Jackie Greene

Americana and roots singer-songwriter Jackie Greene is a jack-of-all-trades, and an artist who can croon over soulful piano ballads as much as he can shred a bluesy guitar solo (like he did as the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes in 2013). A road warrior and musician’s musician, Greene’s new EP ‘The Modern Lives – Vol 2’ (out October 2018 on Blue Rose Music) finds him at a new chapter in his life: his first months of fatherhood, time off his relentless touring circuit, and a cross-country move from Brooklyn to his birthplace of Northern California.

This new collection of six original songs is a thematic extension of ‘The Modern Lives – Vol 1’ EP (released in 2017 on Blue Rose Music), imbued with a Brooklyn basement DIY feel and ethos. He is a student of American music, transfixed upon its progression through time, as well as how regional sounds fit in a contemporary context. Whereas ‘Vol 1’ saw Greene experiment with the Delta blues as a canvas for his examinations of modern society, ‘Vol 2’ sees Greene embrace the sounds of the bluegrass and folk tapes of his youth.

Greene partnered with Academy Award-nominated “king of indie animation” Bill Plympton for a series of music videos for ‘The Modern Lives – Vol 1’ that would eventually become an animated short film titled ‘The Modern Lives’. The film is currently making the rounds at film festivals where it has already won the Jury Award at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX, and the Grand Remi Award / Best in Show at WorldFest in Houstin, TX. The short is also being exhibited at the 71st Festival de Cannes/Court Metrage, Melbourne International Animation Festival, and ASIFA-East Festival, amongst others.

Norwegian-born, Lafayette, LA-based alt-country artist Rainy Eyes has released her second album, Lonesome Highway, via Royal Potato Family. The 11-track collection was produced by Dirk Powell and features appearances by Sam Grisman, Ric Robertson, Chris Stafford and Eric Adcock among an exceptional cast of accompanying musicians.

Rainy Eyes was born and raised in Bergen, Norway. After fleeing a troubled upbringing and moving to Denmark at 18, she met and fell in love with an American free jazz musician. By 19, Rainy had eloped to San Francisco where she immersed herself in the local music community, befriending musicians like Peter Rowan, Sam Grisman and Ric Robertson while launching the West Marin Fiddle Camp.

Following the demise of her marriage, Rainy and her son left the Bay area for South Louisiana, drawn by the music and culture of the tradition-rich region. Once there, Rainy forged a collaboration with acclaimed musician and producer Dirk Powell (Rhiannon Giddens, Loretta Lynn) who encouraged her to further develop the songs she’d been working on while in California. Together, they hunkered down in Powell’s bayou studio, determined to fulfill the promise of what she’d begun. It ultimately resulted in her second studio album, Lonesome Highway, a hope-filled and assertive collection of 11 alt-country and Americana-based songs that present Rainy breaking cycles, trusting the universe, and allowing her higher self to lead the way.