Tue, 01/09/2018 - 6:37 pm

Award-winning singer-songwriter and eclectic multi-instrumentalist Rachael Sage will be joining 80s pop pioneer Howard Jones for his nationwide U.S. tour kicking off January 24th in Seattle, WA. Sage has often named Jones as a seminal influence on her music and previously supported him during the UK leg of his 2017 world tour. Along the tour, Sage will be previewing material from her new album Myopia, due May 2018.

From running her own record label, MPress Records, to releasing twelve full-length albums and numerous EPs of original material, Rachael Sage is one of the busiest, most prolific artists in the independent music scene. Averaging well over 100+ dates around the globe each year, Sage has shared stages with such diverse musicians as Ani DiFranco, Lucius, Beth Hart, Sarah McLachlan, and Great Big World.

In 2017, Sage was invited to open for Howard Jones during the UK portion of his international tour, which delightfully resulted in a creative kinship between the two. Jones expressed that Sage possesses “wonderful songwriting, arrangements and lovely vocals” and again called upon her to join his upcoming 2018 performances in America. The colorful artists will hit most major markets including stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Boston, and two nights in New York City. Fans will also be treated to special selections from Sage's forthcoming full-length album, Myopia, set to release this Spring. Violinist Kelly Halloran (Tom Morello) will be accompanying Sage for all of her performances.

Myopia is a bold departure for Sage with a much stronger emphasis on her guitar playing over her signature piano palette. It’s also a new kind of album for Sage personally, as she sings about a “screen of judgement / in my face all the time” being lifted. An edgy declaration of self-assurance and "vision" (Sage is legally blind without her glasses), Myopia focuses her passionately candid viewpoint into songs that range from the sociopolitical to the deeply romantic. As an affectionate nod to both her tour mate and one of her musical inspirations, she included her own unique interpretation of Howard Jones’ #1 hit song “No One Is To Blame”. Produced by Sage and her longtime engineer, 2-time Grammy® Nominee John Shyloski, Myopia also features inventive contributions by guitarist James Mastro and her longtime band The Sequins. Sage further explains: “This is a warm-weather record. These are songs about getting out there, thawing things out, and unearthing the truth. Sometimes you can’t do that in the dead of winter. But when the sun is shining, even the murkiest future appears hopeful.”

Tour Dates:

1.24.18

Illsley Ball Nordstrom Recital Hall

Seattle, WA

1.25.18

Aladdin Theater

Portland, OR

1.26.18

Admiral Theater

Bremerton, WA

1.29.18

The Chapel

San Francisco, CA

1.30.18

Harlow's

Sacramento, CA

2.1.18

Romano's Concert Lounge

Riverside, CA

2.3.18

El Rey Theater

Los Angeles, CA

2.4.18

Whittier College

Whittier, CA

2.5.18

Belly Up Tavern

Solana Beach, CA

2.13.18

Soiled Dove Underground

Denver, CO

2.14.18

Soiled Dove Underground

Denver, CO

2.15.18

Tobin Center For Performing Arts

San Antonio, TX

2.18.18

Dosey Doe, The Big Barn

The Woodlands, TX

2.20.18

City Winery Nashville

Nashville, TN

2.21.18

City Winery Atlanta

Atlanta, GA

2.23.18

Infinity Music Hall

Hartford, CT

2.24.18

YMCA Boulton Center For Performing Arts

Bay Shore, NY

2.25.18

Daryl's House

Pawling, NY

2.26.18

Sellersville Theater 1894

Sellersville, PA

2.28.18

City Winery

Boston, MA

3.1.18

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Rockport, MA

3.2.18

City Winery NYC

New York, NY

3.3.18

City Winery NYC

New York, NY

3.4.18

Hangar Theater

Ithaca, NY

3.7.18

Music Box Supper Club

Cleveland, OH

3.8.18

City Winery Chicago

Chicago, IL

3.9.18

The Tarkington

Carmel, IN

3.10.18

Live! At The Ludlow Garage

Cincinnati, OH

3.11.18

St. Andrew's Hall

Detroit, MI

Wed, 07/01/2020 - 6:22 pm

So Sure was conceived in 2019, and officially formed during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Sean Kelly (vocals, guitars, bass, synth) and Brendan Kelly (guitars, bass, synth, programming) (both from the band A Fragile Tomorrow) shared a similar itch to explore the vast world of dream pop, shoegaze, post punk, and alternative music of the 80s and 90s that they loved deeply. 

