Schreiner
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Schreiner

Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States | Established. Jan 01, 2017

Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., United States
Established on Jan, 2017
Band Rock Blues Rock

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"The Rockpit Album Review"

Sometimes an album drops on your desk that catches you completely by surprise, makes you sit up straight & listen intently, before you realise you’ve been hooked by something pretty cool.

Schreiner’s debut album, ‘Kingdom From’ released on 20 April is a varied collection of nine-songs made up of some great rock & blues, taking you back to that wonderful 80’s era but with a very modern take. Vocalist & guitarist John Schreiner, along with bassist Jay Glaspy hit the spot with some real classic sounds reminiscent of artists like Bad Company, The Rolling Stones, The Black Keys & Kings of Leon.

From the thumping drum intro of the opening number & title track ‘Kingdom From’ we are introduced to John’s fabulous rock vocal talents & catchy guitar riffs. This continues in the following track ‘Pale Horse’ with its heavier undertones & great guitar work. ‘Miss Mariette’ is another catchy number with its harmony-laced chorus and 80’s radio based rock feel. One track that will certainly play well live is the slower (but no less rocky) ‘Rolling Stoned’ which has that fantastic crowd-bouncing feel to it, as does the radio friendly ‘Coyote Beautiful’.

A change of pace takes us to ‘Uh Oh Love’ before one of my favourites from this album, the fantastic ‘Sway’ which is just driving rock at its best – picture soft top down, open roads & the radio cranked up full and you have ‘Sway’. There is certainly a ‘Paul Rodgers’ feel to John’s vocals on the rockier tracks but he also shows he can deliver a decent blues ballad and does this in the shape of ‘Slow Sure’, which really works well in the make-up of this album, showing his versatility as a songwriter & guitar player. The album closes with ‘Hiiiiiiigh’ with its easy listening bluesy feel, which was written about the euphoric feelings John had after finding out he was to become a father a year or so after winning his seven year battle with drug addiction.

‘Kingdom From’ is an impressive debut and an enjoyable collection of songs. Although this is the debut album under the band name ‘Schreiner’, John has three earlier album releases to his name. ‘Kingdom From’ was recorded with veteran producer & engineer Ben Green, at his newly renovated gem, Ivakota Studio in Washington D.C.

Written and recorded between February and August of last year, the album was initiated within a four day writing retreat at a cabin in Berkley Springs, West Virginia that was attended by John and his guitar playing brother Zach, Jay Glaspy, and drummer Zach Miller. Half the material was co-written by Schreiner & his companions during the retreat, with the rest of the songs completed by Schreiner on his own.


Track Listing

Kingdom From
Pale Horse
Miss Marietta
Rolling Stoned
Coyote Beautiful
Uh Oh Love
Sway
Slow Sure
Hiiiiiiigh - The Rockpit Album Review: Kingdom From


"John Schreiner’s Triumphant New Album Kingdom From Offers Evidence of a Resurgence"

March 24th, 2019: They say that art is often borne from adversity. With his new album, ​Kingdom From​, due for release April 20, ​John Schreiner​ demonstrates how even the most perilous period in one’s life can result in some of the most moving and compelling music imaginable.

“There are plenty of reasons to pursue music,” Schreiner notes. “But every real artist I’ve known insists they were writing to save their own life.”

That’s certainly true of Kingdom From. Written in the aftermath of Schreiner’s seven year bout with ​drug addiction, it was spawned​ from a debilitating period in his life that found him mourning the loss of friends and family members, struggling with stifled creativity and attempting to resolve the conflict between his personal demons and the need to maintain his equilibrium and responsibilities. It was, he says, a malaise marked by moral and emotional anguish.

Now well on his way to recovery, Schreiner maintains “the metaphor of the phoenix risen from the ashes could not be more aptly applied.”

Written and recorded between February and August of last year, the album was initiated within a four day writing retreat at a cabin in Berkley Springs, West Virginia that was attended by John and his guitar playing brother Zach, bassist Jay Glaspy, and drummer Zach Miller. Half the material was co-written by Schreiner and his companions during the retreat, with the rest of the songs completed by Schreiner on
his own before and after his Achilles transfer surgery last April.

