Kiernan McMullan, the talented singer/songwriter and musician, will release his latest album, Two Years, on March 6, 2012 with American Cadence Records here in the United States and on Love Gum Records in the United Kingdom in May and June of 2012.

McMullan has crafted a deeply personal record, detailing the two years between signing his first recording contract and finishing the final track for the Two Years album.  Kiernan says, “Two Years is a concept record that tells a full story from beginning to end, just like a book. You can begin with the opening track, What If, which is a prologue, full of the anticipation and nerves I felt as I was about to leave Ireland to start touring in America for the first time. Conversely, Two Years ends the album as an epilogue, looking back at the previous 730 days and finally allowing myself to take a breath.”

Listeners can follow McMullan on the road, from city to city and state to state, reliving some of his craziest and most inspiring moments through the songs.  “Within the album there are stories from the road in songs like Heartbeat and Rocking Chair, with references of hot nights in Austin all the way to blizzards in New York that caused the van to crash.”

More than just weather, McMullan experienced life, love, and loss while traveling the country. He says, “There are stories of love and loss in songs like Alright Was Never Good Enough and Set You Free, where I realized the hardships that come from spending your life on the road and leaving your significant other at home.”  Kiernan also doesn’t shy away from sharing his frustrations and triumphs in the music industry, including several tracks that speak frankly and with humor.  According the McMullan, “Take a Number is an almost satiric look at the cynical side of the music business and Sick of You is a song of frustration with the ever-changing opinions of people that came in and out of my life. Chaos Is a Part of Everything most clearly explains the feeling experienced when your life puts you in a different city every day.”

Though loss of identity is a constant theme throughout the record, there is no denying a strong sense of rediscovering self.  After all, “I’ve been able to spend the last few years working on the exact album I have wanted to put out for a long time,” Kiernan says.

The album will be available on iTunes and through American Cadence Records. Visit www.americancadence.org for more information.

Photo by Heather Johns

Nashville recording engineer Logan Buerlein and seasoned music veteran Kiernan McMullan have teamed up to create a refreshing new record label for artists who love their music and want to share it with the world. These talented and dedicated professional have something a little different in mind when it comes to producing and presenting a record, though. With firm ideas of what they want, which is basically to let the artist call the shots, Logan and Kiernan hope to make their mark on music in a new way.

The partners in this venture have some pretty extensive experience in the music business, too. You may know Kiernan McMullan from his first album Perfect People Are Boring. After high school in Ireland, Kiernan spent some time studying lighting and sound, as well as stage production. At the age of twenty, he signed a record deal with 111Records, a Warner subsidiary based out of Orlando. This brought him to America in 2008, where he began touring.  He started from the ground up, the same way many of the artists he hopes to work with do it – months of hitchhiking and Greyhound buses before finding a band and setting up a base here in Nashville.

Logan Buerlein has a musical history, but most of it is behind the scenes. Rather than following his music dreams after college, he entered the ad world.  As he explains, the music world and advertising are quite similar, though music now gives him something tangible to sell rather than ideas.  While he enjoyed the work he did, he missed his passion – music.  With his knowledge in advertising and his love for the Nashville music scene, he hopes to mix the two to bring something new and fresh to the market.

The option to record with American Cadence comes in two separate ways. The first is for artists who have a real desire to record an album with the label on their own terms. Bands can work with Buerlein and McMullan to develop an EP or LP from an idea into a solid record and something they can be proud of. For those who are already committed to a label, there is the option to record unplugged, raw and real, just for fun – and a chance to make a difference for kids through the Wood & Wire series.

Wood & Wire is a cause dear to the label’s heart. These limited edition vinyl recordings are created to benefit WO Smith Music School in Nashville. All proceeds from the Wood & Wire series are donated to the school, giving the label and the artists a chance to support music education in a very real way.  As an additional pledge from American Cadence, a portion of all proceeds under the regular label will also be committed to the cause.

Photo by Heather Johns

This is a company looking to make a difference in the world of music through several different avenues. Their willingness to work with an artist to develop a record that will stand the test of time through excellent production quality and the freedom to breathe is something rarely seen in the music world, especially with a label of any kind.  They take this dedication to the creation of music one step further by ensuring future generations have the chance to learn and grow at WO Smith Music School. If you have lamented the direction the music business has taken or the lack of music education in schools, this is surely a venture you can get behind.

If you want to know more about American Cadence, you can check out their website. Don’t forget to stop by the store to see the limited edition Wood & Wire vinyl featuring Kiernan McMullan and Brandon Jaehne. Then take a trip over to check out the websitefor WO Smith Music School to see how this amazing organization is making a big difference for talented kids.

Featured photo credit: Kazu D Hishida

WITH NEW STUDIO RECORDING BY

IRELAND’S PREMIER FEMALE VOCALIST MARY BLACK

Stories From The Steeples Set for Release on February 14 followed by New Albums by Cathy Jordan, Maia Sharp and “Dreams of the San Joaquin ” Anthology

Independent Blix Street Records will inaugurate 2012 with the U.S. release of STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES, Mary Black’s first new studio recording in six years.  Arriving in stores in time for Valentine’s Day on February 14, 2012, the album from the Irish singing legend will be followed by three more releases from the Seattle-based label during the first months of the year.

STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES marks the reunion of Mary Black, recognized as Ireland ’s premier female vocalist, with Blix Street , whose Gifthorse label established Black in America in 1990.  Widely known as a leader in Celtic music, Blix Street is also home to artists such as Grace Griffith, Dougie MacLean, Maia Sharp and Eva Cassidy. 

Mary Black has been at the forefront of the Irish music scene for over 25 years.  Her voice is rich; her delivery vivid and nuanced.  Her gift for storytelling and ear for emerging songwriters have earned her star billing on the international stage, devoted fans, awards and honors too numerous to recount.

STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES, named for the Dublin studio where it was recorded, comes straight from the heart.  Eleven songs of life, love, loss, struggle and hope are the perfect rocky terrain for Black.  With writers rooted in Ireland, Australia, the UK and America, the diverse and adventurous material offers more than a few delicious surprises, among them the bonus track “Fifi the Flea,” written by the Hollies’ Graham Nash, Tony Hicks and Allan Clarke.

Black shares vocals on three duets on the new CD:  “Lighthouse Light” with Janis Ian, a catchy tune written by Boston-based artist Ry Cavanaugh; “Walking With My Love,” a spirited romp with the incomparable Irish musician Finbar Furey; and “Mountains To The Sea” with Irish chart-topper Imelda May, which is slated to be the album’s first single.  It’s enough to say that when Dublin-born May took first place on Ireland ’s album charts with her 2009 debut Love Tattoo, she became the first female Irish artist to secure that spot since fellow Dubliner Black did it nearly 20 years before.  This tuneful salute to open spaces was written by Australia ’s roots artists Shane Howard and Neil Murray, familiar territory for the triple-platinum May whose influences include rockabilly and blues.  Black also includes Murray ’s “ One True Place ,” a song that could easily have been sung by The Carter Family. 

Leading off the musical adventure is “Marguerite and the Gambler,” the story-song about a doomed love affair involving a beautiful woman, a dashing rogue and an unhappy father written by Irish contemporary singer-songwriter Ricky Lynch.  “The Night Was Dark and Deep,” from acclaimed Australian musician Paul Kelly, showcases Black’s mesmerizing ability to deliver the soul of a song ever fresh with understatement.

The album features three songs from Danny O’Reilly, the lead singer of the Irish pop/rock group The Coronas whose new album just debuted at #1 on the Irish pop chart:  “Faith in Fate,” a memorable union of Black’s fluid delivery fitted to Andrew Holdsworth’s well-tempered string arrangement and Ritchie Buckley’s sax; “Wizard of Oz” with a sparse arrangement echoing its emotional landscape; and the energizing, upbeat “The Night Is On Our Side.”  Given the affinity of sense and sensibility between singer and writer in these three songs, it is not surprising to learn that Danny is Mary’s son, one of the next generation of the Black family musical tradition.  Mary’s two other children, Roisín and Conor, also appear on “The Night Is On Our Side.”

Rounding out the set are the Julie Matthews-Chris While composition “Steady Breathing,” and the Eric Bogle-John Munro anti-war offering “All The Fine Young Men.”  Those familiar with these selections will appreciate Black’s sensitive interpretations on these two outstanding tracks.

 Mary Black is an artist with extraordinary gifts, foresight and generosity, in tune with today and always moving gracefully into tomorrow.  In her long and successful career as a solo artist, she has recorded dozens of albums and toured extensively while never hesitating to share a spotlight or a credit.  STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES is no exception.  The album comes with a booklet that features her notes on the songs and credits a long list of musicians and producers with putting this project so seamlessly together.  In addition to Black, co-producers on various tracks include Billy Robinson, Bill Shanley and Pat Crowley.  Shanley’s guitar work and Crowley ’s keyboards (and sometimes accordion) are featured throughout the album, along with Nick Scott on double bass and Matt McGranahan on fiddle.  Many other musicians and backup singers contributed as well, among them Finbar Furey on banjo. 

 Long awaited, STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES is the latest chapter in Mary Black’s story.  Or, as Ireland ’sHot Press put it in a recent issue:  “Mary Black instinctively makes a song her own, and her voice here is more expressively fragile than before.  The musicianship is impeccable, especially Bill Shanley’s guitar and Pat Crowley’s keyboards, making Stories From The Steeples a very worthy addition to an already impressive catalogue.”  

“Mary Black is the artist who launched our business, and all these years later, it’s a great pleasure to welcome her home,” states Blix Street President Bill Straw.  “We are pleased to have her first new studio album in quite some time lead off our release schedule for 2012.”

Following STORIES FROM THE STEEPLES, Blix Street will release another album from Ireland in the form of ALL THE WAY HOME, a solo project from Ireland ’s Cathy Jordan, best-known as lead singer of the band Dervish.  In addition, renowned Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Maia Sharp, whose work has been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Edwin McCain and the Dixie Chicks, among many others, is finishing her second Blix Street release.  Maia is also part of the California-themed musical anthology DREAMS OF THE SAN JOAQUIN, featuring her parents Randy Sharp and Sharon Bays along with family friend Jack Wesley Routh.

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