Press Releases

PAPA ROACH Kick off Mental Health Month Awareness Month with “Help (Aelonia Remix)” Lyric Video

DT: MAY 6, 2021
FM: KELLY WALSH, MITCH SCHNEIDER / SRO PR

PAPA ROACH KICK OFF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH WITH
NEW LYRIC VIDEO FOR “HELP (AELONIA REMIX)”
WATCH NOW

PART OF THE SECOND GREATEST HITS ALBUM
OUT NOW VIA BETTER NOISE MUSIC

As multi-platinum rock band PAPA ROACH continue to celebrate the release of their second greatest hits compilation, GREATEST HITS VOL. 2: THE BETTER NOISE YEARS—out now via BETTER NOISE MUSIC—the band have shared a lyric video for “Help (Aelonia Remix),” to celebrate the importance of May as Mental Health Awareness Month. The visual brings attention to the song’s vulnerable message, showing the importance of knowing when you need to help and having the strength to ask for it. WATCH HERE.

PAPA ROACH have continued to maintain their legacy as one of the leading music groups of the 21st century as they recently landed their eighth overall #1 single with “The Ending (Remastered 2020)” on the Mainstream Rock radio charts. With over 2.1 million views its music video features footage from the upcoming BETTER NOISE FILMS horror-thriller movie THE RETALIATORS which will showcase the acting debut of lead vocalist JACOBY SHADDIX’s. The song is also included on the film’s upcoming original soundtrack.

GREATEST HITS VOL. 2: THE BETTER NOISE YEARS commemorates PAPA ROACH’s continued success as a top-selling recording and touring act during their 2010-2020 tenure signed to Better Noise Music, Billboard’s #1 rock label of 2020. The compilation consists of 21 tracks including 13 Top 10 singles, previously unreleased remixes and acoustic recordings recorded Live at YouTube Studios in NYC. The album also includes a guest appearance from Asking Alexandria vocalist Danny Worsnop for a new version of “Broken As Me.” Watch the official music video HERE.

CONNECT WITH PAPA ROACH
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Website

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For press opportunities, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com

Better Noise Music
Jimmy Harney – jimmy@betternoise.com

TOMMY EMMANUEL Tomorrow (5/7) Releases New EP ‘Accomplice Series Volume 1 With Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley’ + Shares New Single & Video

DT: MAY 6, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (LOS ANGELES, NASHVILLE, LAS VEGAS)

TOMMY EMMANUEL
TOMORROW (MAY 7) RELEASES NEW EP
‘ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY’
ON CGP SOUNDS

SHARES NEW SINGLE AND VIDEO
“COPPER KETTLE” FROM THE EP
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
AND READ A Q&A BELOW

TOMMY, ROB & TREY TO PERFORM AT THE SOLD-OUT GRAND OLE OPRY
SATURDAY, MAY 8
AND SET LIVESTREAM FOR SUNDAY, MAY 9
TO EMANATE FROM 3RD AND LINDSLEY IN NASHVILLE

Acclaimed and Grammy®-nominated acoustic guitarist, singer and songwriter TOMMY EMMANUEL—one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins—today (May 6) shares the video for “Copper Kettle.” It’s the third single + video from the EP ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY, out tomorrow May 7 on CGP SOUNDS. Watch the Zach Pigg-directed video here with TOMMY and powerhouse Grammy®-nominated acoustic duo Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley in the studio in Nashville when they recorded the EP. Pre-save and pre-add the EP here.

The “Copper Kettle” video was premiered yesterday at Bluegrass Today which praised the EP: “It features these three virtuoso instrumentalists in a spontaneous, freewheeling recording…” “Copper Kettle” follows the album’s first two videos, “Flatt Did It” and “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka,” premiered at The Bluegrass Situation and Glide Magazine, respectively.

ACCOMPLICE SERIES VOLUME 1 WITH ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY was born out of the deep admiration the musicians have for each other, also underlined by shows they’ve played together intermittently for nearly five years, the first of which was May 5, 2016 at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco.

Creative sparks fly on the EP, which radiates good vibrations with white-hot picking virtuosity on acoustic guitars and Dobro—it’s all a welcome sanctuary from these upside-down times. There are three cover songs—the Chet Atkins/Doc Watson song “Flatt Did It,” Buck Owens’ “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” and the standard “Copper Kettle”—plus a rendering of the Emmanuel composition, “It’s Never Too Late,” originally released in 2015.

To support the EP, TOMMY, ROB & TREY have announced they’ll perform together at the sold-out Grand Ole Opry on Saturday, May 8. The performance will be broadcast worldwide on www.wsmradio.com at 7 PM CDT that same night.

They’ve also announced a ticketed livestream event via nugs.tv for Sunday, May 9 at 8 PM CDT to emanate from 3rd & Lindsley in Nashville. Purchase tickets here.

Q&A WITH
TOMMY EMMANUEL
AND ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY

TOMMY EMMANUEL:

—Congratulations on the recording of the EP. It emanates good vibrations and an easy charm…with a whole lotta virtuosity… quite a welcome sanctuary from these upside-down times. Sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. What are your feelings about the sessions?

The sessions were very spontaneous and, in fact, I suggested “Flatt Did It” and “Copper Kettle” as pieces on the day we recorded them. That’s how it came about. It was very spontaneous.

—What led to this collaboration with Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley and what are your thoughts about their playing? There’s a lot of creative sparks here.

I have been a fan of Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley for a long time. I love working with them. There’s a lot of creativity around us, and those guys are willing to just fly it. I need people like that to just bounce off and have a creative time with.

—There are songs by Chet Atkins, Buck Owens, one by Atkins + Doc Watson, and the final one on the EP is an older one of your songs that was recently recorded for ‘The Best of Tommy Songs’ album. Why were these particular songs chosen?

They were chosen because we didn’t have a lot of time. That’s what really helped this project come together. We could record the whole thing in just one day. I also felt “Flatt Did It” was a wonderful piece that is simple, and it’s one of Chet’s tunes. It’s a tribute to Lester Flatt of course. And the “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” was fun and a part of my childhood. We had four songs to do and each one had to be different and special.

—Of the four songs, two are you with Rob and Trey; there’s one with you and Rob; and another with you and Trey. Can you talk about why two of the songs were done as a trio and the other two as a duo?

The reason I recorded two songs as a trio is to feature both the guys and for us to do that. And then I wanted a song each with Rob and Trey. There would have been nothing for Rob to do in “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka.” It’s just me and Trey. And then in “It’s Never Too Late,” Rob and I have everything covered in that song so there would have been nothing for Trey to do. That’s how that came about.

—The first track and video from the EP is “Flatt Did it.” Can you talk about recording this one?

