Portland, Oregon-based rock group The Quick & Easy Boys, who blend garage-pop, psychedelic rock, and funky R&B to create their brand of rock 'n' roll, are celebrating the release of their third full-length, Make It Easy, nationally on May 14, 2013.  Comprised of vocalist/bassist Sean Badders, guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Russell, and drummer/vocalist Michael Goetz, the power trio creates a sound that goes against the grain, but finds everyone dancing and partying.  Bottom line - it's all just rock 'n roll."It's Jimi Hendrix meets The Police playing at a house party hosted by The Minutemen," Badders, describing the band's sound over a couple of cocktails.  If that description sounds far-fetched or strange, you haven't heard The Quick & Easy Boys and the dynamic sound they bring to the stage - and recorded.  Following up 2008's Bad Decisions with Good People and 2010's Red Light Rabbit, Make It Easy is their most cohesive and melodic album to date, which also happens to be their most rocking as well."We have continued to grow as songwriters and musicians, which has lead to a more dynamic and unique Quick & Easy Boys' pop-rock sound on this album," further comments Badders, discussing the album.Recorded with engineer Bill Barnett at his Gung Ho Studios in Eugene, Oregon, and produced by the band (with help from Barnett), The Quick & Easy Boys went for a more cohesive sound on their latest.  Whereas Red Light Rabbit, and especially Bad Decisions with Good People, genre-hopped from track to track, Make It Easy hones it all in, keeping the level of diversity that has garnered the band a devoted and loyal fan base, but ensuring their stylistic, genre-hopping uniqueness isn't traded in for production value."We really took our time recording and then assessing what should be put on the album as a coherent sounding mix of songs," recalls Russell.  "We did not rush this process at all.  We ended up cutting some songs and then adding some others.  We feel very happy with the choices we made in regards to the final track selection.  Also, by working with Barnett, we feel the entire production quality increased exponentially.  The album pops harder than our first two efforts."This is none more evident than it is on tracks like album opener "Hey Hey Hey," a stomping, funk-laden 70s influenced rocker, or garage-rock dancer "Without You."  "Dog On Its Reign" finds the band playing tight, punchy pop-rock, danceable groove in the pocket, and a slight psychedelic groove undertone that propels and pushes the song.  Meanwhile, "Trace Kincaid" sounds like Pink Floyd meets Frank Zappa, and the album's title track is delectable, buoyant quirky pop-rock.Channeling early Red Hot Chili Peppers on "Let Me Get Down," the band proves they can do just that, get down with a rocker, making you dance and sweat, but still make the song grind with a guitar that prove they're a rock band at heart."Toothpaste" is the band's nod to folk-rock, delivering a slower, methodically beautiful melody that will put you in a trance.Ending with "A Little Hell," the Led Zeppelin-inspired ballad that fuses arena rock with slow, charming pop rock, helps you wind down gracefully, putting the sweat-drenched raucous to bed and allowing you to feel every note in a different way.In the past four years prior to Make It Easy's release, the band has crisscrossed the nation several times, playing everything from dive bars to festivals throughout, garnering a steady and consistently growing fan base in each market they bring their ass-shaking, good-time, beer-drinking brand of rock.  Influenced by the likes of Jimi Hendrix, The Who, The Police, Willie Nelson, Fela Kuti, Funkadelic, and countless others, the band has worked hard to get to the point where they're at with Make It Easy.When asked if there is a theme or message running throughout the album, Badders quickly says that the album is "a mishmash of the of the feelings derived from living a Dionysian rock 'n roll lifestyle.  It deals with heart break, frustration, fighting change, submission to change, highs, lows, and generally all the reasons why one should choose to just Make It Easy."With the Make It Easy attitude, the band just wants to continue to perform for growing crowds, enthusiastic concertgoers, and have a good time.  After all, if you can't have fun and do what you love, why put all your energy into it?  And, one listen to Make It Easy will prove that the band does indeed put all their energy into their music - and live show, which is not to be missed.TOUR DATES:5/08/13 - Applegate Lodge - Applegate, OR5/10/13 - Liquid Lounge - Bend, OR5/11/13 - W.O.W. Hall - Eugene, OR5/16/13 - Nectar Lounge - Seattle, WA5/17/13 - Wonder Ballroom - Portland, OR6/12/13 - Martin’s (FREE, 21+, doors 8pm) - Roanoke, VA 6/13/13 - Doc Taylors - Virginia Beach, VA6/14/13 - 8x10 w/ Cris Jacbos Band ($10/12, AA, doors 8pm) - Baltimore, MD6/15/13 - Cantrell’s ($10, 21+, show 10pm) - Fayetteville, WV6/16/13 - Empty Glass ($7, 21+, show time TBA) - Charleston, WV6/17/13 - PJ Kellys (FREE, 21+, show 9pm) - Clarksburg, WV6/18/13 - Woodlands Tavern (FREE, AA, show 6pm) - Columbus, OH6/20/13 - Lamasco’s ($3, 21+, doors 8pm) - Evansville, IN6/24/13 - Southern Sun Brewery (FREE, 21+, show 10pm) - Boulder, CO

