Keegan DeWitt Plays Communion @ Public Assembly This Sunday, March 6th

Communion was born in the Summer of 2006 at London’s Notting Hill Arts Club. Founded by Ben Lovett (Mumford and Sons), former Cherbourg bassist Kevin Jones, and acclaimed producer Ian Grimble, it quickly grew into a flourishing community of musicians and fans alike, providing a first independent platform for the freshest young artists on London’s circuit and beyond.

Since its humble beginnings from a West London basement bar, Communion has branched out across the UK to Brighton, Bristol, Leeds, York, Oxford, Dublin and Belfast, and internationally to Sydney and New York City. Communion is now working closely with the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, The Camden Crawl, HMV’s Next Big Thing series, The NME awards, Belfast’s Open House Festival, and many more clubs and companies who all have a hand in promoting exciting new music to as big and broad an audience as possible.

Later this month, DeWitt will make his way down to Austin, TX, to perform at SXSW. He is confirmed to play at the 2011 Paste Party In Austin, The Billy Reid & K-Swiss SXSW Shindig presented by American Songwriter, and the Storychord day party, all on March 16th. A full itinerary is below. A noted film score composer, DeWitt's most recent work will also premiere at the festival in official selection No Matter What, directed by Cherie Saulter, and in the short film "Remigration," directed by Barry Jenkins (Medicine For Melancholy).

Keegan DeWitt Tour Dates:

MAR. 06 -- BROOKLYN, NY -- PUBLIC ASSEMBLY (Communion New York)
MAR. 16 -- AUSTIN, TX -- SXSW
* 12:00PM - The Billy Reid & K-Swiss SXSW Shindig presented by American Songwriter, The Swan Dive (651 Red River; RSVP)
* 1:30PM - Storychord SXSW Day Party, Cheer Up Charlies (1104 E. 6th St.; Free)
* 2:30PM - 2011 Paste Party in Austin, The Stage On Sixth (507 E. 6th Street; RSVP)

Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Keegan DeWitt Plays Rockwood Music Hall on Dec. 12th // Ltd. Edition 7" single out Dec. 14th

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - "Two Hearts"

Keegan DeWitt is playing a show tomorrow night at Rockwood Music Hall in advance of the release of a new limited edition 7" single, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", which is due out on December 14th, 2010 via Nashville's Theory 8 Records.

The forthcoming single's two tracks, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", were written this summer while DeWitt toured in support of his recent "Nothing Shows" EP (released July 13th exclusively through Daytrotter). The tracks expand upon the cinematic, orchestral feel of "Nothing Shows", finding DeWitt moving in a notably different direction than either the EP or his debut full-length, Islands (Izumi Records, 2009).

The driving, dance-inflected pop of "Two Hearts" follows in the footsteps of "Nothing Show"'s propulsive, rhythmic closer "Hearts Beat Loud". The second track "Reluctance" - featuring vocals by Isaaca Byrd of The Bridges - has a delicate, shimmering uncertainty and might be the prettiest song he's penned. Each song deals with transition, fittingly, as the single itself continues DeWitt's passage from a solo singer/songwriter to a collaborator: the songs were written to be played live with his current touring band of Byrd, Matt Shaw (Hymns), Jeremy Bullock (Pico vs. Island Trees), and Dylon York (Band Marino), who back him on the recordings. Both songs will also be included on a forthcoming new EP, due Spring 2011.

Keegan DeWitt is going on at 9PM tomorrow night and cover is free with a one-drink minimum per set.



Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Keegan DeWitt Announces Ltd. Edition 7" single, "Two Hearts/Reluctance", out 12/14/10

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - Daytrotter Session 7/13/10 (requires free registration)

Keegan DeWitt will release a limited edition 7" single, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", on December 14th, 2010 via Nashville's Theory 8 Records.

The single's two tracks, "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance", were written this summer while DeWitt toured in promotion of his recent "Nothing Shows" EP (released July 13th exclusively through Daytrotter). The tracks expand upon the cinematic, orchestral feel of "Nothing Shows", finding DeWitt moving in a notably different direction than either the EP or his debut full-length, Islands (Izumi Records, 2009). The driving, dance-inflected pop of "Two Hearts" follows in the footsteps of "Nothing Show"'s propulsive, rhythmic closer "Hearts Beat Loud".



