Off Road Minivan Share "The Breakdown" Video — WATCH

MAY THIS KEEP YOU SAFE FROM HARM OUT JUNE 23 VIA TOOTH & NAIL

Hudson Valley, NY-based quartet Off Road Minivan, featuring Fit For a King bassist Ryan "Tuck" O'Leary, will release their second album May This Keep You Safe From Harm on June 23 via Tooth & Nail Records. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band has shared the video for "The Breakdown." Watch it below.

"'The Breakdown' was the hardest song to put together for the band," says Tuck. "It's so simple but took a while to figure out. I went through a difficult breakup with a friend and that inspired the song. Time is so valuable and something we give to each other as currency. Eventually, you've spent too much time on a sinking ship and it's best to jump overboard. This was my way of trying to get that person out of my head."

Off Road Minivan, whose lineup is rounded out by Evan Garcia Renart, Miles Taylour Sweeny, and Mike Planko, came to life in 2018 with the Spiral Gaze EP. On its heels, 2020's full-length debut, Swan Dive, immediately captivated audiences. Throughout the past three years, the band members wrote and sent ideas back-and-forth. Simultaneously, they stitched together a throughline carried by the real-life interviews with members of Tuck's family.

"I've been secretly recording my family for at least a-year-and-a-half, including the voice clips from my grandmother, who was the first," Tuck says. "I'd listen back later and find the right part I needed for the album. I essentially wanted to preserve these moments forever. I got my mom, dad, sister, grandmother, brother-in-law, nephew, best friend, and wife on tape. Now, I'll have it all on vinyl format for the rest of my life."

As for the album's title, it's also rooted in the familial. 

"When my grandfather joined the military and was going off to war, my grandma gave him a bible with a metal cover," reveals Tuck. "On the front, it said, 'May this keep you safe from harm.' Even if you got shot in the heart, the bible would protect you. When I first started touring, different family members gave me mementos to feel safe on the road. The bible was from my grandmother. Now, I've got it tattooed on my chest, so I don't have to bring the original with me. All of this is about preservation of time. It's a way to document some of my most fragile moments and share the delicate, untouched vulnerable side of myself maybe you haven't experienced from Fit For a King. It's the other swing of the pendulum."

Deathbringer To Release Cult Classic Debut Album 'Homo Divisus' On Streaming Platforms For The First Time Ever

Deathbringer

To Release Cult Classic Debut Album

HOMO DIVISUS

Digitally For First Time Ever

Stream Now HERE

Belarusian progressive technical death metal titans, Deathbringer, have unleashed their 2007 debut album ‘Homo Divisus’ digitally for the first time ever via Unique Leader Records. The critically acclaimed album features 11 tracks of brutal and complex metal and was originally released on CD only in Russia and Europe, and has since become a cult classic among progressive death metal aficionados. The digital release marks the first time that the album is available worldwide and on all streaming platforms. Find ‘Homo Divisus’ on streaming platforms HERE and stream the full album on YouTube HERE. 

Speaking on the digital release of their debut album, Deathbringer shares: 

"Homo Divisus is our debut album, which was released in 2007 by a label from Russia Sound Age Productions. For us it was a huge event in our lives. We were young musicians who wanted to play progressive death metal, back at that time more influenced by Chuck Schuldiner and late Death era. These were the first music pieces written by us that were officially released. The album was very well received by listeners and critics around the world, we were getting very good reviews. Deathbringer finally started touring around Europe, beyond the borders of our country. That was a huge step forward for us as a young band from Belarus.

But the problem we realized later was that this album never had a proper digital release. And now after 16 years we are extremely happy that Homo Divisus will finally appear on all digital streaming services thanks to our label Unique Leader Records.

Deathbringer mastermind, guitarist and songwriter, Artyom Seryuk shares: 

I’m sure that it will help to breathe in a new life into this album and it will conquer new listeners. Time flies fast, Deathbringer has a bit of a different musical form now, but Homo Divisus is still a very important and very dear release to me. It’s a really personal concept album into which I put all my heart and soul. It’s so satisfying to see how it obtains a new digital life now. Thanks ULR!

Deathbringer was formed in 2002 by guitarist Artyom Serdyuk in Grodno, Belarus. The band quickly gained a reputation for their intense live shows and their uncompromising style of progressive technical death metal. They have shared the stage with some of the biggest names in the genre, such as Vader, Behemoth, Marduk, Hate, Devilyn, Sceptic, Katalepsy, Crionics and more. They also supported Cannibal Corpse in Minsk in 2004, but the gig was cancelled by local authorities half an hour before the show.

Deathbringer released their debut album ‘Homo Divisus’ in 2007 and toured extensively in Eastern Europe with bands like Hate and Crionics. The album received rave reviews from critics and fans worldwide. The album was re-released in 2010 and followed by another tour with Sceptic and Abused Majesty.

Since then, the band underwent frequent line-up changes and became an international act with members from Belarus and Poland. They celebrated their 10-year anniversary with a headlining tour in 2013 and started working on their second album. However, the recording process was delayed for several years due to health issues of frontman Artyom Serdyuk. He resumed the work in 2018 and collaborated with some of the best musicians in the scene, such as Bobby Koelble of Death, Tommy Talamanca of Sadist, Mariusz “Thrufel” Domaradzki of Masachist and Yattering, and Igor Kovalyov and Alex Sedin of the Belarusian metal scene. Following further set backs from the Covid-19 pandemic, the band finally finished the album in 2021 and finally released 'It' in 2022 via their new label home, the globally renowned, independent extreme metal label, Unique Leader Records.

Iconic Americana artist TIM EASTON radiates hope on new single 'Sliver of Light', out now via Black Mesa Records

"Consistently delivering quality Americana over his thirty-plus-year professional career, which started before the term was even acknowledged... a veteran performer whose best days may still lie ahead" ~ American Songwriter

"Illuminating lyricism" ~ Folk Alley

"Since debuting in the late '90s as part of the burgeoning alt-country movement, American singer/songwriter Tim Easton has established himself as first-rate storyteller, recording a series of warmly crafted albums in the 2000s for New West Records that combined engaging and thoughtful lyricism with rugged folk, rock, and roots music traditions" ~ AllMusic

'Every track is a distinct story beautifully told" ~ Americana UK

"A gritty yet reassuring voice and clever, laconic and poetic lyrics" ~ The Spill Magazine


Nashville-based songwriter Tim Easton presents an illuminating story of hope on his latest single ‘Sliver of Light’.  This new single was inspired by a personal tragedy, the loss of numerous friends, and the thin line that exists between life and death,

Released via Oklahoma-based Black Mesa Records, the accompanying baseball-themed video was directed by Jamey Wood and filmed in Pegram, Tennessee.

A mainstay of American roots music for more than 20 years and with a rich history that includes some years with The Haynes Boys and a stint as Beck's busking partner while touring Europe, Tim Easton creates songs for the Great American Songbook.

With reverence for the past and an outlook toward the future, Easton is easily among the greatest songwriters of our time. Pulling from a wide range of influences, his compositions lead you on a journey that blurs the lines between folk, blues, Americana and workingman's rock & roll.

Penned with hope, ‘Sliver of Light’ finds him focusing on the present in the realization of how quickly and abruptly things can end. An organic offering, this song showcases his abilities as a songwriter and performer, and the breadth of his inspiration.

“I wrote the lyrics on a Dutch train during a European tour. I had just heard tough news from home. A friend who had fallen down was suddenly on life support. The words poured out fast and, when I arrived at my hotel, I immediately set the lyrics to music. Once back home in Nashville, the recording session was equally charged and completed in a few hours,” says Tim Easton.

"Take one was the keeper track with me singing and playing guitar along with the band while a friend filmed us recording. Overdubs were added with some percussion, Wurlitzer keyboard and harmony vocals to complete a song that is two-thirds observation and experience and one-third baseball prayers."

Years before Americana music was recognized at the Grammy Awards with its own category, Tim Easton helped pioneer the genre's mix of classic inspiration and contemporary interpretation, writing songs shaped by forebearers such as Doc Watson, Bob Dylan, John Prine and John Hiatt, while moving forward with the modern world.

Born near the Niagara River and raised in upstate New York, Tim Easton spent his formative years in Tokyo, Japan and Akron, Ohio. Traveling early and often, he learned the ways of the road and rails, spending seven years as a modern-day troubadour, making his way around Europe, playing the streets and clubs, living in Paris, London, Madrid, Prague, Dublin and wherever he laid his hat. Here, he developed his songwriting style – folk-based storytelling and personal traveling tales, often peppered with bold confessions or "tell it as it is" reality. Rolling Stone Magazine praised him as "having a novelist's sense of humanity."

“There is a certain helplessness that is involved with the friends and family of people who are in active addiction that is never easy to understand. I have been in this frustrating place before, and all I have is songwriting to help me deal with it. Sometimes we are simply unable to help people get well. May this song bring comfort to those who are right on the edge, barely hanging on. You are not alone,” says Easton.

With 10 critically acclaimed solo albums to date, Tim Easton has had a burgeoning career that has seen him tour the world, perform with music legends, such as Lucinda Williams, John Hiatt, Townes Van Zandt and Kris Kristofferson, and recording with many equally talented musicians (his 2001 album ‘The Truth About Us’ featured three-fourths of Wilco).

His tenth album ‘You Don't Really Know Me’ (2020) was released by Black Mesa Records and will be followed in 2023 by several vinyl re-presses – ‘Not Cool’ and Easton's solo debut ‘Special 20’. This builds on a steady wave of great music from Easton, including North American Songwriter Volume 1 & 2, a 20-song project entailing the start of a series featuring acoustic recordings of favorite songs from Easton’s vast catalog of original material.

