Tag: premiere

WATCH: Abby Posner, “The Starting Line”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Abby Posner
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “The Starting Line”
Album: Second Chances
Release Date: August 11, 2023
Label: Blackbird Record Label

In Their Words: “I have always been torn between being an artist and having a family, and a part of this song is about working through some of these complicated feelings. ‘The Starting Line’ is also about feeling like an outsider, and ‘falling behind’ — it is a journey toward cultivating a new relationship and new perspective with that part of myself.

“I really wanted to do a stripped-down, live version of this song, because I didn’t want it to be perfect or over produced. The rawness is an important part of the song’s overall message. I have spent a lot of time in Temescal Canyon meditating, hiking, and unplugging from the sometimes chaotic hustle and bustle of LA! This is a place that I have always been able to self-reflect and see things more clearly.

“I hope that other artists, queer people, and non-conforming/unconventional folks will be able to hear this song as an anthem for being able to let their freak flag fly, and be proud of marching to the beat of their own drum.” – Abby Posner

Photo Credit: Jeff Fasano

WATCH: Briscoe, “Sparrows”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Briscoe
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Song: “Sparrows”
Album: West of It All
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Label: ATO Records

In Their Words: “‘Sparrows’ is a heartbreak song inspired by time spent in Paris, France, and John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. The song aims to capture the effect evil has on a relationship, as shown through that of Adam and Cathy Trask in the novel. ‘Sparrows’ holds a special place in our hearts as one of the few sad songs on the record, and has already become one of our favorites to play live.” – Briscoe

Photo Credit: Philip Lupton

LISTEN: Delaney Ramsdell, “Travelin’ Light”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Delaney Ramsdell
Hometown: Roosevelt, Texas (population 18)
Song: “Travelin’ Light”
Album: Rambler
Release Date: August 10, 2023 (single); October 13, 2023 (album)
Label: North Llano Records

In Their Words: “This song is one of my absolute favorites. My dad actually gave me the idea, and growing up in rural West Texas we did so much driving that this topic felt natural. There’s nothing better than feeling free, seeing the beauty of the world, and rambling through life, and that’s exactly what I wanted to represent here. I wrote the song in 2019 with Mia Mantia and Autumn Buysse here in Nashville, and it’s acted as a foundation for me creatively ever since. We tried to include locations that I’d actually been to before, so every time I sing it I have the memories of those places flooding my mind. It’s a special feeling, and I hope the listener hears the heart and the wild spirit we put into the track.” – Delaney Ramsdell

Photo Credit: Seth Hays

WATCH: Rose Gerber, “Memories Someday”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Rose Gerber
Hometown: Portland, Oregon
Song: “Memories Someday”
Album: Memories Someday EP
Release Date: August 4, 2023 (single); September 29, 2023 (EP)

In Their Words: “There are so many great creators and recording spaces in Portland, so when I sat down to plan the video for ‘Memories Someday,’ I knew I wanted to showcase one of the many awesome studios here and make it an all-Portland project. I settled on Page St. Sound Labs, which has a beautiful all-wood live recording room built out from scratch in a warehouse with incredible acoustics. We captured my voice along with the band with an Ear Trumpet Delphina microphone (also a Portland-based company) in addition to mic-ing and tracking each instrument. Spectravision video production shot the live performance, capturing the spirit of the band and the song through editing and production. The result is a true made-in-Portland video that really captures our band’s vibe, sound, and Portland roots.” – Rose Gerber

Photo Credit: Whitney Lyons

LISTEN: Claire Hawkins, “The Name”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Claire Hawkins
Hometown: New York, New York
Song: “The Name”
Album: The Name
Release Date: August 4, 2023

In Their Words: “My music has taken me to some incredible places over the years. From a DIY European tour performing in youth hostels and shooting music videos in Ireland, to recording demos in Thailand and writing songs as an artist-in-residence in France, I’m certainly no stranger to being on the move. I wrote this song in my hometown of New York City during a period of transition following two years living in Dublin, Ireland. ‘The Name’ came from a place of yearning and addressing the challenges that come from following your personal North Star, even when it leads you away from the pack. Coming home after a long time away is always an interesting moment for reflection, and one of the perks of being a songwriter is getting to reflect on these moments again and again.” – Claire Hawkins

Photo Credit: Geraldine Smyth

WATCH: Caroline Cotter, “The Year of the Wrecking Ball”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Caroline Cotter
Hometown: Providence, Rhode Island; currently Ellsworth, Maine
Song: “The Year of the Wrecking Ball”
Album: Gently As I Go
Release Date: August 18, 2023

