April McLean
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April McLean

| INDIE

| INDIE
Band Pop Singer/Songwriter

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"AMG Expert Review"

This is a great record. It's not just good, or even really good — it's flat-out great. Want to know why? Because April McLean can write and sing like nobody's business. And never has a heart-sleeved shirt sounded prettier.
Thematically and musically reminiscent of Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, Becoming holds that same allure, but brings listeners in for an even closer look at the artist's emotional landscape. For McLean has pulled out a microscope to examine every little nook and cranny of her life, sharing her revelations with startling intimacy.

These stories are overflowing with questions of faith, self-doubt, abuse, and shame. Some of the songs would almost be hard to listen to if the uneasiness of the subject matter wasn't shrouded in such uplifting melodic beauty and profound lyrical poetry. She was also sly in her sketching of antagonists, perhaps purposely making them vague, leaving the door open for some interpretation — though it's hard to imagine anyone but a lover or parent having enough impact on a life to leave the scars heard healing here.

In support of her message, the production and instrumentation are perfectly executed. As an example, when edgy guitars sneak in to emphasize the sentiment of hatred and rage playing against the ironically bouncy backdrop of staccato piano on "So Far Away," your ears perk up to pay a tad bit more attention and you kind of get a little antsy. It would be extraordinarily difficult to single out songs for individual merit. Suffice it to say that they are all superb, and in a perfect world "Superhero" would storm the pop charts. McLean is an important artist who actually has something to say that's worth listening to. All the better that it's so enjoyable a task. - All Music Guide


"Drew Walen"

Singer/songwriter April McLean played the music biz game for a few years. She had a cut with mega Christian pop singer Susan Ashton and was courted for her own recordings, but something happened on the way to fame and fortune — she couldn’t play the game anymore.

McLean, a Berklee College of Music graduate, was in turmoil over the fluffy material the Christian recording industry was trying to force on her when she really wanted to sing about her own personal truths and turmoil, which often had nothing to do with praise music and everything to do with the darker side of her psyche.

The result was an abandonment of the industry for personal reflection. She worked at a pottery store, temped and made ends meet while her publisher Todd Moore continued to facilitate her growth as an artist. McLean not only developed, she blossomed into one of the most literate, melodically talented songwriters in Nashville’s local pop scene.

With her debut album Becoming, McLean tackles questions of faith in “Father God,” romantic expectations with “Superhero,” emotional abuse in “The Way You Make Me Feel,” and personal redemption in the title cut. Each emotive melody hooks you in, whether it be vocal or McLean’s understated piano accompaniment. And the production’s crisp and clean sound lifts the songs to a level few attain without a blizzard of instruments and effects.

"Superhero” has already been featured on the hit television show Felicity with "Me" and "Becoming" slated to appear in next season’s episodes as well, demonstrating McLean’s obvious commercial appeal.

While the era of the female singer/songwriter is waning, the possibilities for a seasoned artist with McLean’s talent and perseverance remain viable. - Nashville City Paper


"Heather Johnson"

There's a strong Aimee Mann influence on singer-songwriter April McLean's debut CD, Becoming. Both artists combine a sweet voice with catchy pop melodies, but McLean's verses are so intensely personal, emotional and vulnerable that to simply compare her to another artist would discredit her unique message.

The Berklee School of Music grad delves deep within her soul, confronting issues with an honesty that will cause some to squirm and others to heal. On the lush, string-enhanced ballad "Open Your Heart", for example, McLean softly sings, "Hide behind all your fear/Close the blinds and disappear/Keep your sins locked away/If they knew, what would they say?"

The poetic lyricist digs through the wreckage of a verbally abusive relationship on both the dark pop-rock tune "So Far Away" and the melancholy ballad "The Way You Make Me Feel". Low moments such as these help us better appreciate the uplifting nature of "All Along" and "Superhero", a sunny, hook-laden tune that was featured on a recent episode of the WB teen drama Felicity.

McLean obviously put her whole heart into her debut disc, and, in doing so, created an empowering body of work that gives us an example of the capable singer-songwriter she is, and the talented solo artist she's "Becoming." - Nashville Rage


Discography

2007 - Darbytown Road
2002 - Becoming

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Bio

April McLean is a unique singer/songwriter whose music draws on influences as diverse as Sarah McLachlan, Tori Amos and Aimee Mann. Her disarmingly vulnerable lyrics explore themes of insecurity, empowerment and healing.

At 19, April's intensely personal yet universally-themed music found an audience at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where she won a number of songwriting competitions. After college, April moved to Nashville to hone her skills as a songwriter and performer and she wrote under contract with Warner-Chapell Music (Los Angeles) for two years. April was asked to record her song 'Inside Out' for a multi-artist album called The Mercy Project. Martina McBride and Amy Grant were among the other artists featured and the proceeds were donated to a program that helps troubled girls and young women around the world.

April's first independent release, Becoming (2002) garnered glowing reviews and several cuts featured on the hit WB show "Felicity". The radio-ready single “Superhero” was included in the best-selling DVD and video releases of the show's first and second seasons. Recently April and her producers have put the finishing touches on her newest release, Darbytown Road. One of the standout songs, 'Head Over Heels' has already been placed in two episodes of the WB TV show "What I Like About You", starring Jennie Garth and Amanda Bynes. Both episodes are airing in syndication on the CW.