Bri Ingram

ROCKWiRED RADiO PROFiLES
PRESENTS AN EXCLUSiVE iNTERViEW WiTH
SiNGER-SONGWRiTER
BRi iNGRAM
AND CUTS FROM HER NEW EP i AM
With just six songs, BRI INGRAM takes the listener on a whirlwind journey of emotion, heartache, and newfound determination to move on with life and all of it's ups and downs on her EP I AM. Combining a jangly country and western-styled charm with a down and dirty blues and soul delivery, INGRAM has developed a strong musical identity with a little help from her co-songwriting and production team of DAVIDE RASO and OWEN SARTORI. You wouldn't think that a whole life story could be told in the space of six songs but INGRAM has managed to do so here. CAN'T EVEN CRY is a moody exploration into loneliness that rewards the listener with some of the punchiest, observational lyrics that we have heard this side of AIMEE MANN's BACHELOR #2. SAVE ME is an epic plead for a salvation in a world that is all too eager to chew you up and spit you out. INGRAM delivers the soulful ballad with a flawless reading that recalls DUSTY SPRINGFIELD legendary Memphis sessions. BELLY OF THE BEAST is the true knock out moment of the EP with it's frantic bluesy romp detailing INGRAM's winding musical journey. Thankfully that journey is nowhere near over. I AM is a stylish offering form a talent that we'll be hearing more from in the years to come.
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RELATED LiNKS: - Brian Lush

Artist: Bri Ingram
EP: I Am

Music has a way of taking some of the most difficult times in our lives and forcing us to see them in a new way. Lyrics about heartbreak and disappointment don't necessarily have to be put to dark or somber music. Instead, bravely pairing such lyrics with more upbeat tones tends to present such trying times in a hopeful and positive light. This not only gives listeners hope during their trying times, but it also demonstrates the personal persistence of the musician through their own down times. The songs on Bri Ingram's first EP, I Am, are so incredibly emotional and full of heartache that I can't help but love how courageously Bri combines her lyrics with such beautiful and awe-inspiring music.

Bri has been singing since she was a little girl, but only recently began writing her own music. Inspired by blues, Bri also combines elements of pop, alt rock, and alt country, creating songs that are irresistible and truly memorable. With a voice that is easily comparable to songstress legends like Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Aretha Franklin, I Am is Bri's first EP and is named after her declaration to create the life that she wants, no matter what may happen. Each track is very different, drawing on particular circumstances and dilemmas in Bri's life.

The first track, "Can't Even Cry," is highly influenced by country, and almost deterred me from liking the remainder of the EP. As someone that doesn't like the twang of country music, I was disappointed by this song. Although Bri is a capable singer, country music is almost too flat for her powerful vocals. The result is a song that is dominated by her voice but has a lack of harmony with the instruments.

In the second track, "Belly of the Beast," Bri demonstrates her immense talent. This song saved the EP for me. The music is grand and elaborate, drawing on elements of swing, jazz, and blues with a slight country feel, creating one of the most complex and interesting songs that I have heard in a while. Bri's singing blends perfectly with this style, and I eagerly listened to the rest of the album.

"Save Me" stands out on I Am because of the slower tempo. Like the remaining songs on the EP, the music is majestic and equal to Bri's magnificent voice. Drawing on the popular elements of love ballads, the interplay between Bri's singing and the strong electric guitar remind me of love songs from the 90s. The intense femininity of Bri's vocals contrast with the very masculine guitar, somehow creating intense feelings of loneliness, as if in the wake of a major life changing event. There is also an underlying hopefulness to the song, suggesting the desire a person has to pick themselves up and move on.

Overall, apart from the first track, Bri's first EP I Am is a wonderful compilation of songs that showcase Bri's amazing talent as a singer and songwriter. I will definitely be looking forward to any future album releases. - Voice Magazine

Bri Ingram’s “I Am” EP is masterful pop confection weaving together elements of country, rock, and the blues. With such a wide range Bri Ingram is able to convey quite a variety of emotions from the triumphant to the downtrodden. Even in the darkest corners of the EP Bri Ingram’s voice provides the light required. Serving as the heart of the EP Bri Ingram’s voice has a country twang to it, full of fiery passion.