‘Sliver of Light’ is out now, available across fine digital platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify and Bandcamp. More info about tour dates can be found at www.timeaston.com 

CREDITS
Written by Tim Easton
Recorded at Cartoon Moon Studios in Nashville, TN
Produced by T. Easton & Gabe Masterson
Engineered, mixed by G. Masterson
Mastered by Alex McCollough at True East Mastering
Tim Easton - acoustic guitar, vocals
Kevin Nolan - electric guitar, wurlitzer, organ
Matt Nolan - drums & percussion
Tommy Scifres - bass
Coralee - harmony vocals
Video filmed and directed by Jamey Wood
Released on Black Mesa Records


Keep up with Tim Easton
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music | Spotify | Press contact

Keep up with Black Mesa Records
Website | Facebook | Twitter  | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud | Label contact

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
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Americana Rock / Indie Folk stalwart Beau Jennings revs it up on roaring 'People In This Town' single

“Deeply felt…emotions that cut like a knife” ~ Rolling Stone

“Beau Jennings and the Tigers capture what it's like to feel lost in a familiar place” ~ NPR Music

“Shimmery, pretty production that sands off yesteryear elements that might evoke Creedence Clearwater Revival or alt. country like unrelated namesake, Waylon…it’s honest, modest, humble gentle and emotive” ~ The Big Takeover

“Exceedingly different from anything Jennings — and probably anybody else in Oklahoma — has ever done before” ~ The Daily Oklahoman  

"With quite a bit of swagger and a feel-good factor on par with Tom Cochrane, classic Springsteen and even Brian Setzer, Beau Jennings & The Tigers are a beautiful beast we're glad to see unleashed" ~ Amplify Music Magazine


Indie rock outfit Beau Jennings & The Tigers present their new single 'People in This Town', out June 9 via Oklahoma-based record label Black Mesa Records. What starts as a scrappy ten seconds of scuffling and static emerges as a summer anthem from this Oklahoma band.

With their classic 80’s AM radio American rock n’ roll sound filtered through their collective influences (gospel, country, folk, and indie rock), the single follows 2022's full-length album 'Heavy Light', which drew critical parallels to Tom Petty, The Wallflowers and Bruce Springsteen, and subsequent singles 'I've Got Your Heart Right Here' and 'Midnight Service'.

Jennings' recording has just reached the two decade mark, in that time having collaborated with the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Richard Swift and filmmaker Bradley Beesley (Fearless Freaks, Okie Noodling) and shared the stage with Dwight Yoakam, Robert Cray, Heartless Bastards, Ray Wylie Hubbard and John Moreland.

In this new single, Jennings imagines the patrons of a bar on the outskirts—inspired by a real blink-and-you’ll-miss-it building in his hometown of Norman, Oklahoma. Having barely noticed it for much of his life, a recent drive nearby prompted Jennings to conjure the figures who might be congregating there.

“’People In This Town’ is really just about the overlooked or hidden aspects of a small town that are often taken for granted. Norman, OK is governed by religion, sports, and partying and while that maybe isn’t that different from other places, those are still powerful forces that shape people’s lives,” says Beau Jennings.

“I love driving past this spot just north of town called The Barracuda and just extrapolating from there how it encapsulates all those things at once. It’s not a hip or trendy spot, but people not only go there for all the normal bar reasons but they also go there to celebrate, to mourn, and just live life, whether that’s a positive or negative thing.”

'People in This Town' touches down at the intersection of a trinity of Oklahoman values, for better or worse: sports, religion, and misunderstanding your neighbor. The gentle admonition of the chorus – "People in this town don’t know what they got” – touches a nerve, highlighting the chasm between parallels: what we know, we don’t know and what we don’t know, we don’t know.

It turns out that the bar in question is actually a much-beloved venue that regularly hosts holiday celebrations, bachelorette parties, musical projects and more. It’s a micro-community that most people moving past it would never be aware of. The building has no windows; you have to go in and really listen to find the lightness on the edge of town.

Jennings’ prolific songbook has become increasingly personal. Now 42, his lyrical lens is refocused from a young artist figuring out his identity to ever-changing examinations of family, of home, of our limited time and acute observations of others' lives. Thanks to Tigers guitarist Chase Kerby, drummer Dustin Ragland, organist Chris Wiser, and bassist / sound engineer Michael Trepagnier, he’s also sharpened his knack for memorable hooks.

The band’s MO on upbeat songs is airtightness, the listener receiving a tidy package that's as fun to listen to as it is to perform. It’s rock ‘n’ roll for rock ‘n’ roll’s sake, handclaps and gang vocals propping up Jennings’ words and creating a world where metaphors are swapped with literalisms and vice-versa. Where 2016 saw Jennings 'Back in Town' chronicling a readjustment to being home again after time as an expat, here Jennings is once again on the inside, seeing what else there is to be found.

As of June 9, 'People In This Town' will be available online from fine music platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, Bandcamp and elsewhere at https://bmr.link/bjt-people-in-this-town.  Beau Jennings & The Tigers will also be playing a series of shows in support of this new release.

CREDITS
Written by Beau Jennings
Arranged by Beau Jennings & The Tigers
Recorded and mixed by Michael Trepagnier at Cardinal Song, Oklahoma
Additional recording by Dustin Ragland in Atlanta
Mastered by Kevin Lively
Beau Jennings - acoustic guitar, vocals
Chase Kerby - electric guitars, background vocals
Dustin Ragland - drums
Chris Wiser - organ
Michael Trepagnier - bass
℗ Beau Jennings & The Tigers, under exclusive license to Black Mesa Records

LIVE DATES
May 27  EDMOND, OK - Cedar Tree Sessions House Show
June 23  OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - 51st Street Speakeasy
July 15  AUSTIN, TX - The Long Time
Aug 12  OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Tower Theater


Keep up with Beau Jennings
Website | Facebook | Bandcamp | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Songkick | Press contact

Keep up with Black Mesa Records
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Soundcloud | Label contact

Keep up with Shameless Promotion PR
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | LinkedIn | Email  

CYHRA Announce New Album "The Vertigo Trigger"

CYHRA Announce New Album
"The Vertigo Trigger"
+
Unleash Single 
"Life Is A Hurricane"

Swedish melodic metal rockers CYHRA return with an explosive announcement!

The band are proud to announce their new studio album titled The Vertigo Trigger, which will be released on August 18th via Nuclear Blast Records. Founded by vocalist Jake E (ex-AMARANTHE) and guitarist Jesper Strömblad (ex-IN FLAMES), and with the addition of lead guitarist Euge Valovirta (ex-SHINING) and drummer Alex Landenburg (KAMELOT), CYHRA has already released two highly acclaimed albums which proof that the band have managed to create their own identity and sound.

Now in 2023, coming four years after their last album No Halos In Hell, The Vertigo Trigger is CYHRA's third studio album, and their first featuring recently added guitarist Marcus Sunesson (ex-THE CROWN/ENGEL). The band released the album’s first single 'Ready To Rumble' last autumn, and fans will now undoubtedly be pleased to learn that the track is a part of a new full-length record.

Along with the album announcement, the Swedes also deliver new single 'Life Is A Hurricane' today, which is accompanied by a new music video and can be watched below.

Stream 'Life Is A Hurricane' here: https://cyhra.bfan.link/hurricanesg

Vocalist Jake E comments: 
“A song that grabs you from the first second and holds on until the last beat. And a fantastic video by mastermind Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film!”

Drummer Alex Landenburg adds: 
“Life Is A Hurricane was one of the first songs we wrote for the new album. It’s one of these songs where the vocal melody and the rhythm are tightly connected and really complement each other. It’s probably also our best video so far.”
 
Guitarist Euge Valovirta echoes the sentiment: 
“A hurricane of a song it is! It starts with a heavy riff and a guitar solo so what’s a better way to start a song than that? Hope you all enjoy it! Oh and the video is pretty damn intense too!”
 

Pre-order or pre-save the new album The Vertigo Trigger here: 
https://cyhra.bfan.link/tvtglp

Recorded in the summer/autumn of 2022, The Vertigo Trigger is the band's darkest album to date. The album was entirely self-produced and mixed by guitarist Euge Valovirta, whilst the mastering was handled by long-term producer Jacob Hansen. This new album offers fans the classic CYHRA sound, full of the band's trademarks, but fresh and refined. The Swedes have modernised their song writing meaning that no CYHRA fan will be disappointed, making The Vertigo Trigger a more than worthy successor to their first two albums.

And although guitarist Jesper Strömblad isn’t a part of CYHRA's live shows currently, he was deeply involved in the writing and recording process of the album. Therefore, the band can hardly wait for his return as soon as he is ready again.

CYHRA is:
Jake E – lead vocals
Euge Valovirta – lead guitar (and bass)
Alex Landenburg – drums
Marcus Sunesson – guitars
Jesper Strömblad – guitars (and bass)

CYHRA Online: 
https://www.facebook.com/CyHraofficial
https://www.instagram.com/cyhra_official
https://www.youtube.com/cyhraofficial
https://cyhra.com/

Credit: Linda Florin

APPICE PERDOMO PROJECT RELEASES NEW VIDEO FOR “DRUM CITY” FROM ITS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2ND ALBUM

APPICE PERDOMO PROJECT RELEASES NEW VIDEO FOR “DRUM CITY”
FROM ITS CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED 2ND ALBUM,
RUNNING UP THAT HILL

THE  TWO MAN POWERHOUSE UNIT CONTINUES TO GARNER MEDIA RAVES AND RADIO AIRPLAY FOR ITS NEWEST ALBUM
 

“Drum City,” the new video from Legendary drummer-songwriter-producer Carmine Appice and acclaimed LA session musician Fernando Perdomo from their powerful new album, Running Up That Hill, has been released by Cleopatra Records, the band’s label. Featuring infectious guitar riffs and a colorful animated visual backdrop, the video for “Drum City,” wowed the audience at the group’s  New York City show where it was previewed at The Cutting Room.