As I said before, “Flatt Did It” is a tribute to Lester Flatt and some of his classic kind of licks. We had the film crew in there for the day and they just rolled the cameras. We actually just played and ignored them almost.

ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY:

—Congratulations on the recording of the EP. It emanates good vibrations and an easy charm…with a whole lotta virtuosity…quite a welcome sanctuary from these upside down times. Sounds like it was a lot of fun to record. What are your feelings about the sessions?

Rob: Well, it’s always great to work with Tommy. He’s such a great artist, and such a great person. There are always a lot of sparks flying when we play together, and all three of us are into lots of different musical genres, so that’s always fun to explore different musical territories when we get together.

Trey: Getting to pick with Tommy and Rob any time is always a blast! Working in the studio with Tommy was so much fun, which I think is evident throughout this EP. The great vibe in the studio that day is prominent in the recordings. It was really just the three of us hanging out and playing tunes…what could be more fun?

—What led to your collaboration with Tommy and what are your feelings about his playing?

Rob: When Trey and I first started working together, I just thought it would be a great combination to tour with Tommy. I mentioned this to our booking agent, and he told me that a good friend of his had just started managing Tommy and he would reach out to him. A few days later we had some offers to open some shows with Tommy on the West Coast, and they fit in perfectly to our schedule that was already in place out there. Our first show was in San Francisco, and it was just an amazing night! We’ve been friends ever since, and we have done a lot of shows together. Tommy is the “whole package.” Obviously, he’s a brilliant technician, yet he always puts so much emotion and feeling into it. His love for the guitar comes out of that instrument and really has a profound effect on people–myself included.

Trey: Rob and I have worked with Tommy several times through the years, which is always amazing. I mean, Tommy is definitely one of my biggest guitar heroes and to be able to call him a friend has been such an incredible thing. Getting to record this EP with Tommy is one of the proudest moments of my musical career for sure. Tommy is the best. His playing is the high-water mark that all of us guitar players strive for. To work with such a legendary and important musician is just insanely cool. And he’s the nicest dude on the planet.

—Two of the songs here were recorded as a trio, and the other two as a duo. There’s a lot of creative sparks here. Can you talk about your experience of playing with Tommy?

Rob: I remember the first night we played with Tommy I had mentioned that I loved the title cut on his new album at the time called, “It’s Never Too Late.” He asked if I wanted to play it on stage that night and I said “sure!” What a moment, it felt so great to play that one on stage. His rhythm is impeccable, and I just felt like I was riding on a really great groove that I could not fall out of! We’ve played that same song live many times since then, so it’s great to document it on this record. Such a beautiful piece.

Trey: The song that Tommy and I play together is a Buck Owens Polka tune. The first show that Rob and I played with Tommy was in San Francisco, and Tommy had just played in Bakersfield, so the conversation immediately went to Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. Tommy played a bunch of those polka tunes during his soundcheck. So, when Rob and I played on the Tommy Emmanuel/David Grisman tour a year or so later, Tommy and I jammed on “Raz-Ma-Taz Polka” after one of the shows and ended up playing it on the show the next day. We’ve played that one a ton since then, so it’s cool to have it on tape! I love playing it with Tommy…and the energy is always through the roof. I’d like to think Buck (up there in heaven) digs it too…

—The first track and video from the EP is “Flatt Did it.” Can you talk about recording this one?

Rob: This song comes from an album that Chet Atkins did with Doc Watson. I love to hear Tommy and Trey play together. There’s a great respect between the two of them. They are both so brilliant. It’s great to hear them feeding off each other. And this song is just the perfect vehicle for a Dobro, so I’m enjoying the whole thing!

Trey: Yeah, this one was Tommy’s idea, and it’s a tune from the Doc Watson and Chet Atkins duo record. Rob and I both have a bluegrass background, and this song was written with the great bluegrass icon Lester Flatt in mind. (Hence the title.) It really was a natural fit and recording it with Tommy was so much fun!

Full Track List for Accomplice EP #1:

1. Copper Kettle (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)

2. Raz-Ma-Taz Polka (featuring Trey Hensley)

3. Flatt Did It (featuring Rob Ickes & Trey Hensley)

4. It’s Never Too Late (featuring Rob Ickes)

L-R: Trey Hensley, Tommy Emmanuel, and Rob Ickes
Photo Credit: Brian Penix

Artist: Tommy Emmanuel:
Photo Credit: Alysse Gafkjen

ABOUT TOMMY EMMANUEL:

TOMMY EMMANUEL has achieved enough musical milestones to satisfy several lifetimes. At the age of six, he was touring regional Australia with his family band. By 30, he was a rock n’ roll lead guitarist burning up stadiums in Europe. At 44, he became one of five people ever named a CPG (Certified Guitar Player) by his idol, music icon Chet Atkins. Today, he plays hundreds of sold-out shows every year from Nashville to Sydney to London. He’s piled up numerous accolades, including two Grammy Award nominations, two ARIA Awards from the Australian Recording Industry Association (the Aussie equivalent of the Recording Academy); repeated honors in the Guitar Player magazine reader’s poll including a cover story for their August 2017 issue; a cover feature for Vintage Guitar’s July 2020 issue; and was Music Radar’s reader’s poll #1 winner of the Ten Best Acoustic Guitarists in The World (December 2019). A noted fingerstyle guitarist, EMMANUEL frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. His talents, which translate in any language, carry him to the far corners of the globe, but EMMANUEL never plays the same show twice, and he improvises big chunks of every date. That leaves him open to those technical imperfections, though they also provide some of the humanity to an other-worldly talent. On May 8, 2020, he released a newly recorded career-spanning double album, THE BEST OF TOMMYSONGS, via CGP Sounds/Cruzen Street Records). Watch the album trailer here which focuses on TOMMY’s unique ability to tell stories without words: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SOQEMWYAQ4&feature=youtu.be

