Posts tagged with "multi-instrumentalist"

WILL HOGE – JOHN PRINE’S CADILLAC

GRAMMY Award-nominated Nashville rock ‘n’ roller Will Hoge has shared the official music video for his triumphant single, “John Prine’s Cadillac,” on YouTube.

A celebratory nod to Hoge‘s songwriting hero ringing out with power chords and cymbal crashes, “John Prine’s Cadillac” heralds the veteran singer-songwriter’s eagerly awaited 12^th studio album, WINGS ON MY SHOES, arriving Friday, August 26 on CD, cassette, and all digital formats; a standard vinyl edition follows soon after. Pre-orders are available now HERE.

WATCH “JOHN PRINE’S CADILLAC”

LISTEN TO “JOHN PRINE’S CADILLAC”

PRE-ORDER WINGS ON MY SHOES

Hoge will mark the arrival of WINGS ON MY SHOES with a typically busy live schedule, including headline dates and festival appearances getting underway tomorrow, July 15, at Dayton, OH’s Levitt Pavilion and then traveling into the summer. For more ticket information, please visit www.willhoge.com/shows.

WINGS ON MY SHOES marks yet another milestone on Will Hoge‘s two-decade-plus musical journey, an already remarkable career that has seen him logging countless miles on the road and crafting an ongoing body of work that has earned acclaim from media outlets spanning Rolling Stone and American Songwriter to NPR and Forbes, a GRAMMY Award nomination for “Best Country Song” (honoring the Eli Young Band’s chart-topping cover of his “Even If It Breaks Your Heart”), and an intensely loyal worldwide fan following.

Produced by Hoge during a week’s worth of live performances at Nashville’s Sound Emporium Studios, WINGS ON MY SHOES was preceded earlier this year by the powerful album-closing “Whose God Is This?,” available for streaming and download HERE. The album – which sees Hoge joined by his longtime backing combo, guitarist Thom Donovan, drummer Allen Jones, and bassist Christopher Griffiths, with guest multi-instrumentalist Joshua Grange contributing pedal steel and organ – features few overdubs and zero studio trickery, wearing its rough edges with pride to stand tall as a document of a hardscrabble band at work, sweating and stomping its way toward rock ‘n’ roll redemption.

Written largely during the pandemic era, WINGS ON MY SHOES is, at its core, a testament to Hoge‘s renowned gifts as a songwriter, highlighting the diverse perspectives of an expert craftsman whose songs turn Southern storytelling into universal sentiment. From the jubilant jangle of “It’s Just You” and the furious “All I Can Take” – the latter an inspired blast of bar band bombast recorded in a single take – to the stunning, string-laced “The Last One To Go” and the desperate narrative drive of “Dead Man’s Hand,” Hoge distills American roots music to its essential ingredients, carrying the torch for an enduring blue collar sound rooted in ringing guitars, anthemic songcraft, and steadfast lyrical integrity.

“I always want to embrace change,” Hoge says, “to accept new things artistically, but at the end of the day, I can try to run from this idea that I love good, guitar-based rock ‘n’ roll music or I can wear that badge of honor. I’m in the -wearing the badge of honor- phase now.“

Ylona Garcia – Vibin

Filipino-Australian singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Ylona Garcia reveals a more vulnerable playful side to her with the release of “Vibin” via PARADISE RISING/88rising Music. With a smooth and catchy hook, and a light, airy production matched with Ylona’s crisp vocals, the track is a perfect summertime slow jam.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO “VIBIN”

“Vibin is a really special song to me,” Ylona said, “because it truly captures where I am artistically, and where I plan to go sonically. The track is about meeting someone new and not wanting to feel pressured to define the relationship – we’re just vibin and enjoying every moment as they come.”

“Vibin” follows the success of her hit single “Entertain Me,” which was featured in the wildly popular game Valorant’s launch trailer of new playable character Neon, reaching #1 Trending on YouTube and amassing over 8M views. The single currently has over 15M plays on Spotify alone.

At only 20 years old, Ylona Garcia has set her sights on the global landscape in the next stage of her creative journey. With multiple song releases under her belt already, in addition to appearing on two of the biggest reality/talent contests shows in the Philippines, Ylona Garcia has become one of the fastest-rising, most prominent young voices in the Filipino music community. She currently has over 4.2M followers on Instagram and nearly 1 million followers on TikTok in addition to over 714,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and 212,000 subscribers on her YouTube channel.

