Fanatic is a music marketing company established by Josh Bloom in 1997 to build fan-to-fan connections between artists and the media. For nearly 30 years, Fanatic has continued to help launch careers through the strategic advocacy of creative talent.
Nearly succumbing to debilitating depression, thinking
he needed to leave a legacy, Ackerman is better now. Stunning second full-length
out Sept. 17th. +++
Gregory Ackerman as photographed by Nell
T Sherman +++ PLAY, POST & SHARE Gregory Ackerman | “Think Straight”
“I honestly don’t
remember writing this song at all, which is funny because it’s called “Think
Straight,” says Gregory Ackerman of the opening cut on his upcoming
new album StillWaiting Still. “It was an exercise to
clear my head at the time.”
Ackerman was going through some of the worst moments of his
life. “I didn’t like my job,
I felt lost in love, my good friend Robert (the Still Waiting Still song
“For Rob” is dedicated to him) had committed suicide a few weeks prior,
and I was extremely ill (a week later I’d be hospitalized with a serious gut
infection.) I had a lot of anxious thoughts, and Istarted playing this
circular guitar-pickin’ pattern that echoed the unending flow of worriedthoughts
in my mind. “The song’s lyric,
‘It’s a tall tree that we must climb every day’ refers to waking up everymorning
feeling like I had to climb my way out of despair, feeling like every day was a
losingbattle with the depression I was fighting at the time. I felt
like I wanted to disappear from theworld. “Not only was Robert
gone, but earlier that year, our friend Tim had also unexpectedly died.Rob,
Tim, and I had all lived in a house together in college, and at the time, I
honestly rememberfeeling like I was next. I felt like something was after
me, and I had convinced myself that deathcomes in threes. I felt
haunted at the time with guilt, misery, anger, and confusion.” Fearing death would
find him soon, Ackerman felt like he had to start recording songsimmediately. “I had to leave a legacy
when I left, so the album became a sort of retrospective, combiningsongs
from college (the days of Tim and Rob) with my newest material. “Think
Straight” wasthe first song we started recording in the studio
because it was my most recently written song. Ithought to myself, ‘If I
die, at least I will have recorded my most recent song, and at least peoplewill
be able to hear the songs I was working on.’ “The breakdown of the
song is imagining myself in a better mental space, taking on a newmindset
against worry and fear. I thought that if I could at least imagine a different
mindset, thatmaybe one day I could get back to a better one. “I was honestly scared
about the dark place my mind had fallen into. The notion of ‘got to thinkstraight’
was a plea to myself to get it together, to start digging myself out of the
darkness I wasin, and it ended up helping me slowly dig back out. “Well, now that I
think about it, I guess I do remember writing this song,” Ackerman concludes. +++ Gregory Ackerman Still
Waiting Still Sept. 17th, 2021 (S/R)
Track Listing: 01. Intro 02. Think Straight (STREAM) 03. Full Grown 04. Peace of Mind 05. Good Song 06. Seasonal Living 07. Happy Phase 08. 2023 09. Mr. Moon 10. For Rob 11. Right Again 12. My Heart Goeth 13. All This Thinking
+++ Gregory
Ackerman | In The Press
“Bathed in Californian moonlight.” — PopMatters “I’ve had this song going around my head since I first
heard it.” — Folk Radio UK “Oscillates between giving hope to those who are
lovestruck and those who just need a breath of fresh air.” — Atwood Magazine “That unmistakable laid-back vibe of Southern
California.” — For Folk’s Sake “Hard to resist.” — Adobe and Teardrops +++ Gregory Ackerman | About
“I used to feel like I
was the only one that should have a say in my process,” says Los Angeles-based
multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Gregory Ackerman of his music.
“I’ve since discovered that both life and music get better the more people you
share them with.” The latest work that Ackerman
is sharing with the world is Still Waiting Still (out Sept.
