Labeling Deloris

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Local/National CDs
By John Fonvielle

Labeling Deloris
Throwing Punches

This “little engine that could” band, now residing in Nashville, has released a well-thought-out, rockin’ disc of catchy melody-laden tunes. Led by the very capable vocals of Jennifer Reiff, Labeling Deloris lives in the late ‘80s to late ‘90s world of pop rock. But don’t mistake them for being derivative, as ‘90s nostalgia may be the roots of their sound, yet LD’s music is as fresh as the letch on the neighboring bar stool.

Reiff is a Wilmington native who saw her future early: as a 4-foot child (her words) she saw Blondie at the House of Blues with her father and proclaimed that one day she too would be onstage at the House of Blues. True to her word, she formed a band with Jason Rigney, guitar, his brother Brad, bass, and drummer Andrew Boudouris, while attending Catawba College in Salisbury, NC. Within five short years these ambitious youngsters had played House of Blues.

Throwing Punches is their third album. It is full of drum-driven, tight angular guitar and bass lines, with a melt of Reiff’s almost pouty vocalizations (the good, “makes you give in” pout, not the whiney, “please go away” pout). A strong nod to the style of Gwen Steffani and No Doubt, Labeling Deloris tackles problems all their own, through heartfelt, well-crafted songs. The title song is a many-layered confessional dealing with present and obvious band interplay issues and larger, staggering the heart, losses that have befallen the writer.

Theirs is a collaborative effort, with all members pitching in on songwriting duties. The sound is direct, focused, almost immediate in its earnestness. The road, the practice, and the ambition shine on this record. Strong vocals married to intricate instrumentation deliver what is easy to call a pop/rock extravaganza but moreso, a deep, soul-probing song cycle.

Playing their first gig at a battle of the bands at the Soapbox in 2005 and winning, Labeling Deloris has three albums under their belt, live in music city (where the CD release party sold out), have played the House of Blues twice, tour regularly, have weathered crushing personal issues, yet have kept their eyes on the prize. Take note, as this band is on its way to even bigger things. When it comes to Labeling Deloris, hit me up.

The group is scheduled to play at 16 Taps on July 10. - The Beat Magazine - July 2010

Hailing in part from Wilmington, Labeling Deloris, releases an EP of indie and pop rock seething with power, blended guitars and sugar throated vocals. "For the Sake of Deloris" is an impressive debut, a return to substance based rock before the influx of Rob Thomas and Miss Aguilera. Jennifer Reiff's vocals are above the norm, evoking soul with Gwen Stefani levels of baby sweetened pitch. The band is an easy counterpart to Reiff's style, mixing gentleness and coarse guitar.

But it's more than that since the album is above average studio induced pop sensibilities. Although it walks the line, it carries the weight of R&B integrity mixing female rock vocalists of the past. The album's vocals call to mind Joydrop, Mary Me Jane's 1996 debut (Reiff sounding eerily close to singer Amanda Kravat), and the veracity of Pat Benatar.

"Something to Someone" is heavy on guitar, aiming to say something positive, "But how quick you are to say you're nothing, Just remember, that you're something to someone." "From Me To You" works well with its swirling, funky guitar and hopping beat, drenched in lyrics such as "You had first chance to wear me in" and "Don't close your eyes, to hide from mine...I'm not giving up on everything". Imagine-Johnette Napolitano singing with sweeter, higher pitched vocals and the best part of Linda Perry's vocal style.

Say what you will about pop rock, it's refreshing to hear something that offers more than a catchphrase or a line of music that has been recycled ad nauseum.

Brian Tucker - Avenue Magazine

Worthy of Repeat:
Labeling Deloris releases debut CD

By: Erin Perkins

“Nope. That‘s not the one.” Press skip.
“Urgghh! That‘s not it either.” Annoyed—press skip again.
Wait. “Yep, that‘s the one.”

Unfortunately, some songs are destined to be skipped. But then there are the few, the blessed, and the striking who make it, and they are destined to be what bands most hope for: repeated.

