Spotlights & Lyrics

Andreas released his EP, Technicolor Love, last year with the electrifying hit single “Give it to Me,” which has nearly 200K views on YouTube.  “Burn. Build. Repeat” is sure to be the next big single from the Brooklyn-based artist, with the song featuring the singer’s signature smooth vocals laced with dance-club beats.

 In anticipation of releasing his full-length album, Andreas has been touring around the northeast promoting new music.  He supported Disney’s Sabrina Carpenter earlier this month at Musikfest in Bethlehem, PA, playing to a crowd of over 4,000.

 Kevin and his 6 piece band (all of whom are highly accomplished and have played alongside Adele, Fifth Harmony , Lupe Fiasco and more) gel together to form the perfect combination of soul, funk and energy sure to make waves with their new release.

The New York based rocker has been praised by Paper Magazine and Interview magazine for Strays In The Cut, which shows off the singer’s range. The record takes the listener on a journey from haunting slower songs like “Start a War,” (for which Anna Rose also filmed a poignant and thought provoking music video), which features violins and acoustic guitars, to gritty hard-hitting songs including “Force of Nature” and “Under Your Skin.”

The songstress’s live show is full of energy that is sure to truly bring these songs to life. Catch Anna Rose on tour the rest of the summer at Pairings on the Parkway in Philadelphia on July 14, and at Musikfest in Bethlehem on August 8.

The band spoke with Spotlights & Lyrics about their songwriting process, current tour and what it was like to be one of iHeartRadio’s featured artists. “It was amazing! The majority of the acts in the competition are already pretty established with very large fanbases so to have stayed in the top 5 as long as we did really shows how dedicated our fans are. It was an awesome thing to see.”

The band is currently on tour, performing acoustic sets across the country. Fans can expect to hear their songs in a much more raw form in these unplugged sets. “There's a lot more emphasis on the song writing when the tunes are stripped down like this.” Some of their favorite songs to perform live include “Misbehavior,” “Live Alone” and Fine By Me.”

On the topic of songwriting, the band discussed their process for achieving songs that are simultaneously upbeat and catchy and feature well-constructed lyrics and melodies. “Our songs typically start out as folk songs. Either Ben or myself start with a guitar or piano, some lyrics and a melody and once we've got something with a solid foundation, we dress it up with synths and other ear candy.”

On All I’ve Been Through,;Farley worked with notable country artists, including Daniel Lee, Colt Ford and Noah Gordon.  He stated that one day, he would love to work with Garth Brooks. “I grew up listening to him and to this day I believe he's one of the best to ever step in a studio or step on stage. He's an amazing artist and performer. Garth is a true talent all the way around.”

With a record this personal, Farley admits that he can’t pick a favorite song.  One song that stands out for him in particular, though, is "Southern Comfort.”  First, he explains,  “I get to show my diversity in music because I'm actually singing the chorus; and second, when I say Southern Comfort most people automatically think "drinking song." In reality I put a totally different spin on it. To me "Southern Comfort" is more than a bottle. In the song I sing "It ain't a bottle they don't make a drink that strong/ it ain't a drug but it'll get in your blood/ and then before long you'll be higher than ever." That's what living in south is to me. I've been fortunate enough to go a lot of places in life but there isn't any place like home.”

Davidson describes the record as “neo-classicism in a diverse, contemporary album, meaning, we have taken some classic songs and re-imagined them, and I use that word as opposed to "covering," because a cover is essentially mimicry. The American Gentleman recalls the day when there was chivalry and a quintessential American romanticism. We took songs like George Strait's "I Cross My Heart," Billy Joel's "Shes Got a Way" and Ben E. King's "Stand By me," and re-interpreted them with deep feeling and debonair production. I call it "feel music," because I hope it evokes genuine emotion from the listener.”

The singer, who hails from Memphis, TN, is heavily influenced by soul music, including Elvis, as well as Pavarotti and Billy Joel. He spoke about his hit song, “Blessed,” and the inspiration behind the song, which was to create a partriotic song “unlike other songs out there.We just don't have a bevy of modern patriotic tunes. I had witnessed apathy in my generation when it came to patriotism, so this was my way of trying to get young people to recognize how good they have it. It's why I write "It is easy to remember, but easy to forget the beauty of our country and the simple gifts we get."

