Whetherman is the moniker of independent singer-songwriter Nicholas Williams, who has released six full-length albums of effervescent melody-filled folk tales since it's inception in 2007. His highly anticipated sixth record, 'Seeds for Harvest', released April 30th. The new album graces elements throughout his catalogue, while taking experimental steps in new directions of Blues, Singer-Songwriter and Indie. Growing up in the Midwest, his surroundings have created songs filled with personal truth, awareness of nature, poetic earnest vocals and easy-listening grooves that will lift your spirits and feed your soul, akin to the likes of Ray Lamontagne or some of Van Morrison's early recordings. The Whetherman project is completely DIY under Williams' direction, taking a contemporary grassroots approach to reach those willing to listen through word of mouth and constantly being on the road, living the songs he's created by immersing himself in the beautiful American landscape that many take for granted.

"Each release embodies the new places I've found inside myself. I have an obsession with traveling to discover new places and revisit old, on top of culturing myself musically" says Williams. His last manifestation, 'Streams and Pastures' (2013) featured a six-member band for the first time, recorded in the Southeast where he has spent most of his time since 2009. The end product is an eclectic array of new sound that takes nothing away from the established singer-songwriter presence, only beautifully adding elements of America's enriched musical history. The cast includes: Rachel Murray (Vocals), JP Salvat (Percussion), Alex Hayward (Engineer/Drummer), Adam Mantovani (Upright Bass), Drew Matulich (Mandolin/Fiddle/Guitar) and Eric Brigmond (Keys).

Under Whetherman, Williams has opened for acclaimed acts such as: The Wailers, The Wood Brothers, Howie Day, Donavon Frankenreiter, Anders Osbourne, Town Mountain, Brendan James and Zach Deputy. In the US, he's toured over 40 states annually since 2011, while performing over 150 shows, this April he'll set sail on the nationwide 'Seeds' Tour supporting his new album. During June of 2014, Williams took the tales overseas with The Whetherman Trio, alongside Rachel Murray and JP Salvat, to perform in Germany, France and Spain. In May of 2015, Williams will be embarking on a month-long solo UK Tour that hits England, Ireland and Scotland. Currently, Williams is taking time off from the road to track his sixth full-length album, 'Seeds for Harvest', due to release April 30th, 2015.

You can find Whetherman's music on the Official Whetherman Page, Bandcamp, Daytrotter, Amazon and iTunes. You can stream his music on Pandora Radio and Spotify.

www.Whetherman.net

A new piano sound is here to be explored: the Vertical Concert Grand Klavins M450i. An Everest of sound, a friend commented - she may be right... :-)

Our Una Corda piano has been sampled and is available as a VSTi at Native Instruments - they did a great job, it's fascinating! Also take a look at The Giant from NI, the VSTi of our Model 370 vertical concert grand piano...

Love to express myself on the keyboard now and then, only improvising... sometimes it works out, sometimes not - like real life... :-) Actually I'm a piano builder, not a pianist... ;-)

I'm recording mostly using the Native Instruments Komplete Kontrol S88 keyboard, Reaper for DAW, and various Native Instruments sound libraries, sometimes live on the Una Corda.

Wish I had more time to explore all the fine musicians here - it's fascinating, always something new and inspirational to find, within the infinite world of music..!

Please be patient with me in case I'm not replying on your comments short term - I'm extremely busy building pianos... I definitely appreciate your remarks, ideas, suggestions, and will get back to you as I can afford..!

Having been on SC since April 2012, I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone who contributes to this wonderful world of music - all the friends I've made here, and the SC-Team as well..!!

Dave

Doctoral Fellow in Music Education at NYU; adjunct professor of music technology and music education at Montclair State University

Practicing the lost art of classical improvisation.  Classical improvisation was once the widely practiced cornerstone of classical composition and how classical composers played their own pieces themselves.  They improvised those too. No two performances were ever quite the same.  And so, improvisation was a part of classical performances. Mozart, Beethoven and Liszt were all virtuoso improvisers whose concerts often included ad-lib fantasies and spontaneous variations on themes called out by their audiences. In my case, I’m not sure how I’m able do it but I can.  Improvised when I recorded it on the first take. I don’t very much care the classical purists, particularly classical music professors, are unaware that this is a legitimate lost art they maybe never learned or want to teach as it’s an all but forgotten part of what could be a more complete classical curriculum. All of my copyrighted music is right here in one place for you to enjoy. Many of them were recorded live as I composed them on the spot and played them on the spot on the first take. I’m classically trained but not much bound by the classical instruction straitjacket of “we don’t improvise”. All rights reserved.