VIEW THE VIDEO FOR DRUM CITY BY APPICE PERDOMO PROJECT HERE: 

The duo’s sophomore album again focuses on the art of instrumental rock gems, performed mostly just by Fernando Perdomo and Carmine Appice.  The two musicians worked on opposite coasts of the US via a remote online recording process to complete the album.   The two musicians played nearly all the instruments on the entire album with the exception of a few tracks which also featured an all star cast of guest musicians, among them: bassist Billy Sheehan, keyboardist Derek Sherinian, guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, bassist Tony Franklin and multi-instrumentalist Jimmy Haslip.

“Like our first album, Energy Overload, much of this album was conceived, written and recorded on opposite sides of the USA, while everyone was still dealing with the impact of the Covid 19 epidemic,” says Carmine Appice, about the record. “Fernando and I would just bounce ideas back and forth amongst each other, and before we knew it, we had this album filled with some of the best material either of us have ever been involved with.  Many critics and radio professionals have told us this record is very different and very special, and we feel the same. Now, we want the world to discover it.”

Adds Fernando Perdomo: "I couldn't be more excited about the ‘Drum City’ music video. Collaborating with Carmine has been so much fun and this song is pure joy. The band did an East Coast and West Coast showcase, which were incredible. We cannot wait to play more!"

"Carmine Appice's drumming prowess is a symphony of rhythm, where beats become an intricate tapestry combined with the talent and precision of Fernando Perdomo,” says Cleopatra Records President Brian Perera. “Together, they make this a very special & unique project."

Emerging in 1967 as a founding member, drummer and vocalist for the iconic  psychedelic rockers, Vanilla Fudge, it was a matter of months before Appice was recognized as one of greatest drummers of all time. After Top 5 hits, and sold out worldwide tours, the Fudge broke up. In 1970, Appice (along with Fudge bassist Tim Bogert) returned with Cactus, which one critic called “America’s answer to Led Zeppelin.”  From Cactus onward, the sky was the limit for Appice, forming Beck Bogert & Appice (with Jeff Beck); and long stints with Ozzy Osbourne and Rod Stewart (who had Appice co-write some of his biggest hits). Today, he balances life in the studio and on the road with both Vanilla Fudge and Cactus again, and now, The Appice Perdomo Project.

Perdomo, whose family emigrated to the US from Cuba after Fidel Castro took power, used American rock and pop radio to get him through the difficult years of assimilation. “Music was my sanctuary,” says Perdomo. “My older brother turned me on to much of the music which I still hold dear to my heart today.”  Eventually he became a studio session player in demand, first in Miami and then in his new home of Los Angeles. His credits include playing with Eric Clapton, Fiona Apple, Nora Jones, and Beck. In 2019, he was hired as musical director and guitarist for the band featured in the film ECHO IN THE CANYON, which told the story and paid tribute to the Southern California music scene that began in the late 1960s.  He has produced dozens of records for a myriad of labels, including a recent single featuring Todd Rundgren.

The new album’s first video, “Running Up That Hill,” is a bombastic re-make of the 1980s classic Kate Bush song that recently found its way back on the charts when it was featured on the TV show, Stranger Things. Because it was released as a rock instrumental, the Appice Perdomo take on that song has taken on a life of its own.

“Carmine Appice has always been a legendary force as a drummer,” says Sirius XM and music TV personality Eddie Trunk.  “This new project proves he still is. And it sounds like Fernando Perdomo is a rising force on guitar and a perfect partner for this rocking new instrumental project”.

““This beautiful instrumental album should be taking home plenty of awards,” adds WMMR-FM air personality, Jacky Bam Bam. “So many layers blend amazingly with these well-structured arrangements. Cheers to my friend Carmine Appice  and his partner, Fernando Perdomo, for another job well done!”

The band and the album have been receiving rave reviews from critics and industry insiders alike, such as Vicious Rumours magazine which stated: “Guitarist extraordinaire Fernando Perdomo and everybody’s favorite freelance drummer Carmine Appice really make something special out of this one. Not merely a vehicle for showcasing individual technical skills, Running Up That Hill brims with songwriting that is impressive and not entirely without humor.”

Purchase THE APPICE PERDOMO PROJECT- Running Up That Hill album here:
https://cleorecs.com/store/shop/carmine-appice-fernando-perdomo-running-up-that-hill-cd/

Stream/download the album here:
https://orcd.co/appiceperdomo_runningupthathillalbum

Wolves at the Gate Share Cover Twenty One Pilots "Heathens" — WATCH + LISTEN

WOLVES AT THE GATE have shared their awesome cover of Twenty One Pilots' "Heathens."

Watch the visualizer below. 

It may seem like a surprising choice of song to cover, but the band has a powerful connection to the track on several levels.

"Long before we ever got signed, we played a VFW show with Twenty One Pilots," says vocalist/guitarist Steve Cobucci. "We were just local Columbus, Ohio bands trying to get out there and make some fans. They definitely did not fit the rest of the bill, but they were undeniably unique."

He continues, "Fast forward years later and their incredible gifts are being seen and appreciated globally. Something they do so well is expressing dark and somber moods in their music without sacrificing memorability and melody. 'Heathens' has a really cool arrangement that allows the listener to experience the chorus in a few different ways throughout the song. The dynamics of the song left an open landscape for us to put our own fingerprint on it."

He finishes, "As well, the lyrics carried a very relatable sentiment that could be seen and interpreted on a few different levels. The way that we saw the lyrics was telling people to be careful about judging each other. To understand the uniformity that we are all the same. Appearances can be deceptive in how we perceive each other, but at the core, everyone has their own struggles, brokenness, and demons. It's actually a pretty powerful call for empathy that we really connected with."

Love this cover?

Stay tuned for more sonic interpretations from WATG...

ABOUT WATG:
Unrestricted by genre conventions and determined to raise the bar with each successive album, Wolves at the Gate deliver music and a message with a firm commitment to passion and authenticity. Tirelessly seeking out the light in seemingly overwhelming darkness, the Midwestern post-hardcore group balances soaring melodies with unrelenting metal and emotional heaviness. Eulogies arrives with confidence and forward motion born from reflection, introspection, and isolation.

The small-town Ohio-based five-piece band built the foundations for the album's 13 songs during the pandemic shutdown, shaping diverse tracks like "Shadows," "Peace That Starts The War," and "No Tomorrow" into stunning confessional epics. Wolves at the Gate's audience treasures each of the band's best-known songs for the emotional depth, passionate catharsis, and evocative power contained in them, as evidenced by the millions of streams for WATG anthems. These include "Counterfeit," "A Voice in the Violence," and "Drifter" (from 2019's Eclipse); "Asleep," "Flickering Flame," and "War in the Time of Peace" (from 2016's Types & Shadows); "Relief," and "The Bird and the Snake" (from 2014's VxV); "Dead Man," "The Harvest," and "Slaves" (from 2012's Captors), and "Heralds" (from 2011's We Are The Ones). 
 
WOLVES AT THE GATE ARE:
Steve Cobucci — Vocals/Guitar
Nick Detty — Vocals
Joey Alarcon — Guitar
Abishai Collingsworth — Drums
Ben Summers — Bass

Saul Drop "TOOTH AND NAIL" Video — WATCH

NEW ALBUM THIS IS IT... THE END OF EVERYTHING ARRIVES ON JULY 28 VIA SPINEFARM

TOURING WITH MEMPHIS MAY FIRE THIS SUMMER

Iowa hard rock heavyweights SAUL — brothers Blake Bedsaul [lead vocals] and Zach Bedsaul [lead guitar, backup vocals], William McIlravy [bass, backup vocals], and Myles Clayborne [drums] — recently announced their new albumTHIS IS IT... THE END OF EVERYTHING. The album arrives July 28 via Spinefarm. Pre-order it here.

Today, the band shares the video for the explosive — both musically and thematically — new single "TOOTH AND NAIL." Watch it below. 

"Plain and simple — the world is fucked," states Blake. "We've all been too complacent to do anything about it. We vote in the richest, oldest, most crooked politicians to run our country into the ground and stand around wondering what happened. Wake up. It's time for a change. We won't stand idly by as everything we know and love turns to ash for a political agenda. We will be standing and fighting 'TOOTH AND NAIL.'" 

This Iowa quartet continues to bring audiences together with a one-two punch of pummeling metallic grooves and towering melodies. Amassing tens of millions of streams and earning acclaim from Revolver, Guitar World, Loudwire, and many more, the group fortify an unbreakable bond with listeners on their second full-length offering, THIS IS IT…THE END OF EVERYTHING [Spinefarm]. For this record, the band collaborated with producer Kile Odell [Motionless In White, Nita Strauss].  Saul emerged out of the Midwest in 2017 and tirelessly bulldozed a path to the forefront of modern rock. They notably performed alongside everyone from Motionless In White, Atreyu, August Burns Red, Crown The Empire, Bush, and 10 Years to HELLYEAH and Nonpoint in addition to gracing the stages of festivals, including Rebel Rock, Rock Fest, Rock USA, Inkcarceration, and Blue Ridge Rock Fest with Rob Zombie, Mudvayne, and Slipknot. The group independently landed a bona fide hit in the form of "Brother"— an homage to the co-founders' late brother Caleb. It marked their first #1 on Sirius/XM Octane in addition to gathering over 9 million Spotify streams and paving the way for their 2020 full-length debut, Rise As Equals. Co-written with David Draiman of Disturbed, "King Of Misery" reeled in 3.7 million Spotify streams, while "Trial By Fire" also surpassed 3 million Spotify streams. Of the former, American Songwriter praised "'King of Misery' wasted no time jumping into the heavy mainstream riffs that Saul set out to wrangle," and Outburn hailed its "futuristic and cinematic video."

Saul will embark on an east coast and Midwest tour with Memphis May Fire this summer. See dates below. 

