Gregg Robins Releases Free Demo Album 'Snowing in April'

Bronx-born singer-songwriter Gregg Robins has confirmed a free, downloadable album of demos, 'Snowing in April'. The digital release, available now via his website, http://greggrobins.com/, sees Robins handling guitar, vocal and saxophone duties, as he crafts an optimistic, surprisingly polished mix of new songs that mark a shift in his songwriting style, emerging as a more upbeat storyteller (as compared to his critically acclaimed 2011 debut EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS, which was more reflective, and garnered comparisons to such seminal artists as Paul Simon and Cat Stevens.) He comments:

SNOWING IN APRIL is an upbeat, new chapter on my path as a singer-songwriter. In its simplicity and raw approach it is catchy, humorous and playful, yet reflective and thoughtful on different aspects of life: believing in and knowing ourselves, holding to our ideals, finding true love and appreciating how special it is, while journeying from big, snowy cities to beautiful islands in the sun.

The collection can be appreciated as two distinct categories, combining reflections about mid-life (with a particular focus on stand-out track THE MIDDLE OF THE SHOW) with uptempo, Jimmy Buffet-esque songs about city and island life. Listen to Robins discuss the evolution of the project via this Podcast interview: http://bit.ly/YGqC6Q.

The LP features eight songs plus an inspiring bonus track sung with Robins' 15-year-old daughter, Casey. The delightful cover art further conveys the often irreverent approach of this collection, and was designed by Berlin-based comic book artist, Dominik Heilig of Kazmonavt.

Robins is based in Moscow and recorded the LP in Geneva, with Yvan Bing (Phil Collins,) via Bing's Kitchen Studio. It was mastered by Greg Calbi of Sterling Sound, and features vocals by Remy Sepetoski on the duet, 'Where Were You?'

Song notes by Robins:

1 - Snowing in April - is a day in Moscow during an April that was dark and snow-filled, and also makes fun of legendary Moscow traffic.

2 - The Middle of the Show - written on the week of my 47th birthday as a gift to myself and a celebration of the joys of middle age...

3. Take Those Empty Words - is the story of my life, as I was always told not to strive to reach the places I have, and
always rejected the advice...

4. You're Not Far - written in memory of my Dad, Jack, who died in the Fall of 2001, just after 9/11, at 67 years young.

5. Where Were You? - evokes the Everly Brothers as it tells the story of living in the same cities around the world for half a lifetime before finally meeting my soulmate. Track features Remy Sepetoski on vocals.

6. How Lucky - brings to light the realizations we can come to when our health falters as it tells in a humorous manner of a day in New York City.

7. and 8. - Sanibel and Paradise - Fun songs written in beautiful places.

Bonus Track: Believe - I wrote this song in the spring of 2011 when my children returned into my life after nearly three years of silence. All the more meaningful as I now sing with my daughter Casey. Track features Casey Robins on vocals. See the Father's Day video, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VMBWIA4k_7I

In other news, Robins has spent recent months working with the renowned Berklee College of Music, earning high praise from his instructors for his songwriting skills. Robins is all about forward motion and personal growth, and he credits the Berklee program for broadening his ideas and tools for writing.

More about Robins' acclaimed 2011 debut CD, EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS - With straightforward, emotive lyrics and unexpected instrumentation, Robins crafted a heartfelt debut dedicated to his three daughters, building engaging songs that are direct and conversational in tone, many driven by the pain of a broken marriage, the estrangement from and ultimate reconciliation with his daughters, and the hope of finding new love. There's an emotional integrity to the music that is reflective of the subject matter, as Robins' understated delivery is often juxtaposed by lush instrumentation, ranging from strings to klezmer-infused solos to songs that suggest a Native American rhythmic undertone, and more.

Veteran critic Jack Goodstein, in his syndicated BLOGCRITICS review of Robins' first CD, praised: "Often the melodies remind me of some of the best of early Paul Simon" - "there is an infectious honesty about his music" - "The songs reflect his personal journey, as he tries to come to terms with his feelings about love, family and country. Emotional sincerity is the hallmark of this album."

Biography:
Gregg Robins' new demo album, SNOWING IN APRIL is now available. Following on his critically acclaimed debut, Gregg has evolved in his songwriting style and capability, including through coursework at the Berklee College of Music. This underscores Gregg's core belief that we should never stop learning and growing in life.

Gregg launched his debut album, EVERYTHING THAT MATTERS, at the end of October 2011. The album represents a journey across the spectrum of human emotion and experience: from heartbreak to love, separation to reuniting, to the euphoria of an historic election and the spirit and saga of soldiers far away. Drawing on a range of musical styles and influences from classical to jazz, and Russian and American folk-rock, Gregg's songs range from haunting ballads to sing-out-loud, clap-along tunes, such as the winning track "If I Could Be There." While the songs vary musically, the common thread is the lyrics, which are honest, forthright, and hopeful.

The album has received critical acclaim, including such favorable comparisons as: "often the melodies remind me of some of the best of early Paul Simon," and "his song-writing style draws similarities to Cat Stevens." The track for the soldiers "Heroes," is described by critics as "masterful, with such heart and passion hard to capture in song." Critics describe the music as "always smoothly captivating," with an "infectious honesty." They write that it is "melodically, beautifully simple," and offers "one of the most uncommon of delights - an exploration amongst very familiar landmarks that somehow feels brand new."

Gregg started out as a classical clarinetist, performing a broad classical repertoire at an early age. As a teenager, he added alto saxophone and ventured beyond the classical stage into jazz improvisation, a passion extended more recently to klezmer, which harks back to his East European roots. These roots have led him to spend decades traveling in and working with Russia. Gregg is a native of the Bronx, New York, who has traveled a journey from high school dropout to Oxford Phd.
Gregg said recently in an exclusive interview on Melodic.net, "I am passionate about life, my family and friends, and my experiences living in and traveling around this vastly complex world. My music is both a personal calling and journey and an outlet to articulate my feelings and views on various issues - a highly personal way to share these with others. Although I have been blessed with a life rich in experiences, I define myself more in terms of my passions and values than in terms of my resumé."

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