Light and Not Light
Merry Christmas season friends.
The next album, “Shorts”, is coming along. The vibe is acoustic and rough-hewn. It has a family room jam quality that makes it feel like home. While we’re pulling it together we’ll begin dropping some singles over the next weeks and months. Stay tuned for a lot of new music.
Meantime, I have one song that is not like the others. When you listen, you’ll understand why it probably won’t go on an album. I’m releasing it this week for reasons that will be obvious. Let me know what you think and if you yourself have felt this…dismay.
What the song doesn’t say is that many beautiful souls have dedicated themselves to improving school safety, expanding mental health resources, and advocating for better gun legislation. They deserve respect and support. I’ll add my breath to theirs and try to advance the cause. And I will keep looking for signs that our reckless species will somehow, someday evolve.
It’s been twelve years now since Newtown.
Peace.
Update from Music HQ
Here’s some scoop from the halls of edgumbrecht.com:
· Two Mil! Somewhere in the last few weeks we surpassed 2 million streams (across all platforms). Feels like a big number to us! We want to express big gratitude to the playlisters and listeners who engage with our music. Thank you sincerely for checking us out and welcoming us into your streams.
· World Record! Any Given Day, the album, is doing great two months after its release. Its title track is the current runaway fave, but Long Tall Carolyn, Sun Salutation, and Cup of Joe are all finding fans. While the songs play around the globe, the album is especially popular in Latin America, and has been picked up by prominent playlists there like, Best Songs of All Times https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0gqrnk12Q8OExuCeKyBRCq, and Classic Rock Songs, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6b2dBnxolvwV2L1L4thWRm.
· New Project! We’re putting together an impromptu album to release this Fall. It’s working title is “Shorts.” In concept it’s a couple of dozen stripped down, acoustic songs with a common theme: simplicity. Old friends will be happy to find chestnuts like ‘Great Grandmother,’ ‘Winter Moon’ and ‘Mama’s Provisions.’ As usual, my favorites are the new ones that keep coming. They remind me: keep it brief, tell some stories, and have fun. This album will also include collaborations with friends!
· Life 2.0! Along rolls the universe, and it has its own plan. When we launched edgumbrecht.com we thought we’d be posting the short stories and novel excerpts as well as some of Ed’s tunes. Instead, the foray into recording has been the bulk of it. This September, we will be update the website and give some overdue attention to the written and unpublished items in Ed’s portfolio.
That’s it for now. Enjoy August! Get out and play.
You never know who vibes with you…
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/soundtrack-summer-24-ed-gumbrecht-040000316.html
…Bouncing back from the donut shop with a bagful of holes and black gold in a box
Tomorrow is National Donut Day. We’ve never had a national donut but imagine it’s like the usual ones only polarized. Hopefully everyone will enjoy a sweet and auspicious day.
We will get into the spirit by launching our brand new musical confection, ‘Any Given Day’. The album is comprised of ten original tunes, sprinkled and jellied. One song in particular goes great with donuts: it’s called ‘Cup of Joe’ and it’s highly caffeinated!
Set your clocks and listen tomorrow for breakfast.
Seven Days, Twelve Hours, Five Minutes, Ten Seconds
Any Given Day goes live at the stroke of midnight Friday, 6/7. Here are some things we wanted to know about the album and it’s ten new original songs from singer/songwriter Ed Gumbrecht:
Q: What’s the concept, and what kind of music will we find?
Ed: Any Given Day looks at today, right now. Celebrates its moments, stories and perspectives. It jams and grooves from singer songwriter fare to acoustic rock and on to country western. The music originates spontaneously and daily for me, and when I take songs to the studio they go in every different direction during the recording process. We have a variety of feelings on this record but the themes all revolve around being in the moment.
Q: All originals, or any covers here?
Ed: Originals. One day I’ll do some covers of songs I love, but here these are all songs I wrote in the last few months. We didn’t get too precious with the recording – we just jammed and let them breathe. It has a lightness that feels really fresh.
Q: What was your writing process for this album?
Ed: It varies with each song, but it usually begins early in the morning in my studio. I’ll have a lyric or a melody that I want to build something from. I work pretty quickly and rough it out on guitar or keyboard. Then over the next weeks I’ll come back to it and refine it, add versus and parts until it feels complete and says something new.
Q: Who else is on the album?