Longtime friend and collaborator Kyle Polk (drums, pads, percussion) shared a similar interest, and a front-to-back performance together of My Bloody Valentine’s seminal Loveless album sealed the deal.

Caffeine Drip is the first offering from So Sure, featuring five songs written and recorded over two months.

“In the end, we had five songs that I think felt really great to everyone,” Sean Kelly says. “[And] it was personally great to explore this music that I’ve loved for so long.”

Recorded remotely between Savannah GA, Montgomery NY, and Charleston SC, the songs are political and timely, and reflect the frustration and anxiety of the majority of the country.

“The exciting thing about So Sure is that there seems to be so much more to explore with this band,” Kelly says. 

“It’s freeing to be able to build something from scratch and figure out what the band is. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that and it’s creatively quite thrilling.”

100% of the proceeds will be donated to the ACLU to aid in its urgent advocacy efforts to demand racial justice and end police brutality.

Backstory (Written by Sean Kelly):

For me, this project is the realization of a dream I’ve had for a long time. Brendan and I have had a common love of bands like Slowdive, My Bloody Valentine, Cocteau Twins, The Jesus and Mary Chain, Ride, etc for a long time. 

We did some shows in September with our friend Kyle Polk on drums, and one week we played MBV’s ‘Loveless’ in its entirety. We started talking with Kyle about this idea we had of eventually starting a shoegaze band, and he was into it. Time passed, and we decided to give it a go while stuck in our houses. 

In the end, we had five songs that I think felt really great to everyone. They’re unavoidably political and timely, and it was personally great to explore this music that I’ve loved for so long.  

“Further Down” is possibly my favorite song on the EP, for a lot of reasons. It was built from a lot of little ideas that Brendan and I wrote, and we just kinda put things together to see it they fit. It was an experiment, really, but I think we both had the picture in our minds. Making it happen, especially as a co-write, felt like a real accomplishment. 

“Caffeine Drip” is a song that Brendan wrote and arranged all of the music for. He sent me the whole song and I simply just put melody and lyrics to it. That might be the first time that’s ever happened. We do a lot of co-writing, but not like that. I was really influenced by the way a band like Slowdive approaches melodies, with more elongated phrasing and parts that maybe flow more fluidly than songs that take the opposite approach. It was a bit outside of my box melodically, which was fun and challenging.

One of the best things about this project is Kyle, and I can’t emphasize that enough. He’s an incredibly melodic drummer, and his ideas are really musical and full of hooks. We’re lucky enough to play with two unbelievable drummers in both of our bands now, and that’s pretty amazing. 

The exciting thing about So Sure is that there seems to be so much more to explore with this band. Kyle has sent instrumental ideas, and we’ve got a pretty large folder of sketches and ideas. We also do want to do some shows, whenever that may be. But either way, it’s freeing to be able to build something from scratch and figure out what the band is. It’s been a long time since I’ve done that and it’s creatively quite thrilling!

TRACK LISTING

1. Caffeine Drip 5:17
2. Cookstown Mary 2:52
3. Banging The Drum So Slowly 4:14
4. Further Down 5:04
5. Paper Thin Skinned 4:44

Thu, 09/24/2020 - 12:59 pm

An award-winning singer songwriter from Austin via Alabama, Grace Pettis has amassed a hearty resume. Grace, whose debut single for MPress Records "Landon" was received with tremendous critical acclaim, has been characterized as "a little bit folk, a little bit country/Americana and a whole lot of soul. Energized from recording her full debut album in Nashville for MPress (set for release in 2021), her new song and accompanying video, "Drop Another Pin", is already turning heads. Featuring co-production and keyboard contributions from fellow Austin native Shakey Graves, the uptempo track was mixed by Grammy® winner Andy Zulla (Kelly Clarkson)

Dishing out hearty portions of hooks,"Drop Another Pin" is a catchy, alt-country ode to living in the moment.. Grace says of the song: "Remember when we woke up one day and the whole world had changed? We lost jobs. We lost houses. We lost our savings. We lost faith in our government, and in our society.  Maybe we even lost family and friends to a deadly pandemic. Now, more than ever, the idea that nothing is permanent or safe is real to me....We can only live in the moment we're in, the best that we can, getting comfortable with change, and trying to stay centered in the present. I'm happiest when I'm able to center myself within my own little dot on the map, in the midst of constant change." In between recording and hosting/playing on multitude of virtual concerts, Grace has been actively advocating for racial justice. She released the powerful song "White Noise" from which all proceeds are being donated to Color Of Change, an organization devoted to racial equality. It is currently available exclusively via Noisetrade as a donation-based download. Grace also holds-down duties as a member (along with Rebecca Loebe and BettySoo) of the Americana/folk-pop trio Nobody's Girl.