The album was subsequently recorded at Ivakota Studio in Washington D.C. and produced and engineered by Ivakota owner Ben Green. With a sound that at times brings to mind the Rolling Stones, the Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Kings of Leon, and Royal Blood, the record documents Schreiner’s journey
along his path to personal and professional recovery and redemption. “I found the strength to rise above the pain that had submerged my entire existence,” he reflects.

“I found my voice, and with it, the possibilities that come from determining my own destiny.”

Songs ​such as​ "Miss Marietta," "Coyote Beautiful" and "Uh Oh Love" -- the latter a number one hit on Reverbnation’s regional rock charts -- are celebratory in their stance, flush with drive and determination.

A video for “Miss Marietta,” which will be released concurrently as the album’s first single, will go public on May 17.

“The album is bookended by a pair of tracks that encapsulate the respective start and end of an era in my life,” Schreiner explains. “The first song and the album’s namesake, "Kingdom From," captures the internal perspective that crystalized within me as I emerged from drug addiction in 2017. The tone of the lyrics is merciless and unyielding, but for me it’s very hopeful. In Jungian terms, it is me speaking to my shadow, knowing what I have come through by conquering the demons I needed to defeat to take control of my life. I’ve emerged confident of my own strengths and grateful for the victory I achieved, as well as the fact that I can now look forward to living the life I’ve ultimately chosen to build.”​

He notes that "Hiiiiiiigh,” the final song of the set, marks another pantheon reached . late last year, that being the birth of his son, Valor.

“The morning after my wife and I received confirmation that the pregnancy was healthy, I woke up with a deep and euphoric clarity...a sense of joy and reward I felt about Val, juxtaposed with memories of the life I'd left just a year before he was conceived. It was overwhelming. I described the sensation of that moment as accurately as I could, and that's in fact where the song came from.”

One of the most sought after musicians in the Washington D.C. area, ​Schreiner has performed for members of the Senate and House of Representatives, several Fortune 500 companies, ​and such notables as Brian McKnight and Ed Sheeran.

“With music, it really wasn’t like I had a choice,” Schreiner reflects. “I was compelled to pursue it, and knew that I would be a professional musician by the time my parents divorced when I was only nine.” That decision led him to pick up the guitar at the tender age of 12.

With three earlier albums to his credit, he currently teaches and counsels upcoming young musicians at Contemporary Music Center in Washington. He also commits himself to serving the needs of the military community and supporting the causes that promote their welfare.

Following the release of Kingdom From in April, Schreiner has a full slate of activities planned. He’ll be a featured panelist at this year’s Wammie Awards in Washington D.C. and perform at the East Coast Music Conference, the Leidos 50th Anniversary celebration, a sold-out event at Jammin’ Java and at MGM National Harbor, where he’ll open for Jethro Tull.

Ultimately, Schreiner hopes that the new album will inspire others. “I want people to feel empowered enough to regain control of their lives and to have the confidence to direct their​ habits and actions toward the accomplishment of their life’s true calling.​”

Kingdom From Track Listing

1. Kingdom From

2. Pale Horse

3. Miss Marietta

4. Rolling Stoned

5. Coyote Beautiful

6. Uh Oh Love

7. Sway

8. Slow Sure

9. Hiiiiiiigh

To hear Schreiner's album, Kingdom Come, visit his EPK where you'll also find more background information: https://www.schreinermusic.com/epk

For fans of: Rolling Stones, the Black Keys, Gary Clark Jr., Kings of Leon, and Royal Blood - The Marketing Mixtape


"For the Love of Music"

Two Piedmont men who thrive as rock and rhythm and blues artists could also be viewed as musical philosophers. The intensity of their onstage sound is equaled only by their passion for the role of music and its impact on humanity.

Seeking musical perfection underpins their performances.

On April 20 they will release their first album, titled “Kingdom From.” It will be available from Spotify and iTunes.

The exceptional talent these men possess seems secondary to how they see their craft and commitment to be the best. They know full-well such intensity is critical in achieving artistic and financial acclaim.

But ultimately, their philosophical insights on music stand above success. Music reflects their emotional and artistic core.

“I believe that artists serve a vital and nearly biological function for humanity. Musicians stand on the border of nature and culture and look into it, tell the truth of those stories and enrich the lives of people,” John Schreiner said.