SAUL ON TOUR:
WITH MEMPHIS MAY FIRE, NORMA JEAN, + SECRETS:
6/30 — Hampton, NH — Wally's
7/1 — Thompson, CT — Capulet Fest
7/2 — Portland, ME  —  State Theatre
7/3 — Elmira, NY  —  The L
7/5 — Columbus, OH  —  The King of Clubs
7/7 — Charleston, SC  —  Music Farm 
7/8 — Orlando, FL  —  The Beacham Theater 
7/9 — Gainesville, FL  —  High Dive
7/11 — Mobile, AL  —  Soul Kitchen Music Hall
7/12 — Memphis, TN  —  Growlers
7/14 — Cadott, WI — Rock Fest*
*Saul Only

Ryman Auditorium Unveils New Ford VIP Lounge

Ryman Auditorium unveils new Ford VIP Lounge. (IDs from L to R: Matthew Schuster, SVP Strategy and Business Development, Opry Entertainment Group; Sean Lupton, VP Brand Partnerships, Opry Entertainment Group; Hannah and Matthew Barker, Two Rivers Ford Dealership; Gary Levy, General Manager, Ryman Auditorium) | Photo Credit: Catherine Powell

Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium has unveiled its latest guest enhancement with the debut of a new Ford VIP Lounge yesterday in partnership with Mid-South Ford Dealers. The Ford Lounge is part of a $1.3 million investment at the Mother Church that also includes a new retail shop, which opened in March. 

Following a ribbon cutting earlier in the day, the new space welcomed guests for the first time at Marty Stuart’s Annual Late-Night Jam. The new VIP lounge offers exclusive entry to the show, private restrooms, passed hor d’oeurves, wine, cocktails, beer, and soft drinks as well as commemorative Hatch Print Show of that night’s show. Entry to the Ford VIP Lounge is available as an add on with concert ticket purchase for an additional $100. To celebrate the new space, the Ryman and its partners will surprise guests with giveaways and VIP upgrades each month throughout the year. For more information visit ryman.com.  

“We are always looking for new ways to elevate the guest experience at the Ryman," said Gary Levy, general manager of Ryman Auditorium. “We are fortunate that Ford shares our passion for creating unforgettable moments, and we are thrilled the new Ford Lounge will provide such a unique experience for fans while visiting the Ryman.”  
 
“We’re proud to open the Ford Lounge,” said Greg Houston, regional manager of the Memphis Region, Ford Motor Company. “Like the artists at the Ryman, Ford is driven to be legendary, and we hope the new lounge provides legendary experiences for concert attendees. The Mid-South Ford Dealers are ready to show music fans what it means to be Built Ford Proud.”

Mid-South Ford Dealers Advertising Association is a cooperative of 141 Ford dealers in western Tennessee, southwest Kentucky, central and northern Mississippi, Arkansas, southern Illinois and southeast Missouri.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan, that is committed to helping build a better world, where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams. The company’s Ford+ plan for growth and value creation combines existing strengths, new capabilities and always-on relationships with customers to enrich experiences for and deepen the loyalty of those customers. Ford develops and delivers innovative, must-have Ford trucks, sport utility vehicles, commercial vans and cars and Lincoln luxury vehicles, as well as connected services. Additionally, Ford is establishing leadership positions in mobility solutions, including self-driving technology, and provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. Ford employs about 182,000 people worldwide. More information about the company, its products and Ford Credit is available at corporate.ford.com.

About Ryman Auditorium:
A National Historic Landmark, Ryman Auditorium was imagined by Captain Thomas G. Ryman in 1892 as the Union Gospel Tabernacle. A 14-time winner of the prestigious Pollstar Theatre of the Year award, the historic venue is well-known as the Mother Church of Country Music and is the most famous former home of the Grand Ole Opry (1943-1974). Since the first concert on May 4, 1892, the Ryman has celebrated an array of entertainment acts and all genres of music on its hallowed stage – from magician Harry Houdini to comic actor Charlie Chaplin and former president Theodore Roosevelt to civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., plus music icons from all genres including Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, B.B. King, Sheryl Crow, Garth Brooks, Lizzo and Harry Styles. The Ryman’s thriving concert schedule hosts more than 200 shows per year, and the venue is open for daytime tours year-round. The Ryman has also been featured in numerous film and television projects including Coal Miner’s Daughter, The Johnny Cash Show, American Idol, Nashville and more. For more information, visit ryman.com.

alt. Share "FRIENDINTHEDARK" Video — WATCH

NEW ALBUM ABEYANCE OUT FRIDAY, JUNE 16

Embrace the sumptuous darkness with Adelaide's alt. and their glossy new single "FRIENDINTHEDARK," officially out today.

Watch the video below.

The song is taken from alt.'s upcoming debut album ABEYANCE, due out on June 16 via Resist Records in Australia and SharpTone Records for the rest of the world. "FRIENDINTHEDARK" opens with swooning sonic ink, swaying melodics and modern production while also sporadically erupting with towering soundscapes.

Showcasing the Adelaide group in a dark-pop-meets-rock hue, "FRIENDINTHEDARK" is also accompanied by a deliciously ominous new music video.

"'FRIENDINTHEDARK' came about when someone I know was auditioning for a role in a teen slasher film during COVID when everything was being filmed in Australia," shares alt. vocalist Daniel Cullen-Richards. "The idea excited me and brought to mind the movies I grew up watching as a kid like Scream, Freddy Vs Jason, and I Know What You Did Last Summer, etc. That inspired me straight away and I put myself in the slasher film and wrote the lyrics in five minutes about a character who is at threat by any of their friends to be the victim in our song."

"FRIENDINTHEDARK" is out now

ABEYANCE finds alt. emerging from a turbulent few years armed with rejuvenated focus and ferocity, set to stupefy the senses, and catapult one of the city of churches' brightest stars further into the spotlight.

Working on ABEYANCE alongside Marcus Bridge (Northlane), Landon Tewers (The Plot In You), Zach Britt (Dream On, Dreamer), and Trenton Woodley (Hands Like Houses), producer Callan Orr also returned after his work on alt.'s 2020 debut EP dysfunctional — and the end result is nothing short of astonishing.

Pre-order ABEYANCE here.

Spending years honing their signature brand of punk, pop, electronic, and alternative rock since first erupting onto the scene in 2019, alt. have previously performed with the likes of Karnivool, Cog, sleepmakeswaves, Belle Haven, Bad/Love and, most recently, as the national support for American rockers Saosin during their Australian tour.

Alt. will hit stages supporting Don Broco for their national headline tour across Australia the next few days, and will also appear at Unify Off The Record 2023 at Hindley St Music Hall in Adelaide on May 26, alongside Teenage Joans, Thornhill, Ocean Grove, and more, before joining Windwaker and the UK's Caskets around Australia this July.

Bad Omens Release New "Just Pretend" Official Music Video + Announce Forthcoming Comic Book Series "Concrete Jungle" via Sumerian Records

Los Angeles-based rock sensation Bad Omens have today released the eagerly anticipated music video for their smash hit, "Just Pretend" (via Sumerian Records). The music video was directed by Erik Rojas (Chase Atlantic, Jessie J, Waterparks) and based on a story written by vocalist Noah Sebastian. The track itself has taken a life of its own,peaking at #1 on Active Rock radio while currently in the top 10 on Alt radio, and has amassed over 135 million streams and counting. Watch the official music video below.

The band also recently unveiled their new comic book series "Concrete Jungle" (via Sumerian Comics). Co-written by Noah Sebastian and Kevin Roditeli ("Freak Show") and illustrated by Nicola Izzo, the four-issue monthly series will be available for purchase in stores beginning September 6. Be sure to keep an eye out for limited edition bundles later in the year and for further information, please click here.

See Bad Omens on their CONCRETE FOREVER fall headlining run with ERRA and I See Stars as support. For tickets, please click here.

CONCRETE FOREVER North American Dates

September 1 - Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center (Sold Out)

September 2 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater (Sold Out)

September 4 - New Orleans, LA @ Joy Theater (Sold Out)

September 5 - St. Petersburg, FL @ Jannus Live (Sold Out)

September 6 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues (Sold Out)

September 8 - Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy (Sold Out)

September 9 - Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works (Sold Out)

September 12 - New York, NY @ Terminal 5 (Sold Out)

September 13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall (Sold Out)

September 14 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE (Upgraded)

September 15 - Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore (Sold Out)

September 16 - Boston, MA @ Roadrunner (Sold Out)

September 18 - Montreal, QC @ MTELUS (Sold Out)

September 19 - Toronto, ON @ Rebel (Sold Out)

September 21 - Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed (Sold Out)

September 24 - Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live!

September 26 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Eagles Ballroom(Sold Out)

September 27 - Minneapolis, MN @ Myth Live (Sold Out)

September 29 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium (Sold Out)

September 30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The Union (Sold Out)

October 2 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom (Sold Out)

October 3 - Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre (Sold Out)

October 4 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo (Sold Out)

October 8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Palladium (Sold Out)

October 9 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Theater at Virgin Hotels

October 10 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre (Sold Out)

October 11 - Albuquerque, NM @ Revel (Sold Out)

October 13 - Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum (Sold Out)

Fall Festival Dates

September 10 - Alton, VA @ Blue Ridge Rock Festival

September 22 - Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life

October 6 - Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock

Bad Omens slither through boundaries, only to ultimately choke convention in the process. The quartet—Noah Sebastian (vocals), Joakim “Jolly” Karlsson (guitar), Nick Ruffilo (bass), and Nick Folio (drums)—materialize with ghostly atmospherics, striking hooks, and the tingles of sensual high-register harmonies uplifted by cinematic production. Racking up over 250M worldwide streams to date and earning acclaim, the band presents an uncompromising and undeniable vision on their third full-length album, 'THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND' (Sumerian Records).

