Browsing Tag

songwriter

Steve Cornell’s haunting release ‘Save Grace’

Posted on 12 August 2017

Steve Cornell finds a perfect middle ground between timeless Beatles-channelling psychedelia and rough, unforgiving grunge evoking Chris Cornell (no relation?) with his song Save Grace. While the song doesn’t reach the treacherous emotional peaks of the latter, it does pull in on the same dread that has tinged so many verses throughout decades of heartbroken songwriters staring into the abyss and coming back with a song to share.

The hopeless feeling emanating from the track can be applied to so many relatable heart aches from the personal to the existential. The affected guitar helps illustrate this dystopian noir of a soundscape with touches of color and beauty amongst the vulnerable, pained verses which urge the listener to head their warnings. Save Grace is a classic that we may not want to play until we’re ready to sit and listen intently, and in that fashion, we can maintain that it won’t be wasted falling on deaf ears of people in high spirits. This is a song for darker hours and it’s better kept that way.

-Paul Weyer

Video Premiere: Brit School Award-Winner Bella Barton To Release Debut Single ‘Daughter’

Posted on 28 July 2017

If the idea of establishments such as Brit School may seem at odds with some people’s idea of learning how to be a performer, musician or songwriter, Bella Barton comes along to dispel any mistrust or doubts in such a system. If you think that these types of formal music training are likely to produce identikit popsters, one listen to Daughter will prove, not only a relief, but nothing short of  a revelation. It is soulful, chilled, pop aware, bluesy and infectious and whilst it seems to be of a very covert and inconspicuous nature, it has great rhythm and drive, and just seem to instantly connect to the listener’s groove genes.

So what are we dealing with here? Sassy summer sensation? Ambient soul? A masterwork of understatement? Chilled pop classic? Actually, it is all of those things and more. In a pop world seemingly full of humourless clones, dance routines and careers built on marketing plans and image consultants, Bella is a breath of fresh air. She’s the girl next door turned pop sensation who just breezes past you with a new take on how simple pop can be. How simple and how great.

Website | Instagram | Facebook

Buy/Stream the track: https://bellabarton.lnk.to/Daughter

Words: Dave Franklin

A&R Factory Present: Janessa Evrist

Posted on 28 March 2017

The independent singer songwriter community is a very difficult one to break out of. Even though the genre has its roots in the early 1970s, it’s found a massive resurgence in the last several years amongst younger performers combining it with other styles. One of the most recent artists trying to break out of that scene is Janessa Evrist, a Los Angeles-based songwriter who sings, plays piano, and pens her own work. Her debut EP ‘Fall Apart’ is due out this year, and the eponymous single is available now. Let’s delve into it!

Evrist’s ‘Fall Apart’ is a very melancholy piece of music, chronicling her transition from feeling like a broken “work in progress” to no longer caring to bother to “pick up the pieces” of herself. Though that may sound particularly abysmal, there’s a bizarre sense of individual triumph in ‘Fall Apart,’ as if Evrist’s decision to fall apart is a decision to embrace herself the way she is. Everybody is broken in some way. Thus, having broken parts of yourself is part of the human experience. ‘Fall Apart’ recognizes that.

Musically, Evrist’s performance is especially excellent. She has a beautiful voice and her soft croons are scored perfectly by her piano performance and some sparse, but stunning percussion. The song has an ethereal, dreamy quality to it, especially at moments like the section around 2:00 when tiny echoes of Evrist’s vocals cascade about the backdrop.

The music video for ‘Fall Apart’ is surprisingly good, too, and it captures the surreal nature of the song very well. The cinematography of the video is notably intriguing, and Evrist moves through a variety of lighting set-ups from well lit bedrooms to dark forests lit with greens and blues evocative of ‘A Midsummer’s Night Dream.’

‘Fall Apart’ does cut through the noise of the singer songwriter scene, and it does so triumphantly with a fantastic production and accompanying music video. It’s well written and performed, and it’s also indicative of Evrist’s debut EP being a collection of music worth putting on your calendar for later this year.

https://www.facebook.com/JanessaEvristMusic/

Words By Brett David Stewart

A&R Factory Present: Jake Herring

Posted on 24 February 2017

Jake Herring is a singer, songwriter, and producer from c, Florida. He has worked with multiple artist around the globe including RÆVE, DJ Paige, Bowie, Part Native, Allegory, Christian Alexander, and CLN. Jake has been playing guitar since he was 8, singing & songwriting since he was 14, and producing since he was 16.

