I am searching for the truth in music. Hopefully it is my devotion to the truth that connects me to an audience. Raised in Atlanta, I heard music, melodies and stories in my head as a child. It never went away and I hope it never does. After experimenting with drums, piano and other instruments in my teens I began my love/hate affair with the guitar. Drawn to the blues after hearing songs by Son House, Robert Johnson and others and growing up at a time when Prince, Parliament/Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder and other musicians were stretching the boundaries of popular music I began to understand that music could not and should not be limited by our often narrow views of what it should be. Albert King, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Donny Hathaway, The Beach Boys, The Band, Led Zeppelin, The Police, A Tribe Called Quest, Bad Brains, Sly & The Family Stone, Tom Petty, Tears For Fears, Talk Talk, Thomas Dolby, Japan, Stevie Wonder. They all belong together. I co-founded a band called Follow For Now in 1991 in the hopes of creating a sound that combined all the influences that had been shaping my musical vision. While the band had a short life, it was my launching pad, as it allowed me to taste the fruits of such a strange mess of musical ingredients. I was signed to Brendan O’brien’s Columbia imprint in 1997 and began to spread my wings as an artist, writer and producer. Since then I have had the pleasure of writing, playing and/or producing for numerous artists from Dave Matthews to jazz singer Cassandra Wilson, from Widespread Panic to Santana, from Marc Broussard to Guy Sebastian, from Dionne Farris to John Mayer. I’d like to think that this is just the beginning. Like a secret that can no longer be contained, the voice, the songs, the truth. David Ryan Harris. ..
http://www.davidryanharris.com/
Brian Jarvis grew up in the typical New England town of Manchester, Connecticut, but it took a trip to Tennessee to point him in the sonic direction he's found on his new EP, The Nashville Sessions. From spending time in the music-soaked city and learning from seasoned locals, like producer Jay Franz, Jarvis' catchy pop-rock sound has evolved to include a distinctly Nashville-born attitude and feel. His sound draws comparisons to the likes of John Mayer, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Mat Kearney (whose guitarist Tyler Burkum plays on The Nashville Sessions) thanks to carefully constructed song arrangements that pay off with a seemingly endless supply of hooks - it's a familiar pop formula, but with an indie edge that sets it apart.
Jarvis' band has evolved with his music over the years, but has finally settled into a comfortable groove with Dan Fortin on electric guitar, Jon Coates on bass and Jim Townsend on the drum throne. This determined lineup hit the road supporting Sister Hazel in early 2010, and hasn't looked back since.
They've also shared stages with The Last Goodnight, O.A.R. and Matt Nathanson and have already been known to play over 200 shows per year. The plan is to tour exhaustively and build a fan base the only way they know how - by giving their audience all they've got, every single night.
Lyrically, the new EP delves deeper into Jarvis' personal life than his previous record Honestly, with tales of heartbreak, the parting of ways with friends and the devastating loss of his own father. But that's not to say it's a dark record. There's an optimism that shines through throughout.
The track "On and On" exemplifies the melancholy mood the lyrics set: "She waits for something to hold on to, on and on away from you."
It's more honest and emotional than most of what you hear on the radio, but you'd be hard-pressed to find a more radio-friendly sound. Times have been tough, but an exciting road lies ahead for Brian Jarvis.
http://gotjarvis.com/
