London, UK - Americana music ensemble Auburn featuring Liz Lenten will be releasing their 5th album “Love & Promises” on June 17th 2016! The new album was mainly written in the mountains of eastern Crete last year, in a flurry of outpouring! As always with Liz Lenten's prolific songwriting, themes cover the usual range of reflections of emotions and situations – from love, loss, uncertainty and yearning to lucid dreaming, frustrating teenagers, imaginary lovers, and the sorry sad state of the world…. Remarkably it's pretty upbeat mostly actually....honest!
Says Liz, “Its been another crazy year for me, with huge personal life changes – which left me realizing that you really need to focus on the here and now and live for the moment – not in a 'I could die tomorrow' kind of way – just that there is no point on dwelling on the past and planning too far ahead in the future – you need to just focus on and enjoy the present – and realize that nothing is for ever! That's the 'Love & Promises' message anyway! I'm not saying it's the same for everyone of course, but that's how it is for me- hopefully there are other people out there that this will resonate with!”
As with Auburn's previous releases, the band's new album was recorded once again in Nashville. Says Liz, “Nashville is one of the most wonderful cities on earth to me – buzzing with music and creativity. My fantastic producer, Thomm Jutz, who totally brings my ideas to life is there, so I would go wherever he was! And the musicians are amazing – all so incredibly talented and sensitive – and just lovely people to be around. I have done 3 albums there and will be going back next year, hopefully, to record a duo album with Chet O'Keefe. I just feel at home there.”
With last year's release of Auburn's critically acclaimed album “Mixed Feelings”, 2015 proved to be a hugely exciting year for the band, who reformed in 2011 after almost a decade apart. The band embarked on a major UK tour again supporting the legendary Jefferson Starship and then later in the year with Martin Carthy & Dave Swarbrick, captivating audiences around the country with their unique blend of Americana, blues and roots music.
“Playing as a three piece acoustic unit, my first impressions (of Auburn) took me back to another 60’s trio, The Springfields (ask your parents!). I think the gentle, laid back nature of opening song ‘Sitia Bay’ almost caught the crowd in two minds, so polite was the applause. Slowly, Liz and the boys started to win them over with a set of their bluesy, folksy story telling music, undoubtedly heavily influenced by sounds American. With solid support… from guitarist Mark Gustavina and bassist Jevon Beaumont, Liz Lenten at times sang with a frailty that gave her songs an atmosphere and emotion that a balls-out delivery might have ruined, not that she hadn’t got the power when needed! Given that we now had an hour to wait before the appearance of Jefferson Starship, could not Auburn have given us a couple more, I wonder?”
Live review Robin 2, Feb 2015
Since achieving Indie Chart top 5 success with “Cry” in 2005, and then having a break from performing, (after becoming a Mum) in the last 3 years Auburn has released 3 CDs to critical acclaim (nearly 60K plays on ReverbNation), and toured extensively including appearing at The Blue Note, in New Orleans, LA.
Musicians featured on “Love & Promises” are:
Liz Lenten – vocals/guitar
Thomm Jutz - producer/guitars (Nanci Griffiths, Peter Cooper, Max Wise)
Mark Fain – bass (Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs)
Evan Hutchings – drums (Amy Speace, Kim Richey)
Jen Gunderman – keys/accordion (Sheryl Crow, Jayhawks)
Justin Moses – Dobro (Alison Krauss, Bruce Hornsby)
Britt Savage – harmony vocals (Garth Brooks, Crystal Gayle)
Chet O’Keefe – guest duet vocal (Kinky Freidman, Gibson Bros)
‘CROSS THE DEEP ATLANTIC’ Tour dates June 2016 - Liz Lenten & Chet O’Keefe - 2 guitars, 2 voices……Live and Acoustic
Thursday 16th – The Donkey, Leicester -
www.thedonkeybar.com Tel: 01162705042
Friday 17th – Edinburgh – House Concert. contact:
liz@scarletrecording.co.uk for tickets
Saturday 18th – The Black Bull, Donington, Lincs Free Entry!
www.blackbulldonington.com
Sunday 19th – The Convent, Stroud
https://theconvent-manage.netgig.co.uk/event/chet-okeefe-auburn/ – net gig Tel: 0844 884 29 20
Tuesday 21st – Bar Wotever, Royal Vauxhall tavern, London
www.woteverworld.com/events Tel: 020 7820 1222
Wednesday 22nd – Roots sessions @ The Grain Bar, Frome
www.facebook.com/Roots-Sessions-at-the-Grain-Bar-627953437276945 Tel: 01373 455 420
Friday 24th – Helmsley AC, Yorks
www.helmsleyarts.co.uk/whats-on/cross-the-deep-atlantic Tel: 01439 771700
Sunday 26th – Enfield House Party (private)
Here's what the press has said about Liz Lenten and Auburn:
“…..in delivering melodic dramatic monologue, Liz Lenten is among the best around” - David Innes,
R2 magazine (UK )
“Auburn makes wonderfully atmospheric music…like the kind of country that first turned rappers on
to Johnny Cash because he was such an OG” - Midwest Records (USA)
“Liz was damn well channelling her (Dusty Springfield) at times… It was like she was possessed!” - Jon Downes, GONZO blog (UK)
“A sound that is as evocative as it is moving” – Neil King, Fatea
“Auburn have cemented their place within the genre with this album” – Ravenheart
“We’ve been stopped in our tracks by Liz Lenten and Auburn's dramatic genre-amalgam Nashville” - Flying Shoes
“A cultural microcosm of the new sound for American roots music!” – Bop n Jazz
To purchase Auburn's “Love & Promises” CD: http://www.auburn.org.uk/albums/
Contacts:
Management - Scarlet Records – 01775841750
info@scarletrecording.co.uk
EPK:
www.reverbnation.com/weareauburn
website:
www.auburn.org.uk
facebook:
www.facebook.com/weareauburn
twitter: @weareauburn
USA Press & Radio: Billy James, Glass Onyon PR
glassonyonpr@gmail.com
Europe Press & Radio: Peter Holmstedt (
www.hemifran.com) -
peter.holmstedt@telia.com
UK Press & Radio: Alan Robinson -
alan@indiscreetpr.com
Publishing: World Domination Music Limited
Label: Scarlet Records
