Anthem Collective Singer-Songwriter Spotlight

Where in the World is Ben Howard?

The British sing-songwriter known for the quality of his lyrics and folk music has taken a nearly three yearlong break since his last album release in 2014. Ben Howard, the 29 year old from Devon, England released his third album on October 26, 2014 where it went straight to number 26 on the UK Official Albums Chart. He did a short tour in the United States the following year with folk band Daughter before he disappeared from the music scene.

While this may seem out of the ordinary, Howard has never been a huge fan of the spotlight. He is known to rarely give interviews, photo-shoots and when he does he admits he can be at times irritable and standoff-ish. In one of those rare interviews given to the Evening Standard magazine, Howard said, “I meet a lot of people who are awkward around me now. I was always embarrassed about that; the more attention I got, the less I wanted it and the more it would manifest in a physical way and I would be hunched over about it.”

However, the length of his break and his lack of social media presence has fans wondering if or when he will be back. His Facebook, which the last post was from June 7, 2016 is flooded with messages from fans asking, “Please release something! We’re missing you!” and fans posting photos and videos of them covering his songs. His Twitter and Instagram share the similar comments.

Howard’s time out of the spotlight has not slowed down the love of his music, for fans are constantly listening to his older albums, adding the song “Only Love” to their playlists and even getting lyrics from his songs tattooed on their bodies.

It seems that if some have forgotten about Ben Howard and his music, his fans are willing to keep the music alive and will hold out hope for the day he releases a song, or single, or just a simple message to the world saying, “I’m back”.

Ben Howard's Official Facebook

Ben Howard's Twitter

Ben Howard Fan Twitter Account

The Best of Ben Howard

Rising Country Pop Singer Polly Baker Gushes with Promise of Adventure in Romantic “Wild” Video

Rising country pop singer Polly Baker promises a captivating love filled adventure in her stunning sun-splashed video for "Wild". Baker has performed throughout the United States, generating a social media buzz that has garnered her radio airplay, interviews, and showcases. She has been the opening act for Chanel West Coast, W!ldcard, The Afters, and Melissa Manchester. More information on Baker is available on her official website.

The video for “Wild” is a fun and flirty ode to the thrills of young love. Baker’s adopted city of Los Angeles is front and center, as Baker and her beloved stroll the city’s shores and streets. The visuals are warm, vivid, and inviting. According to Baker, the aesthetically pleasing quality of “Wild” is purposely artistic in nature:

“I loved the idea of writing a song that allowed the listener to paint the story within their imagination. From driving along Laurel Canyon with my co-writer and penning the purple skies we saw that sunset as the first lyric of the hook to the red dress I had worn on a rainy day outing to Manhattan Beach...the melody and lyrics are a visual memory for me and I wanted to make sure that the music video captured those moments."

Born and raised in Northern Virginia, Baker grew up in a musical family that instilled within her a love for music. Baker was merely four years old when she first sang at church alongside her parents and two older brothers. She gravitated towards singing and playing piano, beginning piano lessons at age five and penning her first song, “Dreams,” at the age of ten.

Baker performed in yearly festivals and competitions for sixteen years. She also served as the lead keyboardist and background singer for the worship team at a local church. In just a few years, Baker went from singing and playing piano in her basement to performing in front of more than 10,000 church-goers every Sunday. After winning a worldwide songwriting competition at the age of nineteen, Baker began opening shows for national acts.

Baker recently graduated from Berklee College of Music. She released her self-titled debut EP, produced by Grammy-winner Dave Darling, on June 3, 2016.

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For more information on Polly Baker, visit her social media: FACEBOOK | TWITTER |YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD

Enticing Electronic Elixir: Buoyed by Blissful Beats and Bright Imagery of Captivating “Drops” Video, Buzzing Berliner SolarrioDelivers Perfect Antidote for Melancholic Fall Days

Vivid colors contrast with melancholic lyrics and mesmerizing beats in “Drops,” the visually stimulating video from electronic popster Solarrio. Described as “an attempt to numb his pain,” “Drops” is the first single from Solarrio’s forthcoming ’80s-inspired self-titled EP, available January of 2017 via Believe Digital. More information on Solarrio is available on his official website. 

Sounding like a blend of present-day electronic acts such as The Weeknd and the warm analog sounds of retro ’80s music, “Drops” features melancholic lyrics that eventually give way to the soft glow of feel-good modern beats. According to Solarrio, “Drops” is his attempt to deal with failure and heartbreak:

“The song is me trying to numb the pain of failed relationships. Sonically and production-wise, it’s probably the most experimental song on the EP. I was working on the beat with a friend of mine and that one synth sound reminded me of drops. I developed the theme from there.”