On May 16th at Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, Oregon-based composer Ben Darwish will release his latest project, Morning Ritual, and release their first piece on 12" vinyl, "The Clear Blue Pearl" (featuring Shook Twins).

Also on the bill are De La Warr.  Doors are at 8pm, show starts at 9pm.  Tickets are $10.00 in advance.  The show is 21+.

Ben Darwish, well-known throughout the Northwest as a versatile songwriter and composer, creating everything from free-form jazz and hypnotic R&B to off-kilter indie-pop, Darwish doesn't rest on just one sound or style, incorporating his many musical passions and influences into his diverse sounds.

His latest project, Morning Ritual, features Darwish on keyboards, William Seiji Marsh on guitar, Russ Kleiner on drums, and everyone on vocals.  It touches on nearly every genre Darwish has worked with in the past, making it hard to define, but ensuring each piece fuses different musical influences together within the framework of a style that's uniquely their own.

The result of the Individual Artist Fellowship from Oregon Arts Commission, and Darwish's month-long Artist in Residency at Caldera Arts, Darwish was initially able to raise $10,000 through USA Artists to produce the album.  He then received the 2013 RACC Project Grant to turn his composition, "The Lonely Night," into a multi-media performance.

"Morning Ritual is a transformative project for me," comments Darwish.  "It allows me to pursue songwriting like I never have before while still incorporating my other vast range of influences.  In addition, I am able to explore my more creative side of storytelling.  Working with Shook Twins have opened my ears to new possibilities in music."

Folk duo Shook Twins joined Darwish in Morning Ritual for their first piece, entitled "The Clear Blue Pearl."

"The Clear Blue Pearl" tells the story of a man and wife who, after a drought plagues their land, set out in search for the "Clear Blue Pearl," an aquifer which is rumored to be close underground.  After a harrowing search, they finally discover the underground oasis they've been looking for, but once they decide to make it their new home, they realize they may have settled on unstable land.

A video for "Tunnel of Light" featuring Shook Twins can be found here:

A treat on record, the project is best experienced live, with live shows on the horizon pending the album's release.  Instead of a series of single songs, their live performance is best described as an experience which will transcend your expectation of a live concert.

Born out of Dallas, Texas' rich music scene, The O's deliver a melodic, catchy pop sound, achieved with folk-minded acoustic instrumentation, drawing influences from the modern and traditional Americana scenes.  Comprised of Taylor Young (acoustic guitar, kick drum) and John Pedigo (banjo), the duo had spent time in numerous Dallas bands, including Polyphonic Spree, Young Heart Attack, Slick 57, Boys Named Sue, P.W. Long, and The Backsliders, before coming together in 2008 to form The O's.

Having released their debut, We Are The O's in 2009 and the follow-up, Between The Two, in 2011, both on Dallas, Texas-based Idol Records, the band is navigating new waters with their latest, Thunderdog, which will be released on their own Punch Five Records on July 23, 2013.

"At this point," Young explains, "John and I have so many years of experience in dealing with [the music industry], and I think we know most of the things that need to be done for a record label, and we definitely know what's best for our band.  Now it's up to us.  If we want to lose our money putting it behind things we think are good, then we'll do that and hope it all works out."