Ylona Garcia’s music is released by 88rising’s sister label PARADISE RISING, which was launched in 2020 to help bring Filipino music to the forefront of culture.

Follow Ylona Garcia

INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

About 88rising

Founded in 2015, 88rising has long been a champion of Asian and Asian American talent, stories and culture. The company has gone from a leading record label to a transformative media company and is now the most recognized pan-Asian music company in the world and a leader in music, media and events celebrating Asian culture. 88rising was the first company to launch an Asian-centric music festival in the United States (Head in the Clouds Music & Arts Festival), the first to have an Asian R&B artist top the Billboard charts (Joji) and the first to launch an all-Asian, multi-genre music radio channel with SiriusXM in December 2020. The brand recently announced a first look deal with Sony Pictures TV in January which allows 88rising to continue their mission of creating stories that center around Asians and Asian Americans through the development of scripted series across all platforms for Sony Pictures TV.

Lyn Lapid – The Outsider

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After releasing a slew of viral singles over the past year, breakout songstress Lyn Lapid drops her long-awaited debut EP The Outsider today—listen HERE. The EP, dedicated to all “the outsiders” like Lyn, features 8-songs, including her new single “Pager” alongside fan favorites like “In My Mind,” “I Guess That Was Goodbye,” and the title track “The Outsider.” See the full tracklist below.

On the EP, Lyn says, “I would best describe ‘The Outsider’ as a collection of the different parts of myself that I discovered growing up, and how I learned to accept and set myself apart from the community I grew up in and the people I encountered throughout my life. The focus track of the EP, ‘Pager,’ perfectly encapsulates that sort of idea I had, and it’s the one track on the EP where I specifically talk about the kind of community I grew up in. I grew up in an academically rigorous and competitive community where careers in the fine arts were highly stigmatized and discouraged, so you can imagine the kind of reaction I got when I decided not to go to college and pursue a career as a musician; it was kinda awful, and I got a lot of backhanded comments. I knew that music was my true passion ever since I was little, and eventually I figured I could never win everyone over with the choice I made for myself. I learned to stick with the people who truly got behind me and cut ties with anyone who didn’t.”

She continues, “The other tracks on ‘The Outsider’ all talk about the different ways I felt like an outsider growing up and how I learned to cut ties with the toxic people in my life and find the ones who continue to support me today. I hope that anyone who listens to ‘The Outsider’ knows that there will always be a circle of people who will fully accept who you are, and all you gotta do is go out there and find them.”

This spring, the 19-year-old singer and songwriter will support Ricky Montgomery on his headline tour across North America—see the list of upcoming dates below. This follows Lyn’s previous live shows with Eric Nam and Claire Rosinkranz this past winter.

Surpassing 284 million global streams across her catalogue and amassing 5 million TikTok followers to date, Lyn has affirmed herself as one to watch in 2022 with The Outsider. Stay tuned for more exciting news to come from her this year.

THE OUTSIDER TRACKLIST

“Pager”
“How Did I Ever”
“Comatose”
“Off Day”
“I Guess That Was Goodbye”
“My Little Island”
“In My Mind”
“The Outsider”

ABOUT LYN LAPID

A classically trained musician, unpredictable vocal dynamo, and fearless genre-breaker, Lyn Lapid asserts herself as an individual through and through. At 19-years-old, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of vocal collective EARCANDY has unassumingly emerged as an unapologetic and undeniable voice for her generation. In 2018, Lyn posted a ukulele and vocal cover of “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. on YouTube. She went on to deliver D.I.Y. YouTube renditions of everyone from Ariana Grande and Sabrina Claudio to Edith Piaf and Sarah McLachlan, amassing 60 million-plus views and counting on her channel. In late 2019, Lyn launched her TikTok page, building an audience of 5 million followers and over 1 billion views at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, a snippet of her first original, “Producer Man,” exploded. Produced by Dan Nigro [Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lewis Capaldi, Sky Ferreira, Empress Of], the song has gathered over 70 million views and 8 million likes thus far and emerged as “the most-viewed unreleased demo on a TikTok video in 2020.” Following “Producer Man”’s breakout success, Lyn debuted a string of viral releases in 2021, including “Itsy Bitsy,” “Infinite,” and “In My Mind.” Not to mention, she received co-signs from Billie Eilish, BTS’ Jungkook, and Sabrina Carpenter, amassed over 284 million global streams to date, and has been praised by the likes of Rolling Stone, Buzzfeed, E! Online, Refinery29, HYPEBAE, Idolator, Ones To Watch, and more. With more music and tour dates on the way, Lyn Lapid has affirmed herself as a star on the rise for 2022.

