CWG Magazine » Artist To Watch

Miggs – Girls And Boys

cwgmagazine — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 07:44:54 +0000

Download “Girls And Boys” by Miggs

Miggs isn’t the new kid on the block. They’ve been “one of the best bands you’ve never heard of” (music-reviewer.com) for a while now, with more almost-famous stories than thought possible and they’re not showing any signs of letting go or letting up in 2010.

For Don Miggs, after four albums and a revolving door for musicians, it was time to take stock; “We released ‘Unraveled’ (2008, Rock Ridge Music), the drummer left, and Michael (Lombardo, bass guitar) and I went on the road trying to find our identity. It got tiring constantly introducing new members to each other and I’m sure our fans started to lose interest in a group that wasn’t even able to stay a group.”

Calling on Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty) to play matchmaker, the guys were introduced to drumming sensation Ryan Scarbrough. Fed up with the Nashville “gun for hire” scene and wanting to be part of something more permanent, Ryan jumped right in. Musically aligned, the band toured relentlessly through 2008-2009, finding an undeniable groove with each other and the new material. Audiences and critics agreed. They couldn’t wait to see how this group would sound in the studio.
In December 2009, they found out when multi-platinum producer/engineer Ken Lewis (Fall Out Boy, Kanye West) signed on to translate this on-stage chemistry into a gripping studio album. The result is the upcoming “Wide Awake” (Rock Ridge, Spring 2010), easily Miggs’ most accomplished, fresh-sounding and accessible collection of songs to date.

“I wanted to make an album that felt both immediate and nostalgic. Worn in and new at the same time.” Continuing, “This is the first time I ever recorded an album with same guys I’d been playing with for the last two years and it shows. We didn’t have to try to make it all fit. It just did.”

At its core, “Wide Awake” is about clarity, focus; seeing things the way they are – not as we want them to be – and accepting, even embracing that state. It’s a good thing even when it’s a bad thing sometimes.

“Each song on ‘Wide Awake’ has a counterpart, an accomplice – another track that connects with it emotionally, echoes it lyrically or recalls it musically,” says Don. “There is a cohesiveness to the songs, and I want you to feel like you’ve been on a journey when track 12 finishes. This collection says more in 45 minutes than anything I’ve done previously.”

Key tunes include the title track, “Wide Awake” and “Crawl Inside,” which are about his wife Lisa. “‘Wide Awake’ is about being fed up with sleepwalking through your life. Finding that person who makes you feel like one second wasted is too much and ‘Crawl Inside’ is a simple love letter.”

Miggs saw its fair share of the spotlight over the course of the years with the singles “Perfect” and “I Believe” reaching No. 66 and No. 82, respectively, on Billboard’s Hot AC chart and “I Believe” even pushing No. 7 on the Hot AC Media Base chart. In 2009, the band landed a performance on “Good Morning America,” media accolades came their way and opening slots for everyone, including Duran Duran to Maroon 5, Train, Matt Nathanson, and Sister Hazel seasoned their stage show. Music supervisors have included Miggs’ unique brand of pop-rock in television, games and movies like Fox’s “The O.C.,” Buena Vista video game “Spectrobes,” MTV’s “Bromance with Brody Jenner,” A&E’s “Gene Simmons Family Jewels,” Disney’s “Fallen,” and Don even wrote the song for the Florida tourism campaign, “Share A Little Sunshine.”

“Growing our audience organically has always been the goal,” says Don. “If too many people jump on at once, the boat will sink. Remaining afloat was always key.” “Wide Awake” shows not only how far they’ve come, but also promises to keep the band sailing smoothly into the future.