Jake had his break in the music industry through a single off of his first EP titled “Little Mess.” Little Mess generated just over 810,000 views on Spotify in the first 7 months of being released. Following the release of Little Mess EP, Jake worked to find a remixer for the track which in turn led him to meet !KE and creating Little Mess (!KE Remix). In just around 42 days the track generated over 190,000 views on Soundcloud with the average view count sitting at just around 4,500 views a day.

Jake Herring plans to drop his next single “Miami” on November 18th, 2016. After this release, Jake will have started his transition into the R&B/Electro Pop genre further pushing his efforts in creating his first self-produced album titled “Somewhere Down The Road.” The drop date for this album is still unsure but is aimed for early-to-mid 2017.

Jake’s future plans include receiving a publishing deal, leading on to receiving a record label deal. Jake also plans to begin touring the U.S after the release of his first album “Somewhere Down The Road.” Jake believes that by mixing his folk, singer/songwriter voice with deep R&B/Electro Pop he will be able to create a genre of his own, incorporating such sounds as Majid Jordan and Alt-J together in one track with one mood.

 

A&R Factory Present: Spencer Ludwig

Posted on 13 February 2017

A trumpeter, singer, producer, and dancer who rocks alligator shoes with smoking style and panache, Spencer Ludwig brings any party to life.

Chances are, you’ve heard his lyrical lead trumpet soaring through the music of multiplatinum-selling indie pop act Capital Cities. Not only did the Los Angeles-born, half-Filipino vocalist-instrumentalist perform on their full-length debut In a Tidal Wave of Mystery, but he also crisscrossed the globe with the band, opening Katy Perry’s Prismatic World Tour and tearing up the stage at Coachella, Bonnaroo, and more.

Following a whirlwind two years in the group, he returned to Los Angeles in December 2014 and commenced writing solo material that showcased both his trumpet talents and dynamic, diverse vocals. On his 2016 solo debut he merges jazz virtuosity and pop style for a sound that simmers and swaggers with soul

Spencer says “‘Legend’ is one of my favorite sayings for the people who blow me away with out-of-this-world beauty and amazing talent. Legendary beauty & talent can be expressed in someone’s physicality, spirituality, approach to life, artistry and/or musicality.  This song is about seeing ‘it’ in one person and being drawn to them like a moth to the flame. Sometimes you can’t explain in words what attracts you to someone or something but you can’t deny the feeling or presence when it hits you.”

Legend will be the track used in the official promos for season 12 of NBC’s The Voice.

 

A&R Factory Present: Cody Jay

Posted on 1 February 2017

Cody Jay is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. His debut album “Off the Vine” was released earlier this year, and he is currently gearing up for the release of an acoustic version of that album. In addition, Cody is working on his next album (geared towards a more electro-house/pop feel) as well as visuals to accompany the new music.

Cody Jay has thus far been responsible for writing, producing, and recording all of his music, and is currently in search of representation to help facilitate further growth in his career. “Off the Vine” – Acoustic is a cover album by Cody Jay. It is an acoustic version of his debut release album, “Off the Vine” and shows another side to Cody’s artistry. By stripping down the music production to only that of a guitar and piano, Cody showcases his true talents and vocal abilities. These songs take on an entirely new feel, and shed new light on Cody and his music.

Check out more from Cody Jay here

A&R Factory Present: J Lind

Posted on 5 January 2017

J Lind is an American singer-songwriter from Arizona. Following high school, J attended Princeton University on scholarship, where he formed an alternative rock band, Valley Academy. The group quickly became Princeton’s premier indie act, opening for artists ranging from Alus and Luke Christopher to the Grammy-nominated artist, Big Sean, before parting ways in the spring of 2016.

In August, J recorded his debut solo EP at The Chapel in Nashville, TN. Engineered by Joshua D. Niles (COIN, Taylor Phelan, Jason Gray), the record blends warm instrumentation’s with timeless folk signatures to touch on socially relevant themes. J’s debut EP is scheduled for release in January 2017, prior to a string of shows in Europe in the spring.

