Poetic, dark lyrics and swaggering style make this an artist to watch in 2019;
premiered on Kill the Music
JERSEY CITY, NJ | February 1, 2019 – New Jersey’s rock/pop-noir artist Shayfer Jamesreleased a new EP titled Hope And A Hand Grenade today. A dramatic and diverse mix of captivating tunes, he seamlessly weaves between soft-spoken ballads and uptempo social anthems. Combining dark, poetic lyrics and swaggering melodies, James enamors audiences in an emotional and moving performance.
Hope And A Hand Grenade comes as Shayfer James’ seventh studio release, showcasing his ongoing growth as a singer-songwriter. His music provides a unique blend of catchy unconventionality; bright pop melodies are interwoven with gothic-tinged lyrics and emotive vocals, all delivered with a splash of whiskey humor, smart quip, and air of dark charm. Applauded for his theatrical live performances, James keeps audiences on their feet, with a hint of mystery and surprise.
“I went into the production of this EP with a totally open mind,” James shared. “I worked with producer/mixer/engineer and multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Gillespie who has been one of my closest friends for ten years. I trust him with all my heart. Jeremy knows me and understands my artistic approach and arrangements in a way that I think a lot of independent artists can only hope for. He also thinks I’m out of my mind, which is a bonus.” Known for his masterful piano work, James challenged himself on this latest release. “I love the piano but it had started to bore me a bit last year so I shifted my focus toward electric guitar. I recruited Corby Hewson on drums (who performed on all my previous recordings) and Caitlin Gray (Hooray For The Riff Raff) on bass as well as T. Fortuna on percussion. Jeremy and I played everything else, other than the viola on “Crack A Bottle, Run A Bath”, which was performed by Peter Horn.” The EP was mixed and primarily recorded at Mike Ferretti’s Self Titled Studios, with additional tracking at Magic Door Recording and Kaleidoscope Sound. It was mastered by Kim Rosen at Knack Mastering. James concluded, “Recording this EP was a wonderful experience made incredible by working with some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
Shayfer James’ first single and accompanying music video for “Mercy Down” was released last month, as a powerful social anthem. With a dark cabaret-inspired flair, it takes a critical lens to the negative aspects of humanity and modern America – including references to violence, war, environmental destruction, and a multitude of social and humanitarian crises. Despite the darkness and negativity that is portrayed, he provides listeners with a ray of hope and empowerment, calling for unity, action, and change. James utilities his music to often question and examine the good, bad, and ugly of human nature, across personal and societal levels. A number of additional music videos will be released in the coming weeks. The track “Ophelia,” a ballad written for survivors of abuse, will have an accompanying music video released to coincide with Women’s History Month in March, raising support and donations for a local charity (details to come).
Hope And A Hand Grenade is available on all major digital retailers today, including Spotify, Bandcamp, and Apple Music. Shayfer James will be celebrating his EP release show on Friday, March 8, at Rockwood Music Hall, Stage 2 in NYC (9pm show, $10, 21+).
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Album art for Shayfer James Hope And A Hand Grenade, out today
ABOUT SHAYFER JAMES:
Shayfer James is a Rock Noir singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist. With music that is equally at home on playlists that feature Nick Cave, Fiona Apple, Amy Winehouse and Leonard Cohen, Shayfer moves unflinchingly from soulful uptempo rock to serene ballads. Known for his poetic, gothic-tinged lyrics, swaggering grooves, whiskey humor, and captivating, theatrical live performances Shayfer is a true showman whether it be on large festival stages or at living room house concerts.
Shayfer’s darkly fascinating musical story reaches far back into his early childhood when he nearly lost two fingers while curiously reaching his right hand into the engine compartment of his father’s idling tractor. After emergency surgery and skin grafting, Shayfer’s mother sat with him and exercised his fingers at the piano every day for months. It is that early relationship with piano that, fifteen years later, resulted in the piano becoming an innate emotional and physical extension of Shayfer’s writing; a mechanism through which he creates, communicates, heals and destroys.
Shayfer began recording music in 2008 and since then, he has released two full length albums, three EPs and various singles, as well as special projects and demos for his fans. He has toured and performed at festivals and events in the U.S. (Art Basel, CMJ), the UK, Iceland (SagaFest) and Hong Kong. Shayfer’s music has been featured by Filter Magazine, MTV Hive and as New & Noteworthy on iTunes. His original songs and musical scores have appeared in horror and suspense films which premiered at The Tribeca Film Festival 2017, SXSW 2018 and North Bend Film Festival 2018. In addition to writing, recording, performing and scoring for film, Shayfer is currently writing two musicals with collaborator Kate Douglas (Sleep No More, NYC) which have been developed in residence at Goodspeed Musicals, The O’Neill, and Rhinebeck Writers.
Shayfer’s fourth EP, Hope And A Hand Grenade, was released February 1, 2019 via AWAL distribution (Kobalt Music).
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