Recorded at the famed Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, just along the Mexican border near El Paso, as well as at The Bubble in Austin, Thunderdog was produced by Chris "Frenchie" Smith.

A state-of-the-art, top-notch studio where the band could stay on-site, eat on-site, and record without distractions, the band felt, on their producer's recommendation, that Sonic Ranch's environment would provide them a chance to get more creative and break out of their standard mold, something they feel they accomplished with Thunderdog.

"Frenchie, our producer, had done a lot of work out [at Sonic Ranch] and thought it would be great for us musically and philosophically," recalls Pedigo.  "He was one-hundred percent right.  It's a magical place that sits on the border surrounded by a million pecan trees.  There are sweet ladies that make you food every day and more importantly, they make you the Sonic Ranch Red Sauce.  We ate it by the gallon and put it on everything - burritos, tacos, pizza, you name it.  We literally lived there for two weeks and worked at all hours of the day and night."

It was all worth it, as both Young and Pedigo will agree.  Their brand of stomping roots-rock comes alive on Thunderdog, a twelve-track collection of songs that fans of Mumford & Sons and the Avett Brothers will rejoice in, while purists of country-folk will eagerly nod in approval.

Named after Young's 36-inch kick drum ("We would always say that thing could 'Thunderdog' any crowd we played in front of," Pedigo says), Thunderdog means many more things to them, serving as the theme for the album, and the band, defining their method of achieving their own success, on their own terms, at their own pace.

"Thunderdogging is a blazing of our own trail," comments Pedigo.  "So, the deal behind naming our album that is creating our own path with the record, and with the new record label.  There aren't any rules.  We're just thunder-dogging our own way through it all."

Expanding on their banjo-driven style, the band stays true to themselves, while experimenting and pushing the envelope, including putting the banjo through a fuzz pedal on the track "Kitty," which closes out the album.

"That's just a banjo solo," Pedigo says, laughing, when asked if they used an electric guitar on the album.  "It's my banjo through a fuzz pedal.  Just like Thunderdog represents what we do with the bass drum, this is how I Thunderdog the banjo.  I wouldn't have been able to try that two years ago, let alone actually put it on a record."

Prior to the album's domestic release, the band toured through Europe.  Now they plan to release the record in the states, hit the road, and do what they do best: play live, entertain a drinking crowd, and have fun.  Thunderdogging through the musical terrain, in a van, playing to anyone lucky enough to catch them.

Upcoming tour dates:

On their fourth full-length, Nashville, Tennessee-based rock band The Lonely H deliver a ten-track, self-titled full-length, complete with guest appearances by The Rolling Stones' saxophonist Bobby Keys, Caitlin Rose, and others.The Lonely H (self-released), the follow-up to 2009's Concrete Class (The Control Group), finds the band - Mark Fredson (vocals, keys), brothers Eric (guitar) and Johnny Whitman (bass), Ben Eyestone (drums), and newcomer Zach Setchfield (guitar) - paying homage to Tom Petty, Bog Segar, Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, and Billy Joel, while also making a record that fits in nicely with current trendsetters such as Dawes, Deer Tick, Alabama Shakes, and My Morning Jacket.Previous releases include their debut, 2006's Kick Upstairs, 2007's Hair, and Concrete Class, all three engineered and produced by Joe Reineke in Seattle, Washington at Orbit Audio and released on Seattle, Washington-based indie The Control Group."The album is self-titled because of all the records we've ever made, we think this is the one that represents our live show and musical allegiances the most," comments Fredson.  "This is the record where what we heard in our heads made a perfect transition onto record, and self-titling it seemed like the most simple, effective way to represent what we had created."Engineered and produced by Dexter Green at the Nashville-based Sealab Studios, the band took nearly a year to make the record, which was a long and often arduous journey that took longer than what they initially imagined.  But, the results were worth the wait.  Sharper songs and vocals, Stones-y guitar interplay, and a well-oiled rhythm section topped off with the masterful production of Dexter Green (Caitlin Rose, Derek Hoke, the Greenhornes), The Lonely H sounds worlds above their previous work."It's similar in that we still are heavily influenced by the music of the 60s and 70s," says Fredson, comparing the self-titled to their previous three records.  "But, we don't attach ourselves at the hip to it like you could say we did on our 3rd record, Concrete Class.  In this case, I think the songwriting is more mature, with more attention paid to lyrical content.  When writing the songs, I placed a huge emphasis on hooks and big, memorable choruses, which is something I've never seen through nearly as much in the past.  Also, with the addition of a second guitarist, Zach Setchfield, you get a special sort of Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards guitar interplay that is hard to come by in modern music."Besides the guest appearance of Bobby Keys, the album features appearances by Caitlin Rose, Melissa Mathes, Margo Price, and Alex Caress (all on background vocals), horns by John Painter, and some expert key work by Jefferson Crow.  With these appearances and performances, the band brings all of their hard work, dedication, and years of relentless touring together to make a record that draws inspirations from Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, and the late Gerry Rafferty, as well as The Shins, Dawes, and Arcade Fire, to name a few."The saxophone solo at the end of Riding the Clutch is wailed out by Bobby Keys, the Rolling Stones' saxophonist," comments Fredson excitedly.  "That was a pretty special moment to have such a legend grace us with his musical presence on record with us."The record, while not entirely recorded live, has a much more live feel and, for the first time on tape, captures the band's rawness and live energy more so than their previous releases."There are more live moments and takes on this record than we've ever done before," recalls Fredson.  "In addition to the bass being tracked live with the drums for pretty much the whole record, there are four songs where the guitars, including solos, were all tracked live along with the bass and drums.  It gives you a good idea of what we sound like live and fits in nicely with the more polished recordings."After a year in the studio, the band is quick to point out that the record came out better than they could have imagined, something Fredson is undeniably proud of."I don't think it's vintage sounding enough to be labeled a 'throwback record,'" says Fredson, "and I don't think it's Americana enough to be fully incorporated into that world.  I just hope that some people will resist the urge to put a label on it and just enjoy the songs for what they are, just five guys trying to write honest music."The honesty comes through on each track, both musically and lyrically, with the songs chronicling dissatisfaction and emptiness, filling the voids of life in the most wholesome ways possible."Either you accept the fact that you're in a place where that's the only way to go about coping, or you see a light at the end of the tunnel where maybe you can be a better person eventually," Fredson says of the theme running through the album.  "Aside from that, almost all the relationship-based songs don't paint the best picture of love, but the overall message is that it's an essential part of life and I'm more than willing to take the good with the bad."While the guitar work may find may comparing The Lonely H to Tom Petty and The Rolling Stones, one listen to it will prove that the record can pay homage to its influences, while sounding completely contemporary and fresh as well.

John Moen - drummer and harmony right-hand for the Decemberists, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Elliott Smith, and Robert Pollard's Boston Spaceships, as well as the former front man of Portland’s legendary Maroons - has released his second album of gorgeously crafted pop-rock tunes, Revise Your Maps, under the name Perhapst on Jealous Butcher Records.Recorded and produced by Jonathan Drews (Sunset Valley) at Jonathan’s Last of the Explorers studio, Revise Your Maps' twelve songs are imbued with sweetness, sass, and melancholy. The record kicks off with "Birds off a Wire," the perfect introduction to Moen’s impossibly keen melodic sense. A peerless falsetto coaxes through the verses while the choruses dissolve into saturated guitars. It’s pop music with satisfying, jangly corners, and this theme carries through Revise Your Maps. With "Birds off a Wire" one is reminded of The Notorious Byrd Brothers and then two songs later on "Ramble Scramble," you’re tapping along with a shuffling boogie that’s all Squeeze. The title song - perhaps the most wistful of the lot - tugs on the heart with a refrain that’s equal parts teary and hopeful. "Sorrow & Shame’s" chorus may take you self-deprecatingly to despair, but it somehow stomps and struts like Freddie Mercury all the while. Songs call out to a bonnie-haired beloved, broadcast from a moored ship that used to go places, stay up late to bemoan an old sadness.Moen shot the cover photo the record, and while Jonathan Drews manned the mixing board, Moen composed a drawing for each of the songs. These appear on the back sleeve and are a totally charming sort of inkblot test of each of the tunes.Revise Your Maps is a grown-up record full of all the love, want, and peacemaking that come to a husband, dad, and musician who’s been playing on stages since he was a teenager. It’s as though while drumming and recording with other artists over the years, Moen was collecting as well, burnishing these gems. It’s such a fully-realized collection of songs, an album who’s themes seamlessly weave a sum even greater than the individual parts.  Revise Your Maps will settle in that exulted, select stack closest your turntable.