More Miggs – Website

MP3 Courtesy of Rock Ridge Music

Danielle Bisutti

Victoria Hill (Urban/Pop Editor) — Tue, 18 May 2010 13:15:10 +0000

Actress and singer/songwriter Danielle Bisutti announced today the recording and release of her upcoming, four track EP entitled “I Will Cover You.” Produced by multi-platinum producer and engineer Chris Rosa (Alisan Porter, Tantric, Jamie Foxx, Princess Diaries) and sound engineered by Bob Horn (Usher, Macy Gray, Michael Jackson, Timbaland) the EP will include piano and vocal covers of “Make You Feel My Love” by Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen’s “I’m On Fire,” Patti Griffin’s “Let Him Fly” and The Rescue’s “Take My Heart With You.”

Of the EP, Bisutti shares, “I’m very excited to share my very first cover song project with my fans and the music community. The concept of doing a stripped down, live piano and vocal recording has been percolating inside of me since last summer, and finally giving it a voice through this creative expression has been a fulfilling experience. Each of these songs guided me through a radical initiation in my relationship with self-love and the concept of falling in love. The piece as a whole simply asks the questions – who is holding your heart and how is it being taken care of?”

An accomplished singer/songwriter, Bisutti has become known in the music world for her signature bluesy, haunting vocals and intimate, sultry, yet powerful voice. Several of her original songs have been licensed in the past to television and film, including feature film placements in VENICE UNDERGROUND, APRIL MOON, IN THE PRESENCE OF, and SHADOW HEART. Among her many accolades, Bisutti has received a 2003 Los Angeles Music Award for “Best Singer Songwriter,” her album “Glimmer” was nominated for “AAA Album of the Year” and her song “In Passing” received Unanimous Choice Recipient Award for “Independent AC Single of the Year.”

In addition to music, Bisutti has made a name for herself in the entertainment business with her charm, free spirit, determination, raw talent, and her passion for multiple crafts. Best known for her wide range of television and film roles, Bisutti has been seen on top series such as TNT’s “Raising the Bar,” Disney’s “Wizards of Waverly Place,” CBS’s “Without A Trace,” “Cold Case,” “Two and a Half Men,” and more. Her current role as “Amanda Cantwell” on the award-winning #1 Nickelodeon series “True Jackson VP” has made her one of the top actresses to watch on television.

“I Will Cover You” will be available on iTunes, Amazon, and wherever digital downloads are sold this summer. The album is dedicated to her mother Diana Magaldi who is a recent Uterine Cancer survivor, and partial proceeds of sales from the album will go towards the research and awareness of Uterine / Endometrial Cancer. In addition to EP, the cover art on the album will feature an original painting by Bisutti, entitled “The Four Corners Of My Heart.” The artwork will be available for purchase on her website.

The Will

cwgmagazine — Mon, 17 May 2010 23:57:01 +0000

The Will is a Southern California rock band with high energy. Deep rooted in
traditional rock with influences from grunge to folk, their raw rock approach
delivers a good time with a shot of Whiskey!
With apparent influences of bands like the Foo Fighters, Hot Water Music,
Nirvana, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, their music is a culmination of rock from all
generations.

Formed in 2008 by singer/guitarist Lucas Fackler with guitarist Zac McDiarmid
and drummer Abe Gearig, The trios history spans nearly a decade performing
together in numerous bands of varying genres from Punk to Metal after finally
settling in to what truly comes natural, Rock.
The band takes a raw approach to music fueled by high energy and emotion.
Their debut self-titled EP is a prime example of this, often described as energy
rock.

The band shows a dynamic with songs like “A Million Times” that takes you from
a driving guitar riff, through laid back verses into energetic choruses, with a
bridge composition that displays the bands maturity in songwriting. The opening
track “The Lottery” prepares you for the energy and performance you’ll identify in
every track. While songs like “Whiskey” and “Keep Your Distance” bring you fullcircle
citing the band’s 70′s Rock influences. Rounding out the record with “Time
Alone” and “Broken Dreams” showcasing driving bass, an “epic” chorus with
layered backing vocals and raw, emotion-driven vocals.

Check them out here.