In Their Words: “I wrote ‘The Year of the Wrecking Ball’ in the winter of 2020 as I reflected on the challenges of transition and the act of letting go. I grew up in a brick house, in a quiet residential neighborhood on the East Side of Providence, Rhode Island. This home was my place of refuge, belonging, and comfort. Cozy mornings listening to records on the green rug by the heat vent in our family room, sliding down the long wooden staircase in sleeping bags, being sung to sleep by my parents, surrounded by a menagerie of stuffed animals. Then as I got older and my siblings left the house, nostalgia and the unkept lawn grew, paint chipped, and our family continued to change. When I was 20, my parents divorced and sold the house. It took me years to understand what saying goodbye to my childhood home meant to me. As painful as the loss was, it gave me a push to find belonging in the present moment, make home wherever I was, and see the light through the cracks. ‘The Year of the Wrecking Ball’ revisits a place and relationships that could never be the same, and finds gratitude in the spaces made by inevitable change.” – Caroline Cotter

Photo Credit: Katherine Emery

LISTEN: Caroline Owens, “No More Blue Moons In Kentucky”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Caroline Owens
Hometown: Denton, North Carolina
Song: “No More Blue Moons In Kentucky” featuring Darin & Brooke Aldridge
Release Date: August 4, 2023
Label: Skyline Records

In Their Words: “I knew from the moment I heard this song that I wanted to record it. I’ve always been a sucker for a sad song, and this one hits me right in the heart every single time. It’s one of those songs that I know I will have to mentally remove myself from before I sing it; it hits that deep.

“I was fortunate to have my musical heroes, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, featured on this track – a lifelong dream of mine, and an absolute blast to work with in the studio. And as always, many thanks to my record label, Skyline Records, for their belief in me.

“I know I speak for all artists when I say that it takes a village to do what we do. And I am thankful for that village, and to everyone who has supported the release of ‘No More Blue Moons.'” – Caroline Owens

Photo Credit: Anna Haas Photography

WATCH: Cruz Contreras, “Let Somebody Love You”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Cruz Contreras
Hometown: Bridgman, Michigan
Song: “Let Somebody Love You”
Album: Cosmico
Release Date: September 15, 2023
Label: Cosmico Records

In Their Words: “‘Let Somebody Love You’ is a hypnotic groove jam with a simple message. It’s time to let somebody love you. Speaking to Western themes and adventure, broken dreams, moonshine-inspired journeys, and psychedelic realizations, ‘Let Somebody Love You’ delivers a driving verse and grand chorus that encourages the listener to overcome their fears, whatever they may be. The syncopated guitar riff creates the transcendental meditation that takes the listener to another plane where rock ‘n’ roll and grooves make all things right.” – Cruz Contreras

Photo Credit: David McClister

LISTEN: Brewflies, “Mercy Now” (Mary Gauthier Cover)

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Brewflies
Hometown: New York City
Song: “Mercy Now” (Mary Gauthier Cover)
Album: Rain Down Mercy
Release Date: August 8, 2023

In Their Words: “Early on in the process of choosing songs for our album Rain Down Mercy, we were struck by the humanity of Mary Gauthier’s ‘Mercy Now.’ This was at the height of COVID isolation, the madness of January 6, the desperation and outpouring of grief, outrage, and appeals for justice spearheaded by the Black Lives Matter movement. All the attendant divisiveness surrounding the wider issues were bearing down: Climate change, authoritarian populism, mass killings, and global conflict.

“Gauthier’s song was written nearly 20 years ago, but its ever-widening appeal for understanding and mercy for stubbornly self-defeating human behavior — while at the same time delivering admonishment and warning — spoke to the heart of what we thought we wanted to achieve in the crafting of the album. (It’s there in the album’s title.) We wanted a fairly simple and direct acoustic approach in our arrangement, using Lisa Gutkin’s fiddle, Dan Hickey’s sensitive percussion, Prof. Louie’s lightly expressive piano and accordion, and Kirsti Gholson’s background vocal arrangement as highlights.” – Larry Brittain

Photo Credit: Marion Tarantina

LISTEN: Cole Gallagher, “The Ocarins of the Tennessee”

Posted on by Justin Hiltner

Artist: Cole Gallagher
Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Song: “The Ocarins of the Tennessee”
Album: The Confluence EP
Release Date: August 4, 2023
Label: Raggy & Balls

In Their Words: “I got the inspiration for this song from an interview I heard my buddy Jimbo Hart do. He talked about fishing on Wilson Lake with his father and hearing the sound of wind blowing off the river and through caves on the side of the bluffs. Then, when I made it down to Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, and Florence, Alabama, it became clear to me it was something I wanted to write about. The song has a lot of different meanings, but I think all I was really trying to make clear was how much I loved the time spent there immersing myself in their community and culture.” – Cole Gallagher

Photo Credit: Chris Martinez