Jay Nash, Jessie Thomas, and Ari Shine

Jay Nash: Jay Nash, Californian native and rock troubadour, has been blessed with the kind of excruciatingly rustic voice so rarely heard on record. Coupled with that is his unnervingly candid approach to song-writing - the man is a burgeoning talent set for realisation with his latest studio release The Things You Think You Need. Its certainly refreshing to find an artist that refuses to simply dwell on the hard times, instead choosing to bask in the good and the great that life has to offer. At times almost jovial, Nashs charisma and buoyant attitude is infectious to the last with a sound capable of softening the sternest of hearts. From the resplendent urgency of Hard Lesson to the elegiac Barcelona, The Things You Think You Need has the potential to surpass anything thats gone before. The writing/recording process for this, his fourth studio album, saw Nashs creative spark ignite like wild-fire as he wrestled with the concept of producing an album laden with variety and character. By drawing inspiration from his own life experiences, both past and present, Nashs inspirational and evocative lyrical imagery possesses the ability to shatter those deep-rooted inadequacies and musters a feeling of liberation and new-found confidence. Theres no sign of an agenda here - Nashs spirited folk revival offers salvation for the masses. Too many of todays artists find it easy to trade on a manufactured kinship - creating an unsettling, short-term bond with audiences that theyre all too willing to discard on a whim. Jay Nash is a different animal altogether and his desire to connect with people is evident as he produces that very first subtle, Americana-style chord. Theres no bravado, no ill-placed audacity. Nash, its plain to see, is one of us - one of the good guys. A trailblazer for passion and hard graft - a man who knows no limitation.

Ari Shine: Singer/Songwriter Ari Shine hit the ground running with the 2006 release of “Age/Occupation”, immediately earning comparisons from Village Voice and Time Out to a young Elvis Costello. His full length “A Force of One” was produced by Sparks/Beach Boys engineer Earle Mankey. It racked up critical acclaim and made the final cut of Grammy nomination ballots. Ari is currently working on his new album with Noah Shain (Orson, Atreyu, As Tall as Lions) which will be released in early 2010. Drumming on the record is handled by Chris Cano (Orson, Ozomatli). Showcasing the rootsier side of his sound, “Everybody Wants Me (But I Want You)” from his follow up Acoustic EP has earned Gold Rotation on Canada’s Galaxie Radio and Song of the Day at American Songwriter Magazine’s Songspace. “4 Covers” was the first time Shine has released versions of material by other artists. The UK has been friendly as well. Rolling Stones mentor and producer Andrew Loog Oldham made Ari’s Waterloo Sunset his pick of the week on Sirius. Ari has performed on the BBC and at The Cavern Club, birthplace of the Beatles (even earning a mention in Spencer Leigh’s historical book about the club). Armed with guitar, harmonica and songs, Shine is comfortable in front of all different types of audiences from folk to indie to punk. He also brings out his full band to up the intensity level. A favored support act, Ari has opened for Ian Hunter, Great Lake Swimmers, Rhett Miller (Old 97s), Silversun Pickups, New Years Day, GOB, Kris Rowe (the Ataris), Redd Kross, Gin Blossoms, Peter Case, John Doe, Fastball and Liam Finn. TV viewers have heard him, too—Shine’s songs have been heard on Veronica Mars, Kyle XY, De Grassi: The Next Generation, and many other shows. Ari is also a sought after collaborator who has written with many artists and bands including Jennifer Finch, Josie Cotton, Adrienne Pierce, Gaby Moreno and many others. His co-writes have been heard on CMT, Starbucks Instore Radio, KCRW and CBC radio. As co-writer of Spanish track “Escondidos,” Shine also won Song of the Year honors in the John Lennon Songwriting Contest. He is endorsed by Fender Guitars.