Featuring Bill Ortiz of Santana and Jim Bogios of the Counting Crows
“Gonna Be Beautiful” hit #1 Top 5 Folk Adds on North American College & Community Radio in March 2022!
““Gonna Be Beautiful” is the latest Karney single and what strikes us the most is the way the track lifts off from folk and lands on rock elements with a powerful sound not leaving behind the lyrical value. Gorgeous track.”
Translated: “Gonna Be Beautiful is, in fact, a beautiful collection of electroacoustic themes, the title theme itself being one of the best examples.”
“Blending folk, rock and pop, Karney opens with title track, Gonna Be Beautiful, with its indie guitar rhythm and solid vocal lead backed by Kevin White on bass, Jim Bogios on drums, and James DePrato on some pretty tasty slide guitar.”
Translated: “It is Anna Karney’s intention with the songs on this EP to give listeners and her fans a message of hope for a better future and not to lose heart in these hard pandemic times. This record starts with the title track “Gonna Be Beautiful” and continues with a reworked version of an older song “Love & Respect” and an acoustic version of her song “Trust”. Two songs from this mini album have both been previously released as singles: they are her own composition “Be Together” and her personalized cover of the beautiful Neil Young song “Heart Of Gold”, here with mariachi trumpet blast by Bill Ortiz. Given the frequency of the release of new work, it wouldn’t surprise us if Anna Karney comes out with a full CD again sometime early next year. In the meantime, we’ll just have to make do with these five songs on “Gonna Be Beautiful”.”
“Karney opens this EP on the diaphanous beauty of the title track Gonna Be Beautiful and backs that up seamlessly with the jangling guitar work and re-harmonized vocals of her revised 2012 title track, Love & Respect. Next up is the delicate, at times, and yet always gently rambunctious in tone, acoustic Trust and then we get one of my own personal favorites, the harmonious nectar brought forth on the personal and heartfelt lyrical gossamer of Be Together, this delightfully vivacious, and well-crafted new EP coming to a close on an earnest rendition of Neil Young’s classic Heart Of Gold.”
“Californian songstress harnesses sadness to move on towards the brighter tomorrow. The EP’s delicate, albeit robust, title track, drifts from lonesome pining to hopeful future and is a perfect reflection of what many of us feel now. This record captures more than the period’s spirit – it’s a snapshot of our time.”
“Stirring the pot with optimism for disheartening times, Karney is a modern singer/songwriter with a finger or two on the pulse.”
Translated: “Vocally, Karney is very succinct and powerful in expression, the rhythm guitar she plays is also quite sound-defining, and DePrato has his first appearance here.
“Love & Respect (revised)” can also score with this full and melodic-harmonic sound. The mood of the West Coast in the Sixties really shines through, only in a more modern way. A smooth rock song with a subtle pop touch. And DePrato decorates again with a snappy guitar solo! “Trust” must have existed in another version, since it is explicitly titled “Acoustic”. And so here we hear only Anna and her guitar, with further guitaristic embellishment of an acoustic. But this reduction is also quite expressive.
So, two more songs and I wish there were more to come. “Be Together” moves in a slightly swaying mode, again very harmoniously, and finally “Heart Of Gold”. Yes, the spirit of the original resonates here, the whole thing is soon dressed up with an unexpected horn arrangement, quite an interesting aspect. The song itself gradually develops its own shape and the protagonist ultimately makes it her own.”
“I’ve reviewed quite a few releases from Karney over the years. She can be counted on for quality music. This EP is no exception. It’s a solid collection of music that has a pretty wide range of sounds. I think this is a good addition to the catalog, and would probably be a good introduction to her music.”
-Gary Hill, Music Street Journal
For Immediate Release – San Francisco, CA – Throughout her storied music career, Anna Karney has performed across the country and released an incredible catalog of chart topping and critically acclaimed singles, EPs, and albums. Now with her San Francisco-based band KARNEY is set to release GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL on February 18, 2022, an exciting new collection of KARNEY originals along with some freshly conceived versions of old favorites.
GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL was recorded at East Bay Recorders in Oakland, CA, and produced by Anna Karney and Michael Rosen (Rancid, Tesla). Featured performers include Bill Ortiz (Santana, Tony Toni Tone) on trumpet; Jim Bogios (Counting Crows) on drums; James Deprato (Chuck Prophet Band) on guitar; Kevin White (Chuck Prophet Band) on bass; and longtime Karney band drummer Jeff Herrera. Offering a message of hope in uncertain times on the title track “Gonna Be Beautiful,” Anna Karney encourages her listeners to not get discouraged and to keep moving towards a kinder, inclusive, and happier world as she sings “Turn on the light / Keep the vision in plain sight / Bring it all into focus.” Also coming soon is an official music video for the track to be released later in 2022.
Keeping her mind on social justice and positive messages, Anna Karney’s lyrical content offers a sardonic and sometimes straightforward approach to many of the issues facing people today. Her musical influences include Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Patti Smith, John Lennon, Sheryl Crow, Chrissie Hynde, and Joni Mitchell. As an arranger, pianist, and guitarist, she has worked with artists such as George Clinton, Linda Perry, and Dennis Bovell.
Songs from the last KARNEY EP release Better received stellar airplay on Triple-A and Americana radio stations, including the title track and her powerful cover of “Ramble On,” one of Anna Karney’s favorite Led Zeppelin songs. She then released a series of singles throughout 2021, including her personal and heartfelt original track “Be Together,” and a cover of the Neil Young classic “Heart Of Gold.”
To create the “Be Together” single, KARNEY band musicians worked from individual studios to assemble their parts and build the track. Singer/guitarist Anna Karney, bassist Kevin White and guitarist James DePrato all recorded tracks at their own home studios. Drummer Jeff Herrera created rough drum parts in his rehearsal studio and sent them to trumpet player Bill Ortiz, who then recreated them digitally. All the tracks were then sent to producer/mixer Michael Rosen, who finished the mix at his East Bay Recorders studio. Ironically, even though the single is titled “Be Together,” the musicians never were.
Previous KARNEY releases include her 2018 album No Mercy; a series of singles from 2016, Manifest Destiny, Vol. 1 EPand Restless Wind, Vol. 2 EP; the 2012 album Love & Respect; the 2003 album All Connected; and her debut release Karney from 1999. Anna Karney has worked with producers and artists in the SF Bay Area such as Producer/engineer Mark Pistel (Michael Franti, Grace Jones, Chuck Prophet), Producer/Engineer Michael Rosen (Rancid, Tesla, Smashmouth, Santana, and Papa Roach), and Adam Munoz (Herbie Hancock, Dave Mathews, Branford Marsalis, Joshua Bell, Chester Thompson, and Lyle Lovett).
Anna Karney has had a diverse musical career, having spent many years composing music for games such as Star Wars Galaxies, Monkey Island IV, Armed and Dangerous, several SimCity titles, Metal Dungeon, Death Jr., and many more. She received the esteemed “Dreamcatcher” Award from the Visual and Performing Arts division of the San Francisco Unified School District for her work as a choral teacher and conductor for middle and high school students, as well as her contribution to the furthering of music education in the San Francisco public school system. Additionally, Anna Karney has scored ballet and modern dance pieces as an artist in residence at Mills College and San Francisco State University. She also composed her Opus 1 Chaconne Sur Sept for nationally renowned contemporary music group Earplay Ensemble.
The KARNEY band has enjoyed several open-air concerts during Covid, giving vulnerable and at-risk populations the opportunity to enjoy live performance in a safe and relaxed way. Stay tuned for more live performances in 2022!
Visit the KARNEY website for more information:
www.karney.org or https://karney.bandcamp.com
To order or stream GONNA BE BEAUTIFUL on digital services please visit:
https://smarturl.it/KarneyBeBeautiful
For Press and Interview inquiries please contact Billy James of Glass Onyon PR at
(828) 350-8158 or glassonyonpr@gmail.com
For Digital Marketing please contact Jerome Forney of Independent Distribution Collective at jerome@independentdistro.com
For Radio inquiries please contact Peter Hay of Twin Vision Radio Promotion at TwinVision@aol.com
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