Carly Taich Announces Pre Order for New EP, "It Tends to Glow," Out Friday, December 18

Carly Taich Announces Pre Order for New EP, It Tends To Glow,
Out Friday, December 18

STREAM PRIVATELY | DOWNLOAD ALBUM ASSETS


Genres: “Fearless folk pop,” indie-folk, 60’s pop
For Fans Of: Kate Bush, Weyes Blood, Fiona Apple, Margaret Glaspy


ASHEVILLE, NC — Before completing production on her EP, It Tends To Glow, North Carolina based songstress Carly Taich wasn’t sure if she would ever release another album again. Following her 2017 full length debut, Reverie, and the subsequent years of steadfast aspiration, Taich had recently made peace with the idea of retiring from the musical hamster wheel. Upon reaching this conclusion, the songwriter inadvertently managed to find a more bona fide version of herself. “Ironically, when I allowed myself the freedom to not have to write or share my songs, I started writing again,” Taich confesses. The result is a six part vignette that ventures to unravel one of life’s most eternal questions: What is love?

The EP’s closer, “Red Herring,” was the first song that Taich wrote since nearly hanging up her hat. Belying the song’s bridge, the intimate confession “I just want to be understood / And good at everything,” symbolizes both her emotional stature at the time and a universally relatable sentiment. Newly free from her creative constraints, and completely detached from expectation, Taich embraces her new outlook as an opportunity to engage with her art in a new way.

In a succinct, 23 minute journey, Taich explores the dichotomy of love’s “magical and frightening” nature. From the heart-wrenching loss bemoaned in “Tomatoes” to the patient romantic dance of “The Nest,” relationships are at the core of Taich’s newest 60’s folk-inspired collection. In the timely “New Year’s Eve,” she offers to help carry the emotional burden of a friend’s heartache. Realizing she cannot take away another’s pain, Taich laments, “If there’s one thing I can do, I can always sing your blues.” 

On this endeavor, Taich replaces her signature cinematic production choices with a more purist approach. She notes, “the production of my last album started as a jam session. In contrast, I meditated on these songs for a long time before taking them to production.” With intentionality at the center of the project, she explains that “even stopping at six songs was a conscious choice. I feel like I’ve said everything I needed to say in this particular season of my life.”

With a bite-sized assortment of piano-forward tunes, Taich masterfully captures a notion that resonates long after the final note. Sometimes love looks like waiting, sometimes it looks like grieving, and sometimes it looks like doing nothing — to simply love without expectation. Like a 6-sided die, every song on Taich’s balanced EP explores a different side of what it means to offer grace, whether outwardly to another being, or inward toward oneself.

It Tends To Glow will be released digitally to all streaming platforms on Friday, December 18. Pre orders for the EP are available now on Bandcamp and feature an instant gratification download of the track “If You Want Me To”. For more information, visit www.carlytaich.com.

For media inquiries, contact Danielle Dror (danielle@teamvictorylap.com) at Victory Lap Publicity.

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BLACK EQUITY IN AMERICA CONVERSATION EXPANDED DEFINITIONS, MADE ACTIONABLE ASKS

As a result of one of the most disturbing eras of blatant American racism in a generation, Black musicians and industry veterans gathered for a live Zoom panel yesterday, August 20. Journalist Marcus K. Downling moderated Black Equity in Americana: A Conversation, with panelists: Gothic blues artist Adia Victoria; Muddy Roots Music Festival organizer Jason Galaz; acclaimed singer/songwriter/storyteller Kamara Thomas; Louisiana Red Hot Records general manager and head of A&R, Lilli Lewis; and musician, theologian, and activist Rev. Sekou. 

The full livestream can be found here.