Grace has been steadily garnering attention for several years.  She is the winner of many of the nation's most prestigious songwriting contests, including NPR's Mountain Stage New Song Contest, and has received grants from the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation.  Grace's songs have been recorded by other esteemed artists, including Sara Hickman and Ruthie Foster, and she added to her songwriting accomplishments in 2019 by signing a publishing deal with BMG.  Her highly acclaimed independently released records, Grace Pettis (2009), Two Birds (2012), and the acoustic EP, Blue Star in a Red Sky (2018), have garnered praise from top notch magazines, newspapers and radio. For more information, please visit gracepettis.com

Fri, 10/30/2020 - 11:58 am

MPress Records recording artist/label owner Rachael Sage has released a new video for her song "Cave" from her critically acclaimed album, Character. Premiered by Stereo Embers in the US and OriginalRock.net in the UK, the intimate video clip – filmed at Carriage House Studios – is punctuated by Rachael's signature calligraphic handwriting and original artwork.

Penned by Sage as a teenager, "Cave" was rediscovered during her 2018 recovery from cancer while she was sifting through an old box of lyrics. Rachael reveals: "I wrote this song while I was in college, where I fell hard for someone who was definitely not ultimately 'healthy' for me. It was a very formative experience and left me with a lingering fear of being manipulated or rejected for who I actually was. When I sing it now, the song reminds me to revere authenticity and honesty in all my relationships — and to fully embrace unconditional love." The minor, Eastern European flavor of serpentine string and accordion riffs perfectly mirrors what Sage describes as “a complete loss of self” during this difficult time.

Sage – who has been performing the song regularly via her weekly livestreams since March – says she has been touched to receive feedback from fans who have interpreted its stream-of-consciousness lyrics as "reflecting our collective emotional isolation during lockdown."

Art-directed by Sage, directed by longtime collaborator Nick Clark, and animated by Daniela P. Solomon, the clip utilizes playful animation to bring her handwriting and signature line-drawings to life, as though we are inside Sage's psyche. The result is a unique video that merges acoustic performance with an innovative approach to socially-distanced video-making. Sage, who has released 14 albums on her own NYC based MPress Records, is also a visual artist who has exhibited her artwork at various galleries throughout New York City.

The songs on Character were originally composed as a meditation on gratitude in the midst of her own cancer recovery, but have taken on new resonance during Covid-19 and recent protests against inequality, with themes woven through the album that reflect upon gratitude, optimism, and defiance - all which define what comprises character.

Sat, 12/19/2020 - 12:15 pm

As premiered by M Music & Musicians Magazine (US) and Lock Magazine (UK), MPress Records recording artist Rachael Sage has released a new uplifting video, "Home (Where I Am Now)", which is sure to resonate throughout the holiday season and beyond. The song "Home (Where I Am Now)" was co-written with Irish singer-songwriter Fiona Harte, and originally appeared on Sage's 2016 album, Choreographic. Watch the video: bit.ly/2020HomeVideo

Co-directed by Sage and Meredith Tarr (who also edited), the concept for the new video evolved after Rachael wanted to create an uplifting video to show how people have had to redefine what "home" means since the Covid-19 lockdown. She invited her fans and friends to send in homemade clips showing what they were doing to keep active and connected, and received an array of submissions from both sides of the Atlantic, including clips from Brady Farrar of Dance Moms, author/LGBTQ activist Desmond Is Amazing, professional dancers Kaci KingDestiny Wimpye, and Kim Manning, and cameos from her band The Sequins (Kelly Halloran, Andy Mac, and Ward Williams).

Sage explains: "Part of the reason I wanted to make this video was because – like so many people – I was feeling overwhelmed and unsettled at the start of lockdown this past Spring. I conceived this video as a way to encourage everyone to share what they were doing to stay creative and connected and to help illuminate what it truly means to be "Home", both physically, but also the idea of being expressive and at home in one's skin. I was absolutely blown away by the variety of heartfelt submissions we received! Every person who contributed is a beautiful, inspiring performer (and even a few limelight-seeking pets got involved). I hope watching the video uplifts everyone, just in time for the holidays!"

