Back to the 80’s

Nashville-based singer-songwriter Paul Loren has always been steeped in the classic American songbook. Loren launched his solo career with a string of sold-out shows in New York City at famed venue Joe’s Pub at the Public with his ‘One-Night Only Band’ in early 2014. His first solo single, “All By Myself,” released in 2015, was supported by radio stations Lightning100 in Nashville, SiriusXM’s The Pulse, WCOO/Charleston and KPND/ Spokane, among others.

A six-song debut EP came in 2016, Paul Loren Is…Available!, featuring swing-era covers of classic songs by Sammy Cahn and Jimmy Van Heusen. 2017 saw the release of the single and video for the original song, “I Know A Place,” inspired by Civil Rights-era anthems and “evoking the somber hope of Louis Armstrong’s “What A Wonderful World.” (HuffPost) A slew of singles followed, including the 50’s-inspired “(Gonna Take) A Little Time,” with its accompanying whimsical video filmed at Brooklyn’s The Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club and premiering on Parade.com. During this time, Loren was personally selected by Jennifer Lopez to perform at her Birthday Gala in Las Vegas; appeared on “The Tonight Show” starring Jimmy Fallon, partnered with The Ryan Seacrest Foundation; performed at the legendary STAX Museum in Memphis Tennessee; and recorded in the world-renowned Sun Studio. He has opened for and supported touring artists including: The Temptations; singer-songwriter Brendan James; American Idol Winner Taylor Hicks; folk singer and guitarist David Bromberg; British soul singer James Hunter; and has shared the stage with Paul Shaffer, Queen Latifah, Christie Brinkley and food personality Giada De Laurentiis. With his 22-song collection Betwixt & Between, Paul has pivoted in a new and exciting musical direction. The songs traffic in a depth and brutal honesty not found in his earlier material. “While his earlier material put him on the map, Loren’s heightened, and at times devastating, lyricism set against an upbeat groove-based sonic backdrop sets the LP as a career milestone.” (American Songwriter). Through it all, he ties together the more profound lyrical territory with a blazing rhythm section that feels rearing and ready to hit the road again.

With a career spanning over 20 years, Irish born Colin Smith has led a musical life as varied as it is impressive. With his former band Mrnorth, while on RCA, Smith toured extensively with the likes of The Who, Van Halen, Sheryl Crow and Journey, among many others.

As a solo artist, songs from his two records have been licensed to movies and TV alike. Smith has been seen in live collaborations with Alicia Keys and has worked multiple times on Saturday Night Live as featured vocal talent. Smith has most recently been seen touring with Christina Aguilera, duetting with her on the Grammy® Award-winning “Say Something” to audiences across the globe, as well as performing background vocals for the show.

Brie Cassil is a singer, actor, and composer based out of Chicago, IL. Original from Missouri, Brie moved to NYC straight out of high school, and has since starred in musical productions such as Mimi in Rent, Little Sally in Urinetown, Belle in Beauty and the Beast, and Suzy in the Off-Broadway cast of The Marvelous Wonderettes. 

Cassil has had the opportunity to perform all over the world. From leading workshops in Brazil, to opening for Adler with her original band, Rebel. Most recently, Cassil had the privilege of performing at the prestigious Carnegie Hall, in the new musical SuperYou. She is very grateful to be able to do what she loves, traveling around the world and singing the music of her biggest influences, with many of the world’s best orchestras. 

A producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter, Rodriguez grew up in Rhode Island, graduated with a jazz guitar degree from NYU, and made Brooklyn his home base in 2000. Since then he’s played every DIY venue and basement in North America with his punk/hardcore bands De La Hoya and Nakatomi Plaza, freelanced with innumerable NYC singer/songwriters and bands, performed in Broadway musicals (most notably Hedwig & The Angry Inch), and toured the world with the Grammy Award-winning duo, A Great Big World.

Oscar started producing and engineering at Russell Street Recording in 2013, and soon after began collaborating with Zach Jones. Since then, the two have played in each other’s bands (Albis and Zach Jones & The Tricky Bits) and have co-produced records for artists such as Jenny Owen Youngs, Elizabeth Wyld, Hannah Winkler, Talay, Jesse Dylan & The Scaredy Cats, and A Great Big World. On his own, Oscar’s production credits include Jukebox The Ghost, Jon The Guilt, and Rikki Will. He’s also written and produced hundreds of songs for the YouTube Audio Library, the Facebook Sound Collection, Marmoset Music, Premium Beat, and is a co-founder of the music/media collective Track Tribe.

Albis.bandcamp.com

Oscaralbisrodriguez.com

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jon Epcar is a drummer and composer. Epcar has worked with many artists including Bono, Justin Timberlake, John Legend, Rihanna, Natasha Bedingfield, Carly Rae Jepsen, The 8G Band on Seth Meyers, Klangkarussell, Cristian Castro, Matt Morris, Katie Melua, Evan Rachel Wood, SYML, Jesse James, Joan Osborne, John Cameron Mitchell, Taryn Manning, Madison Beer, and Danielia Cotton, among others.

Epcar was a founding member of Interscope recording group, Carney. On Broadway, he originated the drum chairs for Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Amelie, and Tina Fey’s Mean Girls. Epcar’s debut album as a songwriter, bandleader, and producer, MORNING DRONE, was released in 2017, and his sophomore release SOLO DUO TOOT was released 2021. Jon appreciates the great people at Paiste Cymbals, Craviotto Drums, Vic Firth Drumsticks, Reflexx Drumpads, and Aquarian Drumheads for their support and incredible craftsmanship.