Davidson’s patriostism has shone through on multiple levels, and he will be honored by performing”Blessed” and the National Anthem at the Lincoln Day Dinner as well as performing for Veterans at the Palm Beach VA Hospital in Florida later this month. Davidson is looking forward to performing for the military veterans and watching their reactions to hearing “Blessed” be performed: “when your writing or artistry actually stirs another person is pure magic. You know you have done something right.”

Something else that Davidson is doing right is tackling the legendary song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” which he performed with the original Jay Siegel’s Token. Davidson released the video for the song on March 3rd in connection with National Geographic and Casting Life Films. He was inspired to cover the song and add in a modern 2016 flavor “with some big brass, but with the very guys who made it a hit in 1961, and voila- here we are doing that very thing! It was so great to re-generate the song and put a different spin on it. It has 72 tracks in it, so it really is a "beast" of a song.

The folk/alternative rock band, known for their massive hits including “All for You” and “Your Winter” went in a new direction on this latest record, working with esteemed producer Chip Matthews (“a friend to this band for a million years, and an incredibly talented producer -- we love the sound that we make with him”) and with Darius Rucker on “Karaoke Song.” Copeland explained how the collaboration with Rucker came about: “We've known him since before Hootie blew up. I can honestly tell you he is the same incredibly kind, funny, generous guy he was before all the success. All the guys from that band are that way. It was a lot of fun to get together with him and write some songs. When Barry Dean and I went down to his place in Charleston and wrote “Karaoke Song” we didn't really know what we had. But as we were walking out of the house we could hear Darius singing the chorus as he walked back up the stairs and both Barry and I looked at each other and said "man, I think we got one today". The band instantly loved the tune and when we went into the studio to record it I just asked Darius if he would be a part of the record and he was kind enough to oblige. I really love the way that one turned out.”

Interestingly, even though the record is being labeled as “country,” the band didn’t set out to create a country record per se. “We're really fortunate that the country genre has expanded to a place that envelopes what we do. We've always considered the kind of music we make as "Florida Music". Nothing contrived, just straight from the heart songs that the band feels good playing. We're thankful to be included in a genre that is churning out so many great bands and songs right now.” The record came together after writing, touring and playing new songs on the road, listening to which songs connected with their fans and “working through some kinks in songs we loved but that needed a little molding. In the end, we wanted to (just like we've always wanted to) make a record that people would put in and take the journey with us. We really work hard at making a complete body of work and finding songs that truly complement each other.”

In support of the new record, Sister Hazel is currently on a nationwide tour through the end of April. Fans can look forward to the band crafting set lists that keep the best of certain elements of the show that have proven tried and true, and that build on other parts of the sets. Part of what also keeps the show exciting is that the band rotates who makes the set list each night. “We try to make sure we have a good blend of new songs, radio songs and deeper cuts that fans have gravitated towards. There's always something for everyone!! We are constantly working on keeping things fresh so that we have fun on stage - and so the audiences feel like it was time and money well spent. Some songs like “Champagne High”, “Your Winter”, and “Mandolin Moon” have new arrangements and instrumentation on this run, while songs like “All For You”, “Change Your Mind” and “Happy” stay pretty true to the radio versions except for a few extended improv jams on them.” Copeland is looking forward to playing new songs from Lighter In The Dark, particularly “That Kind of Beautiful”: “It's something new for us in that Ken and I switch back and forth with the lead vocal and it gives a real lift to the set. I would have to say another song I really love playing is a song I wrote with Tom Douglas called “Something to Believe In.” This song was written from such an honest place and I love what the band did with it once they got it under their fingers. Cool dynamics and I love singing it.”

After being part of such a successful band, that he calls family, for 20 years, Copeland expressed “how thankful we are for the career [our fans have] given us. That's never been lost on us. Coming to our shows and buying our records is the best way our fans can let us know that they want us to keep doing what we're doing and it's incredibly humbling to walk out on stage every night, after having done this for over 20 years, and seeing a room full of people singing the words to our songs and pulling us through night after night.”