Ariana Rae Delfs was a 17-year old musician and artist who was tragically taken by a short illness in 2019. A body of her recorded musical sketches were recently found on her phone which were recorded in a voice recorder app. We are in the process of organizing and cleaning up these tracks to be uploaded here for all to enjoy. Please consider a donation to her memorial fund located at http://www.arianadelfs.com.

Morr Music merges electronic and indie musical disciplines that many consider the label to have invented its own genre. It's roster is certainly a testament to this fact - the likes of Lali Puna, Múm, Isan, Seabear, Sin Fang, Sóley, It´s A Musical, Masha Qrella, Tarwater, Fm Belfast, Pascal Pinon, Butcher The Bar, Telekinesis, Opiate, Ms. John Soda, Tied & Tickled Trio, Electric President, Radical Face, The Go Find, and B.Fleischmann making for an impeccable roster. With more than 100 Albums in its catalogue, Morr Music is a label that truly has something for everyone. 


BIO, Latest work: 
- Winner of Best Electronic and Acoustic Score- International Grand Scores Award 2017 with Clint Mansell. 
- Nominated for Guldbagge 2017 Best original score for Pojkarna/Girls Lost
- Nominated for The 2017 HARPA Award for Pojkarna/Girls Lost. Nomination text Harpa: 
Sophia Erssons has composed a distinctively personal synth score. The anxiety and unease of Pojkarna is hightened by the sparse, electronic beats of Sophia Ersson in the most intimate way. It is clear that the soundtrack to Pojkarna is not music added to the film. The score is part of the narration, as central to the storytelling and the characters as the cinematography.

-Showreel Pojkarna/Girls Lost:  
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm7288459/?ref_=ext_shr_eml_vi#lb-vi3081221657

-BVD, Garbergs mfl, Earth Statement: https://vimeo.com/184345906

-Wayway: www.wayway.se

-Farewell: http://farewell.today/

Biography
Sophia Ersson was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1980. She is an accomplished singer, songwriter, composer and producer. Her latest achievement as a film composer is feature film Girls Lost (Pojkarna), which world premiered at Toronto International Film Festival 2015. It has been screened and awarded at many international filmfestivals such as Cannes, Rotterdam and Rome International Film Festival.

She is nominated for Sweden’s most prominent Film Award ”Guldbaggen” (The Swedish Academy Awards) for Best Original Score - Girls Lost.  She’s also nominated internationally for her score to Girls Lost for The Harpa Award 2017. The winner is presented at the Cannes Film festival 2017.

Trademarks: Electro, singer-songwriter and dreamy electronic music.


Comments about her music: 
"...Mood-wise, “Girls Lost” also sometimes suggests a distaff version of the Spielbergian adolescent-bonding movies from the “Goonies” era. (A synth score by Sophia Ersson, who sings some of the songs on the soundtrack, helps to set a retro vibe.)..." / Ben Kenigsberger Variety US

"...The opening sequence shows main character Kim (Tuva Jagell) being pursued through the woods while a moody John Carpenter-esque electronic score pounds away..."David Rooney The Hollywood reporter US

"...Keining puts a distinctive personal stamp on the material. She plays with the enduring fantasy tropes – body transformations, full moon iconography, magic gone wrong – to enthralling effect, with the aid of the film’s moody cinematography and an awesome soundtrack. Rarely have high school hallways seemed so ominous on screen..." Shane Slater Awards Circuit US

“...Their transformations bring positive things, but also complications… it’s very punk,” Baran says, “It features music from the likes of The Knife on the soundtrack, and is extremely compelling...” Adam Baran New Fest

"...One of the keys to creating this fairy tale world in ordinary surrounds is the music. The score by Sophia Ersson is a real asset to GIRLS LOST creating a moody electro-pop vibe that beautifully enhances the experience. Surging and jumping in the emotionally tense moments, creating anxiety and unease when the three leads are in danger and guiding us through the transformation scenes with subtly shifting masculine and feminine tones. Watching this film without the sound would almost leave it feeling empty. The score somehow seems to fill the quiet moments and speak for the characters when it would otherwise feel like something is being left unsaid..." Kernel Kate saltypopcorn Australia

"I also loved the film’s soundtrack – the sparse, electronic beats of Sophia Ersson compound the film’s otherworldliness in the most intimate way, like sleeping in the womb of an alien."

 Isobel Yeap, 4:3

Bonustrack from Sophia Ersson, 2009: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfjHjMrMSNo

http://songexploder.net
http://theoneamradio.com


BCM is following