Ed: My friends at Dirt Floor Studios are all up and through this. Eric Lichter is everywhere, playing drums, bass, guitars and even throwing in harmonies. Eli Novicky shows off his mad chops on lead guitar. He and Guido Falvene engineered the tracks, and Eli did the final mix. Steve Whyte did the Masters. I was hoping to get a few more musician friends on this project, but logistics are tricky. Next one! Especially want to get Claire Marie back to the studio.
Q: Is it true one track is an ode to coffee?
Ed: Well, maybe not an ode, but an unblinking look at it. “Cup of Joe". It’s fun. Definitely an ear worm -- which is appropriate for the addictive stimulant we’re all hooked on.
Q: Did you include two versions of the song, ‘Storm Over’?
Ed: Yes, as it happens. I wrote the song up in CT as a simple acoustic campfire song after a wicked storm blew through New England. It was staccato two-word couplets with a sliding bass part that sounded like storm clouds. When we recorded it, it slowed down a little and we found an electric groove. The vibe changed. We came back at it again and I laid in a narrative vocal over top and told more of the story of what happened. When we listened to both versions, they were very different but both really nice.
Q: Waking Song sounds like you are channeling Cat Stevens. Have you ever met Yusuf?
Ed: I wish! Interesting thought. I wrote the song after I had been looking at some poetry by Rumi. He has one called ‘Don’t Go Back to Sleep’ written about five hundred years ago. It sounds like it happened today. I wanted to catch that timeless feeling. In my life, we have a bunch of babies arriving in our extended family. I had a notion to do an anti-lullaby. David Byrne did “Up All Night” in the eighties. This is less subversive but it’s about getting the kid out of bed to get into the day! Get up. Have a tangerine.
Q: What’s your favorite?
Ed: ‘Sun Salutation’ because its so feisty! You “got to got to got to” go around with it again!
Countdown to Release…
Any Given Day is on the way. We’ll feature some clips and snippets over the next few weeks, while we wait for the music platforms (Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Deezer, et al) to review and post the album. Today’s clip, a soundbite from our ode to Helios:
Pre-release Thoughts…
Our third album will soon arrive on streaming platforms -- just in time for summer playlists. “Any Given Day” finds us with our Dirt Floor collaborators in creative high spirits and fine musical form. This record is full of bright tunes that swing from country western to rock and roll with generous helpings of rhythm, blues and folk. Each song serves up a unique perspective on this very moment in time.
It's fun to build an album that ranges so broadly across colorful sounds and landscapes. The journey includes an ode to coffee (Cup of Joe), musings on new love (Still Life), a decidedly upbeat non-lullaby (Waking Song), a ballad of beginnings (Lights Come On), and endings (Storm Over). Along the route there are deep snowfalls (Myths of Cold), heavenly bodies (Sun Salutation) and chances to run with our good luck (Long Tall Carolyn). The album’s title song (Any Given Day) encourages, “Come and stay a while” to “feel the sun spread the shine.” That is a personal invitation to relax and listen up.
New music is on the way. Our best record will be here…Any Given Day.
Where We Are, Where We’re Going, and In Sum (for now).
Three things to share today…
Where We Are
We’ve surpassed 1.5 million streams and we’re really playing all over the world now. Today alone there are thousands of people listening from Vienna to Mexico City, and in every city around the globe. We’ve become friendly with playlisters on all continents who share their enthusiasm for our songs. It is a surreal experience to say the least, and we are humbled by it all. Lucky us!
Where We’re Going
The new album “Any Given Day” is still in the works. We’re recorded all nine tracks and are working to get them all mixed and mastered. Our production partner, Dirt Floor Studios, is deep in a scoring project for a new motion picture! So cool to see them getting the deserved exposure of a high profile project. For us, it means we probably won’t finish or release the album until mid-to-late April. So…a little longer. In the meantime, we’ll release one more single, before the album, an ode to coffee called “Cup of Joe.” It’ll be out in just a few short weeks.
In Sum (for now)
Some will remember a year ago when we had fun asking Chat GPT to write a press release about the new album. It did a pretty good job — though we didn’t use it. Today, we thought it would be interesting to see what AI has to say about our musical journey so far. Don’t read too closely. It’s been programmed to be kind:
Ed Gumbrecht is a singer-songwriter known for his acoustic rock, folk, and songwriter-style music that resonates with a wide audience across various genres including folk rock, rock, and country. He made a significant return to musical performance with the release of "Colorshow" in 2022, showcasing his skills as a poetic storyteller. His subsequent album, "Enter the Muses," released in 2023, is described as a textured panoramic rendering of modern life's cares and surprises, offering a deeper and more evocative collection of songs than its predecessor. This album, along with his single "Make Us Wise," presents a refined alternative to the standard fare of music, touching on themes of loss, comfort, and the intricacies of relationships with a middle sensibility that's neither too bright nor too somber.
