TAYLOR YOUNG BAND RELEASE VIDEO FOR “HARMONIOUS” (-V13) SINGLE “BELONG TOGETHER”

“…a fresh, atmospheric rock sound that shows off an exciting texture.” – Dallas Observer

Photo Credit: Cabus Gayao

“Belong Together” single

LISTEN | VIDEO

DALLAS, TX – Taylor Young Band has embarked on an interstellar journey of discovery with their latest release “Belong Together”. This pulsating anthem beams home a universal message of love and acceptance highlighted in the video out today and premiering on V13.

“…a musical entity intent on promoting positivity, acceptance and togetherness…In Young’s view, we’re all on the journey of life together, and we have to help each other find our own place of comfort and belonging. - V13

Powered by new instrumentation, new arrangements, and Taylor’s trademark disarming earnestness, “Belong Together” propels an artist grounded in the roots of Americana to the swirling mist beyond the stars.
“When people feel disconnected and divided, they need to be reminded of how much love there is in the world. We’re on this journey together, and I want everybody to find their place in it,” says Taylor.

Taylor’s focus is squarely on the future, looking forward to the possibilities of a post-pandemic world, full in the knowledge that connecting with people is the key to every seemingly impossible equation.

“Much in the way a great zombie flick isn’t really about the gory undead, but about the living people who are facing a weird, new reality, the best music from the pandemic is about the unique ways in which artists crafted their own takes on a universal experience. ‘Belong Together’ is just a really great tune from a fantastic band of players, regardless of when it was made and released.” – Dallas Observer

Taylor Young Band will splash down with a new album in 2023.

TOUR DATES

OCT 14 / DALLAS, TX @ State Fair of Texas (Chevrolet Main Stage)

OCT 15 / DALLAS, TX @ Granada Theater

NOV 10 / SAN ANTONIO, TX @ The Rustic

NOV 12 / AUSTIN, TX @ Long Play Lounge East

KEEP UP WITH TAYLOR YOUNG

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AARKTICA RELEASES HIS STUNNING AMBIENT FOLK ALBUM 'WE WILL FIND THE LIGHT ' TODAY VIA DARLA REORDS

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST JON DEROSA RELEASES HIS TENTH FOLK-AMBIENT AARKTICA ALBUM

WE WILL FIND THE LIGHT OUT NOW ON DARLA RECORDS

"A beautiful and dynamic ride between ambient electric symphony and intimate human song."

- Alan Spa;’rhawk, Low.

"We Will Find the Light is a gigantic double album that feels like a rebirth." - Rosy Overdrive

"Evocative ambience and electronica." - Penny Black Music

"Aarktica has long been a reliable name for those interested in the more otherworldly and transporting side of the guitar.”- Dusted Magazine

"Under the guise of Aarktica, you never know where Jon DeRosa is going to end up." - Exclaim

"Why isn’t Jon DeRosa’s work as Aarktica mentioned in the same breath as Stars of the Lid or Eluvium when discussing ambient/drone music? Ever since losing hearing in his right ear in 1999, DeRosa has succeeded in using the drifting guitar tones of Aarktica to conjure up the underwater experience that hearing music has become for him.” - Pop Matters

LISTEN TO WE WILL FIND THE LIGHT : HERE

The Los Angeles, by way New York, artist Aarktica has released his tenth album We Will Find The Light out today via Darla Records. Aarktica is the brainchild of Jon DeRosa, who has been releasing a diverse catalog of music under this name since 1999. We Will Find the Light is Aarktica's most ambitious and sublime album to date and marks his first collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Lewis Pesacov. The album is available on all streaming services, as a CD digipack, and as a limited edition double vinyl gatefold,available here. This is the first physical release from Aarktica since 2009's In Sea and the first full-length since 2019's Mareación.

Beginning with the ambient guitar opus No Solace in Sleep (Silber), the classically trained DeRosa has spent the last two decades charting his way across cosmic terrains and ambient soundscapes through patient songwriting and a curiosity in experimentation. It's a journey that began with DeRosa recording guitar experiments on a four-track cassette recorder in his college dorm after going permanently deaf in his right ear. "I was having aural hallucinations,” says DeRosa. “Everything I knew as sonically 'normal' suddenly changed. When I started Aarktica, it was a bit like a sonic journal, trying to recreate and reinterpret sounds as I was hearing them." These recordings, which would become No Solace in Sleep, translated those classical musical forms he’d studied for years to electric guitar, stretched them into infinity, soaked them in reverb and delay, and created an entirely new sound identity that would evolve over the years.

Leading into the writing of We Will Find the Light, DeRosa hadn’t felt inspired to write music for several years. “I had been telling myself, ‘I have nothing to say,’” he says, “but after a certain amount of time, and trying everything I knew to break through, it began to feel like perhaps I was just done, nothing left in the tank.” To get to answers on whether his drive for making music was really in his heart, or because he was trying to chase some made-up idea of success, DeRosa who is a Somatic healer held a private ceremony for himself on New Year's Eve and sat alone with the feelings of emotional and spiritual blockage. What began to bubble up was uncomfortable and unpleasant. Through this process DeRosa had a realization that with all the music he made in the past none of it was truly personal. He had always created characters and personas and had only written about personal experiences from an arm's length. To move forward, he was going to have to approach writing from a truly authentic place. “Eventually I picked up a guitar and started playing” says DeRosa, “and that marked the beginning of how this album came to be. Something truly shifted. All the songs with the exception of the covers were written in a matter of a few months after this.”

The album, which is essentially about healing, beautifully traverses through the canyons between ambient and folk genres. With gentle acoustic plucking, haunting string arrangements, and subtle, comforting electronic atmospheres, the eleven songs that make up We Will Find the Light, showcase Aarktica’s prowess in bridging all sides of his sonic spectrum, moving seamlessly through both melancholia and optimism, setting the scene for nuanced emotions to pollinate.

“The album is about this idea that once we acknowledge certain wounds, weaknesses or unpleasant feelings, and instead of ignoring them,” say Derosa “we dive headfirst into the darkness and face everything that is terrifying, there’s at least the possibility (and more so, the likelihood) that we will come out on the other end feeling stronger and more empowered.”

KEEP UP WITH AARKTICA

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Photo by Joelle Hannah

MARK ERELLI ANNOUNCES NEW LP VIA THE BOSTON GLOBE LAY YOUR DARKNESS DOWN OUT FEBRUARY 3 VIA SOUNDLY MUSIC

LEAD SINGLE & VIDEO “YOU’RE GONNA WANNA REMEMBER THIS”  OUT TODAY

Photo credit: Joe Navas

LISTEN // WATCH: “YOU’RE GONNA WANNA REMEMBER THIS”

Today, beloved Boston-area singer-songwriter Mark Erelli has released “You’re Gonna Wanna Remember This,” the lead single and video from his forthcoming LP, Lay Your Darkness Down, due out on February 3rd via Soundly Music. Erelli co-wrote the epic track with his “musical big sister,” GRAMMY-winning artist Lori McKenna.

In the summer of 2020, Erelli was performing an outdoor show in New Hampshire when something strange happened. “I looked down and couldn’t see my fingers on the guitar,” he told The Boston Globe. “I’m literally about to go into the downbeat for the solo, and, as you can imagine, it didn’t go great. It was embarrassing. I came offstage thinking, ‘Note to self: Check the lighting next time.’” Later, when driving home one night through a Boston tunnel, he lost sight of the road. After a trip to the ophthalmologist, Erelli was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa ("RP"), a degenerative eye disease that causes progressive loss of night and peripheral vision, and can lead to complete blindness.

After his terrifying diagnosis, he began to wonder - Does diminished eyesight decrease one’s insight? What does it mean to be ‘fully seen,’ by oneself and by others? These questions, along with his drive to regain his creative agency, are at the heart of Lay Your Darkness Down. The video for “You’re Gonna Wanna Remember This” features footage of Erelli’'s family, and his beloved pup Leo, whom he adopted during the pandemic. He and Leo traverse the verdant countryside--the video's edges blurred at times to mimic his vision--acknowledging life’s struggles, but taking stock of the beauty of even the simplest of things.

The tracks, though decorated with references to shadows, light, and obscured vision, are about resilience, love, and the human condition. The album is more than a collection of affirmations and optimism in the face of despair; it is a clarion call for anyone lost in the shadows. Yet Erelli doesn’t proclaim any easy answers for how to navigate the unknown. Instead, he squarely examines question after question, reveling in mysteries both great and small. With equal parts hope and resignation, he reminds us in the title track that our deepest challenges are more than a simple test of our endurance—they ultimately help us chart our course.