Solarrio has been a music producer and songwriter for over a decade, producing artists such as Raf 3.0. The duo produced "Wie Kannst Du Nur" ("How Can You?"), a heavy drum and bass track that the National Basketball Association (NBA) used for their promo for the 2013 NBA Finals and for their “Forever Dirk” celebration of German player Dirk Nowitzki, who became one of the NBA’s top 10 all-time scoring leaders in 2013.

Less Hate, More Amour: With Enchanting “In the Air” Video, Award-Winning Country Pop Star Eileen Carey Counters Global Turmoil with Classic Parisian Romance

 Blending pop, country, and rock in a way that feels uniquely hers.” (POPDOSE)

“Eileen Carey deftly mixes pop and country influences on her new CD, inserting in her leads a clarity and edge that is refreshing and insightful.” (Nashville City Paper)

A montage of love-crossed dancers and classic era Parisian movie scenes, award-winning country pop star Eileen Carey’s enchanting video for her crossover hit “In the Air” is the perfect antidote to recent terrorist attacks, racial violence, and global turmoil. Credited by music blog POPDOSE with “blending pop, country, and rock in a way that feels uniquely hers,” Carey was recently named the 2016 National Radio Hits Favorite Female Country Artist of the Year and New Music Weekly’s Country Breakthrough Artist of the Year. "In the Air" is the first single from Carey’s forthcoming fifth studio album, produced by Travis Allen Childress.

Directed by Taner Tumyaka and inspired by Paris, the video for “In the Air” is a heartfelt tribute to the city Carey visited two weeks before terrorists killed 130 people there in November of 2015. Featuring dancers Kristen Morris and Daniel Kermidas, the video is a reminder of the conquering nature of love in such troubled times:

“Paris is such a whirlwind of love, romance, and excitement. The city inspired me to write a love song for two people set in the gaiety that is still Paris. Simply put, it is about love over hate.”

Having recently made her third consecutive appearance at the CMA Music Festival in Nashville, Carey’s “Bottle Your Crazy Up” reached #1 nationally in 2015, where it competed with major-label country performers. Carey’s three released singles are from Let It Go, her most successful album to date. Carey won The Academia Music Awards Best Country/Rock Song of the Year for “Bottle Your Crazy Up.” Akadamia.com called Carey’s composition and performance “a clever country jam with dulcet vocals and superb instrumentation, illustrating one of the most stringent performance standards we've encountered.”

Carey's last three music videos, “Bottle Your Crazy Up,” the feel-good summer release “Party at the Beach,” and “Faith,” have accumulated more than 105,000 Youtube views. Her single “Faith” reached the top of all the NMW country radio charts (main, indie, Internet), and reached the very top spot in all the NMW AC charts and Top 40 charts as well.“Faith” also made an appearance on Music Row's Country Breakout chart. Carey’s current single, “Bring on the Big,” is currently holding on to the #1 spot on the NMW Country charts for weeks, and appeared at #1 on the NMW Adult Contemporary Hot AC chart.

Carey has also started posting in her new blog, The Music Mom. The Music Mom reveals Carey's desire to positively impact others via the sharing of her experiences and wisdom:“The world is filled with ups and downs, so if I can help people see things in a more positive light, perhaps they can find a better place in life.”

More information on Eileen Carey is available on her official website.

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For more information on Eileen Carey, visit her social media: FACEBOOK | TWITTER |YOUTUBE  

Tired of Talking”: Swedish Pop Singer LÉON’s New Hit on Moving On

LÉON is an indie pop singer, songwriter from Stockholm, Sweden. LÉON was featured on InStyle’s ‘6 Female Indie Artists You Should Be Listening to in 2016’. After listening to a few of her tracks we know why she is featured on this list. One track in particular has the making of being a hit and it's titled “Tired of Talking”.

LÉON released her first EP titled Treasure on October 23, 2015 with Columbia Records. The first single off of the EP is titled “Tired of Talking”. After listening to the track it is easy to see why she was featured as an artist that we need to be listening to in 2016. LÉON has a very powerful voice that she showcases in this track. The lyrics are powerful, honest, and radiance her confidence as a musician and songwriter.

LÉON recently sat down for an interview with TheWindow.Barneys.com, where she said that she has been around music since she was very little and that her dad introduced her to Motown at the age of six which has been one of her early influences. LÉON has a powerful, soulful voice that she showcases in her track “Tired of Talking” and on numerous cover songs.