Rolling Stone Country and WMOT have both written excellent recaps of the panel:

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-country/americana-music-black-equity-panel-how-to-watch-1047921/

https://www.wmot.org/post/black-artists-and-promoters-push-past-simplistic-inclusion-formulas-americana

Lasting just over an hour, the powerful discussion offered panelists’ experiences within the Americana music industry, including exclusion by gatekeepers, tastemakers and fans, as well as by systemic practices, and emphasized the lack of visibility of Black artists in genres including blues, soul, country, rock & roll, that are rooted in Black culture. 

Adia Victoria supported these sentiments by expressing, “My experience as a musician in the Americana circuit is that I always feel like I’m the permanent guest.” 

The panelists agreed that white people need to step up their own work on diminishing the racism and the white ethnocentrism for real change to happen, and agreed that many white fans’ definition of Americana can often default to perceptions of white artists. Galaz spoke about actively working to redefine Americana as something beyond “palatable country music.” He points out that the term “Americana” identifies the music and culture as beyond white ethnocentrism.

Rev. Sekou encouraged social engagement, saying, "I want to challenge the white artist and record execs and labels to invest in the life of their Black musicians, to be in community with them. Break bread, go to basketball games, be awkward, be in community with people and something might happen to you."

Victoria spoke about the importance of representation in her backing band and why she switched to a band that’s made up primarily of musicians of color, and recounted an experience at Newport Folk Festival when an announcer did not bother to learn the correct pronunciation of her name before introducing her to the audience. Later, an A-list singer at the fest assumed that Adia’s Black drummer was a crew member, and demanded things from him. She asked that white participants in these scenes work harder to foster a sense of belonging beyond other white artists.

Thomas spoke about the Change Country Pledge, which is working on actionable tasks to move forward equity of BIPOC artists: bit.ly/changecountrypledge

Sekou spoke of the financial equity of trying to get payment to the families of artists who have been ripped off by predatory business deals, both historically and recently, and Lewis advocated that artists of color push for favorable contract terms in business relationships. She noted that she’s observed that white artists do this routinely but artists of color often do not.

Lewis spoke of the tendency to place Americana artists of color into the blues or funk genre boxes, thereby limiting their ability to be marketed more widely. She also noted that even in traditionally Black genres, white artists are more prominently showcased and given financial priority, emphasizing the importance of pouring resources back into Black artistry. “The power is in our body and inheritance and money.” 

The panelists agreed that existing, predominantly white gatekeepers needed to open their minds but also that future gatekeepers of color need to be mentored. They also agreed that there’s a lack of visibility for Black artists on radio, in festivals, in press, and beyond. 

Victoria added that artists of color “are being filtered through the white gaze,” and Thomas agreed, calling out the Eurocentric lens through which most American stories are told. She called for Americana appreciators to look at narratives with a broader vantage and to think critically about who is curating the stories. They referenced the trope of a white artist with Black backup singers and how that notion of Black musicians supporting a white star has become the norm and asked what we can do to move away from these types of stigmas.

Dowling concluded the discussion by asking the panelists to outline some actionable steps that they would like to see white music industry members and fans take toward equity. Sekou and Lewis shared the stance that showing up uncompromisingly as oneself rather than pandering or watering-down oneself is powerful. Lewis and Sekou both spoke of joyfully occupying spaces where an artist of color might not be welcomed, encouraging BIPOC industry members to make room for themselves where visibility is lacking, and viewers to “go meet the people behind the faces. Make friends, eat together, talk to each other.” Lewis concluded, “We have to do this together or else we won’t survive.”

More info on the panelists: 

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16V-HB7AgQ1IFnDrYm0zDUj_yXd9RT_gx?usp=sharing

For more information on the panel:
https://mailchi.mp/hearthmusic.com/black-equity-in-americana-a-livestreamed-panel-august-20-in-conversation?e=b364b97a44 

Black Equity In Americana was presented by Whippoorwill Arts Festival of Americana Music (Aug 29-30), Hearth Music, IVPR, Victory Lap Publicity, Nick Loss-Eaton Media, Sarah J. Frost PR, Dubya Creative, and Free Dirt Records.