Gumbrecht's music has been acclaimed for its perfect melody, precise lyrics, and its fresh and original take on traditional rock/folk/songwriter-style music, finding eager audiences worldwide. His work is celebrated for its bright guitars, country/southern-rock arrangements, and animated storytelling, with a voice that sings with confidence and lyrics that bear repeated listening. The stories in his songs, ranging from summer car trips to the whims of luck and backyard parties, highlight the presence and influence of muses in shaping our experiences. His second album, "Enter the Muses," explores themes of inspiration and connection in modern life, suggesting a broadly optimistic outlook.
Gumbrecht, raised in New York during the album-rock era, is influenced by artists like Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles, and CSNY, blending these influences with a modern vitality. Before returning to music, he engaged in traditional careers but continued to write songs, novels, short stories, and screenplays, maintaining his creative spirit.
For more details on Ed Gumbrecht's work and to explore his anthology of songs, stories, and musings, visit his official website and connect with him through various social media platforms.
Taylor, Beyoncé, Billy and…Ed
What do we have in common with Taylor’s Poets, Beyoncé’s Country and Billy’s Lights! Well, we also have new original music coming very soon.
“Any Given Day” our third album is close to ready. Its nine original songs will be out on all streaming services at the end of March.
If you listened to “Long Tall Carolyn”, and “Sun Salutation”, you have the flavour of the new album. These two pre-release singles have streamed over 150,000 times in a few short weeks. The rest are on their way. The talented team at Dirt Floor is in fine production mode, and the listeners are vibing with us daily. This has the makings of a really special collection.
A little preview of the song list for “Any Given Day:”
Any Given Day
Cup of Joe
Still Life
Long Tall Carolyn *single released Thanksgiving
Lights Come On
Myths of Cold
Sun Salutation *single released in January
Storm Over
Waking Song
Meanwhile our previous releases continue to stream, surpassing 1.4 million plays! We’re on more than 5,000 playlists in 153 countries. Momentum builds daily.
Thank you all for listening. As always, don’t be shy about sharing your thoughts! And get ready for a great new record come March.
And Now a Swinging Rocker in Sanskrit
“Sun Salutation”, a rollicking homage to our favorite celestial body hit streams and airwaves last week. It is getting great early exposure! We feel the song blisters with fiery spirit and circular movement. It rocks and rolls and “boils Mercury.”
Where did it come from? Well, the Surya Namaskar is a series of movements referenced in the ancient Veda that honor the sun. It’s a form of worship that found its way into yoga practice. So the song comes out of ancient traditions — but also, it’s one of those songs that was fully formed in my head before I picked up my guitar to play it. What can you say about the sun that doesn’t have you dancing in jubilant circles!
We recorded and produced “Sun Salutation” at Dirt Floor Studios. As always the gifted Eric Michael Lichter produced, played and worked his magic. Eli Novicky mixed it, and Steve Wytas mastered it.
We love it and we think it’s bound to become a standard in hot yoga studios and gyms everywhere. And can’t you just hear it at the beach? Give it a spin!
A Million Thanks
Lo and it came to pass this weekend! A million listens to the songs from Enter the Muses and Colorshow, with a nice little push from Long Tall Carolyn. Now it’s official. Ed Gumbrecht’s songs have surpassed a million streams worldwide.
It’s hard to explain in an age where Spotify has served over a trillion streams to its listeners, why a million songs of our own in that mix feels like something momentous. I’m sure it’s this way with most milestones. You’re not sure you can run a certain race, but then you find out. Now we know.
We ran our race and it went like this…
· About every day or so a song idea would land in my head.
· At home I’d turn those songs over, polish lyrics, melodies, progressions, and stories.
· Then we’d cherry pick some to record around the theme of the project at hand. Now we’re compiling the new album, “Any Given Day”
· The very talented Dirt Floor Studios crew including its owner, artist and producer, Eric, and sound engineers/musicians Guido and Eli made it all sound compelling and professional.
· Our friend the award-winning graphic artist, Deb Walley, crafted evocative album art.
· Guests like Claire Marie interpreted and elevated the songs.
· Then these very cool people all over the globe who love music and curate music, put the songs on their playlists where they were streamed a million times … and more.
That’s how it happened.