Lay Your Darkness Down is a reconciliation of life’s trials and human frailties, adversity transformed into finely-embroidered rock n’ roll, burning with urgency. “These aren’t songs about blindness. They’re songs I could only write once I realized what I was losing,” Erelli explained to The Boston Globe. “My impending blindness opened my eyes, and I was able to write from that new viewpoint.”

The album is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Mark Erelli at the links below for all the latest news and updates.

LAY YOUR DARKNESS DOWN TRACK LIST

BREAK IN THE CLOUDS

FUEL FOR THE FIRE

YOU’RE GONNA WANNA REMEMBER THIS

UP AGAINST THE NIGHT

YOU

THE MAN I AM

SENSE OF WONDER

IS IT ENOUGH

LAY YOUR DARKNESS DOWN

LOVE WINS IN THE LONG RUN 

CONNECT WITH MARK ERELLI:

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE | SPOTIFY

OUT TODAY: MARYANNA DEVLIN’S DEBUT LP A GREAT MANY THINGS

“...both mysterious and uplifting…Devlin brings both a sense of defiance and vulnerability” - The Boot 

“...a hauntingly beautiful indie record” - Milford Daily News 

"Maryanna’s ability to create a haunting sound that slow burns into your ears easily makes her one of our favorite artists right now." - GRRRL Music 

"The vocals have a Stevie Nicks-inspired delivery that adds grit to the ethereal backdrop and soft fingerpicking" - Glide Magazine 

"Devlin’s tender voice is a beautiful blend of ease and conviction, one that calls to mind artists like Cat Power and Sharon Van Etten." - East of 8th 

"The production layers on a richness that emphasizes Devlin’s lush vocals...this is a very personal record." - Twangville 

"A beautiful voice" - Music For The Misfits 

"...stunning" - Music Is My Life 

"...gorgeously lush" - If It's Too Loud

LISTEN: A GREAT MANY THINGS

Today, Boston-raised, Germany-based singer-songwriter Maryanna Devlin has released her debut LP, A Great Many Things. “The title comes from the book Little Women,” Devlin explains. I grew up in Massachusetts, which is where the author, Louisa May Alcott, was from, and the house where she grew up, Orchard House, is a museum in Concord. I went there often as a kid, and I watched the movie on repeat. My family always compared me with Jo…I marched to the beat of my own drum, and never wanted to do conventional things,” she continues.

In Little Women, the character Jacob Mayer, after making a point about female voting rights, says, “You should have been a lawyer Ms. March,” and Jo says, “I should have been a great many things.” “As I got older, I, like we all do, began to regret sometimes the steps I didn't take, and chances I missed out on,” says Devlin. “I realized I wanted to do so many things, and be so many things, but I didn't have the confidence, or time, or money, or just the ability. We are only human, and can only do so much. So I started to use my songs as a means to act out all of the things I wanted to do,” she continues. “I have all possibilities at my fingertips through songwriting, and that brings me peace, and that's how I can be, and do a great many things.” 

Devlin drew inspiration for some of the album’s tracks from several of her other literary heroes; “Timeline” is based on how Kurt Vonnegut explains the idea of time in his masterpiece, Slaughterhouse-Five–that time is actually linear, and the past present and future all exist as one. This idea became a broader theme throughout the album. Devlin uses the songs as means of time travel, going wherever she wants in her own life’s history to become “unstuck in time” like the main character of Slaughterhouse-Five, Billy Pilgrim. 

WATCH: “GARY INDIANA”

For Devlin, music is both an outlet for trauma and an excuse to share our best stories. As a performer, her lush vocals and raw energy have drawn comparisons to both Lana Del Rey and Sharon van Etten, while her unique arrangements and introspective lyrics are informed by a background in theater and a deep love of literature. A Great Many Things showcases stunning breadth and originality in eight nuanced anthems.

“I’m fascinated by how art can transcend time and space to connect people, to make them feel less alone,” Devlin, who began songwriting as a way to process childhood grief, reveals. The devastating loss of her brother, who passed away when she was fourteen, led her to pursue music nearly a decade later. Inspired by Brandi Carlile, she borrowed a guitar and taught herself to play using a pamphlet of chords from her mother. She found singer-songwriter Josh Ritter a few years later, whose idiosyncratic style inspired her to continue creating music in her own, unique way.

After college, Devlin wrote, self-produced, and released three solo EPs, honing her vocal tone and unique brand of storytelling through the influence of artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter, and Stevie Nicks. Her early forays into songwriting soon led to performances across the East Coast and Europe, sharing the stage with acts like Darlingside and Becca Mancari. She met her partner in Nashville in 2013, and the pair eventually relocated to Frankfurt, Germany in 2017. 

In A Great Many Things, Devlin presents a richly textured, more expansive version of her signature organic, acoustic sound. Many of the tracks on this refined and sharply reflective indie-Americana collection feature a full band backing her distinctly smooth vocals. The tracks, all written and composed by Devlin, are steeped in family and personal history, with lyrical themes exploring large temporal concepts like lineage, memory as a means of time travel, and the movement of time itself. Throughout the album, Devlin considers how we are connected and disconnected by its passing. From cover to cover, A Great Many Things contains an authentic variety of deeply human feelings, and spans an equally broad emotional spectrum, with moments of somber introspection in the vein of Elliot Smith and Townes Van Zandt juxtaposed with passages of bright and graceful ease.

CONNECT WITH MARYANNA DEVLIN:

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MELISSA CARPER PREMIERES NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “RAMBLIN’ SOUL” VIA THE BLUEGRASS SITUATION

RAMBLIN’ SOUL LP OUT NOVEMBER 18

VIA THIRTY TIGERS 

NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

"…her music wrangles sounds of a different era – country jazz, honky-tonk, and a bluesy soul unfurling with the thick twang of her vocals... Most spectacular though is the emotional twinge that wrings from the soulful shuffle of songs like 'Ain't a Day Goes By'" - The Austin Chronicle  

"Carper is hands-down one of the best in the trad music game." - The Boot 

“...an Ozark Billie Holiday” - WMOT 

“...gentle western swing and soulful tones of hope” -Country Queer

Photo: Lyza Renee

LISTEN // WATCH: “RAMBLIN’ SOUL” 

Today, singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has unveiled “Ramblin’ Soul,” the title track from her forthcoming LP due out on November 18th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers. The song and its accompanying video embody the spirit of Carper’s album.

"I wrote 'Ramblin' Soul' driving down the road on a familiar trip from Arkansas back down to Texas,” she told The Bluegrass Situation. “I had just spent time with some musician friends and was feeling re-energized. On this trip, I realized just how much that free, ramblin’ life I’ve lived over the years has stimulated my creative process.  Arkansas, Texas, and Tennessee have been states I just keep making the rounds to, as well as New Mexico and Minnesota, so these places made their way into the song,” Carper added. “I say 'you can't keep me in a hole, 'cause Lord I'm a ramblin' soul.' By that I mean, if something isn't working for me and making me happy or it seems I've gotten in a rut somewhere, then I move on to whatever the next thing is that feels right, or I get out of town for a bit to find some new inspiration and fresh perspective.  That is really the gist of it, trying to go with the flow of life wherever it seems the Universe is guiding me."

“Ramblin’ Soul” follows the release of lead single, “Ain’t A Day Goes By.” Carper penned the soulful track in 2014 after the death of her beloved dog, Betty. “This song is very emotional for me,” she reveals. “It was difficult to go through my Dad's death, then my Mom's death only a year later, and really, in a sense, losing my younger brother to severe mental health issues that have changed his personality completely,” she says. “Betty's death crushed me because she had been through it all with me. The grief just started pouring out at that point.”

LISTEN // WATCH: “AIN’T A DAY GOES BY” 

After the success of her critically-acclaimed 2021 release Daddy’s Country Gold, Carper was eager to get back in the studio. With co-producers Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Hurray For The Riff Raff) and Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) behind the boards again at Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Carper assembled that same crew of magical music makers - plus a few more - to join her on the adventure.

In 2020, grappling with the loss of regular gigs, Carper and her partner, award-winning fiddler Rebecca Patek, moved to a friend’s farm near Austin, working in exchange for housing, organic vegetables, and fresh, country air. The simpler life afforded Carper the space and rejuvenation needed to channel her muse, and begin writing for her next album.