"Shane Tutmarc is one of my favorite new voices in rock and roll." - Wanda Jackson

Some may know Shane Tutmarc as the front man for Seattle-based indie-pop band Dolour, which featured Robin Pecknold (Fleet Foxes).  However, after packing up Dolour, Tutmarc packed his bags in 2010 and moved to Nashville, where he refined his sound, blending garage-rock, folk, blues, country, gospel, and pop to create an Americana flavor that pays homage to its predecessors, but also knows when to expand on and experiment with different influences.  The result is something that has been described as Nashville rock-n-soul; but, after one listen to Tutmarc’s music, you won’t be worrying as much about labels and genres as you will be singing along.

Having recorded a full-length in Nashville, Borrowed Trouble, which has since been placed on the back burner due to an investor in the album pulling out at the eleventh hour, Tutmarc has kept busy playing around Nashville and the Northwest, as well as producing other artists.  However, he recently has decided to release a single a month throughout 2015, with plans to compile the songs and release a full-length in 2016.  The singles will be released by Portland, Oregon-based indie, In Music We Trust Records.

June's single, and the 6th overall, scheduled for release on Tuesday, June 30th, is "Out of the Dark."  A late-night, subdued song that contrasts the darkness of the Tutmarc's reserved voice and the trickling guitar notes with a relaxing, soothing melody, the song is the perfect example of Tutmarc's ability to create something soothing and slow, all while reeling you in with an undertow melody that won't soon be forgotten.

"This is the newest song of the singles released so far.  I finished writing and arranging it just days before getting in the studio.  My good friend Aaron Tosti played drums (as he has on almost every single so far), and I played everything else," Tutmarc says of the song.  "With all the synthesizers and vocal harmonies, it might sound more like my old band, Dolour.  But, it also feels like a step forward production-wise.  It's less roots-based, and more experimental.  I hope to do more songs like this in the future. Like April's single, 'Suicide Weather,' the song deals with trying to work your way through a dark period.  Music is the outlet that helps me the most during rough patches."

The first single, “Poison Apple,” digitally released January 27th, found Tutmarc delivering a melodic garage rocker.  Produced by Tutmarc, the song features his uncanny ability to carve out a melody while creating a fun, but also serious rock beat, allowing him to weave between genres without sounding forced or contrived.

The second single, “Tennessee Girl,” released February 24th, took a 180 and found Tutmarc offering up a more traditional country song, an upbeat love song about a man traveling, yearning to get back to his girl in Tennessee.

The third single, released March 31st, "When You Found Me," was originally recorded for Borrowed Trouble, but re-recorded for the single-a-month plan.  A guitar-driven, muddy blues-influenced, mid-tempo rocker, the song showcases Tutmarc's ability to get gritty, without losing his melodic sensibilities.

The fourth single hit on April 28th and is "Suicide Weather," a psychedelic-infused, 60s throw-back pop number.

The fifth single is "Til Daddy Gets Paid" and hit on May 26th.  A country-fied dance number, the song finds Tutmarc re-visiting his adopted hometown of Nashville's roots, all while putting his own stamp on it.

It’s this ability to vacillate between styles, and also merge them effortlessly when he wants, that has made Tutmarc a go-to man for co-writing in Nashville, as well as a producer.  His agility in his songwriting and musical breadth help him carry out his vision, whether it’s a dense, lush, or sparse song that Tutmarc feels he needs to carry out his message.

That is why he looks forward to 2015, and the freedom to slowly craft an album, while releasing singles each month, keeping new music outpouring, and not tying his hands with the pressure to go in and create a collection of songs immediately for a release.

Los Angeles, CA-based eclectic, melodic pop-rock duo The Blue Dolphins follow up this year's six-song Walking in the Sun EP with their sophomore full-length, Come On!, a fourteen track collection of California-sun soaked roots songs that travel the landscape of memorable melodies, intricate guitar solos, luscious vocal harmonies, and uplifting lyrics, all wrapped up in fantastic production.