Rachael Sage continues her weekly "Stay In With Sage" livestream series every Sunday in December at 6pm Eastern, featuring a Special Hanukkah Edition. All shows this month will benefit CityMeals On Wheels.

Tue, 01/12/2021 - 12:57 pm

Musical artists The Chicks, Ruthie Foster, James McMurtry, David Ramirez, Eliza Gilkyson, Dar Williams, Ray Prim, Akina Adderley, Grace Pettis, Rachael Sage, and more are set to appear at the "Move Forward Virtual Music Fest" to raise money to safely relocate two historic Confederate Monuments from the Bastrop, TX County Courthouse lawn. The event will include original performances, new videos and guest speakers and will take place on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18th) at 6:30 pm CT. The project is organized by the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee. All proceeds will go to the BCMRC.

The objective of the project is twofold: to help Bastrop County promote an environment of racial equality and to ensure that the history of the two monuments is preserved. Of the $50,000 needed to carefully remove and relocate the statues, $28,000 has been raised, with $22,000 more needed to complete the process.

The "Move Forward Virtual Music Fest" will be simulcast on Move Forward's Facebook page and YouTube channel.

The relocation was given the go ahead by Bastrop County Judge Paul Pape. All participating artists concur with Bastrop City Council Member Dock Jackson, one of two Black members of the Council and a longtime advocate for the city's Black community, who wrote "The Confederate monuments are a serious concern to the Black community, but I think they're now a concern to the whole community. Not only because of recent events, but because of the message it sends. When you have to go to the courthouse for birth certificates or marriage licenses, you have to pass by those monuments, and that's not a very pleasant reminder of the past."

About the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee:
The committee was empaneled after the Bastrop County Commissioners Court voted in July to remove its two Confederate monuments from the courthouse lawn. One of the statues is a tall stone obelisk with Confederate symbols that was erected by the United Daughters of the Confederacy in 1910. The second is a granite headstone commemorating Joseph D. Sayers, a major in the Confederate Army and Texas’ 22nd governor, which was erected in 1964 by the state of Texas.

Cheryl Lee and Sharah Johnson, Co-Chairs of the Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee explain, "The Committee is confident that the relocation can be done in a dignified manner, and has resolved to make this transition one that will honor this part of history in Bastrop County while allowing our community to advance toward a more just and inclusive home for all of our residents."

The festival will feature a personal message from 13-time Grammy®-winning Texas band, The Chicks along with their new music video, "March March," and additional performances, music videos and messages from other luminaries, including:

ARTISTS

The Chicks
Ruthie Foster
James McMurtry
Eliza Gilkyson
Dar Williams
David Ramirez
Akina Adderley
Ron DeShay
Tom Prasada-Rao
Rachael Sage
Crys Matthews & Heather Mae
Ray Prim
Robert A. Kraft
Nobody’s Girl
BettySoo
Rebecca Loebe
Grace Pettis

SPEAKERS

Cheryl Lee (host), Co-Chair of Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee
Ryan Holiday, bestselling author ("Trust Me, I'm Lying," "The Obstacle is the Way," and other titles), speaker, and creative advisor

For more information about the fundraiser or to make a donation, please contact
Cheryl Lee, Co-Chair
Bastrop County Monument Relocation Committee
P.O. Box 136, Bastrop, TX 78602 (payable to Confederate Monument Relocation Fund)

Wed, 08/11/2021 - 9:45 am

MPress Records recording artist and Grammy® nominee Seth Glier has just released "One Of Us" (featuring Raye Zaragoza), his second single from his forthcoming album. The Coronation will be out on August 20th, and the video and track were just premiered by Americana Highways.

Glier says of "One Of Us": "I wanted to strip this song down to its beams but still have it feel modern. The keyboard is my Juno 60 and I’m joined by Raye Zaragoza on this track, who added a whole other haunting element to this song. Raye is one of my favorite musicians out there right now, so it’s a real treat to have her with me."

Produced and sung by Glier (who plays the Juno), and joined on vocals by Raye Zaragoza, the version of the song captures the universality of the original while adding an ethereal feel. Grounding the song is an earthy pedal steel, played by Ryan Hommel (Amos Lee, Heather Maloney). Originally released by Joan Osborne (written by Eric Bazilian), Glier elaborates "I think Eric Bazilian caught a whale when he wrote 'One of Us.' The idea is so huge and the delivery is so simple. There is a sense of God’s loneliness in this song that I related so strongly with. Eric’s question 'Would you want to see, if seeing meant that you would have to believe?' felt so appropriate to the theme of this album. Am I willing to be accountable to what you know to be true?"