Ramblin’ Soul, which features upbeat and diverse styles and grooves, boasts ten Carper originals, along with a co-write with life-long ramblin’ buddy and bandmate Gina Gallina, a song written by friend and frequent collaborator Brennen Leigh, and a reimagined classic from folk pioneer Odetta. The album ventures into blues, early rock n’ roll, and old-school soul, blended with Carper’s signature styles of country, western swing, and jazz.

The album is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Melissa Carper at the links below for all the latest news and updates.

TOUR DATES 

11/9 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Red Dragon*

11/10 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Red Dragon*

11/11 - Taylor, TX @ Black Sparrow Music Parlor*

11/12 - Fischer, TX @ Devil’s Backbone Tavern*

11/13 - Galveston, TX @ Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe*

11/18 - Little Rock, AR @  White Water Tavern

12/1 - San Antonio, TX @ The Lonesome Rose

12/2 - Austin, TX @ State Theatre

12/3 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall

12/4 - New Orleans, LA @ Cafe Istanbul

12/7 - Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle

12/8 - Decatur, GA @ Eddie’s Attic

12/9 - Nashville, TN @ Station Inn

12/10 - Knoxville, TN @ Boyd’s Jig & Reel 

* w/ Kelly Willis & Brennen Leigh 

CONNECT WITH MELISSA CARPER:  

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

CHAYLA HOPE ANNOUNCES BEER COLLABORATION WITH SAUCY BREW WORKS + DEBUT SOLO LP DAMN, FEELINGS OUT OCTOBER 28

BEER TASTING & LISTENING PARTY SET FOR OCTOBER 29

Cleveland-based powerhouse Chayla Hope has announced the launch of a two-beer collaboration with Saucy Brew Works. The first, Damn, Feelings, named for Hope’s forthcoming debut solo LP, is a super-fruited Imperial Hazy IPA with pink guava, apricot, and blood orange. At  8% ABV, it is sure to have tasters “in their feelings.” The second is called Chase The Pain, a wheated ale brewed with mango habanero.

At 3pm ET on Saturday, October 29th, Hope will host a public album listening and beer tasting party at Saucy Brew Works' Ohio City Brewpub. The beer will be available on tap at their Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Pinecrest, and Sandusky locations, along with select Northeast Ohio concert venues and retailers, throughout the winter and spring.

Hope recently unleashed “Long Way,” the latest single from the vinyl-presser-turned-pop-star’s debut record, out digitally on October 28th. “Long Way” is a triumphant funk pop tribute to the New Jack Swing era mixed by three-time GRAMMY Award nominee Andrew Wuepper (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry). “It’s about the feeling of impermanence you sometimes get growing and experiencing life with someone, knowing and eventually telling them it might not last forever,” Hope explains.

“Long Way” follows the release of “High” and Hope’s partnership with Shway Papers for her own Chayla Hope-branded rolling papers (available for purchase HERE), “Love In Lo-Fi,” “Falling,” and “Forget me Not,” mixed by 10-time GRAMMY award winner Josh Gudwin (Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa).

LISTEN // WATCH: “LONG WAY” 

LISTEN: “HIGH”

LISTEN: “FORGET ME NOT 

WATCH // LISTEN: “FALLING”  

WATCH // LISTEN: “LOVE IN LO-FI” 

Making a name for herself in Cleveland’s music scene pressing vinyl at Gotta Groove Records and collaborating with up-and-coming producer Jesty Beatz (aka Holy Mattress Money), Hope’s sophisticated take on the sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s recalls the influence of Kate Bush, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, and Robyn, marrying inventive arrangements with an impressive range and infectious spirit.

Throughout her life, Chayla has had to overcome obstacles like heartbreak and trauma by dressing up, performing, and powering through by sheer force of her artistic and creative vision. She has long been fascinated by the juxtaposition of happy music masking sad lyrics, exploring the complicated nature of human experience through its most common facet: our feelings.

A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who found her performance identity doing drag, it’s no surprise Chayla was selected to sing the theme song for Care Bears: Unlock The Magic and has numerous features in the show’s soundtrack and merchandise, embodying its core themes of empowerment, inclusion, and self-understanding through her music.

CONNECT WITH CHAYLA HOPE:

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

TAYLOR YOUNG BAND EXPLORE COSMOS ON NEW SINGLE “BELONG TOGETHER” OUT TODAY

“…a fresh, atmospheric rock sound that shows off an exciting texture.” – Dallas Observer

Photo Credit: Cabus Gayao

“Belong Together” single

LISTEN

DALLAS, TX - Following 2020s debut album Mercury Transit, Taylor Young Band has embarked on an interstellar journey of discovery. Powered by new instrumentation, new arrangements, and Taylor’s trademark disarming earnestness, “Belong Together” propels an artist grounded in the roots of Americana to the swirling mist beyond the stars.
This pulsating anthem beams home a universal message of love and acceptance — because if we can’t get along here, how will we ever get anywhere?

“When people feel disconnected and divided, they need to be reminded of how much love there is in the world. We’re on this journey together, and I want everybody to find their place in it,” says Taylor.

Taylor’s focus is squarely on the future, looking forward to the possibilities of a post-pandemic world, full in the knowledge that connecting with people is the key to every seemingly impossible equation.
“Much in the way a great zombie flick isn’t really about the gory undead, but about the living people who are facing a weird, new reality, the best music from the pandemic is about the unique ways in which artists crafted their own takes on a universal experience. ‘Belong Together’ is just a really great tune from a fantastic band of players, regardless of when it was made and released.” – Dallas Observer
Taylor Young Band will splash down with a new album in 2023.

TOUR DATES

SEPT 23 / BASTROP, TX @ Bastrop Music Festival

SEPT 24 / HOUSTON, TX @ The Rustic

OCT 14 / DALLAS, TX @ State Fair of Texas (Chevrolet Main Stage)

OCT 15 / DALLAS, TX @ Granada Theater

NOV 10 / SAN ANTONIO, TX @ The Rustic

NOV 12 / AUSTIN, TX @ Long Play Lounge East

KEEP UP WITH TAYLOR YOUNG

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

SOUTH AFRICAN ROCKER STEVE LOUW ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM THUNDER AND RAIN AVAILABLE NOVEMBER 11

PRODUCED BY KEVIN SHIRLEY FEATURING JOE BONAMASSA AND DOUG LANCIO

Photo Credit: Jacqui van Staden

“Thunder and Rain” single

VIDEO | LISTEN

ALBUM PRE-SAVE

NEW YORK, NY - Veteran South African rocker Steve Louw announces his sophomore solo release Thunder and Rain, available November 11, 2022 through BFD / The Orchard, with the release of the first single and title track today. The album was produced by Kevin Shirley (John Hiatt, Robert Cray Band, the Black Crowes) and features contributions from guitar wizards Joe Bonamassa, and Doug Lancio.

Thunder and Rain follows hot on the heels of Headlight Dreams the 2021 album that found Steve Louw returning to active duty after a thirteen-year absence. After this prolonged period away from the spotlight, Louw discovered an audience who was eager to hear new music from the singer/songwriter: Headlight Dreams received strong reviews and earned a nomination for Best Rock Album from the South African Music Awards in 2022. 

On the album's opening title track, “Thunder and Rain,” it's possible to hear and feel bad weather creep in over the horizon. “The world is navigating through a fraught time, economically and politically,” explains Louw. “The geography of where I was coming from crept into the music; fire, wind and rain.” Those elements also creep into the video created by Jacqui van Staden.

While it’s an ominous beginning to the album, waiting for light to emerge after darkness is a thematic undercurrent on Thunder and Rain, a record where Louw balances these opposing impulses with strength and compassion. He may open the record with a sense of foreboding—a feeling that resonates strongly in 2022, as the world picks up the pieces left after a global pandemic—yet he doesn’t dwell in the darkness.

“It’s about love,” Louw explains of the album, “we’re born with love, we’ll leave with love, and it heals along the way.”

Louw celebrates the restorative, nourishing love on “Mother, Don’t Go,” an insightful, insistent tune graced by guitar wizard Joe Banamassa, who brings out the song’s incandescent spirit as he intertwines his playing with that of Doug Lancio, a guitarist who has just entered Louw’s orbit. The album winds its way through "The Road Fades from Sight," a ballad built upon the soul-sustaining power of longtime love, then reaches the finish line with “I’m Coming Home,” an invigorating conclusion that leaves no doubt there’s room for optimism in these troubled times. By finding space for this full range of emotion, Thunder and Rain operates on a refreshingly human scale, emphasizing deep emotions and interpersonal interactions—it's music that's meant to be felt as much as heard. 