17th, 2021), the follow-up to 2019’s “Stresslove EP”
(V2/Munich Records), and Ackerman’s first full-length since his
debut album And Friends in 2018. Still Waiting
Still was produced by Pierre
de Reeder of Rilo Kiley who adds touches of hypnotic mysticism on
top of the California summer sunset melodies, which beautifully combine with Ackerman’s
plainspoken philosophical lyrics and twisty, dexterous guitar to create what is
now Ackerman’s signature sound. The title of Still
Waiting Still’s first single seems to reference the evolution in Ackerman’s
thinking. “Full Grown,” originally a spare song written when he was only
20-years-old (Ackerman is
now 28), is given a full production makeover for inclusion on Still
Waiting Still. “For the rendition of ‘Full
Grown’ on Still Waiting Still, I had violinist Gabriel
Wheaton update it with a beautiful string arrangement. His contribution
resulted in an amazingly thematicversion of what I now consider to be
an ‘old classic’ from my catalog.” In addition to Wheaton,
new friends that Ackerman has invited to participate in creating Still
Waiting Still include other Los Angeles-area talents such as Grant
Milliken, Eva B. Ross,Shelby Gogreve, and Theo and
Mark Federonic. “These are all great
musicians that I met playing shows in Los Angeles,” Ackerman says. “This
new personnel, combined with my trusty foundation (Ackerman’s brother Eric,
close friend Keenan McDaniel, and friend and producer, de Reeder), helped Still
Waiting Still become a lively collection of brand-new material mixed
with songs that I’d written years ago.” Ackerman guesses that half of Still Waiting Still’s
13 songs were written while he was in college, shortly after he had begun to
write and record in earnest. His posts of the results on Soundcloud revealed
that listeners liked what they heard, and Ackerman was later signed on
an unsolicited demo to V2 –affiliated singer-songwriter offshoot, Munich
Records. “For this album I
wanted my past self and current self to align again as one fluid artist. All of
the songs on Still Waiting Still have an inherent grit or humor
to them, and were written with a youthful ironic moodiness which I relate to
once again as a 28-year-old.” “I wanted to bring
back the states of mind that I used to feel,” Ackerman continues, going
on to reference the album’s second upcoming single, the aptly titled, “Good
Song,” in which he sings about “dredging up feelings from the past,” while
trying to write a song about writing songs. “‘Good Song’ came
out of my frustration in feeling the pressure to make ‘likeable’ music,” Ackerman
confesses. “I was constantly feeling mostly self- imposed pressure to write
a ‘hit song,’ and I remember being able to finally take a step back from that
mindset and look at it humorously. Why not write a song about trying to write a
good song?” Still Waiting
Still contains 13 of ‘em
actually, and Ackerman is proud. “It’s not perfect,
just as nothing with a heartbeat ever is, but I hope that it represents some
part of me that perhaps I could not express any other way.” Still Waiting
Still, the second album by Gregory
Ackerman, arrives on Sept. 17th, 2021 preceded by the singles “Full
Grown” (June 18th), “Good Song” (July 23rd), and “Mr. Moon” (Aug
20th).
Hear title track, out everywhere now, via Americana
Highways. New album follows-up 2017’s Longshot.
Artist plays hometown show tonight. +++
Chris
J Norwood as photographed
by Alyssa Leigh Cates +++ PLAY, POST & SHARE Chris J Norwood | “I Am Not Cool”
“Unpretentious and genuine.” — Americana
Highways
Check out the title track from I Am Not Cool by Chris J Norwood at Americana
Highways or at the link below. “Anytime I start a new album I usually demo out each
track on my own, with some demos being more fleshed out than others,” says Chris J Norwood. “‘I Am Not Cool’ was one that I had a pretty clear vision on from
the beginning. “We tried a bunch of things in the studio with the rest
of the guys in the band, but ultimately just kept coming back to how the demo
sounded and went off of that. This track is one of the most ‘me’ sounding
tracks that I've ever released, and it ended up setting the tone for how the
rest of the album sounds.Certainly,
still rooted in Americana and Singer-Songwriter vibes, but definitely less
twangy and more produced.”