Part of what makes Alec so engaging are these types of personable fun facts and his ability to unapologetically be himself on stage, from using props such as home-made posters to pineapples: “I don’t want to change who I am just because I’m on stage. My on-stage personality is an extension of myself.”

Alec’s music is instantly catchy, with his haunting vocals and unique ability to interweave acoustic instrumentation with hip-hop beats. He was inspired to get into music when he started playing the guitar at age 15, and writing stories and poems, as he finds that his songs are lyrically driven.

Alec’s musical influences range from Eminem and Paul Simon to heavy metal, reggae and other singer-songwriters’ music: “I like to listen to musicians who tell stories and have rhythmic lyrics,” he explains.

The singer-songwriter also spoke about how it feels to be signed to Columbia Records (“it’s really exciting – they’re able to offer help and feedback, which has been great, it’s been an awesome experience,”) as well as how he is working on releasing his first record, which he wrote and recorded over the span of 5 weeks when he was 19, and is due to be released in early 2016.

Alec plans on taking his guitar, piano and boom-box show on the road soon at a series of house concerts, where he can perform for his fans from the comfort of their own living rooms.

The venue had holiday lights streaming across the walls, draped around trees, and shining bright to showcase the rock star singers on stage.

The concert kicked off with performances by Jules and The Jinks and Slow Sugar, before headliner Kevin Andreas took to the stage shortly past 9 P.M.

Andreas opened his set with explosive songs from his EP, Technicolor Love, which was released in the summer of 2015. Andreas’ “epic, blown out sound,” was on full display throughout the evening, particularly during his guitar solos and his band’s on-stage jam sessions.

Andreas played a variety of songs, from Technicolor Love’s full track list (including his current single, the up-tempo “Give it To Me,” which boats an impressive 190,000+ views on YouTube), to more scaled back newer songs, which showcase Andreas’ smooth falsetto and highlight the talented members of his 7-piece band.

One of the highpoints of the night was Andreas’ cover of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “Under The Bridge,” which got the crowd on their feet for the duration of the show. The hit 90’s rock song allowed the band to show off their incredible stage presence and energy.

The record features musical assortments that fit well into the band’s repertoire, which is, as singer Dan Monea describes, “everything from pop/rock to country, to blues to straight up rock ‘n’ roll.”

The variety on the album is apt, given that the record pays homage to the United States -- the band found influence for the record from life on tour and visiting different cities.

Stand-outs include up-tempo tracks such as “Ghetto Family” and the titular track, which boast toe-tapping beats, a full band and showcase Dan Monea’s vocal range.

The cheeky “Buenos Noches” harps on Hey Monea’s country roots, interweaving mariachi influences with a Zac Brown Band flair. The band describes the track on their website as “how love might, at times, bridge the language barrier in our diverse country.” The song’s chorus instantly draws the listener in, with Monea crooning “Buenos noches, that is the only Spanish that I know/But I am here at your flamenco show/this might sound crazy but I think I love you...”

Hey Monea’s song-writing abilities are on full display throughout the record, but it is their harmonies that really shine through on tracks such as “Lost at Sea” and Honey Do,” which play upon Hey Monea’s folk/rock influences.

One song to keep on repeat is “Number One,” a personal favorite and a track which calls to mind everything from Billy Joel to Gavin DeGraw with its grit and piano heavy medley, truly showcasing the band’s talents.

Acoustic Throwback – Nineties Rhythm and Blues by Ernie Halter features an enticing assortment of cover songs, including “This Is How We Do It,” “Always Be My Baby,” and a mash-up of “You Make Me Wanna”/ “Where My Girls At,” amongst other classics. Halter stated that he was inspired to make the record after he covered “Cyclone” on his Starting Over album, as well as by the great success his cover of “Black Coffee in Bed” received on Sirius XM’s Coffeehouse. “That cover introduced me to new fans, and I wanted to do something like that again. I had done prior Kickstarter projects, and wanted to do an all-covers record. I asked my fans what they wanted to hear, and 90’s R&B songs were the overwhelming consensus,” he explained. Of the songs on record, Halter notes that “Shoop” is his favorite: “It was the first song that we did. In a way, the record was frustrating to make –it was a lot of figuring out the learning curve and getting the mixes done. “Shoop” was the first song I recorded that I felt really good about.”