ABOUT STEVE LOUW: South African musician Steve Louw’s career began with his first band All Night Radio who released two records including 1986's The Killing Floor, the album where he first collaborated with Kevin Shirley. Louw came to stardom as the leader of Big Sky, a group who put out their first album, Waiting for the Dawn, in 1990. During their time together, Big Sky released five albums, a discography highlighted by 1995's acclaimed Horizon. The band earned accolades from the industry, including winning the FNB Music Award for Best SA Rock Act in 1996. At the end of their run as a band, Big Sky was the opening act for Rodriguez on his valedictory tour of South Africa, a journey captured in the 2012 Oscar-winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man. The tour raised Louw's international profile, leading to his collaboration with Queen's Brian May and Eurythmics' Dave Stewart on "Amandla," a song on 2003's Nelson Mandela-inspired AIDS awareness project 46664. 

Following the release of Big Sky’s Trancas Canyon in 2008, Louw retreated from the spotlight. He broke his silence with his solo debut Headlight Dreams, a rousing comeback delivered in 2021. Thunder and Rain, his sophomore release, will be available November 11, 2022.

KEEP UP WITH STEVE LOUW

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NORWEGIAN FOLK TREASURE JONAS FJELD RELEASED “EVOCATIVE” – (FOLKALLEY) ALBUM TO THE BONE

TO THE BONE : LISTEN

OSLO, NORWAY – A few days shy of his 70th birthday, Norwegian folk treasure Jonas Fjeld, regarded as the Doc Watson of Norway, celebrated the release of To The Bone, his first solo English album in 20+years, with a performance in Oslo, Norway.

Prior to it, Jonas was concentrating on acoustic music sung in his native language. But all that changed with the release of 2019s Winter Stories, a collaboration with celebrated American singer/songwriter Judy Collins and Americana band Chatham County Line.  The album was #1 on the Billboard Bluegrass chart for four weeks in December 2019, nominated for a Spelman Prize (a Norwegian Grammy) and produced its own PBS Special that first aired in February 2020.

“I never thought I would release another English album,” he emphasizes. “But things went so well with the [Winter Stories]’s reception and the shows, I decided what the hell? Let’s do a new album!” Jonas continues: “The expression ‘to the bone’ means honesty, and this is a very honest album. I feel at home on this album.”

“The songs on To the Bone run the gamut of rootsy sounds, cast occasionally under a shroud of cold north wind.” – Folk Alley

“It is primarily an album of quietly moving, warmly intimate ballads. There’s the pedal steel guitar-laced manifesto for centering love and affection Place for Warm, and the gentle deathbed lament of Electric Lung. Rosie is in the folk storytelling tradition, while Savannah makes the epic imagery of the American South seem fresh rather than a well-worn trope.” The New European

Following the release of To The Bone, Fjeld is celebrating on tour throughout Norway before returning stateside for a handful of dates with Judy Collins and Chatham County Line in February 2023.

U.S. TOUR DATES

FEB 8 / GRAND JUNCTION, CO @ Avalon Theater

FEB 9 / TELLURIDE, CO @ Sheridan Opera House

FEB 11 / GREELEY, CO @ Monfort Concert Hall

FEB 13 BILLINGS, MT @ Alberta Bair Theater

FEB 14 / RAPID CITY, SD @ Fine Arts Center

all dates with Judy Collins and Chatham County Line

KEEP UP WITH JONAS FJELD

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CARLY ROSE EMBRACES NOSTALGIA AND HER X-FACTOR PAST WITH THE RELEASE OF “BROKENHEARTED”

“BROKENHEARTED”: LISTEN // WATCH

Ten years ago, a 13-year-old dazzled a panel of judges that included Britney Spears, Simon Cowell, Demi Lovato, and L.A. Reid, on the second season of Fox’s The X Factor. She then went off to win the hearts of the world with her stunning cover of Karmin’s “Brokenhearted” solidifying her place in pop culture history. The now 23-year-old Carly Rose is commemorating the 10th anniversary of the show and revisiting this time of her life with her grown-up interpretation of “Brokenhearted,” out today worldwide across all digital platforms.

At age seven, Carly snagged a role in the Broadway production of Les Misérables, and began performing in theater, on TV and in films, and touring nationally. At 13, her instincts lead her to audition for The X Factor. “I thought, ‘I might as well try this, you never know,’” says Carly. Her intuition proved to be spot on. The little girl with the big voice made the cut, was a fan-favorite, and went on to become the runner-up, the youngest in the show’s history.

Following the conclusion of her run on The X-Factor, while still under the glare of the spotlight, Carly and her family made the decision for her to have a childhood away from the limelight. This gave her the freedom to pursue an education, and develop into a fully formed artist who approaches performing and songwriting with a level of focus and maturity well beyond her 23 years, amassing an impressive catalog of original music.

For years Carly shied away from associating herself with the show, but it was the original X Factor fans, as well as the community that she cultivated on social media that encouraged her to embrace nostalgia and this part of her life. After posting a number of tongue-in-cheek TikTok videos referencing her time on the show, she came to see that people really cared and were genuinely interested. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Carly looks at this exercise, especially with the direction of the music video, as embracing this chapter of her story, and more importantly bringing a sense of joy to her fans.

The video, directed by Claire Schmitt, gives a special nod to that very magical moment. “Revisiting this song that opened so many doors for me as an artist has been such a special experience,” says Carly. “ I am so excited to share this visual representation of my gratitude for all those who have continued to support me since my time on The X Factor. I wanted to pay homage to the many things that made the original video and cover so special while bringing a new perspective and energy to it as I now approach it from the viewpoint of an adult.”

“With ‘Brokenhearted,’ I’m reintroducing myself to people who know me from that time, but who might not know I'm still making music,” says Carly. “This is a bridge between now and how they met me. I want to invite them to come back into my world and re-meet me, and take them with me on this new journey of what’s to come.”

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cr: Dillon Matthew

MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST JON DEROSA RELEASES HIS FOLK-AMBIENT SINGLE “DELICATE WALTZ OF SHADOWS”

FROM THE FORTHCOMING AARKTICA ALBUM WE WILL FIND THE LIGHT OUT ON 9/30 VIA DARLA RECORDS

"A beautiful and dynamic ride between ambient electric symphony and intimate human song."

- Alan Sparhawk, Low.

"Evocative ambience and electronica." - Penny Black Music

"Aarktica has long been a reliable name for those interested in the more otherworldly and transporting side of the guitar.”- Dusted Magazine

"Under the guise of Aarktica, you never know where Jon DeRosa is going to end up." - Exclaim

"Why isn’t Jon DeRosa’s work as Aarktica mentioned in the same breath as Stars of the Lid or Eluvium when discussing ambient/drone music? Ever since losing hearing in his right ear in 1999, DeRosa has succeeded in using the drifting guitar tones of Aarktica to conjure up the underwater experience that hearing music has become for him.” - Pop Matters

LISTEN TO “DELICATE WALTZ OF SHADOWS”: HERE

Today Los Angeles multi-instrumentalist Jon DeRosa releases his second single “Delicate Waltz of Shadows” from his forthcoming album as Aarktica, We Will Find The Light, out September 30th via Darla Records. A journey through love, loss, and healing through growth, “Delicate Waltz of Shadows” captures the nature of forgiveness in the face of adversity, and finding solace in one’s goodness after their passing.

With gentle acoustic plucking, a slowly building string arrangement, and subtle, comforting electronic atmospheres, the song showcases Aarktica’s prowess in bridging meditative, grounded folk music with glistening ambient, bridging all sides of DeRosa’s sonic spectrum and setting the scene for nuanced emotions to pollinate. Lush electric guitars glide in the background, and guide the song through a lullaby-like exhale. “I remember, when you were kind / just like yesterday of another lifetime / and the love still flows / even when it’s got nowhere to go,” sings DeRosa.

For DeRosa, “Delicate Waltz of Shadows” was an experiment in being more observational, and opening himself up to “what is” without judgment or attachment. “In an ideal healing scenario, I can move past the pain of lost love, and appreciate the beauty of the memory of that person,” says DeRosa. “Who they once were to me, and the feelings we shared, without blame, judgment, and regret.” Healing is a nonlinear journey, and “Delicate Waltz of Shadows” reminds listeners that no person is as unforgivable as their worst impulses or characteristics, and that acceptance and forgiveness is an ally in the overall path towards healing.