The Coronation is Glier’s sixth album on MPress Records, and is a beautiful and powerful collection that explores an expansive range of musical styles and topics from the personal to the political. A Grammy®-nominated singer-songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist from Western Massachusetts, Glier has also won five Independent Music Awards. NPR describes his voice as “otherworldly” while praising him as “an engaging performer and storyteller.” His critically acclaimed, emotionally dense catalog of work often draws upon traditional roots music, experimental instrumentation, and moody atmospheres that result in soulfully intelligent stories that can alternately fight the power and break your heart.

Sat, 12/04/2021 - 12:56 pm

Poetica has just released an official video for "Unconditional", the latest track from their self-titled album, out now via MPress/ILS/Universal. A musical spoken-word concept album, the new 18-track collection has been described as "raw innovation...combining hushed vocals, gentle punctuation and jazzy dreamscapes" (Americana Highways). Filmed in the Hudson Valley of New York, the video – art directed by Rachael Sage and directed by award-winning filmmaker Nick Clark – premiered in Under The Radar.

With its meditative groove and inspiring message of resilience, Poetica's "Unconditional" transports with hypnotic, Bollywood-style melodic strings, gospel humming and chain gang percussion. A collaborative spoken word music project helmed by New York-based songwriter Rachael Sage and 3x Grammy® nominated cellist Dave Eggar, this cross-genre track spans from chill-out to alternative to jazz. Featuring trumpet player Russ Johnson (Elvis Costello) and ambient electric guitarist Gerry Leonard (David Bowie).

Watch the video for "Unconditional"

Sage told Under The Radar, "Conceptually, my goal was to create a meditative, beautiful but melancholic piece that would transport the viewer to the same surrealistic place we were all in while creating Poetica...What do we keep sacred or let go of in times of duress? How do we self-soothe when we are alone with our own dreams for the future, while sifting through the relics of our past, and most importantly: how do we create beauty even in times of seemingly complete darkness? These were all questions I wanted to explore creatively, making this video."

With its roots planted firmly in experimental and boundary-pushing genres, Poetica is a cinematic, stylistically expansive odyssey. Its fusion of poetry with jazz, classical and Americana musical elements calls to mind such poets/musicians as Leonard Cohen, Laurie Anderson, and Patti Smith. (Stream and order the album HERE). Also just out is Poetica Instrumentals. This mindful, richly arranged and meditative companion release to Poetica is available digitally, as well as included in the Poetica Deluxe CD package.

Beginning as a duo collaboration under lockdown between Sage and her longtime cellist Dave Eggar (Esperanza Spalding, Duncan Sheik, Corinne Bailey Rae), Poetica soon evolved into a full-blown, cinematic spoken word album, with Sage producing and engineering the project in isolation with limited gear she happened to have with her while on tour while sending files back and forth to bandmates and guest musicians from every genre; the project was mixed by Grammy® winner Andy Zulla (The Sweet Remains, Stephen Kellogg). From over 200 poems written both during and prior to lockdown, Eggar – whose parents are both poetry professors – volunteered to help Sage select the 18 spoken-word pieces that eventually comprised the album.

Tour Dates: (* appearing with Howard Jones)
12/2/21 - New York, NY - Think Gallery (Bleecker Street) - Rachael Sage Art Opening
12/8/21 - New York, NY - International Human Rights Art Festival
1/6/22 - Beacon, NY - The Dogwood (Winter Residency)
2/10/22 - Beacon, NY - The Dogwood (Winter Residency)
2/11/22 - Ithaca, NY - Hangar Theatre*
2/12/22 - Saratoga, NY - Universal Preservation Hall*
2/14/22 - Boston, MA - City Winery*
2/15/22 - Norwalk, CT - Wall Street Theater*
2/17/22 - Pawling, NY - Daryl's House*
2/18/22 - Huntington, NY - The Paramount*
2/19/22 - New York, NY - Sony Hall*
2/20/22 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater*
2/21/22 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere*
3/1/22 - New York, NY - Joe's Pub

Wed, 03/02/2022 - 1:49 pm

Rachael Sage has just released a new single and companion video, "Revelation Ground", the centerpiece track on her new Revelation Ground maxi-single. Mixed by Grammy® winner Andy Zulla, the track features Sage on vocals, acoustic guitar, and percussion with accompanying musicians Dave Eggar on cello (Esperanza Spalding, Duncan Sheik) and Jeff Allen (Marc Cohn, Edie Brickell). The official stop-motion animated companion video was created by singer/songwriter/musician Antje Duvekot. Both the song and video premiered in PopMatters.

