MP3 Brian Kremer - Climbing The Vine
Americana roots melds with British folk and pop on this Austin-based singer/songwriter''s (and former classical vocalist''s) lyrically rich debut. Backed by a classic folk rock ensemble with a special contribution by the Tosca String Quartet.
10 MP3 Songs in this album (46:07) !
Related styles: FOLK: Folk-Rock, COUNTRY: Americana
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Details:
Short Bio:
Brian Kremer’s debut, Climbing The Vine, is not one of a young upstart. This singer-songwriter’s journey includes such adventures as a thousand mile solo hike, contributions on a 2003 Grammy-nominated album of choral music, and a few years of furniture making. He’s lived in the Vermont woods and in several major cities, all in the northern U.S., until his fateful move to Austin, TX. Music, and specifically singing, has been at the center of Kremer’s entire life, and he has aimed to make his own album since early childhood years spent in front of the record player. He just needed to wait for the right moment.
Complemented by his professionally trained voice, Climbing The Vine is based in Americana roots and British folk and pop, with influences by artists like Gary Louris (The Jayhawks), Richard Thompson, and Lucinda Williams. Featuring guest appearances from Austin-natives Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar, Chip Dolan on piano and organ, and the Tosca String Quartet, Brian Kremer’s 10 original tracks have inevitably profited from his patience and inclination to look within.
Long Bio:
Singer-songwriter Brian Kremer will release his debut, Climbing The Vine, from Darling Echo Records on November 18, 2008. The release is a tribute to Kremer’s journey that begins in rural Vermont and winds up in his newfound home of Austin, TX. The record includes 10 original tracks, and features guest appearances from Austin-natives Cindy Cashdollar on steel guitar, Chip Dolan on piano and organ, and the Tosca String Quartet. Complemented by his professionally trained voice, Climbing The Vine is based in Americana folk and roots style.
Kremer, 34, was born in Greeley, Colorado. Moving shortly thereafter to Vermont, Kremer spent the majority of his formative years in the northern United States. Growing up among snowy woods and fall colors, he readily praises the beauty of his early surroundings. Raised on Simon & Garfunkel and Gordon Lightfoot records from his parents’ collection, he picked up his first guitar somewhere around the age of 14. His earliest memory of discovering music on his own was a fateful trip to a tiny local record store where he simply picked out two cassettes with images of guitars on them. Luck found him that day- he was introduced to Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix entirely by chance. Kremer now bases his influences in North American folk & country and British folk & pop- citing Richard Thompson, Gary Louris (of the Jayhawks), Neil Young, Nick Drake, Lucinda Williams and k.d. lang as favorites.
Perhaps most intriguing about Kremer is his vocal education. Kremer’s singing voice has been a life-long talent- beginning at 6 years old, he was already singing for his church’s choir. Later years brought talent show wins, leads in musicals, and a state vocal scholarship, but broaching the subject of college was a tentative step. Instead, he wanted to devote more time to writing original songs. Ultimately, however, he decided the opportunity of attending college should not be passed over. Choosing Berklee College of Music (following two years at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN), he studied voice and music theory and earned his degree in Music Production and Engineering. Once his degree was completed, Kremer moved back to Vermont for sanctuary, turning his attention away from the music career options he rigorously trained for at Berklee. It was 3 years until he returned to music.
The return took the form of 4 years of professional classical singing in ice-covered St. Paul, MN. Landing a job with The Dale Warland Singers (which included contributions on a 2003 Grammy-nominated album), Kremer made the rest of his living singing for church services, funerals, and even beer commercials. The work was good, but he still hadn’t found what he was looking for. This time, inspiration took firm hold and sent him to Austin- the move that signified the biggest change yet for Kremer, and the biggest step toward making real the music speaking inside him.
After his move to Austin in 2003, Kremer’s lyrics tell new stories. One of the standouts on Climbing The Vine is “Tuesday Morning Birthday,” the story of a person waking up on his 30th birthday far from home. Kremer took from a wellspring of emotions he had upon moving to Austin from his home in the North, looking back from the vantage point of new coordinates. “Be Sweet To Me” is another standout on the album, an honest portrayal of a man who is simply asking of a woman something that is often unsaid: be kind.
Encapsulating Brian Kremer as a person and as a musician is that his music ebbs and flows. There is always a voice inside that tells him to go back to the woods, to look within, to work for years as a furniture maker (which at one point, he did). For all the time he spends away from writing music, from pausing his creative mind, his music inevitably profits from these experiences. He allows himself the life to be lived.