Right Now, the sophomore LP from The Kiera Plan (due out February 19th 2014), not only captures all the hopeful lyricism and driving power pop energy that fans have come to expect from the Philadelphia area band, but also sees frontman Shawn O'Brien and company bringing a diverse range of new elements into the mix. Layered synthesizers punctuate the eccentric "What's It Gonna Be?," a brass section on "You Are Not Alone" pays homage to the ska-infused punk rock of the late 90s, and the piano and strings ballad "Annie" has the band landing more in the Ben Folds ballpark than Fall Out Field (where some might expect them). The band's 2009 debut Dedication hinted at the range that Right Now realizes, and it was the fans who O'Brien felt encouraged him to keep pushing in that direction: "When people started telling us what their favorites on the first record were, and each person seemed to love a different type of song we'd done, we wanted to keep that variety going." Whether at famed Philadelphia venues, or in the crowd at the Vans Warped Tour, Kiera Fans have gotten to see this new record come together song by song. For the extensive recording sessions, O'Brien reunited with producer Vince Ratti (Circa Survive, The Wonder Years) and enlisted a new collaborator in drummer Daniel Pawlovich (Valencia, Panic At the Disco), as well as a number of up-and-comers from the Philadelphia music scene. The result is Right Now, an eclectic collection of rock and pop the band strove to make memorable. For O'Brien, memorable music is his band's mission: "What I love about great pop music is that you can keep coming back to it, later in your life, and it will always bring you back to the time when you first heard it. Those songs mean something special to each of us." For the band's fans, The Kiera Plan hopes that one of those special moments is Right Now.

You Are Not Alone

The debut album from The Kiera Plan, released June 2nd 2009

Cross My Heart

Light, Heat, And Sound

For What It's Worth

If They Could See You Now

Will You Go With Me

I'll Never

The End Of The Dream

It Only Takes One

Completed

One O'clock

Tell Rachel I'm Sorry

After two albums of rock and roll, I felt inspired to go in a new direction – I felt like there was something else I really wanted to say.

I’ve been listening to hip-hop since I was a kid. I’ve never stopped loving the vibrant energy of this music, and I’ve been genuinely moved by those special artists who have dedicated themselves to saying something worthwhile. But as I’ve seen so much of mainstream music’s effect on young people, I’ve realized that there is some major misinformation out there, and so I want to ask the fans and all artists to help clear it up.

Our media, our modern society, and popular music especially have been making it sound like money means more than human lives, making it sound like it doesn’t matter who you hurt, that it doesn’t matter what you say, that it doesn’t matter how many lives you and your lyrics might help ruin as long as you’re getting that paper. Well, I don’t buy that, and I hope you don’t either.

Life is sacred. Anything we do or say that takes away from the dignity of human life is just wrong. We are all created by God; all made special, our value and our potential immeasurable. No one else can give life, and so no one has the right to degrade it, or to take it away.

Together with some incredibly talented collaborators, I hope to give you a sense of what music can sound like – of what hip-hop can sound like – when it is inspired by God, and infused with a consistent message of faith, hope, and love.

It’s time to tell those who would seek to profit from our suffering that we are not for sale, that life means more than all the money, all the power, all of the empty promises the material world could muster. Together, we are going to let them know.

Thank you for reading, and for listening.

Sincerely,

Shawn Mocey, aspiring MC

The Kiera Plan

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