adrianne

Adrianne is the kind of female rocker with a sound that is truly all her own. Though similar vocally to Emm Gryner and Amy Fairchild, this raspy-voiced gal has a diverse collection of tunes about the various facets of life. "When She Takes" is a rather harmonious song about strength. "Dream of Rome" is a worldly song, which actually made me want to travel there because of her entrancing descriptions and the somber sound of the tune. In it, she sings of wanting to escape as she says, "Here, no one seems to think at all/They just go, and always need to take their car/And most of the time, I'm not sure if I'm even here." I've got a thing for female folkish rockers; and Adrianne certainly goes above and beyond this genre, adding her harder edge while maintaining a mature sound. This is music that challenges you, makes you think intelligently, and most of all feel. I will definitely be picking up her next album, and am fervent for its release. Favorite Tracks: Dream of Rome, Bring Me You

Rating: 4.5 stars - DISCOVERINGARTISTS.COM

Artist: Adrianne
Home: Boston, Massachusetts
Style: Folk/Pop
The songs on Adriannes CD For Adeline are both beautiful and painful. These songs of isolation, uncertainty, and betrayal are expressed passionately in a voice that Sarah McLaughlin fans will fall in love with. It rasps with accusation in Destiny, growls with determination in Say Em Strong, and tells a scary story in hushed tones in Scriptures. These are sweet, folk/pop melodies with sad messages. The lyrics are the primary focus. Adrianne is only in her early 20s, yet she sings like someone wiser than her years. In fact, I got so caught up in the words, I kept overlooking the music and having to play the songs again to get the full impact. In the lush pop song Still Wish Youd Come Around, I can feel the slap in the face: It was good to see you, good to meet her at last. Give me your number, I said, heres some paper and a pen, But you declined, said, Baby, you had your chance... When I lay tonight, I will erase our conversation in my head A million times till I forget every single word you said And I will boast about the freedom I have found But Ill never admit that I still wish youd come around. One of the themes that keeps coming up throughout the CD is the struggle with prejudice against homosexuality and the question of whether or not it is a sin. From Adeline : The world doesnt need any more bible-tearing outcasts... And from Marie: They say in hell Ill burn the way I burn for her. I hear the pain in her voice. I also hear hope behind the pain. Theres a fighting spirit in these songs that keep searching for meaning and ways to deal with isolation. I love New Kind of Cool, in which Adrianne decides that if she doesnt fit in with the cool crowd, shell be even cooler on her own. I wasnt surprised to read about Adriannes accomplishments in her press kit. She won the 1999 USA Songwriting Competition for Say Em Strong, and has performed with none other than Jeff Buckley. Shes also performed with Pamela Means, another indie artist reviewed here at indie-music.com. Recently, MTV licensed this CD for unlimited use in several of their shows. If Adriannes managed to accomplish this much before shes even turned 25, shell be getting a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys before shes thirty.

- INDIE-MUSIC.COM

November 1998
By Neil Fagan
Adrianne "Old Leather"
Adrianne is a ball of intensity, emotion and 'tude. Lotsa tude, man. A student a t Berklee College of Music and SESAC award winning writer, Old Leather is her debut disc and it starts with a kiss-off. Bonus points! Destiny is the song in the same emotional vein of Alanis Morrisettes You Oughta Know. Even has a four-letter word in it. Thats not to say that Adrianne is not her own artist. Her deep, throaty voice and acoustic guitar grooves are refreshing and unique. Though she often comes across as all bluster and badass, theres a hint of vulnerability that traces its way through many of her tunes. Destroying Cities and Lions and Bulls all play on the tender/tough stance. Experts see right through me/And my still, vague poetry, she confesses in the latter. Whos it Gonna Be? is a monster groove built with just acoustic guitar, bass and congas. Liquid is an achingly lovely ballad of longing, as is the confessional Clean and True. The album closes with live versions of Destiny and Whos it Gonna Be? and her aggressive guitar attack really stands out. In short, Old Leather is easy to slip into.