LÉON has been blowing up not just on her social media but even on the social media of a famous pop singer. LÉON’s single “Tired of Talking” was mentioned by the famous pop singer, Katy Perry, on Twitter where she said that LÉON was “one to watch”. In the past year she was also signed by Columbia Records, had her first United States tour, and had “Tired of Talking” blow up on the internet.

For more information on LÉON, visit her social media:

Facebook / Instagram / Twitter

What Doesn’t Kill You: In Captivating New Krief Single “All Is Lost” Former Dears’ Member Patrick Krief Fights to Move On from Recent Traumas

On Krief’s new single “All Is Lost,”it’s apparent that recent death and heartache have left an indelible mark on the mindset and music of Montreal’s Patrick Krief. However, with lyrics such as “When all is lost, all is found,” it is also clear that the resilient Krief is intent on moving forward in life and in love.

Following a devastating string of deaths in his life and the end of a romance, Krief poured all the heartbreak, grief, and despair into the twenty songs that make upAutomanic Red and Automanic Blue, his unconventional and heart-wrenching diary of a double album forthcoming on September 30th.

According to Krief, the lyrics to “All Is Lost” discuss “being held back by the past and the struggle and importance of moving forward.” Poetic and universal lyrics like those in “All Is Lost” blend with dreamy  soundscapes and carefully crafted balladry to give Krief his distinct sound.

‘automanic’ is a double album comprised of ‘automanic red’ and ‘automanic blue’, which Krief describes as "autonomous in their flow, yet not meant to be listened to in one sitting." Creativity healed adversity and inspired Krief to write poetic lyrics, both earnest and abstract, paired against sounds of contemporary pop and rock, atop dreamy soundscapes and rock ballads alike.


Similarly to his previous albums, Krief created ‘automanic’ independently, playing all guitars, bass, drums, percussion, piano and keyboards. He also recorded, produced and mixed the album between Studio Mixart in Montreal and Studio Bottega, on an alpaca farm in Kelowna, B.C. Mastering duties were undertaken by Phil Demetro (Kevin Drew, Hey Rosetta) in Toronto and engineer David Schiffman (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, Nine Inch Nails) monitored the Montreal sessions, the album also features long-time collaborator Roberto Piccioni.

Krief has spent much of the past decade writing, touring, and recording with Montreal’s original orchestral rock-noir band, The Dears. He describes the distinctly different vibes of Automanic as Thursday night and Sunday morning: “Automanic Red is Thursday night, the reckless, kick-off to the weekend, whereas Automanic Blue is Sunday morning, with its moments of sober reflection, grappling with reality, and recognizing mortality.”

To learn more about Krief, visit his social media: FACEBOOK| TWITTER| INSTAGRAM 

A Country Kind of Covenant: Acclaimed Singer Songwriter Michael Colton Promises Enduring Love on Charming “Won’t Fall Away” Ballad

“Similar to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix, Colton’s guitar work is thoughtful, brazen, and victorious.” (Indiemunity)

       

Singer/ songwriter Michael Colton  has penned the ultimate oath of enduring love with his charming new country -tinged ballad, “Won’t Fall Away.”According to MTM.com, Colton “has depth, warmth, and grit - and he can play the hell out of his guitar.”

Produced by Marty Rifkin (Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty) and Steve Trovato, Colton’s upcoming release, California Blue, displays Colton’s blend of storytelling, straightforward tunefulness, and incendiary guitar work. Colton’s recent live appearances include SXSW, The Sundance Film Festival, and Los Angeles’ House of Blues. More information on Colton is available on his official website.

Diving deep into the explosive traditions of virtuosos Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, and Eric Clapton, Colton began his musical career as a cocky young guitarist. Exploring that music led him further down that road, all the way to blues legend Robert Johnson. Colton went on to record an EP of Johnson’s songs, the critically acclaimed The Robert Johnson Sessions.

After paying his dues in countless bars and coffee houses, Colton had a career-altering encounter with acclaimed producer Blake English (George Benson, Jennifer Lopez) at an informal studio jam. Impressed by Colton’s chops, English recruited Colton for session work and eventually producedThe Robert Johnson Sessions.

Colton honed his already considerable talent while recovering from an acute head trauma that nearly ended his life: “To keep my brain sharp, I started playing guitar five hours a day like my life depended on it. Somehow, I feel like music healed me better than any medicine I was given.”

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For more information on Michael Colton, visit his social media: FACEBOOK/ TWITTER/ INSTAGRAM