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INsiders Guide: LEYO, Kenny Curcio, Pete Wilde, Amon, Ponytails and Johnny Stimson

Multi-Grammy Award-Winning Producer/Songwriter Edgar Barrera announces that he will be Executive Producing Mexican-American Latin power vocalist LEYO’s debut project. Executive Producer of Maluma’s critically acclaimed new album “11:11” and winner of the 2018 Latin Grammy for “Best Pop Album” for Executive Producing Maluma’s “F.A.M.E.,” Barrera joins forces with breakout Latin vocalist LEYO on his debut project, slated for release this fall. LEYO, known for his soaring vocal range and power, is currently writing and recording with Barrera in Los Angeles and Miami. Barrera who is renowned in the industry for his work both writing and producing mega-hits for the likes of Maluma, Madonna,  Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Becky G, Luis Fonsi, Prince Royce, Sebastián Yatra, Christian Nodal, Bomba Estéreo, Banda el Recodo, and Banda MS will oversee the rising artist’s project.

Barrera shares, “Producing and working with a unique artist like LEYO is super exciting and interesting to me. His talent as a real Latin power vocalist and storyteller is truly special. I believe Latin music has an open space for an artist like LEYO and by us fusing elements of traditional Mexican, R&B and Pop, people will hear him and immediately fall in love .

The project will capture LEYO’s unique passion for storytelling and love for pop, while staying true to his Mexican roots & R&B influences. LEYO will be performing new music at The Peppermint Club in Los Angeles on June 19th, where he will be joined by special guest, Mexican artist Helen Ochoa

In celebration of Memorial Day, NJ-based singer-songwriter Kenny Curcio honors those who have served and still serve in his new single “American Soldier”. Written and produced by Curcio and recorded at 0x1 Sound Studio in Cherry Hill, NJ, “American Soldier” is not just an anthem commemorating our troops, but also a piece that promotes individual strength in the face of adversity.

Curcio produces a strong guitar riff that brings forward the blend of Southern Rock and Country. Lyrically, he uses the American Soldier as a symbol of our own strength and fortitude to keep moving forward. With a chorus that includes group backing vocals, “American Soldier” is presented as a song of unity.

https://soundcloud.com/kenny-curcio/american-soldier/s-CapWO

LA-based guitarist/rock-n-roll artists, Pete Wilde,  recently released his debut, black culture/rock’n’roll-infused album, Sugar & Smoke. Combining pure rhythm and blues with high flying electric guitars and soaring melodies, the record is a throwback to the days of Hendrix with music that exudes the rich legacy of black rock music.  In so many ways, rock n roll has lost touch with the black voices that birthed the genre. Wilde strives to change that. The album received high praise from LA Times, Afropunk, The Big Takeover, and more, as well as notable playlist placement from Spotify, including a homepage cover feature for NuBlue, All New Rock, Volume, and Rock Is Gold.

Rapper, singer, writer, producer, and engineer, San Diego-native Amon is thrilled to unveil his music video for his  single, “Process.”

Amon says, “This is a never ending process. Our failures have turned into research and development. We can’t make anymore excuses we push ourselves. But that’s the beauty in the process. Pray this visual finds you wanting to take accountability and become your own biggest fan. Go hard as you possible can with it and then live with the results.”

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Independently creating beats and telling his stories on top of them, Amon lives by the motto: no excuses. As a teenager who dreamed of becoming a professional skateboarder, Amon hit the pavement on the daily. One day, he took a hard fall that left him temporarily immobile. While he was recovering, he began to experiment with music as a cure for boredom. Amon was fascinated by the world of recording. College in Atlanta further fueled his love of creating, and in 2015, he returned to San Diego with a marketing degree in hand and intentions to make music as a living.

In 2016, Amon dropped one song per week for an entire year. This always on strategy gained the attention of press and new fans alike. A track from the collection called “Lately” started to bubble up, becoming Canada’s #1 viral song on Spotify and #9 in the US. On this track and others, fans and music critics have commented on Amon’s ability to speak into his experiences and connect with listeners on a deeply personal level.

