Indie music blog immersiveatlanta.com premiered the official video for the first single released from Kristen Englenz’s debut album, ingénue. The single and video dropped on October 18th. The video garnered over 10,000 views in the first 48 hours. Directed by Eric Englert and filmed in East Nashville at the Bowery Vault, the video features Englenz and singer-songerwriter, John Burnette. The two depict the story of contemporary romance in a virtual world with miscues and misread intentions, ending in the “best move, your good-bye!”.
Immersive Atlanta’s Ethan Fogus states: “Kristen Englenz’s “Got Me With Goodbye” is a full-color rendering of the pastel drawings from the singer-songwriter’s last EP. The lead single off her forthcoming album ingénue is rich with a kaleidoscopic tapestry of guitars, French horn, and Indigo Girls drums. Englenz’s voice is in pristine shape suggesting Stevie Nicks and Neko Case. Of course, her singing has always been muscular and defined, but here it feels ready for a fight as she spars between verses. It provides a strong tension between the declaration of “you got me with goodbye” and the mournful descending riff that bisects the chorus.
Directed by Eric Englert, the video plays like a quick-witted Nora Ephron rom-com. With bright colors and good use of natural light, you may spend your time waiting for Sally Albright or Kathleen Kelly to pop out from behind a tree. But if you’re left wanting for a star-studded cameo, no matter. The bright caftans and patterned blazers Englenz rocks in the video more than make up for that feeling.”
Watch it here!
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/kristen-englenz-pray-for-me-music-video.jpg6281200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-10-30 15:34:322019-10-30 19:14:47ImmersiveAtlanta.com Premieres the Official Video “Got Me With Goodbye” by Kristen Englenz
Saturn 5 Records announces the release of the single “Pray For Rain” by Nashville singer-songwriter Kristen Englenz performed with the Blind Boys of Alabama. The single drops on all platforms November 15, 2019. Grammy nominee and producer Ken Coomer, former drummer of Wilco, recorded the single and Englenz’s upcoming full-length debut album, ingénue. The album is slated for release February 28, 2020.
Recorded at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, “Pray
For Rain” features Englenz’s soulful melody accompanied by the moving vocals of
five-time Grammy winning Blind Boys of Alabama, combining the hopes of youth with
the wisdom of experience. Coomer relates that “if I had a crystal ball and you
said that in 10 years, 15 years, three years, you’ll be at FAME in Muscle
Shoals recording with the Blind Boys of Alabama, I would have said ‘That isn’t
my crystal ball!’ ”
For Englenz, recording with the Blind Boys was a dream
come true. “One of my executive producers on the album, Willie “Chuck” Shivers,
is a great friend. I’ve hung out with Ricky McKinnie and have listened to
everything the Blind Boys have done. For this to all come together and have
them sing on my first album is just unbelievable.” Englenz adds, “Recording at
FAME with its history and iconic music legends felt like an unworldly
experience. It felt like magic when the Blind Boys walked in. And then the end
of the track is so special. Ken knew exactly what to do. It’s like a prayer!”
Coomer feels that “Pray For Rain” is a song that needs to
be heard. He said, “like Michael Stipe letting everyone figure out what your
songs are about, the song is for individual interpretation as to meaning. It’s
genius.” For Coomer, the lyrics encourage one to not be stuck, to find the
light at the end of the darkness. “With what’s going on in the world with
climate change and the Amazon being in a crucial critical state, this song
speaks to me to keep moving, keep trying to make things better.”
Besides Englenz on acoustic guitar and vocals, Coomer
plays percussion on the track. Ted Pecchio plays electric bass, Jason “Slim”
Gambill and Joe Garcia play electric guitar, and Robbie Crowell rounds out some
of Nashville’s finest session musicians with his keyboard work.
Roots music journal No
Depression called Englenz’s music “stream of consciousness Beat poetry
imbued with good-down-home Southern sensibility.” And Stomp and Stammer said, “There is a stirring intimacy to these
performances that holds you in their grasp.”
A fast-rising fixture of the East Nashville music scene,
Englenz sings stories of loss and heartache with a soulful sensibility both
intimately aching and defiant with hope. A classically trained pianist and
acoustic guitarist, Englenz also plays French horn on several tracks on the
album. With a voice both virtuosic and vulnerable, her music is fragrant with
Americana notes and a modern indie vibe.
“Pray for Rain” follows the first single from the
Coomer-produced album, “Got Me With Goodbye,” which included a video track that
has been garnering attention.