“The album is about this idea that once we acknowledge certain wounds, weaknesses or unpleasant feelings, and instead of ignoring them, we dive headfirst into the darkness and face everything that is terrifying, there’s at least the possibility (and more so, the likelihood) that we will come out on the other end feeling stronger and more empowered,” says DeRosa.

“Delicate Waltz of Shadows” follows “Can’t Say I’ve Missed You,” the first offering from Aarktica off of the forthcoming We Will Find the Light, and another piece that finds DeRosa traversing through the canyons between ambient and folk genres. The emotional depth in DeRosa’s music runs like a river through the heart of We Will Find the Light.

Aarktica is the brainchild of Jon DeRosa, who has been releasing a diverse catalog of music under this name since 1999. We Will Find the Light produced by the Grammy-nominated producer Lewis Pesacov is Aarktica's most ambitious and sublime album to date and marks his first collaboration with Grammy-nominated producer Lewis Pesacov. The album is due out September 30th via Darla Records and will be available worldwide on all major streaming services, as a CD digipack, and as a limited edition double vinyl gatefold, all available for pre-order now. This is the first physical release from Aarktica since 2009's In Sea and the first full-length since 2019's Mareación.

Beginning in 1999 with the ambient guitar opus No Solace in Sleep (Silber), the classically trained DeRosa has spent the last two decades charting his way across cosmic terrains and ambient soundscapes through patient songwriting and a curiosity in experimentation. It's a journey that began with DeRosa recording guitar experiments on a four-track cassette recorder in his college dorm after going permanently deaf in his right ear.

"I was having aural hallucinations. Everything I knew as sonically 'normal' suddenly changed. When I started Aarktica, it was a bit like a sonic journal, trying to recreate and reinterpret sounds as I was hearing them." These recordings, which would become No Solace in Sleep, translated those classical musical forms he’d studied for years to electric guitar, stretched them into infinity, soaked them in reverb and delay, and created an entirely new sound identity that would evolve over the years.

We Will Find the Light blooms at the intersection of DeRosa’s influences and experiences and moves seamlessly through both melancholia and optimism, as he finds himself traversing the valleys of atmospheric ambient and wide-eyed folk, and revisiting his roots, crafting many of these songs on classical guitar, an approach he's never taken before as Aarktica. Hints of Leonard Cohen, This Mortal Coil, and Nick Cave shine through, intermingling with those of minimalist composers like Ingram Marshall, and ambient artists like Juliana Barwick and Steve Roach.

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Photo by Joelle Hannah

CHAYLA HOPE’S NEW SINGLE “LONG WAY” OUT TODAY + DEBUT SOLO LP DAMN, FEELINGS OUT OCTOBER 28

Photo credit: Lindsey Poyar

LISTEN // WATCH: “LONG WAY”

Cleveland-based powerhouse Chayla Hope has unleashed “Long Way,” the latest single from the vinyl-presser-turned-pop-star’s debut record Damn, Feelings, out digitally October 28th. “Long Way” is a triumphant funk pop tribute to the New Jack Swing era mixed by three-time GRAMMY Award nominee Andrew Wuepper (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Katy Perry).

“It’s about the feeling of impermanence you sometimes get growing and experiencing life with someone, knowing and eventually telling them it might not last forever,” Hope explains.

“Long Way” follows the release of “High” and Hope’s partnership with Shway Papers for her own Chayla Hope-branded rolling papers (available for purchase HERE), “Love In Lo-Fi,” “Falling,” and “Forget me Not,” mixed by 10-time GRAMMY award winner Josh Gudwin (Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, Dua Lipa).

LISTEN: “HIGH”

LISTEN: “FORGET ME NOT 

WATCH // LISTEN: “FALLING”  

WATCH // LISTEN: “LOVE IN LO-FI” 

Chayla Hope is pop’s next great voice. Making a name for herself in Cleveland’s music scene pressing vinyl at Gotta Groove Records and collaborating with up-and-coming producer Jesty Beatz (aka Holy Mattress Money), her sophisticated take on the sounds of the ‘80s and ‘90s recalls the influence of Kate Bush, Whitney Houston, Annie Lennox, and Robyn, marrying inventive arrangements with an impressive range and infectious spirit.

Throughout her life, Chayla has had to overcome obstacles like heartbreak and trauma by dressing up, performing, and powering through by sheer force of her artistic and creative vision. She has long been fascinated by the juxtaposition of happy music masking sad lyrics, exploring the complicated nature of human experience through its most common facet: our feelings.

A proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community who found her performance identity doing drag, it’s no surprise Chayla was selected to sing the theme song for Care Bears: Unlock The Magic and has numerous features in the show’s soundtrack and merchandise, embodying its core themes of empowerment, inclusion, and self-understanding through her music.

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THE STONE FOXES PREMIERE SINGLE “TIME IS A KILLER” VIA CHORUS.FM + NEW LP ON THE OTHER SIDE DUE OUT NOVEMBER 18

Photo credit: Brian Adler

LISTEN: “TIME IS A KILLER” 

 Today, San Francisco-based outfit The Stone Foxes have unleashed “Time Is A Killer,” the latest from their forthcoming LP, On The Other Side, due out on November 18th. “With a sound that strays somewhere between The Black Crowes, Jack White, and The Struts, The Stone Foxes have crafted a blistering new song that hits all the right chords,” said Chorus.fm in the track’s premiere.

“The lyrical theme came from the idea of mother nature being a character – a stone cold killer – which she is. Mother nature doesn’t play games. Mother Nature will auto-correct our foolishness. And after a certain amount of time, Mother nature will move on without us if we don’t get wise,” says TSF’s Shannon Koehler, who co-founded TSF with his brother, Spence. “It’s not complicated by any stretch, but it’s one of the first songs I’ve ever written on piano. However, I am very aware that it’s Spence’s guitar, the horns, and the backup singers—Emilie, Zola, and Kelly—that really make the track go to another level.  We tried to make a big soup out of Spence’s guitar, a little early Wu-Tang beat influence, and some Ennio Morricone.”

The song follows “Man’s Red Fire,” inspired by a lyric from The Jungle Book's “I Want To Be Like You.” “I’ve always loved that song and that phrase, and living in California surrounded by wildfires every summer for the past four years, it was stuck in my head,” Shannon said of the song. “The flames are a symbol of power and I couldn’t help but think of this raging fire of racism that’s been burning in our country since its inception. Just looking around, it’s obvious that the civil war isn’t over, so I started writing lyrics with civil war imagery in my head, and putting them together with lyrics that symbolized a quest for power.”

LISTEN: “MAN’S RED FIRE”

On The Other Side will be the first full-length album recorded by Shannon (lead vocals, drums, harmonica,  producer) and Spence (lead guitar, rhythm guitar, pedal steel, bass, producer) in over six years. For the Koehler brothers, On The Other Side is a cinematic western rock ‘n’ roll soundtrack to pull you through when the journey gets rough. The lyrics and sounds reflect Shannon's journey through a second open heart surgery, the brothers’ struggles with anxiety, being grounded by love, and the experience of living in a deeply disturbing America.

It's also an album of many firsts. "It’s the first time Spence and I have been the main songwriters on every track of a release," says Shannon. "It’s the first time I’ve sung lead vocals on every track of a release. It’s the first time I’ve ever written songs on piano that turned into actual songs on an album. It’s the first time Spence has been the main bass player on a full album."

The new single and album announcement coincides with the launch of a new fan club, The Fox Den. Members will receive early access to the album and exclusive demos, listening party invites, and exclusive merch. Members can even have their names listed in the CD liner notes or receive handwritten lyrics from the band. Membership levels begin at $30 and are available at https://www.thestonefoxes.com/the-fox-den. Be sure to follow The Stone Foxes at the links below for the latest news and updates.