Audo: http://www.briingram.com/i-am

“Can’t Even Cry” opens the EP up with a gentle, jazz-informed groove. The song’s gentle work shows great depth. Reflections on relationships show some of the relief that happens after a breakup. While they are usually portrayed as tragic events here Bri Ingram sounds positively defiant. A dark sleek atmosphere defines the infectious “Bad Bad Boy”. On “Little Black Dress” Bri Ingram introduces the piece with a sense of anxiety. Vocal delivery is particularly deft on here, starting and stopping on a dime. A languid tempo defines the atmospheric “Save Me”. Bri Ingram’s vocals are particularly adept on this song as they soar above giving the song an airy feel. By far the highlight of the EP is the peppy work of “I Can Make A Little Boy Blue”. Speeding through the song is downright additive, recalling an earlier more innocent time in pop music. Bringing the EP to a close is the playful “Belly Of The Beast”.

Full of hope Bri Ingram’s “I Am EP” is music that soothes the soul.

http://www.briingram.com/ - Skope magazine

Bri Ingram begins her latest release, the I Am EP with Can’t Even Cry. The track showcases the extra power of Bri’s vocals and provides highlighting with an on-point and furious instrumentation. The dynamic that is created between the guitars and drums creates something that will work perfectly on pop and alternative station. Ingram is able to come forth as a unique performer, influenced by Faith Hill, Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, and Megan Trainor.

Bad Bad Boy is a shuffling, driven track that impresses through a hard-hitting drum beat, impassioned vocals, and sizzling guitar work. Ingram is able to be bold and forceful during this composition, creating a positive persona that is more than capable enough to deal with the titular Bad, Bad Boy.

Little Black Dress is a stripped-down rock track that takes equal amounts sixties psychedelic and 90s alternative and gives them a new lease on life. The guitar work that was so impressive during Bad Bad Boy is kicked into high gear as the arrangements utilized here are some of the most dense and deep that we have heard. With another knock-out performance by Ingram, this single is another home run for Bri.

I Can Make A Little Boy Blue is a bouncy, bubbly track that gives listeners another refreshing blend of styles, linking together the passion of Fall Out Boy with the emotive richness of Sixpence None the Richer and Bif Naked.

Belly of the Beast is our favorite effort on I Am EP. The lounge singer meets blues tack that Bri takes here makes this ultimate track into her own personal Bond track. It provides an emphatic end to a disc of hits; the I Am EP is a tremendous introduction to Bri Ingram.

Top Tracks: I Can Make A Little Boy Blue, Belly of the Beast

Rating: 8.7/10 - NeuFutur Magazine

Driven by a childhood calling to singing and a deeper desire to express herself and tell the stories of her soul, Chicago songstressBri Ingram is equally passionate about what she puts into her music as she is about what we, the listeners, take from it. Her history to this point includes stints as a sit-in vocalist for local blues outfits, a recorded effort with a folk-rock project and, most recently, the release of her debut EP I Am. The title is in itself an exlamation of her lifelong desires to use her gift of voice and storyteller's soul as a channel to express the high (and low) lights of her life. Collaborating with local songwriters and musicians, Bri Ingramaccomplishes this feat with a power and maturity that lies subtle under bright, catchy compositions.


Whether musically, vocally, lyrically or some wonderful combination of the three, all six tracks on I Am stand alone as enjoyable affairs. "Can't Even Cry" is all pent up emotion (as the title might imply), a bulky rocking blues number that speaks of broken love and affairs with a bitter venom that still, somehow, manages to slip a silver lining in with an uplifting chorus and a few lyrical twists. The smart uptempo blues melodies and country twist in the chorus of "Belly Of The Beast" make it a musical treat, while Ingram keeps up with the energy in exciting fashion. Two songs in and it's already clear that she's got variation to match her obvious skill behind a microphone. "I Can Make A Little Boy Blue" shifts gears once again, this time mixing classic pop with alternative country complete with catchy six-string hooks and smooth, soaring vocal melodies. The sheer upbeat essence of this one makes it pop up at the listener, the emotion so easily translated. "Save Me" is without a doubt the most somber part of the set, a slow-brewing and dramatic lounge room blues piece that tells much of Ingram's own story of struggles and situational disappointments, steps along the path to where she currently is. This introspective is done so well that it's easier to relate to the honesty than the average listener (aka me) would expect. The only track here that doesn't grab me is "Bad Bad Boy", which feels a little cliche and flat in comparison to the vibrant atmosphere of personal inflection and clever musical arrangements elsewhere on the EP.


