anticipating everyone else’s needs first, I learned a lot of things (for one: I am not a girl. Oops!). It’s the story of me grabbing my own oxygen mask,” they explain. "This song told me a truth about myself before I even knew it was true. 

The EP continues with “Where The Air Is Clearest,” a story about LaJoye’s childhood with their best friend, Chris. The song is about innocence, and losing that feeling when bullying and depression became a reality. It is an ode to the good times—and a plea to always remember them.  

“Reclaiming myself as a nonbinary person was about so much more than gender.,” LaJoye explains of EP track “House Fires.” “To summon up the resolve to say 'these boxes aren’t for me,' I also had to say, 'these relationships aren’t for me, these systems aren’t for me, this people-pleasing disposition is not for me.' Ultimately, on the other side of all of that going up in flames, I found clarity and peace...and I’m still settling into who I am." "House Fires" is the story of deciding what parts of ourselves and our lives we hold onto when everything else burns. 

WATCH: “HOUSE FIRES”   

LaJoye wrote closer “Feast” one week after the shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburg, where 11 people were killed, and one week before LaJoye was to plan a ceremony for that year’s Transgender Day of Remembrance, to honor 22 people who had been murdered in documented transphobic hate crimes in the US that year. Most were, and continue to be, trans women of color, and the number of trans lives lost to anti-trans violence has increased every year since then. “This song came out of me thinking about the ways we remember those who have gone before us (it often involves food),” LaJoye says. “It’s about remembering. And paying tribute.”  

With Remember The Oxygen, LaJoye documents them becoming who they really are, a journey that involved just as much looking to the past as it did moving towards the future.“As it turns out, I knew who I was from the very beginning,” says LaJoye. “I knew how to breathe all along. To re-becoming myself. I just had to let some things burn, let some things hurt, and finally, remember my own oxygen.” 

~  

Spencer LaJoye’s dynamic acoustic tones and layered vocals are reminiscent of melancholic 60s folk songs - but their genre-bending doesn’t end there. Resonant vocal loops spin these classic sounds into delightfully boppy pop songs that are both mesmerizing and haunting with their detailed, autobiographical lyrics.  

LaJoye is a folk/pop singer-songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist who has garnered a growing fan base around the world through live performances, live streams, and an ever-increasing loyal Patreon community. Charming, humorous, and acutely self-aware, their live performances leave audiences crying, laughing, and wanting more.  

One of eight in a family of musicians in rural Southwest Michigan, LaJoye picked up a violin at the age of five, and pursued classical music until college, when they swapped their bow for a pen. They wrote their first EP as a closeted queer kid in a historically conservative Christian college while pursuing a degree in theology. Their songwriting and theologizing became tools of self-empowerment amid a culture of shame. Now an outspoken nonbinary bisexual, LaJoye’s goal is to foster a life-affirming community through music and to “bring people to church” at their shows.  

Their first EP We’ve Been That Way Before won the WYCE Jammie Award for Listener’s Choice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and most recently, LaJoye was chosen as a winner of the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition.  

Remember The Oxygen is available for purchase via iTunes and for streaming on all platforms. Be sure to follow Spencer LaJoye at the links below for all the latest news and updates. 

REMEMBER THE OXYGEN TRACKLIST  
BREATHING 
WHERE THE AIR IS CLEAREST 
HOUSE FIRES 
FEAST 

WILD HEART CLUB RELEASES NEW SINGLE “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU”

WILD HEART CLUB’S NEW SINGLE “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU” OUT TODAY

DEBUT LP ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU OUT ON NOVEMBER 12TH

Photo Credit: Anna Haas

LISTEN: “ARCADE BACK IN MANITOU” 

 Today, Nashville-based dream-pop outfit Wild Heart Club has released the title track from their debut LP Arcade Back In Manitou, due out November 12th. 

“Arcade Back In Manitou,” a beautiful song about revisiting a place full of happy memories after the end of a relationship, is the fourth single from the album. “I wrote the chorus when I was about to board a flight,” recalls frontwoman and creative force Kristen Castro. “My ex loved everything Colorado because she’s from there - one of my favorite moments was running from the rain in downtown Manitou Springs and finding cover at this penny arcade. I didn’t really think of that memory a lot so I was surprised when the idea came about,” she says. 

“The way Dolores O’Riordan sang was a huge inspiration to me, I wanted to write a song the way ‘Dreams' by The Cranberries made me feel. I also just love how she’s not saying any words in the chorus of that song, just singing a sort of obscure melody that makes the song - that’s where the ‘Oohs’ in ‘Arcade’ came from,” she adds of the track, which features an electrified solo from Castro that gives listeners a little taste of her prodigious guitar skills. 