Artwork by Spence Koehler

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FRANCES LUKE ACCORD ANNOUNCES NEW LP SAFE IN SOUND DUE OUT FEBRUARY 9TH VIA TWO-DALE RECORDS/TONE TREE MUSIC

NEW SINGLE & VIDEO “IN MY LIFE (ft. DARLINGSIDE)” OUT TODAY 

Photo: Luke Jackson

LISTEN // WATCH: “IN MY LIFE (ft. Darlingside)” 

Today, with the release of their single “In My Life (ft. Darlingside” and its accompanying video,   indie folk duo Frances Luke Accord (“FLA”) announces their forthcoming LP, Safe In Sound, set for release on February 9th via Two-Dale Records/Tone Tree Music. The track is a reflection on the inevitable ups and downs we all experience during our short spins on this beautiful planet. Featuring FLA’s mentors and brethren, Darlingside, the song is a hopeful ballad and vocal tour de force reminiscent of Simon & Garfunkel and Peter, Paul, & Mary. The band has recently released two other tracks from the album, “This Morning (ft. Liz Chidester),” and “Friend You’ve Been.”

LISTEN: “FRIEND YOU’VE BEEN” 

LISTEN: “THIS MORNING”

When FLA’s Nicholas Gunty and Brian Powers put their songs and voices together, there is a delicate magic that commands the room to attention–NPR’s Mountain Stage has called them “the definition of lean-in music.” Their soft, contemplative vintage of indie-folk gestures toward a timelessness that honors the Simon & Garfunkel comparisons but pushes beyond into the world of Bon Iver, Jose Gonzalez, and progressive folk music.

Both raised in South Bend, Indiana, Gunty and Powers met and began performing together during their time at the University of Notre Dame. Their first release, Kandote, was a bold intercultural collaboration with the Barefoot Truth Children’s Choir in Uganda, a not-for-profit effort which continues to support the choir to this day.

Relocating to Chicago in 2013, the duo honed their songwriting craft while releasing two more self-produced EPs, laying the groundwork for their breakthrough debut full-length, Fluke, in 2016. This immersive, philosophically rich album set them off on their first national tour, which included support dates with Darlingside, Anaïs Mitchell, and The Ballroom Thieves.

A remote band since 2017, the duo’s DIY ethos has remained strong since Fluke. Still self-managing and producing, the duo has released two more EP’s, Silver & Gold (2019) and Sunnyside (2021)–the latter under their new label, Two-Dale Records–as well as a number of singles.

FLA will be performing live in Chicago on September 22nd at Golden Dagger, and in South Bend, Indiana on September 23rd at the South Bend Civic Theatre; Chris DuPont will provide opening support for both shows. The band will also be performing in Charleston, West Virginia on September 25th at the Culture Center Theater. Be sure to follow them at the links below for the latest news and updates.

SAFE IN SOUND TRACK LIST

Window 

Dust to Dust

Sunnyside

Maria

Thank You, Derrick Watson

This Morning (ft. Liz Chidester)

Cloudy (featuring Yeshua)

Saint Mary

All The Things

Friend You’ve Been

In My Life (ft. Darlingside)

CONNECT WITH FRANCES LUKE ACCORD:

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BROOKLYN'S CRYSTAL ROSE RELEASES THE SELF-REFLECTIVE R&B TINGED SINGLE “WORKING ON MYSELF”

"We love to see an artist who’s better at explaining our feelings than we are. Her first album, It’s Raining In Here, was a success with all of us, sentimental people who think music expresses our feelings better than words. No, seriously, it’s like Crystal Rose actually knows our minds and wrote her songs based on them." - Honey Pop

“There’s something to be said about love songs – there’s a fine line between ultra-sappy and ultra-relatable, and we think Crystal Rose struck a sweet spot with her latest offering, ‘Thought I’d Say.’ ” - Buffablog

“....an indie pop song with a disco soul that reflects on love and friendship.” - R+ Music

" Crystal’s songs glide effortlessly – and the singing takes you to paradise. She’s definitely a star on the rise."

- Two Story Melody

Listen to “Working on Myself” : HERE

Brooklyn’s Crystal Rose has released her R&B driven inner and outer conversation with the self, “Working on Myself,” that has received comparisons to Solange, Kali Uchis and Lana Del Rey. This song follows “Thought I’d Say”, the debut from her forthcoming album Anew due out December 2nd. For Crystal Rose, who is a first-generation American, she wanted to write a song emphasizing the importance of connecting to your roots, while conversing with and walking through generational trauma, that for many may become a roadblock for pursuing dreams and desires. For the video, three women, including Crystal Rose and her two friends Judette Elliston and Roslyn Catubig, take personal journeys of self-reflection and observation. Their paths end up converging in a cave-like living space, where they all engage in self “work” together. All three women are the children of immigrants, and they carry lived and generational trauma that they are learning to unpack, reflect upon, and heal from.

Singing and making music is really a do-or-die thing for Crystal Rose. To communicate through music, through singing, is what she has known she was supposed to be doing from a young age. She grew up singing with her mom in Filipino karaoke bars and in the church and loved it. As a soft-spoken child filled with a ton of ‘big feelings’, she could belt out “When You Believe” from the Prince of Egypt or “Reflection” from Mulan, and it was a very spiritual thing. In Pampanga, Philippines, her mom sang with her sister for the American military personnel at the base. It was here that her mom developed her stage name “Miss Christy”, and her ability to sing all of the classic country songs sung by Patsy Cline and similar old-time singers. Going to church with her mom, you will hear her above everyone else in the rows around you- Crystal Rose guarantees it- it’s a complete cathartic release for her- music is clearly in her blood.

Growing up, around age 11, Crystal Rose started guitar class at her junior high which is where she met Glen Fisher of the First Friday Music Club in San Diego - this moment changed her life. She began singing with his students, and the First Friday Music Club funded guitar and voice lessons for her. She played with a cover band “Revolt-age” throughout San Diego. As she grew older, she went through struggles but found support in the music community. She eventually moved to NYC to attend NYU, and eventually transferred to the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. It’s been a long journey, and luckily her music community has always been there, and singing has always been her medicine. She communicates best through making and sharing music, which is why she is so excited to bring Anew to the world.

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GLEN PHILLIPS OFFERS “BIG CHANGES” FIRST SINGLE FROM FORTHCOMING ALBUM 'THERE IS SO MUCH HERE' DUE NOVEMBER 4 ON COMPASS RECORDS

Photo Credit: Chris Orwig

“BIG CHANGES”

LISTEN | ALBUM PRESAVE

SANTA BARBARA, CA – September 9, 2022 - Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket) shares “Big Changes,” the first single from his forthcoming album, There Is So Much Here, available 11/4 on Compass Records. It is his fifth solo album and first since 2016’s Swallowed By The New.

“‘Big Changes’ is about what I think of as The Situation — the changing environment, the growing gaps between ideologies and realities that make healthy debate almost impossible... The Situation invites The Conversation, which is usually just a litany of all that is wrong with the world and how we feel hopeless to change any of it,” explains Phillips. “The second verse of the song is about what I see as the start of changing things — love, wonder and tears. I’m not always great at this. I’m as good at doom scrolling as the next guy, but I write songs like this to remind me to take my head out of the sand more often than I would otherwise.”

Swallowed by the New, was a post-divorce outing about grief, while There Is So Much Here finds Phillips writing love songs again focusing on gratitude, beauty and staying present. The first single is a bridge between the two albums. This new collection of songs documents a shift of perspective from dealing with loss to an appreciation of life.  

The 11 tracks on the album move between quiet love songs and outright rockers that consider the multi-faceted meanings hidden in our everyday lives. “Stone Throat” is a mid-tempo rocker that looks at a couple in a new relationship, trying to find the balance between desire and responsibility, or as Phillips sings, “trying to find the balance, between the sacred and the street.” There’s a hint of new wave ska in the rhythm of “I Was a Riot,” a song that casts a compassionate eye on the arc of a relationship. The COVID lockdown-inspired “The Sound of Drinking,” is an appreciation of the familiar things in life, like drinking a glass of water on your back porch. Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) plays soft acoustic guitar and Glen sighs a lyric of gratitude for simple pleasures.

“Call The Moondust” is the most metaphysical song in the set; Phillips delivers an emotional performance over a tense arrangement that hints at the wonders of the universe. “There is so much here, in the space around me, in the sensations of my body, in the sounds and smells and tastes and thoughts that emerge and drift away.” says Phillips. “It’s not a new concept, but it is a novel experience when you’ve spent your life running from one thing to another. This is an album about showing up for what is and letting it be enough.” 

There Is So Much Here will be released November 4th on Compass Records. Glen Phillips is on tour with Toad The Wet Sprocket in October, with a solo run of shows beginning in November.