“His clear, plain-spoken tone is ideal for this type
of storytelling.” — Dallas Morning News “A tale about the uncertainties of life and the
adventures it may bring.” — Central
Track “Talk about making a statement. Norwood’s debut album introduces a compelling new songwriter to the
Texas Americana scene.” — Twangville “[A] searing summer song set that Americana, Folk, and
Alternative Country fans will all love.” — Buddy
Magazine “I can’t wait to see what else Chris J Norwood has for
us in the future.” — Wild Roots Magazine +++ Chris J Norwood I
Am Not Cool Aug. 20th, 2021 (State Fair Records)
Track Listing: 01. I Am Not Cool (Prologue) 02. The Final Girl (VIDEO) 03. Good Guy With A Gun 04. Creature of Bad Habits 05. Leaving Louisiana Behind 06. I Am Not Cool (STREAM | LYRIC VIDEO) 07. 85 Feet 08. Grandpa Was A Farmer 09. I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart) 10. Home Is You And Me 11. Love And Mercy 12. I Wrote You A Song +++ Chris J Norwood | Live
05/21/2021: Dallas, TX @ Oak Highlands Brewery 06/04/2021: McKinney, TX @ Texas Music Revolution +++ Chris J Norwood | About Chris
Norwood isn’t cool. Or Chris J
Norwood, as the Dallas-based singer-songwriter bills himself, is not cool. So “not cool” that when searching for a synonym for
“uncool” that starts with “J” in order to complete a lame joke, this writer
could not find one. Pretty damn uncool. Norwoodis honest,
however, and in a world that becomes more cynical by the moment, the kind of
honesty that he conjures and delivers so eloquently and elegantly on his new,
very uncool, album I Am Not Cool (Aug. 20th,
State Fair Records), well, that kind of uncool is... cool? The album is the follow-up to Norwood’s much-praised 2017 debut record Longshot. In addition to Norwood’s
genial ability to say things you may not want to hear and leave you
appreciating the experience, he is also masterful at a kind of tongue-in-cheek
levity that is sorely missing from this genre. There’s only two kinds of music / What’s true and what
ain’t / It only takes three chords to set the record straight Norwood sings these lyrics on the “I Am Not Cool” title cut, a perfect example of how his economy of
words is quizzical, meta, and puts a smile on your face all at the same time. But, wait, there’s more. Norwood really gets going on the album’s second single “I Need You (To Quit Breaking My Heart),”
which is such a plainly evocative song title that other songwriters should be
shaking a fist in Norwood’s general
direction for thinking of it first. A universal sentiment succinctly stated. “It’s a 10-year marriage kind of love song,” he says
of the tune, and as if to hammer that description home, Norwood’s wife Carrie
joins him on vocals, which adds a whole new level of “what is going on here?!”
to the proceedings. Further on, “Good
Guy With A Gun” will remind listeners of the political rhetoric it
references, but is more tragically tied to the songs from Norwood’s debut album, which dove head-first into his very personal
story of growing up as a child of a father who died by his own hand. “This song is about that,” he explains, “But more than
that it’s about the ridiculous theory that the NRA likes to tout. The only way
to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun? My dad was a good guy
with a gun, so how were we supposed to stop him from killing himself?” Once again, it is astounding how Norwood is able to take such personal matters, write about them with
conviction and clarity, make it catchy and memorable, and make you feel like
you challenged yourself and had a chuckle all at once. Uncool? Hmm. Frankly, Norwood
says that claiming himself “uncool” may be an awful career move. “I’ll either
make it or break it as uncool Chris J
Norwood,” he opines on the topic. But, the thing is, Norwood’s work is righteous no matter how it is perceived by anyone
who makes judgments about “career moves.” This brand of vulnerable,
self-effacing songwriting, salted with a bit of required brainpower... it’s
unique. And it’s here to stay. Maybe the J stands for “justified?” I Am Not Cool, the second album by Chris J
Norwood arrives via State Fair
Records on Aug. 20th,
preceded by the singles “I Am Not Cool”
(May 21st), “I Need You
(To Quit Breaking My Heart)” (June 18th), and “Good Guy With A Gun” (July 23rd.)
Chris J Norwood is
available for interviews. Contact Josh Bloom
at Fanatic for more information.
Hacha De Zola in discussion with American Songwriter
ahead of fifth album release, “East of Eden.” Re-mastered “Greatest Hits” comp also
out now. +++
J Hacha De Zola as photographed by Christine Samaroo +++ J Hacha De Zola | “Which Way”
J Hacha De Zolachats
with American Songwriter about
his powerful new single “Which Way,”
taken from his upcoming fifth album East of Eden, out June 11thvia Caballo Negro. “Never before have I felt such a departure from
reality as I have during the lockdown—people dying, family, friends, and their
family, dying,” reveals Hacha De Zola,
discussing the deep feelings behind his new single “Which Way,” out now. He tells
American Songwriter, “Never
before was there this blatant defiance of all rational thought being
demonstrated by those in positions of power, pure fear, pure hype, [and] the
population at large seemingly trapped in this dogmatic, dualistic fatalistic
slow decay.” [STREAM]: https://Fanatic.lnk.to/JHachaDeZola-WhichWay +++ J Hacha De Zola East
of Eden June 11th, 2021 (Caballo
Negro)
Track Listing: 01. Faded 02. Lost Space (STREAM) 03. Which Way (STREAM) 04. East of Eden 05. A Viral Spring 06. Shadows On Glass 07. That Pleading Tone 08. Sad Song 09. Green and Golden 10. Meet Me +++ J Hacha De Zola | In The Press
