On a new tune released the day before this show, Bay area songwriter Joshua Reilly adds another layer to his introspective lyricism and folk sound: catchiness.
Tanner Boyle recording vocals for “Headphones” with Ybor City Records® at Bronx Recording Studios in the Historic Kenwood neighborhood Saint Petersburg, FL.
—A second step toward his upcoming album and audible evidence that the warm reception of his debut single, “What You Missed” (May 2023), was not a case of beginner’s luck, but the beginning of a journey for a songwriter with a lot more up his sleeve.
While he is a relative new-comer to listeners and DSPs, Tanner Boyle feels familiar and welcome with his relatable lyrical content and stand-out vocal talent, leaving listeners a bit frustrated that his pair of singles are the only material currently available for consumption. Luckily, these tunes live comfortably on playlists with artists like James Morrison, Allen Stone, and early Amos Lee, to hold you over while Boyle puts in the hours on a debut record worthy of these first two offerings.
Tanner Boyle came to singing and songwriting over time, which is surprising, because his vocal chops and delivery hint at a life-long and well-studied vocal pursuit. That’s not to say that Boyle hasn’t put in the work or gotten help over the years. Boyle is a self professed acolyte of Ryan Montbleau, being inspired by some early performances of his, and attending Montbleau’s songwriting retreat in the years since. Are you wondering what takes place at a songwriting retreat, and if Boyle came away with anything productive? Hear for yourself in the opening seconds of the track, where an actual phone recording of Montbleau and Boyle work-shopping a few lines of “Headphones” is woven into the intro, almost like a tiny preface to a novel.
Like Montbleau, Boyle is a writer with natural pop sensibility and the preference to deliver those pop leanings through a mix of Americana, R&B, and Soul tool kits, and as with his first release, he sought out the Ybor City Records (YCR) team to help put those tools to use on “Headphones” in the studio. As with most Ybor City Records releases, other artists from the label make up the studio band for this track. In addition to engineering by YCR’s Andrew Boullianne, the incomparable Liam Bauman joined Mercy McCoy’s Stefan Scheuermann to bring the track to life with Boyle, helping to realize his ideas through the prism of their signature tastes and approaches.
Headphones is a nostalgic soulful rock tune, sparked from a childhood memory as Boyle watched a friend's Dad plug his headphones into a giant receiver and zone out. Written in 2022 and recorded in 2023, Tanner spent the last 6 months putting in the work to make the track a reality. The result is a pop-anchored genre blend with elements that remind us of Maroon 5’s “Songs About Jane '' and proceeds to evolve into a Leon-Bridges-style groove-rich outro. As with Boyle’s first single, his voice is the star of the show, which, considering the musicians supporting him on the release, is a tall and well deserved compliment. Released on Ybor City Records®, “Headphones” was recorded in Saint Petersburg, FL and distributed through our official partner, Symphonic Distribution.
Headphones, Released February 9, 2023
Written by Tanner Boyle
Produced by Andrew Boullianne
The Clearwater-based singer-songwriter—lost his dad earlier this year, just before releasing a mellow, entirely acoustic EP…
For those not already “in-the-know” The Bluebird Cafe has risen to fame over the years for being the most coveted “listening room” in the country, known specifically for their “writer’s rounds” for which songwriters must audition or receive an invite. The stage has welcomed countless songwriting and musical greats, and given the era of Taylor Swift in which we’re currently living at the time of this article, we should note that this is where she was discovered, and where she recently played again during a surprise visit, showing her gratitude for the venue, their format, and for the prestige this opportunity represents within the industry.
If you’re reading this before January 4th, 2024, the time you took to get to this part means tickets are probably already sold out, as is the norm for these writer’s rounds. You can still try, or get there early to get one of their small batch of walk up tickets for the day of the show. If you’re reading it after January 4th, hopefully there’s another article written, or coming soon, about how the evening went.
We’re very proud to have one of our artists representing the label at The Bluebird Cafe for the first time, especially in the company of such a stellar lineup:
Brian Sutherland is an acoustic songwriter living in Nashville, TN. His brand of Americana has a certain pop and jazz influence that makes his music both timeless and relevant. He writes about love, loss, victories and defeats, and how leaning into your heart is always the best way forward.
Sutherland honed his craft on the Gulf Coast shores of Southwest Florida, entertaining tourists and and telling stories. A veteran of the songwriting festival circuit, he's been selected to perform at the Island Hopper Songwriting Festival, Key West Songwriters Festival, Dripping Springs Songwriters Festival, String Break Music Festival, Riverhawk Music Festival and the Druid City Songwriters Festival.
