The Delta Collective
Memphis, Tennessee, United States | SELF
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What do songwriters, singers, rappers, musicians, engineers, producers, marketing representatives, graphic designers and volunteer entertainment attorneys, who do not know each other, have in common? They all participated in the city-wide collaborative project Memphis Music Launch which took on a music concept to make one written, performed, and recorded music single in 48 hours. Groups were formed, but only one would win and that was The Delta Collective.
The Delta Collective (Andrew "RAGE" Cooper, Marcela Pinilla, Brad Riales, Tony Riales, Ryan "Mecca" Richardson, Mikel Roby, & Chris Wilhite) consists of singers, songwriters, rappers and producers which blended rock and blues, hip-hop and Latin sounds.
For 90 days following the formation and completely writing a draft recording, the four finalists Arvada, Butta MD, Go Judo Presents: Sunny Uppercut and Delta Collective went to four top studios in Memphis which included Ardent Studios, Archer's Music + Arts Studio, Young Avenue Sound, and The Grove where they polished up their song.
When the showcase came which was held at the New Daisy Theatre, Delta Collective was chosen due to uniqueness and their collaborative song "Valley of Kings."
For winning the Memphis Music Launch, the group received a pressing and distribution deal with Audiographics Masterworks and Select-O-Hits, a photo shoot by Joey Miller, logo and branding assistance from SACHË, designed merchandise from Bluff City Sports, a paid performance at the Peabody Rooftop Party booked by REG (Resource Entertainment Group), and a bonus cash prize.
The Delta Collective's "Valley of Kings," the first track from the group, which mixed traditional rock and blues, hip-hop and Latin sounds, reflecting the demographics of the modern Mississippi Delta, is available online.
For more information on Delta Collective, visit http://www.thedeltacollective.com and for Memphis Music Launch, visit the official site over at Memphis Music Foundation at http://www.memphismeansmusic.com/mml/. - MemphisRap.com. July 15, 2011.
Friday night at the New Daisy Theater, four up-and-coming local acts - The Delta Collective, Butta MD, Arvada, and Go Judo Presents: Sunny Uppercut - competed for the grand prize in the Memphis Music Foundation's first Memphis Music Launch showcase/competition.
At the end of the night, the judges selected The Delta Collective as the overall winners based on their live performance and recorded song pitch for the original composition "Valley of Kings." In achieving victory, the band claimed a prize package valued at over $4,000 that includes studio time, CD replication, and other varied promotional services.
"I was so proud just to see those 90 days of seriously hard work culminate in this amazing product and get that kind of reaction from the audience," says Chris Wilhite, who sings and plays guitar in The Delta Collective. "Obviously we’re grateful to the judges, but that crowd meant so much more than winning any contest." - The Memphis Flyer. July 10, 2011. Written by: J.D. Reager
t all came down to Friday night’s MML Showcase, and The Delta Collective walked away with the prize.
The Memphis Music Launch is an innovative entrepreneurial music experience that brought artists and industry together to take a music concept from idea to full-fledged recording in the space of one weekend in April. After the initial Launch Weekend, four finalists – Arvada, Butta MD, Go Judo Presents: Sunny Uppercut and The Delta Collective – spent 90 days recording, writing and rehearsing, all in preparation for Friday night’s showcase at The New Daisy Theater.
The Delta Collective has won a handsome prize package designed to effectively launch their career. It includes marketing and branding assistance, a photo shoot, album pressing, distribution and more, in addition to a $1,000 cash prize. - Memphis Music Foundation Blog. July 9, 2011. Written by: Elizabeth Cawein
Eclectic blues-hip-hop-Latin ensemble The Delta Collective is the winner of the inaugural Memphis Music Launch completion.
Finals for the showcase competition — staged by the Memphis Music Foundation — were held Friday night at Downtown’s New Daisy.
The Delta Collective beat out three other groups to win a $1,000 check, and a total prize pack of music industry goods and services valued at over $4,000.
The concert drew some 600 fans and band supporters, and marked the start of what foundation officials suggest will be a vital, annual event.
“We see this as a new centerpiece program for the Music Foundation,” said Elizabeth Cawein, the foundation’s coordinator of development.
The Memphis Music Launch program began with an open call this spring, urging local musicians to come together and collaborate over the course of a weekend, in creating and recording a song from scratch.
Eight groups formed initially; four of them were selected by a panel of judges to move forward to Friday’s showcase.
The Delta Collective won out over fellow finalists hard-rock band Arvada, inspirational neo-soul act Butta MD and urban pop group Go Judo Presents: Sunny Uppercut. - The Commercial Appeal. July, 11, 2011. Written by: Bob Mehr
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
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Bio
Formed at the 2011 Memphis Music Launch, The Delta Collective is a mixture of singers, songwriters, rappers and producers that had never met before the 48 hour marathon writing, recording and planning session. The group came together around Brad Riales's pitch and grew into something none of them could expect. It all came down to a showcase in July 2011 at the New Daisy Theatre (Memphis) that ultimately led to a solid win based on audience vote and music professional judging.
"Valley of Kings" was the first track from the group, mixing traditional rock and blues, hip-hop and Latin sounds, reflecting the demographics of the modern Mississippi Delta. After the original Memphis Music Launch Weekend, The Delta Collective was given an additional 90 days to write, produce, record, rehearse, and perfect their business and marketing plans.
Within that 12 week period, The Delta Collective was hard at work. They have recorded and produced three additional songs with Curry Weber of Ardent Studios, Memphis. An EP and Full Length Album are set for release in late 2011 and early 2012. Interviews with terrestrial radio, print, internet radio, and television came quick and have sustained to promote the band’s dedicated work.
The Delta Collective is proud to call Memphis, TN their home and are excited about changing the face of music as you know it. The Delta Collective. A collective for change. Collective change.
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