A rich cornucopia of renditions, the maxi-single will include the single, a band version, a chamber mix, a folk mix, and an instrumental version of "Revelation Ground ". All versions of the song were produced, arranged and engineered by Sage, with contributing musicians including Doug Yowell on drums (Suzanne Vega), Russ Johnson on trumpet (Elvis Costello), and Jack Petruzzelli on electric guitar (Rufus Wainwright).

Watch the video for "Revelation Ground"

"Revelation Ground" marks a turning point in Sage's songwriting and production, merging her lifelong reverence for '60's-era folk – a la Leonard Cohen, Pete Seeger and Simon & Garfunkel – with a weathered, hard-won perspective on the sacredness of time itself. Amidst the landscape of the pandemic, racial protest, the loss of far too many loved ones and her own cancer experience, Sage distills bright hope and beauty from perhaps her most universal lyrics yet. With a hum-along melody that sounds like it has existed forever, her voice achieves an intimate poignancy underscored by longtime collaborator Dave Eggar's rhapsodic cello playing. Stream and order the song HERE.

Sage explains, "I thought about the lyrics to "Turn, Turn, Turn", inspired of course by the Old Testament psalm: 'A time to build up, a time to break down/A time to dance, a time to mourn/A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together...' These ancient and powerful words were an encouragement for me to move gracefully through personal and collective loss. I hope that 'Revelation Ground' can likewise provide comfort to listeners weathering hardships, knowing that everything is seasonal and that hope always returns."

The video was created by Antje Duvekot, who has a 2-decade long career as both a touring singer-songwriter and animator, and who has garnered critical acclaim from the animated videos she recently made for Toad The Wet Sprocket ("Starting Now"), Dar Williams ("Today and Every Day"), Eliot Bronson & Lori McKenna ("Even This Is Going To Pass"), and Eliza Gilkyson ("Promises To Keep"). Sage says of her collaboration with Duvekot, "I have admired Antje Duvekot's many and diverse talents for a very long time – from her extraordinary songwriting and singing to the artistic videos she created for herself and others. I reached out and asked her if she would like to work with me on a video for the song, and we immediately clicked on a mutual vision. I think Antje did amazing work with the imagery and the detailed characters throughout the video."

Tour Dates: (* appearing with Howard Jones)
2/18/22 – Huntington, NY – The Paramount*
2/20/22 – Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater*
2/21/22 – Alexandria, VA – The Birchmere*
2/22/22 – Richmond, VA – The Tin Pan*
3/1/22 – New York, NY – Joe's Pub (Single Release Show)
3/4/22 – Beacon, NY – The Dogwood (Winter Residency)
3/26/22 – Bethlehem, PA – Godfrey Daniels
4/9/22 – Binghamton, NY – Atomic Tom's

Wed, 05/04/2022 - 1:59 pm

Rachael Sage has just released an official video of Neil Young's seminal song "Ohio" to commemorate the tragic event which took place at Kent State University on May 4th, 1970. Filmed at the Carriage House in CT (directed by Michael Flanagan and produced by Nick Clark), the performance is a deeply heartfelt version of the song, spurred-on by the situation at Kent State and current events. The video premiered in Americana Highways. 

Watch the video for "Ohio"

The video performance comes out just as Sage returns to the UK and Ireland supporting Irish Folk/Rockabilly singer Imelda May on her Made To Love Tour. Opening on April 2nd, the 6-week tour will voyage all around the British Isles, visiting the likes of Dublin's Vicar Street, Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms, and London's Palladium.

Sage explains, "Neil Young has always been among my favorite songwriters. For me, he epitomizes empathy and social consciousness through art and it was an honor a few years ago to record a version of his song 'Helpless' with the great Judy Collins. I've had this video - recorded live from Carriage House Studios - in the 'vault' for a while, but with everything going on in the Ukraine and the horrors of war and gun violence in America abounding, it felt like an apt time to share it. At its essence the song to me represents compassion and not turning a blind eye to suffering - something that can happen all too easily. We must never become numb to terror and violence, whatever the source. I'm grateful Neil Young continues to be a beacon reminding us of that ongoing."

