News From Hemifran September 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!

Kevin Sekhani – Day Ain´t Done

As a 20-year veteran of the Austin music scene, Kevin Sekhani has done it all. From blazing rock-n-roll to holy ghost honkytonk, for years Sekhani has entertained crowds with heartfelt enthusiasm and poignant lyrics. In Austin, Sekhani spent his time working with Michael Ramos (John Mellencamp, Patty Griffin), Andrew Duplantis (Son Volt), and Austin Chronicle’s three-time string player of the year winner Warren Hood.

In 2010, Sekhani moved back to his home town of Lafayette, Louisiana, to front The Mercy Brothers, a gospel group walking the fine line of sinners and saints. Since the prodigal son’s return home, he has won over the hearts of Jazz Fest and Festival International audiences, landed a top 5 spot on the Americana charts in Europe, toured Sweden, and signed his gospel group to Louisiana Red Hot Records.

Kevin Sekhani’s veracious songwriting extends beyond gospel into secular territory with his new solo album ”Day Ain’t Done”, set for release on Louisiana Red Hot Records in late 2015. No Depression praises the album, saying, ’with a voice slightly reminiscent of a young Steve Earle, solid songwriting, and musicians that include a member of Son Volt and veterans of the backing bands of Patty Griffin and John Mellencamp, Kevin Sekhani’s ’Day Ain’t Done’ is one of the best debut albums I have heard in years’.

”Day Ain’t Done” is layered with Americana staple instrumentation, taking the earthy tones of violin, mandolin, accordion and acoustic guitars to give the feel of a back porch jam on a Louisiana Saturday night. The album’s track “Oilfield Tan” has found its way into regular rotation on local Louisiana and Texas radio stations, resonating amongst an area all too familiar with the demanding industry of oilfield work.

Kevin Sekhani celebrates his Louisiana roots, bringing ”Day Ain’t Done” to the worldwide stage. With stops at 2014’s SXSW music festival, Sekhani has already began to garner excitement for his solo career. You may catch Kevin Sekhani at a large festival or even on a small front porch, but wherever it is, it is guaranteed to be one hell of a performance. More information at Hemifran.

Jonathan Kasper – In The Know

Jonathan Kasper was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where he got his start as a teenage rock singer in the vibrant Western New York club scene. A longtime Nashville, TN, resident, Jonathan has traveled diverse musical roads during his adventurous career.

He has performed Led Zeppelin on stage with electric violinist Tracy Silverman and Brazilian pop music with jazz vocalist and arranger Jeff Hall. He sang a major role in ’Tut’, a Marcus Hummon music theatre piece. On Jonathan’s all-original jazz album, ”Fragile Heart”, he worked with the legendary jazz pianist Beegie Adair.

Jonathan has fronted professional Brit-rock bands, including the popular, Nashville-based Zig Zag, where he covered everything from Beatles to Stones, from Who to Bowie. He currently gigs with his original band Six Weeks To Live (6W2L). On his latest album, ”In The Know, Jonathan takes a supercharged joyride into the world of melodic rock.

Jonathan has earned advanced degrees in the field of education, and he and his musician wife run an independent music instruction business. More information at Hemifran.

Tiffany Huggins Grant – Jonquil Child

”Jonquil Child” by singer-songwriter Tiffany Huggins Grant marks the arrival of a bright new talent on the Americana music scene. The 12 song album boasts 10 original numbers that bring her honey-and-crystal voice and her songwriting to the fore, reveling in her gift for melody and in her creative vision.

Grant’s songs perfectly balance the sweet and the bitter. Her arrangements reflect the signatures of great American roots music in their tremolo guitars, pedal steel, soulfueled keyboards and perfectly measured rhythms, while also incorporating apt-but-unanticipated strokes of classic rock and psychedelia. And Grant’s writing draws unsparingly on her experiences combating alcoholism and depression, even while celebrating the triumph over both that ”Jonquil Child” represents.

Throughout the album, the band, which also includes drummer Paul Griffith (Emmylou Harris, Todd Snider, Jason Isbell), bassist Thomas Grant (Jeff Orr, Matt Walberg), steel guitarist John Heinrich (Hank Williams Jr, Merle Haggard, Reba McEntire) and keyboardist Jen Gunderman (Sheryl Crow, Iris Dement, Caitlin Cary), and producer Mark Robinson are perfect foils for Grant’s artistry. Robinson, who plays guitar on the album, has also produced albums for David Olney, Mark Huff, Ray Cashman and Davis Raines.

A native child of Smyrna, GA, (“The Jonquil City”), Grant grew up steeped in the musical traditions of the region and influenced by the wide-ranging tastes of her parents, and knew she wanted to write songs. By age 17 she had appeared at Nashville’s famed Bluebird Café. It was inevitable that Grant would move to Nashville, and after a few years in Music City she gained her momentum.

Today her stage resume includes opening shows for such respected artists as Tommy Womack and Americana hitmakers Shovels & Rope. More information at Hemifran.