Englenz attributes her melodies as partly inspired by the
natural world, which she combines with her interest in environmental activism
in her popular web series “Caterwauling with Kristen” where she mimics
birdcalls and teaches about avian species.
Englenz frequently performs at multiple Nashville venues
including The 5 Spot, The Basement, and The Bowery Vault as well as at the
famed Eddie’s Attic in her hometown of Decatur, Georgia. Her songs have
appeared on compilation albums for Amplify My Community, a nonprofit
organization using music to defeat homelessness, along with those of R.E.M.,
Drive By Truckers, Widespread Panic and many more.
Englenz was recently signed by Atlanta, Georgia-based
indie label, Saturn 5 Records.
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/pray-for-rain-featuring-blind-boys-alabama.png6281200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-10-30 15:28:482019-10-31 19:49:00Saturn 5 Records Announces Single Release “Pray For Rain” by Singer-Songwriter, Kristen Englenz Recorded with the Blind Boys of Alabama and Produced By Grammy Nominee and Producer Ken Coomer (Wilco)
Saturn 5 Records announces the release of
“Got Me With Goodbye” by Nashville singer-songwriter Kristen Englenz. The
single drops on all platforms October 18, 2019. The single and the full-length
debut album, ingénue, were recorded
by three-time Grammy nominee and producer Ken Coomer, former drummer for Wilco.
The album is slated for release February 28, 2020.
In “Got Me With Goodbye”, Englenz ruefully
ponders modern relationships, particularly the miscues and misleading meanings
that arise when initial introductions are virtual instead of face-to-face.
“Your words sound so good now, echoing in my head, louder than the words that
you said.” Two of Nashville’s finest
session musicians, Ted Pecchio on electric bass and Jason “Slim” Gambill on
electric guitar augment Englenz’s vocal, acoustic guitar and French horn
contributions. Coomer’s inspired drumming and percussive rhythm drive the
melody to a toe-tapping indie rock beat.
When asked about working with Englenz,
producer Coomer noted that he loved her voice and believed she needed some
coaxing out of her “safe zone.” He knew she had been through some personal struggles
and could hear that pain infused with her hope in the lyrics. “I felt she
needed to be pushed to go inside the special dark sad moments where every
artist needs to go. She rallied and flew the flag of women surviving and
conquering. She nailed it.”
Englenz was recently signed by Atlanta, Georgia based indie label, Saturn 5 Records.
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/got-me-with-goodbye-album-cover.jpg6301200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-10-14 08:30:202019-10-31 20:37:17Saturn 5 Records Announces Single Release “Got Me With Goodbye” by Singer-Songwriter Kristen Englenz
Saturn 5 Records recently collaborated with Nashville producer Ken
Coomer on another joint recording project.
Three-time Grammy nominated Coomer has drummed with Wilco and Uncle
Tupelo as well as many other artists such Al Green, Wilco, Steve Earle, Emmylou
Harris. As a producer, he has created several gold and platinum recordings,
including Mexican rock star Chetes’ recent release “Vaquero”.
Coomer completed production on Mike Killeen’s full-length album “Ghost” in early 2019. Saturn 5’s latest signed artist, Nashville singer-songwriter Kristen Englenz, just completed her debut album with Coomer. It is slated for release in early 2020. Label president Richard J. Lenz and Willie “Chuck” Shivers served as co-executive producers on the album.
Coomer traveled to FAME studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama where he
directed production of Englenz’s song “Pray For Rain”. The track features
Englenz’s soul searching melody accompanied by the moving vocals of five-time
Grammy winning Blind Boys of Alabama. Coomer relates that “If I had a crystal
ball and you said that in ten years, fifteen years, three years, you’ll be at
FAME in Muscle Shoals recording with the Blind Boys of Alabama. I would have
said that isn’t my crystal ball!”
Besides Coomer, Saturn 5 Records has had the privilege of working
with several award winning producers including multiple Grammy winner, Dave
Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, The Highwomen).
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ken-coomer.jpg6301200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-10-07 08:30:032019-10-07 15:30:10Saturn 5 Records Collaborates with Nashville Producer and Grammy Nominee, Ken Coomer
Saturn 5 Records, an indie record label located in Atlanta, Georgia announced that it has reached an agreement with emerging singer-songwriter, Kristen Englenz. The agreement assists the artist in production, distribution, and promotion of her soon-to-be released, full-length album, ingénue.