“Making the record changed us as songwriters and musicians. In many ways, I feel like it set me free as an artist because every decision made in the writing process was for myself, with no fear for anyone else’s expectations of what our third album should sound like. Be it our fans or our record label.”

They’ve always wielded this level of magic though…

The group’s 2016 self-titled debut, 'Bad Omens', yielded fan favorites such as “Glass Houses” and “The Worst In Me” which eclipsed 38 million Spotify streams. On its heels, 2019’s 'Finding God Before God Finds Me' spawned “Dethrone” (27 million Spotify streams) and “Careful What You Wish For”. Along the way, they toured with numerous marquee acts and received tastemaker praise. 

After their first headline tour was canceled mid-way at the top of the global pandemic, the band found themselves at home in Los Angeles with plenty of time. Where they absorbed and imparted a different palette of unexpected inspirations. Channeling what the frontman describes at times as a “cursive sound” they embraced newfound confidence and boundlessly loose creativity. Anything went in the studio, and all “rules” were broken. Noah and Jolly wrote, produced, and engineered the music themselves while GRAMMY® Award-nominated producer and songwriter Zakk Cervini (Halsey, Grimes, Poppy, blink-182) lent his talents with the mix and master. Challenging himself, Noah decided to “make a track sampling items around the house, none of which were musical instruments”. 

This ultimately became the framework for the first single “THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND”. Claps puncture the icy soundscape as his voice stretches from a breathy moan into an evocative and entrancing hook, breaking from a whisper into the seductive chant, “It wasn’t hard to realize. Love’s the death of peace of mind.” It culminates on a climactic scream uplifted by a distorted crunch.

“The whole record really details the loss of peace of mind,” he explains. “The lyrics in the title track are a little more specific in terms of the conflict at the heart of something more intimate and personal.”

By speaking it aloud, Bad Omens offer a level of comfort and empathy, with a sinister shroud. At the same time, they also give rock music a sexy new shape on 'THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND'.

“Sonically, we want to do something you can’t arrive late or early too,” he leaves off. “You can’t cheat your way to the final act. You have to get on the ride and process it until the end. The songs are meant to be heard from start to finish. We want you to take the whole trip with us.”

Stream the debut album from JOHNNY THE BOY

Johnny the Boy are streaming their debut album on the Season of Mist YouTube channel. Listen to all eight tracks below. 

Formed by current and former members of Crippled Black Phoenix, Johnny the Boy have emerged with a vile yet heartfelt spike of black metal. 'You' opens with "Die Already", a gloomy surge of industrial rock that's pierced by the pissed-off shrieks of Belinda Kordic.  

"I truly think that Belinda's vocals are some of the most visceral, vicious and spiteful I've ever heard," says Justin Greaves, who refers to himself as a guiterrorist/drum avalanche.   

It's an accurate description, too. "Crossings" is scarred by a hot sludge riff, while the climate disaster warning "Endlessly Senseless" lumbers downhill like a mudslide. Matt Crawford is no slouch, either. It's his swampy bass cloud that gives the album's seven-minute closer an apocalyptic sense of grief.          

'You' will be released on June 9, 2023 via Season of Mist. 

Pre-save the album HERE and pre-order "You" HERE.
 

Born from a simple idea, and eventually coalescing over the last couple of years into a fully-formed entity, JOHNNY THE BOY make music that fucking hurts. Armed with a scabrous but sculpted blend of ice-cold black metal, excoriating sludge and sinewy, white-knuckle rock’n’roll, the trio’s musical identity has arrived, perfectly imperfect and ready to eviscerate. Formed around a creative core of vocalist Belinda Kordic, guitarist Justin Greaves (both members of Crippled Black Phoenix) and bassist Matt Crawford (CBP alumnus and live bassist), JOHNNY THE BOY began life as an instinctive grab for something darker and nastier.

“It began at a rehearsal with Crippled Black Phoenix many, many years ago,” says Greaves. “We were rehearsing down at Arthur’s, where CBP used to practice, and it was during one of those rehearsals that I just got on the guitar, someone else got on the drums and we were just fart-arsing about, with Belinda doing her necro vocals! Then we posted a little clip online and people starting asking, ‘Oh, is this legit?’ Like always, it took fucking years to even think about doing anything, but it was always going to happen.”

“In the background, there’s the fact that in the first band I was ever in, I sang that way,” adds Kordic. “I really missed doing that. We both missed that whole Iron Monkey, Varukers, aggressive side of music. That’s the first way of singing that I loved, and I’ve missed doing it. So we always wanted to do this.”

Brought together by a love of dark, twisted and extreme music and energized by an opportunity to return to the full-bore hostilities of their earlier creative years, JOHNNY THE BOY‘s debut album 'You' is the final proof that the best ideas cannot be stopped. A collaborative effort that brought the evil best out of everyone involved, it’s an album that has been stewed in real blood, sweat and tears. But mainly sweat.

Recording Line-up:
Belinda  - Vokillz
Justin Greaves - Guiterrorist & Drumbs
Matt Crawford -  Bass Avalanche

Links:
https://www.instagram.com/johnny_the_boy 
https://www.facebook.com/JTB444UVO       

Recording Studio: Chapel Studios, Lincolnshire UK, Kapsylen Studio, Stockholm Sweden
Mixing: Kurt Ballou @ GodCity Studio, Salem MA. USA.
Mastering: Magnus Lindberg - Magnus Lindberg Productions, Stockholm, Sweden.

Artwork: JOHNNY THE BOY

Biography: Dom Lawson

Photos: Chantik Photography – www.chantik.nl

Pre-order: https://redirect.season-of-mist.com/JTB-You

Pre-save: https://orcd.co/jtbyoupresave

Formats:
Digital
CD Digipak 
Vinyl in various colors

Hillbilly Vegas Join Ted Nugent on the 'Adios Mofo ‘23 Farewell Tour' This Summer!

Hillbilly Vegas announced that they will be hitting the road with Ted Nugent this summer on the 'Adios Mofo '23 Tour'. Ted has announced that his 2023 summer tour will be his last! You DO NOT want to miss it!!! The tour will kick off on July 13th at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL and conclude on August 20th at Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center in Shawnee, OK .

“We are thrilled to be a part of Ted’s Adios Mofo ‘23 farewell tour. Ted is rock royalty and his songs are a huge part of the soundtrack for millions of rock n roll fans all over the world. It’s such an honor to support Ted and to connect with music fans across America this summer,” says Steve Harris, vocalist.

Adios Mofo'23 Tour Dates

https://tour.tednugent.com/

7/13 @ Hard Rock Live in Orlando, FL
7/15 @ Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL
7/18 @ City Hall Live in Brandon, MS
7/20 @ Blue Gate Performing Arts Center in Shipshewana, IN
7/22 @ The Mill in Terre Haute, IN
7/23 @ New Barn Theater in Mt. Vernon, KY
7/25 @ Kodak Center in Rochester, NY
7/26 @ Keswick Theater in Glenside, PA
7/27 @ Penn's Peak in Jim Thorpe, PA
7/29 @ Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, IL
7/30 @ RiverPark Center in Owensboro, KY
8/2 @ Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, NJ
8/3 @ American Music Theatre in Lancaster, PA
8/6 @ The Adelphia Music Hall in Marietta, OH
8/9 @ The Temple Theatre in Saginaw, MI
8/10 @ Rose Music Center in Huber Heights, OH
8/11 @ Freedom Hill Ampitheater in Detroit, MI
8/12 @ Des Plaines Theatre in Des Plaines, IL
8/13 @ Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL
8/14 @ Arcada Theatre in St. Charles, IL
8/15 @ Lexington Village Theatre in Lexington, MI
8/16 @ Lexington Village Theatre in Lexington, MI
8/18 @ Ford Arena (Ford Park) in Beaumont, TX
8/20 @ Heart of Oklahoma Expo Center in Shawnee, OK

It was never about starting a band. It was just a few old friends getting together to play music for fun. They would meet once a week at a small house deep in the Oklahoma woods they called Ringo Manor. They played old songs, told stories and laughed a lot. Before too long they started writing songs and as the story goes, when you put a bunch of musicians in a room together...they started a band.

Hillbilly Vegas released their first song just a few months after their first jam session at Ringo Manor. A local DJ played that song during his air shift and then it got weird. A Nashville record executive was driving through the area at the very moment that local DJ was playing that first Hillbilly Vegas song. He called the station and just an hour later they were offered a record deal. That fast! Yes, the band is aware that happens to be one of the sub plots in the movie Wayne’s World but it happened. Just like that! Since that wild day the band has charted 5 country singles, along with 2 top 10 and 3 Billboard top 20 rock singles. HOLY CROSSOVER!

Hillbilly Vegas has headlined their own tours as well as a support act for a who’s who in the music world including; Blake Shelton, Travis Tritt, Alabama, Lee Brice, Blackstone Cherry, Wynonna, Kentucky Headhunters, Hellyeah, David Allen Coe, Joe Diffy, Granger Smith, Billy Currington, A Thousand Horses, Insane Clown Posse, Molly Hatchet and many more. And to think it all started in a little house in Oklahoma called Ringo Manor.

For More Information Please Visit:

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CTM Outlander Acquires Shane McAnally Catalog + A Global Deal for SMACKSongs & SMACKBlue

Deal Sees Acquisition of 3x GRAMMY Award Winner Shane McAnally’s Catalog of Over
150 Songs, Including McAnally’s Writer’s Share Plus an Exclusive 4-Year
Go-Forward Co-Publishing Deal, Inclusive of Non-Dramatic Rights to Certain Music
Featured in Tony-Nominated Broadway Musical Shucked

Acquisition Also Includes Works by Josh Osborne, Matt McGinn Alongside
Old Dominion’s Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen.