A&R Factory Present: JSPH

Posted on 7 December 2016

Nominated as 2016’s New Artist of The Year by CityBeat, eclectic artist JSPH’s soulful melodies were established in his gospel roots.  His craftsmanship has led him to push the sonic boundaries of pop and soul; evolving, yet respecting tradition.  This developed into a signature style that one may classify as progressive soul.  It creates a canvas that proudly wears its influences on its sleeves; such as, Prince, D’ Angello, James Blake, Toro y Moi, Sam Cooke, The Weeknd and Gallant.  His newest single “Breathe” was featured on Pharell’s OtherTone radio show on Beats 1 and is continuously streamed both in the US and abroad. 

Breathe is a record that’s a reminder to let go. It is my first release since the more darker and emotional EP “Rule.” I chose to have the artwork reflect the juxtaposition that occurs when the beat drops at around the 40 second mark. It transitions from a dark poetic intro into a modern soul anthem. The roses in the darkness are just a reminder that in a life full of potential fear, something beautiful can transpire if we focus on love, and breathe.

JSPH grew up in Northern Kentucky and recalls an inevitable passion to write and sing.  He would copy down the lyrics of songs as a child, study them, then perform them in front of family and classmates. While pursuing a law degree, he would sneak into the fine arts library every chance he had and recalls writing lyrics in his casebooks during class. Instead of raising his voice as an advocate in the courtroom after law school, JSPH decided to continue crafting his voice into a unique musical sound on the stage.

Teaming up with producer DJ Corbett, JSPH began to work on a trilogy of EP’s entitled “Rest”, “Rule” and “Abide”.   He released “Rest” in early 2015 and “Rule” shortly thereafter, and soon began to make waves in the music industry. These waves spread from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, landing him a publishing deal with Heyday Media.  “Forever,” the first single, was selected by director Anthony Diblassi and featured in the movie “Wuthering High School”, which aired on the Lifetime Channel. 

JSPH’s sound has put him in front of thousands as he’s performed in Chicago, NYC, Los Angeles and Cincinnati along with other cities in the US.  He was nominated as the 2016 “New Artist Of The Year” and “Best Soul/ R&B/Funk Artist” by CityBeat.  

JSPH is now recording “Abide”, the final part of his EP trilogy.

http://www.jsphnvls.com/

A&R Factory Presents: Stevie Talks

Posted on 2 November 2016

Stevie Talks resides in Costa Mesa, CA. Six months ago, he was offered an opportunity to play guitar full-time alongside his friends in Atlas Genius, but instead decided to buckle down and pursue his personal project, Stevie Talks. During this time he crafted pop songs with a nostalgic singer/songwriter feel, while showcasing a undeniable talent for chord work and melody. He has had the opportunity to work alongside members of Young the Giant, Sir Sly, and Mating Ritual in the studio to contribute to a collection of his recordings.

His big personality is seen in these recordings and live performances, and brings life to a collection of songs that are as timeless as they are fresh. A lover of Americana, his recordings have blended the vintage warmth often associated with this genre to the crisp punch of contemporary pop, replete with the infectious charms of the pop genre. He has professional experience as a touring guitar player, having had the opportunity to play on several international tours with recording artists on Universal Republic, and Warner Records, but has remained sedentary until his music is released in the forthcoming months.

A&R Factory Present: Tom Speight

Posted on 17 October 2016

Love’ – the title track and lead single from Tom Speight’s new EP, is an uplifting, joyous affair. Welding spirited guitar turns with spellbinding vocal melodies – the new single is stunning new offering. Joining forces with London based singer Lydia Clowes, their voices partner up majestically in the harmonies, with Lydia adding a glistening new layer of intrigue to the track.

Speaking on the track, Tom says: ‘Love’ was inspired after watching Paul McCartney live. I wanted to write something people could really sing along with, something that was universal and instant. I liked the idea of song starting off small and building to something huge! I lived in Liverpool at the time of writing this song with my flatmate Mike from Clean Cut Kid we would stay up late listening to everything from the Beatles to Youth Lagoon. When it came to writing the song it pretty much wrote itself in a hour the tricky part was figuring how to turn a 6 minute live song onto record. I feel like Chris Bond (producer) found the perfect balance from our live performances to translating that to record.

Having previously landed support slots for the likes of Fleet Foxes, Jake Bugg, Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran, Fionn Regan andBastille. Thomas will return to perform extensively throughout the UK this Autumn