Sage elaborates about the tour, "Imelda is everything I admire and strive to be in an artist: musically accomplished, heartfelt, an incredible singer, performer, writer, dynamic, eclectic, collaborative, and equally importantly she is extremely mindful, compassionate, inclusive and stands up for her beliefs. She is clearly a strong, courageous, adventurous artist who will not be defined by any one genre, one who continues to change and follow her muse wherever it leads. Touring with Imelda is an extremely inspiring experience."

Tour Dates: (* appearing with Imelda May)
5/1/22 - Belfast, UK - Waterfront Hall*
5/2/22 - Derry, UK - Millennium Forum*
5/3/22 - Drogheda, IE - The TLT*
5/5/22 - Galway, IE - Leisureland Theatre*
5/6/22 - Limerick, IE - University Concert Hall*
5/7/22 - Killarney, IE - INEC Arena*
5/9 - 5/10/22 - Cork, IE - Cork Opera House*
5/11/22 - Wexford, IE - National Opera House*
5/13 - 5/14/ - 5/15/22 - Dublin, IE - Vicar Street*
6/14/22 - New York, NY - NY Songwriters Circle Annual LGBT Fundraiser @ The Bitter End
7/06/22 - London, UK - The Troubadour
8/10/22 - London, UK - The Bedford
8/17/22 - London, UK - The Green Note
8/20/22 - Midsomer Norton, UK - Midsomer Norton Cricket Club
8/27/22 - Faulkland, UK - Tucker's Grave Cider Festival @ Tucker's Grave Inn
8/28/22 - Whitchurch, UK - Percy's Cafe Bar
10/01/22 - Binghamton, NY - Atomic Tom's

Sat, 06/11/2022 - 9:15 am

MPress Records has just released "All Signs To Amsterdam", the second track/video by A Fragile Tomorrow ahead of the highly anticipated release of their new album, It's Better That Way (out July 15th). Ultra cool and wild, the video – a combination of performance directed by Ted Comerford and animation by Max Werkmeister (whose super flying psychedelic mermaid is the star) – brings this hook-driven song to an unforgettable level. The song/video premiered in xsnoize magazine.

Of the song, Sean Kelly of AFT explains "It started as a riff that Brendan (Kelly) wrote, and he ultimately had a sketch that became the framework for the song. It didn’t have a chorus progression, so I wrote some music that was melodically inspired by 70s British folk like Fairport Convention. When it was fleshed out into a full demo, the chorus got big and fuzzy and it really changed the vibe of it in an exciting way."

Watch the Video for "All Signs To Amsterdam"

It's been three years since AFT's last album, Generation Loss. It's Better That Way is a sonic melting pot, combining many of the band's musical interests while diving into new territory as well. From Krautrock-psychedelia, to indie rock swagger, to Crowded House-esque pop songcraft, to British folk and hip-hop-influenced sampling, the album showcases the diversity of the band under the "art rock" banner, a term that AFT has adopted in recent years that has allowed them the freedom to explore outside of the confines of genre.

Produced by the band, with additional production by Peter Holsapple (dB's, R.E.M., Hootie and the Blowfish, Continental Drifters), and mastered by Grammy®-winning mastering engineer Alan Silverman, It's Better That Way is their 3rd album for MPress Records, following their Independent Music Award-winning label debut Make Me Over in 2014, and 2019's Generation Loss. A Fragile Tomorrow consists of brothers Sean Kelly (singer/songwriter/guitarist) and Brendan Kelly (guitar/songwriter/pedal master), Shaun Rhoades (bass), and Josh Kean (drums). Guest appearances include Peter Holsapple (organ, synth, harmonica, harmonium, banjo) and Vicki Peterson (The Bangles).

Of the album, Sean Kelly explains, "It’s really an amalgamation of everything we love and everything we’re interested in exploring. It’s probably best described as 'art rock,' which is a term I shouldn’t like but really do. I think it’s a term that throws genre out the window, which is something that appeals to me."

Sun, 12/17/2023 - 11:21 am

Hoboken-based rock/Americana singer-songwriter-guitarist James Mastro (The Bongos, Health & Happiness Show) has shared a spectacular video for "Right Words, Wrong Song," the rocking lead track on his forthcoming debut solo album Dawn of a New Error (due Feb. 21,2024) via MPress Records. The song and video feature guest vocals/appearances by the legendary Ian Hunter.

