Fanatic Promotion: The March Divide announces series of 80’s covers, with art featuring Jared Putnam “wearing” each covered artist’s iconic, era-compliant hairstyle.

Prolific San Antonio-based songwriter currently working on follow-up to “Bribing Jace,” his fourth EP, in addition to three LPs, in three years.

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Jared Putnam of The March Divide channels Robert Smith of The Cure. Photo: John Glover. Art: Krist Krueger.

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The March Divide launches a series of 80’s cover songs with “Closedown” by The Cure. Hear it via Verbicide or the links below!

[STREAM]: https://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/the-march-divide-closedown-by-the-cure

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpr.com/the-march-divide-covers/the-march-divide-closedown-by-the-cure.mp3

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The March Divide – In The Press

“Impressively hooky.” — American Songwriter

“Catchy hooks and memorable lines.” — Innocent Words

“A lovely surprise.” — Independent Clauses

“His work is uniformly intimate and thoroughly emotional.” — Nooga

“Big Star-informed, strummy acoustic reverie.” — BLURT

“Completely clever.” — Performer

“Gifted with a serious set of pipes.” — The Aquarian

“Quality pop at its best.” — Popdose

“All about lyrics and melodies.” — Babysue

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“I have an ongoing project, to record every song off of Disintegration.” – Jared Putnam, The March Divide

San Antonio-based songwriter, Jared Putnam, leader of the sometimes more, but usually one-man pop-rock band, The March Divide, is a prolific songwriter (three albums and four EPs worth over the last few years), but he’s also a studio hound, in general, who loves to be there recording.

As Putnam preps songs for a new album, he has been having some fun recording cover versions of songs that have inspired him, some that are beloved hits, and some that are both. Most of all, they are songs he grew up with.

“I feel like these are the songs that introduced me to music, around the age that I started to care,” he says.

Working with engineer Mike Major (At The Drive-In, Coheed and Cambria), who also plays keys on the majority of the tracks and has been working with Putnam for years, was a comfortable environment in which to have a good time with these tunes.

Artists including The Cure, The Bangles, Willie Nelson, Culture Club, and ‘Til Tuesday get a treatment from Putnam that isn’t ironic, but truly interpretive in the best way, as he takes his style and applies it with the thoughtful touch that makes it clear why we love these songs, and why he does, too.

“People might write this off as a rehash, but that honestly didn’t even occur to me until I was finished recording. For me, these songs are endearing. I was a little kid and these songs were on MTV. Everyone loves something about these songs.”

Adding to the fun, graphic designer Krist Krueger has taken Putnam’s image and created “covers for the covers,” with each song accompanied by Warholian art depicting Putnam wearing the iconic hairstyle of the artist he’s paying tribute to.

The first track to be released is “Closedown” by The Cure, featuring Mr. Robert Smith’s legendary coif on the jacket.

“That album fits so well in the era it’s from. It defined it. The songs are timeless,” Putnam says.

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Hear “That Song I Wrote For You” via Atwood Magazine and see the video via Impose or at the links below!

[STREAM]: https://soundcloud.com/fanaticpro/the-march-divide-that-song-i-wrote-for-you

[MP3]: http://www.fanaticpr.com/the-march-divide-bribing-jace/the-march-divide-that-song-i-wrote-for-you.mp3

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[VIDEO]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pl74imS5kUI

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“Bittersweet beauty.” — Impose

“Putnam’s lyrics are immediately relatable.” — Atwood Magazine

“There’s an untapped type of pop music that I’ve been on a quest to make,” Putnam says, explaining the sound of “Bribing Jace,” he latest EP of originals (following three albums, and another three EPs over the last three years.) “Not redefined, just redesigned,” Putnam continues. “While I’ve never really been willing to sacrifice a song to an experiment, I went as close to all-in as I could this time. Chasing this white whale was a lot of fun!”

“Bribing Jace” contains three songs recorded during the sessions for Saturdays, the current full-length by The March Divide, which Putnam loved, but felt didn’t quite fit the feel of the album. The EP is rounded out by two brand-new tracks, including the single, “That Song I Wrote For You.”

“I don’t typically write my songs in one sitting, but I love it when I do,” Putnam says of the tune. “I wrote it all at once, in a Harlingen, TX hotel room. Lyrically, it’s just about moving on.”

While the core of “That Song I Wrote For You” is folk-based, Putnam explains that he approached the production with pop in mind.

“When I demo my songs, I record all the percussion by slapping my merch tub with a sock on my hand,” he says, giving us a peek behind the curtain. After hearing the demo, Putnam’s producer picked up on the pop cues immediately. “He told me, ‘I’ve got this Katy Perry kick drum sample that’ll really bring it home!’ I never thought I’d share anything with Katy Perry, but we’re both getting all we can out of that kick drum sound,” Putnam jokes.

Of the music video for the track, Putnam says, "What I like most about the video for it is that we were able to make it at all. Because of my tour schedule, I had given up on it, but we had a show cancel, and that gave us a day off in El Paso, where I’m originally from. While driving to Houston for our next show, we shot the video at Dave’s Pawn Shop, a famously eclectic and interesting place in downtown El Paso."

Jared Putnam is available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom at Fanatic for more information.

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The March Divide – “Bribing Jace” EP

(S/R – Out Now)