The RGM inbox September 2020
September 1st, 2020 and RGM is six years old today. This year has been without a doubt the toughest yet here at RGM, which I’m sure will come as no surprise to anyone reading this little editorial as its been a tough year for everyone. Undaunted, if more than a little battered and bruised emotionally, we are still here looking to introduce you to more new and interesting music in a range of musical genres. With this in mind, the Inbox returns with tunes from both sides of the Atlantic as newcomer Lauren Moon and a returning Sam Brookes are joined by The Jorgensens reinventing a classic and Jake Allen doing his bit for our mental health through song.
Earlier this year London based singer-songwriter Lauren Moon released her debut single ‘It’s Easy To Stay Home’ which although bright and breezy in the delivery captured the problems that many folks experienced as they did indeed stay home. Lauren and her bandmate Peter Perrett Jr (son of The Only Ones singer) return with ‘What Goes Round (Comes Round)’ which displays another side of her character. Anchored by Perrett’s gorgeously warm bass playing, ‘What Goes Round (Comes Round)’ is darker, more sultry. Lauren’s vocal is smooth yet with a breathy earthiness that works rather well when coupled with a slew of Fleetwood Mac approved guitar lines and terrific widescreen production. The result is a bit of a gem which puts Lauren Moon firmly on my radar. Check out the single, I’m sure you’ll feel the same.
For our next artist, we cross the Atlantic to St. Paul, Minnesota where we find The Jorgensens with a new take on an old classic. Kurt and Brianna have put their spin on Billy Squire’s ‘In The Dark’ striping the tune back to its roots and rebuilding it from the ground up. The result is further enhanced by a video which reinterprets the lyrics in a way Billy Squier probably didn’t envisage back in the day. The vocal interplay and inventive instrumentation from the duo mark this out as a really cool take on a song few would have seen coming. The duo starting working together in 2014 and have been going from strength to strength ever since and ‘In The Dark’ is their first release as they embark on a new relationship with Dark Star Records.
We travel back to the UK (I really miss the days when such things were possible) to Bristol where singer-songwriter Sam Brookes has a new single ‘Sinking Boats’ from his upcoming ‘Black Feathers’ album due October 23rd via Go Slowly Records. Sam burst onto the scene in 2014 with his debut album receiving great reviews and comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Bon Iver. A lot has happened to Sam in the six years since but I’m pleased to report ‘Sinking Boats’ is a percussive marvel and Sam’s voice is a thing of beauty.
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jake Allen will release his 4th full-length album ‘Affirmation Day’ on October 2nd, 2020. The first single from the album ‘Rising Tide’ is available now. Jake is possibly best known for his impressive fingerstyle guitar dexterity, delivered with percussive intensity and clever use of looping, but there is more to Jake than guitar wizardry as the densely orchestrated progressive folk-pop of ‘Rising Tide’ demonstrates. Comparisons to Damien Rice and especially Duncan Sheik seem to hit the mark.
With the release of the "Rising Tide," Jake Allen is donating 20% of album pre-orders and any sales in his online merch store to the Live Blue Foundation, a group that is actively putting into practice the science behind the benefits water has on emotional wellness. #bluemind
“I write about the tension and anxiety that result from wearing blinders to what’s is broken in us globally and personally and I felt like I should do something about it beyond just writing about it.
Through a serendipitous chain of events I was led to the concept of “Blue Mind” and I became friends with the author of the book bearing the same title, Dr. Wallace J. Nichols.
The book and the concept are simple. Being around, on and in water has a healing effect on our minds and helps us re-center ourselves. Water is part of my life and I feel like we all inherently know that it is medicine for our bodies and mind, but often take for granted. Blue Mind breaks it down into a defined thing that we can put into practice.
In a year where anxiety and stress are reaching an all time high, we need these foundational reminders of how to rediscover our even keel.
Blue Mind is really a ground level solution and the Live Blue Foundation is putting it into action where it’s needed most”
The Inbox feature will return very soon with more music to help us all get through whatever fate has in store for us. So until next time, happy listening and stay safe.
Welcome to the latest edition of Sounds on Sunday, an occasional series where we showcase new and upcoming releases perfect for a relaxing Sunday (or any other day, for that matter). For this episode, our musical choices seem to be centred in Canada, with a nod to Norway and the Middle East. So join us as we listen to, and hopefully learn more about, Justine Giles, Drea Lake, Marthe Halvorsen, and Tenise Marie.