Gemma Ray

Essex born-and-bred beauty Gemma Ray is a singer-songwriter with a difference: her songs beguile you in the same way classic melodies do, yet somehow defy comparison. The heart-on-sleeve craftswomanship of her tunes allows full rein to roller-coasting intensity and twisted humour as she wraps her velvety vocals around little gems of pop, country, blues and gospel-inflected beauty. Such is the breathtaking scope of this album that its epic multi-layered sound has, you assume, the dedicated workforce of a full blown orchestra behind it, yet this beguiling mix of pop, country and blues is the work of Gemma Ray at home with co-producer Michael J Sheehy. Gemma’s first album, ‘The Leader’, though critically acclaimed, was fraught with setbacks. Recorded against a backdrop of illness, tours were cancelled and for the sake of her sanity the only way to abate the frustration was to keep recording and writing at home in London. Despite the circumstances, the darkness of her songwriting is seamlessly interlaced with humour, playfulness and beauty throughout. Make no mistake, doubters and stragglers will be converted and convinced by the kick-ass live show in which Gemma (now back on track and in good health) and her band take the songs to an even heightened level of hypnotism and drama. Recent shows saw audiences captivated by Gemma and her band, not least when she plays slide guitar not with a slide, but with a very intimidating ‘Psycho’-style knife. The album is preceded by the single 100 mph (in 2nd Gear) released on September 7th, and backed with 900 Miles, the Odetta cover that was used as the soundtrack to the BBC psycho-flick Mum & Dad.

@ London, UK
♫ Alternative, Folk, Pop
♥ 100 MPH (in 2nd Gear) (mp3)
▸ Myspace

The Lovell Sisters

Again it's Myspace that delivered me this talented americana trio about a year ago. The Lovell Sisters are an extremely talented trio, consisting of three sisters: Jessica, Megan and Rebecca. It's passion that is the fuel to their writing and arranging, and it colors every note they play and sing on Time To Grow, their forthcoming new album. The Lovell Sisters, who have proven themselves time and again as polished performers, have been praised equally for both their virtuosic playing—Jessica on fiddle, Megan on dobro, Rebecca on guitar and mandolin—and their vibrant vocal harmonizing. With their new album The Lovell Sisters are coming into their own. After their 2005 debut When Forever Rolls Around and 2007 CD/DVD Live At The Philadelphia Folk Festival where they showcased their dynamic musical interaction and interpretive gifts, The Lovell Sisters are emerging as songwriters. Prior to recording their new album, The Lovell Sisters had a deal in place with a major record label. When they realized their original material was not a priority for the label, they decided to opt out and remain independent. Time To Grow features five original songs including the title track, “Time To Grow,” and “Distance,” two of my favorite tracks of the album. When asked about the story behind “Distance,” Rebecca says the chords and melody came in a flash while the lyrics took months to refine. With Time To Grow, The Lovell Sisters share their passion for music with their fans, colleagues, and especially each other. “All three of us have different personalities, different strengths and weaknesses,” says Megan. “But we take care of each other, and our various strengths help lift each other up. As sisters, we’re very much on the same wave length and I think people can really see that in the way we interact on stage.” Lovers of musical adventures that are supported by beautiful instrumentals and perfect harmonies are in for a treat!

@ Calhoun, USA
♫ Acoustic, Folk, Americana
♥ Distance (mp3)
♥ Time To Grow (mp3)
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Serena Ryder

"Unique vocals and songwriting skills make her a force to be reckoned with"

Serena Ryder is a Canadian singer/songwriter who is based in Peterborough, Ontario. She performed in many venues around Ontario from the age of 18, including being showcased at the CBC Women’s Blues Review 2002 at the Music Hall, Danforth Avenue, Ontario at 19. She has a “fearless” approach to performing. Her voice is mature beyond her years, with tremor and vivacity of a seasoned blues singer. Promotional CDs (‘A Day at the Studio’ and others) were available at some of her early performances and since then she has released three albums. In 2004 she released her debut album “Unlikely Emergency”, which included the song “Just Another Day” which gained signifigant airplay on many canadian radio stations. The album was released with the help of Hawksley Workman.In 2007, she released a album of cover songs “If Your Memory Serves You Well”. In 2008, she followed that up with “Is It O.K.”, mixing original work with a reprise of “Weak in the Knees”. She has been nominated for two Juno Awards for 2009 - ‘Artist of the Year’ and ‘Adult Alternative Album of the Year’ for “Is it O.K.”.

@ Toronto, Canada
♫ Pop, Folk, Blues
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website

Emily Jane White

"Haunting, but extremely beautiful"

Emily Jane White is a rare solo performer who can cut through noisy club din and turn antsy foot traffic into apt listeners. Her voice pierces the egos of those within earshot; it's a low, lilting alto, often compared to Chan Marshall and Hope Sandoval. Ghostly melodies float through her songs on ornate piano passages and simple guitar figures. But no matter how you find your way into White's world, it's easy to stay there. Like the best songwriters, the San Franciscan leaves room for the listener's subjectivity, with lyrics that read more like a Cormac McCarthy novel than a diary entry. White's characters are defined by what they lack. Lovers drive away; the dead require mourning. Men beyond redemption deliver images from a very American landscape. Her words are underscored by storytelling languages of the musical variety: blues, folk, and American spiritual traditions. Her religious references bring an atavistic sensibility to the work, making her subjects' isolation more universal. White's capability with ancient musical traditions also gives the songs a devotional quality, so the simplicity of a line like "oh, father lay me down," from the song "Bessie Smith," really connects. The title of that track also displays White's admiration for the late blues singer's "strength and influential and transgressive contributions to the history of the blues," she explains. White developed her brand of "dark folk," at UC Santa Cruz in the early '00s. Her vision was shaped by both classic country and blues songwriters (and contemporary fare like Nick Cave and P.J. Harvey) and her discovery of cultural mythologies through the American Studies program. Although the Santa Cruz music scene provided White a comfortable place to develop her sound, she lacked the confidence to go beyond the house-show circuit with her band the Diamond Star Halos. A post-collegiate sojourn in France increased her sense of self-reliance and further shaped her outlook. "My experience of the world became more vague, spiritual, strange, less concrete," she explains. Playing music to a warm Bordeaux audience provided new encouragement. People she met there wondered "why I didn't have a CD out, why I wasn't touring, why wasn't I on a record label," White explains. "And I didn't really know what to say." In 2006, White moved to San Francisco and started performing with new musicians under her own name. Her debut album Dark Undercoat, which will be released in September on Oakland's Double Negative Records, draws on five years of songwriting, collecting together songs that "felt the most tangible." Indeed, the album has a warm physicality; you can feel the weight of her fingers on the keys. The song "Wild Tigers I've Known" features a particularly beautiful lead melody accompanied only by graceful piano passages and a brief vocal harmony. Though the song was written for Cam Archer's film of the same name, it is movie-like on its own; visually rich and starkly scored. And like the rest of White's work, it demands a repeat audience.

@ San Francisco, USA
♫ Folk, Blues, Alternative
▸ Myspace
▸ Official Website