In making the announcement, label
president Richard J. Lenz said, “Saturn 5 Records’ mission has been to identify
rising artists and help promote their songs and their stories. We are very
pleased that Kristen has joined our roster. We have enjoyed watching her
develop as a songwriter and performing artist. It is very rewarding to be part
of her team.”
Roots music journal No Depression called Englenz’s music “stream of consciousness Beat
poetry imbued with good-down-home Southern sensibility.” And Stomp and Stammer said, “There is a
stirring intimacy to these performances that holds you in their grasp.”
The company has worked with producers such as multiple Grammy winning producer Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson, The Highwomen) and Grammy nominee, drummer, and producer Ken Coomer, who has performed with Al Green, Wilco, Steve Earle, Emmylou Harris and many other artists. Artists that have appeared on the label include Eliot Bronson, Mike Killeen and Nathan Beaver.
Five-time Grammy winning gospel and soul
legends, The Blind Boys of Alabama, appear on Englenz’s debut album on the
track “Pray for Rain” recorded at FAME Sudios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. Lenz,
co-executive producer on the album along with Willie “Chuck” Shivers said,
“FAME Studios has produced some of the greatest American hits in recorded music
history and it was thrilling to work there with the Blind Boys.”
A fast-rising fixture of the East
Nashville music scene, Kristen Englenz sings stories of loss and heartache with
a soulful sensibility both intimately aching and defiant with hope. A
classically trained pianist and acoustic guitarist, Englenz plays both, along
with French horn on the album.
With a voice both virtuosic and
vulnerable, her music is fragrant with Americana notes and a modern indie vibe.
Englenz attributes her melodies to be partially inspired by the natural world.
She shares her interest in environmental activism in her popular web series “Caterwauling
with Kristen” where she mimics birdcalls and teaches about avian species.
Englenz frequently performs at multiple Nashville
venues including The 5 Spot, The Basement, and The Bowery Vault as well as the
famed Eddie’s Attic in her hometown of Decatur, Georgia. Her songs have
appeared on compilation albums for Amplify My Community.
About Saturn 5 Records
Dedicated to the production, promotion,
and preservation of music that matters, Saturn 5 Records promotes and supports emerging
artists who painstakingly create their music. Our artists write their songs,
sing their songs, and play their instruments. Each has a uniquely moving,
beautiful, and artistic creation to share through their songs, their voices,
their fearlessness and truth.
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/kristen-englenz-saturn-5-records.jpg6301200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-10-03 09:00:072019-10-30 15:43:19Saturn 5 Records Signs Singer-Songwriter Kristen Englenz
Saturn 5 Records proudly announces the release of “GHOST”! This is Georgia songwriter Mike Killeen’s fifth album. Killeen’s strong lyrics and producer Ken Coomer’s intelligent drumming makes this album ring with Americana sensibilities. The album explores topics of lost loves while celebrating current ones. Having drummed for indie rock bands Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, Coomer adds urgency and longing to the percussive elements. Recorded in Nashville, the CD and vinyl album are available for sale here and at Mike Killeen’s website.
Killeen has always had a way with words, crafting them to subtly tease out the flavor in each lyric like a brewmaster making a great microbrew. His straightforward melodies softly stroke the lyrics without dominating them. The album features nine songs that range from the glass rattling rock of “Total Nonsense and Drunk” to the tear inducing, heartfelt “Decatur Cemetery.”
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/mike-killeen-2.jpg6301200Wendy Lenzhttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngWendy Lenz2019-05-23 20:39:092019-10-01 20:13:39“GHOST”, Mike Killeen’s Latest Album, Launches on Saturn 5 Records
Producer Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) Calls Disc ‘a Great Surprise’
With four
albums to his credit, veteran singer-songwriter Mike Killeen opts to color
outside the lines with his fifth. The genre-defying “Ghost,” produced by Ken
Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo), will be released on Saturn 5 Records, and available
on Spotify and iTunes beginning May 17.
“The idea was
to not make just another singer-songwriter record,” says Killeen, “but to take
inspiration from the music that’s shaped me and channel it into something new.”
Ghost, Mike Killeen, 2019
The result is
“Ghost,” a nine-track amalgamation of indie, alternative, Americana, and folk
rock, rife with storytelling, passion, and introspection. Chockfull of
diversity in songwriting, accompaniment, and production, “Ghost” proves to be
Killeen’s strongest set of music and lyrics to date.
Recorded at
Coomer’s Cartoon Moon Studios in Nashville, Tenn., the producer says it was
Killeen’s gift of storytelling that drew him to the project. “Mike Killeen can
take you to that place, the place of a lost love, that yearning we all have for
someone,” says Coomer. “Or he can paint the picture of human loss, that deep
line that runs between life and death.”
