While the name Stephanie Erin Wittmer might be a new one amongst fans of modern country music, one listen to her debut EP Pilot reveals songwriting and vocal chops on par with seasoned professionals. Recorded at Modern Electric Sound Recorders in Dallas, TX with Jeff Saenz and Beau Bedford at the helm (known for their impressive output with the likes of Texas Gentlemen, Paul Cauthen, Ruby Boots, David Ramirez and more), Pilot merges 90s country influences with modern folk-pop flourishes that make for an inspired journey along open roads and past tumbleweeds, “only stopping for good views” — or news, depending on the chorus.
Equipped with metaphors aplenty, Wittmer takes her musing about relationships full circle in “The Great Ones,” comparing the rarity of an epic love to that of an epic song. “All of the great ones don’t come that easily / It takes a little patience and some fine tuning,” she affirms. She tackles self-discovery and finding solace in the aptly-named title track, dives headfirst into a fast-moving crush on “Always Been a Sucker,” and explores heartache and pain in EP standout “The Difference.” Repeated listens to the short yet spirited collection might recall such iconic voices as Trisha Yearwood, Alison Krauss, and Shania Twain, but fans of modern Americana faves such as Margo Price and Dori Freeman will find something amongst Pilot’s four tunes to love as well.
Growing up in small-town, rural Illinois, Wittmer was exposed to country music and performing at a very young age; she recalls putting on performances for her parents when she was three or four years old. Like many children, she took piano lessons, wrote poetry in her journal, and then finally thought to merge the two when she was a teen. Her post-college life took her to LA, and the road from there to her present sound has been a winding one. Before going back to her roots or “finding the flame” that she once knew, as she sings in the EP’s title track, she teamed up with some friends for a bedroom electronica project and also spent some time writing singer-songwriter tunes on the piano. “I had all these ideas for songs, that I just had to get out … too many,” she says. “I started writing all these country songs and realized I really love this genre."
A fan of Bedford’s work, particularly with Paul Cauthen, Wittmer recalls meeting him while visiting family in Texas and reaching out to him with demos. He responded favorably, which led to the two discussing working together, and ultimately Bedford assembled a rock solid band that knocked out the four songs in just a couple of days, recording live with minimal overdubs. The EP features the talents of McKenzie Smith (Midlake) on drums and percussion; Texas Gentlemen Charley Wiles and Scott Lee on guitar and bass, respectively; and Parker Twomey (Paul Cauthen) on piano and organ. Esteemed pedal steel player Will Van Horn’s embellishments put a flawlessly-placed bow on the glowing, fresh, rootsy package, with instrumental touches that add just the right flair to Wittmer’s sweet-yet-sassy vocal stylings.
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"Third tune from my album "for Morgan" released on Ffynnone Recordings at the end of May 2021. A song attempting to convey the depth of feeling looking into your newborn sons eyes for the first time, the overwhelming joy and the impulse to introduce him to your own father who is no longer alive. The video fillmed and edited by Jose Carballal inhabits the songs sentiment perfectly. A meditation on, nature, time, and the dialogue between generations."
Released physically via Ffynnone Records on the 28th of May, 'For Morgan', the beautiful debut album by Dawn-Song will be available on Limited Edition Vinyl and Compact Disc.
Come with us on an epic journey from Dark to Light, an extraordinary tale of total excess to finding ones inner calm, a musical time-capsule 'For Morgan' is an audio letter from Father to Son. Welshman Nick Evans originally from Penarth, South Wales found himself in the centre of London's consuming Music Business in the 90's. His Elemental Records a pioneering Label was home to Alabama 3, Rocket From The Crypt amounst others.
"I made an album of my songs with some wonderful collaborators over the last couple of years. When I’m gone I wanted to continue to be able to sing for my son Morgan if he needed me. My father published a small book of poetry before he died and if I’m missing him a lot I read a bit of it and I feel reconnected. I also wanted to make something my mother could enjoy. So the record is for Morgan" - Nick Evans AKA Dawn-Song
"When we were young We dreamed of creating a better future We Screamed, We Shouted We Loved, We Lost But We Lived Sometimes Together, Sometime Apart And Now I hear my friend talking from a future to his son I hear my friend imploring the world to do and to be better I hear the same song with a different sound I hear the Byrds, I hear Crass The shoutings gone, replaced with fragility and love I hear dawn Song" - Ffynnone Recordings
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Indie-rocker and self-identified “grungy sadgirl” Alyssa Joseph released a deliciously creative lyric video for her song “easier”. .