Unique alternative/rock/power-pop quartet Labeling Deloris (LD) seem to have a promising future of programmed repeating. The rocking, soulfully coated sensation will probably melt in your CD player rather than your CD case. LD offer a new flavor of sweet rock that is hard to find. Their lyrics contain fun ambiguity and passionate zeal, proving that sing-a-long melodies can be profound.

“Know where you are, no matter how far you are” is one of many evoking lyrics that can be found on their debut CD, For the Sake of Deloris. It is also the lyric to their original song, “Know Where You Are,” which was a national finalist in the John Lennon Songwriting competition, giving their school, Catawba College in Salisbury, NC, and their band national acclaim.

The group was formed when two music management majors realized a two-part army of only a voice and acoustic guitar was not enough to win battle of the bands. So vocalist and rhythm guitarist Jennifer Reiff and lead guitarist Jason Rigney recruited drummer Andrew Boudouris and bassist Brad Rigney to create the band. Competing against more than thirty bands at City Stage/Level 5 in Wilmington, while also being their first public performance, Labeling Deloris won.

The four dreaming souls capture listeners through poignant and telling lyrics, which Jason Rigney credits to their collective songwriting.
“The only true songwriting is telling your story,” he says. “It can be someone else‘s voice, but in my sense it‘s our story.”
His brother, Brad, agrees. “[Listeners] may not understand it, but [they] will still get feeling out of it.”

“Desire and effort,” according to its band members, are the message behind For the Sake of Deloris—a message that complements the album’s title. The foundation of the group’s truthful lyrics is the result of “what we‘ve been going through in the last few years,” Jason expresses.

Although lead singer, Jennifer’s vocals may not be fully mature, yet, the passion in the sound exists wholeheartedly. Her passionate fervor adds to the quality of singing and the expressive lyrics. With time and exposure, there’s no doubt the rocking songstress will become a consistent vocal powerhouse.

If you have a fondness for rock with meaning, then you know rock is more about connecting than grandstanding. So connect to Labeling Deloris June 13 at the Soapbox for the band‘s CD release party of For the Sake of Deloris. You might ‘label Deloris’ a soulful, rocking and electrifying hit.
- Encore

By BRENDA ERICKSON
Register & Bee staff writer
DANVILLE, Va. — It was fearlessness that propelled Danville natives Jason
and Brad Rigney — along with the fellow members of their band, Labeling
Deloris — to Nashville to take a shot at a music career.
“You have to take a chance if you want to succeed,” said Brad, the band’s
bassist, during a visit home last month. “We moved to Nashville with
nothing.”
“We laid everything down on the line,” added Jason, guitarist with the band,
which was founded when all four members, including lead vocalist Jennifer
Reiff and drummer Andrew Boudouris, met while attending Catawba College in
Salisbury, N.C., and realized they each had similar goals and styles that
meshed well despite their diversity.
But that sense of purpose, along with a tight, slick sound that critics have
compared to John Mayer (“Mayer with power,” said one) and thoughtful,
emotionally-driven lyrics have made Labeling Deloris one of the fastest
rising bands in Nashville and a refreshing change from Music City’s
traditional country offerings.
The alt-rock band, which merges jazzed-up, bluesy rhythms with what Jason
calls “good, honest rock,” released its first CD, “For the Sake of Deloris,”
late last month, and the album’s first single, “Something to Someone,” is
currently receiving radio airplay throughout the South.
The group also plays numerous shows in and around Nashville, and is
embarking on a national tour that will include an Aug. 12 stop at the North
Theatre.
“Now it’s going to start being fun,” said Brad, who admits that band members
have made tremendous personal investments in order to reach their goals,
including immersing themselves in their music.
“It’s definitely hard work,” he said.
The quartet lives together in Nashville, where their living room is filled
with a wide array of musical instruments as well as music memorabilia that
pays tribute to the band’s influences, which range from Gwen Stefani
(showcased in part through Reiff’s stellar, crystal-clear vocals) and
Matchbox Twenty to Herbie Hancock.
And although they recorded their CD on an indie label, they’ve been drawing
some attention from Nashville record execs, including one who has said, “I
have two favorite bands, Labeling Deloris acoustic and Labeling Deloris full
band electric.”
It’s an unexpected life for the Rigneys, who have only been in Nashville for
about a year and have already played about 125 gigs there, in addition to
the series of out-of-town gigs scheduled in support of the new CD.
“I never in a million years through we’d be where we’re at right now,” said
Brad, the older of the two Rigney brothers.
In addition to the August show in Danville, upcoming tour stops for Labeling
Deloris include Cleveland, Detroit, Manhattan and Miami, as well as another
Nashville show along with North Carolina concerts in Wilmington (Rieff’s
hometown), Winston-Salem, Chapel Hill and Salisbury.
Aboard their tour bus, band members will likely use down time to craft songs
for their follow-up release, honing a process of working together as a
foursome that has served the band well.
“All the songs are written by all of us,” said Jason, who said they also
shared responsibility equally when making decisions about the new CD.
“We recorded it, then after that we went back in and did of lot of different
mixes and decided which song should be the first single,” said Jason, who
was ultimately pleased with the result. “It takes a little time, but this is
definitely an album.”
- Danville Register & Bee