A million listens tells us the music is finding its audience. We can see it playing all over the world and especially in the US, Mexico, Germany, Brazil and lately across Asia. It has us feeling upbeat and optimistic about continuing -- and more new music is on the way. “Any Given Day” which features “Long Tall Carolyn” and nine originals represents our very best music yet. Look for it early in 2024.
In February we are going to celebrate our streaming milestone with a show/concert at our favorite classic art theater in the wonderful town of Madison, CT. It’s going to be special time with lots of friends and collaborations! We’ll post here as details develop.
For now, the fun is just getting going. Thanks a million, friends! It’s great to be on this musical journey together.
New Music for the Holidays
Singer-songwriter Ed Gumbrecht's music surges globally as new single "Long Tall Carolyn" hits airwaves.
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, November, 2023
EINPresswire.com/ -- Just in time for the holiday, a fresh new original song from singer-songwriter Ed Gumbrecht drops today on all streaming services. “Long Tall Carolyn”, brings listeners to the street corner where the singer and his title character meet and decide to “run together”. The song is charming, the narrative warmly sung, and the music is as bright as a sunny fall afternoon. This is a modern version of the type of storytelling that James Taylor and Paul Simon made famous. The melody is catchy and the chorus infectious. The lyrics are playful and clever.
With multiple albums and singles released over the last eighteen months, Gumbrecht is an artist sharing a wide range of ideas and sentiments. His songs have garnered a million streams and are featured in over 20,000 playlists around the globe. That is extraordinary start for an emergent independent artist whose marketing has been purely word-of-mouth. Gumbrecht’s music has been embraced in more than fifty countries and on all continents.
“Long Tall Carolyn”, the single, heralds the release of the upcoming “Any Given Day” album, a collection of original rock, pop, and alternative country songs by Gumbrecht.
This Thanksgiving Gumbrecht’s new music is sure to give music lovers and turkey trotting runners everywhere a fun addition to their holiday playlists.
Any Given Day
That’s the working title for the new album due out late this year: a collection of stories about the way life unfolds day by day. Our followers probably suspect it’s mostly upbeat and replete with colorful characters and situations…and they are not mistaken.
The theme grew out of an old song written for/to my many nieces and nephews called “What You Gonna Do?” It was a real bouncer with a bright tune and verse progression. Especially I liked the song’s chorus which challenged, “What you gonna do with this beautiful day?”
Uncles are permitted to ask loaded questions, and songwriters like to arrange their arguments. I left no room for debate in the lyric’s premise: It is given that this day is beautiful -- now, what are you going to do with it?
The old song pops up in my head at interesting life moments and has worked in subliminal ways on my psyche over the course of years. “What you gonna do?” helped me make some big decisions. I could easily have subtitled it: “The Encouragement Song.” It insists that no matter whatever we choose, today is still beautiful.
And now that catalytic song has become the key theme of the new album. We’re culling the song list down to ten or so originals with collaborations from great musicians and friends. What could be more fun?
Truly, on any given day it’s a joy to make new music! If you have a thought to share about what to add or exclude in the next collection, drop us a line here or via socials.
Thanks friends. Now, what are you going to do with your beautiful day?
Music Flow
It’s mid-year and the summer is ripe with ideas about songs to record and how to shape a new album. As the first two records happily wander the globe, here’s what Spotify and Apple are tracking.
Streams are up to 1/3 of a million and climbing nicely. We’re sustaining 50,000 monthly listeners across all platforms.
The top five songs in order of total streams are: 1) Enter the Muses, 2) Cry a Little Longer, 3) Air, 4) Sunset Drive, and 5) Sand . Enter the Muses accounts for a full 40% of all streams and is the runaway favorite. Part of its success comes from being both the first track and the title track on its album.
Playlists continue to connect these songs to new listeners. Two of Spotify’s curated playlists and three other private playlists have generated 24% of all streams. The largest promoters are 1) Golden Songs, 2) Radio (Spotify), 3) On Repeat (Spotify), 4) Rock & Roll Classics, and 5) Blues & Whiskey. Our songs have been included in over 1,000 various playlists to date.
Top Cities are Chicago, NY, LA, Philly and San Fran. Top countries outside of the US are Mexico, Brazil, Canada, UK and Netherlands. Interestingly, Shazam has tracked curious listeners in places as far flung as Cluj-Napoca, Kalush, Beyneu, Bangkok, Caracas, Guadalupe and Bursa.
