#michellemalone

Season 1 Featuring Shawn Mullins, Michelle Malone, Three5 Human, Eliot Bronson, Tyrone Jackson, and Grant Green Junior

(Atlanta, GA) September 15, 2022 - An Empty Room, a 6 part original  series that explores the connective tissue between 6 uniquely influential artists in the often overlooked Atlanta music scene debuts on Volume.com on September 25, 2022. Each episode will be highlighted by a fan-fueled Live Stream watch party.

Created and produced in the height of 2020 when touring artists had to pivot, this series features quality documentary-style storytelling interspersed with musical performances where the up close viewer perspective serves as the sole audience member.

The Atlanta-based Kearns family created and produced the entire series when the music industry as it was once known had shuttered. The family captured intimate performances and never-before heard stories from musicians with deep Atlanta roots during a time when neither producers nor touring musicians had a clear trajectory for creation. “When the artists asked 'What do you want me to play?' I told them: Whatever you would play if you were sitting by yourself in your living room,” says Martin “Marty” Kearns.

“My Son Aaron brings his unique approach to documentary camerawork and editing, Juli, my Wife contributes her artist /  photography expertise and gift for putting people at ease while making sure things keep moving smoothly, and I handle most of the audio and artist liaison department,” says Martin Kearns about working as a family on this series. Kearns is an Atlanta music industry veteran having spent his last 40 years performing as a keyboardist, writing,  engineering, and producing.

Marty's son Aaron who filmed and edited the series shared, "When it comes to my camerawork, specifically handheld, I have the emphasis on the camera being an extension of my own point of view. For that brief moment, I subject all my vision solely through the camera observing the world like I would through my own eyes.”  

How To Watch The Series The series debuts on Sunday September 25th at 9 PM EST and will be available to binge in its entirety on Volume.com 

Sunday September 25, 2022 9 PM EST  Reserve Free Tickets here.  All shows in the series are free 

Upcoming Empty Room Watch Party Schedule  Fans of each artist can join them for individual watch parties on the following dates:

Sunday October 9 - Three 5 Human

Sunday October 23 - Eliot Bronson

Sunday November 6 - Tyrone Jackson

Sunday November 20 - Shawn Mullins

Sunday December 4 - Grant Green Jr.

Michelle Malone Watch Party - Sunday September 25 - 9 PM EST

The series first featured watch party will be with Michelle Malone, a mainstay of American roots music for more than 30 years. Her musical roots run deep and wide like the mighty Mississippi river, twisting and turning through rock, blues, and alt-country music territory. She is "a master at mixing blues and Americana music” (Guitar Player Magazine). Over the course of Malone’s career, she has shared stages with artists from Gregg Allman to Indigo Girls, to Brandi Carlisle and  ZZ Top, released more than a dozen records, and went indie when it still took guts. Her powerful live show will take you on a journey from red dirt back roads to bright city lights. She "has the soul of a bluesman, the heart of a folk singer, and the guts of a rock and roll star wrapped up in one fiery bad ass" (Nashville Rage).

Three 5 Human Watch Party - Sunday October 9 - 9 PM EST

Tomi Martin (guitar) and Trina Mead (vocals) have been compared to many things since working together. Their most flattering is the comparison to Mother's Finest. "Since they are our mentors from day one, we'll take it!!" says Trina. A long musical relationship with these two has been going on since the early 90's. From touring with artists like TLC,Toni Braxton, Outkast and the Indigo Girls to working on records for Madonna, Michael Jackson, Mick Jagger, Stevie Nicks and Caroline Aiken this duo has laid a legacy many would die for.

Tomi & Trina are writing a brand new record for their band Three5Human with hit songwriter Traci Hale (Rihanna, Britney Spears, Mary J Blige) and the 1st single "Hurts When I Breathe" is a power rock ballad that is sure to put them right where they left off. "Rock and roll is and always will be the tie that binds for Tomi Martin & Trina Meade.”

Eliot Bronson Watch Party - Sunday October 23- 9 PM EST

Over the course of five albums, indie folk singer Eliot Bronson has created his own brand of acclaimed Americana. He’s an award-winning songwriter, a road warrior, and an internationally- renowned musician with a voice that swoons and sweeps, championed by everyone from The Baltimore Sun — who’ve hailed him as “a folk singing wunderkind”— to Grammy-winning producer Dave Cobb, whose work on 2014’s Eliot Bronson and 2017’s James placed Bronson on the same client roster as Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, and other heartfelt songwriters.

Tyrone Jackson Watch Party - Sunday November 6 - 9 PM EST

Tyrone Jackson is the quintessential jazz piano player. His boundless creativity coupled with harmonic mastery, utilizes the piano as a blank canvas. Jackson is nationally recognized and has traveled the world as a solo artist and sideman. Born in the New Orleans cradle of jazz, Jackson embodies the spirit of the Crescent City. The blends of jazz, funk and Afro-Caribbean melodies are ever present in his work. But of course, musicians are never solely influenced by themselves. Jackson’s teachers are a virtual Who’s Who of great jazz piano players ranging from Ellis Marsalis, Mary Ann Bulla to gospel/classical legend Moses Hogan.

Shawn Mullins Watch Party - Sunday November 20 - 9 PM EST

Shawn Mullins is an American singer-songwriter who specializes in folk rock, instrumental rock, adult alternative, and Americana music. He is best known for the 1998 single “Lullaby”, which hit number one on the Adult Top 40 and was nominated for a Grammy Award.

One of his more famous songs, “All in My Head”, was featured on the hit television sitcom “Scrubs”. This song was written after an email was sent out by the producers of the new show searching for a theme song. Mullins wrote a demo version and sent it in within 24 hours. It wasn’t selected as the theme song, but the demo version was used in a season one episode of the series. Another single, “Shimmer”, was included on the soundtrack for the TV show Dawson’s Creek and was a minor hit. “Shimmer” was also used in Australia as part of its promotional campaign during the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics and is still considered in Australia as the unofficial anthem of the games.

Grant Green Jr. Watch Party - Sunday December 4 - 9 PM EST

Growing up, Grant Green Jr. heard a constant flow of music from his Grandfather, John Green. Playing recordings of Grant Green being a proud father, the younger Green heard guitar playing all the time, the first instrument Jr learned was the harmonica at the age of five. He would watch and listen to an old blues player walk down the alley playing the harmonica and ask his Grandfather to buy him one. His Grandfather bought him a C harmonica and soon he was playing what he heard the blues Musician playing.