The second track "Reluctance" - featuring vocals by Isaaca Byrd of The Bridges - has a delicate, shimmering uncertainty and might be the prettiest song he's penned. Each song deals with transition, fittingly, as the single itself continues DeWitt's passage from a solo singer/songwriter to a collaborator: the songs were written to be played live with his current touring band of Byrd, Matt Shaw (Hymns), Jeremy Bullock (Pico vs. Island Trees), and Dylon York (Band Marino), who back him on the recordings. Both songs will also be included on a forthcoming new EP, due Spring 2011.

"Two Hearts" // "Reluctance" will be available as a 7" via DeWitt's website and at his upcoming shows, and a download card for MP3s of the two tracks will also be included with each copy. A digital download version will also be available at all major digital retailers and includes the bonus track "Shut Your Eyes", a demo of "Reluctance," and a radio edit of "Two Hearts."

DeWitt will spend the month of November in Paris working on the new EP and playing a handful of solo shows. He'll return home to play a single release show at the Exit/In in Nashville on December 15th, where the first 100 fans through the door will receive a free copy of "Two Hearts" // "Reluctance".

Keegan DeWitt tour dates:

NOV. 16 PARIS, FR -- POP IN
NOV. 24 PARIS, FR -- FARGO (In-store)
DEC. 10 NYC, NY -- ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
DEC. 15 NASHVILLE, TN -- EXIT/IN (Record release show)

Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Keegan DeWitt Releases "Say La La" Remix EP As Free Download

Nashville-based film composer / Roman Candle guitarist Keegan DeWitt released his latest EP, Nothing Shows, on July 13th via Daytrotter's Record Barn. After a successful run of tour dates, Keegan has just released a free 5-track EP of remixes of "Say La La" (from Nothing Shows). These remixes were done by Jensen Sportag, Wild Cub (DeWitt's DJ moniker and the name under which he releases a free monthly mixtape), Unkle Skeleton, Youth Club, and Sun Ray Estate.

Below is a video from last year's Lake Fever Sessions which has Keegan singing with Madi Diaz, who also sang on the EP's "Michel Bizot".



Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Keegan DeWitt : "Nothing Shows" CD EP Review (Daytrotter/Record Barn)

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - "Say La La"
DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - Daytrotter Session, July 13, 2010

Nashville-based film composer & indie singer/songwriter Keegan DeWitt just released a new seven-track EP, Nothing Shows, via Daytrotter's Record Barn imprint. Five of the tracks on this new disc fall into the genre of orchestral pop and the remaining two are essentially 80's-style BritPop.

Each track on Nothing Shows provides the listener with a short glimpse into a particular time, place, and feeling. For 30 days in the early fall and winter of last year, Keegan crossed the Atlantic and holed up in a Parisian flat to finish work on Nothing Shows (the title originating from the collected works of poet Philip Larkin). It was there that he’d meld the tender craftsmanship of his New York Times-heralded film scores together with the resonant lyricism found on the diverse Islands. And what emerged are seven songs steeped in specific moments, locations, and emotions.

The majority of the seven tracks are built around Keegan's winsome vocals and the layered production brings in backing harmonies, strings, piano and other instruments to complement the vocals. The lyrical themes center around love, desire, yearning and frustrating. "Tired of Love" highlights the conflicting emotions within this introspection with the couplet "I'm tired of love, I'm tied to love". One of the standout tracks is "Michel Bizot" where Keegan sings a duet with Madi Diaz.