A debut of I Am's caliber is always a rare find, but the most intriguing thing about this musical experience for me was reading how Bri Ingram has viewed this opening salvo as a sort of experiment/retrospective, not wholly representing her musical goals and, most surprisingly, not revealing her full range of abilities as a vocalist. And she is damn good across the board here, shapeshifting into each mood like a practiced professional and creating atmosphere with her melodies and words themselves. The overall effect is one of an intimate look inside an intimate individual, undoubtedly wearing her heart on her sleeve and her soul on full display but not without a short sneer of playful wit or indulging in the more base desires of life. Long story short, I Am is exactly what Bri Ingram wanted by putting those two words on the cover. - Music Emissions

In just 4 weeks Bri's song has gone from #28 to #3 on the Mainstream Top 30 Charts! Bri Is also nominated for 2 Independent Music Network Awards " New Discovery Artist" and "Favorite Female Artist" - Independent Music Network

Bri Ingram's Little Black Dress featured on CMJ's Download this Mixtape for Nov 2015 - CMJ

Chicago based Bri Ingram has been singing from her soul since she was seven years old. Her love of performing followed her into adulthood and she was soon sitting in with local blues bands. Finding herself more and more interested in music, Ingram started to explore songwriting, using her time on the blues scene to draw lyrics from her own life experiences. Realizing the power music has to heal, Ingram recently returned to her songwriting skills to deal with a period of deeply personal challenges. The result of this time in Ingram’s life is her impressive and self-empowering solo debut simply entitled, I Am.

I Am opens with “Cant Even Cry,” an alternative pop track with a hint of country that looks at the heartache that sometimes comes with relationships. With sad lyrics about being cheated on and otherwise let down, “Can’t Even Cry” does a nice job conveying the fact that some peoples’ love is so deep, and the hurt from betrayal so painful that often we are left numb for a period of time unable to garner any emotion whatsoever. This is nicely expressed lyrically with lines such as “Loaded like a gun/You pulled the trigger /What you did can’t be undone/So sad I wanna die/Hurts so bad baby can’t even cry.” “Belly of the Beast” tells the story of a girl deciding to fearlessly jump into life head first confidently knowing that she has what it takes to deal with anything that comes her way. Beginning with a deep soulful beat that quickly moves uptempo with the introduction of various instruments including horns, this track is a musical jazz focused feast for the ears and also includes a mid-track piano solo. There is a sort of Vaudeville/circus/Broadway soundtrack feel to “Belly of the Beast” that makes you want to jump out of your seat and join in.
The mid-point of I Am brings “I Can Make A Little Boy Blue.” An uptempo track that feels more country than pure pop, “I Can Make A Little Boy Blue” is a song that follows the EP’s theme of confidence and survival. Talking about her experience with love, Ingram sings “I know I’m the one you love/I’m the one you’re dreaming of/Your wishes won’t come true/Because I don’t believe in fairy tales/I can write the ending for you/Cause the only part of the story that’s true/Is I can make a little boy blue.”

Ingram changes the feel on “Little Black Dress” by ushering in a sexy guitar playing intro followed by an 80’s Pat Benatar rock quality to the vocals.


I Am closes with two of the strongest tracks on the EP. The soulful “Save Me” brings the tempo down for a slow pop ballad that stuns in its sultry sound which Ingram excels at exuding. With lyrics that initially relay a broken spirit, Ingram does a great job at vocally portraying a sense of vulnerability. The song then picks up in tone suggesting life challenges prepare you to emerge stronger and ready to tackle the next chapter. Essentially, and contrary to the song’s title, one needs to save him or her self in order to grow. “Bad Boy” opens with a semi-mysterious tone to it with the guitar starring on this mid-tempo track. An alt rock/country song about a woman who has given up looking for the perfect guy, Ingram makes the song fun with her delivery of lyrics like “I’m afraid it’s so bad/There ain’t no such thing as a perfect man/I made up my mind/Enough is enough/I’d have given up on guys by now/If I didn’t hate girls so much…/Think I’m gonna settle for a bad bad boy.”

Seamlessly weaving in and out of various genres such as pop, rock, country and soul, Ingram shows ability that few emerging artists possess. A talented vocalist with formal training, Ingram’s range on I Am is somewhat restrained, but there is no doubt she is capable of much more and hopefully that will be on display in a follow up release. But with six solid tracks, Bri Ingram’s debut I Am hits all the right notes in introducing her to listeners as she puts her heart, soul and personal experiences into each song. I Am is available now.

Facebook | @briingramiam - Indie Minded - The Indie Scene And Beyond