After years of playing in bands around Texas (including upright bass for bluegrass legend, Karl Shifflett), Trent Willmon found himself in Nashville, TN as a side musician playing bass and guitar for other artists. In between sessions, he would also continue to work on local horse farms outside of town. Trent signed his first publishing deal with Seagayle Music and soon after started a band called “Cow Camp” whose members included hit-songwriter Clint Ingersoll on lead guitar and Granger Smith (Earl Dibbles, Jr.) on steel. While playing the Nashville Broadway bar scene and a house band gig at Big Jim Country in Lewisburg, Trent honed his chops as a front man, landing him a record deal with Sony / Columbia. In 2005, Willmon released his debut self-titled album and broke into the industry with featured videos on CMT and GAC.
Trent Willmon has written many songs cut by top recording artists like Brad Paisley, Eric Church, Cody Johnson, Little Big Town, Randy Houser, Blake Shelton, Wade Hayes, Kevin Fowler, Maddie & Tae, Roger Creager, Merle Haggard and more. Several of his co-written songs have been in heavy rotation on traditional radio and he has had numerous recorded songs reach #1 on Texas regional radio charts.
As a kid, Michael McArthur dreamed of becoming the world’s best guitar player; but every time he’d sit down to practice, he found himself writing a song instead. Two decades later, not much has changed. Despite packing theaters and garnering critical acclaim for his intimate live shows, McArthur still considers himself a hardworking songwriter first.
Music has been a lifelong companion for McArthur through trauma and triumph. He writes what he knows, with each song carrying an undercurrent of darkness in a river of personal experience. “Maybe I was born with it,” he says of his bittersweet streak. “And maybe one day I'll master it. Until then, I'll write.”
An unapologetically lyric-forward writer, McArthur’s words naturally wrap themselves around his listeners’ lives when put to melody. “Those are the kind of songs my heroes write,” he says, “and the kind of songs I seek to write.” He’s talking about heroes like John Prine, Bill Withers, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, and others; you can feel their influence like an invisible armature under McArthur’s signature sound and lyrics. “I want to do for myself and others what my heroes have done for me,” he says. “ If I’m feeling it or going through it, chances are, it’s universal. Music is about sharing those stories and emotions with other people. I don’t write for television commercials. I write to plug in a light for people who have a desire to listen.”
McArthur writes every day, collecting lines, melodies and ideas from his own life, coaxing them into song form, and polishing them into finished pieces. “Some days, I just write a phrase or two,” he says, “but just like the road to healing and a deeper understanding, every song begins somewhere.”
McArthur built his career the same way he writes his songs—by putting in the work to get the muse to visit. Leaving the family restaurant business to pursue a full-time music career in 2010, McArthur bootstrapped the release of several singles and EPs with producers David Bianco (Tom Petty, Lucinda Williams) and Greg Wells (Adele, Taylor Swift, Rufus Wainwright). In 2018, he founded his own record label to release his first full-length album, Ever Green, Ever Rain, produced by Grammy-winner Ryan Freeland (Ray Lamontagne, Bonnie Raitt).
Stefan Scheuermann is a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer from St. Petersburg, Florida. Stef is also the primary writer for the Indie-Americana band Mercy McCoy, and founder of Ybor City Records®.
Following years of touring as a supporting instrumentalist, Stef took-on the lead writing and performing role, founding Mercy McCoy with close friend and longtime band-mate, Collin Ryan. Since then, he’s built a reputation as a crafty lyricist and engaging performer. That reputation has also earned him opening slots for venerated artists like The Wallflowers and Robert Earl Keene, and reviews commending his writing for its “Big-Sky Americana, folk-pop luster, and southern-blues swagger” (–Creative Loafing).
Through the years and musical projects, Stef has landed on bills and stages with some of the best songwriters on the planet, including supporting slots for Wilco, Jason Isbell, and Willie Nelson. “Brighter In The Dark,” Stef’s freshman record with Mercy McCoy, was well received, netting a mention by American Songwriter and recognition as a finalist in the one of the publication’s songwriting contests. Recent releases, like the dark Americana-rocker “Not Just Anyone,” and the folk leaning “My Dog and Time,” showcase a thoughtful evolution in song craft and producing prowess.
The reception of Mercy McCoy’s latest releases and live show have resulted in comparisons to bands like “Dawes,” especially as the group has become a sought-after backing band in the Southeast, both on-stage and in the studio.
Stef is currently in the middle of releasing new music, including songs from Mercy McCoy’s next LP and solo releases later in 2024. In addition to his own material, Stef is currently producing several other artists, and performing as a drummer for Leon Majcen and guitarist for Joshua Reilly.
