Swan Dive William And Marlys
Format: CD.
Year Of Release: 2004.
Label: Siesta.
Label reference #: siesta 184.
TK Mailorder Reference ID: M234590
Approximate release date: August 6, 2004.
Genres: Rock/Pop
Price: $12.59 [Out of Stock]
On Sale! (Usual price$13.99)
List price:$16.97
1 unit in cart. Remove from cart.
Distributor/label description(s):
Siesta description:
William & Marlys. It could be the name of a contemporary French film - an affecting tale of love and heartbreak. Or maybe a classic American novel about the travails and triumphs of an eccentric couple. Or even a brand of particularly fine English tea.
Actually, this intriguing title belongs to the latest album by Swan Dive, an intercontinental pop duo who manage to encompass all of the above - cinematic possibilities, emotional range and distinct flavor - in a baker’s dozen of new songs.
William is Bill DeMain, guitarist and songwriter. Marlys (pr. MAR-liss) is Molly Felder, vocalist extraordinaire.
"We chose the title because this record has a kind of formal sound to it, with elaborate string arrangements," says DeMain. "The combination of our proper names seems to describe that sound. Also, it's a nod to the title of one of our all-time favorite records, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim."
William & Marlys indeed has the sound of a classic recording. From the warm pulse of "Good To Be Free" and the bittersweet ache of "Leftover" to the O.Henry-like drama of "That Hat" and the full-on dizzy splendor of "Up With Love," it's a tour de force of bewitching melody and ethereal beauty, and a landmark album for the duo.
Since forming Swan Dive in 1993, DeMain and Felder have been connecting with fans both in their hometown of Nashville, TN and in Japan, where they've released four albums, toured the country and had several radio hits, including "The Day That I Went Home", "Groovy Tuesday," "Circle" and "Girl On A Wire."
DeMain's songs have also appeared on records by Jill Sobule, Marshall Crenshaw and Marti Jones, and in TV shows such as Felicity and Pop Stars. A writer for MOJO and Performing Songwriter Magazine, DeMain has learned a lot about songwriting from the many artists he's interviewed, from Barry Gibb to Aimee Mann to David Bowie. "Getting to discuss the creative process with all these fantastic writers has definitely helped me with my own work," he says.
As a vocalist, Felder has sung on a number of American TV jingles (Pepsi, Big Red, Chevrolet) and with many well-known artists, from Amy Grant to Jill Sobule to Sixpence None The Richer. "My favorite singers are Eddi Reader and Rickie Lee Jones," she says, "but I'm influenced more by the spirit of what they do than the actual style. It's important for me to have my own sound."
For their sixth album, the duo once again teamed with longtime producer Brad Jones. "Brad's approach to producing is a little like Woody Allen's approach to directing," says DeMain. "Brad usually has a very strong vision that he wants to convey with a song, but he'll give the artist plenty of room to experiment. He courts the happy accidents and unexpected moments of a recording session. He also has infinite patience, a gift for verbal expression and a good sense of humor."
Felder adds, "I feel like Brad is a very important part of the Swan Dive sound. Aside from the fact that he is an amazing musician, he has an ability to bring out the very best in everyone working on the project. His knowledge of music is unbelievable and his creative energy is contagious. There is also a comfort level that we've established after working together over the
years and a very special understanding of each other."
The sessions moved from Alex The Great studio to Jones’s house to an empty warehouse, where the strings were overdubbed for maximum reverb. “Chris Carmichael really brought a lot of magic to this album,” says Felder of the renowned violinist. "His string arrangements are truly one of a kind and he plays with a lot of feeling. The string part on 'Hometown' gives me goosebumps every time I hear it."
As always, DeMain and Felder draw inspiration from their favorite music - The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Serge Gainsbourg, Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach, Ennio Morricone, Simon & Garfunkel, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Everything But The Girl, Rufus Wainwright - and make it into something that's familiar and fresh, timeless and tuneful - and always instantly recognizable as Swan Dive.
"There’s a cohesiveness and elegance to the sound of this record that I think lifts it above anything they've done before," says producer Brad Jones.
For the European release, Bill and Molly have also added four special bonus tracks to provide a glimpse into the group's history - "Truly, Madly, Deeply," "Go With Love," "And She Dreams" and "Rome Will Fall."
Ultimately, William & Marlys is something more than a film, a novel or a collection of songs. It is a soundtrack to the lives of the duo that created it. As DeMain says, "Before we made this album, Molly and I talked a lot about how we wanted to record songs that had a direct connection to our lives. Songs that mattered and moved us emotionally. And by doing that, we hope that the songs will also make a deep connection to the hearts and minds of our listeners."
Track listing:
1. "Good To Be Free"
2. "Hometown"
3. "Almost Over You"
4. "Leftover"
5. "Happy For You"
6. "That Hat"
7. "Up With Love"
8. "Becoming"
9. "A Few Thousand Days Ago"
10. "Where Am I Going?"
Bonus Tracks
11. "Truly, Madly, Deeply"
12. "Go With Love"
13. "Rome Will Fall"
14. "And She Dreams"
Previous page
Format: CD.