L-R: Trey Hensley, Rob Ickes
Photo Credit: Chad Jenkins

ABOUT ROB ICKES AND TREY HENSLEY

Take a 15-time IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) Resophonic Guitar Player of the Year and a Tennessee-born guitar prodigy called “Nashville’s hottest young player” by Acoustic Guitar magazine, and you have Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, a powerhouse acoustic duo that has electrified the acoustic music scene around the world. Known for their white-hot picking and world class musicianship, as well as their soulful stone country vocals, the GRAMMY® nominated duo cleverly and uniquely melds bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jamgrass, and string band music of all kinds to create a signature blend of music that defies restrictions of genre. NPR has called Ickes and Hensley “two musical phenoms”; Vintage Guitar raved they’re an “acoustic firestorm” who “are changing the rules”; Acoustic Guitar describes their sound as “steel-string bluegrass with all the intensity of rock ‘n’ roll” and No Depression observed they’re “two of the finest musicians playing today.” Ickes and Hensley have shared the stage or collaborated with Tommy Emmanuel, Taj Mahal, Vince Gill, David Grisman, Jorma Kaukonen, Marty Stuart, and Steve Wariner—all admirers of the duo. Ickes, former founding member of bluegrass “supergroup” Blue Highway and highly sought-after Dobro master, has graced the recordings and concerts of artists such as Earl Scruggs, Merle Haggard, Alison Krauss, Tony Rice and more. Hensley, who earned his first IBMA Guitar Player of the Year nomination in 2020, made his Grand Ole Opry debut at the age of 11 (thanks to an invite from Marty Stuart with Earl Scruggs) and has appeared on stage with the likes of Johnny Cash, Peter Frampton and Old Crow Medicine Show. All three of the albums released by Ickes and Hensley have received widespread acclaim, including their debut Before The Sun Goes Down, which garnered a GRAMMY® nomination, and the combo’s most recent release World Full of Blues, which features collaborations with Vince Gill and Taj Mahal.

For more information on TOMMY EMMANUEL, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

SRO PR Assets + Press Releases:
http://sropr.com/portfolio/tommyemmanuel/

For more information on ROB ICKES & TREY HENSLEY, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | TWITTER | YOUTUBE

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For press inquiries regarding TOMMY EMMANUEL, contact:

SRO PR
(Los Angeles, Nashville, Las Vegas)
Mitch Schneider // mschneider@sropr.com
Andrea Faulk // afaulk@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner // lwenner@sropr.com

POP EVIL Celebrate Sixth Overall #1 Rock Track “BREATHE AGAIN”; ‘Versatile’ Due May 21 via Entertainment One (eONE)

DT: MAY 3, 2021

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

POP EVIL
CELEBRATE SIXTH OVERALL #1 ROCK TRACK
“BREATHE AGAIN”

SINGLE IS FEATURED ON BAND’S UPCOMING ALBUM
‘VERSATILE’
DUE MAY 21 VIA ENTERTAINMENT ONE

PRE-ORDER HERE

(Photo credit: Ashley Osborn)
Pictured, from left: Matt DiRito, Hayley Cramer, Leigh Kakaty, Dave Grahs, Nick Fuelling

Hard rock titans POP EVIL have set a career milestone as “Breathe Again” becomes the sixth #1 rock single in their overall history joining previous #1 hits “Waking Lions,” “Footsteps,” “Deal with the Devil,” “Trenches” and the gold-certified “Torn to Pieces.” The track is featured on the band’s upcoming May 21 album VERSATILE via Entertainment One (eOne) alongside previously shared singles “Let The Chaos Reign,” “Work” and “Set Me Free.”

If rock is dead, then POP EVIL is definitive proof of the afterlife. The Michigan-formed blue-collar band—which consists of vocalist Leigh Kakaty alongside lead guitarist Nick Fuelling, rhythm guitarist Dave Grahs, bassist Matt DiRito and drummer Hayley Cramer—have created an unpredictable album, as its name suggests, which presents their most ambitious rebirth yet. VERSATILE highlights the group’s distinctive sound by zeroing in on their juxtaposition of cinematic melodies, heavy grooves, fist-pumping anthems and timeless power ballads while building on their foundation of showmanship, raw relatability, and timeless hard rock hooks.

VERSATILE is available for pre-order now via the official POP EVIL merch store and all orders will include an autographed postcard from the band: https://www.popevil-versatile.com/. CD’s will be exclusively sold via Target, which will offer a two-disc deluxe edition version of VERSATILE. The special bonus disc will include the track listing from their 2020 #1’s LP. This consisted of all of their previous #1 singles listed above that were pressed on 180-gram opaque gold vinyl.

VERSATILE Cover Artwork by Pedro Correa

POP EVIL’s success story extends beyond the charts, the 1 million units of “total activity” across their catalog, and the 600+ million streams of their songs on major platforms–it’s the diverse group of fans the band has captivated with their relatable storytelling and undeniable catchiness on tour after tour with the who’s who of the modern rock genre.

The band will return to stages this fall and can be seen at the below dates:

Fri. 8/6 – Mt. Pleasant, MI @ Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort & **SOLD OUT**
Sat. 8/7 – Louisville, KY @ Great Lawn at Waterfront Park & **SOLD OUT**
Wed. 8/11 – Camdenton, MO @ Ozarks Amphitheater &
Sat. 8/14 – Sioux City, IA @ Battery Park at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Sioux City
Sat. 9/11 – Mansfield, OH @ Inkcarceration Festival at The Ohio State Reformatory
Sun. 9/12 – Danville, VA @ Blue Ridge Amphitheater
Fri. 9/24 – Orlando, FL @ Monster Energy Rebel Rock at Central Florida Fairgrounds
Fri. 10/8 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock at Discovery Park
& w/Shinedown

For more information on POP EVIL, please visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

About eOne

Entertainment One Ltd. (eOne) is a talent-driven independent studio that specializes in the development, acquisition, production, financing, distribution and sales of entertainment content. As part of global play and entertainment company Hasbro (NASDAQ: HAS), eOne’s expertise spans across film, television and music production and sales; family programming, merchandising and licensing; digital content; and live entertainment. Through its extensive reach and scale, and a deep commitment to high-quality entertainment, eOne unlocks the power and value of creativity.

eOne brings to market both original and existing content, sourcing IP from Hasbro’s portfolio of 1500+ brands, and through a diversified network of creative partners and eOne companies including: international feature film distribution company Sierra/Affinity; Amblin Partners with DreamWorks Studios, Participant Media, and Reliance Entertainment; Makeready with Brad Weston; unscripted television production companies Renegade 83, Daisybeck, Blackfin and Whizz Kid Entertainment; live entertainment leaders Round Room Live; world-class music companies Audio Network, Dualtone Music Group and Last Gang; and award-winning emerging content and technology studio Secret Location.

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For press opportunities or advance album review requests, please contact:

SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

eOne
Bill Meis –BMeis@entonegroup.com
Alec Cakebread – alec@ngage.com

KATE CLARK Today Releases Video for “Last Names”— Listen To This Nashville-Based/Austin-Raised Singer/Songwriter’s Emotional Family Story In Her New Single

DT: APRIL 30, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/LYNDIE WENNER
SRO PR (NASHVILLE, LOS ANGELES, LAS VEGAS)

KATE CLARK
TODAY RELEASES “LAST NAMES”
LISTEN TO THIS NASHVILLE-BASED/AUSTIN-RAISED SINGER/SONGWRITER’S
EMOTIONAL FAMILY STORY IN HER NEW SINGLE HERE
AND WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

Nashville-based/Austin-raised singer/songwriter KATE CLARK turns the challenges of the past into cathartic music that is bright, bold, and soulful. The emerging country artist movingly illustrates this with her new and third single “Last Names,” in which she examines the fractured relationship she had with her late father. Listen here to the song, released today (April 30) via all streaming platforms, and watch the video, directed by Logan Christopher for Stormlight Pictures, here. An early supporter of the video is CMT: http://www.cmt.com/cmt-music-videos. A Q&A with KATE about the song is below.

