FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2012
PATRICK KRIEF SIGNS LABEL DEAL WITH ROCK RIDGE MUSIC
Montreal-based artist Patrick Krief (longtime guitarist for The Dears) has signed a label deal with Rock Ridge Music and will be releasing his album, Hundred Thousand Pieces, in early 2013 in the United States (with distribution via ADA). Krief will also be touring the U.S. in support of the album in 2013.
Says Krief of the partnership with Rock Ridge Music: “I’m super excited to have a partner in the U.S. for the first time as a solo artist. Rock Ridge is a no nonsense label, very artist friendly, and I am super excited to release this album with them.”
Says Rock Ridge Music CEO Tom Derr of working with Krief: “When an opportunity to work with someone like Patrick comes along, you don’t ask why, you ask when.”
On the self-produced, self-mixed album, Krief played nearly all the instruments himself (with help from former Black Diamond Bay member Roberto Piccioni), and he also composed the complex, melodically independent string, brass and choir arrangements. Krief was committed to creating music that was strongly evocative, inspired by his work scoring films. The 10 songs on the album deal with his anxieties about growing older and continuing down the financially precarious road of a professional musician. Hundred Thousand Pieces follows his work with The Dears, his first solo release, 2007’s Take It Or Leave EP, and 2009’s Calm Awaits as part of the band Black Diamond Bay.
While most of Hundred Thousand Pieces was recorded at his Cote-des-Neiges apartment, bits and pieces of it were recorded on his laptop while touring with Black Diamond Bay, the drums were laid down at Mixart studios in the N.D.G. neighborhood of Montreal, and even a few old demo tracks he simply couldn’t re-create made the final mix.
Prior to his solo outings and around the time NME hailed them as “the best new band in the world,” Krief joined The Dears, an indie rock band from Montreal known for their orchestral, dark pop and dramatic live shows. Krief’s impassioned guitars graced the band’s music live and on record from 2003 to 2008, and he reconnected with the band in 2010 and remains a member now. The Dears toured extensively across Canada, U.S., UK, Europe, Japan and Australia, including opening slots for Sloan, The Tragically Hip, Keane, The Secret Machines, and Morrissey. While on break from The Dears, Krief recorded with Black Diamond Bay, which also featured former drummer of The Dears, George Donoso III.
http://www.facebook.com/kriefmusic
http://www.twitter.com/patrickkrief
For more information, please contact:
Krista Mettler, Skye Media/Rock Ridge Music