Comprised of two-time Grammy Award winner engineer Alfonso Rodenas on guitar and Victoria Scott on lead vocals, the duo released the Walking in the Sun EP in May, a prelude to the forthcoming full-length; Walking in the Sun contains six songs Come On!.  Prior releases include their debut full-length, 2012's My Favorite Word is Today and 2013’s In Between EP.  

Come On! is a major push forward for The Blue Dolphins, reaching towards a more complex and fully produced music scenario, where sonic aesthetics and songwriting are richer and more varied, departing from the pared-down premises and acoustic songs that characterized My Favorite Word is Today.  Come On! embraces folk, pop, and roots-rock with the duo’s characteristic optimism and charm.

Victoria Scott and Alfonso Rodenas fatefully met at the legendary rock pit The Cat Club on the Sunset Strip in Los Angeles and soon started playing and recording together.  Formed in 2010, The Blue Dolphins released their debut full-length and gigged constantly over the following two years in California and Western Europe - earning them a dedicated fan base in the U.S., U.K., and Spain.

At the time, Scott was managing U.K. artist Zoe Scott (her older sister) as well as the independent record label Zeus Records.  Alfonso was working in the studio with Norteño super group Los Tigres Del Norte, for which he has won two Grammys, and with some of the best Americana bands in Los Angeles, including Old Californio and I See Hawks in LA - in addition to engineering works for famed cult producer Ben Vaughn.

Their debut, My Favorite Word is Today is a soulful blend of eclectic-pop-folk with hints of exotic sounds, such as Bossa Nova and many other genres.  Simple and unfettered, Rodenas and Scott kept their focus on acoustic instruments, stripped down production, and emotionally honest vocals.  Hailed by critics as “timeless, pure, intimate vocals and melodies showcased by a bravely stripped down production," Pamela Des Barres, author of I’m with the Band, noted that “the album’s sentiments touched my heart” and “Scott’s voice is just gorgeous."

They followed up My Favorite Word is Today with 2013's In Between EP, which further showcased their ability to write warm melodies and heartfelt lyrics with energetic, upbeat vocal harmonies that brought their songs and songwriting to new life.  It shows the musical couple departing from its original acoustic sound into an unmapped new music landscape, full of emergent future possibilities.  It is the prototype for what Walking In the Sun and Come On! would be based on.

Characterized by beautiful melodies, tight harmonies, and an uplifting, positive mood, Alfonso Rodenas and Victoria Scott cite West Coast/Laurel Canyon music revolution luminaries and 70s California/West Coast pop-rock as some of their most cherished musical influences that, together with their love for the classic British soul sound, embed their music with a unique luminous timeless quality that so clearly define their musical style and is so present in their latest EP, Walking In the Sun and the subsequent full-length, Come On!.  With open hearts and a desire to connect with their audiences through their own experiences - in addition to their strong drive and eloquent production - they invoke the resounding spirit present in the music they admire most.

Scott grew up outside of London, England, fascinated by her father's collection of Elvis Presley, Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Rolling Stones records.  After learning to play the recorder, piano, and guitar, Scott had also taught herself to sing by the age of 12, emulating the various styles of Carole King, Nina Simone, N'Dea Davenport. and Aretha Franklin.

Rodenas is a two-time Grammy-award winning sound engineer from Spain.  His music career began as a bassist in the indie pop-rock band Vitamin Vil in Valencia, Spain, and has since spanned twenty-five years, the last twelve of which have seen him work as a freelance producer, recording, and mixing engineer in Los Angeles, California.

Portland, Oregon's Kathryn Claire is gearing up to celebrate the release of her fourth full-length album, Bones Will Last, a ten-track collection of chamber/folk music encompassing her classical music upbringing with her formative folk influences.  With five instrumentals and five vocal tracks, Bones Will Last places Claire's violin and voice at the forefront of the album.

Claire spent years cultivating her own style and approach to music as a violinist, guitarist, singer, and songwriter.  The result is an album that features arrangements that are sparse, with the lyrics residing confidently in the music; the violin weaving seamlessly through the album, bringing the instrumental and lyrical compositions together.