In “Last Names,” co-written by KATE and Devin Malone and Katie Malone, she vividly sets the scene of when her father left the family and its after-effects:

“Mamma I know, I know why now
You cried on the back porch when the lights went out
Then I couldn’t see, I can see why now
There’s pictures all around in this dusty house
And daddy isn’t in any frames
Some of us get last names
that don’t mean a thing”

Growing up, KATE’s life seemed to unfold like a country song. Her father drank a lot, ultimately leaving the family when Kate was young. Raised by a single mom in Austin, she bonded with her absentee dad during his brief visits to town, when the two would ride around the Texas hill country in his truck. Sometimes, they’d talk. Other times, they’d just listen to music. Songs by George Strait, Garth Brooks, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings became the unofficial soundtrack to those father/daughter joyrides. Decades later, Kate still remembers how that music made her feel.

“Country music was something I shared with my dad,” she explains. “It was our thing. It made us both feel like we were part of some bigger picture, when there wasn’t anything else we could be a part of. My dad consumed country music like it was water—the water he needed to survive and to help dilute the demons behind the alcohol. We both connected with it, and that helped us connect with each other.”

Because “Last Names” is “so personal,” KATE says “I really wanted to keep the video simple. I wanted the lyrics to carry the weight of the story, not so much the visuals. I had been wanting to shoot with Logan Christopher for over five years, and I just knew, and trusted he could achieve the complex simplicity I was dreaming of.”

As KATE explains, “The video was shot in a charming house located in East Nashville. The house was full of country charm and felt like it belonged on a piece of property where your only neighbors are the horses, cows, and songbirds. The vibe and aesthetic is very soft and reflective. The sun was pouring in through the windows as I got lost reminiscing through old family photos spread out over the couch and coffee table. The video wouldn’t be complete without a shot of me in a rocking chair on the front porch. I had a moment on set after the director asked me to take a seat in the rocking chair and the music started playing where I just about lost it. I flashed back to seeing my mother in an old rocking chair that sat on our back porch crying. I couldn’t help but feel a full circle moment. The emotions that arise when you really understand and accept your past are incredible. An overwhelming sense of peace was the last thing I expected to receive. I’m forever grateful for this shoot.”

“Last Names” follows KATE’s first two singles: the debut “No Halo” (2/26/21) and “Wonderwall” (3/26/21), her distinctive cover of Oasis’ classic 1995 hit. All three songs were produced by David Lyndon Huff, who did the same honors for the Doobie Brothers’ multi-artist tribute album Southbound, that featured Zac Brown Band and Vince Gill, and who’s the younger brother of renowned Nashville producer Dann Huff.

“Last Names” shows that KATE CLARK is an artist gifted with an expressive, elastic voice matched with her sharp yet vulnerable sense of songwriting. This is her own brand of hook-filled country music, rooted in rich storytelling and the stories themselves may be sourced from her own life, but they’re applicable to anyone who, like Kate, has worked to turn obstacles into opportunities.

KATE plans to keep the excitement building throughout 2021; the singer and songwriter will release a series of singles via her label Kate Clark Music distributed by BMD (Brooklyn Music Distribution), a song per month, alternating between original tracks and striking reinterpretations of songs that have inspired her.

Q&A with KATE CLARK ABOUT ‘LAST NAMES”

The story painted with the lyrics in this song is very real and timeless, as are the emotions one feels listening to this song. Was this a part of your own life and if so, what can you tell us about that experience?

“Last Names” is first and foremost the sincerest “thank you” I think I’ll ever say in my lifetime. Thank you, mom! My mom, like so many other young mothers, thought she had love figured out and jumped headfirst into her vision of the American dream. Love, white picket fence, start a family. Unfortunately, it was anything but. My father served in the Vietnam war and came back a different person. He turned to alcohol to cope. Alcohol– breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Literally. “Last Names” begins with my father driving me (2 months old), my brother (3 years old) and my mom to Virginia and dropping us off at my mother’s family farmhouse. Story goes, he didn’t even say goodbye and drove off. Leaving us to figure life out on our own.

What message of hope do you want to send out to single moms or dads who are left to raise children on their own?

I hope all single mothers and fathers know that they’re heroes! Keep fighting, keep trying. Stay strong. Your little ones see you and know more than you think, and love you more than you think–good days, bad days. Your family portrait may not resemble “The Perfect Family” but what is perfect anyways? Family is love.

A pivotal lyric in the song is: “Some of us get last names/That don’t mean a thing.” Can you talk about this viewpoint?

I wasn’t given a last name that meant anything to me. (Let me say, I loved my dad like something fierce, but that is a story for another song.) This one-way love gave me no one to look up to. No legacy. Just a jagged, unfinished foundation to most, but to me, a clean slate. A chance to make my name mean anything I want it to mean. This is solely because of my mother’s strength and unforgettable courage.

You co-wrote this song with two writers (Devin and Katie Malone). With the song having such a personal and intimate nature, how did this song unfold for the three of you?

I wrote “Last Names” with Katie and Devin Malone. Devin and Katie have a way of making our writes feel like a safe place, and I knew I needed to write this one with them. I walked in with the idea “Some of us get last names\that don’t mean a thing.” I wanted it to be an homage to my mom and they were on board. They really helped me craft the story from my family’s real-life experiences. I’m pretty sure we all cried during this write, Okay, Devin didn’t cry, or did he?”

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Kate Clark
Photo credit: Josh Kranich

Bio here
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For press inquiries, contact SRO PR:

Mitch Schneider, mschneider@sropr.com
Lyndie Wenner, lwenner@sropr.com

Ten Takeaways From Mercy Fontenot’s ‘Permanent Damage: Memoirs Of An Outrageous Girl’

DATE: APRIL 29, 2021

FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/MARCEE RONDAN

10 TAKEAWAYS FROM
‘PERMANENT DAMAGE:
MEMOIRS OF AN OUTRAGEOUS GIRL’
MERCY FONTENOT WITH LYNDSEY PARKER
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MISS MERCY,
COFOUNDER OF FRANK ZAPPA’S GTOS,
OUT JUNE 9, 2021

Mercy Fontenot was a zelig who grew up in the San Francisco Haight Ashbury scene, where she crossed paths with Charles Manson, went to the first Acid Test, was friends with Jimi Hendrix (she was later in his movie Rainbow Bridge) and married Shuggie Otis with whom she had a son, Lucky.

