Biography
Taking off from Austin, Texas, The Flying Club performs an original mix of American, Brazilian and other pop music influences. With the release of 2006’s “Far and Away” a new sound came to life which received critical praise from the likes of Performing Songwriter Magazine, Austin Music + Entertainment, Austin InSite and The Muse’s Muse, as well as radio airplay in the US, Brazil and Europe. 2009 brings a new sound for the stage and for recordings, with new material and new releases due out in the late spring.
About the album:
The Flying Club's debut album "Far and Away," released in 2006, is the result of a year-long collaboration of musicians, producers and engineers in Austin, Texas and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Founded by drummer/composer Bruce Popky, the project had simple origins as a series of home-studio recordings, in which he explored integrating Brazilian pop sensibilities with original American pop music. With a handful of compositions recorded, he started putting together a group to perform them live.
To record the album, he enlisted the help and guidance of Grammy-nominated producer Mark Hallman, whose many credits include Eliza Gilkyson, Ani DiFranco and Carole King. Rio-based producer/guitarist/composer Eugenio Dale joined the project next, with a long history of hit songs, successful recordings and live performances to his credit. Across two hemispheres, recording in both Austin and Rio, the trio collaborated on balancing the many diverse elements that comprise the unique sound of "Far and Away." As Austin Music Magazine writer Derek Lowe describes it, the album "doesn't fit into the usual perceptions of either city's music...."
Dale plays guitar on all of the tracks as well as various percussion, and Hallman adds keyboards and additional guitar. Coutinho plays a wide variety of percussion throughout the album, as Popky anchors the tracks on the drums and sings backing vocals behind Amanda Walker's lead. Top musicians from both cities also contribute to the album, including: in Rio de Janeiro, bassist Gast�o Villeroy, guitarist Billy Brand�o and string arranger Luiz Avellar; in Austin, keyboardist Rolf Ordahl, and guitarist Adam Temple.
Although the album's pedigree contains much Brazil, the sound is uniquely American. The arrangements delve into adventurous rhythmic, melodic and harmonic territory, but intend to strike a balance between these aspects and appealing to many different kinds of listeners.
"Far and Away" was honored as a "Top 12 DIY Pick" in the July/August 2006 issue of Performing Songwriter Magazine and has received three 2006 "Muse's Muse Awards." Tracks from the album have received airplay in over 30 Triple-A radio stations in the United States as well as rotating commercial radio airplay in Rio de Janeiro, and multiple daily spins on Globo FM, second largest radio station in the state of Bahia, Brazil. The single "Another Day" has received regular airplay on Radio Swiss Pop (Switzerland) for much of 2007.
"Far and Away" is available for purchase at Amazon.com, CDBaby.com, Napster.com, Rhapsody.com and the iTunes Music Store.
On the web:
www.theflyingclub.net
www.myspace.com/flyingclubmusic
Instrumentation
Monique French - lead vocals
Bruce Popky - drums and vocals
Ross Alexander - bass
Peter Mazzetti - guitars
Discography
Far and Away (2006)
Links
| http://www.theflyingclub.net |