See the full article here: http://www.buzzfeed.com/campbellsgo/10-great-music-covers-that-are-so-close-to-the-rea
]]>Moving down to London, On Friday, June 8th, she will be appearing at The Regal Room in Hammersmith, produced and promoted by Tony Moore’s Bedford team, at 19:30. Then on Monday, the 11th, she graces the stage at the legendary Bedford Theatre. Dedicated to presenting the “best of the best” in emerging acts, the Bedford has been named “Best Acoustic Venue in London” by The Guardian.
Originally from Milwaukee, WI, Grace moved to New York six years ago to attend NYU and now lives in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Although only 23, Grace has had an amazing journey so far. As a 10 year old in Milwaukee, she decided that she wanted to sing in an inner city gospel choir and years of doing that shaped not only her soulful voice but also gave her a worldview much broader than your ordinary kid growing up in a white suburb.
Grace had multiple brushes with fame as a teenager, having sung on the famed “Showtime at the Apollo” in Harlem, at the Kennedy Center, The Ella Awards, and on The Today Show. She was recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and their YoungArts program, naming her a National Winner in Popular Voice and a Presidential Scholar in the Arts. She even graced “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” handpicked by Oprah from over 400,000 video contest entrants to perform on the show. The Oprah appearance threw Grace into a tornado of the major label music business for which she was unprepared, and ultimately she walked away from the “hit making machinery” to chart her own course.
At NYU she started to seriously pursue a career in music in a number of different combos before deciding to go solo in 2010 and embark on the path of recording an album of her own material. Enlisting the aid of Grammy Award winner producer Mike Mangini (Joss Stone, Diane Birch, Dionne Warwick) her debut album, “Hope & Heart,” on which she wrote or co-wrote every song, is a musical statement of a young artist and citizen of the world coming into her own.
In the short time since the September 13th self-release of Hope & Heart, Weber has won over a sizable fan base, and achieved significant milestones such as appearing on the prestigious NPR’s Mountain Stage and having the video for first single, “Everything to Me,” debut on the home pages of VEVO and AOL Music. The album achieved Top Ten status on the singer songwriter chart of iTunes in the U.S. and Japan and her music has been featured at Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and U.S. Airways.
This trip overseas is her first since last year when she turned in a triumphant performance at the Official French Commemoration of the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 in Paris. Grace, the only New York pop singer asked to take part, sang before the Mayor of Paris, the U.S. French Ambassador and other European dignitaries. After returning from the U.K. Weber picks up a busy tour schedule with dates throughout the U.S., including supporting Gavin DeGraw at a brand new, 10,000 seat amphitheatre at Milwaukee.
Grace continues to climb up the industry ladder, and, at every rung, praise from the media and her fans helps her continue her journey. This year, Deli Magazine weighed in with their review, saying, “Hope & Heart is one of the better sounding records of 2011, produced by Grammy Award Winner, Mike Mangini. Who knows, America may have found their own Joss Stone.”
UPCOMING TOUR DATES
June 6th – Inverness, Scotland, goNORTH Festival
June 8th—London, England @ The Regal Room
June 11th—London, England The Bedford Theatre
June 17th - Boston, 9pm, @ Church
June 20th - NYC, 9pm, The Bitter End
June 21st - Philadelphia @ TBD
June 22nd - Washington D.C. @ Madam’s Organ
June 23rd - Columbus, OH @ Shadowbox Live
June 25th - Louisville, KY @ Zanzabar
June 26th - Nashville, TN @ Hard Rock Cafe
June 27th - St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
June 28th - Hales Corners, WI @ Boerner Botanical Gardens
June 29th - Marshfield, WI @ VOX Outdoor Concert Series
July 1st - Minneapolis, MN @ Fine Line Cafe
July 3rd – Milwaukee Summerfest (supporting Gavin DeGraw)
July 5th - Chicago, IL @ The Elbo Room 9pm
July 6th - Wabeno, WI @ Northbranch Music Festival
For more information about Grace Weber, visit: http://www.graceweber.com
Or visit: http://www.facebook.com/gracewebermusic
Grace Weber’s EPK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jr8iscg5Co
“Everything to Me” video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3iD2SHPIUE
CONTACT: Daniel Savage at B Major Entertainment
daniel@bmajorentertainment.com
+1-323-436-0364
http://www.npr.org/2012/05/02/151842112/grace-weber-on-mountain-stage
]]>Written by Maureen Gionnone
“The Milwaukee-born, now Brooklyn-based Grace Weber has had a pretty commendable uprising in the music industry, having sung on “Showtime at the Apollo” in Harlem, the Kennedy Center, the Ella Awards, the TODAY show, and even The Oprah Winfrey Show… all by the time she turned 22.
