press release
California Tunesmith Alexis Harte to Release His Fourth Album, Big Red Sun April 4th
Big Red Sun Explores Relationships As Fragile But Ultimately Powerful Sources of Solace
“Harte's efficiency with words and plainspoken imagery call to mind Richard Buckner; his warm, woody voice and organic melodies are akin to Dave Matthews; and his sophisticated acoustic guitar playing and arrangement are an amalgam of everyone from Bob Mould to Bill Frisell.” – Performing Songwriter
February 8, 2009 – California tunesmith Alexis Harte will release his fourth album, Big Red Sun April 4, 2009. The vision of an imperiled world–played out in images of environmental and urban decay is a backdrop for the album's exploration of relationships as fragile but ultimately powerful sources of solace. Written during the waning months of the Bush era, Big Red Sun is a canvas for the darker colors of Harte's palette.
But with musical roots extending into acoustic folk, bluesy Americana, and even electrified Afro-pop, Harte's songwriting has never been monochromatic. His songs are powered by an examination of everyday moments, in which sharply drawn details loom larger than life. It's a cinematic effect that recently landed Harte a co-publishing deal with Lionsgate Entertainment. Listeners itching for substance in today's crowded field of singer-songwriters will find in Big Red Sun not just pretty songs, but a home for some of our most pressing questions on how to live soulfully in the 21st century, and how life's transience makes it matter that much more.
Big Red Sun brings together a bright constellation of international talent. Harte created the album's rich arrangements with the help of 16 other musicians, including his longtime drummer Aaron Brinkerhoff, bassist Randy Weaver, keyboardist Marc Mowrey and top-shelf session players like Jon Evans (Tori Amos), Dawn Richardson (4 non-blondes), Julie Wolf (Ani DiFranco, Bruce Cockburn), and Tom Ayres (Persephone's Bees). Harte chose Evans, who contributed some of Tumbling's most ambitious arrangements (and whose production resume includes jazz artists like Mimi Fox and Grammy nominee Will Bernard), to co-produce Big Red Sun at his Berkeley studio, San Pablo Recorders. "Jon's a master of building up a rhythm section," Harte says, pointing to the counter-rhythms of "My Way Out" and the haunted soundscape of "Crows." Co-producer JJ Wiesler (of San Francisco's Decibelle Recording) brought a lush pop sensibility to tracks like "Mayflies," which promises to expand Harte's radio and television audience (his work has appeared on NPR, PBS, ABC, and the WB to name just a few). Unlike much of what passes for fresh on today's airwaves, "Mayflies"--which balances Wiesler's harmonies and ear-candy horn swells with Harte's vivid carpe diem lyrics--reminds us that pop songs can claim universal appeal not just through their sheen, but also their depth.
Harte's discography, has consistently won critical acclaim as well as a loyal following in and beyond Harte's native San Francisco Bay area. Performing Songwriter magazine short listed his 2001 debut album, Junebug, among the top 12 independent releases in its June issue that year, and Acoustic Guitar magazine named Sunlight Loping (2003) an Editors' Top Choice. Harte's 2006 release, Tumbling, became a mainstay on the acoustic program of San Francisco's KFOG radio.
For photos, interview requests and more, please contact: Justin Brown or Emily Lichter at public emily, 413.585.5111 justin@publicemily.com / emily@publicemily.com.
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