"When I decided to put instrumentals and lyrical songs on the album, I knew finding a cohesive sound could be problematic," admits Claire.  "That interweaving was so profound.  I have played violin on many albums, and have worked as a side person with incredible performers.  Each artist and genre I worked in taught me something.  One of the most important gifts I learned as a side person was how to listen.  When I made this album I applied that gift to myself.  I wanted to capture what I heard in my head with the violin.  I went deep within myself to find those melodic or lyrical lines that I kept hearing."

Kathryn worked with Portland musicians Zak Borden (mandolin), Allen Hunter (upright bass), and Don Henson (piano) to create the album and has performed and toured extensively with all three artists. "It was empowering to work with such sensitive, talented and supportive musicians.  They were patient and excited with the whole process.  Each of them brought their own style to the album, and still helped me focus on the sound I was trying to create and compose."

On the title track, Claire sings "Raise a glass, it's all we have.  For tonight has become tomorrow.  Fear the flood, the rush of blood, we'll be gone, but our bones will last," speaking to the themes of the album: mortality, loss, love and transformation.

"I think about death often," she says, discussing one of the album's central themes.  "It is not a preoccupation, but something I ponder regularly.  In a literal sense, the title speaks to what we leave behind after we die; the remains of our body in the end are just our bones.  But in a figurative sense, I wanted to consider the bones of our personality, of our creative work, of our heart: the essential things that last after everything else has died, decayed, and transformed.  I like the idea that at the core each of us have this essence, and as an artist, there is a core voice or aesthetic.  I sought the "bones" of my creative being through the creation of this album.  I wondered how I would feel if this was my last album, if this was the last musical thing I left behind.  I needed to make sure that I said and expressed everything I wanted."

Claire's own vision changed while making the record.  Realizing that she may have two records on her hands, she decided to hold back five songs, and re-work the direction of the album by incorporating the instrumental compositions.

"Generally I go into the studio with a collection of songs that are pretty much intact.  I don't do much editing in the studio because the songs feel complete," she says of her process.  "For this album, I had about ten songs that I had started working on over a two-year period.  But it was clear that there were two different albums that wanted to be made.  I had to choose the five songs that would work with the instrumentals. I had considered doing an entirely instrumental album and an entirely lyric-driven album, but I saw a way to put a handful of the songs together with the instrumentals.  In the end, they informed one another and fit together beautifully. "

"'Sweet Chariot,' 'Never Be,' and 'Thaw' were all complete and I did little editing on them.  'Last Day' definitely morphed from its original version (written in a hotel room in Montana).  I credit Danny O'Hanlon at Bunglalo 9 who mixed the album.  He helped me shape that song into a piece that fit with the rest of the songs.  We took out an entire verse and most of the acoustic guitar part, and just left strings and bass to drive the song. The result is a powerful song about the loss of self and the ending of a relationship.  'Bones Will Last,' the title track, was titled 'Medicine' for a couple of years.  But it had the line 'We'll be gone, but our bones will last.'  I knew I wanted that to be the title of the album.  But 'Medicine' didn't fit.  The energy of the song was cathartic and intense.  One night I sat with my guitar and asked the song what it wanted.  I learned the song was very tender and really a love song. Once I realized this, and wrote a new chorus, that song became the title track and one of my favorites.  Sometimes we have to listen even harder to our own words and music because beneath the initial emotions or melodies is something different, something essential."

The instrumental compositions on Bones Will Last are where Claire hears the clearest intersection between her classical and traditional music upbringing.  The completed album surprised Claire when she realized how deeply her classical roots ran throughout it.

"Classical music is a part of my musical voice, but I haven't really explored it for years.  I was blessed to have a fantastic string/orchestra program in my hometown of Eugene, Oregon.  I grew up playing string quartets with my friends and playing some of the great symphonies with my peers.  My parents, especially my mother, fostered a love of classical music, and I attended many classical music performances.  I didn't go on to study music in college or to play classical music professionally.  I taught myself to play guitar in high school and started writing then.  Later on, I fell in love with folk music and traditional fiddle music, and went down that path for many years.  When everything got stripped down on this album and I started composing the string parts under the lyrical songs or putting harmony violin parts on the instrumentals, I was surprised by how connected to my classical roots I really am."