- PERFORMING SONGWRITER

What the fans are saying!
"I love the passion in your songs." -Jeff Buckley
"I saw this fantastic singer at the Cat Club in Hollywood, doing an acoustic set, and was captured by her brilliance as a songwriter and performer. This is an amazing artist to keep an eye on and an ear to! You are a blessing to the world." -Linda Dalziel, from the band Berlin
"When I hear your music- your lyrics, your voice, for a moment I forget everything, and it feels like it's just me, the car, the wind, and you. And those are the best times."
"Your voice is mesmerizing and the words bring tears to my eyes. You're a true gift to the music industry. I cant wait for more songs to link memories to. Great soulful voice and honest music. I bought the Cd and fell in love with it! Thanks for giving me solace."
"Your songs are amazing and your voice is unstoppable. You are a wonderful performer and I hope to go to more of your concerts in the future. You rock!"
"You are the most talented- both poetic and wonderfully unique-person that I've ever heard. Your music is enough to soothe even the most down and out. Thank you."
"I hope you're coming back to LA soon, and I'm passing the word around to all of my friends. Thanks for being straight from the heart- you gave me chills!"
"Very pleasant music indeed. It heals ears..."
"I'm speechless! You amaze me.. .and your music is so heartfelt... .Maybe one day I can grow into the shadow you cast musically.. ."
"You are absolutely amazing. I love how each song escalates so that by the middle it is just this fiery emotion flying around the room. I can't wait to see you perform again."
"You're moving the world, honey. Your music is absolutely beautiful and soul touching. Thank you. "I was absolutely enthralled by your performance at the Helsinki in Great Barrington. When the hair on the back of your head does circus tricks, you know you have something special."
"I've been listening to Adrianne perform her lucid, poetic songs for several years now and every time she opens her mouth I know I'm going to walk home humming her melodies and pondering her words. Every aspect of her music is bittersweet and intriguing."
"Adrianne's music is really therapeutic to me. It has strong content quality and memorable melodies. Best of both worlds if you ask me."
"Adrianne's music is one of the most original, talented, beautiful sounds I've heard in a long time. I'm trying to spread the word about her in Ohio."
"Just dreaming and remembering and feeling blessed by having the good fortune to have your music in my life."
"What a talent! What a Voice! Out of all the hundreds of new song writers and singers that I've heard; Adrianne is the most original, unique, and best voice since Sarah McLachlin. What a concert it would be to have her and Sarah share a stage."

What the critics are saying!
"Adrianne is a ball of emotion, intensity, and 'tude." -Neil Fagan, Performing Songwriter
"Adrianne has piercing eyes to match the sharp allure of her tunes." -Steve Morse, Boston Herald
"If you can imagine a pure musical embodiment of soul- songs brimming with sumptuous vocals, lyrics that clearly bridge the mind with the heart, and instrumentation that delicately yet powerfully completes the picture, then step out of your imagination into a pleasant reality- for this is Adrianne." -Debbie Catalano, Soundcheck Magazine
"... the world better be prepared for Adrianne, because ready or not, here she comes. Her intensely personal lyrics, innovative open tunings, and riveting performance style have critics and industry leaders fairly gushing over her prodigious creative gifts." -SESAC, inc.
" If Adrianne's managed to accomplish all that she has before she's even turned 25, she'll be getting a Lifetime Achievement Award before she's thirty." -INDIEMUSIC.COM
"This singer songwriter is something special!.. Just beautiful! Her writing is poetic, soft to a fine touch; her acoustic guitar playing is remarkable!" -Jeff Cabral, New England Entertainment News
"Adrianne both offers meaningful lyrics and pro-class vocal performances... If Paula Cole had soul, she'd want to sound like this. One songwriter to look out for..." -Alan Levesque, Northeast Performer
"Listening to Adrianne you feel like you're with her on a fire escape in Boston."- Harold Fine, Audiogalaxy.com
"Adrianne is the kind of female rocker with a sound that is truly all her own."-Discovering Artists.com
"Adrianne is a present day freedom fighter. Her lyrics are a poetic yet real, and beware; they have the power to evoke a quite strong emotional reaction."- Estrogenmusic.com
"With unapologetically honest lyrics and guitar riffs that deliberately match her message, Adrianne is the type of artist that does not hesitate to reveal her musical truths- Katie Wharton, LAMusicscene.com

- VARIOUS