“Arcade Back In Manitou” follows “Down From the Heavens,” which Castro says is about “all the build-up I’ve had about being gay since I was a teenager. Love is hard enough and then when you add being queer, it’s even harder. One time I played with my ex who used to sing at a church and it was such a bizarre experience watching all the people in the pews sing along to a girl who was in love with me but was also keeping me a secret,” explains Castro. “I had this vision of a god wrapped in color walking up to my ex and basically saying fuck it, go and love her, she’s more than a secret.”

Wild Heart Club also released album track “Unhappy,” inspired by Castro’s childhood, where she fondly recalls hearing her brother’s hypnotic hip-hop music through the wall, and lead single “Glitter On the Drum,” a track that feels like mourning the loss of a lover while soaring across a roller-rink under twinkling lights and that was inspired by a YouTube comment on a Robyn video. The music sparkles, but its glittery edges are sharp.

LISTEN: “DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS”

LISTEN: “UNHAPPY” 

LISTEN: “GLITTER ON THE DRUM”

Singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kristen Castro is a genre-crossing artist known for blending a surprising range of electronic, digital, and analog elements into her dreamy, atmospheric indie-pop. She built a name for herself as an independent solo artist with a penchant for electric guitar, a dark sensibility, and a bracing tenderness reminiscent of acts like the Cocteau Twins. 

Transforming abstract emotion into compelling music, her early releases feature everything from mandolin to bass, piano to synth, banjo to drum programming, in songs that feel both effortless and complex at the same time. Castro’s latest project, Wild Heart Club, builds off the hybrid style of her solo work, evolving her eclectic foundations into an even more distinct and cohesive sound. The synth-heavy, guitar-driven soundscapes are laced with Castro’s breezy, candied vocals: think Sigur Rós meets Heart. It’s a strange and compelling combination that feels right for the current moment. 

“I’ve always been drawn to people who aren’t in the cool club—the weirdos embracing their weirdness. This is music for them, as always.” Arcade Back in Manitou was written, recorded, and produced primarily by Castro herself. 

She started writing the songs that would become Arcade Back in Manitou while recovering from heartache after a particularly difficult breakup. The album is an ethereal and lush collection of melancholy songs with a brilliant gloss of retro sheen. There’s a genuine and hopeful engagement with the positive, a buoyant, almost-ironic sense of cheer teeming from the instrumentation, throughout and a spirit of experimentation and discovery, despite the themes of loss the lyrics explore. 

Hints of 80s plastic-pop and elements of 90s alternative cool are nestled in the mix, as well as nods to vintage and modern Swedish pop acts like Robyn, Léon, and ABBA. “I want to be the artist who can make you cry on the dance floor. I like songs that pair darker thoughts with happy vibes. Emotions are complex. It feels right to have that kind of complicated juxtaposition play out in music,” she says. “It feels honest.”

OUT TODAY: PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES’ NEW LP SINNER-SONGWRITER VIA DIXIEFROG RECORDS

"The 14-track release...is packed with winners" - The Daily Herald  

 "Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself." - PopMatters 

 "Rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate" - Pancakes and Whiskey 

 "Stirring" - Ghettoblaster Magazine 

 "Every verse he utters virtually oozes with emotion. We’re here for it." - East of 8th 

 "...it’s easy to hear the blues in his palette, but there is far more to Scales’ sound than that...Its Scales’ voice, hauntingly soulful, that carries the gravity here" - The Indy Review 

LISTEN: SINNER-SONGWRITER

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has released his long-awaited LP Sinner-Songwriter via DixieFrog Records. “This album was a perfection of what my previous effort was on the Sinner-Songwriter EP,” he says. Scales was inspired by his uncle BB King to forge his own musical path; it wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of his uncle’s influence into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

The album, recorded in LA, Nashville, Chicago, and a remote cabin in Wisconsin during the pandemic, is about love, loss, and legacy, and features Scales’ unique blend of guitar-driven indie rock combined with the story-laden blues in his DNA, a style he calls “Dive Bar Soul.” His most recent single, the sultry “Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone,” began as a beat in a bedroom that was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). 

WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

“When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.” As he explores that legacy, he sings, "I come from sons and daughters of lambs who escaped the slaughter / My bloodline should have stopped with Bones and Chains in that blue water / What will they say when they put me in my grave? / Gammy told me “Son, you better keep our flame.” 