Kathryn Claire has found the bones of her creative voice.  It will be interesting to see where the process of making this album takes her in the future.  Her honest and poetic writing and unique approach to the violin and songwriting will serve her well as she continues to evolve and explore new musical terrains, creating a sound both original and diverse.

Kentucky-born and based in Cincinnati, Ohio, singer-songwriter Nicholas Johnson’s story is not a typical one, including moving to Milan, Italy and then getting kicked out of the country. Bringing it all back home on his fourth release, the seven-track album spanning twenty-six minutes, Shady Pines Vol. 2 (Ninja Jam Records), Johnson follows-up 2017’s Shady Pines Vol. 1 to complete the vision he originally had for the two-part project.

Shady Pines Vol. 1 (Ninja Jam Records) was the first half of the collaboration that found Johnson teaming up with acclaimed producer and engineer Patrick Himes (Ryan Adams, Ethan Johns, Lilly Hiatt) with the goal in mind to craft a recording that matched the intensity of his live shows. The result is a fiery brand of roots and rock that manages to sound both achingly familiar and fiercely original.

“I got kicked out of Italy in the early fall of 2016. Seriously. For context, I had an opportunity to move to Milan earlier in the year. Sold the car, the house, put most of my things in storage, packed up the dogs and moved into a tiny apartment in the center of the city. I loved it,” Johnson says of the experience. “However, there were huge errors with the filing of my visa - so on my birthday I was getting ready to fly to Munich for Oktoberfest and I got the call, ‘Happy Birthday, you can't go to Germany for Oktoberfest and you need to leave the country immediately while this is being resolved.’ I was told it could take anywhere from three weeks to three months.”

Continuing, he adds, “As I mentioned, the house and car were sold. I had to rent a car and crash at my friends - I split time between couches and spare rooms in Dayton and Louisville. I had these songs I wrote that were just hanging out that I played for friends and they really dug them. They were the ones who referred me to Patrick and his studio in Dayton - Reel Love Studios. Come to find out he had worked with Ethan Johns and was the engineer on one of my favorite albums, Ryan Adams’ classic Heartbreaker. Patrick had moved out of Nashville and started his own studio dedicated to recording and producing Ohio music. It was a match made in heaven. I loved working with him, but it was brief because by the time we got to work in the studio it was nearly time for me to go back to Italy. We knocked out five songs in a couple days [which would become 2017’s Shady Pines Vol. 1]. After that, I really wanted to come back and work with him again. Volume 2 was that opportunity.”

Building upon Vol. 1, Shady Pines Vol. 2 combines his Southern and Midwest roots into a sound that is best described as Southern roots meets Midwest rust-belt rock: Heartfelt, earnest, melodic, and true to the soil he was raised on. Paying homage to the likes of Tom Petty, Jeff Tweedy, and even Bruce Springsteen, Johnson creates a rock record that has as much grit as it does polish.

Unlike Volume 1, which was recorded quickly, Johnson and Himes took their time on Volume 2.

“The beginnings of Volume 2 started all the way back in 2018 - flying back from Italy to Dayton to work with Patrick. So we've had quite a bit of time to refine things and take our time crafting the sound and style.”

The result, as he says, is an album that “genre hops a bit but it's essentially Americana with an edge: peppered with rock and a little punk."

Propelled by the album’s first two singles - “New Vampire” and “Middle of Nowhere, Ohio” - “Middle of Nowhere” opens the album with an Tom Petty-esque rocker, while “New Vampire” closes out Volume 2 with a late-night, folk-pop sleeper rich in vocal harmonies, rustic charm, and a soothing rhythm section.

“These songs bookend the album and encapsulate the theme and tone of the album - but they achieve it in different ways musically,” Johnson says of the two singles.

With the album done and set for release March 3, 2023, Johnson is excited to get the record out to the public, tour in support of it (as a full band, solo, and as a duo), and hope those that hear it take from it some experiences that he put into it.

“This record has been my primary focus since 2018 so my main goal is for it to be heard, enjoyed, and respected by as many people as possible. Hopefully, this will be a lot of people's introduction to my music and like it enough to dig deeper into my catalog. And ultimately, I hope it's successful enough to propel me to my next project.”