Michael Flynn Teases New Album, "Survive With Me" Out October 13, 2020

Michael Flynn Announces New Album Survive With Me, Out October 13, 2020

Underground Music Collective Premieres Exclusive First Listen of the Track “Easy To Love”

“Whimsical, witty, and incredibly catchy. [‘Easy To Love’] calls to mind the wry humor of Ben Folds on a calypso-inspired backdrop.” - Underground Music Collective

"Stunning. Flynn has always been able to toe the line between whimsy and baffling beauty.” - Scene SC

"Spaced-out, haunted sanctuary slow jams.” - Wild Honey Pie


Thursday, August 6, 2020 (Asheville, NC) - Noted songwriter Michael Flynn readies his third solo album with the reveal of a playful new track “Easy To Love,” premiering today on Underground Music Collective. Building on his long-standing brand of euphoric, piano-driven neo-pop, the Asheville-area transplant is slated for an intoxicating return this fall with the release of Survive With Me, a ten-track collection that is as much a universal offering as it is a personal manifesto. Armed with an everflowing imagination and the musical chops to support it, Flynn will treat fans to a new sonic journey on October 13, 2020.

With Survive With Me, Flynn plants his feet firmly on the ground as a class solo act and master lyricist. A pioneer of the celebrated Charleston outfit Slow Runner—which landed in the embrace of SonyBMG and has toured with the likes of The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter, Built To Spill, and more, he again mines down deep into unknown territory for material so singular and personal it could only exist as a solo album. Known for his eccentric arrangements and sharp storytelling, Flynn’s restless honesty ripens on the new release, exploring darker subject matter eerily suited for the times. Gliding seamlessly between intimate confessions, condemnatory observations, and vignettes of his life, Survive With Me is a mature follow up to his 2018 release Pretend Like, and offers listeners an unfiltered look into the mind of a man who is still making sense of the world even after seeing so much of it.

A seasoned songwriter whose discography includes sync placements for a growing list of television soundtracks including Grey’s Anatomy and Shameless, Flynn has a knack for encapsulating others’ experiences while drawing earnestly from his own. On Survive With Me, he takes a holistic approach, personifying not only his own psyche but those of his loved ones. Unexpected cameos include a portrait of Flynn’s close friend in the opening track, “But It Lived,” which empathetically explores the battle of recurring mental health challenges, and even an entire tune written from the perspective of Flynn’s family dog (“B.O.M.B”), who despite his best efforts, can’t quite control his destructive tendencies. Additional musings include the age-old sentiment of running out of time on the contemplative tracks “Too Many Dreams” and “Perfect Crime,” meditations on moving states and growing a family (“Saluda” and “Bear Strategies”), and the aspirational lie of unconditional love (“No Promises”). With title track “Survive With Me,” Flynn sings about falling in love in an overheated world and rejecting the apathy of previous generations. The song hides anxiety and defiance in deceptively cheerful cadence (a signature tactic of his). Bookended with the lighthearted single, “Easy To Love”—a nod to Flynn’s sitcom-esque relationship dynamic—and more deep-seated undertakings like the closing waltz “Satan Take The Wheel,” which commiserates with those (inside the music industry and out) who cannot sell their souls in a buyer’s market, Survive With Me is a spitfire declaration tied together with a sonically appetizing bow.

Boasting an eclectic lineup of piano, horns, marimba, banjo, and sweeping synth arrangements, the album is an engaging listen from start to finish, and perfectly reinforces Flynn’s understated vocal tenor. An effortless balance of enchanting falsetto and tastefully implemented double tracking techniques, the result is a bright new release that brings to mind at once the whimsy of early Ben Folds and the deadpan temperament of Conor Oberst. Grand yet unpretentious, Survive With Me is a powerful step forward for Michael Flynn, who has once again proven that the loudest voices aren’t measured by decibel.