Lyn Lapid Tour Dates HERE.

CIAN DUCROT NEWEST RELEASE

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RELEASES HIS DEBUT EP, MAKE BELIEVE

OUT NOW ON DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE RECORDS

CHOSEN AS ONE OF AMAZON MUSIC’S ‘ARTIST TO WATCH’ IN 2022!

RELEASES LIVE VISUALIZER FOR SINGLE “HAPPIER WITHOUT ME”

Praise for Cian Ducrot

“…rooted in a refreshing sense of honesty.” — CLASH

“Infectious and exactly what you need to listen to if you’re caught up in your ~ feels ~” — Ones To Watch

“A phenomenal songwriter” — Jack Saunders (BBC Radio 1)

Irish songwriter, producer and artist Cian Ducrot has released his debut EP titled Make Believe. Composed of eight emotively poignant tunes that spotlights Cian’s mastery in songwriting and melody making, Make Believe EP stands to be the young artist’s strongest foot forward in his debut year. This was also taken notice by Amazon Music who have included Cian in their ‘Artist to Watch in 2022’ programming. Each song delves into the deeply emotional renderings of Cian’s own past and present, allowing for anthemic ballads like “Make Believe” and “Not Usually Like This” while tracks like “Crocodiles” and “Hello Gorgeous” wrench the heart harder in its reflection.

Speaking about the EP, Cian says:

“Making this EP was a very strange but amazing process for me as half of the songs were written before I even knew I was making an EP. It’s been years in the making and pulls from so many moments in my life. I have loved discovering new directions and new music and also rediscovering old songs and bringing them to life and, most of all, discovering myself and what matters to me. Most of the EP was made throughout lockdown and the pandemic so it was a lot of days and nights alone and of course on the other side of the planet away from my team at Darkroom & Interscope.” — Cian Ducrot

In celebration of the EP’s release, Cian has also released a beautiful live visualizer for the EP single “Happier Without Me” — a track he teased on his many live shows across the U.K. and adored by many fans upon its performance.

Make Believe Tracklist — EP by Cian Ducrot

Crocodiles
Chewing Gum
Not Usually Like This
Make Believe
Know Me Again
Happier Without Me
Hello Gorgeous
Blue

With live shows on the horizon, more than 28 million artist streams to date, his first EP released via Darkroom/Interscope Records, and a place on Amazon Music’s ‘Artists To Watch 2022’ list, Cian Ducrot continues to grow as an artist ahead of a much anticipated breakout year in 2022

About Cian Ducrot

Raised in Cork and based in London but just as likely to be found recording in LA, Cian Ducrot takes a nomadic approach to pop music. Home for this 24-year-old singer, songwriter, producer and classically-trained multi-instrumentalist is wherever he happens to find his laptop and guitar — but no matter where he is. Growing up in a broken home, Cian sought relief in music, listening to his Mum playing everything from Bach to Chopin — often finding that music was a way to escape the trials of abuse, a turbulent family dynamic and more. It’s no surprise that he went on to focus on music in school, joining musicals, drama clubs, mastered different instruments and performing from a young age. Cian will eventually win a full scholarship to study classical flute at the Royal Academy of Music — one of the most prestigious performing arts schools in the world. Around the same time, Cian knew that to create original music he would have to teach himself how to produce. And so he did.

A couple of years into his schooling, Cian took a short trip to Los Angeles, CA — a trip that inspired him to pursue his dream of becoming a pop artist instead of a classical flautist. He decided to take a risk leaving his schooling (and the full ride scholarship that came with it) and moved back to Ireland to plan for his new dream. Cian was steadfast in his new writing journey, with money being tight he would often couch surf between London and L.A. The product of these experiences was his debut release; started in college (2020) — a mixtape that chronicles his unconventional road into the music industry. The risk ended up paying off when he was discovered by Darkroom/Interscope Records last Summer; promptly signed him to the label. Capitalizing on his natural talent and years of dedication, the Irish songwriter/producer and artist is at work on a new project and aims to showcase his diverse talents exploring revealing issues of love, loss, masculinity and frustration. Cian wishes to create music that listeners can relate to and find solace in – not unlike how a young Cian once did.