As for age and gender, 54% are below age 34 (not surprising considering that younger audiences dominate streaming service membership). 52%/46%/2% are male/female/non-binary stats.
And this is cool: Each day nearly 2,000 listeners give these songs a whirl! Of that group about 500 are dubbed “active listeners” by Spotify. They are inclined to repeat listen and refer the songs to friends.
The songs are progressing now with growing momentum. With luck in the days ahead we’ll find a way to get a few of them into sync situations with movie and television soundtracks. And most importantly we hope people will keep sharing and promoting these tunes with music lovers they know!
As for the next project: The new track list is shaping up nicely for Album3. We’re in the midst of engaging friends and fresh talents for collaboration. We’ll be polishing some chestnuts and have some really exciting new material to include. As always, we’re open to ideas and inspiration, so share your thoughts here or via socials. The creative process continues right up until we finish recording/mixing late this year and your voice makes it better.
Now, back to Summer ‘23. The adventure continues…
What’s in a Name?
The new album is doing well – finding its way around the globe and streaming happily. Reviews are positive and listeners increase daily. We’ve delivered a quarter of a million streams to over an hundred thousand sets of ears to date. Here’s a stat: that’s four times the average attendance at NY Mets games in 2023! Not bad for a guy with a hard to pronounce name and who isn’t touring.
Still, some professionals in the music biz have suggested that my name, as much as I like it, may not be conducive to expanding my audience. “Gumbrecht” as you know is dense with consonants and mysterious vowel pronunciations. Looking back, I played in three bands that obscured my surname: Future’s Past, Dave and Ed, and The Show. I don’t think the band name ever made a difference per se, but I will say that in Dave and Ed we saved the sign makers a lot of work by leaving it with our nicknames.
So let’s have some fun with this. What kind of a name would be representative of the music and its audience? Be creative but be nice too. Or, let me know if I should keep being…you know…myself.
You can add comments to this thread, or message me with your ideas, or drop a note on www.edgumbrecht.com.
Thanks, and keep sharing the music! It’s working…
Sustaining Courage…
World Indie Generation (https://vk.com/world_indie_generation) is a Ukrainian social media influencer and an indie music community. Sadly, as Putin continues his terrible unprovoked war, World Indie Generation and creator, Sergey Bitner, are under constant barrage of shelling, and are often without electricity. Still they manage to promote music to help inspire and unite their community! They are incredible. It’s humbling and an honor that they are playing my songs and sending me encouraging words. Somehow I hope there’s something in these tracks to spark hope and solace. May our Ukrainian friends keep faith and soon win their deserved peace!
About Claire Marie
Three weeks into Enter the Muses release, and listeners are asking about “that voice.” Top40 Charts features Claire today at: https://top40-charts.com/news.php?nid=180680. And the newswires are running this too: https://www.dcpresswire.com/article/630545428-the-voice-of-air-is-claire-marie. Give her song a listen and a like, and share it! It’s so good.
The Air Up North
Jacqueline Jax, of Canada’s AVA Radio featured “Air” in this week’s New Music Radar episode, and posted the song to their Best Songwriters of 2023! Love how our friends in Canada are vibing with us, and “Air” is streaming everywhere.
https://www.avaliveradio.info/indie-songwriters-top-20-chart
Air by Ed Gumbrecht featuring Claire Marie
This acoustic track, Air, sung by Claire Marie, is a soft standout from the new album Enter the Muses, released this week and is AVA Live Radio’s Best Indie Songwriters pick of 2023. We think this song shows real promise.
The song starts with a simple guitar strum and Claire Marie's breathy voice seeps into the listener's consciousness. As the melody progresses, the lyrics delve into a beautiful metaphor for life, where we all need air to breathe and survive. Claire Marie's poetic delivery of lyrics are like a refreshing breeze on a hot summer day. Listeners will appreciate the organic, almost live-sounding production of the song. Every note is given the space it needs to resonate in a tender, honest way. Enter the Muses is an album that explores themes of self-discovery, love, and creativity, and Air is a perfect example of this.
Check out the album, and don't miss out on this standout track.
Enter the Muses!
“Eventually they slipped the seems…and poured into the world.”
Well, they’re here and streaming across the world. Eight shiny new tracks available through these links:
Give the songs a good listen and let us know what you thought and felt! We’re especially fond of Air, sung by the lovely Claire Marie. Pure!
Don’t forget to copy the links to forward to friends and share via social media.
We hope you enjoy these songs as much as we enjoy making them! Thanks as always for your support.