Following “Lately”, Amon hit the road, performing from the East to West coasts, opening for artists like DJ Khalid, Amine, and A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie. He began partnerships with brands like Sonny Digitaland New Balance. He continued to release more music for his fanbase, and that led to continued fan discovery.  Amon continues to build his house, and he knows that this is just the beginning of his career as a multidimensional artist. Amon is just warming up, and you’re invited to the game.

Longtime best friends Harvey Wright and Travis Goeres started Ponytails to create a psychedelic soundscape to the joys and labours of their love. Joined by Liam Less, Graham Serl, and Jasper Sloan Yip who all helped round out their sunburnt surf pop sound. Their recent EP “Darlings” (released August 2018) featured lead single “Cherry Pie”, premiered to sparkling reviews and a sold out release show at Vancouver’s Fox Cabaret. The single has been featured on multiple blogs and playlists all showing signs of promise for this upcoming band. “Just Yours” and “Too Long” are a solid representation of the coming soundscape that this five piece Vancouver band intend to evolve on. They recently opened for local favourites Peach Pit through the last leg of their US tour ending at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, and will be recording a full length album in the spring of 2019.

Life isn’t about simply taking risks. It’s really about choosing the right risk. You could say that pop singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Johnny Stimson chose rather wisely. After landing high-profile syncs on The Vampire Diaries and Trophy Wife and building a growing following, the Dallas native urged a European booking agent to get him a show in London. He had a gut feeling something would happen in the wake of it, so he went across the pond for the gig. The next day, he got a rather unexpected, yet extremely welcome call. Stimson reveals, “Someone at the show knew Elton John, told him about my music, and Elton called me the next morning,” he smiles. “In the following months we built this incredible partnership. I recognized the importance of taking risks, because it was the only way I would’ve been able to do this.”

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Drawing from influences as diverse as The Beatles, Tom Misch, Sam Cooke, and Frank Ocean, Stimson brings a distinct sense of soul to pop music—not only through his silk-smooth vocals, but also through his impressive skills on each piano, guitar, and bass. Stimson fuses funk-fuelled soundscapes with soulful R&B rasp and leaned-back grooves, creating and maintaining an irresistibility throughout his music. Inspired by interesting chords and theoretical elements, Stimson’s releases mix the organic with the electronic. He confides, “I want to continue to have sonic variety in my music, but to have common thematic and musical ideas that help the songs work together to tell a complete story”. 
Leading single ‘Flower’ highlights Stimson’s desire to use songwriting as a tool to journal his life and own emotions, including appreciation and being thankful for life’s journey. Thematically the single narrates that moment in time when you know something is so perfect and you just want to pause time and live in that moment for a while. “The most precious moments are here and gone in a little blink”, expresses the songwriter, “I got to surprise my wife at home for Thanksgiving for a couple days and it was the sweetest time, but it flew by and I had to head back out on tour. It reminded me of those flowers that only bloom for a little while. It’s so beautiful to get that time, but it’s so hard to let it go”. Featuring velvety vocals, romantic lyricism and smokey instrumentation, the single is sure to tug at your heart strings. With simplistic instrumentation, ‘Flower’ is a clear indication that sometimes less can be more.
Stimson’s second release ‘Vacation’ details the relatable feeling of wanting to take a break from all the responsibilities that come with growing up. Showcasing Stimson’s vocal ability, with his stunning falsetto gliding gently atop the bassline and slick jazz infused guitars reminiscent of Tom Misch, the euphoric track oozes a warm, sun-soaked vibe. 

Stimson has seen success with his single ‘Holding On’ garnering the title of most Shazam’ed song by an unsigned artist in the UK, as well as reaching Top 40 in the UK’s iTunes charts. Last year, his single “Honeymoon” went viral in Indonesia and landed in #2 spot on iTunes. He has topped the Spotify Viral 50 charts in ten countries, accumulated over twenty five million hits on Spotify alone and received acclaim from publications such as Idolator, Refinery29, MTV Buzzworthy, Nylon, GRAMMY.com, and more. Having toured with the likes of SoMo and Tori Kelly, as well as headlining his own shows across Asia, Stimson is ready to continue the next chapter of his musical career. 

neillfrazer@hotmail.com

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