Saw Himself – Power Ballads

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SAM HIMSELF FONDUE WESTERN’S INDIE ROCKER SHARES DEBUT ALBUM POWER BALLADS

NEW SINGLE “THE MISSING” IS OUT TODAY

LISTEN TO POWER BALLADS1

LISTEN TO POWER BALLADS

WATCH “THE MISSING”

WATCH “LA PAZ”

WATCH “WHAT IT’S WORTH”

WATCH “NOTHING LIKE THE NIGHT”

WATCH “CRY”

On the heels of his breakout year, Swiss indie rocker Sam Himself – New Yorker by choice, Fondue Western ’ baritone by trade – prepares to release his debut album, Power Ballads (October 8th). The Brooklyn-based songwriter, performer, and multi-instrumentalist has been sounding the bell for his first LP with a number of singles, most recently “La Paz” and “What It’s Worth” which premiered via Under The Radar Magazine and was picked up by KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic and KEXP’s The Morning Show, among others: as of September 2021, three out of four album singles remain on public and commercial rotation in Germany, France, Switzerland and elsewhere in Europe and the US.

Sam Himself’s full-length debut follows last year’s acclaimed EP Slow Drugs, the artist’s third, which – in addition to the international press, radio airplay, numerous DSP editorial features, and critical praise for the accompanying music videos – earned him the Swiss National Broadcasting Service’s Best Talent Award in 2020 and, in early 2021, a nomination for a Swiss Music Award, the most prestigious national prize of its kind in Sam’s home country.

Power Ballads marks the latest collaboration between Sam and his longtime producer, mixing engineer, and Second Beatle’ Daniel Schlett (The War On Drugs; Iggy Pop), as well as mastering legend Greg Calbi (Bruce Springsteen; David Bowie).

Early last year, “Switzerland’s King of Tears ” Sam Himself was in Europe kicking off his spring tour when the pandemic foiled all live music plans – and Sam’s planned return to Brooklyn, NY, his chosen home of the past decade. Dangerously low on socks, musical equipment, and any real sense of when he’d be able to get back to the United States, Sam ended up staying in his native Switzerland for the remainder of 2020. The singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, exiled at home, spent those months in limbo writing and recording what would become his debut album, Power Ballads, wherever he could (including the attic of his mom’s house). When he made it back to New York in early 2021, Sam (after a period of self-quarantine) went straight to producer Daniel Schlett’s Strange Weather Studio in Brooklyn to finalize his new material, building on the recordings he had originally prepared as demos for his album.

Two songs on Power Ballads once again feature Sam’s Slow Drugs bandmates Josh Werner (bass – Ghostface Killah; CocoRosie) and Parker Kindred (drums – Jeff Buckley; Elliott Smith), among them the LP’s focus track The Missing. The work of Benjamin Noti (guitar – Steff La Cheffe) and Georg Dillier (bass – Anna Rossinelli), both members of Sam’s touring band, can also be heard on several tracks.

Beyond their contributions, however, Sam plays most of the instruments on Power Ballads himself, with producer Schlett adding sounds, textures and of course his singular mixing style (as heard recently e.g. on Iggy Pop’s cover of The Velvet Underground’s European Son). This reduced lineup, a consequence of the new practical realities of the pandemic, imbues Power Ballads with a sense of intimacy and artistic autonomy. Synths and programmed drums form the core of most of the album’s by turns minimalist and grand arrangements, while Sam’s signature baritone voice quite literally reaches new heights. Over the course of ten tracks, the artist grapples with the sources and limits of personal power – how much of it is taken for granted; what remains once it’s stripped away – unflinchingly honest and defiantly optimistic on his most vulnerable, most confident work to date.

Sam Himself is set to tour in support of his debut album well into the spring of next year, with some 30+ European dates in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and beyond (US-dates in planning).

As featured by SPIN Magazine, Under The Radar, KEXP, KCRW, Danger Mouse Jukebox, The Wild Honeypie, American Songwriter, The Philadelphia Globe, Consequence of Sound, Variance Magazine, Swiss National Radiotelevision SRF, DIFFUS Magazin (GE), and many more.

For more information about Sam Himself, visit his website or connect with him on social media @samhimself.

