News From Hemifran January 2015

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!

D Edward – Love Is

D Edward, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, has played with numerous groups over his long and storied career, and now releases his new solo project titled “Love Is”.

“Love Is” was two years in the making and features catchy hooks and grooves with a familiar, yet unique and modern pop and retro soul sound. D Edward has the ability to sound different on every song yet maintain his own signature style throughout.

“Love Is” features Grammy Award winners piano player Laura Sullivan, trumpet player Steffen Kuehn and saxophone player Tony Peebles, all from 2013 Grammy winning band Pacific Mambo Orchestra, and Billboard Music Award winner Leah Tysse. Also featured on the new album is Marlon “Wild Bill” Curry, percussionist for r’n’b hit-maker Kem, bassist Eric EQ Young, who the legendary Larry Graham calls his direct bass legacy, and Ben Reyes, who recorded on Bobby Brown’s multi-platinum “Don’t Be Cruel” album. More information at Hemifran.

Fuzzbee Morse – Dreams And Other Living Things

This album is the first collection from Fuzzbee Morse, who’s had life-altering musical encounters and truly wild adventures with many of the greatest, most groundbreaking musicians and writers of our time from a tender age. Between the ages of 13 and 17, major inspirations, including such one-of-a-kinds as Frank Zappa, Jean-Luc Ponty and Joe Zawinul, took Fuzzbee under their wing, goosing him, challenging him and imparting their own unique, pungent and priceless understanding of the power of real music.

Along with those inimitable mentors, in various contexts Fuzzbee has played with and absorbed from Lou Reed, Jaco Pastorius, Richie Havens, Bono, Peter Gabriel, Aaron Neville, Ric Ocasek, The Chambers Brothers, The Soul Survivors, Derek Trucks, Dave Grohl, Third World, Karla Bonoff, Daniel Lanois and many, many more. More information at Hemifran.

Martin Kaplan – The Slow Down

Martin Kaplan is an American singer-songwriter based in San Diego, California. ”The Slow Down”, his 1st solo release, features 12 songs spanning a 25 year songwriting career. Imbued with an alt-country vibe, ”The Slow Down” paints a vivid narrative for the listener, inviting self-reflection with its refreshing counterpoint to the frenetic pace of modern life. Reinvention and embracing uncertainty are recurrent themes in Martin’s life and these motifs are thoroughly explored throughout the album.

The musicians on ”The Slow Down include veterans of the Los Angeles Americana music scene including Todd Herfindal (Meadows), Rich McCulley (Bob Woodruff, Will Kimbrough), Carl Byron (Anne McCue, Michelle Shocked), Greg Boaz (Dave Alvin) and Tommy Rickard (Linda Perry, Scott Weiland). More information at Hemifran.

Aaron Newman & The OK Caravan – S.T.

Aaron Newman & The OK Caravan are a folk-americana act based out of Oklahoma City that formed in 2013. Aaron Newman is the founding member of the OK Caravan, which started out as a solo-duo acoustic project that landed him a deal with 598 Records (Mike McClure, The Damn Quails). Shortly after signing the deal, 598 Recordings stopped operation and Aaron was forced to move on without the label. In December of 2013, Aaron started working on the first OK Caravan album with Mike McClure and Brightman Music producer, Geoff Rockwell. The self-titled debut album is available in late December 2014.

Aaron Newman has shared the stage and played events and festivals with acts such as Jakob Dylan of the Wallflowers, The Lumineers, The Steve Miller Band, Stoney Larue, Aranda, Jason Boland, Graham Colton, Susan Gibson, Johnny Lee, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Dr. Hook, Of Montreal, Tea Leaf Green and Other Lives. More information at Hemifran.

Porter Draw – S.T.

The Porter Draw is an alt-country, americana band from Albuquerque, NM. They have been key contributors to a flourishing New Mexico roots music movement since 2007 and have shared the stage with such greats as Greensky Bluegrass, Reverend Horton Heat, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, Cross Canadian Ragweed and Cadillac Sky. Fitting in at country honky-tonks and rock ‘n’ roll clubs alike, The Porter Draw have built a reputation for high energy, sweat-drenched shows coupled with tight harmonies of wistfully delicate lyrics of longing, heartbreak, and the American experience. They’ll sing high lonesome with the bluegrass boys, command the stage like The Boss, and surprise you with raucous vocals you haven’t heard since your older sister made you listen to The Clash. More information at Hemifran.