Austin-Based Folk-Pop Virtuosos The Belle Sounds Announce Official Release Date for New Album THE SEA WITHIN
By: Macon Prickett Apr. 25, 2018
Austin-based folk-pop virtuosos The Belle Sounds are thrilled to announce the forthcoming release of their album "The Sea Within" on Friday, July 20. Their official album release party will take place on Saturday, July 21 at One-2-One Bar located at 1509 S. Lamar Blvd. St. 600, Austin, Texas. Doors are at 7:30 p.m., with The Sanco Loop playing at 8 p.m., The Belle Sounds at 9:30 p.m. and the Brandon Aguilar Band at 11:30 p.m.Tickets are $12 and there will be a free download card of the album with entry. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here. The Belle Sounds will also have a Houston album release party at The Mucky Duck on Tuesday, July 24 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available now here. For more information on the group, please see www.thebellesounds.com.
Led by frontwoman Noëlle Hampton and electric guitarist André Moran, The Belle Sounds create lush soundscapes intertwined with beautiful harmonies and emotive lyricism. Their sound is reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, Neko Case, Aimee Mann, The Shins and Jenny Lewis, yet exudes its own power and depth through Noëlle's heart-wrenching vocals and her and André's guitar interplay. Other artists featured on the album include studio drummer Evan Hutchings, local Austin bassist John Michael (Night Glitter, Charlie Sexton), Kris Nelson on bass and backing vocals on several tracks along with Brian Standefer (Alejandro Escovedo) on cello. Noëlle and André enlisted the help of producer/engineer/keyboard player David Boyle (Patty Griffin, Fiona Apple, Robert Plant, Eddie Vedder, Okkervil River, Shinyribs) for the new project and recorded it at Church House Studio in Austin.
"I am so excited to let these songs fly," says Noëlle Hampton. "It has been a long time since we released a record and it feels wonderful to share this collection in the honest form that it is in. David Boyle's organic approach to the production was just what these songs needed. He was looking for that immediate emotional response you feel when listening to something. I think people will get a true sense of us through this record."
"Working at Church House Studio was truly inspiring," says André Moran. "There is something about that room that lets you open up into its vast space and dig deep into the music. David was an invaluable creative guide for us. We are so excited to be releasing this record that we are all so proud of."
"THE SEA WITHIN" TRACKLIST IS AS FOLLOWS:
Inside Out
Like A Villain
Afterglow
Innsaei
The Informant
Legend of the Silver Moon
Safe From Love
Transcendental
Olivia
When You Lose Someone
Setting of the Summer Sun
About The Belle Sounds:
California natives turned Austin mainstays The Belle Sounds have made a name for themselves as seductive folk-pop aficionados, creating lush soundscapes intertwined with effervescent harmonies and beautiful lyricism. Their sound at different times will evoke Fleetwood Mac, Neko Case, Aimee Mann, The Shins or Jenny Lewis, and yet they stand out in their own unique sonic space with their effortless melodies, floating guitars and reflective storytelling. Fronted by husband and wife team Noëlle Hampton and André Moran, this five-piece indie-folk-rock band gets inside the heads & hearts of listeners with their energetic live shows and organic, honest recordings. "The Sea Within," their newest studio album to be released on July 20, 2018, dives deep into human behavior, anxiety, America's addictions, love, seduction, espionage and searching for peace in the world today. Produced, recorded and mixed by David Boyle (Patty Griffin/Okkervil River/Fiona Apple/Robert Plant/Suzanna Choffel) at Church House Studio in Austin, Texas, their sound is elevated through these recordings.
The Belle Sounds' journey started in San Francisco where Noëlle and André were each pursuing their own music careers, playing in bands, writing and recording. They immediately fell in love and soon after they began playing together things started to really take off. They opened for a variety of notable artists such as Bob Dylan, Wilco, Chris Isaak, Sarah McLachlan, John Hiatt, Richard Thompson, Train, Jewel, Richard Thompson, Pat Benatar and Graham Parker, among others. They saw their songs placed in film and television, released three albums under Noëlle's name and she appeared in the first iTunes commercial alongside such celebrated songwriters as Iggy Pop, Aimee Mann, Jeff Tweedy and Michael Penn. The duo had made a name for themselves in California and beyond, but craved a change in their day-to-day lifestyle. In the early 2000s they visited Austin while on tour with their band and they became enamored with the city and decided to relocate there permanently. They recorded one more album, "Thin Line," under Noëlle's name with producer Mark Hallman (Ani Difranco, Carole King, Eliza Gilkyson), and then her writing began to veer away from Americana and back to its lush, indie/folk-rock beginnings. In 2012, with a batch of new songs, the couple traveled to East Nashville to record the eponymous "The Belle Sounds" in a week-long whirlwind session with Neilson Hubbard, full of creativity and sonic discovery. The Belle Sounds developed out of that experience. Their EP, "Black Stone," was later released in 2014, also produced by Hubbard. In 2016, The Belle Sounds were named one of Austin's "Best New Bands" by the Austin Chronicle Music Poll and The City of Austin proclaimed April 13, 2017 to officially be "The Belle Sounds Day." They have performed at ACL Moody Theater, 3Ten ACL Live, One-2-One Bar, The Saxon Pub, Cheer Up Charlies and more. Their highly anticipated album, "The Sea Within," will without a doubt make waves in the Austin music scene and beyond.
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