The Beat Feature
Labeling Deloris
By Jeff Reid
March 2007

We have often heard that to be successful in the music business, bands need to venture to large media centers like Los Angeles, New York or Nashville. Labeling Deloris, a female-fronted rock act did just this. After graduation from college, Wilmington native Jennifer Reiff and band mates Jason and Brad Rigney and Andrew Boudouris moved to Nashville to pursue their chosen life in “the business.” The group managed to break into the scene quickly, gaining accolades from music critics, playing in coveted Nashville venues and recording in state of the art studios. After a year in the “Music City,” they set out on a four month tour across the country that put them in premier venues and in front of thousands of new listeners. And then with the momentum rolling, they did something uncharacteristic. They moved to Wilmington.

“We wanted to be closer to the ocean,” says Jason. “Plus there are a lot of college towns relatively close. The scenes in Raleigh and Chapel Hill are appealing to us.”

It all started innocently enough as Jason and Jennifer, attending Catawba College in Salisbury, NC submitted their song, Know Where You Are, to the John Lennon songwriting contest in 2003. The song became a finalist and with the recognition it garnered, propelled them on their journey and a life together in music. Then in 2004, upon hearing about The City Stage Battle of the Bands competition in Wilmington, they enlisted Brad and Andrew to perform with them as a band and won the competition.

What is impressive about this band is not only their music or their accomplishments, but their approach toward the hidden things that make a band successful. “We not only look at other bands’ music as a measure of their achievement, but things like how they behave during load in. Do they start on time? Or are they being respectful to the audience.” states Jennifer. “You see I grew up in the theatre and I learned at an early age that the work behind the scenes is just as important as the performance.” And it is this lesson learned that is ingrained in the heart of the group. As a result, Labeling Deloris distinguishes themselves from many bands, not only by exhibiting confidence in their talents, but in their commitment to be self-reliant in an industry that demands it. From living together, booking their own tours, collectively writing their own music and purchasing their own equipment that will enable them to record their next CD, they have dedicated their lives in the pursuit of their dream.

When I first discovered that a band had made a “career” move to the area, I was, I must admit, somewhat skeptical. But after listening to them talk about their dreams and their music, I came to a realization. They didn’t move to Wilmington to be “successful,” they already were.
- The Beat

By: Jennifer Caslin

Recently a quote from a band in a music magazine caught my eye. “Why write music to nod your head to when you can write music to save the world to?” The quote immediately made me think “Why can’t you do both?” They haven’t quite saved the world yet, but Jennifer Reiff (vocals), Jason Rigney (guitar), Brad Rigney (bass), and Andrew Boudouris (drums), are causing heads to nod all over Wilmington. “We write songs, we present it to you and hope that you enjoy them,” states Brad.