Of single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement.” Album standout "O, Hallelujah” a roots-tinged foot-stomper that has surpassed 260K+ streams on Spotify alone. The 14-track journey closes with "Tell Me How I Sound Again," a commentary on microaggressions. "I’ve been told that I 'talk white' my entire life and when you break down what that actually means, it’s horrifying," he explains. "Intelligence and eloquence being equated with whiteness? So, I wrote the song. A person on my team suggested I rename it 'tell me how I look again' 'so people get it,' and I realized how important the song really was.” 

Sinner-Songwriter is available now on all streaming platforms, iTunes, and Amazon Music. CDs and vinyl are available for purchase/pre-order HERE, and a CD/vinyl bundle is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Phillip-Michael Scales at the links below for the latest updates.  

TOUR DATES 
10/29 - 20 FRONT STREET - LAKE ORION, MI (Record Release Show)  
11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)  
11/7 - 11/11 - THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - MIAMI, FL 
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show) 
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI 
12/10 - BEACHLAND BALLROOM - CLEVELAND, OH 

PHILLIP-MICHAEL SCALES RELEASES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE”

SINNER-SONGWRITER LP OUT ON OCTOBER 29TH
VIA DIXIE FROG RECORDS

Photo by Bryan Iglesias

LISTEN // WATCH: “YOUR LOVE’S WORKING ME TO THE BONE 

Today, Nashville-based artist Phillip-Michael Scales has unleashed “Your Love’s Working Me To The Bone,” the smoldering new single from his forthcoming LP Sinner-Songwriter, set for release on October 29th via Dixie Frog Records.

What began as a beat in a bedroom was finished with Tres Sasser (Will Hoge) and Joe Costa (Ben Folds, Amanda Palmer). It’s about a draining relationship where narrator laments having to do all of the emotional labor in the relationship—one they don’t want to leave, but know it’s probably for the best. 

“Your Love’s Working Me To the Bone” follows “When They Put Me in My Grave (ft. Archie Lee Hooker),” which PopMatters said features “electrifying licks that can’t help but call back to [B.B.] King’s iconic style…Its opening moments tease something bigger, starting with an acoustic rhythm, subtle tinges of electric lead, and Scales’ passionate vocals. Shy of 40 seconds in, the track explodes into full-throttle blues. Scales soulfully dishes out lyrics that speak to his family legacy—and the one that he wants to forge for himself.”

Of album single “Another Man’s Sin,” Pancakes & Whiskey said, “‘Dive Bar Soul’ is how Scales describes his music and this track perfectly embodies that statement; rocking music that has heart and soul, but feels very accessible for any music fan to appreciate,” and follows an earlier release of bluesy anthem “O, Hallelujah.”

LISTEN: “WHEN THEY PUT ME IN MY GRAVE (ft. ARCHIE LEE HOOKER)”

LISTEN: “ANOTHER MAN'S SIN” 

LISTEN: “O, HALLELUJAH”

Growing up, Phillip-Michael Scales had an uncle who played guitar for a living. He knew it was a big deal but didn’t understand the significance that his uncle’s name was B.B. King. Even though Scales played guitar, he shied away from soloing and most things blues-related. Instead, he fell in love with songwriting when an English teacher told him “A great writer can make their reader identify with anyone.” The trouble was he couldn’t find his story in the blues.

Born with a fierce independent streak and a passion for performing, Scales fronted his own indie bands, wrote and recorded his own music, and worked to make a name for himself on his own terms. All the while, his uncle just smiled a knowing smile and encouraged him to “stay with it.” As he began to discover “the blues” in his private and personal life, their relationship grew closer.

It wasn’t until his uncle passed away that Scales began incorporating more of it into his music. “These days I’m finding more of my story in the blues,” he explains. “A lot has led me here—between politics, my identity, and of course: Legacy.”   

Throughout its 14 soulful tracks, Sinner-Songwriter, Scales explores, growth, mistakes, being black in America, searching for love, and finding your place in the world. He calls his sound “Dive Bar Soul,” blending indie rock storytelling with the passion of the blues. His single “O, Hallelujah” has broken 200K plays, he has been featured in Rolling Stone France, and is in regular rotation on Nashville’s Radio Station Lightning 100. Scales’ music has taken him all the way to the Middle East, as well as festivals across Europe and North America. He has opened for Fantastic Negrito, Anderson East, Guster, David Cook, Bethany Joy Lenz, Matt Hires, Billy Raffoul, Crystal Bowersox, Tyler Hilton, Jon McLaughlin, and Cory Brannan. 