But still, this young talent maintains a career that’s a bit under the radar, maintaining the integrity and authenticity that she’s extremely proud of. “I think we borrow from a few different genres, including pop, old school singer/songwriter and jazz. The core of my music always comes back to a modern version of ‘soul,’ in that I try to tell stories through my lyrics that I hope can touch people, and I always try to sing from an honest place,” Weber says. And her latest album release, Hope & Heart, epitomizes just that….”
Read the full article here: http://www.nbcnewyork.com/blogs/1st-look/1st-Look-Loves-Grace-Weber-138953349.html
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In the short time since the self-release of her debut album Hope & Heart, Weber has garnered not only a sizable fan base, even outside of her native Milwaukee where she remains at headlining status, but from coast to coast. The album’s release in late September clinched a sustained top ten spot on the iTunes Singer/Songwriter charts coinciding, as well, with a triumphant performance at the French Commemoration of 9/11 in Paris, Grace having been the only New York pop singer asked to take part, entertaining the likes of dignitaries from all over Europe, as well as the Mayor of Paris and the French Ambassador to the United States.
Now Weber takes it global, not with a worldwide tour (yet), but through the good graces of Starbucks, who will be adding Hope & Heart track, “Baby Come Down,” to the well-placed playlist of their roughly 10,000 well-trafficked locations all over the Big Blue Marble on January 3rd for the remainder of that month.
Weber has been doing great in the press, Billboard giving her “Artist To Watch” status, American Songwriter posting her heartfelt cover of Warren Zevon’s “Reconsider Me,” and Power Popaholic saying of Hope & Heart, “… this Milwaukee native has a terrific voice… the bouncy guitar of “Stay of Leave” will win you over. The poignant and soulful approach to “Leave the Light On” will keep you transfixed — and then it lights up with “Hitchhiker.”
And for fans wishing to catch Grace in concert, a two-week Midwest run (WI, IL, MN) is set to commence in the second week of March, anchored by a support slot with Colin Hay at Milwaukee’s prestigious Turner Hall. A few great one-off shows are also scheduled prior to the March tour including a show at NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall on January 17 and a February 12th taping of NPR’s MOUNTAIN STAGE in Charleston, WV. Expect festival dates in the U.S. and abroad this summer, to boot.
For more information about Grace Weber, visit: http://www.graceweber.com
Or visit: http://www.facebook.com/gracewebermusic
Grace Weber’s EPK (feel free to share): http://vimeo.com/30446145
And for any media inquiries, please contact Perry Serpa, Maggie Poulos and/or Scott Pollack at Good Cop Public Relations. Phone: 718 846-0518, or email us at: perry@goodcoppr.com, maggie@goodcoppr.com, or scott@goodcoppr.com.
“I am so honored and excited perform on such a historic stage. Getting to meet and play music on the same stage and night as Marc Broussard, Ben Lee, and Fountains of Wayne is the epic icing on the cake.” - Grace Weber
For more information go to http://www.mountainstage.org/mtnstagebroadcast.aspx
]]>http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jon-chattman/asides-with-jon-chattman-_5_b_1019946.html
]]>9/13/2011
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There will be two commemorative events that day: The first, in the afternoon, will track how the 9/11 attack unfolded in real-time. In the evening, there will be a memorial candlelight vigil during which Weber will perform her original song, “Leave the Light On,” from her debut album, Hope & Heart, set for worldwide release on September 13th. The album, produced by the Grammy award winning Mike Mangini (Joss Stone, Diane Birch, Dionne Warwick), showcases Weber’s distinct songwriting and soul/pop aesthetics.
In addition to representing the United States, Weber will be an ambassador for Young Arts, a program of the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, of which she is an alumna. Weber, who in 2006 was named a Presidential Scholar through the program, will also be joined by fellow YoungArts alum, Blaine Krauss (musical theatre/voice).
In response to her involvement with TFWNF, Weber commented, “I am so honored to not only share my voice and music, but also to represent the United States and YoungArts at this triumphant event. I think this ceremony will not only beautifully honor the victims of 9/11, but it will also be an international symbol of hope for the future and an affirmation that we will continue to stand together against terrorism.”
The day’s ceremonies are being planned with a very specific purpose as explained by Paul Bensabat, co-president and co-founder of TFWNF, “As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, we, who are actively involved in The French Will Never Forget, wanted to bring to life a massive and newsworthy homage to our friends and allies in America.”
Grace is available for live interviews from Paris, as well as in-person interviews beforehand, in New York. For more information visit www.graceweber.com. Also, listen to a selection of songs off of Hope & Heart, including the song Grace will be performing in Paris, “Leave the Light On” here.