From bagels to baked beans, the lyrics in the video are made entirely from diner breakfast food! The lyric video, created by videographer Max Sternlict, reflects the meaning and lyrics of the song in a distinctly unique way. The song is about a relationship that neither member is truly willing to exit, as it opens with the lines “We say that it’s breakfast, nothing more. Even though I know you want an open door so we meet at different diners.” Holding nothing back on this garage-tinged rocker, Alyssa Joseph presses her powerful voice and growling guitars to describing someone struggling to swallow the lies they tell themselves to get through the day.
Alyssa Joseph opened up about the meaning behind this gut-punch of a song, saying "easier is a nod to my New Jersey roots and just an honest song where I call out an ex and myself. We’d meet up once a month at diners after we dated to keep the door open since that was easier than finding someone new. Writing this song forced me to take a hard look at how I cope with heartbreak and isolation." The lyric video, which only came together last-minute, started with writing the lyrics in ketchup and moved on to other breakfast foods in an ode to Jersey diners. Describing the process of creating the video, Joseph says, “not everything happens for a reason, but nothing is a mistake.”
A New Jersey native and recent East Nashville transplant, Alyssa draws influence from contemporary songwriters like Julia Jacklin, Sharon Van Etten, and Big Thief. Prior to the pandemic, Alyssa had spent the last few years cutting her teeth touring up and down the east coast, where she became a familiar favorite at Sofar Sounds in NYC, Philly, Boston, and DC. Pairing carefully candid guitar playing with intensely confessional lyrics, Alyssa finds power in her own vulnerability. Her writing is tender and honest, even blunt at times, but always deeply personal - proof that she’s still figuring it out, just like the rest of us.
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Focused, fearless, and fierce. Mia Baron is a 13 year old force to be reckoned with. Not only is she an outstanding young songwriter but she has already one several singing competitions in her short life, most notably one of which was recorded by the “Reel T.V.” network and judged by Shawn Desman. Yet another first prize award was presented to her by the Toronto City Mayor John Tory and other noticeable city council members.
In November 2019, Mia was honored to perform at the Israel Cancer Research Foundation at the prestigious Koerner Hall in Toronto alongside other incredibly talented singers such as Tony Vincent, Yvan Pedneault, Stacy Kay, Justin Guarini, with whom she sang a beautiful duet.
Another project Mia was humbled to take part of was producing and recording an original Hebrew song written in honour of a Fallen IDF Soldier. This video, following Mia’s interview, made its debut live on Israeli Prime Time News programming in July 2020.
Mia will be releasing her original song Hide and seek in May 2021, and will be releasing several other originals she has written these past few months, with Matt Kahane and Quin Kiu, in the near future. Mia is excited to keep the momentum flowing into 2022 and beyond.
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Raw, real, and authentically blues, “No Money Comin’ In” is the latest confessional from Canada’s own Steve Paul Simms.
With “No Money Comin’ In,” the blues riff conquers your groove, willing your body to move. Available now, the grungy rock and blues anthem is a toast to a commonality we’re all facing in the height of this global pandemic — a lack of the benjamins. And Simms bets it all on this track, getting right to the heart of the matter with the truth — the good, bad and ugly of it all.
“Written at a challenging time, when love ultimately won out over financial hardship, the song allows the listener to imagine their own ending to the story,” Simms explains, adding that the track is “dedicated to the triumph over life's hardships.
“There's a lot of light and laughter here too.” A travelin’ troubadour with a melody on his sleeve and a song on his heart, Simms is a natural-born performer with a knack for telling stories that humanize life experiences in ways we all understand. Born in Wales, Steve Paul Simms’ repertoire refutes the boundaries of genre; the singer/songwriter fluidly intertwines his tracks between pop, ragtime, jazz, blues, soul, country, Broadway, and old-fashioned rock and roll.
