Posts Tagged ‘These Old Hands’

Crys Matthews releases new album, “These Old Hands” Oct. 11

Tuesday, October 1st, 2019

NEWSONG MUSIC COMPETITION GRAND PRIZE WINNER CRYS MATTHEWS RELEASES NEW ALBUM ON “NATIONAL COMING OUT DAY,” OCT. 11

 

“THESE OLD HANDS” RECORDED AT ECHO MOUNTAIN STUDIOS WITH NEWSONG RECORDINGS PRODUCER GAR RAGLAND AND RELEASED ON NEWSONG RECORDINGS

 

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp

Oct 1, 2019 (Asheville, NC) – Virginia-based singer-songwriter Crys Matthews is proud to announce the release of her new album, These Old Hands. The six-track record is slated for release Friday, October 11, 2019, on National Coming Out Day. The date is significant for the queer activist artist whose songwriting frequently draws from social justice themes and love in all its forms.

“This album is a sort of coming out of sorts for me,” explains Matthews. “I’ve been out as a lesbian since I was 18, but this album is one of the few times in my life I’ve actually felt vulnerable. Certainly, it’s the first time I’ve felt so vulnerable with regards to my music. It’s not love songs and hopeful protest songs — there are a lot of hard truths contained in between the lyrics of these songs.”

 

These Old Hands was recorded at Echo Mountain Recording Studios in Asheville, NC and produced and mixed by Gar Ragland of NewSong Recordings. Matthews recorded the album as part of her 2017 NewSong Singer Songwriter Competition Grand Prize win. Matthews’s career has continued to thrive since that time, with performances at Sundance Film Festival, The Kennedy Center, and the songwriter’s first national tour in 2019.

Matthews describes her new collection of songs as a breakup album, featuring the songwriter’s signature blend of Americana, folk, jazz and funk punctuated by bold, honest lyrics. “Breakups are like any other type of loss; they’re grief-inducing, and so you can hear that cycle from heart-broken to healing,” she says. “Finding love and losing love are some of the most universally human things that we do.”

Pre-order These Old Hands on Bandcamp: http://bit.ly/These-Old-Hands

For up-to-date information on Crys Matthews, visit crysmatthews.com/ 

For more information about NewSong Recordings and the NewSong Music Competition, visit newsong-music.com/

For media requests, contact lea@newsong-music.com.

Crys Matthews records grand prize EP at Echo Mountain Recording Studios

Monday, July 30th, 2018
 

Crys Matthews was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2017 NewSong Music Competition. She spent time in Asheville this July recording her grand prize EP with producer Gar Ragland at Echo Mountain Recording Studios.

 

NewSong Music is delighted to have 2017 Grand Prize Winner Crys Matthews in the studio this week, recording her EP, These Old Hands

Matthews credits her NewSong win with launching her music career in the right direction. “Since that night, I’ve been on an incredible trajectory,” she says. “I have been able to play some of the most amazing venues in the country, meet some of the most amazing people, and rub elbows with some of the greats like Michael Franti and Keb Mo.”
 
Of her new EP with NewSong Recordings, These Old Hands, Matthews says, “It’s a complete departure from my last two projects and has more of an angsty Joan Armatrading feel to it. I’m so looking forward to sharing these songs — especially with my fans who always want to hear some sad songs.” 
 
“It’s such a pleasure to be working with Crys on this new collection of beautiful songs,” says Ragland, who is producing and mixing the project. “It’s a bit of a departure from her previous recorded work, and pushes the envelope in both exciting and musical ways. The whole team is excited for its upcoming release.”
 

More about Crys Matthews

Crys Matthews is nothing if not ambitious. In August 2017, she simultaneously released both a new full-length album, The Imagineers and an EP, Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers. These collections showcase two sides of Matthews’ dynamic songwriting; The Imagineers is a selection of thoughtful songs about love and life while Battle Hymn For An Army Of Lovers tackles social justice themes. Songs from both projects have already won her recognition and awards. She was one of ten finalists (from a pool of 5,000) in this year’s NewSong Music Competition and, after performing at Lincoln Center on November 30th, she was named grand-prize winner. Matthews also won the People Music Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the 2017 Northeast Regional Folk Alliance.

We hope you will follow along with Crys Matthew’s growing music career and check out her releases on Spotify and iTunes! For updates and show schedule, visit her website