black bird white sky is playing a (free) CD release show on Wednesday, August 1st, 8PM at Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 1).
New Jersey native Ronnie Shingelo formed black bird white sky in early 2011 originally as a 5-piece with a drummer and electric guitarist. After further collaboration with producer/engineer/mixer Nic Hard (The Bravery, The Kin, Church, Ghost Beach), Ronnie decided to pursue a more electronic sound and pared the group down to a trio, consisting of Ronnie (lead vox, guitar), Jenna Perry (synths), and Luke Wagman (maschine, beats). “It made a lot more sense to me as we performed more shows,” says Ronnie about this evolution. “Nic had some great ideas about remixing some of the songs off our first album, and after hearing them, I knew this was a much better fit for our sound.”
Nic Hard drew on a lot of his own history as a club DJ in the downtown London underground scene infusing his techno and remixing expertise into the making of the Remix EP while allowing Ronnie’s overall style and vision to remain throughout. What resulted were remixes of “Before Sunrise” (which includes cameo guitar riff from Joel Hoekstra of 80s hard rock band Night Ranger), the dancier “Lay You Down”, and the moodier “I Saw Your Soul” – all from the band’s debut release. “Emergency” is the fourth and newest track that showcases Ronnie’s signature broad vocal range.
Far from a newbie on the indie music scene, Ronnie fronted two other electronic rock bands from Brooklyn: Silvercord, who shared stages with Kansas and Twisted Sister and opened for Bruce Springsteen at Giants Stadium, and SkinGod whose music was licensed to Guitar Centers throughout the country and got attention from ATO and RCA Record label reps. Ronnie broke off in 2010 to pursue his solo project and formed black bird white sky with 4 friends and fellow musicians that he met through the New York City indie music scene over the past decade. After bringing BBWS together in early 2011, Ronnie teamed up with Nic Hard and co-producer/engineer Jonathan Goldstein to create the band’s first album, which released in September 2011.
The band’s songs typically center on heavy subjects, such as addiction, fear of loss, and guilt while juxtaposed to upbeat melodies romance, love and longing and bouncy tempos that keep the album’s vibe from becoming tragic and dark. “Every song draws on something hidden deep inside me,” explains Ronnie about his music. “I’m a deeply emotional person, and I write from my gut. I’m hoping these songs will resonate with other people who have felt the same way I did at some point in their lives—and maybe even make them dance a little.”
Links:
black bird white sky