Since the Beat last spoke with the band in March, Labeling Deloris have written and recorded six demo quality songs that will likely see release in 2008 that Jason hopes “just blow people’s minds.” The band also realized a dream in August when they opened for American Idol winner Taylor Hicks at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach. This was in addition to playing regular shows in Raleigh and Wilmington, including a second time opening for Rehab.

But the biggest development with Labeling Deloris is their new production company, I Candy Productions. The band developed the idea out of frustration with a lack of similar bands in the area. In Jason’s words, the goal of I Candy is to “try to hit an audience where they are coming for a whole night of entertainment, not seeing just one band.” Labeling Deloris is hoping to create a scene unlike any other in Wilmington by focusing on bands that are lyrically driven. Eventually, Jennifer hopes that I Candy will branch out regionally by creating a “buddy system” with bands in Raleigh, Charlotte and Columbia. Andrew explains, “On the fan side of it, it’s supposed to rally the troops together that like our kind of music.”

The next I Candy Productions show will be held at the Soapbox on Saturday, December 15th with the End of Detroit, and Columbia’s Shallow Palace. Donations of non-perishable food will be taken to benefit the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina. From Labeling Deloris, expect to see some new songs, old favorites, and. maybe Jennifer joining in on the acoustic guitar. Feel like the world needs saving? Come join the movement on December 15th at the Soapbox.

- The Beat

-by Wesley Watts

Jennifer Reiff – Vocals
Andrew Boudouris – Drums
Brad Rigney – Bass
Jason Rigney – Guitar

VI: What's your claim to fame?

We are the alternative to alternative. We are a little more rock than pop, but a little more pop than indie. We like to show that sing-a-long melodies can have depth and mean something. Labeling Deloris consists on good
musicians, and yes we do have an incredible front-lady, but here name is not Deloris.

VI: What type of band are you?

We are a female fronted conventional rock band that adds a little indie/pop to the mix. We are educated in music, but as much as we are educated, we love listening and getting the most out of music. Highly dedicated, passionate, and our heads held high. We are professional and respectable.

VI: Tell us the brief history of your band.

The band started in Salisbury, NC at Catawba College. Jennifer, Jason, and Andrew were all studying music, and Jennifer and Jason started writing songs
together and performing
acoustically. They recruited Andrew and Jason’s brother, Brad, to form Labeling Deloris. After graduation, the band moved to Nashville and was there a year, playing over 120 shows and recording their first album, For the Sake of Deloris. We toured the nation in the summer of
2006, and after coming out ahead, move to Wilmington. Since arriving in Wilmington, we have enjoyed much success on the radio and performing all over the area, including the famous House of Blues.

VI: Who are your musical and non-musical influences?

Musical: The Beatles, No Doubt, Guns’n’Roses, Smashing Pumpkins

Non-Musical: Seinfeld

VI: What are your dreams and goals?

Being invited to the Grammy’s, play every House of Blues in existance, and create a career in music with Labeling Deloris

VI: Who writes the songs, what are they about?

Lately it’s been Jason coming up a little lyric and guitar idea. He’ll
take it to everyone else who completes the arrangements and Jennifer works with J to complete the lyrics. Some of the older songs Jennifer and Jason wrote individually then brought them to the rest of the band for
arrangements. The songs are about things we’ve gone through in life that effects most. Things that make you feel small, things that make you feel tall, things that
make you wonder why, and most importantly, things that make you
feel.

VI: Who do you think will be our next President and why?

We don’t get too much into politics. We tend to keep that sort of thing to the people who follow it.

VI: How do you promote your band and shows?

We have great work ethic, we will flyer the entire city we are playing, send out emails and blogs, dedicated street team members, and most importantly word of mouth.

We also have created a new production company called I candy Productions. We put on shows, book the bands, and give the audience a night to remember. We
focus on bands that are not in the hardcore scene and that would appeal to the majority of people, not just concert goers. We also believe the bands must possess professionalism and musical talents, most importantly being
respectful and on time, and not to mention, be able to sing!

We get the community involved with benefits and special parties.

