Hemifrån is an independent A&R, promotion and marketing company, based in the heart of Sweden, specializing in, what they call, “gut music” – The kind of music that you can feel in your gut, no matter what. Hemifran is promoting a lot of singer-songwriter, westcoast-pop, country, AOR and more. Here are featured some of their latest news – it is not all west coast, but dig into it!

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Tim Houlihan – Another Orion

“’Another Orion’ first impresses by the effortless character of its production, everything is perfectly in place, then dazzles with track-by-track melodic novelties that culminate in the splendid ‘Is it Ever Okay?’ and Houlihan’s voice is instantly arresting for its idyllic lift and effortless restraint, but ‘I Get Lonesome, Too’ is inherently charismatic as a work of Americana for its instrumental charms too.” ~ The Akademia Tim Houlihan is an Americana singer songwriter whose songs bloom with hooky enthusiasm, strong grooves and sophisticated playing. Tim’s performances have traversed the United States and Europe from living rooms to large halls and he draws in listeners with intimate stories and warm anecdotes. Tim’s library of work continues to grow across a never-ending horizon and he currently resides in Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. His influences are Jackson Browne, Stephen Stills, James Taylor, Shawn Colvin, Lake Street Dive and Dawes. More information at Hemifran.

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Soulmate – Am I Strong Enough/Connecting Souls

Soulmate, real name Ken Allan Pettersen, was born far up north in Norway in a city called Tromsø. Picking up the guitar in age of 13, after his father used to play the guitar. From that moment music became a very important part of him already in his earlier years. He started out writing songs after being tired of playing cover songs.

“Funny enough nobody have asked me why I decided to call myself Soulmate as an artistname. The secret is that I try to relate to everybody, I believe that all humans are connected in some way, just as the good and the evil is some kind connected. I dont believe there is only good or only bad inside a soul, I believe if you hurt someone then you`re hurting yourself in the way Karma works. I hope that people who listen to music hopefully can relate to the songs. If one of my songs could help a person to become a better self the next day I would be happy”.

Soulmate decided to take the step out of his comfort-zone to the public and he writes about his experiences in life so far and it comes straight from the heart. The lyrics are often written when he takes time to find inspiration having a walk in the forest or on his way to his regular 9-5 job. The lyrics speaks for itself in different areas, about how love also can be a battlefield, how Karma can bite your ass, and about being open for what to come for human mankind, taking the aim on big questions like, where do we really come from and where are we heading?

The biggest influences of persons and musicians is John Lennon, and that`s why we can find a song called ‘I Wish Lennon Was Around’ on his debut album named “Rebel Inside”. More information at Hemifran.

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Courtney Yasmineh – Red Letter Day/Red Letter Day Unplugged

Courtney Yasmineh isn’t necessarily a rulebreaker, she just plays by her own rules. From skipping town out of Chicago as a teenager and holing up in a cabin in northern Minnesota, where she focused an obsession with Bob Dylan into the beginnings of her craft as a songwriter, guitarist and singer, to self-releasing 5 albums and an EP, and doing 9 tours of Europe and a half-dozen in the US (all self-booked, no less), she is simply unstoppable. With each album she’s continued to expand her musical universe, stretching across the spectrum from indie pop to alt-country to full-tilt rock’n’roll, all the while writing better and better genuinely smart songs that are deeply personal yet touch on subjects and feelings everyone can relate to.

Her latest, the ”Red Letter Day Unplugged” EP, came about in the most organic and unexpected fashion. When Courtney was preparing for a set of East Coast radio station appearances and gigs at relatively intimate venues to promote ”Red Letter Day”, the 2015 CD that is her most electric, straight-up rock’n’roll album to date, it became apparent that bringing her regular backing band to the relatively tiny spaces most radio stations have for performances would be a logistical (and potentially sonic) nightmare. Ever enterprising and unafraid to wade into uncharted waters, Courtney and her drummer, longtime collaborator and musical director Rob Genadek began rehearsing all-new, stripped down acoustic arrangements of the songs on ”Red Letter Day” as a duo. Reaction to these new versions of the songs was immediate and overwhelmingly positive from all sides. DJs loved them, audiences loved them, and even her bandmates sitting on the sidelines back in Minneapolis couldn’t help but acknowledge the way these gems had taken on a whole new polish and were shining brighter than ever. Seizing the moment, Courtney and Rob went back in the studio and recorded these new versions of five of the album’s songs. The resulting EP is already being hailed as her ‘breakthrough’ release and has begun to receive national radio airplay. More information at Hemifran.

By Published On: marts 1, 2016Categories: In Focus, Miscellaneous

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About the Author: Kbremer

Good music enriches your life. At BLUE DESERT we are passionate about this particular yet wide-ranging style of music we call West Coast Music. This site is a modest tribute to the music and the performing artists, who through the (many) years have given us - and continue to give us - endless hours of musical enjoyment. As long-time fans we want to share our enthusiasm, experiences and views with fellow connoisseurs as well as curious newcomers. If we can do our bit to help promote this great music and all the gifted artist – well, then we have succeeded.