Strategic Move Also Sees Global Admin Deal for SMACKSongs & SMACKBlue Publishing

L to R ID: Thomas Deelder, Creative Director, CTM Publishing; Les Ware, CEO, Outlander Capital; Shane McAnally; Mike McKool, President, Outlander Capital; André de Raaff, CEO, CTM Outlander; Robert Carlton, President, SMACK; Jeff Chown, COO, Outlander Capital; Jason Turner, Counsel, McAnally & SMACK | Photo courtesy of Emilio Madrid

A major move in the Nashville music publishing scene, CTM Outlander has acquired the publishing catalog of GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer Shane McAnally alongside other works of SMACKSongs’ Matt McGinn, Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey and Trevor Rosen.
 
The deal also includes certain elements of McAnally’s royalties from his catalog of 200+ master recordings as a producer, plus an exclusive 4-year go-forward co-publishing deal, inclusive of non-dramatic rights to certain songs featured in the 9x Tony-nominated Broadway musical Shucked.
 
As a part of the new agreement, McAnally’s publishing companies SMACKSongs and SMACKBlue - including works by Walker Hayes, Kylie Morgan, Josh Jenkins and others - will now be administered on a global basis by CTM Outlander.
 
CTM Outlander is a partnership between the innovative and disruptive Dallas, Texas-based Outlander Capital, led by Les Ware and Mike McKool and the Dutch-based leading independent music entertainment company CTM, led by industry veteran André de Raaff.
 
Since launching two years ago, CTM Outlander has signalled its ambition to invest over a billion U.S. dollars in acquiring music publishing and master rights with notable moves, including the acquisition of TEN Music’s publishing assets in 2021 and the catalogs of Natalie Hemby, Ben Burgess and Michael Tyler in 2022.
 
McAnally is among Nashville’s elite, with over 50 No. 1 songs and two Songwriter of the Year awards by the Academy of Country Music to his credit. In 2022, he also became the most nominated songwriter in Country Music Association history. His cuts include songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney, Halsey, Sam Hunt, the Jonas Brothers, Miranda Lambert, John Legend, Old Dominion, Reba, Blake Shelton, Gwen Stefani, George Strait, Keith Urban and Morgan Wallen, among many others. 
 
As a producer, McAnally’s work includes superstars Kelsea Ballerini, Kelly Clarkson, Walker Hayes, Sam Hunt, Kacey Musgraves, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and Carly Pearce.
 
“I am very excited to start this new partnership built on a mutual passion for all things music, along with the global reach of this incredible team” shares McAnally. “Andre is a visionary and understands the importance of managing music rights, as he has shown over the course of his career. As I continue to expand my creative work to new areas, Andre and his team recognize the passion I have, not just for creating music in the traditional sense, but also in areas of film, TV, Broadway and beyond. I am thankful to the CTM Outlander team for partnering with me to manage my catalog copyrights and am eager to see what we are able to accomplish together over the next several years.”
 
SMACKSongs President Robert Carlton adds, “SMACK is thrilled to be working with CTM Outlander for all of its administration needs. Their passion for music, combined with their independent and innovative spirit makes them a great match. I am excited to see what we can accomplish together in this next chapter!”
 
“It is very rare to come across such a talented and gifted songwriter, producer and creator of music entertainment like Shane McAnally,” adds CTM Outlander CEO André de Raaff. “His successes are countless, from pop to country and from musical theatre to developing TV shows. It is a privilege to look after a great part of his legacy and to work with him and the rest of the SMACK team in the future on all the new projects ahead, which period we expect to become more successful than ever!”
 
“We believe in Nashville’s creative community and are proud to help amplify the stories that are a biproduct of an environment that cultivates ingenuity,” shares Outlander Capital Principal, Mike McKool. “With CTM Outlander’s integration across multiple disciplines, it’s exciting to see the integrity of these catalogs preserved and amplified while also providing this security to the writers.”
 
This is the latest move by CTM Outlander to solidify their commitment to the Nashville creative community with McAnally joining the previously acquired catalogs from Natalie Hemby (Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, Alicia Keys), Ben Burgess (Morgan Wallen, Tyler Rich, Dierks Bentley, Diplo) and Michael Tyler (Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Blake Shelton). Notably, Hemby helped pen “I’ll Never Love Again,” sung by Lada Gaga in the smash hit movie A Star Is Born, and Burgess co-wrote three songs on Wallen’s 2021 album Dangerous: The Double Album (Big Loud/Mercury/Republic Records) – which has notched historical chart status as Billboard’s longest running Top 10 album in history for a solo artist (with 123 total weeks spent in the Top 10, eclipsing Adele’s 21 and Bruce Springsteen’s Born In The USA). Burgess also co-wrote the No. 1 and 7x Platinum hit single “Whiskey Glasses” for Wallen. 
 
McAnally, SMACKSongs, SMACKBlue and SMACK Productions were represented in the sale by Jason Turner, Sarah Smith, Dustin Kovacic and Matthew Jafari of Keller Turner Andrews & Ghanem, PLLC.
 
About Outlander: 
Outlander Capital is a Dallas-based company focusing on Rights Management including music and patent royalty streams and Intellectual Property Development, as well as leading brands and properties to innovate using blockchain technology. Outlander Capital is led by Les Ware and Mike McKool. Les is also co-founder and chairman of Marconi, a multi-platform patent management firm that manages the licensing of tens of thousands of patents globally for dozens of Fortune 500 companies and other major IP holders around the world. Mike is also founder of McKool Smith Law Firm and earned a reputation as one of the country’s most prominent trial lawyers and IP litigators, and has vast experience representing musicians, composers and producers throughout his career.
 
About CTM:
CTM is one of the strongest independent entertainment firms of the world, with its headquarters in The Netherlands and foreign offices in Los Angeles, London, Miami and Brussels. CTM’s activities are leading in music publishing, representing world famous writers and catalogs. Next to that, CTM is active as a record label and management firm for local top artists and actors and is successful as a TV and Film producer. CTM is owned by André de Raaff (former owner and founder of Imagem) and Jitze de Raaff.

CARNATION cast new spell on "Cursed Mortality"

It's been a while since we've heard from CARNATION. The band formed early in 2013 from a shared appreciation for the death metal legends of the '80s and early '90s. Now, after claiming the crown as death metal's new overlords with their last album, the Belgians are back with a new album that finds them forging into uncharted territory.

"Carnation fans will undoubtedly find what they have come to love and expect on 'Cursed Mortality', says vocalist Simon Duson. "However, they should also expect the unexpected'.       

Today, the band are giving us a first glimpse at all the ways they've evolved over the past three years. The title track off their upcoming album still sounds like death metal. There are plenty of blast beats and the riffs reign down on you like molten rock from a volcano. But while Simon Duson's death growl has only grown more sinister, "Cursed Mortality" is the first Carnation song to feature clean vocals. And at 7:40, it's also one of their longest, a reflection on growing old that's shadowed by gloomy synths, melancholic leads and life-long regrets.

"This song captures the essence of our musical evolution," says Duson. "It's an epic journey that explores a wide range of musical landscapes, all while looking back at life's pivotal moments. Am I happy and satisfied with how I've lived my life? Where did it go wrong or right?"    

See for yourself by watching the video, which unfolds like an episode of Black Mirror. 

Carnation are drawing back the curtain on their second decade, which will officially begin when 'Cursed Mortality' is released November 3, 2023 on Season of Mist. 
  
The album can be pre-saved HERE. Pre-sale will start later this summer. 

The surreal cover art for "Cursed Mortality" was created by the late, great Mariusz Lewandowski, whose dark and surreal vision perfectly captures the feel of this album.

Line-up:

Simon Duson:             Vocals
Jonathan Verstrepen:  Lead Guitar
Bert Vervoort:             Rhythm Guitar
Yarne Heylen:             Bass Guitar
Vincent Verstrepen:     Drums

Recording studio: Project Zero Studio

Producer / Mixing engineer: Yarne Heylen

Mastering studio and engineer: Joel Wanasek

Links:
https://www.carnationband.com/         
https://www.facebook.com/CarnationBE/          
https://www.instagram.com/carnationbandofficial/
https://www.youtube.com/c/CarnationOfficialBE
https://open.spotify.com/artist/7s6SmrbyQvp26jN5EbnU9u

Pre-save (single): https://orcd.co/cursedmortality
Pre-save (album): https://orcd.co/cursedmortalitypresave

Available Formats:
CD digipak
Digital
12” vinyl in various colors
Merchandise

Grove Street Announce Debut Album "The Path To Righteousness" + Share Video For Title Track — WA

Southampton hardcore/thrash quintet GROVE STREET have announced the release of their debut album, The Path to Righteousness, on September 29 through UNFD, with the release of the album's title track.

Watch the video below. Pre-order the album here.

"The Path to Righteousness represents and explores escapism and the importance of having outlets or vices to help forget about the struggles of life, and the paradoxical irony of how escaping every day life improves every day life," says guitarist Sandy.

Drummer Josh adds, "The track itself came together pretty organically in the practice room. I remember listening to Suicidal Tendencies and Power Trip at the time and wanted to capture a hybrid of groove and fast thrashy vibes. We wanted the last section to build and then finish strong and heavy. The repetitive vocal hook was added last minute in the studio, but it fast became my favourite part!"

Looking ahead to the album itself, Sandy shares, "We've worked on this record for a long time; it was a labor of love, from its inception to the DIY approach we took with the recording and mixing. This being our debut full length, we knew we wanted to level up on every front, which led us to be meticulous with every detail on every part of every song. We couldn't justify rushing it for the sake of feeding the machine. We’re extremely proud of it. Every track taps into a different part of what Grove Street is."