Killeen sings lead on all nine tracks and contributes electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica, and piano. Expert accompaniment from Joe Garcia on lead guitar, Ted Pecchio on bass, and Coomer on drums — as well the textural presence of keyboards, mellotrons, mandocellos, loops, and well-placed harmonies by Kristen Englenz and Nathan Beaver — give the album its hard-to-label, but easy-to-embrace vibe.
“Listeners are in for a great surprise,” Coomer says. “I didn’t want to make a safe record, not with lyrics like that. So I pushed him sonically. I find things get exciting when you take away an artist’s parachute and make them jump.”
And jump
Killeen does. From the disc’s first single, the melodic, pop-infused folk of
“She Called Me Last Night,” to the solemn and reflective storytelling of the
solo piano gem “Decatur Cemetery (Section14),” “Ghost” forgoes caution and
convention, traversing musical peaks and valleys with soul and sustenance.
Killeen is also the founder of Amplify My Community, a non-profit organization that has raised and donated hundreds of thousands of dollars to community organizations offering support for the homeless and impoverished. Amplify’s funds are raised through the production of music festivals and concerts — and have featured acts such as Lucinda Williams, Jeff Tweedy, Mavis Staples, The Jayhawks, and Bruce Hornsby. Killeen has donated more than 30 performances to Amplify.
When asked why he’s releasing “Ghost” at this
point in his career, Killeen recalls listening to one of his favorite Bob Dylan
songs, “Going, Going, Gone,” with the lyric: Grandma said, boy, go and follow
your heart/And you’ll be fine at the end of the line/All that’s gold isn’t
meant to shine/Don’t you and your one true love ever part.
“Sometimes,” laughs Killeen, “you have to
heed the voice of God.”
Dates to remember
Available now: “She Called Me Last Night,” the first single from “Ghost,” now available on all major streaming sites, including Spotify, Pandora, and iTunes.
Available now: “Ghost” available for pre-order on CD and vinyl at MikeKilleen.com.
Singer/songwriter Mike Killeen announced the release of his next album. Produced in Nashville at Cartoon Moon Recording Studio by Ken Coomer, the nine song collection is Killeen’s fifth studio album. Wilco and Uncle Tupelo fans may recognize Coomer as those groups’ bad ass drummer. Still wielding the sticks with a variety of touring artists, this three time Grammy-nominated producer has been working with the likes of Al Green and Stax’s great William Bell. Killeen is set to release his album on May 10, 2019 at the famed Eddie’s Attic venue in Decatur, Georgia.
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/mike-killeen-singing-1.jpg6301200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2019-02-20 19:47:022019-05-14 14:44:11Mike Killeen Releases New Album May 10
Local Decatur jam rock band, The Bitterroots, announce their new CD release and anniversary show. The famed Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, Georgia will feature a rock blast evening as the tables are moved aside to allow concert-goers close up access to the acts. May 18th, 2019. Get your tickets now!
https://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/amplify-decatur-concert.jpg6301200Saturn 5 Recordshttps://saturn5records.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/saturn-five-records.pngSaturn 5 Records2016-06-22 17:11:122019-05-03 20:41:41The Bitterroots Bring Jam Rock to Decatur
Food trucks, craft beer, and the ubiquitous funnel cake are on tap to feed the tummy while awesome music feeds the soul at the first Amplify Decatur Music Festival in Decatur, Georgia. LENZ and Eddie’s Attic are humbled sponsors of this three-day indoor and outdoor music event held on the Decatur Square on June 18, 2016. At the world famous Eddie’ Attic music venue, acts such as Anthony D’Amato will take center stage, while a Prince tribute hosts multiple artists for the Sunday evening indoor festival finale.
Kristen Englenz featured performer at free concert
Outdoors, get your folk on, as from noon to 3 in the gorgeous downtown Decatur Square, four acts including The Magic Birds, The Dammages, Kristen Englenz and The Bitterroots rock on during the free concert. At 5 p.m., the venue transforms to a ticketed event with Atlanta favorite Eliot Bronson, Penny and Sparrow, Elephant Revival and Grammy nominated The Milk Carton Kids creating a special evening on the bricks.
Get Your Folk On!
Americana music at its best hits the Square in Decatur, Georgia on June 1, 2015.
Get tickets at Amplifydecatur.org. Various packages include the VIP package with private restaurants, complimentary cocktails and front row seats to the venue. See you there, on the Square!