Permanent Damage: Memoirs of An Outrageous Girl, written just prior to her death in 2020 with veteran music journalist Lyndsey Parker, fearlessly shows us the anything-goes world of the 1960s and 1970s music scene through Miss Mercy‘s eyes, as well as the fallout of that era–experiencing homelessness before sobering up and putting her life back together. Miss Mercy’s journey is a can’t miss for anyone who was there and can’t remember, or just wishes they’d been there. Pre-order the book here.

Miss Mercy’s work in the GTOs, the Frank Zappa-produced all-female band who released their debut album PERMANENT DAMAGE in 1969 on his Straight Records label, launched her into the pages of Rolling Stone that same year. Her adventures saw her jumping out of a cake at Alice Cooper’s first record release party, while high on PCP, and had her travel to Memphis where she met Al Green and got a job working for the Bar-Kays. Along the way, she married and then divorced the above-mentioned Shuggie Otis, before transitioning to punk rock and working with the Rockats and Gears. This is her story as she lived and saw it.

Here are 10 gems from Permanent Damage: Memoirs of An Outrageous Girl:

● Charles Manson: “One time in the Victorian [in San Francisco] I shared with Ricky [Prescott, her childhood friend] I could hear Charles Manson in the adjacent room, talking to a black guy about the ‘blood wars’ that would soon erupt due to all the racial unrest in the world.”

● Janis Joplin: “I was with Janis Joplin’s drug dealer the night she died…He wanted to test the smack on me, basically use me as his guinea pig. Naturally, I was up for the task. But as soon as he shot me up, I knew something had gone very wrong…Neither of us knew at the time that Janis would overdose from this same batch of heroin.”

● Rolling Stones/Altamont: “About three days before the Rolling Stones’ infamous, disastrous Altamont Festival, where the Flying Burrito Brothers also performed, Pamela [Des Barres] and I went to see Gram play a solo gig at the Corral Club in Topanga Canyon. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were also there…One thing led to another, and we all jumped in a limousine at the end of the night and went over to Peter Tork’s house. I had my tarot cards with me, and for some dumb reason decided I was going to do a reading for the Stones…The whole read-out was an utter tragedy…I read Keith and Gram’s cards next, and it was same alarming result. Just no, no, no—’no’ was the one word going through my mind. All of the tarot cards looked horrible…But I decided not to tell them what I saw since I wasn’t going to be able to change their minds about going through with it anyway…everybody knows what happened at Altamont, when the violence broke out and the Hells Angels who’d been hired to be security guards stabbed that poor kid Meredith Hunter to death. Four people ultimately died that day—along with, many have said, the 1960s.”

● The Go-Go’s: “I wanted to put some funk into the punk. I spent all my time trying to educate these young punk people. I would tell them, ‘You’re playing shit…I remember being over at X’s house with Belinda Carlisle, and I handed Belinda a list of black songs that I thought the Go-Go’s should cover, and one of them was ‘Cool Jerk’ by the Capitols. They ended up recording it a few years later.”

● “Miracle Max”/Dr. Feelgood: “Once I traveled with Jobriath [70s glam rock musician] to New York, and he and the guy who cowrote Hair, James Rado, took me to meet Max Jacobson—a.k.a. ‘Miracle Max or ‘Dr. Feelgood,’ or the inspiration for the Beatles’ ‘Doctor Robert,’ who had been President Kennedy’s doctor. Max had been tied up with all these celebrities—Edie Sedgwick, Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Fisher, Judy Garland, Thelonious Monk, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley, Elizabeth Taylor, Tennessee Williams…Perhaps it speaks volumes about my tolerance level that a shot from the infamous Dr. Feelgood made me feel almost nothing. But I took a second shot that day, this one administered by Max’s nurse, and she booted me—what that means is, she shot me up, drew the blood back out through the syringe, and then she shot me again, so it was like shooting up twice, a two-for-one special. That’s how crazy this scene was. That rock ’n’ roll nurse had holes all over her arms.”

● Chuck Berry: “Chuck Berry was playing a concert with Johnny Otis at Disneyland, and I went with Shuggie and the Otis family to see the show. Before we set off, I gulped down a handful of pharmaceutical pills—Valiums, whatever I could find…I most likely had sex with Chuck that night, but I can’t be sure because I was so out of my mind on pills that it’s all a blur…So…about that bucket. Chuck Berry was known for certain bathroom fetishes and peeping-Tom behavior, for which he got in big, big trouble later. After we finished doing whatever we did in his trailer, he informed me, ‘I’m going to take a photo of you because I always take pictures of the women I have sex with.’ So obviously we must have had sex, even if I don’t remember it. Anyway, I let him take a naked Polaroid. I don’t know where that photograph is now. I’d actually like to see it. Then he said, ‘Would you do me another favor? I’m going to hand you a bucket. I would like you to go to the bathroom and take a shit while I watch.’ At the time, I thought Chuck’s request was odd, but I was probably too fucking high to process it. So what the hell—I did as I was asked. I gave him his sexy stool sample. I don’t even want to know what he did with the bucket afterward. At least there’s no Polaroid of me doing that, thank God.”

● Alice Cooper (from Pamela Des Barres’ afterword): “…she [Mercy] leapt out of a huge, gooey cake at Alice Cooper’s ‘coming out’ party, when she hurled the icing at all and sundry, splatting hunks of goop on the likes of Rod McKuen and Richard Chamberlain, who thought they were attending the coming out of an actual Beverly Hills debutante. As I remember it, Mercy had smoked angel dust before her big moment…”

● GTOs reunion/Hollywood Palladium: “The only event that came close to a real GTOs reunion was a show on October 11, 1974, also at the Palladium, called the ‘Hollywood Street Revival…Shuggie thought it wasn’t proper for me to be in the GTOs. He objected to most activities that would entail me fraternizing outside the house with other musicians. But then, on the day of the show, Cynderella called me up and convinced me to do it after all. The other girls had been rehearsing diligently, but she assured me it would be fine for us to just show up out of nowhere (apparently she’d skipped out on rehearsals as well). I told Shuggie, ‘Cynderella and I are going to the pictures, see you later!’…when Cynderella came by to pick me up, she had this china white heroin from France, so we got blitzed out of our gourds. We walked into the venue just as the GTOs were about to go on and said all brightly and casually, ‘Hey, guys, we’re here!’ Sparky and Pamela weren’t too thrilled to see us, especially when I became sick as a dog from the smack and started throwing up backstage…Later, when I got home, Shuggie eagerly sniffed up the rest of the French heroin, but not before his father, the legendary bandleader Johnny Otis, pounced on me the minute I stepped through the door. ‘How could you do that to the family?’ he screamed. I said, ‘What on earth are you talking about? Do what?’ Johnny said, ‘I saw you on the TV. How could you embarrass us like that?’ I had no idea that this Palladium concert was a splashy event that was going to be on the evening news. There would be no more GTOs reunion attempts after that.”