Survive With Me from Michael Flynn is available for preorders now on Bandcamp, and will be released to digital and streaming platforms on Tuesday, October 13, 2020. The single "Easy To Love" will be released digitally tomorrow, Friday, August 7. For more information, visit www.michaelflynn.com.

For media inquiries, or to request a physical CD, contact Danielle Dror (danielle@teamvictorylap.com) at Victory Lap Publicity.

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Survive With Me Tracklist
1. But It Lived
2. Easy To Love
3. B.O.M.B.
4. Survive With Me
5. No Promises
6. Bear Strategies
7. Perfect Crime
8. Too Many Dreams
9. Saluda
10. Satan Take The Wheel

49 WINCHESTER ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, SHARES GUTTING FIRST TRACK "EVERLASTING LOVER"

49 WINCHESTER ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM, III OUT OCTOBER 2, 2020

AMERICANA HIGHWAYS PREMIERES EXCLUSIVE FIRST LISTEN
OF THE TRACK “EVERLASTING LOVER”

SAMPLE THE FIRST FOUR SONGS FROM THE NEW RECORD HERE

“Where now the raucous group is whispered in the same breath (of raw talent and sincere passion) as Drive-By Truckers, Tyler Childers and Sturgill Simpson...the quintet is a true band of brothers...a well-oiled and fiery machine of melody and purpose.” - Smoky Mountain News

“Isaac Gibson possesses a voice that defies categorization - it’s country, blues, and soul all in one and it is intrinsically entwined with his unforgettable songwriting." - Americana Highways

 

Thursday, July 23, 2020 (Castlewood, VA) - Alt-country explosions 49 Winchester are slated for a thunderous return this fall with the release of their highly anticipated third album III, out October 2, 2020. Today, Americana Highways premiered the first track “Everlasting Lover,” calling it “a soul stirring, unabashed love song” that leads the album with a warm and relatable message before more raucous numbers take charge.

Hailing from the deep hollers of southwest Virginia, the quintet boasts an honest and true brand of Appalachian soul that “[carries] on and [reinvents] the musical traditions of their region with a sound that is wholly and distinctively their own" (Americana Highways). On their latest release, the band resumes this mission with a diverse collection of both test-driven, crowd favorite tunes and some brand new ditties. A well balanced mixture of gutting confessionals (“Everlasting Lover,” “Raleigh”), playful, twangy arrangements (“Long Hard Life,” “It’s A Shame”), and rowdy, boot stompin’ anthems like “Get Clean,” the record is perfectly suited for both a solo, meditative listening session or a quintessential driving soundtrack. Tying it all together is frontman and songwriter Isaac Gibson’s memorable vocal tone, a fully realized, molasses-drenched raspiness that remains a standout in every song.

Drawing from over a half decade of touring experience, Gibson and co. offer a seasoned vantage with their forthcoming release, telling the tale of life between roadside motels and highway truck stops, with a few broken hearts along the way. The band’s lucky #3, the new record steps confidently into the future with the help of producer Kenny Miles of the longstanding Kentucky outfit Wayne Graham, who brought a sonic depth and maturity to the project that the band proudly declares their best yet. Recorded between Fat Baby Studios in Whitesburg, KY and Classic Recording in Bristol, VA, III is steeped in the rich energy of the Appalachian Mountains, where the legacy of Jimmie Rodgers, The Carter Family, and many more country music pioneers still kisses the landscape.

Poised to reach the masses this year with appearances at more than half a dozen festivals before the COVID-19 pandemic triggered an international live music standstill, 49 Winchester stands behind the new record, and remains hopeful that the music will stand out on its own in 2020. Still, the band is looking forward to sharing the fresh tracks with old fans and new, with the hopes of bringing them to a stage soon. 

III from 49 Winchester is available for preorder now on Bandcamp, and will be released to all digital and streaming platforms on Friday, October 2, 2020. For more information, visit www.49winchester.com.