ABOUT GLEN PHILLIPS: During his years as lead singer and main songwriter of Toad the Wet Sprocket, Glen Phillips helped to create the band’s elegant folk/pop sound with honest, introspective lyrics that forged a close bond with their fans. When Toad went on hiatus, he launched a solo career with Abulum, and stayed busy collaborating with other artists on various projects including Mutual Admiration Society, with members of Nickel Creek and Remote Tree Children, an experimental outing with John Morgan Askew.

U.S. TOUR DATES

SEPT 16 / MENLO PARK, CA @ The Guild Theatre

NOV 3 / NOVATO, CA @ Hopmonk Tavern

NOV 4 / NOVATO, CA @ Hopmonk Tavern

NOV 5 / SALT LAKE CITY, UT @ The State Room

NOV 6 / PORTLAND, OR @ The Old Church

NOV 8 / SPOKANE, WA @ Lucky You Lounge

NOV 9 / SEATTLE, WA @ Triple Door

NOV 10 / DENVER, CO @ Soiled Dove Underground

NOV  13 / CHESTERFIELD, MO @ Forest Hills Country Club

NOV 15 / MINNEAPOLIS, MN @ Icehouse

NOV 16 / MILWAUKEE, WI @ Colectivo Coffee on Prospect

NOV 17 / CHICAGO, IL @ City Winery Chicago

NOV 18 / ANN ARBOR, MI @ The Ark

NOV 20 / GRAND RAPIDS, MI @ The Listening Room

DEC 7 / VENICE, CA @ The Venice West

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MARYANNA DEVLIN UNVEILS NEW SINGLE “CUT AND RUN” + DEBUT LP A GREAT MANY THINGS OUT SEPTEMBER 30

Photo credit: Patrick Schmetzer

LISTEN: “CUT AND RUN”

Boston-raised, Germany-based singer/songwriter Maryanna Devlin has released her latest single, “Cut and Run,” a track from her forthcoming debut LP, A Great Many Things, due out on September 30th. In "Cut and Run," Devlin’s voice is reminiscent of Stevie Nicks and Lana Del Ray, set against a dreamy backdrop with a fierce message. "For me, this song is about letting go of other people's opinions and also about gaslighting," she explains. "People saying things are different from how you remember them is messed up, and that's basically what this is about. I could hardly sing anymore (I was seven months pregnant) so the producer had to do some singing to help me out,” she continues. “It's really fun, and kind of has a vintage spy movie vibe—like driving around the desert in a sports car trying to catch the bad guy."

“Cut and Run” follows “Gary Indiana,” a poignant track inspired by a trip Devlin took with her father to see a a college football game. "This trip was a somewhat healing moment for us, as we tried to mend our relationship after years of him abusing alcohol and drugs. This was the first song we recorded, and it really connected me with the team at the studio." Lead single “Manchester By The Sea” was inspired by the scenic escape located in her home state of Massachusetts. “Manchester-by-the-Sea is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been, filled with sprawling private estates and private roads,” she says. “I think this song was a way for me to gain access to this idyllic seaside town that is really only reserved for the elite.”

LISTEN // WATCH: “GARY INDIANA”

LISTEN: “MANCHESTER BY THE SEA”

For Devlin, music is both an outlet for trauma and an excuse to share our best stories. As a performer, her lush vocals and raw energy have drawn comparisons to both Lana Del Rey and Sharon van Etten, while her unique arrangements and introspective lyrics are informed by a background in theater and a deep love of literature. Her debut full-length album, A Great Many Things, showcases stunning breadth and originality in eight nuanced anthems.

Born in Vermont and raised outside of Boston, Devlin moved to Manhattan after high school to study acting, where she fell in love with the transitive power of art. “When you see a painting or hear a song and become overwhelmed with sudden feeling, that’s the artist’s emotion. I’m fascinated by how art can transcend time and space to connect people, to make them feel less alone,” she says. Devlin began songwriting as a way to process childhood grief. The devastating loss of her brother, who passed away when she was fourteen, led her to pursue music nearly a decade later. Inspired by Brandi Carlile, she borrowed a guitar and taught herself to play using a pamphlet of chords from her mother. She found singer-songwriter Josh Ritter a few years later, whose idiosyncratic style inspired her to continue creating music in her own, unique way.

After college, Devlin shifted from acting to making music; over the next several years she wrote, self-produced, and released three solo EPs, honing her vocal tone and unique brand of storytelling through the influence of artists like Simon and Garfunkel, Hiss Golden Messenger, Josh Ritter, and Stevie Nicks. Her early forays into songwriting soon led to performances across the East Coast and Europe, sharing the stage with acts like Darlingside and Becca Mancari. She met her partner in Nashville in 2013, and the pair eventually relocated to Frankfurt, Germany in 2017. 

In A Great Many Things, Devlin presents a richly textured, more expansive version of her signature organic, acoustic sound. Many of the tracks on this refined and sharply reflective indie-Americana collection feature a full band backing Devlin’s distinctly smooth vocals. The tracks, all written and composed by Devlin, are steeped in family and personal history, with lyrical themes exploring large temporal concepts like lineage, memory as a means of time travel, and the movement of time itself. Throughout the album, Devlin considers how we are connected and disconnected by its passing. From cover to cover, A Great Many Things contains an authentic variety of deeply human feelings, and spans an equally broad emotional spectrum, with moments of somber introspection in the vein of Elliot Smith and Townes Van Zandt juxtaposed with passages of bright and graceful ease.

OUT TODAY: RIGHT THIS TIME - DEBUT LP FROM lund

“Lund's voice is smooth as honey” - The Boot  

“...a winner” - WNCW  

“Hot electric guitar and a blues rock drive” - Americana Highways  

“...a solid collection of songs that highlights the versatility of all the band members...an unpredictable and enjoyable ride through soul, Americana, rock, and the blues. -Glide Magazine  

"...this record takes listeners on a journey that, while at times is poignantly heart-wrenching, is a helluva fun listen." - Mother Church Pew  

"...hypnotic" - Adobe & Teardrops 

LISTEN: RIGHT THIS TIME

Today, Asheville, NC-based outfit lund has released their debut LP, Right This Time. Frontwoman, singer/songwriter, and music industry veteran Nicole Lund assembled a stellar lineup of players at Echo Mountain Studios and Sedgwick Studios in Asheville with producer Tyler “The Falcon” Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks Band) behind the boards. The album features original songs honed over her decades-long stint in New York City as a working musician, promoter, and manager. Written in collaboration with local artist Brandon Townsend — and additional contributions from guitarist Paul Olsen (Scrapomatic, Susan Tedeschi, Kristina Train) — lund’s soulful brand of Americana runs the gamut from punchy blues to plaintive weepers. The band is a reflection of Nicole’s eclectic tastes: Dave Yoke on guitar (Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi), Brandon Boone on bass (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col. Bruce Hampton) and New Orleanian Isaac Eady (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rhiannon Giddens) on drums.

WATCH: “DON’T YOU LEAVE ME”

WATCH: “RIGHT THIS TIME”

​​As a 17-year-old growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicole began digging into the music her parents listened to - 60s/70s rock. “My dad had read an article on this guitar prodigy that had just joined the Allman Brothers Band and who was in town. So he snuck me in, since I was underage, and I think that show changed my life!” she says of her experience seeing The Derek Trucks Band in concert for the first time. “I had never heard ‘real’ music like that before and I was hooked. I became a member of their Street Team that night (which I later helped run) and did my internship out of college with their manager and moved to Atlanta straight out of college. After my internship ended, I became his assistant.”

After a decade in the music business on the management and booking sides, the classically-trained singer decided it was time for a change. “I don’t know if you believe in this crap,” laughs Nicole, who had recently had her tarot read. “But I drew the Hermit card, representing exploration and personal growth. He’s shining a light: Come on out of the shadows! It was time,” she reveals.

Her musical journey actually started with a Music Industries Studies degree — with a concentration in vocal performance — from Appalachian State University. “My voice professor was an opera singer,” says Nicole with a grin. “I sang every spiritual I could to avoid opera.” Her passion and training are evident on the Nina Simone-derived psych-soul of “Don’t You Leave Me,” the grungy swirl of “Paper Tiger,” and her subtle self-harmonizing on the title track. On this eclectic stroll through American musical styles, her clarion voice is the tie that binds.

