SF folk-rock artist, John Haesemeyer, announced the release of his second studio record at this morning’s “Balanced Breakfast” in San Francisco’s Mission District, a weekly gathering of local bands, producers, and media professionals.
Three Mirrors stands out from other indie records for two reasons: (1) the variety of genres on the album and (2) Haesemeyer’s collaborations with nationally prominent Bay Area musicians – including:
- Levi Seacer, Jr. (former guitarist for Prince) – arranges the gospel choir section for soul song, “Think I’m Going Down“
- Leah Tysse (winner of Billboard’s best R&B Song, 2007) – shares lead vocal on country duet, “Vancouver’s Shore”
- Nahuel Bronzini (Argentinian arranger and producer) – writes complex orchestration for folk-rock anthem, “Three Mirrors”
Haesemeyer is known for making music that is striking in its variety yet unified by its folk-singer roots. “For me, as a songwriter, it’s all about stretching and doing something different while staying honest. On my last record [Come Along Quickly], we did a string quartet on one song, then turned around and did a hip-hop collaboration on another,” Haesemeyer laughs. “On this record, we’ve got a soul song with a gospel choir, a country duet with an R&B singer, and an Americana ballad with a jazz pianist. At some point, I should probably pick a sound…”
In all, 21 people were involved in producing the seven songs on Three Mirrors. “Obviously, I am lucky to have an amazing producer by my side [Nahuel Bronzini] and humbled by the wealth of local talent around us.” A collection of classically trained musicians from the nationally renowned SF Conservatory of Music comprise most session players – along with veteran drummer, Brian Wolfe, who honed his skills in the 2000s playing with such national acts as George Clinton, Enrique Iglesias, and Boys II Men. Complex songs were mixed by Jaimeson Durr (Hyde Street Studios), whose past sessions have included work for The Dead (Grateful Dead minus Jerry Garcia), Gomez, and Sammy Hagar (with Chickenfoot).
Emotionally, Haesemeyer seeks to explore the human themes of loss, love, and hope in his music. Music Emissions writes, “Haesemeyer’s songs are deep, both musically and lyrically… drawing inspiration from the great singer-songwriters of the past: Neil Young, Springsteen, Dylan.” On his website, Haesemeyer elaborates: “Growing up, the singer-songwriter music of the 70s helped me reflect emotionally on all that was happening around me. As an artist myself now, I strive to make a similar impact, however small, on the lives of those who hear my music.”
Haesemeyer will release Three Mirrors at a live-recorded show (“Live at Coast”) on 9/20 at Coast Recorders — the historic SF recording studio whose client list includes Neil Young, REM, and Rod Stewart. For invitation and details, please send email to john@haesemeyer.com.
Click HERE to listen to the single, “Think I’m Going Down”
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