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Carolyn Hunter Finds Her Voice In Empowering New Album ‘Lovelight’

Lovelight is a brilliant synth pop masterpiece detailing Hunter’s most intimate reflections, desires, and longings. 

Indie Folk Pop singer songwriter Carolyn Hunter steps into the spotlight with a collection of 8 stunning tracks on her new album, Lovelight, out December 3rd, with a music video for “Felt Like Love” on December 6th. In addition to this exciting release, Hunter is proud to have contributed background vocals on The Lumineers’ new holiday single, “This Is Life (Merry Christmas),” out now. Lovelight is a moment for the artist in which she fully embraces her self-identity. At its core, this poetic pop celebration explores themes of desire and longing, as well as the evolving sexuality and energy that accompanies finding your voice. For Hunter, these songs reflect a time in which she sought out an identity void of codependency, and rooted in empowerment and exploration. Lovelight is a glimpse into the most intimate corners of Hunter’s world; the songwriter’s ethereal vocals, story-driven lyricism, and fearless vulnerability yield a final product characteristic of Maggie Rogers, HAIM or Taylor Swift’s Folklore.

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The dreamy record features 8 tracks, each painted with colorful melodies and vibrant, kaleidoscopic production. “Felt Like Love” blossoms from simple, warm keys into an anthemic chorus driven by a gritty bass-line, and embellished with spritely synths. “Don’t Let Me Down Easy” immediately catches listeners attention with a beautifully textured, percussive production. Hunter rips the bandage off on this epic heartbreak anthem as she confronts the transition out of the shadows head on. “Giving Myself To You” is a sultry statement against codependence accented with a charismatic bitterness and caressed with angelic background vocals. Hunter achieves the perfect amount of sparkle on this somber track, and peels her vibrant synth-pop back to a deeper level; she captures the full scope of emotions inherent to moving on from one era to the next. The smooth, steady groove on “Come Down” is driven by airy synths, hypnotic percussion, and is steeped in passion and melancholy. Overall, the tracks on this album come together in an impressive showcase at the epitome of dream-pop.

Hunter dedicated the last three and a half years to perfecting the tracks on Lovelight. She worked regularly on this project with producer and collaborator Julian Peterson out of Wolf Den Studios in Longmont, Colorado. Peterson is a mastermind of songwriting and musical craftsmanship, as well as a wizard on guitar. He is a deep listener that worked flawlessly with Hunter to help her find a new authentic way of singing. In early 2018, the two began workshopping songs she had written. He would take the song on his guitar, shape shift structure, chords, and rhythm until they found the heart of each song. The two honed in on their favorite projects to create the final tracklist; this album is a true collaborative effort, the culmination of the best of their work together. Fans can stream Lovelight on all major streaming platforms on December 3rd, and watch the music video for “Felt Like Love” on December 6th.

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More about Carolyn Hunter:

Carolyn has shared stages around the world with the likes of Lang Lang, Karla Bonoff, The Lil Smokies, The Good Lovelies, and many more. After graduating from UCLA’s School of Theater Film and Televisions, Carolyn taught herself guitar and began to pursue life as a folk singer.

On a small surf island in the southeast, Carolyn founded folk-rock band “The Fam Band,” known for their Joni Mitchell-meets-Allman Brothers grooves. After moving back West to Colorado, she co-founded indie-folk band ‘The Heartstring Hunters’ —known for its crowd pleasing three part harmonies and female review  — and was nominated by Denver Westword for “Best Folk Band.”

Finding solace in Colorado, Carolyn joined the Daniel Rodriguez Band (Elephant Revival) as a vocalist in year, performing across the country, over public radio, and on his latest record “Sojourn of a Burning Sun.” In the Front Range and beyond, Carolyn is often sought after as a collaborator, known for her fairy-like melodies, Joni Mitchell subtleties, and Tracy Chapman-esque tones.

Artist Spotlight

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE offers a jazz fusion and electronic atmosphere on “Previsioni del tempo incerto”

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE

DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE unveils an 18-track album, “Weather Forecasts of Unknown Weather”, blending jazz fusion, world music, progressive rock, new age, and cinematic textures with sounds inspired by the 80s. The album is built on compositions made with keyboards, samplers, and DAW software, as well as collaborations with other musicians, which are then rearranged and reworked with the help of artificial intelligence. The process embeds technology directly into the creative fabric of the project.

The album opens with “Previsioni del tempo incerto”, which features trumpet and vocals with the rest of the ensemble, setting up the album’s blend of instrumental and vocal elements. “Villistas” is more dancey, with dreamy synths and layered compositions that create a lighter electronic atmosphere. The differences between these tracks show that the album is willing to move between genres rather than stay in a single fixed sonic category.

“Claudia” opens with a saxophone and the sweet presence of a jazz orchestra, adding a more traditional jazz colour to the album’s wider electronic and cinematic landscape. The quality of “Pigalle” continues to pull the listener in with its atmospheric approach and vocal effects. Together, these selections reveal the project’s oscillation between acoustic-inspired instrumental timbres and electronically shaped spaces.

The album closes with a softer track, “ninna nanna”, thanks to its gentle presence and composition. The positioning brings the stylistic range heard across the record to a peaceful close. “Previsioni del tempo incerto” is defined by its willingness to blend contrasting musical languages, jazz, world, prog rock, electronic production, cinematic atmosphere, and 80s-inspired textures into a single expansive project. That cross-genre approach, with AI-assisted reworkings as another element of the album’s evolving sound, is especially clear in the artistic direction of the DONELLI A.I. ENSEMBLE.

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Artist Spotlight

Mark Cee unveils an acoustic storytelling with a restless edge on New Album “Ghost Talk Show”

Mark Cee

Mark Cee, an ambient indie folk artist dedicated to the art of the human recording, releases a nine-track album titled “Ghost Talk Show.” A set of folk-rock and singer-songwriter songs built on acoustic textures, personal reflection, memory, and emotional movement. The album begins with a conversational feel that lets the themes play out in character-driven tunes and melodic playing. The result is an album that is simultaneously intimate acoustic writing and sporadic ventures into electric rock.

The album begins with “I Am Dreaming Of,” an acoustic-tinged song about the possibilities of who someone could be and the desire to have that potential recognized. The way it reflects establishes the mood for what follows, a mood of memories. “Drifting Back Again” is a look back at past behavior, dealing with the complicated feeling of looking back at experiences that weren’t necessarily good but still have an undeniable emotional pull.

“Thought I Saw You Yesterday” has that reflective feel all the way through, with acoustic guitar and catchy vocals making the tune memorable and easy to get into. There’s a darker metaphorical edge to the album in “Skeletons on Your Lawn,” which explores the idea of hidden truths that can’t stay hidden. “And Now The Rain Is Gone” later turns towards leaving the past behind, and “Wish You Were Coming Home” adds an especially emotional quality to the record.

The last track, “Don’t Buy Gas Station Gummies,” shakes up the instrumental palette with catchy electric rock guitar, providing an energetic finish to an album largely defined by acoustic sensibilities. The “Ghost Talk Show” shows Mark Cee’s artistic direction, which is based on storytelling and emotional observation. The album moves around memory, regret, longing, self-reflection, and forward motion but always keeps a recognizable folk-rock base. Other tracks on the album:

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And Now the Rain Is Gone (Instrumental)

Sweet Jenny.

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