● Rolling Stone Cover: “Bernardo [Saldana, ‘the first love of my life’] and I were even on the sixth cover of Rolling Stone, in a prize-winning photo from the famous Gathering of the Tribes, of the ‘Human Be-In’—an iconic image that bound us together forever. It was that day that Baron Wolman, the legendary chief photographer for Rolling Stone, spotted us in Golden Gate Park. ‘Can you just pose for us? I like your looks,’ he said simply, and he snapped that historic photo. I didn’t think much of it at the time. A few weeks later I was high on acid at the Fillmore, and I saw the issue there and went, ‘Oh, my God, Bernardo. We’re in Rolling Stone!’ I could not believe it. There I was on the cover in my white poet blouse, perfectly worn-in 501 Levi’s, and antique fur coat, staring and glaring right at Baron’s lens with my kohl-caked eyes. Exactly a year later, on my birthday, I was in Rolling Stone again—issue No. 27, the ‘Groupie’ issue—this time taking up the entire back cover…”

● Arthur Lee: “Arthur [Lee, of Love] was a wild-eyed guy, so tall and so handsome, but so totally fucked up. He was so loaded that he hid in my bathroom and claimed the boogeyman was after him. At that point in my life, I thought to myself,’ “Damn, this guy’s a little too freaky, even for me.’ I had immense respect for Arthur as a musician, but I didn’t feel the need to hang with him right then. It takes a lot to scare me, but he scared the crap out of me. When Arthur and I finally hooked up a couple decades later, that boogeyman had followed him all the way into the nineties. That damn monster was still chasing him. I believe it chased him till the day he died.”

About Lyndsey Parker:

Lyndsey Parker is the music editor at Yahoo Entertainment and host of the daily SiriusXM Volume show Volume West. Considered an expert in music and pop culture, Parker is an Online Journalism Award nominee and has written for Elle, MOJO, Rolling Stone, NME, and Guitar. She has appeared as a commentator for the ABC special The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story, AXS TV’s The Top Ten Revealed, and the documentary I Want My MTV, as well as for VH1’s Behind the Music, CNN, MTV, The Insider, and Good Day L.A.. She is the author of Careless Memories of Strange Behavior: My Notorious Life as a Duran Duran Fan (one of the first e-books published as part of Rhino Records’ all-digital music book series, which went to #1 on the iTunes Music Books chart).

AVAILABLE IN HARDCOVER and E-BOOK

BIOGRAPHY/ AUTOBIOGRAPHY/ MUSIC

9781644281826 | US $27.00 | 6 x 9 in. | 320 pp.

RARE BIRD BOOKS, A BARNACLE BOOK

DISTRIBUTED WOLRDWIDE BY PUBLISHERS GROUP WEST

RAREBIRDLIT.COM

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Alt Rock/Pop Punk Trio CITY OF THE WEAK Release Politically Charged Single “United Hate Division”

DT: APRIL 26, 2021

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

ALTERNATIVE ROCK/POP PUNK TRIO
CITY OF THE WEAK
DEPICT SATIRICAL LOOK AT MODERN DAY POLITICS WITH NEW SINGLE / MUSIC VIDEO
“UNITED HATE DIVISION”

LISTEN/WATCH HERE

Minneapolis-based trio CITY OF THE WEAK provoke listeners to evaluate their stance on the current state of political and social affairs with their brand new single, “United Hate Division.” The rousing single was released last Friday (April 23) across all digital platforms in conjunction with the premiere of its satirical music video unveiled by MXDWN. “‘United Hate Division’ is a hard-hitting track combining elements of metal, hard-rock and pop punk…” notes MXDWN. “The song is political without polarizing itself into left or right, instead expressing the opinion that many Americans feel – that both sides of the system are out for themselves.”

“United Hate Division” was mixed by Chris Collier (Korn, Prong) and produced by Brandon Friesen (The HU, The Kooks, Billy Ray Cyrus) whom CITY OF THE WEAK recently enlisted to record their upcoming yet-to-be-titled sophomore album due this fall.

“We had a blast getting really creative and chaotic with this video,” shares vocalist Stef w/ an ‘F.’ “The concept shines a light on how divided our country currently is and reminisces how easily we once came together over something as simple as a Netflix series.”

Stream/download “United Hate Division” here: https://smarturl.it/cityoftheweak

Watch the “United Hate Division” music video HERE or streaming directly below.

CITY OF THE WEAK – “United Hate Division” Official Music Video

CITY OF THE WEAK was formed in 2012 and have previously released two EPs, a full-length album and have received over 2 million combined views across their 11 music videos. The independent trio have built a loyal fanbase across the U.S. with their intense, passionate live show which has seen them on tour with acts such as Asking Alexandria, August Burns Red, All That Remains, PVRIS, Lita Ford and Tonight Alive as well as appearances at several of the largest rock music festivals including Chicago Open Air, Northern Invasion, Warped Tour, Rocklahoma, South by So What?!, Rock Fest and Rock USA.

The trio are excited to return to stages this summer and have announced the following upcoming festival appearances and tour dates:

Friday, July 16: Cadott, WI @ Rock Fest w/ Korn, Limp Bizkit, etc.
Thursday, July 29: Indianapolis, IN @ Black Circle
Friday, July 30: Akron, OH @ Summit Fest w/ Saving Abel
Saturday, July 31: Columbus, OH @ The King of Clubs

Lineup (l-r): Cody Hoffman (bass), Stef w/an ‘F’ (vocals), Brent Lindblad (guitars)
Photo Credit: C. Evan Media

For more information on CITY OF THE WEAK, please visit:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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For press opportunities, please contact:

SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

HEART OF BONE Salutes AC/DC. Proudly Presented By CUSTOM CREED

DT: APRIL 15, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER, KELLY WALSH / SRO PR

HEART OF BONE SALUTES AC/DC
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY CUSTOM CREED

For those about to rock…Almost two years in the making, this incredible collection fuses advanced electron microscope technology with traditional craftsmanship, HEART OF BONE SALUTES AC/DC–a high voltage unisex collection inspired by the band’s rock n’ roll legacy.

There is something for every AC/DC fan including:

-Limited edition bespoke 9k solid gold tribute collectors’ rings
-Bespoke sterling silver tribute rings in three unique styles
– ‘Ready to Rock’ artisan crafted stainless steel jewelry styles

-100% Australian-made organic cotton limited edition t-shirts made using the latest technology in screen printing practices and inks.
-Exclusive AC/DC cashmere knitwear, limited to 100 units per release which were created in collaboration with the famous Barrie factory in Scotland, an ode to the Scottish heritage of AC/DC members, Angus and Malcolm Young and Bon Scott.

