New Single, “Wake Me In The Morning,” available March 14
"Wake Me In The Morning” is just what it sounds like.
It’s your 5th lockdown, and you’re on your eighth straight week of that same goddamn feeling: you want to hear something that makes you feel sexy, yet playful; broody like the world around you, yet vibey and dancy; modern, yet with roots so that you can remember what the world felt like before The Now.
Full of sexy, cyclical rhythms and dark, fuzzy spirit guides, this dream-like merging of r&b, indie, bossa nova, and electronica all stemmed from an early-pandemic vocal whispered into the mic late at night in the sort of voice that didn’t know if it was nostalgic for the past or pining for the future. The vocal whisper was turned into a genre-defying synth progression, followed by a disarmingly naked piano line that questions the delta between how things are now and how things used to be, then was underpinned by the mashing up of a a bossa nova loop (played by JT Bates of Bon Iver / Big Red Machine / Taylor Swift fame) that was sampled and triggered a la DJ, mixed with guitar lines from John Schroeder (Pomplamoose, Chelsea Williams, et. al.), basslines from and LA session musician Nick Klingenberg, and sultry jazz-flecked fills from Joey Kantor (Rogue Valley, Chris Koza, Michael Shynes, etc.) himself.
The result is something that actually defies genres and makes both the “musician’s musicians” and the pop fans turn their heads. Check it out.
Featuring:
Joey Kantor - vocals, pianos, percussion, e-drums, synth
JT Bates - drum brushes
Nick Klingenberg - bass guitar
John Schroeder - electric guitar
Ryan Gilligan - mix engineer
Bruce Templeton - mastering engineer
Brian Kantor - photography & co-art direction
Contact:
Joey Kantor (contact form here)
@joeykantor
Artist headshot available for press use
ARTIST BIO
Quite simply, Joey Kantor is one of those illusive unicorns and his music proves it: Smart enough to grab the ears of the “musician’s musicians” yet fresh enough for those more likely to smash the play button on the latest chart toppers – all while being searingly real and disarmingly humble.
Decades of conservatory training in jazz & classical coupled with years writing, performing, and/or recording alongside the celebrated likes of Rogue Valley, Chris Koza, Jeremy Messersmith, Michael Shynes, Dagny, and more give context to his penchant for creating pop music rife with the kind of sophistication, subtlety, and intelligence that his years in conservatory – and recording studios – have exacted.
With this masterful touch, he deftly creates music that – like his pedigree – is deep, multifaceted, genre-defying, full of subtlety, and timelessly sophisticated. Phrases like “Timeless yet modern,” “a master of tastefulness,” and a “brilliant melding of genres” frequently get uttered by collaborators and taste purveyors alike. And while his talents indeed have roots in the sort of training many will never experience, the virtuosity of those roots never eclipse the seasoned restraint and eminent tastefulness that pervade his musical voice.