Halter talked about his songwriting process, both with respect to writing original music as well as writing the arrangements for the Acoustic Throwback album. Halter writes the music first, and then layers in the lyrics. It’s important, too, he notes, to “keep the end goal in mind – I always want to be creating a song for a specific reason, whether it’s co-writing for mine or another artist’s record, for a TV show, or for a custom made song, which is a Kickstarter project I started --fans fill out a questionnaire, and I write songs for them for any occasion. I’ve found a good formula for writing the songs in a way that they’re personal and universal at the same time; I’ve written 40 of these custom songs so far.”

The singer, who boasts an impressive resume with over 500,000 Twitter followers and over 10 million Spotify streams, grew up in California and lived in LA before moving to Nashville over three years ago. Compared to LA’s spread out music scene, Halter has embraced the music city’s community vibe, adding that his level of craftsmanship and intention in writing songs has improved by virtue of being around many other talented musicians. Additionally, his location makes it easy to travel to other major cities to perform shows. He has played numerous times at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City (“New York has always felt like a second home to me; I connect well there, and I have a lot of friends in the city,”) and has shared the stage with artists such as Eric Hutchinson, Sara Bareilles and Jason Mraz. This winter, he will be touring Europe with fellow singer-songwriter Tony Lucca.

The band released their EP, Four Sides, earlier this summer under Noble Steed Music, and played an acoustic set at Rockwood Music Hall’s Stage 3 on Monday, November 2. The intimate seating arrangement of Stage 3 (located in the downstairs studio of the venue) provided a perfect setting for the scaled back performance, with its wood-paneled walls, cocktail tables and cushy booths. The group demonstrated their adept stage presence in front of the sold-out crowd throughout their hour-long set, often pausing to entertain fans with ad-libs and anecdotes from the road.

Honor By August played songs from Four Sides, as well as songs from Monuments to Progress, including their acclaimed singles “Last Chance” and “Already Yours,” which had fans singing along. Honor By August has shared the stage with artists ranging from Third Eye Blind and Parachute, to Daughtry, who they opened for last month.

Catch more of Honor By August as they continue to tour around the country and be sure to purchase Four Sides, available now on iTunes and Amazon. http://www.honorbyaugust.com/ and @HonorByAugust

Parachute took to the stage on Thursday, October 15 at the State Theater in New Jersey in front of a highly energetic crowd. The band opened with their hit single, “She Is Love,” which started out with singer Will Anderson playing a solo acoustic rendition of the song before the rest of the band joined him on stage. French noted that while they are still playing some of the stripped down shows, this tour is different in that, “aside from the obvious full band performance vs. the 2 or 3 person acoustic feel, we are going for that big splash. We got all the guys back and are trying to get that thick, infectious sound from stage whereas over the summer we were more focused on the more delicate and intimate moments of our songs.”

The band accomplishes their goal of bringing the crowd into their performances and getting fans on their feet by seamlessly interweaving old hits and new songs alike into their set list. This is the second time the band has been on the road with Kearney, and French commented that this adds a degree of familiarity to the tour: “we were all most looking forward to getting back out on the road with some friends. [Mat] and his whole band and crew are a really great group of people. We are always hanging out together and enjoying each others company, even jumping on stage and performing together from time to time.”

During their own set, Parachute is playing new music, from “Lonely With Me,” and “Get Away,” to a must-watch cover of Jason Derulo’s “Want to Want Me.” French admitted that, “there's a bunch more that we're trying to fit into the set that we keep rehearsing during sound checks and all that. Throwing the new songs into the mix just adds more fuel so I think everyone is having a great time right now. In November we'll finish tracking the new record so look for it in the New Year for sure.”

Once the record is out, fans can expect to see Parachute back on the road. On stage, Anderson mentioned that the band is going to play a headlining show in March in NYC. “We're finalizing a headlining tour as we speak in some of the best rooms we've ever played. Bigger and longer than ever before, it's going to be an awesome time.”

Brothers Dan and Nate grew up playing music and performing at local coffee shops and open mics since they were 16 and 13, respectively, and joined forces with Adam nearly ten years ago. Since then, the band has increased their fan base and popularity across the country.