The two cuts that fall outside of the orchestral pop genre are "Say La La" and "Hearts Beat Loud" and both are swirling dance-pop tunes with an infectious beat. "Say La La" has a memorable keyboard riff that repeats throughout the song and is reminiscent of some of the thinking-man's pop that came out of Britain in the 80's. "Hearts Beat Loud" is equally danceable - here is the video:



Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Keegan DeWitt Releases New EP "Nothing Shows" Via Daytrotter's Record Barn

DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - "Say La La"
DOWNLOAD: Keegan DeWitt - Daytrotter Session 9/16/09 (requires registration)

Nashville-based film composer / Roman Candle guitarist Keegan DeWitt is releasing a new EP, Nothing Shows, on July 13th via Daytrotter's Record Barn - the first exclusive release through the site. Keegan is an indie singer/songwriter who got his start composing film scores (his most recent work appears in upcoming release and recently-picked-up-by-IFC-Films movie Cold Weather, written up in the Village Voice and InterviewMagazine.com, among others). He released his debut, Islands, last year.

For 30 days in the early fall and winter of last year, Keegan crossed the Atlantic and holed up in a Parisian flat to finish work on what would become his stunning new 7-song EP, Nothing Shows (the title originating from the collected works of poet Philip Larkin). It was there that he’d meld the tender craftsmanship of his New York Times-heralded film scores together with the resonant lyricism found on the diverse Islands. And what emerged are seven songs steeped in specific moments, locations, and emotions. Whether on the sad steps of Rome, in an empty schoolyard in suburban Paris, wandering the wintry streets of New York City, or taking a rainy late night bike ride down the streets of Nashville, each track on Nothing Shows plays a short glimpse into a particular time, place, and feeling.

This affinity and skill for articulating moments of substance – both little and small, mundane and profound – is not surprising for someone who is quickly becoming an in-demand name in the world of independent film. In 2009, Keegan’s film score work was featured on the Sundance Channel, HDNet, and most notably, Cold Weather, a SXSW-standout that garnered attention on the cover of Variety magazine and in The Los Angeles Times following its premiere.

Early last year, Keegan toured as both an opener for and guitarist with his sister and brothers-in-law’s band Roman Candle. At their encouragement, he began recording his own material, which caught the ear of Chris Stamey (Whiskeytown, Alejandro Escovedo, Le Tigre), who shortly thereafter signed on to co-produce Islands. Keegan has since toured both the U.S. and Europe on his own.

The EP will be released on July 13th as an exclusive digital download via Daytrotter and will also include with purchase a free, brand new session in lossless format. A hand-designed digipak version of Nothing Shows will also be available at Keegan’s live shows and on www.KeeganDeWitt.com.



Links:
Keegan DeWitt

Roman Candle Announce April Tour Dates / Show at Union Hall on April 20th

Nashville indie-rock band Roman Candle just finished up a run of shows at SXSW and they are back on the road this month, playing shows in the Mid-Atlantic and New England. The tour stops at Union Hall in Brooklyn on April 20th and tickets are $10.

The tour kicks off at The Garage in Winston-Salem, NC, on April 13th and wraps up at the Jefferson Theatre in Charlottesville, VA, on April 23rd. Recently Roman Candle has toured with Ravenna Colt - with whom they will play again on the Charlotte and Boone, NC, shows - and Alejandro Escovedo. The band's Louisville, KY, set with Escovedo earned a glowing review from My Old Kentucky Blog, while Atlanta, GA's Creative Loafing wrote of the band in advance of their March show, "Sharp pop hooks blend with indie melodies, distinctive vocals, clever lyrics and an attention to songcraft rare in contemporary music."

Check out Roman Candle's most recent disc, Oh Tall Tree In The Ear (streaming above), which was released last May on Carnival Recording Company.

Roman Candle tour dates:

APR. 13 WINSTON-SALEM, NC -- THE GARAGE (w/The Parson Red Heads)
APR. 14 CHAPEL HILL, NC -- CAT'S CRADLE (w/The Parson Red Heads)
APR. 15 CHARLOTTE, NC -- THE EVENING MUSE (w/Ravenna Colt)
APR. 17 BOONE, NC -- BOONE SALOON (w/Ravenna Colt & Possum Jenkins)
APR. 18 VIENNA, VA -- JAMMIN' JAVA (w/Paper Bird & Tao Seeger Band)
APR. 20 BROOKLYN, NY -- UNION HALL (w/Henry Wolfe)
APR. 22 PHILADELPHIA, PA -- NORTH STAR BAR (w/Roadside Graves)
APR. 23 CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- JEFFERSON THEATRE (supporting Sons of Bill)

Singer Skip Matheny, meanwhile, has also been keeping busy with his new interview series for American Songwriter magazine, 'Drinks With...'. The series, which launched in late October with an interview with Wild Beasts, currently features conversations with Alex Turner and Matt Helders (of Arctic Monkeys), Elvis Perkins, Fran Healy (of Travis), Alejandro Escovedo, Brendan Benson and Ashley Monroe, Jason Isbell, and Tom T. Hall.