“Born in Switzerland and bred in Gotham, Sam Himself has won accolades in his homeland but has aspirations to conquer the world.” – SPIN Magazine

“Sam Himself uses a vocal power somewhere between Matt Berninger and San Fermin’s Allen Tate to sing songs of finding your place.” – Consequence Of Sound

“Smokey vocals, wistful reverie.” – Under The Radar

“His deep, rich vocals remind us of the beauty that exists even during the darkest times.” – The Wild Honey Pie

“Switzerland’s King of Tears.” – Victoria Turrian, Radio T vision Suisse

LYN LAPID FAN FAVORITE SINGLE – IN MY MIND

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After amassing over 4 million song views and 1 million likes on TikTok before officially releasing the song, singer and songwriter Lyn Lapid delivers her new fan favorite single “In My Mind”—listen here!

Dedicated to the “‘quiet kids’ such as [herself]”, Lyn first teased “In My Mind” on TikTok in August, and the video quickly garnered over 3 million views in just a few days with her fans lovingly dubbing the song the “quiet kids song.” “In My Mind” hinges on a jazz-y groove as Lyn adopts a fittingly smoky delivery. Her voice wraps around airy guitar and a steady beat, as it builds towards a swooning refrain and she reveals, “People say I’m quiet most of the time, If only you knew what goes on in my mind.” Once again, Lyn’s dynamic vocals and sharp songwriting instantly enchant listeners.

Lyn says, “I wrote ‘In My Mind’ about my experience growing up as the ‘quiet kid.’ People would always tell me how I never talked at all and how quiet I was. Well, they weren’t wrong, I kept to myself all throughout school, even when I hung out with my friends. I remember when I sang for my school’s talent show for the first time, one of my classmates went up to me afterwards and was like, ‘You know I was surprised when you walked on stage, you hardly ever talk. I thought you were gonna suck. But you actually didn’t!’ …I’m not sure how you would respond to that honestly. I also wrote about what runs through my mind, and how if people knew what I was actually thinking, they’d be thankful that I kept to myself.”

“In My Mind” arrives during a breakout year for Lyn Lapid – she released her first three singles, “Producer Man,” “Itsy Bitsy,” and “Infinite,” received co-signs from Billie Eilish, BTS’ Jungkook, Sabrina Carpenter, and more, amassed over 72 million global streams to date, and been praised by the likes of Rolling Stone, Buzzfeed, E! Online, Refinery29, HYPEBAE, Idolator, and others. With more music on the way, Lyn has affirmed herself as a star on the rise for 2021.

About Lyn Lapid
A classically trained musician, unpredictable vocal dynamo, and fearless genre-breaker, Lyn Lapid asserts herself as an individual through and through. At 18-years-old, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and member of vocal collective EARCANDY has unassumingly emerged as an unapologetic and undeniable voice for her generation. In 2018, Lyn posted a ukulele and vocal cover of “Best Part” by Daniel Caesar and H.E.R. on YouTube. She went on to deliver D.I.Y. YouTube renditions of everyone from Ariana Grande and Sabrina Claudio to Edith Piaf and Sarah McLachlan, amassing 40 million-plus views and counting on her channel. In late 2019, Lyn launched her TikTok page, building an audience of over 4 million followers at a rapid pace. Meanwhile, a snippet of her first original, “Producer Man,” exploded. Produced by Dan Nigro [Olivia Rodrigo, Conan Gray, Carly Rae Jepsen, Lewis Capaldi, Sky Ferreira, Empress Of], the song has gathered over 70 million views and 8 million likes thus far and emerged as “the most-viewed unreleased demo on a TikTok video in 2020.”

About Republic Records
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s leading music company, Republic Records is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as Ariana Grande, Black Thought, Drake, Florence + the Machine, Greta Van Fleet, Hailee Steinfeld, Jack Johnson, James Blake, James Bay, Jessie J, John Mellencamp, Jonas Brothers, Julia Michaels, Kid Cudi, Lil Wayne, Lorde, Metro Boomin, NAV, Nicki Minaj, Of Monsters and Men, Pearl Jam, Post Malone, Seth MacFarlane, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and more. Founded by brothers and chief executives Monte and Avery Lipman, it is also comprised of innovative business ventures, including American Recordings, Boominati Worldwide, Brushfire, Casablanca Records, Cash Money, Lava Records, XO, Young Money, among others. Republic also maintains a long-standing strategic alliance with Universal Music Latin Entertainment (J Balvin and Karol G). In addition, Republic has expanded to release high-profile soundtracks for Universal Pictures (Fifty Shades of Grey), Sony Pictures (Spider-Man Into the Spider-Verse) and NBC TV (The Voice), as well as other notable film and television franchises. Extending further into the worlds of film, television, and content, Republic launched Federal Films in order to produce movies and series powered by the label’s catalog and artists. Its first production was the Jonas Brothers documentary Chasing Happiness for Amazon Prime Video.