Introducing Natalia Kills

cwgmagazine — Tue, 04 May 2010 06:31:33 +0000

Natalia Kills told of her “Love, Kills xx” film series, “I made it for my fans so they could get to know me better. It’s a collection of three-minute episodes of artistic visuals—me being myself but in unusual situations.” New episodes are unveiled Mondays at 5pm PST on http://www.nataliakills.com.

The short film is a companion visual piece to Natalia’s debut album Perfectionist, a sonic journey into her signature world of dark pop, due out later this year on will.i.am/Cherrytree/Kon Live/Interscope Records. Written by Natalia and influenced by the likes of Depeche Mode, Kate Bush and Prince, Perfectionist was helmed by star producers including Jeff Bhasker (Kanye West, Alicia Keys), Akon (Gwen Stefani, Nelly), Martin “Cherry Cherry Boom Boom” Kierszenbaum (Lady Gaga, t.A.T.u.), Fernando Garibay (Britney Spears, Lady Gaga) & Neff-U (Keyshia Cole, Ashanti).

Natalia Kills writes. She writes songs, poems, scripts, screenplays, lists, instructions and personal notes addressed to “Sweetheart.” British by birth, Jamaican and South American by descent and citizen of the world by fearless exploration and sheer determination, Natalia is a new-millennium renaissance woman. Having written her entire debut album as well as written and produced her debut video clip, “Zombie,” Natalia conjures and composes her own reality.

She’s as likely to reference MacBeth as she is The Shining in a libretto or a tweet. She strives for “Perfection” – an ideal to which she says all humans are genetically programmed to aspire – and the basis of her debut album title Perfectionist (out in 2010 on Will I Am/Cherrytree/Kon Live/Interscope/Bozadya/Dandyville Records). This thread is across all of her aesthetic output including her music, performance, clothes, web series and film. The latter is a companion visual piece to her album, weaving motifs from her lyric and songs throughout. It’s all one thought for Natalia: one thread imagined and written simultaneously across canvas, video, film and paper …and all signed “Love, Kills.”

See how it ends @ nataliakills.com

OTiS

cwgmagazine — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 07:25:36 +0000

Read our review of OTiS’ self-titled album.

Take one part rock, one part soul, and one part groove and you’ve got the Brooklyn based band OTiS. The brainchild of singer, guitarist, and songwriter Craig Schoenbaum has been a project in the making as far back as 2000, but the line up you see before you wasn’t solidified until the summer of 2009. The band’s influences range from legends such as Ray Charles, Otis Redding and The Meters, to The Police, The Black Crowes and Sublime. Hip Hop has even played a role in shaping OTiS’ sound in groups like A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde. This diverse makeup is obvious the second you try to pin down their sound to tell a friend.

Originally backed by a rotating cast of paid mercenaries, OTiS is now composed of a rhythm machine made up of musicians from NYC’s music scene. In 2007, Theo Moore of funk band Urban Sun approached Craig about joining him, marking the first step to creating a band of committed passionate musicians. Soon to follow was precision drummer Dominick Magnotta from the same circle of musicians and versatile keyboardist Justin Etheredge who also came highly recommended by a friend. Top it off with funk-minded bassist Dave Lowenthal courtesy of Craig’s List and you’ve got something unique, but familiar.

In a short year, the current OTiS has become a staple of New York’s music scene, frequenting such venues as The Mercury Lounge and Sullivan Hall, as well as performing at showcases for Universal Motown Records at Fontana’s. You may have been lucky enough to catch one of their extended, late night sets at The Sidewalk Café in the Lower East Side. Bloggers will tell you that OTiS gets, “Every single audience member up off their feet, moving and grooving,” (Melissa Lynn- BeImaged.com) and might just be “The next ‘big thing’” (Rock NYC).