For more than 20 years, Simms has spent his life spinning yarns, performing on stages as both an actor and a musician. He boasts a collection of more than 200+ written tunes across his tenure of performing arts, and has honed his craft through years of busking, contributing to the Tranzac Club in his now-hometown of Toronto, private and public concerts on Zoom, having performed in more than 60 theatrical productions across Canada, and more. “No Money Comin’ In” is the latest to land from Steve Paul’s fourth album, Ingrid and the Messenger Boy — a 12-track collection of fables, homages, and testaments to the human experience, pop culture, love, and everything in between.
Recording in Toronto, Simms brought together a host of talent to flesh out the track; the song boasts Bob Cohen on guitars and bass, organ and piano from Ed Michael Roth, drums by George Morellato, moaning vocals compliments of Chantale Groulx and Linda Elaine Lucas, in addition to SPS on lead vox and rhythm guitar. “Nothin' will ease your mind like money — poets are paid to tell lies,” croons Simms, and that’s how to tell fact from fiction. A musician ready to bare it all, and lay our crosses out to dry. Steve Paul Simms isn’t here for poor excuses. He came to gamble on the richness of a song that paints the picture of our times.
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Manchester-via-Italy singer, songwriter and guitarist Julia Bardo has shared her new single and video Do This To Me, which follows recent single release It’s Okay (To Not Be Okay). She has also announced her eagerly awaited debut album Bauhaus, L’Appartamento will be released on 10th September via Wichita Recordings and shared details of a new Autumn headline tour, which is on sale now.
Do This To Me is like losing yourself in a daydream. An introspective song with personal lyrics about growing up, its charming and laid-back melody builds to a lush and emotive alt pop chorus with a catchy refrain. The video, directed by Georgie Brown, sees Julia glamorising a mundane routine and losing herself in another life.
Julia says; “Do This To Me is a very personal song about feeling abandoned, growing up and family.”
Julia’s debut album follows the release of two EPs, Phase and The Raw EP, both released last year, which saw her experiment further with her wistful and mysterious sound to become the alternative pop artist she is today. Whilst Bauhaus, L’Appartamento will mark her first full length release and the finale of this part of her musical journey, it is also just the beginning for the authentic and curious talent that is Julia Bardo.
With her candidly open lyrics illustrating her world through journal-like observations and poetic visions, her debut album is an intimate and expressive body of work. Named after the apartment complex she lived in when demoing the album’s recordings, but with an Italian twist, it features previous single It’s Okay (To Not Be Okay) and new single Do This To Me and can be pre-ordered here.
“The album is a collection of emotions and feelings; loneliness, solitude, separation, but also unconditional love. Family, emotional dependency, mental health issues, feelings of emptiness and numbness, feelings of not being enough, inability to be in control of my own emotions, self-doubt, self-reflection, past traumas and dealing with them.”
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NY-based group Spud Cannon are debuting "You Got It All (NOT)," the lead single off of their forthcoming new album, Good Kids Make Bad Apples.
Meg Matthews (lead vocals), “This song DROVE ME CRAZY!!! I spent hours singing along to the voice memo in my car to work out the melody, and even longer trying to figure out lyrics back in Summer ‘19… After trying night after night by myself, I had pages of loose lines, rhymes, and ideas, but it took a group effort with Lucy and Ari to actually solidify anything.”
Ari Bowe (keys, vocals), “Since we collaborated on this song, I followed Meg’s lead when it came to the concept behind the lyrics. To me, it’s about these back-and-forth feelings for someone who is lovable yet stubborn and difficult to deal with. Kind of like an internal conflict between caring for this person while also grappling with their inability to be emotionally mature.
Jackson Walker Lewis (guitar), “Instrumentally, this was by far the one we spent the most time on…The song in total is just a hybridization of many influences—for the intro, I wanted to draw inspiration from “This Charming Man”/”Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” whereas the verse mimics the sequence from The Jam’s “A Town Called Malice”…While it felt like a wrestling match the whole way through it, I refused to give up on it because I fervently believed it to be the indie magnum opus of the album, almost a crystallization of all we had done previously.”
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