If the Americana Music association made a Pixar movie, the lead character could very well be based on our guest. Leon Majcen has the personality of a leading man that we're all rooting for. Tall, smirking, and handsome, Leon is an eye-twinkling, excited ball of musical energy. He is the type of songwriter that isn't trying to impress you or convince you he's good at what he does. He lets his songs do the that for him, and leaves his actual talking for connecting with you as a person. He has a devil may care way about him, which is both enviable and disarming. In groups, Leon is a life of the party kind of guy, but one-on-one, he's more reserved. You can still sense his anticipation for his next show or fishing trip vibrating under the surface, but he's more more at peace. Here is the guy that calls you out of the blue just to let you know he was thinking about you. Just checking in. It's that thoughtful inner lining that comes out in his songwriting. Pair that with his picking chops, and you've got a recipe for star to continue rising on the Americana and Country charts. His first album, Back Til I'm Gone, is a study of homesickness and growing up that got the attention of the industry and landed him in festival line-ups... and The releases he has coming next, including the single you're hearing right now, are a fantastic evolution of his artistry. We can't wait to hear them, and we think you'll feel the same way, after you get to know our dear friend, Leon Majcen.
Buddy warmth. From Left: Taylor Raynor, Leon Majcen, Liam Bauman, Andrew Boullianne, and Greg Bauman., near the Vermont studio where the record was recorded.
“Try To Go Back,” the debut single by Greg Bauman, is an achievement in all aspects. The lyrics engage and move you without trying to impress you, the musicianship is top notch, and the production has all the hallmarks of modern recording technology but adorned with a broken-in quality that makes the track feel both new and old at the same time. That sound is the culmination of many factors, not the least of which is the beautifully grizzled, but gentle, vocal of Bauman, who sounds so mesmerizingly earnest in this first every studio release. The choices made in the arrangement, including piping in the nighttime sounds from the Vermont wilderness outside the studio where the entire record was recorded, pull you in, painting a calming but ominious back drop for this Springtseen meets War On Drugs hit.
“Try To Go Back” has a haunting intro that contemplates the realities of time passing, and the lack of remedy available for invisible wounds, “The train is coming. I can hear it hum. Baby, don’t run.”
Greg reminds us of the other reality; We can move forward. We have to.
“THE TRAIN IS COMING. I CAN HEAR IT HUM. BABY, DON’T RUN.”
By the time we’ve hit the chorus, the band is fully in and it’s a meaty payout for the listener. Resplendent with shimmering guitar, rich, woody drums, and the melodic wink of a xylophone layered in, the song is a pensive rocker. It’s no wonder Bauman chose this to lead off the album release schedule.
The song, like the rest of his upcoming record, was engineered by Andrew Boullianne, who co-produced the record with Liam Bauman. Bauman also provided the instrumentation and harmonies on for the record, along with Taylor Raynor and Leon Majcen rounding out the session players on some of the other up coming tracks.
The story of their recording process up in Montpellier is the stuff of songwriter fantasies.
Knowing this is slated for later in the LP track sequence, it can only mean the rest of this record is bound to be as great as this first, and triumphant, first song. While we wait for the next single and forthcoming album, please allow us to officially welcome Greg Bauman to the game. We’re so glad he’s finally arrived.
And, holy smokes; What an entrance.
“Try To Go Back” by Greg Bauman is available everywhere you get your music. ///
“Try To Go Back,” June 9, 2023
Written by Greg Bauman
Produced by Liam Bauman | Engineered and Co-Produced by Andrew Boullianne
Released by Ybor City Records
Leon Majcen in session with producer Andrew Boullianne. Photo by Rachel Weber.
It’s been almost two years since Leon Majcen’s last release, 2021’s single “World Gone By,” a well crafted low-fi folk arrangement that continued the momentum of his 2020 LP. That song is so good, and the recording has so much life to it, that it might surprise fans new to Majcen that he hasn’t followed it up until this year. For Majcen fans, we know better.
Part of what makes Majcen so special is that he’s not one of those songwriters who is just writing to release music. Despite the light-hearted feel of this latest single, Majcen is a deeply thoughtful writer, only producing material when there’s real inspiration, real emotion, and something he needs to say.
In an upcoming interview with Song Divers podcast Majcen reflects on much of what he’s felt and reflected on over the past few years. He’s still an objectively young artist, but he’s not the same bright-eyed and bushy tailed kid, twanging beyond his years anymore. He still has that mischievous twinkle in his eyes, but his aura has started to take on more character and charm. He’s put in a lot more miles since we last heard from him, and he’s all the better for it.