Recording their self-titled debut album over the course of 2009, OTiS finally had the right musicians at the right time. This diverse album touches on bluesy rock in “All Over Again” and “American Dream,” but also delivers rhythm driven reggae in “Trying to Believe,” “Tin Can” and “Reconstruction.” Funk and Jam fans will immediately fall into“Andelusia,” “Situation Song” and “The Way It Goes.” The band breaks out of boxes even more on the Americana tinged “Die Easy” featuring Joe Trombino, singer of Urban Sun. As their live performance is never complete without their signature jam “Under The Gun,” the album finishes with a live version, giving fans the full experience. The Round Table Online says “It’s a rarity for energy of a band to translate so strongly on a recording, yet OTiS manages to pull it off with ease.”

Satisfying everyone from hipster to hippie, OTiS is Rock.Soul.Groove- and everything in between.

The Dirty Heads

cwgmagazine — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 06:32:03 +0000

Rooted in the Orange County community of Huntington Beach, the Dirty Heads emerged onto the Southern California music scene with their unique signature blend of acoustic infused hip-hop and classic reggae, creating the perfect soundtrack to an upbeat, sun-soaked California.

Founding band members Jared Watson and guitarist/vocalist Dustin Bushnell met in 1996 while in high school, embarking on a friendship based on music, as well as their shared passion for surfing, skating and the endless party of the laid-back SoCal lifestyle.

Early on, they spent many late nights jamming in Bushnell’s soundproof garage with a four-track recorder, writing unique acoustic hip-hop songs that featured reggae inflections. Inspired by the rock and reggae sounds of Bob Marley, Sublime, 311 and The Beastie Boys, the band’s music evolved into their distinct Dirty Heads style.

To complete the Dirty Heads’ sound, the duo added percussionist Jon Olazabal, drummer Matt Ochoa and David Foral on bass. With a set of solid material, the Dirty Heads were further motivated to take their craft to the next level, and they began building a loyal fan base throughout the west coast, while performing acoustically at local bars and small music venues.

Executive produced by the Grammy Award-winning Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Kid Rock, Paramore), the band connected with sought-after producers Steve Fox and Stan Frazier (Sugar Ray) working long hours to polish their material and further develop their style. The Dirty Heads also recruited mixing engineer Mario Caldato Jr., best known for his work with the Beastie Boys, to add the finishing touches and create just the right blend.

The band’s highly-anticipated expanded album titled, Any Port in a Storm – Special Edition (Executive Music Group (EMG)/Fontana, a division of Universal Music Group Distribution) features 22 tracks and a bonus video that are reminiscent of the upbeat, sun-soaked Southern California party energy. The first smash hit single is “Lay Me Down” featuring Rome, of Sublime with Rome.

Any Port in a Storm also features one of the final recordings of the late music industry icon Billy Preston. Frequently referred to as “The Fifth Beatle,” Preston played on three tracks, including “Stand Tall,” “Chelsea,” and “Driftin.’ ” Additional special guests on the album are drummer Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Sting, The Vandals), and veteran session percussionist Alex Acuna, whose A-list musician resume includes Peter Gabriel, Johnny Clegg, and Jackson Browne, to name only a few.

Recently, named one of the “Best New Bands of 2010” by Rolling Stone, the Dirty Heads’ music has been attracting attention throughout the world of entertainment. They have been a featured artist on Fuel TV and their songs have been featured in the movie and soundtrack for Surf’s Up (Sony); and the television drama, Shark staring James Woods (CBS). Actor Matthew McConaughey selected the band’s music to be in his film, Surfer Dude. In addition, the Dirty Heads can be heard in Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam video game (Activision), and several other music compilations and surf/skate videos. On the marketing side, the Dirty Heads have also been included in campaigns for Etnies Jeans, Vestal Watches, Hurley, Skullcandy and more.

Dirty Heads vocalist Jared Watson sums up their fun, uncomplicated style, “We want to be positive and entertain,” he says. “We just want to make you feel good.”