TOUR DATES

 10/8 - McMENAMINS WHITE EAGLE SALOON - PORTLAND, OR
10/27 - GOLDEN DAGGER - CHICAGO, IL (Record Release Show)
10/29 - 20 FRONT STREET - LAKE ORION, MI (Record Release Show)
11/5 - THE BASEMENT - NASHVILLE, TN (Record Release Show)
11/7 - 11/12 -  THE ROCK BOAT XX1 - MIAMI, FL
11/18 - ANODYNE - MILWAUKEE, WI (Record Release Show)
11/19 - THELMA SADOFF CENTER FOR THE ARTS - FOND DU LAC, WI

OUT TODAY: SEAN ROWE’S NEW LP "THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS" VIA FLUFF & GRAVY RECORDS

[T]he album takes flight on the strength of Rowe’s voice. Almost a growl at times, it falls somewhere between George Ezra and Richard Thompson, with maybe a hint of Tom Waits. Ultimately, though, Rowe doesn’t sound like anybody else — and that’s what cinches this as a dynamic new album, and Rowe as an artist on the rise. - The Associated Press

Marvelous - The Boston Globe 

Sean Rowe alludes to the duality of the human spirit in all of us...and brings insight when it comes to a broken heart — a theme that resonates for this gifted songwriter - KCRW 

With deep vocals and deeper lyrics, singer/songwriter Sean Rowe’s latest album cuts to the core. - The Daily Gazette

Sean Rowe writes vivid, lived-in songs and sings them with a voice that reverberates through your bones. No one sounds like he does, and when you hear the first few notes of a Sean Rowe song, you know you’re about to have your heart ripped out of your chest and unceremoniously handed back to you — in the best way. - No Depression

This is an intensely poignant album with Rowe’s baritone voice so commanding and emotive, it’s impossible not to feel something. - Glide Magazine 

Between his earnest rumble of a voice, lyrics so genuine they can’t be fiction and the no frills production, these musical sketches bring us closer to connecting with Sean Rowe from a place total vulnerability. - Holler

A punch to the gut showcase - Americana Highways

Whilst Rowe forages in a literal sense for edible wild food, he also forages as a singer/songwriter, turning his feelings and experiences into a kind of universal nourishment that can be appreciated by all who care enough to listen. - Americana-UK 

There’s something about Rowe’s baritone that cuts right to the core, the feeling of heartbreak and reckoning palpable at every turn. - Mother Church Pew

Sean has been foraging around in the space between regret and hope, he’s found enough sustenance to keep him going and to share The Darkness Dressed In [Colored] Lights to a ravenous world. - The Rocking Magpie 

The catch cry here could well be – ‘choose your attitude to life’ – and rise from the ashes and denounce despair. All the songs cut to this chase and the record gives us the fullest array of emotions. - Listening Through The Lens

LISTEN: THE DARKNESS DRESSED IN COLORED LIGHTS

Today, internationally acclaimed singer/songwriter Sean Rowe has released his brilliant new LP The Darkness Dressed In Colored Lights, out via Fluff & Gravy Records. Rowe drew on an array of influences—from Radiohead to Waylon Jennings, Kurt Vile to David Lynch—to craft this cinematic new album, one forged in the fires of self-discovery and acceptance.

Through its 11 gut-punching tracks, Rowe tackles everything from losing oneself in the despair of heartache to rising from the ashes—the paradox between what once was and what now is, and sometimes being lost in the in-between. His powerful baritone spans the gamut of emotions—and on this record, he makes it clear that at some point it’s hard not to feel them all at once. Every song cuts right to the quick.

“The songs on this record tell a story of heartbreak purgatory, of knowing intrinsically that it’s too late to save what you’ve got, but trying like hell anyway,” noted No Depression. “The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights is about the chaos that comes when your life is upended, then learning who you are when you emerge on the other side of it. Fleeting affairs (‘Squid Tattoo’), fantasies of what could be (‘I Won’t Run’), foregone conclusions (‘Toast’), and self-destructive patterns (‘Honey in the Morning’) line these textured arrangements of synth, pedal steel, keys and horns. And for all the tragedy residing in these stories, Rowe knows it’s better to feel it all than to go numb.” 

The songs evidence a journey and their commonality is clarity—the result of work Rowe’s been doing to build a fitter, happier version of himself. He credits therapy and a guided ayahuasca retreat with helping him to reach this understanding. Over the course of an intense weekend, he had experiences that stripped away his anger and defenses and brought him to a place of intense beauty and peace--he realized we create the heaven and the hell that swirls in our heads, and we have to choose in which of those dimensions we want to reside. This album is ripe with both.