Schreiner, 31, married with a newborn son, is the leader and multi-instrument virtuoso of the group simply called Schreiner as in “Schreiner is finer.” His onstage reflection is bass player Jay Glaspy.

“I met John at the New Life Church in Gainesville shortly after moving here in 2014. My wife and I attended our first service there during the Christmas season, to meet people since we were new to the area. John was the worship leader at the time, and he played in the church group,” said Glaspy.

“After seeing the band play, I wondered if they needed a bass player. They did. And after a couple of years of playing together, we formed Schreiner. Attending that church service was probably the most important thing that happened in my life.”

That’s not an idle sentiment, since Glaspy, 41, is a recently retired Green Beret. He served five combat tours in Afghanistan in the Special Forces and had earned a Bronze Star for valor at the time he met Schreiner.

He was working in cybersecurity for a year after his military service but realized after joining forces with Schreiner that he wanted to pursue music full time.

Today, their three-piece band is a tight unit, with one of four skilled drummers performing with them based on availability.

John Schreiner

“I knew I was going to be a professional musician when I was 9 years old. Music has been the defining feature of my life.” John Schreiner

Schreiner grew up in Warrenton; his family moved here when he was 12. That’s when he began writing and playing Christian contemporary music.

“I knew I was going to be a professional musician when I was 9 years old. Music has been the defining feature of my life,” he said.

He started college in Minnesota but later transferred to Lee University in Tennessee, graduating with a degree in vocal music performance. For most of his college years, he studied opera and performed in numerous operatic roles. “I thought for a time I would pursue opera professionally. I knew I had the chops for it,” he said.

He also played in a Christian band called Myrrh, releasing two albums before deciding to shift to country music with the release of his third album.

His eventual evolution to blended rock and rhythm and blues came when he realized, “You kind of pursue rock at your own peril because of the demands it places on your voice. That’s why I wound up between rock and R&B. Those are the juicy genres for me and the most challenging,” he said.

His musical education led him to want “to become the best singer in the world.” He practiced tirelessly during his college years to hone the quality of his voice and his musical instrument.

Today he lives in Paris, Virginia, and performs 300 shows a year as both a solo artist, and increasingly, with his own band. His solo gigs include weekly performances at Mastro’s, a high-end steakhouse in the heart of D.C. He is also well-known for his private party and corporate Fortune 500 performances, including shows at the MGM National Harbor Hotel.

Jay Glaspy

Glaspy grew up in Los Angeles and is a lifelong music fan. He was a high-school athlete and joined the U.S. Army at age 18. Within three years he was accepted into the Special Forces, after meeting its demanding requirements.

As fate would have it, he joined the elite command just before 9/11 and was deployed shortly thereafter with multiple combat tours in Afghanistan. He currently lives in Haymarket with his wife and two children.

Glaspy makes an insightful comparison between a high-caliber musician and a warrior.

“Working with an elite musician like John, I saw the same traits as being a member of the Special Forces. They share a strong work ethic and a relentless desire to master their craft.

“And it never ends. Always seeking to improve and get better is the goal in both disciplines,” he said. “I took those principles and applied them to my music. Like the military, you find a good teacher and put in the hours to become successful.”

One of his go-to books embodying that principle is titled "The Talent Code: Greatness Isn't Born. It's Grown. Here's How." by Daniel Coyle.

The book says, "We tend to only see the end result when we watch masters in action. What we do not see are the 10,000 hours of hard work that went into that one moment. We become masters of our life through the same long-term, step-by-step process."

Schreiner and Glaspy embody those principles each time they step on stage.

“It is constant work to make a dent in the music industry. John and I work really hard on what we do,” said Glaspy.
Schreiner will perform live on April 20 at 8:30 p.m. at Uptown Alley in Manassas, concurrent with the release of the of their first album, “Kingdom From.”

Cuts from two of the album’s songs, along with their performance schedule, can be found at www.schreinermusic.com.