This once-in-a-lifetime, first of its kind AC/DC-inspired collection, is a revolution in luxury rockware. There is already a global waitlist for these soon to be released collector’s items. This is an officially licensed AC/DC collection, and every product includes a certificate of authenticity. CUSTOM CREED and HEART OF BONE will begin dropping capsule collection releases regularly over an 18-month period starting April 15.

Shop and view the collection at www.heartofbone.com and www.customcreed.com

Find HEART OF BONE on socials here:
www.Instagram.com/heartofbone_
www.facebook.com/heartbonestudio/
www.twitter.com/heartofbone_

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For press inquiries, please contact:
SRO PR
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

Hard Rock Group PISTOLS AT DAWN Reveal New Video Single “Crown”

DT: April 13, 2021

FM: KELLY WALSH, SRO PR

HARD ROCK GROUP
PISTOLS AT DAWN
REVEAL NEW SINGLE + MUSIC VIDEO
“CROWN”

TAKEN FROM DEBUT EP
‘NOCTURNAL YOUTH’
DUE MAY 7

Hard rock outfit PISTOLS AT DAWN have shared the second heavy-hitting single, “Crown,” from their upcoming debut EP NOCTURNAL YOUTH due out May 7. The music video for “Crown” was premiered April 9 via Ghost Cult Magazine who lauded it as “fresh with an anthemic feel and major Muse vibes.” Watch it streaming below or find it available across all digital platforms here: http://smarturl.it/StreamCrownNow.

“‘Crown’ is about observing a majority of the world pursuing detrimental ways of life,” jointly state PISTOLS AT DAWN. “It’s about knowing better and seeing leadership continually fail those they lead. Too many in power are acting like foolish kings. ‘Crown’ is a push against apathy and ignorance and refusing to represent those ideologies. The video is a visual representation of the dystopian reality we find ourselves living in, a play on the pursuit of the ‘golden idol,’ and a rejection of the internal and external infrastructure that perpetuates this warped existence.”

PISTOLS AT DAWN – “Crown” Official Music Video

PISTOLS AT DAWN recently spoke to their hometown daily paper, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, about the band’s reformation after a brief hiatus following the passing of original guitarist Mike Buffa and the chemistry between founders Adam Jaffe (drums), Devin White (guitars) and Billy Sullivan (bass) with new members Tommy Richardson (guitars) and VH1 Rockstar Supernova finalist Chris Pierson (vocals) while recording their new EP. Read the full chat HERE.

NOCTURNAL YOUTH was recorded with producer Jeff Tomei (Smashing Pumpkins, Matchbox 20) and mastered by engineer Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More) and features four powerful and distinctive tracks which Outburn Magazine applaud for their “instantly catchy sing-along anthems and headbang inducing melodies.” The EP’s debut single “Voices” was released on March 5 and was revered by Indie Pulse Music for its “catchy and powerful chorus.”

NOCTURNAL YOUTH Track Listing
1. Voices (LISTEN)
2. Crown
3. Now Is The Time
4. Gone Black

Photo Credit: Michael Mueller/M3 Creative

Find more information on PISTOLS OF DAWN online here:
FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE

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For press inquiries, please contact:
SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com

PAPA ROACH Share Lyric Video for Gold-certified Single “Born For Greatness (CYMEX Remix)” Taken Off Second Greatest Hits Compilation

DT: APRIL 8, 2021

FM: KELLY WALSH, MITCH SCHNEIDER / SRO PR

PAPA ROACH
SHARE LYRIC VIDEO FOR RIAA GOLD-CERTIFIED SINGLE
“BORN FOR GREATNESS (CYMEX REMIX)”
WATCH NOW

TAKEN FROM SECOND GREATEST HITS ALBUM
OUT NOW VIA BETTER NOISE MUSIC

As multi-platinum rock band PAPA ROACH continue to celebrate the release of their second greatest hits compilation, GREATEST HITS VOL. 2: THE BETTER NOISE YEARS—out now via BETTER NOISE MUSIC—the band have shared a cosmic-themed lyric video for the remixed album track “Born For Greatness (Cymex Remix).” Watch it streaming below or via YouTube HERE. “Born For Greatness,” the original track, was awarded a RIAA Gold Certification earlier this year.

An instrumental version of the track can also be heard in the trailer for the upcoming co-op third person video game Outriders: No Turning Back, watch it HERE.

PAPA ROACH have continued to maintain their legacy as one of the leading music groups of the 21st century as they recently landed their eighth overall #1 single with “The Ending (Remastered 2020)” which currently remains in the Top 10 of the Mainstream Rock radio charts. With over 2.1 million views its music video features footage from the upcoming BETTER NOISE FILMS horror-thriller movie THE RETALIATORS which will showcase the acting debut of lead vocalist JACOBY SHADDIX’s. The song is also included on the film’s upcoming original soundtrack.

CONNECT WITH PAPA ROACH
Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube | Website

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For press opportunities, please contact:

SRO PR
Kelly Walsh – kwalsh@sropr.com
Mitch Schneider – mschneider@sropr.com

Better Noise Music
Jimmy Harney – jimmy@betternoise.com

LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats Joins Forces with “Complexions Contemporary Ballet” Starting 4/25

DT: APRIL 6, 2021

FM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/ANDREA FAULK, SRO PR

THE WORLDS OF DANCE AND ROCKABILLY
COME TOGETHER IN “GATHER ROUND,”
THE FIRST ITERATION OF A FULL-LENGTH BALLET BY
“COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET” TO THE MUSIC OF

LEE ROCKER OF THE STRAY CATS
“GATHER ROUND” HAS BEEN COMMISSIONED BY
THE LAGUNA DANCE FESTIVAL
AND WILL BE WORLD PREMIERED ONLINE
STARTING APRIL 25 AT 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Photo credit: Katie Mollison

The worlds of dance and rockabilly uniquely come together in “Gather Round,” a collaboration between LEE ROCKER of The Stray Cats fame and the award-winning COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet featuring three songs from the Grammy-nominated upright bass player, singer and songwriter’s current solo album Gather Round. This first iteration of a full-length ballet by COMPLEXIONS using the music of ROCKER has been commissioned by the Laguna Dance Festival and will be world premiered online as a free event starting April 25 at 5:00 PM PT/8:00 PM ET (Laguna Dance Festival). Watch the trailer here. The full-length ballet, for which other details are TBA, will be performed in 2022 in Laguna Beach, CA (venue TBA).