Links:
Roman Candle's MySpace Profile

Roman Candle Announces January Tour Dates with Alejandro Escovedo

Chapel Hill indie-rock band Roman Candle are back out on the road this month in support of their third album Oh Tall Tree in the Ear. This seven date tour runs through the Southeast and has the band supporting songwriter/roots rocker Alejandro Escovedo. The tour kicks off at the Orange Peel in Asheville, NC on Jan. 15th and wraps up January 23rd at Headliners in Louisville, KY

Roman Candle's newest disc, Oh Tall Tree In The Ear, was released May 12th by Carnival Recording Company. Inspired by Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus and Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n' Roll, the smart, lyrical album is a loose meditation on the connection between music and longing, full of hooks and impassioned vocals (download album track "They Say"). Oh Tall Tree... has been earning the band some of the best reviews of their young career, with USA Today declaring, "...These are simply witty, sturdily built and charming pop/rock tunes that owe their debt to Wilco, The Jayhawks, Ryan Adams, perhaps even My Morning Jacket. That's great company, and these songs should accompany you on summer road trips." Summer is over, but Roman Candle will continue to warm up and keep fans company on these winter dates...

Here are Roman Candle's current tour dates (all with Alejandro Escovedo):

JAN. 15 -- ASHEVILLE, NC -- THE ORANGE PEEL
JAN. 16 -- VIRGINIA BEACH, VA -- JEWISH MOTHER
JAN. 17 -- CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA -- JEFFERSON THEATRE
JAN. 19 -- KNOXVILLE, TN -- THE BIJOU
JAN. 21 -- BIRMINGHAM, AL -- WORKPLAY THEATER
JAN. 22 -- MEMPHIS, TN -- MINGLEWOOD HALL
JAN. 23 -- LOUISVILLE, KY -- HEADLINERS

Links:
Roman Candle's MySpace Profile

Skip Matheny (vocalist for Roman Candle) Premiers 'Drinks With...' Column

Skip Matheny, vocalist for North Carolina indie-rock band Roman Candle's singer, just started doing a new online feature for American Songwriter. The new column, 'Drinks With...', is where "two or more songwriters have a drink and talk with each other (almost exclusively) about writing".

With this debut column, Skip interviews U.K. band Wild Beasts.

Links:
Roman Candle

Roman Candle Play Mercury Lounge Tomorrow Night, Sept. 10 (Indie Rock/Alt-Country)

DOWNLOAD: Roman Candle - "They Say" (MP3)
DOWNLOAD: Roman Candle - "Why Modern Radio is OK" (Daytrotter Session)

Chapel Hill, NC indie rock band Roman Candle are playing a show tomorrow night at Mercury Lounge with Wild Beasts.

Roman Candle are currently touring behind their newest disc Oh Tall Tree in the Ear (released this past May) which is the follow-up to their critically acclaimed 2006 Chris Stamey-produced release, The Wee Hours Revue. Oh Tall Tree in the Ear has been getting strong reviews and you have to love Paste Magazine's quote: "Oh Tall Tree in the Ear is part the kind of ragged, sprawling travelogue you'd imagine Paul Westerberg would pen if he was a roadie for Oasis at the height of Britpop, and part barrage of hallucinatory Dylanesque visions vomited up after a boozy, blurry night spent careening down dark, moonlit North Carolina backroads."

Tomorrow night's show is an early show - Roman Candle is listed on the Merc's website as going on at 7:30PM (which probably means 8PM). Cover is $12.

Links:
Roman Candle's MySpace Profile