CSPS debut |
Many singer-songwriters toil for months on
their Macs, trying to make a demo that sounds polished enough to score them
a record deal with a major label. But Ari Hest has done the exact opposite,
as he continues to defy the conventional route of a musician.
Already signed to a major, he opted out of his label deal so that he could
have more control over his art. He then embarked on his ambitious ‘52’
project, during which he spent all of last year immersed in an unprecedented
effort
— to write, record, produce and release one new song per week, for 52
weeks in a row.
He followed up that project with the new, self-released studio CD, Twelve
Mondays. The album features reworked versions of 12
fan-selected songs, culled from the past year’s extraordinary output.
It’s a renegade path that reveals the new music industry at its best, and
allows Hest’s impressive work to find the audience he wants it to find.
Twelve Mondays showcases the diversity of Hest’s songwriting
— from the
haunting, minimasterpiece “Broken Voices” to the USA Today pick “The
Weight,” which the newspaper praised as a “poignant, acoustic reverie."
From the wistful travelogue “Ride The Brake” to the radio-friendly “Dead End
Driving,” Hest's new CD is a remarkable mix that’s distinguished by the
intelligence, nuance and range of the material. Add to that the fact that
these songs were written amid the week-to-week gauntlet of ‘52,' and it’s
all the more impressive. :::
Opening for Ari Hest is guest artist Declan
O'Rourke
Sat Nov 21 |
8 pm CSPS | 1103 Third St SE | Cedar Rapids
$15 + fee in advance | $18 at the door