MILLS RELEASES NEW SONG × VIDEO – THE STORE

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Mills, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and troubadour, releases his new song and video “The Store.” Check it out here. Alongside this, Mills also releases his cover of John Mayer’s “Waiting On The World To Change” which can be found here.

“The Store” is the first new music from Mills since the release of his EP “Train of Thoughts” via Keep Cool/RCA Records earlier this year. Listen here.

Born and raised in Bowling Green, KY, and having spent time in both Nashville and Los Angeles, Mills’ southern influences have been brightened by the Los Angeles sun, resulting in buoyant melodies tinged with nostalgia. With his poetic storytelling and distinctive harmonies that evoke the 1970s era of Laurel Canyon, 21-year-old Mills emerges as a troubadour for the modern age, vividly spinning tales of young love, happiness and heartbreak.

Check out what the press says about Mills:

““Hollow” is sun-kissed singer-songwriter music, with a beautifully loping hook that gains texture as the harmonies fully arrive.” – Billboard

“His songs are personable, relatable, and carry captivating melodies that get stuck in your head even after the first listen.” – Earmilk

“Mills simplifies even the most complex emotions into a coherent stream of consciousness.” – Ones To Watch

“”Hollow” is an exciting glimpse into the music Mills has ready to release.” – Ones To Watch

“…straight-up, no fuss tunes that instantly stick.” – The Interns

“Hollow finds a sweet spot between John Mayer and Harry Style.” – The Interns

To Buy/Stream/Watch “The Store” and “Waiting On The World To Change”:

Multi

Official Video

Follow Mills:

Twitter | Instagram

Scott Hirsch shares in-studio performance – Dreamer

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Acclaimed singer-songwriter-producer-musician Scott Hirsch has announced today’s premiere of an exclusive new live in-studio acoustic performance video of his mesmerizing new single, “Dreamer.” Directed by musician/photographer Brendan Willing James at Hirsch’s Echo Magic in Ojai, CA, “Dreamer (Live In-Studio Acoustic Performance)” is streaming now via YouTube here. The official single version of “Dreamer” is available now at all DSPs and streaming services here.

“Dreamer” heralds the upcoming release of Hirsch’s eagerly awaited new album, WINDLESS DAY, due via Echo Magic Records with Soundly Music on Friday, October 8; pre-saves and exclusive vinyl pre-orders are available now here. A duet of sorts, “Dreamer” sees Hirsch exploring a deep well of emotion and sound joined by singer-songwriter Kelly McFarling, both accompanied on the new performance video by musicians Daniel Wright and Mikael Jorgensen.

WINDLESS DAY also includes the recently released singles, “Much Too Late” and “Spirit True,” both available now at all digital platforms. The latter track was met by praise from such influential outlets as Raven Sings The Blues, which wrote, “’Spirit True’ sees Hirsch return to the JJ Cale cool that he’s wrangled in the past, shuffling into view on dive bar dancefloor drums, an afternoon sunset of sax, and Scott’s smoke ring sigh in the vocals. This one is a perfect after-work comedown that feels as refreshing as a cold drink on a hot day.”

A founding member of such groundbreaking bands as Hiss Golden Messenger and The Court & Spark, Scott Hirsch has spent much of the past half-decade gradually growing an acclaimed solo canon, staking his own visionary, deeply personal approach towards traditional American studio craft and songwriting. Hailed by the Chicago Reader as “an album of kaleidoscopic range and beauty that encompasses his varied interests,” 2016’s BLUE RIDER SONGS prompted Pitchfork to enthuse, “It’s taken a long time for (Hirsch) to let out his voice – a cool, soulful thing filled with deep reverence for his source material, if some cynicism about the myths it’s spun, on BLUE RIDER SONGS, Hirsch debunks the idea that redemption is ever a cakewalk, and finds something more truthful and lasting in the pursuit of accepting responsibility.”

