James Maddock
A rock & roll lifer, James Maddock has been carving his unique path since the 1980s, when the British-born singer/songwriter kicked off his career with a raw, soulful voice; a storyteller's sense of narrative; and the ability to blur the lines between folk, classic pop, and rock.
Since those early days in London, he's ridden the wave of a music industry that's ebbed, flowed, peaked, and crashed. Maddock has stayed afloat throughout the entire ride, enjoying a brush with commercial success during the late 1990s — including a major-label record deal, a Top 5 AAA radio hit, and a song placement on Dawson's Creek — before transforming himself into an independent solo artist during the decades that followed. Bruce Springsteen is a fan. So is David Letterman.
James Maddock’s new album, If It Ain’t Fixed, Don’t Break It, is a collection of songs that nods to the pioneers of popular music, from two Louie’s; Armstrong and Jordan, to Chuck Berry, with a side trip to the land of Townes. In fact, the record includes a rare upbeat cover of the Townes Van Zandt chestnut “Loretta”. With his long-time group of players (Aaron Comess, Ben Stivers, and Drew Mortali) the record was made in Bushwick, Brooklyn in a mere two days of principle recording. Made in the way of the hits of the past. Write it, and capture the lightning in a bottle before the energy dissipates. The ironic reflection and sense of aspiration remains, but James continues to surprise with every new record.
Danielia Cotton
Danielia Cotton is a New York City based singer-songwriter originally from Hopewell, NJ. In 2010 Danielia was named Lilith Fair's Ourstage Local Talent Winner for NYC. Since then she has shared the stage with the likes of Robert Cray, Bon Jovi, and Gregg Allman. In the review of her Rare Child album The NY Times says this: “She’s a belter who can hold back or work her way up to a gospelly blues-rock shout, and in the songs she writes with her band’s brawny guitar riffs, she grapples with the road, salvation, holding on and letting go. “The truth will set you free, but it always feels like it tears you apart,” she sings. She’s a throwback, but a gutsy one.” Her latest studio album The Mystery of Me released December 1st 2017 is a journey back to her Small White Town roots.