Visit the band at: www.dirtyheads.com and www.myspace.com/dirtyheads

Tino Coury

cwgmagazine — Fri, 02 Apr 2010 07:08:57 +0000

Tino Coury is ready to introduce himself to the pop world with the single “Diary.” It’s a canny combination of exhilarating pop, slamming beats and lyrical drama, which is the essence of the 21-year-old singer/songwriter/producer’s craft. The song is impacting Top 40/Rhythmic/Dance radio this month, with a digital release coming in May.

“Diary” was mixed by Grammy winner Manny Marroquin (Usher, Alicia Keys), and Coury also collaborated with producer Alex Cantrall (Fantasia, Dru Hill, JoJo) for his full-length album, due out later this year on indie label Eleventh Records, distributed through Universal’s Fontana.
The Pittsburgh-bred, L.A.-based Coury will be on a radio promo tour for “Diary” from March 22-May 14 and just shot a video for the song with esteemed director Roman White, who has lensed videos for artists including Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber.

“Diary” showcases not only Coury’s urgent vocals and flair for sparkling hooks, but also the multi-instrumentalist’s substantial production chops. “I started with a straight piano line as a loop,” he recalls of the song’s creation. “I had the lyrical concept, and the melody and the words started coming for the hook. I then started building the track adding the drums and synths–I wanted it to have a little bit of a club feel.

“When I write a song, I want a beat you can dance to, a great track–but also a story,” adds Coury. “There has to be a heart to it.”

“I read your diary,” Coury sings over the track’s throbbing groove, “and it said that you weren’t in love with me.” The heartbreak mounts as each page offers a new puzzle piece of his lover’s betrayal.
Coury is about to be a force in pop music just as he was a star athlete in high school. It wasn’t until he suffered a sports injury that he decided to put a hold on finishing college and pursue his true destiny. Since then, he has devoted himself to music with the same fervor, drive and commitment he once did to sports.” Music was always in me,” says Coury. “Even as a little kid, I was listening to the radio, imitating, and making believe I played the guitar and drums.”

Coury is an unabashed fan of Top 40 beats, hooks and sing-along choruses, but his musical tastes, as reflected in his tuneful songs, run broad and deep. “I go across the board,” says Coury. “I love to listen to the radio, but I also keep tabs on the indie world, to kind of get ideas about how to experiment.”

Earlier this week, “Diary,” the debut video by singer/songwriter/producer Tino Coury, premiered on Yahoo Music. Shot in Los Angeles, the video was directed by the esteemed director Roman White, who has created videos for the biggest names in music today such as Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kelly Clarkson and Justin Bieber.

A canny combination of exhilarating pop, slamming beats and lyrical drama that was mixed by Grammy winner Manny Marroquin (Usher, Alicia Keys), “Diary” marks the first release on Eleventh Records. The song, streaming now at www.tinocoury.com, is impacting Top 40/Rhythmic/Dance radio airwaves this month and is set for digital release May 4. The Pittsburgh-bred, L.A.-based Coury is the first artist signed to indie label Eleventh Records–distributed through Universal’s Fontana–and will release his full-length debut album later in the year, for which he has collaborated with producer Alex Cantrall (Fantasia, Dru Hill, JoJo).

Kevin Hammond

cwgmagazine — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 06:59:04 +0000

Most kids grow up amusing themselves with G.I. Joes, Tonka Trucks and Sunday morning cartoons. Kevin Hammond, however, was raised in a household of musical instruments. He taught himself guitar as a child and began to hone his songwriting abilities as a teenager.

Unsatisfied with his life in retail sales, Hammond quit his day job, traded in his car for a van, and became a musical nomad. The committed leap-of-faith was enough to garner the attention of New York’s A&M/Octone Records which has Hammond’s debut album slated for release this fall. The album’s lead single, “Broken Down,” showcases Hammond’s distinctive ability to bounce between feathery falsetto and full-bodied modal register.