Hirsch followed up two years later with LOST TIME BEHIND THE MOON, praised by Sungenre as “a genre-defying blend of all things Americana, showcasing Hirsch’s innate songwriting ability, a mixture of country, blues, folk-rock and psychedelic which come together to create something wholly different from the separate parts. It is moving and contemplative, bold and adventurous, whilst also delicate and sensitive.” LOST TIME BEHIND THE MOON “answers the question of what we might have gotten if Lou Reed had headed for Tulsa instead of Long Island when he bolted from the Velvet Underground,” declared MAGNET, while Pitchfork wrote, “There’s a new confidence here; These songs suggest that Hirsch has reached a destination, at least with his music: that he has arrived at a place where he is able to harness these sounds and allusions to convey the particulars of his wanderlust.” “LOST TIME INSIDE THE MOON bristles and broods,” raved Raven Sings The Blues, “and in the end is a salve and solace to lost souls – Hirsch’s vision of country elegance and barbiturate boogie hangs heavy on the diaphragm, groovin’ and singin’ in the same breath.”

Hirsch continues to work closely with Hiss Golden Messenger as a multi-instrumentalist, arranger, producer, and most recently, mixer on this year’s acclaimed QUIETLY BLOWING IT. The founder of Ojai, CA-based studio and sound design firm, Echo Magic, Hirsch received a 2015 GRAMMY Award nomination for his work as engineer and mixer on folk music legend Alice Gerrard’s FOLLOW THE MUSIC. Other recent credits include collaborations with like-minded artists including Mikael Jorgensen, Orpheo McCord, Daniel Rossen, and William Tyler, the latter of whom recently wrote of Hirsch’s journey to WINDLESS DAY, “To the wandering soul, the promise of travel, the motion of the road, and necessary transience instills a love of the novel experience and fortifies the restless spirit. But when travel is no longer possible, when ‘the road’ becomes the familiar paths around your town and home, is there the time and space to create a new kind of journey? When else would we go inward, by choice or practice, then when the world shuts down around us and we are left with the thoughts and melodies in our heads?”

Scott Hirsch

WINDLESS DAY

(Echo Magic Records)

Release Date: Friday, October 8

Pre-Order Here

Tracklist

Spirit True
Much Too Late
Dreamer
Big Passenger
Redstone
Night People
The Price of Gold
Wolves
Drummer of Shiloh
Love Is Long

CHARLES SPEARIN – MY CITY OF STARLINGS

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My City of Starlings is the new album by multi-instrumentalist composer Charles Spearin known for his work in Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, and countless more. The album is an incredibly dynamic and eclectic blend of instrumental-leaning excursions that were born from a song-a-day recording club of friends and peers from around the world. Beautifully textured, gliding between avant garde, art rock, and electronic with cohesion and ease, My City of Starlings foregrounds the masterful touch that Spearin always imbues in his bands’ legendary songs and performances.

Watch Animator Jared Sales Video For “Portrait Of An Artist As A Thursday” Short Version // 12 Hour Loop Version

More About My City Of Starlings

‘Is this how we feel when we’re alone / With our faces glowing from our phones / We can’t help but want to leave our homes’

Can you think of a more perfect lyric that captures the pandemic experience? Multi-instrumentalist and composer Charles Spearin, known for his work in Broken Social Scene, Do May Say Think, and so much more music that has soundtracked the past two decades, insists he’s not much of a lyricist. In fact, his new solo album, My City of Starlings, is a largely instrumental collection of beautifully textured songs that glide between avant-garde, art rock and electronic soundscapes.

But it’s no surprise that Spearin’s virtuosity extends to every detail of his songwriting, from the burnished brass of “Vireos In Bellwoods” to the celestial “Three Voices (Braided Carefully)” to the words and ambient melodies of the title track, which captures both the haziness but also the glimmers of hope of the time we’ve just lived through.

My City of Starlings isn’t a “pandemic record,” exactly, while Spearin found himself with extra time once touring came to a standstill, some of the compositions that found their way onto the album had been taking shape since 2017, while others were born from a more recent song-a-day writing and recording club of fellow musicians from around the world.

“I have my studio here in my backyard, and I sometimes struggle with why I’m doing this – what’s the purpose? Am I making an album? Are they songs I’m going to pitch to my friends to be Broken Social Scene songs, or Feist songs or whatever? But then I settled into the idea that this is what I do,” Spearin says.

