May 2017

An artist who can plumb the depths of sadness in a single note, then release it in the very next breath, Chastity Brown melds folk, pop and soul on her Red House debut, Silhouette of Sirens, weaving together a poet’s lyrical ear and a soul-laid-bare quality. The album’s 10 original tracks introduce us to a new voice – a songwriter of power and conviction who isn’t afraid to bare her heart as she sings of heartbreak, need and love. The album will be released on May 19, 2017 on CD, vinyl and all digital formats. Following a week of US dates in late May, Chastity will tour the UK and Ireland in June. Based in Minnesota, but with roots in Tennessee, Chastity grew up surrounded by country and soul music. In the full gospel church of her childhood, she played saxophone and drums and found her singing voice and a passion for music. Her first show was in Knoxville, TN, and then it was on to Minneapolis. Since then, she’s been featured on NPR’s “Favorite Sessions,” CMT, Ameri- can Songwriter, The London Times, Paste Magazine and others. Chastity has toured the US and abroad, appearing on the UK’s Later…with Jools Holland. For much of 2016, she toured alongside folk icon/ activist Ani Difranco. “What I’ve realized is that the personal is political,” Brown said in a recent interview. “Just by me being a bi-racial, half-black, half-white woman living in America right now is political. Just being a person of color, a queer woman of color, for that matter, is freaking political. My focus, as far as this record, I guess it’s really been psychological. I’m really intrigued by the perseverance of the human spirit and the complexities and contradictions that we embody as human beings. “I grew up in a trailer park in Union City, TN, with an incredible mother, brother and sister and a very abusive stepfather. There have been times throughout my life since leaving home when I experience debilitating flashbacks both while waking and asleep. Music has been my lifeline. A week after an episode, my long-time writing partner, Robert Mulrennan, sent me the music for the song now titled ‘Carried Away.’ I wrote the song over the course of that following week. It is as though some of these songs have come from a portion of my psyche that would not allow my thinking mind to filter through it. “Silhouette of Sirens is comprised of snapshots of memory, both lived and imagined. Some are love/sex/relationship-inspired, which in my opinion make the pain one might experience more bearable. In James Baldwin’s essay, ‘The Artist Struggle for Integrity,’ he says, ‘I tell you my pain so that I might relieve you of yours.’”  

London alt-country duo Two Ways Home have announced the release of their third EP, ‘Closest Stranger’ which features four brand new songs, including co-writes with Logan Brill, Demi Marriner and Adam James. In their own words: “We are so excited to be putting out a new EP at the beginning of June. This record is super special to us, it’s the first time we have put something out which includes co-writes. It’s a true collaboration of London and Nashville. We recorded everything in London and got it mixed and mastered with two of our friends in Nashville and it features both UK and American writers.”  iTunes pre-order starts tomorrow (3rd May). ABOUT TWO WAYS HOME: Two Ways Home are the songwriters and alt-country duo Isabella Mariee – originally from Vienna – and Lewis Fowler, who grew up in Gloucestershire. Now based in London, the pair have gone from strength to strength since a trip to Nashville inspired a new name and direction for their musical partnership. In the two years that have passed since the release of their debut EP ‘Wood For Trees’(March 2015), the band have enjoyed radio play across the UK & Europe, toured nationally – sharing stages with artists across the country/Americana spectrum from Phil Vassar to Red Sky July – and have been featured extensively in print publications including Maverick Magazine, Record Collector and The Sun, with the latter describing their sound as “…crystal clear harmonies tinged with melancholy”. Although their live setup is sometimes an acoustic duo or trio, Two Ways Home often play as a five-piece band with Chris Brice (drums), Michael Clancy (electric guitar) and Dominik Told (bass). The acclaimed follow up EP, ‘Better Days’ (Dec 2015) – highlighted as “a stunning piece of art” by One on One Music – secured their reputation as a key player in the UK country & folk scene, with single ‘Just For Now’ played across BBC Regional Radio, Amazing Radio and on Chris Country among others. Described by The Upcoming as ”unique, unexpected and brilliant”, interest in their music has also led to increasing demand for Two Ways Home as a songwriting team, with other artists turning to the duo to bring their distinctive sound to collaborations and co-writes. The pair recently returned to Music City for an extended trip to write with fellow artists and friends, and are preparing for the release of their latest EP ‘Closest Stranger’ on June 2nd 2017. www.twowayshome.com