Those miles include relocating to Nashville, which makes a lot of sense when you hear his latest release, “Separate Ways,” the first of a welcome flood of upcoming new music that Majcen has been methodically working at over the past 18 months. While his home base has migrated north, his writing roots have retained their southern stylings, even leaning a bit southwest.
“Separate Ways” feels big but not heavy. There’s a big-sky and wide-open quality to it. Despite lyrical content that plays like an internal dialogue, reflecting and arguing about conflicting wants and desires, the writer sounds resolute, decidedly committed to the call of the road, and maybe even rejuvenated by it. He hints at fighting down feelings of guilt while seemingly reassuring his inner circle that he’s not leaving them for good.
While Majcen has long been a proud acolyte of many great country and folk songwriters like Townes Van Zandt, this latest single feels like both a shift and an evolution in his stylings. The track calls to mind more modern artists like Lord Huron, Jamestown Revival, the Cactus Blossoms, and Sturgil Simpson. You can hear the Nashville influence woven in throughout the track, a pedal steel adding a lot to the sonic pallet. It colors the track like an aurora in the vast sky Majcen has painted for us with this arrangement. The flagrantly country-music tool doesn’t feel like a trope for a single second; It’s superb. Hats off to Pat Lyons, who made the time to join this track in between touring with Colter Wall.
Some familiar collaborators are back, including engineer Andrew Boullianne bringing Majcen’s songs to life in the way we’ve come to love and expect from his earlier work. Boullianne continues to be increasingly in-demand, and it’s a testament to the quality of Majcen’s song craft that Boullianne is still so dedicated to his material.
Leon Majcen at Blackbird Recording Studios, Nashville, TN.
Another familiar sound and face for Majcen fans is artist/producer Liam Bauman, playing guitar on the tune. This publication has covered his work before, and are thrilled anytime he contributes to a project. Bauman co-produced the song with Boullianne, yet another sign of the reputation Majcen’s building for himself in the industry.
Kenny Costa is a newer entrant to the Majcen-verse, but a very welcome one. Leon and Kenny met while attending Sad Songs Summer Camp, hosted by The Milk Carton Kids up in Big Indian, NY. Costa is a unique and gifted musician, contributing bass here and on several other upcoming tracks to be released this year. He was part of a session we covered for another artist and watching him work was pure surprise and delight.
“Separate Ways” is the perfect single to begin the journey Majcen has ahead of him on this next batch of material and touring. It’s fresh, fun, comforting, and never campy. We fell in love with the song when we saw him perform it during the Folk Rock Revival Summer concert series in May, with Mercy McCoy as his backing band, and we’ve been anticipating its arrival over the airwaves ever since.
We’re really enjoying the new song, and are that much more excited to know there’s more Leon Majcen coming soon.
After 2 years of waiting for your new material, I think fans will agree: Leon, “You know that [we] can’t live without you, babe.”
///
Separate Ways, June 2, 2023
Written by Leon Macjen
Produced by Andrew Boullianne, Liam Bauman
Joel Luke, who’s currently working on an Americana and country-inspired solo project, opens on Saturday.
Photo via leonmajcen/Facebook
Tarpon Arts and Ybor City Records present: The Folk Rock Revival Summer Concert Series. This series shines a spotlight on the thriving Tampa Bay music scene and the artists who built it. Audiences will enjoy intimate full-band performances with a curated selection of some of the best songwriters in the country, making their way through one of the historic Florida destinations holding a place in the heart of these artists.
Liam Bauman is encoring his December release OF “Anyways/I’ve Been Hiding” WITH the official video for “Anyways,” premiering Friday, December 9, 2022 at 9am EST on the Ybor City Records YouTube channel.
Premiere Link: https://youtu.be/FZF3dWBXG54
Bauman and team worked with film maker Felipe Bergson on a really fun and quirky music video for “Anyways,” that is itself a standalone work of art. The video encapsulates the authentically counter-culture inclinations of this songwriter, with a take on the story that doesn’t let us get too lost in the melancholy of the lyrics, and captivates us with a beautifully shot and colored visual. The first video will follow the EP
Artist: Liam Bauman
Song: Anyways
Concept / Directed by: Felipe Bergson
Shot by: Jonathan Garcia
Gaffer: Obed Sain
Cast: Liam Bauman as himself and Morph Suit 1, Taylor Raynor as Bird Head and Violin Player, Stefan Scheuermann as Drummer and Morph Suit 2, Andrew Boullianne as Bass Player and Morph Suit 3.
Filming Locations: Tampa, Florida | St. Petersburg’s Historic Kenwood district | Roundhouse Creative
release in November (2022).