“To have time on my hands and a studio at my fingertips certainly helped in making this record, but thematically, there’s a kind of reflection in the music that maybe comes from having spent so much time at home as well.”

Like so many of us, Spearin came to see his city in a whole new light during the endless walks taken through its streets over the past year and a half, partly thanks to an increased interest in birding but also a whole new appreciation for the wonders of the natural world – an inspiration that comes through clearly in the album’s expansive sonic palette.

Read The Full Biography Here

Buy / Stream My City Of Starlings Here

Tracklist

Sympathy & Vegetation
Portrait of the Artist as a Thursday
Diaspora
Rutting Season
Vireos in Bellwoods
Three Voices (Braided Carefully) ft. Robin Dann
When Tigers Used to Smoke
My Heart is an Appaloosa in Canter
My City of Starlings
Onomatopoeia
Sometimes it Hurts to be Alive
The Morning Dew Lay Heavy on the Grass
The Wedding

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Astro Hippie

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Electro-funk star, multi-instrumentalist, producer and life-long stoner GRiZ, today announced the launch of two premium cannabis lines – the THC focused, Astro Hippie, debuting in Michigan, and the nationally available CBD brand, Telescope.

Astro Hippie is a window into the stoner culture of yesteryear, a top-shelf, tantalizingly potent series of flower strains geared towards experimenters and tokers who want to explore life in maximum color; who want to listen to music that tickles their ears and blows their minds; who want to road trip in a beat up van and crank mixtapes. It’s a love letter to the weed culture GRiZ grew up in, and a deliberate rebuttal to the pristine, faceless, private equity brands that are sprouting up post-legalization.

Growing up in Southfield, Michigan, Grant Kwiecinski aka GRiZ, has been getting blazed long before his music career took off, and he remains an outspoken advocate for cannabis, even as he’s risen from playing small clubs to selling out amphitheaters. Growing up selling pot while waiting tables, he’s known the cannabis industry for decades, and previously dropped a bud collab, GRiZ Kush, back in 2017. That experience taught him a lot, and since then he’s been working to create his own lines that pair his values with exceptional products and an embrace of the DIY stoner culture he has been immersed in for years.

Stalking growers, cultivators and fellow lifers, GRiZ developed Astro Hippie with Pure Options, a long-time cultivator in Michigan. With funky out of this world flavor profiles in mind, Astro-Hippie will be available in three different strains G Funk, Mr. B OG, and Tie Dye Medusa, all tested to guarantee maximum THC levels for lift-off. Inclusivity and energy are key to GRiZ’s mission, and he focused on solely working with partners who have decades’ long roots in cannabis culture like himself.

Astro Hippie will debut in Michigan, where it all started for GRiZ, an homage to his home state, where every year he produces the annual 12 Days of GRiZMAS series, which has raised over $200k for charity in the last two years alone.

As his knowledge of the marijuana plant has grown, so has GRiZ’s understanding and appreciation of its medicinal benefits, which led to the CBD line, Telescope, a range of products which aims to bring wellness into focus. GRiZ is a huge proponent of using cannabis for pain relief, and with Telescope he’s created an exceptionally high quality CBD range that allows users of all types to smoke and benefit from the plant without having to blast off.

Telescope’s CBD hemp flower is offered in three delectable flavors, the sativa dominant hybrid Astronaut Ice Cream, that features complex sweet cherries notes with a strong essence of lime and skunky pine; and the indica dominant hybrid Milky Way, a potent mixture of lavender, cinnamon and orange. Cosmic Candy, the pre-rolled pack offerings, blends flavorsome notes of black pepper and perfectly ripened fruits.

The gourmet gummies are offered in a 10:1 CBD:THC recipe with hemp-derived Delta 9 THC, giving users a euphoric experience delivered with precision. The gummies will initially launch in two bright flavors of Pineapple Upside Down Cake and Sunset Sorbet, with additional flavors added seasonally.

The 1000mg Vibe Check tincture is on the leading edge of CBD tinctures in the marketplace in that it features cannabis derived terpenes. These terpenes not only give it a unique and incredible flavor profile but also help bring out the positive effects of the cannabinoids in a process known as the entourage effect. It is a defined spectrum tincture that includes CBD, CBG, CBC, and THC.