News From Hemifran July 2016

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!

Auburn – Love & Promises

Americana music ensemble Auburn, featuring Liz Lenten, will be releasing their 5th album, “Love & Promises”, on June 17th, 2016. The new album was mainly written in the mountains of eastern Crete last year, in a flurry of outpouring. As always with Liz Lenten’s prolific songwriting, themes cover the usual range of reflections of emotions and situations, from love, loss, uncertainty and yearning to lucid dreaming, frustrating teenagers, imaginary lovers, and the sorry sad state of the world. Remarkably it’s pretty upbeat mostly, actually, honest! More information at Hemifran.

Richard Paul Thomas – Salado

Richard Paul Thomas, better known to his friends as RpT, has been making music since rock ‘n’ roll was young. And he’s still finding new sources of inspiration each time he picks up a guitar and sits down to write a song. On his latest album, ”Salado”, Thomas plays with a variety of fun musical ideas from ’Riding On A Train’ to ’Retirement Blues’, along with an eclectic variety of songs in between. He has widened the emotional scope of his songwriting to include concerns for the environment and the people around him. From ’Violeta’, honoring the life of Chilean Artist Violeta Parra, to a plea to those choosing to ignore the challenges facing our changing planet in ’Denial’, and ending the album with ’Look At My Hands’, he illustrates his depth of feelings about these subjects. More information at Hemifran.

Libby Koch – Just Move On

Describing Americana singer songwriter Libby Koch as ‘country meets soulful’, Free Press Houston perfectly pegs the artistry captured on Koch’s new album, “Just Move On”, to be released on June 24th, 2016, by Berkalin Records. Working in Nashville with Bil VornDick, she draws on legends from Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn, to Dolly Parton and Emmylou Harris, among others, to craft an album of ‘true cryin’ and leavin’ country songs’. Combining her country soul with a 7th generation Texas troubadour’s storytelling skill, Koch fills these songs with intimacy and honesty. Like the most timeless country classics, they’re the kind that make you feel good about feelin’ bad. More information at Hemifran.

Tony McLoughlin & Marlon Klein – Where Is Jack

On reading through the biographies of these 2 musicians, comes the feeling that in the normal course of events Tony McLoughlin and Marlon Klein would not have been expected to cross paths. Singer and guitarist McLoughlin is native to the North of Ireland, he calls his background ‘celtic’ with the likelihood of some ‘viking’ blood in his ancestry. His name translates from the Gaelic as ‘son of the deep water’. In the year 2000, his debut album “Cinérama” was released from the studio of US producer, Thomm Jutz, a native of the Black Forest as it happens. Jutz had worked also with Nanci Griffith, Mary Gauthier, David Olney and Jim Lauderdale, so McLoughlin’s name became connected with the Nashville scene and his music categorized as ‘americana’. Elements of rock, country, blues, folk and roots combine in this now well recognized music type called ‘americana’. More information at Hemifran.

Al Rose – Spin Spin Dizzy

Al Rose is a mesmerizing, challenging, insightful and ultimately delightful songsmith and performer with a unique command of wordplay, combined with considerable musical acumen that is captured on his 7th and latest disc, ”Spin Spin Dizzy”. His albums have received a bevy of critical praise along with extensive airplay on AAA and Americana stations throughout the US and Europe. The Chicago based musician has played coast to coast from New York to Boston and from Vancouver down to Los Angeles, including The Henry Miller Library in Big Sur, CA. He has toured in Europe and Japan several times. He captivates audiences whether he’s solo live or accompanied by any number of his band, The Transcendos, in any configuration. This drives the songs each night, but the songs have always been what drives the creativity in what The Chicago Tribune has called ’one audaciously entertaining ride’….. More information at Hemifran.

King Of The Tramps – Cumplir Con El Diablo

King Of The Tramps is an original roots rock group, whose sound calls upon influences from modern roots rock, rhythm and blues, rock and southern country rock. Their sound has been described as “whiskey gospel” and “midwestern roots rock” by critics. The band has released 4 albums of original music, “Good People” in 2011, “Wicked Mountain” in 2013, “Joyful Noise” in 2014 and “Cumplir Con El Diablo” in 2016. More information at Hemifran.

Annie Keating – Trick Star

Talent spotted by BBC Radio 2’s Bob Harris, Annie Keating appeared live on the Bob Harris show in 2008 and again in 2011, and has gone on to perform at leading national and international festivals including Take Root (Netherlands), Glasgow Americana Festival (Scotland) and the NJ Folk Festival (Canada). She has played on the bill with John Hiatt, Dan Bern, Bon Iver and other great artists. More information at Hemifran.

Jenai Huff – Color Wheel

Jenai Huff discovered her talents as a singer with the release of her debut album ‘Transitions’ in 2012. More information at Hemifran.

J. Hardin – The Piasa Bird

New release from singer songwriter artists. More information at Hemifran.