The captivating contrast is both addictive and sure to distinguish Hammond from the pack. It is a mixture of unique talent, hard work, and dedication which has poised Hammond to be America’s next breakout singer-songwriter and yet another world-class artist in a string of A&M/Octone successes.

Kevin Hammond – Maybe

Sunny Ali and The Kid

Natalie Hamingson — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 22:12:11 +0000

Country Made for Punks – I’m constantly hearing people say “I like everything, but country,” in response to the question, “what music do you listen to?” I have to respectfully disagree with these people, because I have a lot of country in my music collection. But at the same time, I can understand why the genre’s gotten such a bad reputation among those who pride themselves on their musical favorites. All of my favorite artists in the genre had their careers decades before I was born. The modern music that I have heard labeled as country sounds more like twangy over-produced pop, than one of rock’n’roll’s grandparents. Luckily, I’ve found a band that pays great tribute to country’s origins. I’d like to introduce y’all to Sunny Ali and The Kid.

My discovery of Sunny Ali and The Kid did not come through any country channel, but through the taqwacore network, an eclectic group of the latest and greatest innovations in punk. While their songs may at first only seem punk by association, frontman Hassan Ali Malik’s inspiration for Sunny Ali and The Kid’s country leanings came in total punk fashion.

Malik recently told Tanzila Ahmed, for the the Taqwacore webzine, that he went for the Western approach after getting shocked, and sometimes even angry, reactions when sporting a thrift store purchased cowboy hat around North Philadelphia. Malik, however, warns others from making the same daring outfit choice in that part of town.

“In that part of North Philly, I’m sure if anyone dressed like a cowboy and walked around, they would get the same amount of attention. I wouldn’t suggest doing that, though. You might get mugged. And besides, there’s only room for one… in this town.”

The duo describe themselves as “country/psychedelic/gothic” on their Myspace, even though drummer Abdullah Saeed claimed, “I didn’t know we were a Goth band,” when asked about the seemingly contradictory label. Their actual sound is more of a gloomy echo of Johnny Cash, with toe-tap-worthy rhythms and self-depricating lyrics like “I am no fun, no one, when no one is watching,” on “Fuck Me.”

Malik paired up with Saeed after his original choice decided to relocate to Madrid. Both first ventured into music after taking cues from their drummer older brothers. While Malik was poking holes in his sibling’s, “first ever rice krispies drumset,” Saeed’s brother was getting him into bands like Primus, Faith No More and Alice in Chains.

Saeed describes his early musical home-schooling, “He taught me some basic drum beats and I went from there. Later in life, he also led me to turntablism, record collecting, and beat production. I then started MCing, moving to Philly shortly after, and rapping under the name Blame the Kid.”

Since then, Saeed has been involved in many hip-hop projects. “I was in a band called Cold Hands Collective, a multi-piece hip hop band for which I was one of the frontmen. I recently collaborated with rhyming partner from that group, MC Amagine, on his record. I have been producing sample-based hip-hop and break beat oriented stuff solo for a while. I did a Jimi Hendrix and Wu Tang mashup in 2006 called “Tha Killa Beez Experience” and a Batman album in 2008, among other things.”

Malik’s previous projects also included “rapping” under the name “Hamstar,” and a position behind the kit of distortion-heavy Philly act Po Po. Though Sunny Ali and The Kid is definitely Malik’s focus for now, he’s not ruling out releasing anything under a different name in the future. Considering his attitude toward different instruments, it’s hard to imagine him not experimenting further. Malik says, “I’ll play anything I can get my hands on really. Maybe not in the proper way or whatever, but I’ll play it.”

As far as their first album, Saeed says, “We just got started and we’ve got plenty in the works,” but they’ve already managed to land gigs at Austin’s South By South West Film and Music Festival, and the Cleveland International Film Festival. Saeed is also “remixing some old jams by these Pakistani rock bands from the 60s and 70s in conjunction with a documentary project by Shahjehan [Khan] from The Kominas,” and updating his “Adventures in Pork” blog.