GROVE STREET IS:
Sully — Vocals
Sandy — Guitar
Andy Harper — Guitar
Joe Paine — Bass
Josh Williams — Drums

14th Annual 'Darius & Friends' Event Raises $560K for St. Jude, Brings All-Time Total to Over $3.6 Million

Sold-Out Ryman Auditorium Audience and Golf Tournament Participants
Combine to Raise Record-Setting $560,000 in 2023

Surprise Lineup Featured HARDY, Jake Owen, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Vince Gill

Fifteen years after first visiting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® where he was immediately inspired to pledge his support, three-time GRAMMY Award winner Darius Rucker continues to give back, surpassing the $3.6 million mark in his fundraising efforts with this year’s 14th annual “Darius and Friends” benefit concert on Monday night, June 5, which was paired with a corresponding golf tournament and silent auction on Tuesday, June 6. This year’s event alone raised an all-time high of $560,000 for the cause.
 
“We started this to be the first thing at CMA Fest and you guys have now made it a tradition,” Rucker shared with fans at the sold-out Ryman Auditorium as he opened the night that indeed has come to serve as an unofficial kickoff to CMA Fest as fans descend on Music City each summer. “Thank y’all for coming out. Thank you for supporting St. Jude.”
 
Now, more than a decade later, the annual event is renowned for its surprise lineup of stars and this year was no different. Sold out well in advance despite the famous friends not being revealed until they took the stage, the event praised by the Tennessean for “showcase[ing] generations of country stardom” featured more than 30 hit songs and beloved covers by Rucker, whom American Songwriter celebrated as “an engaging performer and affable host throughout the evening,”alongside his surprise guests HARDY, Jake Owen, Jelly Roll, Megan Moroney and Vince Gill.
 
After a live auction and donation round which added thousands to the fundraising tally, Rucker kicked off the main event with a trio of hits – with his Double Platinum-certified No. 1 “Alright,” top ten hit “Radio” and “Southern State of Mind” – before introducing the first friend of the evening as ACM Award-winner Jake Owen took the stage to perform a feel-good collection of songs including his Platinum-certified “Down to the Honkytonk” and “Barefoot Blue Jean Night” plus a timeless cover of Hank Williams Jr.’s classic “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound.”
 
“I’m really grateful for my friend Darius. He’s a great dude and what he’s done for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is a big, big thing and that’s something that’s really near and dear to our hearts as country artists,” shared Owen during his set. “It’s ingrained in artists like myself throughout the years to use our platforms and Darius has done an incredible job with that. I’m super happy to be here.”
 
Rucker then returned to the stage, thrilling the crowd with his Platinum-certified breakout country hit “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” chart-topping “For The First Time” and brand-new single “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” before introducing rising star Megan Moroney, who performed a trio of songs off her recently-released debut album, Lucky: “I’m Not Pretty,” “Girl in the Mirror” and current top five hit “Tennessee Orange.”  
 
“In Georgia, they call it a sin,” she sang of wearing Tennessee Volunteers orange, with famous Gamecock fan Rucker responding cheekily on social media that evening, “it’s a sin in South Carolina, too!”
 
The evening’s host continued the show with his Platinum-certified hits “It Won’t Be Like This For Long” and “This” before inviting 22-time GRAMMY Award winner Vince Gill to the stage. Performing solo with only an acoustic guitar, Gill’s showstopping set included “Whenever You Come Around,” “When I Call Your Name” and “Go Rest High on That Mountain,” written for his late brother.
 
“I’ll play a church song here at the Mother Church,” he shared of the poignant song to close his set.
 
Rucker then returned to the stage, with his feel-good recent No. 1 hit “Beers and Sunshine” and 2017 chart-topper “If I Told You” before thrilling fans with his Hootie & the Blowfish favorite “Hold My Hand,” bringing the full house to their feet for a singalong of the classic – which wouldn’t be the last of the night as beloved ballad “Let Her Cry” also made a set list appearance. 
 
Still clad in his jersey from the Folds of Honor celebrity softball tournament earlier in the evening, Jelly Roll took the stage next for two songs off his brand-new album, Whitsitt Chapel, released less than a week ago. From his first No. 1 at country radio, “Son of a Sinner,” to current top 15 single “Need a Favor,” Jelly Roll’s fourth appearance on the Ryman stage in less than a week highlighted the earnest truth-telling that has made him beloved to so many fans.
 
“I only talk to God when I need a favor,” Rucker sang as he returned to the stage following the performance. “What a great line!”
 
Rucker kept the Hootie & the Blowfish nostalgia coming through his next trio of songs as he performed “Only Wanna Be With You” as well as his solo hits “Homegrown Honey” and “Comeback Song” before introducing the final surprise guest of the evening, HARDY, who highlighted both his songwriting prowess with “A Rock” and his rowdy showmanship with “Unapologetically Country as Hell.”
 
Closing out the memorable evening, the night’s host returned to the stage one final time for rousing covers of Amy Winehouse’s “Valerie,” Garth Brooks’ “Friends in Low Places,” Blackstreet’s “No Diggity” and Prince’s “Purple Rain,” as well as his own “Hands On Me” and, according to tradition, a sold-out Ryman singalong for “Wagon Wheel,” the feel-good energy throughout the auditorium symbolic of the night as a whole.
 
This year’s milestone fundraising event adds yet another successful page to the decade-plus history of “Darius & Friends.” Prior guests have included Lauren Alaina, Jason Aldean, Brooks & Dunn, Brothers Osborne, Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Luke Combs, Sheryl Crow, Charles Kelley of Lady A, Ashley McBryde, A.J. McLean of the Backstreet Boys, Brad Paisley, Kenny Rogers and Tommy Thayer of KISS, among many others.
 
The annual fundraising event, made possible with support from generous sponsors CDW, AMD, Amazon Web Services, IBM, Arrow Electronics, and Hendrix Enterprises, helps ensure families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food – so they can focus on helping their child live.
 
For more information, visit www.DariusRucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker. Fans can also continue to donate to St. Jude in honor of “Darius and Friends” HERE and photos from the event are available HERE.
 
Full 14th Annual “Darius & Friends” Set List:
Darius Rucker: “Alright,” “Radio,” “Southern State of Mind”
Jake Owen: “Down to the Honkytonk,” “Barefoot Blue Jean Night,” “Whiskey Bent and Hell Bound”
Darius Rucker: “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It,” “For The First Time,” “Fires Don’t Start Themselves”
Megan Moroney: “I’m Not Pretty,” “Tennessee Orange,” “Girl in the Mirror”
Darius Rucker: “It Won’t Be Like This For Long,” “This”
Vince Gill: “Whenever You Come Around,” “When I Call Your Name,” “Go Rest High on That Mountain”
Darius Rucker: “Beers and Sunshine,” “If I Told You,” “Hold My Hand,” “Let Her Cry”
Jelly Roll: “Son of a Sinner,” “Need a Favor”
Darius Rucker: “Homegrown Honey,” “Only Wanna Be With You,” “Comeback Song”
HARDY: “A Rock,” “Unapologetically Country as Hell”
Encore – Darius Rucker: “Valerie,” “Hands On Me,” “Friends in Low Places,” “No Diggity,” “Wagon Wheel,” “Purple Rain”
 
About Darius Rucker
Rucker first achieved multi-Platinum status in the music industry as lead singer and rhythm guitarist of the GRAMMY Award-winning band Hootie & the Blowfish, who have sold more than 25 million albums worldwide including their Double Diamond-certified (21x Platinum) debut Cracked Rear View, which remains among the top 10 best-selling studio albums of all time. Since releasing his first Country album in 2008, Rucker has earned a whole new legion of fans with four No. 1 albums on the Billboard Country chart, including RIAA Platinum-certified Learn to Live and True Believers,plus 10 No. 1 singles at Country radio and 11 Gold, Platinum or multi-Platinum certified hits. Rucker was inducted as a Grand Ole Opry member in 2012 and in 2014 he won his third career GRAMMY Award for Best Solo Country Performance with his Diamond-certified (11x Platinum) version of  “Wagon Wheel,” one of the top five best-selling Country songs of all time. He co-hosted the 54th annual CMA Awards in 2020 and topped the charts at Country radio once again with “Beers And Sunshine” in 2021. His new single, “Fires Don’t Start Themselves” is available everywhere now as Rucker puts the finishing touches on his forthcoming album, Carolyn’s Boy, and Rucker is set to preview the new music this summer on his Starting Fires Tour.
 
As a lifelong philanthropist, Rucker co-chaired the capital campaign that generated $150 million to help build the new MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children's Hospital in his hometown of Charleston, S.C. and has raised over $3 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital through his annual Darius & Friends benefit concert and golf tournament. In addition, Rucker has advocated for over 200 charitable causes supporting public education and junior golf programs in South Carolina through the Hootie & the Blowfish Foundation and serves as a National Chair for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville, Tenn. Rucker is also an avid sports fan, with his NFL x Darius Rucker Collection by Fanatics apparel line available at NFLshop.com, and he is part of the Music City Baseball investment group working to bring an MLB team to Tennessee in addition to serving as a partner at the MGC Sports & Entertainment agency.  
 For more information, visit www.dariusrucker.com and follow on social media @DariusRucker.

UK electronic producer RODNEY CROMWELL present collaborative single 'Memory Box (Solemn Arcade Revision)'

"A magical-realist synthpop collage" ~ Bandcamp Daily

"Rodney Cromwell is one of the world’s leading lights of retro-future synthpop" ~ The Spill Magazine

"Motorik mechanisation within a hypnotic electronic backdrop...Glorious" ~ Electricity Club.co.uk

"Delicious Melodies that are both simple and direct" ~ HI-FI World

"Buoyant" 4/5 ~ Shindig! Magazine

"Glorious pure synthpop... one of the most innovative, enjoyable electronic acts around" ~ XS Noise


Modern London synthpop icon Rodney Cromwell (a.k.a. Adam Cresswell of 90s indie folk band Saloon and 2000s electronic duo Arthur & Martha) and Solemn Arcade have teamed up to present ‘Memory Box’ Solemn Arcade Revision.

This is the debut release by Solemn Arcade, the musical guise of graphic designer and Happy Robots associate MJ Langthorne. Hauntology, post-rock and electronica collide in a mesmerizing reimagining of the title track from Rodney Cromwell's 'Memory Box' album.