“Gather Round” will be presented in three short duets to Rocker’s songs: “Gather Round,” “The Last Offline Lovers” and “When Nothing’s Going Right.” It’s a rousing, tongue-in-cheek nod to the timeless genre that is Rockabilly. The piece finds its inspiration musically “in the pocket” of the rhythm and soul of Rocker’s spinning double bass, and distinct vocals. “Gather Round” is a colorful expression of movement that connects, expresses, and celebrates the joy of living life, in all of its complexities.

“I’m thrilled and honored that the complexions modern ballet company has chosen to choreograph and dance to music from my newest album Gather Round,” says LEE ROCKER. “In previous years, Complexions has created groundbreaking performances featuring the music of David Bowie and Lenny Kravitz. Thank you for the incredible choreography, dancers, and concept. The team of Dwight Rhoden, Jodie Gates, Desmond Richardson, Brandon Gray and Larissa Gerszke have truly captured the essence and emotions of my music in a unique and innovative way.”

“‘Gather Round’ is choreographed by Dwight Rhoden, Founding Artistic Director of Complexions Contemporary Ballet, of which Broadway World has written: “Complexions is breathtaking in its appropriate irreverence and indisputably glorious entertainment value. For what it is rather than what it’s not. It is one of the finest of Contemporary Ballet Companies in America.”

“Desmond Richardson (Assistant To The Choreographer) and I have been big fans of Lee’s work for a long time,” says Dwight Rhoden, “and I have always wanted to create a ballet to his music. Thanks to both Lee, Jodie and the Laguna Dance Festival, Complexions finally gets that chance. Dance and Rockabilly music have always been a perfect match in my mind, but actually getting into the studio and watching the dancers get swept away by the pulse and thump of his music, has been so rewarding. The spirit of Lee’s new record “Gather Round” is contagious, and so inspiring.”

Jodie Gates, Founder and Artistic Director, Laguna Dance Festival, says: “When we set out to commission a new work in the middle of a pandemic, we could not have imagined bringing together a more exciting group of artists. Lee Rocker’s new music ‘Gather Round’ combined with exquisite dancers from Complexions and the stylish choreography by Dwight Rhoden is a multidisciplinary celebration of what the future for the arts can look like as we move together into the world of live theater post-pandemic. The world premiere of the video April 25^th is just the beginning of a longer work we are committed to commission from these artists in the 2022 Laguna Dance season in Orange County.”

“Gather Round” Credits:
Choreography: Dwight Rhoden
Music: Lee Rocker
Costume Design: Christine Darch
Filmed by: Jacob Hiss
Edited by: Jacob Hiss & Dwight Rhoden
Assistant to the Choreographer: Desmond Richardson, Clifford Williams

LEE ROCKER, photo credit: Jet Luna

About LEE ROCKER:

Lee Rocker made his mark singing, playing, standing on, spinning and rocking his giant upright bass in the legendary music group The Stray Cats. Grammy-nominated, The Stray Cats have sold nearly 10 million albums and garnered an astounding 23 gold and platinum certified records worldwide. Founded by Rocker, Brian Setzer, and Slim Jim Phantom, The Stray Cats remain a radio staple, were music video pioneers at the infancy of MTV, and repeatedly brought rockabilly music to the top of the charts. From the cover of the Rolling Stone magazine, to appearing on Saturday Night Live, to headlining music festivals and touring with the Rolling Stones, Lee Rocker has seen and done it all. In addition to The Stray Cats and the Rolling Stones, Rocker has toured and performed with George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, and John Fogerty. In 1982, Rocker and his father Stanley Drucker, (classical clarinetist) both received Grammy nominations; this was something that has only occurred twice in the history of the Grammy Awards. In 2012 Lee appeared on Broadway in the hit musical “Million Dollar Quartet” and in 2014 he was inducted into the Bass Player Hall of Fame. Rocker has received numerous honors for his contributions to music and the arts, including being inducted to the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, the Long Island Music Hall of Fame and he is a recipient of the Visionary Artist Award by the City of Laguna Beach California. Lee Rocker and his band look forward to touring again and performing Stray Cats hits including “Rock This Town,” “Stray Cat Strut” and “Sexy and 17” as well as slamming renditions of songs from his many solo albums. In January 2021, Rocker released a new solo album Gather Round on Upright Records (his label distributed through Orchard).

For more information on LEE ROCKER, visit:
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

About COMPLEXIONS Contemporary Ballet:

Complexions was founded in 1994 by Master Choreographer Dwight Rhoden and the legendary Desmond Richardson with a singular approach to reinventing dance through a groundbreaking mix of methods, styles and cultures. Today, Complexions represents one of the most recognized, diverse, inclusive and respected performing arts brands in the World. Having presented an entirely new and exciting vision of human movement on 5-continents, over 20-countries, to over 20-million television viewers and to well over 300,000 people in live audiences, Complexions is poised to continue its mission to bring unity to the world one dance at a time.

Complexions has received numerous awards including The New York Times Critics’ Choice Award. It has appeared throughout the US, including the Joyce Theater/NY, Lincoln Center/NY, Brooklyn Academy of Music/NY, Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts/New Orleans, Paramount Theatre/Seattle, The Music Center/Los Angeles, Winspear Opera House/Dallas, Cutler Majestic Theater/Boston, New Victory Theater/NY, and Music Hall/Detroit, The Bolshoi Theater, The Kremlin, The Mikhailovsky Theater, Melbourne Arts Center, and will made it’s debut at the Kennedy Center in 2017, as a part of Ballet Across America.

Additionally Complexions has appeared throughout Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, Russia, New Zealand and South America.

Together, Rhoden and Richardson have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 27 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before—in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

www.complexionsdance.org

www.complexionsacademy.com

About Laguna Dance Festival

Since 2005 the award-winning Laguna Dance Festival, based in Laguna Beach California, has presented world-class dance performances in theaters, on film, and public spaces, reaching thousands annually, and exposing new audiences to professional concert dance. Laguna Dance Festival is a nonprofit organization deeply dedicated to the arts and community. The organization is committed to collaboration, dance presentation and education through an artistic lens that strategizes innovative ways to commission artists, educate young dancers and unite people of all ages and cultures. Previous festival lineups have featured national and international companies and artists including Ballet BC, Malpaso, RUBBERBAND, Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, Parsons Dance, Complexions Contemporary Ballet, Ballet West, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Black Grace, BalletX, Alonzo King LINES Ballet, Abraham.In.Motion (A.I.M.), BODYTRAFFIC, Paul Taylor Dance Company, and artists from San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet and New York City Ballet, among many others. In addition to its mission to present world-class dance performance and increase public appreciation for the art, Laguna Dance Festival is committed to the highest quality dance education and provides opportunities for aspiring artists through master classes, workshops, intensive programs and scholarships.

https://lagunadancefestival.org/

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