In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic on the rise and an album’s worth of rock solid material in the tank, she realized how she could optimize her quarantine. The tricky dance of socially-distanced recording was well worth it. “I always felt like a late bloomer in life,” she reflects. “But now I know it’s all about timing.” Right This Time is available at iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. Be sure to follow lund at the links before all the latest news and updates.

MELISSA CARPER ANNOUNCES NEW LP RAMBLIN’ SOUL OUT NOVEMBER 18 VIA THIRTY TIGERS

SINGLE & VIDEO “AIN’T A DAY GOES BY” OUT TODAY

PREMIERES VIA COUNTRY QUEER  

"…her music wrangles sounds of a different era – country jazz, honky-tonk, and a bluesy soul unfurling with the thick twang of her vocals... Most spectacular though is the emotional twinge that wrings from the soulful shuffle of songs like 'Ain't a Day Goes By'" - The Austin Chronicle

Photo: Lyza Renee

LISTEN // WATCH: “AIN’T A DAY GOES BY” 

Today, singer/songwriter and upright bassist Melissa Carper has released “Ain’t A Day Goes By,” the lead single from her forthcoming album Ramblin’ Soul, due out on November 18th via Mae Music/Thirty Tigers. “It’s a heartbreaking song about grief and loss, but a gentle western swing and soulful tones of hope keep it above water,” said Country Queer. “By not treating it as a ballad, Carper instead serves up something bittersweet and endearing with just the slightest element of whimsy. It’s a fitting tribute, as she explained in a statement about the tune.”

Carper penned the track in 2014 after the death of her beloved dog, Betty. “This song is very emotional for me,” she reveals. “It was difficult to go through my Dad's death, then my Mom's death only a year later, and really, in a sense, losing my younger brother to severe mental health issues that have changed his personality completely. Betty's death crushed me because she had been through it all with me. The grief just started pouring out at that point,” she continues. “I wrote ‘Ain't A Day Goes By’ within a year of her death, but could not sing it without crying until recently, so I haven’t performed it much in my shows. Now, it gets its rightful debut on Ramblin' Soul because it is a true soul song.”

“[H]er music wrangles sounds of a different era – country jazz, honky-tonk, and a bluesy soul unfurling with the thick twang of her vocals – yet can also swing provocatively playful and progressive,” commented The Austin Chronicle. “The result is less a throwback, though, than a fusion of styles into a new, adventurous, old-time-steeped Americana…Ramblin' Soul readies Carper's adventurous anachronisms precisely when her version of authentic revivalism seems primed for broader attention.”

After the success of her critically-acclaimed 2021 release Daddy’s Country Gold, Carper, dubbed “HillBillie Holiday” by friend and collaborator Chris Scruggs, was eager to get back in the studio. With co-producers Andrija Tokic (St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Hurray For The Riff Raff) and Dennis Crouch (The Time Jumpers) behind the boards again at Tokic’s analog paradise The Bomb Shelter in Nashville, Carper assembled that same crew of magical music makers - plus a few more - to join her on the adventure.

In 2020, grappling with the loss of regular gigs, Carper and her partner, award-winning fiddler Rebecca Patek, moved to a friend’s farm near Austin, working in exchange for housing, organic vegetables, and fresh, country air. The simpler life afforded Carper the space and rejuvenation needed to channel her muse, and begin writing for her next album.

Ramblin’ Soul, which features upbeat and diverse styles and grooves, boasts ten Carper originals, along with a co-write with life-long ramblin’ buddy and bandmate Gina Gallina, a song written by friend and frequent collaborator Brennen Leigh, and a reimagined classic from folk pioneer Odetta. The album ventures into blues, early rock n’ roll, and old-school soul, blended with Carper’s signature styles of country, western swing, and jazz.

Album track “Ain’t a Day Goes By” breaks your heart, then mends it again in the universal longing for a loved one now gone on. Backed up by Hammond B3 organ (John Pahmer), the emotion is punctuated by the gospel-style harmony stylings of Kyshona Armstrong, Nickie Conley, and Maureen Murphy.  “1980 Dodge Van” heralds pulsing electric guitar and a grooving upright bass (Dennis Crouch) in an ode to the loyal family vehicle, while “I Don’t Need to Cry” is a Patsy Cline-esque lament showcasing Carper’s classic country range and songwriting finesse. The upbeat, tongue-in-cheek “Holding All The Cards” transports us to a smoky New Orleans speakeasy, with wordplay, honky tonk piano, and playful clarinet, while Carper pays an upbeat western swing tribute to her current home state in “Texas, Texas. Texas.” Carper’s lifelong, steadfast listening has come to fruition in the songs on Ramblin’ Soul; her childhood love of the family record collection planted the seeds of what is her own bountiful orchard today.

The album is available for pre-order HERE. Be sure to follow Melissa Carper at the links below for all the latest news and updates.

RAMBLIN’ SOUL TRACK LIST

Ramblin’ Soul

Zen Buddha

Ain’t A Day Goes By

1980 Dodge Van

Texas, Texas, Texas

That’s My Only Regret

Boxers on Backwards

I Do What I WANNA

Hit Or Miss

I Don’t Need To Cry

Holding All The Cards

From What I Recall

Hanging On To You

“GOOD ADVICE” NEW SINGLE FROM lund OUT TODAY + ALBUM RELEASE SHOW IN ASHEVILLE ON SEPTEMBER 2

DEBUT LP RIGHT THIS TIME OUT SEPTEMBER 9

Photo: Sandlin Gaither

LISTEN: “GOOD ADVICE”

Today, Asheville, NC-based outfit lund, fronted by singer/songwriter Nicole Lund, has released “Good Advice,” the latest track from the band’s debut LP, Right This Time, out on September 9th. Lund says of the song, which she co-wrote with Tyler “The Falcon” Greenwell and Brandon Townsend, that it is about “being fed up in a relationship by not knowing how the other person feels, pleading for them to speak their mind and to let me know because I'm about to be gone. This tune started out completely different and morphed into what you hear now. As Falcon did with all of our tunes on this album, he flipped it on its head. At the time I felt like there was too much space but that quickly changed once we added in all of the amazing instrumentation and the incredible backing vocals of Mark Rivers (Tedeschi Trucks Band). He really helped take this track to higher ground!" “Good Advice” follows the grunge-y “Paper Tiger,”  “Don’t You Leave Me,” and the soulful title track. 

LISTEN: “PAPER TIGER”

LISTEN // WATCH: “DON’T YOU LEAVE ME”

LISTEN // WATCH: “RIGHT THIS TIME”  

“I don’t know if you believe in this crap,” says lund, who recently had her tarot read. “But I drew the Hermit card, representing exploration and personal growth. He’s shining a light: Come on out of the shadows!” After a decade in the music business on the management and booking sides, the classically-trained singer has finally moved toward the light. “It was time,” she reveals.

lund’s debut album Right This Time, was recorded with producer Tyler “The Falcon” Greenwell (Tedeschi Trucks Band) at Echo Mountain Studios and Sedgwick Studios in her adoptive hometown of Asheville. The album features original songs honed over her decades-long stint in New York City as a working musician, promoter, and manager. Written in collaboration with local artist Brandon Townsend — and additional contributions from guitarist Paul Olsen (Scrapomatic, Susan Tedeschi, Kristina Train) — lund’s soulful brand of Americana runs the gamut from punchy blues to plaintive weepers. Her band is a reflection of her eclectic tastes: Dave Yoke on guitar (Dr. John, Susan Tedeschi), Brandon Boone on bass (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Col. Bruce Hampton) and New Orleanian Isaac Eady (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Rhiannon Giddens) on drums.

Her musical journey actually started with a Music Industries Studies degree — with a concentration in vocal performance — from Appalachian State University. Suffice to say, she “knows her shit.” “My voice professor was an opera singer,” says lund with a grin. “I sang every spiritual I could to avoid opera.” Her passion and training are evident on the Nina Simone-derived psych-soul of “Don’t You Leave Me,” the grungy swirl of “Paper Tiger,” and her subtle self-harmonizing on the title track. On this eclectic stroll through American musical styles, lund’s clarion voice is the tie that binds.

In the summer of 2020, with the pandemic on the rise and an album’s worth of rock solid material in the tank, she realized how she could optimize her quarantine. The tricky dance of socially-distanced recording was well worth it. “I always felt like a late bloomer in life,” she reflects. “But now I know it’s all about timing.”

The band will celebrate the release of Right This Time with a show at One World Brewing West on Friday, September 2nd, which will also be live streamed by https://iamavl.com. Click HERE for tickets and show information.