News From Hemifran June 2016

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!

The Robert Bobby Duo – Folk Art

Robert Bobby has been a staple of the central Pennsylvania music scene since his days as front man for the critically acclaimed rock and rhythm’n’blues band The Speedboys, and has been favorably reviewed by music critics in Rolling Stone, The Village Voice, Sing Out!, and numerous other publications. He is known for his clever way with words, his quirky sense of humor, passionate voice and ability to connect with an audience. Musically, he is a pioneer in the unified theory of eclecticism. Mrs Bobby is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma. She learned to play the bass around the time her AARP membership arrived in the mail, and is an inspiration to anyone who has ever wished they could learn to play a musical instrument. The York County native brings her vast knowledge of roots music to the mix and a joy that is evident in her performance. Above all, she’s mrs Bobby. Together, The Robert Bobby Duo is a perfect blend of folk, singer-songwriter, americana and blues, witty, funny, fresh, yet familiar. More information at Hemifran.

Gypsy Soul – True

You’ve heard of crowd funding a CD, but what about an entire career? It all started with a promise to each other almost two decades ago in Edinburgh, Scotland. Gypsy Soul made the audacious commitment to each other to successfully make their living from their art and not to wait around for a label to discover them. They have just completed their 13th independent CD entitled, ”True” which is scheduled for an official release on June 17th, 2016.

Through their 19 year professional music career, Gypsy Soul have cultivated and nurtured an audience of life-long fans, not simply via their musical excellence, but because of their compelling story and dedication to all aspects of their craft. From their humble beginnings as immigrants to their unwavering passion, work ethic and approachability Gypsy Soul’s, Cilette Swann and Roman Morykit , have garnered a permanent place in the hearts of their fans. The exchange that’s come from these relationships has inspired their loyal supporters to donate over $81,000 for different CD projects. In fact, the duo’s entire music career has been funded almost exclusively (save a few licensing deals and TV film uses) by the continued patronage of fans to over one thousand of their live shows. More information at Hemifran.

Tawny Ellis – Ghost Of The Low Country

A native of Savannah, GA, and now living in Los Angeles, Tawny Ellis traveled back to the south to record, “Ghosts Of The Low Country”, her 6th recording and 2nd EP. While, on tour in the south with her longtime collaborator and husband, Gio Loria, and inspired by the documentary, Muscle Shoals, the two dropped by the renowned Fame Studios. As fortune would have it, they met with producer and founder, Rick Hall, who invited them to record after they had finished with their tour. “We had only 10 days left of the tour”, explains Ellis, “and in those 10 days ‘Ghosts Of The Low Country’ was written”.

Playing a few dates with the Athens, GA, band, Five Eight, guitar player Sean Dunn and drummer Patrick Ferguson joined in on the fun. “We all made our way back down to Alabama and practiced and arranged the songs we had in mind”, said Ellis. Adding bassist Peter Hamilton, Ellis concedes, “it came together very quickly the night before we recorded and then we hit it in the morning. It was challenging and intense, but ‘Ghosts Of The Low Country’ is one of my favorite songs I have written to date”. While playing a date at the County Fair, Ellis and Loria met Muscle Shoals native, Jason Isbell backstage. Isbell had recorded several times at Fame studios and Ellis and Isbell shared the same engineer when mastering their records, Pete Lyman at Infrasonic Mastering. “Everything about this record was kismet“, said Ellis. The sounds on “Ghosts Of The Low Country” are as soulful as the region and bring to life the aspects of music and song indicative not only of Tawny Ellis and Gio Loria, but of the very landscape of Muscle Shoals. More information at Hemifran.

Robert Rex Waller Jr – Fancy Free

Welcome to the most vivid and unlikely collection of cover songs you may ever hear. “Fancy Free”, the new solo album from Robert Rex Waller Jr, summons works from brilliant obscure artists and icons of popular music alike, taking listeners into a soundscape of exuberance, heartache, and everything in between. It’s a place where the plaintive strummings of Daniel Johnston and Mike Stinson commingle with the visionary lyricism of Neil Young and Nina Simone, and with wonderfully off-kilter romps from the Oak Ridge Boys, The Hollies, and The Doors. Eclecticism is among the music world’s greatest clichés, and rarely is it pulled off. In the expert hands of Waller, widely respected as one of Los Angeles’ premier independent musical artists, it is a triumph. These are songs you know, or will instantly feel you know, rendered entirely fresh and compelling. They hit you deep, make you grin wide, and often do both at once. More information at Hemifran.