VI: Describe your show, visual and musically

Our live shows, for now, are our bread and butter. We are a four piece that will come out and give you the night of your life. We live to play music and we think that it shows in our shows. We have a little bit more than standard
visual show, with use of banners and lights, but other than the lamps we want to the audience to connect with us, the songs, and see us light up on stage. There is no other place we want to be, so when there’s desire and passion, there is a great show.

We very rarely play covers and when we do, we make sure there are some classics in the mix, anywhere from G’n’R to The Beatles to Jimi to Motley Crue.

Also, we like to look good. To us, it’s much like a job interview, we match and look nice to show that we respect the audience and our fans.

VI: What do you think about downloading music online?

As a band, we don’t. We are music fanatics before we are musicians. We love getting tangible albums for the keep sakes, i.e. Sleeve, CD, and other extras like posters, etc. For all others, what ever tickles your fancy, if you find it easier to download, then that’s fine. In summary, if you like music, get it and support them when they are on tour.

VI: What's your outlook on the record industry today?

The industry is having a tough time, like mentioned earlier the majority of us are music business majors so we keep a keen eye on the industry. But for the most part, it’s hard talking of the industry because, although the majors are in constant debate, there are many good mini-major and indie labels still thriving and putting out great material. We believe there will be drastic measures taken in which the labels will continue to fall but in a little time be back to normal. We are truly only focused on Labeling
Deloris.

VI: Tell us a story about a day in your life.

Answer: We get up, all around the same time, and start getting to work. We starting checking our emails and responding, getting out ideas on paper that developed the night before, and normal everyday things. Next, we all have day time jobs to get out of each others hair once in a while. Come home, relax, and then practice, write, practice, and then write a little more. We
are constantly in writing mode. Now on weekends, we like to NOT work and just do anything that doesn’t deal with the band. It’s our equilibrium that keeps us fresh. - The Village Idiot

BLUES-A-PALOOZA FEATURING
LABELING DELORIS

Saturday, January 5
House of Blues,
North Myrtle Beach

There’s a lot of Garbage in Labeling Deloris.

The Shirley Manson/ Butch Vig band called Garbage, of course, meaning a powerful alluring lead vocal, sheets of guitar, drum-heavy finger funk, and a heady dose of both sex and snarl. The music is no doubt (or would that be No Doubt?) sing-along friendly, but there’s more going on here than meets the eye. Now, we’re not saying the band is going to go all Rage Against the Machine any time soon, but it ain’t Souljia Boy, either. (Please, do us a favor and…don’t crank that.)

Formed in college in North Carolina, vocalist/guitarist/songwriter Jennifer Reiff and guitarist/songwriter Jason Rigney, along with drummer Andrew Boudouris and bassist Brad Rigney, won their very first competition as a band. That same year, the group’s first single, “Know Where You Are,” was a national finalist in the John Lennon Song-Writing Competition. The guys (and gal) then spent a year in Nashville, Tenn., before relocating to their present digs of Wilmington, N.C. Since then, Labeling Deloris has picked up radio play throughout the region, and continue to tour the Southeast in an effort to gain that ever-important so called
“touring traction.”

We’re not sure what the name means, necessarily, but you know what they say about labels, anyway: they don’t mean diddley. Thankfully, that’s not the case for Ms. Deloris.

Labeling Deloris will play the House of Blues’ Gator Bar (4640 Highway U.S. 17 South, Barefoot Landing, North Myrtle Beach) on Saturday at part of Blues-a-palooza. Admission is free: for more information, go to www.hob.com or by calling 272-3000.

-Timothy C. Davis, Staff Writer
- WEEKLY SURGE

By John Staton,
Staff Writer

Ever since they won the old City Stage Battle of the Bands back in 2004, people have expected big things from Wilmington rockers Labeling Deloris.

With the powerful, passionate vocals of lead singer Jennifer Reiff well-matched to the familiar but clean and steady sound of her backing band - the Rigney brothers (Jason and Brad) on guitar and bass, with Andrew Boudouris on drums - Labeling Deloris had a sound that seemed made for modern rock radio. (And, in fact, the band has gotten airplay on local FM stations 98.3 and 107.5, as well as elsewhere.)