“A wild man.” — Paste “Alluring and unsettling.” — NJ.com “The kind of alluring character found in old
children’s books.” — UTNE “Dangerously delightful.” — The Big Takeover “Bound to light the way forward and inspire a legion
of imitators.” — PopMatters “Beckoning listeners somewhere exciting.” — BTRtoday “Possessed and cacophonic.” — Atwood Magazine +++
“As enticing as it is distant and strange.” — MAGNET “Sits at his own, most likely oddly shaped table.” — Pancakes and Whiskey “No one around left to hit him with any sort of
healthy competition.” — Ghettoblaster “One of the most important and singular artists making
music today.” — Stereo Embers “A challenging, at times daunting, listen.” — BLURT “Mutant blues rock.” — Treble “A modern day Frank
Zappa.” — Adam’s World +++ J Hacha De Zola | About
For his fifth album, East of Eden (Caballo Negro, June 11th), J
Hacha De Zola has left the “urban junkyard” of his previous albums and
slipped into a natty white suit. His look is more accessible this time around – see the
dignified vibes of his latest single and album art – and his sound matches. “This record is unlike any other I have made
previously,” the Jersey City-based artist acknowledges. “I stayed focused on
what was truly best for each song, keeping it somewhat simple – at least for me
– rather than allowing myself to become overly self-indulgent in terms of
running away on tangents.” The result is an album that exemplifies the universe
that Hacha De Zola has built over
his four previous albums (as well as EPs that cover ground from the all-Spanish
“Syn Illusión” to his versions of
hits by female pop stars on “UnPOPular”),
while also charting new territory. East of Eden is some kind of place where Jim
Morrison did downers instead of acid in the control room during the
recording of Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig In The Sky.” As Hacha De
Zola tells it, the creation of this record was actually less frenetic than
all that. “I came into the studio with a developed concept, and
the songs written already,” he says. “This time, I had a clear cut direction
ready to go. I have to be honest, I have never really been comfortable with my
singing voice, and I wanted to do something that would be more challenging.” The push pays off, as Hacha De Zola’s vocals are the focus here. Where previous records
saw him vocalizing in a way that complimented the music, this time the music
compliments the man. “A big inspiration for me on East of Eden was the
vocal group tradition from the 1950s and 60s,” he says. “Especially those from
New Jersey, New York, and Detroit. Doo-wop groups like Sha Na Na, The Temptations,
The Four Seasons, and others. Being
a Jersey boy, I couldn’t help but be influenced in the rich vocal singing group
tradition and history in this area.” Digging into the roots of his musical soul, literally
and figuratively, sounds pure in context throughout the new album, and
especially on its pre-release singles “Lost
Space” and “Which Way,” showing
off a level of maturity and thoughtfulness that can only come from the
development that years of album-making brings. “Even with all of its imperfections, it was very
important for me to bring the nuances of the vocal components of this record
right to the front. I truly feel that I have found my own voice,” Hacha De Zola says. With that, he may never return to the “urban junkyard”
and his method of rendering records via his “reductive synthesis” method (read
about it here) ever again. It is a position that is congruent with the
state of the world that longed to “return to normal,” but may never be able to
find the way back to exactly that. “The title of the record reflects that,” Hacha De Zola explains. “East
of Eden, a sense of being left behind or abandoned, banished from the
‘garden.’ Off to the Land of Nod where Cain was banished for murdering his
brother, Abel. “It’s a bit of a biblical reference that I found was
quite apt,” he continues. “Especially during this moment of divisiveness among
so many people over so many things. Lyrically, I couldn’t help but infuse many
of these feelings into the songs.” Hacha De
Zola’s “Which Way” single is one that best reflects his hard-won ability
to infuse these real emotions into what has become known as somewhat esoteric
work. “That song was a way of taking inventory of the chaos
and confusion of the moment. It’s a somber song, and it wasn’t an easy one to
write. At the time, it was very difficult to focus on anything other than
trying to protect the vulnerable members of my family and not getting sick. I
had to push myself pretty hard to work through the fear.” His new strength and resolve fits Hacha De Zola well, just like the natty new clothes on his back. East of Eden, the fifth album by J Hacha De
Zola, arrives on June 11th,
2021, preceded by the singles “Lost
Space” on April 30th
and “Which Way” on May 21st. +++ Also Out Now | J Hacha De Zola’s Greatest Hits
Obviously, as a songwriter, J Hacha De Zola and John
Denver come from vastly different places, with different musical ideas… As
for the could-be-ironic, mostly inexplicable, definitely fun tribute that is
the J
Hacha De Zola’s Greatest Hits album cover, a dead-on approximation of
singer-songwriter John Denver’s own
eponymous and iconic John Denver’s Greatest Hits album
image… Hacha De Zola focuses in on,
and connects with what they have deeply in common, saying, “I loved this idea
of being exactly what you are. Whatever you are, be it.” +++ J Hacha De Zola J
Hacha De Zola’s Greatest Hits Out Now (Caballo
Negro) Streaming Link: STREAM FULL LP