Or catch them in a this YouTube performance of “Kingdom From” - Fauquier County Times


"Blinking Mad Feature Fridays"

WELCOME TO FEATURE FRIDAYS, A CONCEPT WHERE WE TAKE A PERSONAL LOOK INTO WHAT’S NEW IN INDEPENDENT MUSIC.
THE BAND

Washington, D.C. based blues-rock band Schreiner is set to release their brand new album, ‘Kingdom From’, after a turbulent seven years. After battling drug addiction, mourning the loss of friends and family, and combating a suppressed creativity, John Schreiner (the namesake of the band) has returned with a powerful new record.

“There are plenty of reasons to pursue music,” Schreiner says. “But every real artist I’ve known insists they were writing to save their own life.” And that is the case with ‘Kingdom From’. Every track acting as an inside look into the inner workings and struggles of a musician who lost his way. But through time and determination, he soon found his calling once again. “I found my voice, and with it, the possibilities that come from determining my own destiny.”

THE ALBUM
Recorded over the span of eight months in 2018, ‘Kingdom From’was as much a personal journey as it was a way to reignite his passion and creativity. Schreiner and his brother Zach (guitar), along with bassist Jay Glaspy and drummer Zach Miller wrote about half of the record together in a cabin in West Virginia. The other half of the record was finished by Schreiner himself, before and after an Achilles transfer surgery in the Spring of 2018.

“I found the strength to rise above the pain that had submerged my entire existence.” says John. The nine song album was recorded, engineered, and produced at Ivakota Studios in Washington, D.C. by Ivakota owner Ben Green. “The first song and the album’s namesake, “Kingdom From,” captures the internal perspective that crystalized within me as I emerged from drug addiction in 2017.” Schreiner reflects. “The tone of the lyrics is merciless and unyielding, but for me it’s very hopeful.”

And while the first track on the album is a self reflection on some of the worst aspects of life, the last song, “Hiiiiiiigh” is a reflection on the best, having a child. Schreiner says, “The morning after my wife and I received confirmation that the pregnancy was healthy, I woke up with a deep and euphoric clarity…a sense of joy and reward I felt about Val, juxtaposed with memories of the life I’d left just a year before he was conceived.”

WHAT WE THINK
‘Kingdom From’ is a solid collection of heavy hitting tracks that pay homage to old school blues and rock n roll while bringing a fresh, modern sound to the table. The lyrics of each song are a personal reflection on a musician’s journey. Through drug addiction, mourning, happiness and joy, this album is as much a diary for Schreiner as it is an outlet for the everyday listener. Every song has an individual quality to it that allows the track to stand against some of the best this genre has to offer. Meanwhile, the collection as a whole is a fulfilled journey that deserves to be heard from start to finish. - Blinking Mad


Discography

Kingdom From by Schreiner
Released April 18, 2019
Recorded and Engineered by Ben Green at Ivakota Studios and Blue Room Productions
Mastered by Sterling Sound



Photos

Bio

Combining soulful vocals, overdriven guitar riffs, and hypnotic rhythms, Northern Virginia based rock trio Schreiner is a truly unique experience. After nearly two decades of distinguished work in music performance, production, pedagogy, and composition, frontman and multi-instrument virtuoso, John Schreiner along with DC based session musicians, started their work together in late 2017. Shortly after, they immersed themselves in the writing of their upcoming debut album: Kingdom From. 

Recorded with veteran producer and engineer Ben Green, at his newly renovated gem, Ivakota Studio in Washington D.C., the ten song project seamlessly fuses a broad range of stylistic disciplines with powerful, personal subject material. The combined wealth of technical mastery, rich life-experiences, and weatherworn maturity represented in the effort is both moving and unmissable. 

With the release of their debut album rapidly approaching, Schreiner continues to prove themselves as one of the Mid-Atlantic region's premier live acts every time they touch the stage.  

But for John, music has little to do with pedigree and everything to do with passion. In his own words: “I started singing and writing songs because, plain and simple, I needed to say what was in my heart. I count music among the most profound gifts of my life, and I consider the sharing of that gift the call UPON my life”. In 2017, John formed his band Schreiner along with veterans from the DMV music scene and has resulted in a unique upcoming debut album in lat 2018. The 10-song album was recorded at Ivakota Studios in DC with engineer/producer Ben Green. Now, John’s passion for music has grown far beyond just personal aspirations. While he continues his own work as an artist, he looks forward to uncovering and distilling the unique talents and passions in the DMV music scene.

Band Members