‘Can’t Let Go‘ makes up one of three tracks on the Los Angeles singer/guitarist’s new EP, ‘Living Room Sessions, which will be released on May 26th. It’s a release that was inspired by The Grand Ole Echo, a weekly Sunday music series every summer at The Echo in Silverlake, at which Leeann Skoda has been a regular participant.
Diane Hubka’s formative musical memories go back to the west coast folk and country rock of the ‘70s, with a dash of the Allman Brothers Band and the blues, which she enjoyed through listening to the radio and cover bands of the day. By the time she decided to make a life in music, it was jazz that had grabbed her attention, and she made waves in Washington and New York as a vocalist who could comp on jazz guitar, even recording with Lee Konitz.
The gorgeous ‘Forever’ by Karen Jonas is an unselfconscious, open-hearted song of love and tenderness. Beginning with rhythmic picking, which gently urges us on throughout, the song features an excellent Dobro performance from multi-instrumentalist Jay Starling, whose notes slip and slide around Jonas’s voice beautifully. Meanwhile, Seth Morrissey’s upright bass is woozy and warm, giving a real fullness to the overall sound. Jonas’s words and vocal performance are intimate and captivating; almost spoken at times, hushed and sweetly melodic, it feels as if she’s singing to the listener personally.
“There’s a deep sense of sadness at the heart of ‘Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs’… it’s somber and reflective but it’s ultimately a song about trying to forgive and move forward… a full and melancholy sound, but particular praise goes to Dana Colley, whose bass clarinet really helps to give ‘Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs’ its identity.”
Hollow says: “‘Wolf in Sheepskin’ was filmed on a retro-themed movie set in Phoenix, AZ by Tina Andrea. The song kicks off the record as the first track from ‘Only the Wild Ones’, and it showcases the raw emotions of living on the road as a full time artist/musician, as well as the feeling of never quite fitting the mold or conforming to what everyone else thinks you should be.”
Check out recent single ‘So Long’ from Canadian indie-rockers The Sarandons. Featuring bursts of great guitar from Craig Keeney, it’s big and anthemic, warm and open-hearted. The song is driven by a great rhythm section and Damian Coleman’s pulsing bass is particularly effective. As the song progresses, there’s a lyrical breakthrough, a blossoming optimism about moving on that takes us beyond earlier doubts: “It took me ten years to remember // To realize which side I’m on // But I was right there where ya wanted // All along,” delivered with Dave Suchon’s raw, heartfelt, melodic voice.