If Sunny Ali and The Kid do make it to your town, don’t expect to always see Malik in the cowboy hat. He explains, “I dont know if I want to get stuck having to dress up every show. Sometimes I might just want to play in my pj’s, you know?”

Paper Tongues

cwgmagazine — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:04:00 +0000

Paper Tongues plays for the people. Fusing massive rock n’ roll melodies with fiery hip hop beats, the Charlotte band conjures an infectious, incendiary sound on their A&M/Octone debut, due out this summer. Embracing elements of rock, funk, rap and soul, these seven individuals have created something you haven’t before. It’s music for dancing, crying, loving and living. Paper Tongues—Aswan North, Devin Forbes, Cody Blackler, Joey Signa, Clayton Simon, Jordan Hardee and Danny Santell—are a collective of artists, and this record is their first masterpiece.

Paper Tongues’ eclectic sound ranges from bombastic songs like “For the People” that can light up a packed arena or a dance floor, while the soulful electronica-infused “Trinity” is inspiring and invigorating. Guitarist Devin Forbes comments, “Our music is extremely eclectic because we’re all coming from different places. Aswan grew up with hip hop, Clayton grew up with electronica and I grew up with rock, but it all comes together fluidly in Paper Tongues.”

Paper Tongues was officially born in 2007 on the streets of Charlotte, North Carolina. Lead singer Aswan North, helped found the “Inprov Music Experience”, a weekly event where musicians played for the homeless at a main intersection in the middle of the city. The current band lineup congregated at uptown Charlotte weekly, slowly developing a bond. Aswan started cultivating his song writing and presence during those shows. He brought those street sounds and ideas to producers in Los Angeles. It didn’t take long for Aswan’s collaborators to feel the power and magnitude behind the ideas of his music. This caught Cody and Devin’s attention. They had been formally playing as Paper Tongues. With Cody, Devin, Jordan and Clayton’s help, Aswan quickly set out to find other members for this entity. As the songs sprung to life, Paper Tongues was reborn with the same vision to impact rock n’ roll with a new sound.

A wide variety of influences inform Aswan’s vibrant, vivacious vocal style, which falls somewhere between Al Green’s Sultry falsetto and Steve Perry’s uplifting bravado. “Kool and the Gang and Grandmaster Flash were hugely influential. Anything out there with a great hook grabs my attention. As a kid, there was a ton of country music around me—Ricky Skaggs, Kenny Rogers, Hank Williams Jr., Loretta Lyn, and Conway Twitty. I took all that in too, and it helped me write lyrics.”

Working with producers Brian West (Nelly Furtado, K’Naan, Bela Fleck), Mark Endert (Maroon 5, Gavin DeGraw, Madonna), John Fields (Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World), Billy Hume (Ying Yang Twins, Bone Crusher, David Banner) and up-and-coming producer, Nicolas Balachandran. Paper Tongues crafted an album that’s bustling with energy. However, there’s a deeper purpose for the band. Keyboardist Cody Blackler explains, “It’s rock music for sure, but we also want to bring something new.”

Paper Tongues want to work from the inside out too. Aswan continues, “I wouldn’t want to start a revolution. I believe things only change from the inside out. I don’t feel that we can change much unless we’re willing to join hands with people who have already been bleeding. We want to do something new and fresh with the tools that already exist so the people who built those tools respect and honor us as their nephews.” There’s no doubt they will.

Ultimately, for Aswan and Co. Paper Tongues is a way of life. “We want fans to walk away from our music with that good feeling. We think our music can bring healing for a group of people, a society, bad politics and artists that feel hopeless. Paper Tongues’ music should heal you and make you take a chance again.”

Welcome to rock n’ roll’s best hope for evolution. Open up for Paper Tongues. — Rick Florino