Year Of Release: 2004.
Label: Siesta.
Label reference #: siesta 184.
TK Mailorder Reference ID: M234590
Approximate release date: August 6, 2004.
Genres: Rock/Pop
Price: $12.59 [Out of Stock]
On Sale! (Usual price
List price:
1 unit in cart. Remove from cart.
Distributor/label description(s):
Siesta description:
William & Marlys. It could be the name of a contemporary French film - an affecting tale of love and heartbreak. Or maybe a classic American novel about the travails and triumphs of an eccentric couple. Or even a brand of particularly fine English tea.
Actually, this intriguing title belongs to the latest album by Swan Dive, an intercontinental pop duo who manage to encompass all of the above - cinematic possibilities, emotional range and distinct flavor - in a baker’s dozen of new songs.
William is Bill DeMain, guitarist and songwriter. Marlys (pr. MAR-liss) is Molly Felder, vocalist extraordinaire.
"We chose the title because this record has a kind of formal sound to it, with elaborate string arrangements," says DeMain. "The combination of our proper names seems to describe that sound. Also, it's a nod to the title of one of our all-time favorite records, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim."
William & Marlys indeed has the sound of a classic recording. From the warm pulse of "Good To Be Free" and the bittersweet ache of "Leftover" to the O.Henry-like drama of "That Hat" and the full-on dizzy splendor of "Up With Love," it's a tour de force of bewitching melody and ethereal beauty, and a landmark album for the duo.
Since forming Swan Dive in 1993, DeMain and Felder have been connecting with fans both in their hometown of Nashville, TN and in Japan, where they've released four albums, toured the country and had several radio hits, including "The Day That I Went Home", "Groovy Tuesday," "Circle" and "Girl On A Wire."
DeMain's songs have also appeared on records by Jill Sobule, Marshall Crenshaw and Marti Jones, and in TV shows such as Felicity and Pop Stars. A writer for MOJO and Performing Songwriter Magazine, DeMain has learned a lot about songwriting from the many artists he's interviewed, from Barry Gibb to Aimee Mann to David Bowie. "Getting to discuss the creative process with all these fantastic writers has definitely helped me with my own work," he says.
As a vocalist, Felder has sung on a number of American TV jingles (Pepsi, Big Red, Chevrolet) and with many well-known artists, from Amy Grant to Jill Sobule to Sixpence None The Richer. "My favorite singers are Eddi Reader and Rickie Lee Jones," she says, "but I'm influenced more by the spirit of what they do than the actual style. It's important for me to have my own sound."
For their sixth album, the duo once again teamed with longtime producer Brad Jones. "Brad's approach to producing is a little like Woody Allen's approach to directing," says DeMain. "Brad usually has a very strong vision that he wants to convey with a song, but he'll give the artist plenty of room to experiment. He courts the happy accidents and unexpected moments of a recording session. He also has infinite patience, a gift for verbal expression and a good sense of humor."
Felder adds, "I feel like Brad is a very important part of the Swan Dive sound. Aside from the fact that he is an amazing musician, he has an ability to bring out the very best in everyone working on the project. His knowledge of music is unbelievable and his creative energy is contagious. There is also a comfort level that we've established after working together over the
years and a very special understanding of each other."
The sessions moved from Alex The Great studio to Jones’s house to an empty warehouse, where the strings were overdubbed for maximum reverb. “Chris Carmichael really brought a lot of magic to this album,” says Felder of the renowned violinist. "His string arrangements are truly one of a kind and he plays with a lot of feeling. The string part on 'Hometown' gives me goosebumps every time I hear it."
As always, DeMain and Felder draw inspiration from their favorite music - The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Serge Gainsbourg, Dusty Springfield, Burt Bacharach, Ennio Morricone, Simon & Garfunkel, Nat King Cole, Marvin Gaye, Everything But The Girl, Rufus Wainwright - and make it into something that's familiar and fresh, timeless and tuneful - and always instantly recognizable as Swan Dive.
"There’s a cohesiveness and elegance to the sound of this record that I think lifts it above anything they've done before," says producer Brad Jones.
For the European release, Bill and Molly have also added four special bonus tracks to provide a glimpse into the group's history - "Truly, Madly, Deeply," "Go With Love," "And She Dreams" and "Rome Will Fall."
Ultimately, William & Marlys is something more than a film, a novel or a collection of songs. It is a soundtrack to the lives of the duo that created it. As DeMain says, "Before we made this album, Molly and I talked a lot about how we wanted to record songs that had a direct connection to our lives. Songs that mattered and moved us emotionally. And by doing that, we hope that the songs will also make a deep connection to the hearts and minds of our listeners."
Track listing:
1. "Good To Be Free"
2. "Hometown"
3. "Almost Over You"
4. "Leftover"
5. "Happy For You"
6. "That Hat"
7. "Up With Love"
8. "Becoming"
9. "A Few Thousand Days Ago"
10. "Where Am I Going?"
Bonus Tracks
11. "Truly, Madly, Deeply"
12. "Go With Love"
13. "Rome Will Fall"
14. "And She Dreams"
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