 ~ 

Rowe has also spent years in the woods exploring, foraging, and obsessively learning all that he could about the natural world around him. Through his web series, Can I Eat This?, he’s found a means of indulging two of his great passions: music and nature. In each of the episodes of Can I Eat This?, Sean goes on a foraging mission for all manner of wild foods and uses the harvest to prepare some tasty creation. To check out Can I Eat This? visit Sean's YouTube Channel

The Darkness Dressed in Colored Lights is available on CD and double-vinyl, as well as on all streaming services.  Click HERE to order. 

TOUR DATES:
10/20: Vienna, VA | Jammin Java
10/24: Norfolk, VA | North Shore Point House Concerts
11/3 & 11/4: Brooklyn, NY | Union Pool
11/5: Kennett Square, PA | Kennett Flash
11/6: Rochester, NY | Abilene
11/19: Northampton, MA | The Parlor Room
11/20: Egremont, MA | Egremont Barn

SPENCER LAJOYE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “BREATHING”

REMEMBER THE OXYGEN EP SET FOR RELEASE NOVEMBER 5TH

Photo by Whitney Wilson & Hannah LaJoye Photography

LISTEN: “BREATHING” 

Boston-based singer/songwriter Spencer LaJoye has released “Breathing,” the new single from their forthcoming EP Remember The Oxygen, set for release on November 5th. "'Breathing' is the story of me learning to breathe my own air again, so to speak," LaJoye explains. "When I remembered to breathe my own oxygen rather than meeting and anticipating everyone else’s needs first, I learned a lot of things (for one: I am not a girl. Oops!). It’s the story of me grabbing my own oxygen mask. I first wrote this song as part of a home-recorded concept album for a Netflix show, The Haunting of Bly Manor. I took on the project during quarantine, simply as a matter of fun, and the whole thing felt like a breath of fresh air," they continue. "This song told me a truth about myself before I even knew it was true. Once I realized that this song I wrote for this just-for-fun concept album was actually about my truest self, I knew it had to be on this first EP under my new truest name." 

“Breathing” follows the release of powerful lead single “House Fires.” "Reclaiming myself as a nonbinary person was about so much more than gender.,” LaJoye explains of the song. “To summon up the resolve to say 'these boxes aren’t for me,' I also had to say, 'these relationships aren’t for me, these systems aren’t for me, this people-pleasing disposition is not for me.' Ultimately, on the other side of all of that going up in flames, I found clarity and peace...and I’m still settling into who I am." "House Fires" is the story of deciding what parts of ourselves and our lives we hold onto when everything else burns.

LISTEN: “HOUSE FIRES”  

Spencer LaJoye’s music feels like taking a long walk on cracked pavement. Their dynamic acoustic tones and layered vocals are reminiscent of melancholic sixties folk songs - but their genre-bending doesn’t end there. Resonant vocal loops spin these classic sounds into delightfully boppy pop songs that are both mesmerizing and haunting with their detailed, autobiographical lyrics.

Out of Boston, Massachusetts, LaJoye is a folk/pop singer-songwriter, violinist, and vocal loop artist who has garnered a growing fan base around the world through live performances, live streams, and an ever-increasing loyal Patreon community. Charming, humorous, and acutely self-aware, their live performances leave audiences crying, laughing, and wanting more.

One of eight in a family of musicians in rural Southwest Michigan, LaJoye picked up a violin at the age of five, and pursued classical music until college, when they swapped their bow for a pen. They wrote their first EP as a closeted queer kid in a historically conservative Christian college while pursuing a degree in theology. Their songwriting and theologizing became tools of self-empowerment amid a culture of shame. Now an outspoken nonbinary bisexual, LaJoye’s goal is to foster a life-affirming community through music, and to “bring people to church” at their shows.

Their first EP We’ve Been That Way Before won the WYCE Jammie Award for Listener’s Choice in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and most recently, LaJoye was chosen as a winner of the 2021 Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition.

This fall, LaJoye will release their new four-track EP, Remember The Oxygen, written before, during, and following their coming out as trans/gender non-binary. The songs document them becoming themselves, a journey that involved just as much looking to the past as it did moving towards the future. “As it turns out, I knew who I was from the very beginning,” says LaJoye. “I knew how to breathe all along. To re-becoming myself. I just had to let some things burn, let some things hurt, and finally, remember my own oxygen.”