Labeling Deloris returned to Wilmington about a year ago after a stint in Nashville, and it appears the band is ready to make another push with I Want Everything, their first full-length record. On Saturday, they'll play a show at Kefi, 2012 Eastwood Road, to celebrate the new album (9 p.m. doors, 10 p.m. show).

There's nothing exactly earth-shattering on I Want Everything - in most respects the band opts for a straight-ahead rock sound, with solid, unflashy progressions that allow plenty of room for Reiff to explore the landscape of her vocals, which range from powerhouse ululations to a confessional croon, often crossing over into some Gwen Stefani-style sass.

There's a dynamic here, with Reiff belting out the rockers while showing more nuance in the slower tracks.

Listen up at http://labelingdeloris.com, and you can also hear the band on a local music show at 10 p.m. Thursday on Z 107.5 FM.

- Star News - Currents (July, 2008)

By: Brian Tucker

Following on the heels of 2006’s For The Sake of Deloris EP pop rock band Labeling Deloris release their first full length, I Want Everything, ten tracks shifting from ballads thick with melodic measure to outright rockers. The title is apropos, and the songs are a mandate from a band covering the bases when it comes to song styles.

I Want Everything exercises strength by adding to what was created on the EP, capitalizing by crafting a sound that sometimes has a harder edge yet maintains melody and lyric topicality – love and respect, high school indifference, longing, defiance. You can have me/As long as you see within my skin Jennifer Reiff sings on ‘Give In’ or No I don’t want it all, I want everything she sings with boldness and fire on the album’s title track.

Bridging Pat Benetar and Gwen Stefani, lead singer Reiff forges her own identity through sugared
vocals and soulful punch. The band plays it carefully with their rock sound, not overdoing it, giving it edge along with harmony. The trippy, looping bass on ‘Fix Me’ is a welcome surprise as is the sharp echo on ‘Give In’ and the wah-wah of ‘I Want Everything’. Reiff works her vocals simultaneously with Jason Rigney’s blistering guitar on the song. ‘Worn to the Wood’ captures the band as its tightest, forging melancholy with musical subtlety. It’s a track that could explode but exercises restraint, reaching for feeling instead of crash and burn. ‘Go Ahead’ does the same.

I Want Everything is workingman’s and working-woman’s rock music, a declaration that a rock band in 2008 can boast a female front and not suffer the weight of having to rely on it.
- Bootleg Magazine (Aug. 2008)

By Jennifer Caslin

From their college beginnings, Labeling Deloris has been a band not afraid to take chances. Moving to Nashville – Music City, USA – straight out of college and then on to Wilmington, a slightly less musically inclined city, was quite a risk. With their latest release, I Want Everything, they are chancing that all the risks will pay off with big success. As Jason Rigney (guitar) put it, "I think we've finally got the package we can put the bow on." Rigney and band mates Jennifer Reiff (vocals), Brad Rigney (bass), and Andrew Boudouris (drums) have been through a tumultuous year together and as they say in new track "Dane's Song," some things are overdue.

For Labeling Deloris, I Want Everything is a statement about where the band is right now: confident in the music they have created together from start to finish, and tired of trying to live up to ideals of what their music should sound like. With the new album, Labeling Deloris is also one step closer to harnessing the excitement and energy of their live show. Listen to "Give In", "Fix Me", or the title track and try to stop the hair from rising on the back of your neck. IWE is a hybrid of rock and pop that is rarely heard on the local scene, let alone on the radio or MTV. The songs are simple, catchy, and to the point but also have gained a maturity musically and lyrically that cannot be dismissed.

Ultimately, Labeling Deloris is ready to showcase their music to the world. It's time to stop saying "one day" for this band and I Want Everything is their green light.

I Want Everything available at iTunes and local music shops
Check out Labeling Deloris next August 22nd at the Soapbox

www.labelingdeloris.com
- The Beat Magazine August 2008