The band’s music can be described as everything from pop/rock to country, to blues (or, as Dan puts it, “straight up rock and roll”). They point to musical inspirations such as Jackson Browne, the Beatles and the Eagles.

In 2012, Hey Monea got a big break when they won a worldwide battle of the bands competition. Dan noted that the band chose to enter after their friends from Buffalo, NY had won the year before. “The prize was good, and we were looking for a spark to take our career to the next level,” Dan notes. They entered the competition in Cleveland, Ohio (their hometown). After 2-3 weeks, the band made it to the next round, where they competed against bands from 91 other cities. The group encouraged their fans to vote through social media, and ultimately made the top 10, which was judged exclusively by music industry executives. A couple of months after winning the competition, the band reaped the full rewards of the contest and opened for Bruce Springsteen in London: “that was unimaginable. We played for a crowd of 60,000 people – it was nothing we have ever seen before, and changed us forever.”

Hey Monea is currently working on their next record, The Fifty, which is due out October 31. As Hey Monea gets ready to release their upcoming record (“it’s 90% done,” Dan admits), they are gearing up for their next headlining tour, as well.

The band is currently on tour supporting Tony Lucca, which they describe as “amazing – we are lucky to travel with an established artist like Tony and check out a lot of cities we haven’t been to before.” They are getting ready to return to some of the same cities and revisit their new fans in November for a three-week tour, which will span across the Northeast, Southeast and Midwest. In December, Hey Monea will play holiday shows in their hometown, before traveling to Guatemala with their label, Noble Steed Music, to support the MILE Organization with fellow musicians. Their whirlwind tour will continue on into January, where Hey Monea will be a part of Sister Hazels’ The Rock Boat XVI. Dan describes the 5-day cruise as a “floating festival,” in which the band will join other artists, including Gavin DeGraw and Bronze Radio Return on a trip form Miami to Costa Maya and Grand Cayman.

The band is comprised of Boys Like Girls’ Morgan Dorr and John Keefe, as well as Jamel Hawke, Allyn Dorr, Ethan Dorr, Kevin McHugh, Mario Fanizzia and Erick Serna. The group, which has been friends for over ten years, came together to write a song for their friend’s wedding: “from that, ‘Best of Friends’ was born.”

The group of eight, whose music blends together genres ranging from folk to pop music, “all come from different backgrounds not only musically but generally, which means we all have different experiences to draw from. Musically, having different tastes benefits us in that we're able to explore avenues other than those we would otherwise,” explains Morgan Dorr.

The band, famous for their hit song “Here We Go,” is working on new music, and continuing to explore different types of sounds, as well. “Our sound has changed quite a bit from when we first started writing songs together. I will say, however, we haven't abandoned what we love about his band. We still write fun music and generally try not to take ourselves too seriously,” states Dorr.

Part of what makes their music such a success is the anthemic and uplifting qualities each of their songs brings to the table. The key to making this kind of music, Dorr details, is finding that “inspiration strikes in many unique ways. Sometimes a song will begin with a word or a melody and flow right through you, and sometimes you really have to dig for it.”

Once the new record comes out later this year, fans can expect to see Best of Friends on tour. Until then, keep an eye out for the music video for their new single to be released shortly. Dorr talked about the music video, which he called “an absolute blast. We shot it at our house in Los Angeles. We basically threw big party, invited lots of crazy people, and let the cameras roll.”

The quintet (Paulie Cee -- lead vocals, Madden Klass --drums, backing vocals, Michael D’amato -- bass and backing vocals, Hunter Krasnow --keyboards, synth, backing vocals, and Luke Vichnis --guitar, backing vocals) melds together different influences, ranging from Led Zepplin and The Police to My Chemical Romance and Paramore, to produce upbeat and infectiously catchy dance-rock music.

Say It! Say It! recently released their first single, “Scandalous (I Wanna Take You Home)”, which has garnered airplay on 92.3 FM and has been featured on ReverbNation. The band continues to gain momentum and media attention, and talked about how “the release of the single and the notice it’s gotten for us has been a great start for everything we want to do musically. It’s opened the door for us to meet fans and has made us realize how small the world is – we have fans all over the world. It’s an incredible thing to think about – having an impact on people on the other side of the world through our music.”

