Nathan Angelo + Chris Ayer + Chelsea Lee April 19, 2011

What happens when you take soulful keys and pair them with perceptive storytelling, rock-infused melodies, and heartbreaking hooks?

You get Nathan Angelo.

And, more recently, you get his latest release, Follow Your Heart.

An Atlanta transplant and minister's son, Nathan discovered music at an early age where he spent much of his youth as his church's Director of Music, developing his vocals and finding a home on the keys. With no plans of pursuing music professionally, Nathan stumbled into songwriting more as catharsis than ambition. What started as a hobby after college quickly turned into a passion, one which he soon felt necessary to share with an audience. His first two projects Through Playing Me (2006) and These ‘Ol Keys (2009) reveal a soulful disposition and a natural affinity for provocative songwriting.

Coupled with an incessant touring schedule and attention paid to the ever-changing landscape of social media, Nathan has managed to sell over 15,000 albums independently. He's also toured with national acts such as the Fray, Zac Brown Band, Marc Broussard and Matt Wertz. In 2009, Nathan caught the attention of a major publishing company, Warner/Chappell. Compelled by his ability to mix modern-pop with classic songwriting, Warner/Chappell signed Nathan to a publishing deal, a rare occasion for an independent artist, and has since been called upon to write for the likes of Kelly Clarkson & Justin Bieber.

A commercial spin on soul-infused pop, Nathan's latest project Follow Your Heart (2011) emerges as his strongest work to date. Laced with both whimsy and candor, songs like "Love Is On the Line," "Make Up Your Mind," "Forgetting You" and "Hurt Me" treat the intricacies and frustrations of youth and relationships with due weight yet have a playfulness that lightens the situation. In reference to Follow Your Heart, Nathan calls it "a very personal project yet one that I believe to be universal in its ability to relate to what we all go through."

As much an album title as it is an anthem, Follow Your Heart displays Nathan's ear for melody and keen understanding of story and reveals that he has much in store for fans both new and old.
http://www.nathanangelo.com/

When asked about his latest album, Don't Go Back To Sleep, Ayer sees it first as a call to action for himself. "This group of songs has really become a collective note-to-self on how I want to live. They were all born out of moments where I was going along in my day-to-day life, and something shook me out of the autopilot rhythm, and reminded me that I better open up and dig in right this second." After a listen, this creative desire is abundantly evident throughout Ayer's sophomore release. He admits they are heavy themes, even for a singer/songwriter. And yet Ayer is able to pull off that timeless trick of great songwriting, where weighty topics take on a light touch, so that they draw you in and uplift.

This magnetic quality has served him well as he has toured the country and steadily built his grassroots audience over the past 4 years. His DIY practices were given a hefty shot of adrenaline in 2007 when the John Lennon Songwriting Competition awarded him the 2006 Lennon Award in Folk for his song "Evaporate." With the award came increased visibility, opportunities to tour the UK, and many new faces in the audience at shows. But for Ayer there was an even more valuable outcome. "It was a real lesson for me. "Evaporate" was the song I wrote most immediately for myself on the first album. That's how they all should be, but you start thinking about the band arrangement and musical influences, and how it's going to sound live. Those things creep in. ‘Evaporate' didn't have that at all. And I finally had total confidence that just taking creative instincts and running with them is always the best call." The song was on Ayer's first full-length, self-released album, This is the Place, recorded in Nashville and produced by Jason Gantt (The Chieftains, Brooks & Dunn, Faith Hill). Of that album, Performing Songwriter Magazine said, "This is the Place has it all: tight arrangements, excellent musicality, and imaginative lyrics. If you're looking for great music, this is the place indeed."
http://www.myspace.com/chrisayer

"Rarely do I receive a CD from a new artist that is this well written, produced, and sung. For it to come from someone just out of high school, and this mature a work, is nothing short of amazing." -Michael Jaworek, The Birchmere

"She sings. It's what she does. Atlantic Records recording artist Chelsea Lee sings like she means it, with a voice that services the emotion of the song. It's a voice that carries joy and pain into the heart of the listener, with unbridled passion that borders on obsession.

So let's get this out of the way now: Chelsea Lee is 18. As in, born in 1991.

It's not a gimmick, it's just the chronological way things are. It's too easy to say she sings beyond her years, but she does. The maturity and professionalism showcased on stage and on disc are hallmarks of seasoned veterans, yet the chestnut haired charmer - who carries herself with the same sophistication as she performs - has it all. And she mixes the professionalism with youthful enthusiasm because singing is fun. It's what she does.

And she writes the songs that she sings, which may be why she sings them to perfection. The songs are soulful folk with a modern pop sheen that showcase those beyond-her-years vocals.

Having signed with Atlantic Records, Chelsea's future is bright. There's plenty of time. After all, she is only 18." -Buzz McClain, The Washington Post
http://www.myspace.com/chelsealeemusic

Official Website: http://www.jamminjava.com/