Brad Loomis and the Resonance with Benyaro and Ian McFeron

Brad Loomis and the Resonance

Born and raised about twenty miles north of Seattle in Marysville, WA, Brad started vocal training at 15 and was active in multiple choirs in his school years. He picked up the guitar at the age of 20 and the ensuing combination of self-trained instrumentation and professionally coached vocal skills has created in Brad the ability to marry grit and melody into versatile music that spans several genres.

The pure passion that he puts into his songs is not simply in his guitar playing or lyrical content but additionally and unapologetically displayed through his wide vocal range. Brad’s influences include singer/songwriter Martin Sexton and Glen Hansard of both The Swell Season and The Frames, Sufjan Stevens and David Bazan.

Having recorded an album with a previous band, Brad has gone into the recording of his new EP knowing exactly what he wants it to offer: a cohesive sample of his songs that his listeners can come back to time and again. The EP’s release is set for April, 2010. In the mean time Brad is laying out a plan for a short tour in addition to continuing to play in and around the Seattle area.  

Benyaro

Benyaro, Jackson Hole and New York City's indie acoustic soul and roots power duo, has a sound reminiscent of "early Tom Waits" (KBGA- Missoula, MT), "acoustic David Bowie" (WESU- Middletown, CT), and "if you’re a fan of The Band or their modern-day counterparts The Avett Brothers, there’s a good chance you’ll take a shine to Good Day Better" (NASHVILLE SCENE). According to RELIX magazine's Jan/Feb 2011 issue, Benyaro is "on the verge...indie acoustic soul power." Their 2 albums (Benyaro and Good Day Better) have spent time on the CMJ Top 200 and over 120 radio stations across the world spin the music. Lead singer Ben Musser's voice has been dubbed "a strange amalgamation of Cat Stevens and Axl Rose" (YES! WEEKLY). Knowing this, one can expect Benyaro to deliver an intense, emotional, and upbeat performance. Musser and upright bassist Bobby McCullough combine their voices and instruments with feeling and honesty, drawing audiences into their world of soul, folk, country, rock, blues, gospel and beatboxing/house. Though only two performers, one is treated to the sound of a full acoustic band as they play percussion with feet, nylon string guitar and upright bass with hands and sing together with conviction. PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS writes Good Day Better offers a "campfire hoot of a sound endowed with warm tunes and tight harmonies." Good Day Better, Benyaro's latest, explores and expands the boundaries of acoustic music and is available at Benyaro shows, iTunes, CD Baby, Amazon, and other fine online retailers. 

Ian McFeron

Ian McFeron broke into the Seattle music scene when discovered by “The Mountain” in Seattle (AAA-formatted KMTT at 103.7 FM) shortly after releasing his debut album, Don’t Look Back (2003). Within months, the first single “Love Me Twice” edged out songs by Modest Mouse, Bob Schneider, The Bo Deans, and Ray LaMontagne in The Mountain’s “New Music Throwdown,” a weekly competition where listeners vote for their favorite of two new songs. Ian has shared the spotlight with international and national artists such as Patty Griffin, Nanci Griffith, Shawn Mullins, Brandi Carlile, Amos Lee, Sister Hazel, Mike Doughty, Hayes Carll, Missy Higgins, Julia Fordham, The Hothouse Flowers, and Jars of Clay.

A prolific songwriter whose lyrical prose and fervent work ethic has drawn comparison to Bob Dylan and Ryan Adams, Ian McFeron has released a steady stream of albums: Don’t Look Back (2003), A Long Way To Freedom (2005), Fistfight With Father Time (2006), Let It Ride (2007) and Love Me Blue (2009). His sixth, full-length album Summer Nights (2011) was recorded and mixed in just ten days at Studio G! in East Nashville, TN. Produced by Patty Griffin’s long-time guitarist and musical collaborator Doug Lancio, the album features musical performances by Lancio as well as Ryan Adams and the Cardinals’ drummer Brad Pemberton, Ryan Adams’ bassist Billy Mercer, keyboardist and Seattle-native Micah Hulscher, and Ian’s long-time musical partner Alisa Milner on fiddle and cello.

Summer Nights chronicles a summer of late night soul-searching, following a restless individual through a world of fevered dreams, ghostly visions, and late-night wanderings through the winding side streets of Cape Town, South Africa, Barcelona, Spain, and Seattle, WA. Initially an attempt to invoke the spirits of people and places lost to the past, the final message of the album is one of acceptance; about moving forward. The chorus of the twelfth song, Windchime sings, "it's too late to turn back now / There's nowhere left to go / It used to keep me lying awake / But right now I feel safe / Right now I feel safe."

From the beginning, McFeron dedicated himself to building audiences the old fashioned way: on the road. Traveling from city to city, state to state, nation to nation, McFeron performs an average of 200 shows a year spread throughout the United States and Europe, inspiring listeners with his beautifully crafted songs and honest narratives. On the road, McFeron is often joined by Alisa Milner, a Texas-style fiddler, cellist, and harmony vocalist and long-time friends Norman Baker and Mark Bateman on bass and drums.