For Further Information, Please Contact:
Perry Serpa and Scott Pollack at Good Cop PR:
perry@goodcoppr.com & scott@goodcoppr.com 718-846-0518
“Drawing inspiration from artists like Adele and Norah Jones, Grace embodies the Midwestern work ethics with her unique bluesy aesthetic to come up with her exceptional sound” - Minneapolis City Pages
“Hope & Heart shifts mainly between jazzy acoustic pop (“Hitchhiker”) and soulful piano ballads (“Someone”). All 12 songs are smartly shaped around Weber’s spectacular voice.” - Isthmus Paper
On September 13, 2011, rising soul-pop singer Grace Weber will release her long awaited debut LP, Hope & Heart. Produced by Grammy award winning producer Mike Mangini, known for his work with songstresses Joss Stone and Diane Birch, the twelve song collection showcases Weber’s distinct melding of pop, soul and gospel.
Hope & Heart, provides something for all listeners, whether it be with opening pop tune “Stay or Leave,” boasting a playful bounce and occasional jazzy cadence, or the clearly Gospel-infused heartbreaker, “Leave the Light On.” Weber’s backing band, an array of musicians which Grace met while studying at NYU, certainly adds flair to the formula on romping tracks such as the Wurly-fueled rocker, “Hitchhiker,” and the quintessential sentimental summer song, “Everything to Me.”
The album came to fruition after a successful campaign on Pledge Music, through which Grace’s considerable fan base more than rose to the occasion to lend their support. The campaign not only benefited Grace and the production and marketing of Hope & Heart, but also the non-profit organization YoungArts, a program of which Grace is an alumna, being chosen in 2006 as a Presidential Scholar and Silver Award Winner in the Popular Voice category.
Despite her age of 23, Grace has quite the resumé having already sung at the Kennedy Center, The Ella Awards, on “The Today Show,” and at the famed “Showtime at the Apollo” in Harlem. In late 2009, Grace’s golden opportunity came courtesy of “Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge”, when Oprah herself handpicked Grace from thousands of entrants to perform on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”. Print media quickly started taking notice, resulting in a feature in the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel and Billboard Magazine choosing her as an “Artist to Watch.”
At the early age of 10, Grace first discovered her voice and affinity for singing upon joining the Inner City Youth Gospel Choir in her native Milwaukee, where she regularly performed at churches in the region. Over time, those early roots in soul and gospel have intertwined with Grace’s own passion for modern pop music, creating a style that is undoubtedly her own. In describing her output, Grace says, “I think we borrow from a few different genres, including pop, old school singer/songwriter and jazz. The core of my music always comes back to a modern version of ‘soul,’ in that I try to tell stories through my lyrics that I hope can touch people, and I always try to sing from an honest place.”
Grace has been hard at work this summer sharing the songs of Hope & Heart all across America, including a gig at the famous Milwaukee Summerfest, as well as upcoming shows at New York’s Rockwood Music Hall and the seminal Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles. Keep your eyes peeled for an opportunity to catch one of America’s most promising and hardest working young artists.
For all guest list inquiries, review copies, interview opportunities, and information on Grace Weber, please contact:
Perry Serpa and Scott Pollack at Good Cop PR
perry@goodcoppr.com, scott@goodcoppr.com
718-846-0518
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Grace Weber wasn’t expecting to be confronted by a camera crew from The Oprah Winfrey Show as she walked to the Subway in 2009.
Weber’s New York University college roommate was walking with her and knew what was coming. She helped plan the surprise with the show’s producers, who wanted to tape Weber’s reaction to the news that she’d been selected to appear on Oprah’s Karaoke Challenge.
“The funniest thing about that moment,” says Weber, “was that all the other people on the Subway platform just looked annoyed by it. They looked like typical unfazed New Yorkers.”
They might not have been so unfazed had they heard Grace Weber sing.
The 23-year old Wauwatosa native has wholesome, girl-next-door good looks and a deeply soulful voice, evident on her performance of Carole King’s “Natural Woman” for Oprah.
Weber attended the Saint Jude parish grade school and Milwaukee’s Pius XI high school before she left to attend New York University. In seventh grade, she joined Milwaukee’s Inner City Youth Gospel Choir.
“I was on a retreat, and this gospel choir came and sang for us,” says Weber. “I knew right away that choir was where I wanted to be.”
Weber got her start performing at the Bitter End in Greenwich Village after she moved to New York City.
“In New York, once you get in at one of the clubs, you can network to get shows in other clubs,” she says.
This September, Weber will release her debut CD, Hope & Heart. The album was produced by Mike Mangini, whose credits include work with Bruce Hornsby and David Byrne. She cowrote the songs with Julian Pollack, who attended NYU with her.
Hope & Heart shifts mainly between jazzy acoustic pop (“Hitchhiker”) and soulful piano ballads (“Someone”). All 10 songs are smartly shaped around Weber’s spectacular voice.
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