'Memory Box' delves into the complexities of perception and the unreliability of our memories. How can we trust anything in a world where truth and honesty hold such little value? This hauntingly psychedelic song draws inspiration not only from the lucid dreamlike qualities of Marcel Proust’s writing and Enid Blyton's 'Faraway Tree' stories, but also from sonic pioneers like Broadcast, Movietone and Silver Apples.

Solemn Arcade embarks on a complete deconstruction of the original version of 'Memory Box', presenting a recontextualized version that strips away the vocals and immerses the song within a lo-fi, discordant sonic landscape. The listener is enveloped in a tapestry of atmospheric textures and electronic tones, as haunting synthesizers intertwine with reverberating guitars and feedback, creating an otherworldly soundscape that shimmers and evolves with each play.

This single follows Rodney Cromwell's recently-released 'The Winter Palace Remixes' EP, also released via London label Happy Robots Records.

'Memory Box - Solemn Arcade Revision' https://open.spotify.com/track/0mA4oz4uGcDDrswc86RDFX

Since debuting with the 'Age of Anxiety' album, Cromwell has been featured in NME, Electronic Sound, Huffington Post, Paste, Shindig!, Louder Than War, The Big Takeover, Magic RPM, Post-Punk.com and Bandcamp Daily. National radio play includes BBC 6 Music in the UK, RTE in Ireland, airplay in Tokyo, and RNE3 in Spain, for whom he also recorded a live session.

Rodney Cromwell live is a joyful mixed-media extravaganza, incorporating analogue synths, video visuals and live instrumentation, interjected by Rodney’s 'offbeat wit'' (NME). He has shared the stage with icons such as A Flock of Seagulls, Damo Suzuki, Pram, Death & Vanilla, Rowetta, M!R!M and Steve Davis. In 2022, he recorded a live session for Electronic Sound and supported Blancmange on a number of dates, further cementing his reputation as one of the most exciting live acts on the electronic music scene.

As of June 7, 'Memory Box - Solemn Arcade Revision' is available everywhere, including Spotify, Apple Music and Bandcamp. This month also brings Cromwell's debut UK headline tour, accompanied by NYC's Roman Angelos in support of his newly-released 'Supermarkets, Underwater' album with Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Spoon, Superchunk, The Mountain Goats). Get tickets at www.happyrobots.co.uk/tickets

Keep up with Rodney Cromwell
Website | Bandcamp | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Soundcloud | YouTube | Spotify | Apple Music | Amazing Radio | Press contact

Keep up with Happy Robots Records
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Electro Pop Artist, Producer and Engineer, MaeThePirate Gets Personal on New Album, Xenon

Los Angeles-based electro pop artist, MaeThePirate, has released her new album, Xenon, today. The album is an amalgamation of diverse moods surrounding Mae’s personal experiences. The long-awaited set of songs ties together the many mental journeys Mae went through not

only within a romantic relationship but within herself. Her music delves into the topics of mental illness and social media, and she aims to create a community where people feel comfortable discussing these issues. Her dance-pop sound incorporates her beloved cello in every song, and her uplifting lyrics transform negative aspects of life into positives. Mae's ultimate goal is to build a community where her music serves as a safe haven for those seeking solace and escape.

Focus track “High,” was written by Mae the first weekend in her brand new apartment after she finally set up her music equipment, thinking that everything would be painful but she really was able to exhale for the first time in months, knowing no ones going to come barging through the door angry. MaeThePirate states, “Right after I left my boyfriend, and I left a terrible abusive situation, I wrote this song when I realized that a lot, if not the majority of this pain, was caused by someone else, and now I’m actually free.” Mae recalls that the Lofi sound on this track was influenced by the new room she was in; she had never mixed in that room, and she had never sung in that room. She elaborates, “My roommate was next door so I didn’t really want him to hear me yelling these lyrics, the shyness of being free but also the light energy of the cello and airy sounds have the energy of someone who is a little shy in her excitement, because truly, I was. I thought he was my everything and that we were meant for each other. And now, after escaping, I’m feeling so high.”

Focus track “High,” was written by Mae the first weekend in her brand new apartment after she finally set up her music equipment, thinking that everything would be painful but she really was able to exhale for the first time in months, knowing no ones going to come barging through the door angry. MaeThePirate states, “Right after I left my boyfriend, and I left a terrible abusive situation, I wrote this song when I realized that a lot, if not the majority of this pain, was caused by someone else, and now I’m actually free.” Mae recalls that the Lofi sound on this track was influenced by the new room she was in; she had never mixed in that room, and she had never sung in that room. She elaborates, “My roommate was next door so I didn’t really want him to hear me yelling these lyrics, the shyness of being free but also the light energy of the cello and airy sounds have the energy of someone who is a little shy in her excitement, because truly, I was. I thought he was my everything and that we were meant for each other. And now, after escaping, I’m feeling so high.”

Meet MaeThePirate - a seasoned musician and audio engineer with an impressive background in music production and live performance. Mae's journey as a musician began at the tender age of 10 when she started tinkering with her sister's piano. After studying Electronic Production and Design at Berklee College of Music, Mae honed her craft by performing with her band at various venues before moving to Los Angeles to work in the film industry. As an experienced recordist and engineer, Mae has worked on numerous shows, including The L Word, Black Mirror, Ozark, and Sex Life. MaeThePirate's unique stage name was inspired by her love for video games and her desire to embrace her heritage. Her last name distantly translates to Viking or Pirate, which is why she continues to use this name to this day. Her musical talents extend beyond composing and playing instruments - Mae is also proficient in audio programming and C# programming, skills she has leveraged to create her own music remixing programs and light displays for her live shows. Mae takes her synesthesia and chromesthesia, meaning she sees colors when hearing music, and uses it to her advantage. “I like to create visuals with the synesthesia in mind, and it has influenced my lighting as well. My music is unique because of my lyrics, my cello, and my synesthesia, and it has evolved over time. I used COVID lockdown to focus on my songwriting, which I used to get over an abusive relationship I was in at the time. If it helped me in those moments, I hope someday it can help other people get out of their bad moments.”

https://open.spotify.com/track/0HasYPf5IBOyhH8toKsD1i?si=a378fedef80c4514&nd=1

Lions At The Gate Announce Debut Album 'The Excuses We Cannot Make' Out On August 25 + Release New Music Video "Drain"

It's a great day to be a Lions At The Gate fan! The Los Angeles-based hard-rock quintet has today announced their debut album 'The Excuses We Cannot Make', set for release on Friday, August 25, and was produced and mixed by Kile Odell (Nita Strauss, Fozzy, Motionless In White). In celebration of the news, the band has released a new music video for their track "Drain" off the forthcoming full-length (directed by Vicente Cordero/Industrialism Films (Black Veil Brides, Cradle of Filth). When asked about the themes of this album as well as the subsequent writing and recording process, vocalist Cristian Machado shared:

"The topics on this record were deeply personal to me and spoke a lot about the personal struggle that I was going through at the time with the separation from my [now previous] band, a divorce, a custody dispute, and being slandered publicly with lies, but overall wanting a message of persistence and forgiveness... The instrumental [of the album] was already great. We tracked 1 to 2 songs a day, and [never once did I think] to go back to re-record anything. Everyone in the band has a chance to express themselves creatively, writing individually, but then we all come together to record the album as a unit. In this kind of environment, everyone in the band gets some solitary creativity and then has a chance to speak their mind about all the ideas occurring throughout the entire recording process."

Speaking about the inspiration behind "Drain", Machado commented:

"'Drain' is a song about regret and time. There was a time in my life when I wished I could turn back the clock and take all the lessons I’ve learned with me. Many times I wondered if I’d made the right decisions in my own life. Years ago, I lost a family member whom I loved dearly with all my heart. We held her until the very last breath that she took. That was such a life-changing experience, it truly made me see things a lot differently. Sadly, so many years I wasted leading up to that moment, thinking that time would never run out. The regret I felt was so intense, it opened my eyes wider than ever before and led my heart to change. I carry the memory daily, still. Thank God I am now, finally, realizing that perhaps I am not defined by the mistakes I’ve made, I am defined by the lessons I’ve learned in-house. I can apply them to my life now. In the end, it was worth it all."

Pre-order packages are also available including options such as a limited number of vinyl and CDs, as well as shirts and hoodies that can be purchased at the link here. Pre-save 'The Excuses We Cannot Make' here, watch the music video for "Drain" below and stream the track here.

The band will also be on the road starting next week in support of Nita Strauss on the Summer Storm North American Tour 2023. For ticket information please click here, and be sure to stay tuned for more Lions At The Gate news coming soon.

Summer Storm North American Tour 2023 Dates

Jun 13 - Nashville, TN @ Exit / In

Jun 14 - Atlanta, GA @ The Loft

Jun 15 - Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819

Jun 17 - New York, NY @ Meadows

Jun 18 - Toronto, ON @ Horseshoe Tavern

Jun 19 - Mechanicsburg, PA @ Lovedrafts

Jun 21 - Harrison, PA @ The Blue Note

Jun 22 - Flint, MI @ Machine Shop

Jun 23 - Angola, IN @ The Eclectic Room

Jun 24 - Bloomington, IN @ The Castle Theatre

Jun 25 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre

Jun 26 - Omaha, NE @ Waiting Room

Jun 28 - Denver, CO @ Blue Bird

Jun 29 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Metro

Jun 30 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux

Jul 1 - Portland, OR @ Hawthrone Theatre

Jul 2 - Vancouver, WA @ Rickshaw

Jul 3 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon

Jul 5 - Sacramento, CA @ Harlow's

Jul 6 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Whisky

Jul 8 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Space

Jul 9 - Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom

Jul 11 - Dallas, TX @ Trees

Jul 12 - Houston, TX @ Scout Bar