Watch "Right Words, Wrong Song" Video HERE
Presave Dawn of a New Error Album HERE

The cracking "Right Words, Wrong Song" finds the renowned bandleader/touring guitarist (Ian Hunter, Patti Smith, Alejandro Escovedo) stepping out as frontman. With his roots-rock Springsteen-esque vocal delivery, Mastro's single bursts with timeless rock hooks and clever lyrics about a serious topic - the slant on news, where "truth" is shaped to fit a preferential narrative.The video is a tongue-in-cheek take on the evening news, where Mastro patterns his character on contemporary late night TV hosts, while the irreverent Tammy Faye parodies a co-anchor and music contest judge.

Mastro discusses the video, saying: "The video is a tip of the hat to fellow New Jerseyans Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart. Over the years they've been able to point out facts that should be blatantly obvious, but sometimes aren't so until presented in a humorous way. Ian Hunter cast as the weatherman makes perfect sense to me, as he's weathered many storms over the decades and come out fine. That's news I can trust."

Dawn of a New Error marks the return of James Mastro (The Bongos, Health & Happiness Show) to the front and center as singer and songwriter. Featuring guest vocals by Ian Hunter and produced by Tony Shanahan – best known as Patti Smith’s bassist, co-producer and musical collaborator – the songs were recorded whenever Mastro and Shanahan found time to get together, between Shanahan's work with Smith and Mastro's work with Hunter and other projects. Noteworthy drummers on the record include Brian Griffin (Brandi Carlile, Black Crowes) and Steve Goulding (The Mekons, Elvis Costello, Nick Lowe). The album was recorded and mixed by Grammy® nominee James Frazee (Patti Smith, Sharon Van Etten, Marshall Crenshaw), and mastered by the legendary Greg Calbi.
James Mastro - Dawn Of A New Error Album Cover
    

    Right Words, Wrong Song (feat. Ian Hunter)
    My god
    Three Words (feat. Ian Hunter)
    Everywhere
    Never Die
    Here Beside Me
    Trouble (feat. Megan Reilly)
    The Face of the Sun (feat. Ian Hunter as voice of God)
    Gangster Baby
    Someday Someone Will Turn Your Head Around
    River Runs Forever

About James Mastro: James Mastro has been a highly-regarded songwriter and guitarist since his teen years in CBGB stalwarts The Richard Lloyd Group, playing guitar on the Elektra Records release Alchemy. Mastro is a founder (along with singer Richard Barone) of The Bongos, a radio and MTV staple who released three lauded records – Nuts & Bolts (JEM), Numbers With Wings (RCA/re-released October, 2023), and Beat Hotel (RCA). In 1992 he moved to center stage as frontman for Americana fave The Health & Happiness Show, releasing three critically acclaimed albums: Tonic, Instant Living (Bar-None), and Sad and Sexy (Cropduster). The band spent the next 10 years touring incessantly, opening for Wilco, Johnny Cash, Golden Smog, Barenaked Ladies, Beat Farmers, The Blasters, Kirsty MacColl, and served as the backing band for Texas troubadour Butch Hancock. In 2001 he joined ranks with Mott the Hoople's legendary singer Ian Hunter and has served as his left-hand man ever since, touring and playing on Hunter's last six albums: Rant, Shrunken Heads, Man Overboard, Live in the UK, When I'm President, and Defiance Pt. 1. In between his recording work with Hunter, he toured as a guitarist with Mott the Hoops '74, Patti Smith, John Cale, Judy Collins, Alejandro Escovedo, Garland Jeffreys, The Jayhawks, and Southside Johnny. His studio and session work is extensive, and includes playing guitar on the late, great Phoebe Snow's Natural Wonder and Marti Jones's Match Game. Production credits include Steve Wynn's "The Devil's Not That Kind," Jill Sobule's "Just A Little Lovin'," Amy Speace's Songs for Bright Street and The Killer In Me, and Tiny Lights' The Smaller the Grape, the Sweeter the Wine. Mastro has just produced Ian Hunter doing a version of Jesse Malin's song "Dead On," for an upcoming benefit record to help raise funds to aid Malin, who is suffering a serious health issue. Dawn of a New Error is due out in February 2024 via MPress Records. For more information, visit jamesmastro.net.