The band has been making an impact on people at their live shows, as well. They opened for Sheppard at Webster Hall and for Hollywood Ending at The Gramercy Theater last month. “Opening for Sheppard was an awesome experience. They are some of the nicest, most down to earth people we’ve met. They have such a great sound and it was a privilege to open for them. Tyler, Dan and Cam of Hollywood Ending are old friends of ours and their shows are always a big party. Playing the last show with them at Gramercy was nothing short of amazing, especially when all the support acts were on the stage with HWE at the end for the final song. Both experiences were priceless and incredible and we feel so fortunate to have been part of them.”

Catch more of Say It! Say It! On tour when they play at Amityville Music Hall on September 16 (opening for Set it Off); Smith Haven Mall on September 26, and as headliners at Amityville Music Hall in late October/early November. Fans can expect high energy, exciting live shows, that “make people want to sing and dance and we wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s a good time for all – us and the audience. We also enjoy meeting the fans and taking pictures with them after the shows.”

Additionally, fans can look forward to Say It! Say It!’s forthcoming EP, which is due out later this fall, and watch as the band continues to grow in popularity. To date, they are celebrating reaching 5,000 Instagram followers and enjoying watching their fan base increase: “We love the fan engagement and letting them see us being silly and serious and real. We want to focus on getting more content onto our YouTube channel. We love playing live – it’s great to be entertaining the fans and then meeting them after the shows. We want to give the fans what they want and continue to play live and write and record music that they enjoy and can relate to.”

The indie-pop-rock group (all of whom were born in 1991 and 1992) is comprised of Chase Lawrence (synth/vocals), Joe Memmel (guitar/vocals), Ryan Winnen (drums) and Zachary Dyke (bass). Winnen explains that, “We are legitimately products of the 90’s. We appreciate the culture, of course, but the band is more about getting to express the essence of our childhood through this music. We didn't have a care in the world then. We weren't neurotic, or worried about the "next step" in life. We were just living. It's tough to try to replicate that as an adult. You want to be responsible and do what you need to do, sure, but you don't need to take life too seriously.”

The band’s music reflects the carefree, effervescent spirit of some of the 90’s bands the group points to as musical influences, such as The Ramones, The Strokes and The Killers. Coin came together a couple of years ago, where three of the members attended Belmont University in Nashville. Originally hailing from Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland and Illinois, the four have blended their unique backgrounds and influences to create infectious, upbeat pop/rock music.

Winnen described their song-writing process, which typically evolves from “Chase and Joe sending each other iPhone voice memos of them singing/mumbling an idea, or sitting at a piano for as long as it takes to get something they feel is presentable to the group... Then, the four of us get going on structure, tempo, the "big" moments, etc. until it starts feeling like a song. We like listening to those voice memos months later, too. It's really special seeing the ideas evolve.”

Watching the band perform their songs live is something special, too. As Winnen puts it, “the record has taken a new life this summer.” The band performed as the main opening act for Neon Trees, delivering highly energetic performances to sold-out crowds across the county. They then went on to perform at the BMI Stage at Lollapallooza, and are currently touring with Walk the Moon. Winnen describes the fan reaction at the tours this summer as humbling; “Neon Trees, as well as opening band, Fictionist, are incredibly kind people and fantastic musicians. We learned a lot from that tour. That took us right into Lollapalooza, which was definitely the "pinch me" moment of the summer. We had no idea that many people knew the lyrics to our songs, let alone that they'd all be in the same city at the same show singing them back to us! Walk the Moon starts up tonight, and we're so excited to reunite with those guys. They have been huge advocates of ours since we met about a year and a half ago. We're absolutely floored and so grateful.”

As the band gears up for the rest of their tour, fans can expect Coin to be back on the road in the fall. Winnen said that, while they can’t reveal too many details, they are releasing dates very soon for their upcoming shows in New York City. He hints that, “we get to play with some of our dearest friends form Nashville. After such an amazing summer, we're looking forward to taking a deep breath before we do our co-headlining tour in the Fall. We'll be happy to be home with friends and family and reflect on what a cool couple of months it's been for us. We're smiling ear to ear and are eager to continue sharing the music with as many people as possible as we move into 2016.”