(RED BANK, NJ) -- Oklahoma husband / wife duo, The Imaginaries, Shane Henry (guitar, vocals) and Maggie McClure (keys, piano, vocals), are providing support for The Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Christmas Rocks! Tour.” The annual holiday show, now in its 16th year, comes to the Count Basie Center for the Arts on Tuesday, November 19 at 7:30pm. The show moves on to the Bergen Performing Arts Center (BergenPAC) in Englewood on the next night (November 20th).
Maggie, with her subtly sweet vocals and piano style blends seamlessly with Shane’s blues-rock grit to form their own unique blend of Americana music. They recently finished recording their debut album, their first together as The Imaginaries, which all began when they traveled to Muscle Shoals, AL for a performance on Grammy-Award winning engineer John Cuniberti’s YouTube series called “The OneMic Series” which showcases recording artists performing two songs each around one AEA R88 stereo ribbon microphone - watch them perform "Thinking 'Bout You" here.
They had such an amazing experience there that they decided to return to record their album. They enlisted the help of legendary Muscle Shoals “Swamper,” bassist David Hood (Aretha Franklin, Etta James, Paul Simon), and session musicians such as Little Richard guitarist Kelvin Holly (Jason Isbell, Gregg Allman, Neil Young), bassist Shonna Tucker (Jason Isbell, Drive By Truckers, John Paul White), and keyboardist NC Thurman (Hank Williams Jr, Gregg Allman, Little Richard). They also flew in drummer Rob Humphreys (Leonard Cohen, Jason Mraz) for the recording and worked with Chad Copelin (Sufjan Stevens, Christina Perri, Ben Rector) back in Oklahoma for keys and additional production as well as keyboardist Dan Walker (Heart).
Their experience in Muscle Shoals left a profound effect on the duo and what came out of those recording sessions were songs filled with effortless harmonies combined with heartfelt lyrics and real-life lessons like “Thinking 'Bout You," their first single which will be released on November 1 - they recently performed the song for United Stations’ new YouTube series “The Record.”
“I wrote the song for my nieces who live in Portland, Oregon,” says Shane, “The sentiment is for anyone you love and can't always be with. The song says that even though there is distance between us, I will always be there for you, so stay true to yourself and keep your chin up when things get tough… I've got your back.” Another stand-out track, "Revival,” is a spiritual swampy roots song about finding hope and salvation is “about overcoming challenges,” says Maggie. “The songs are inspired by personal experiences, our relationship, our struggles, and our journey.”
The album serves as both an introduction to The Imaginaries’ music together and the beginning of their journey as a band after both singer songwriters have had their own successes as solo artists. Growing up in Oklahoma, Maggie from the large city of Norman and Shane from the tiny 700-person town Verden, both caught the music bug early and built their solo careers racking up quite a few milestones along the way. Maggie has opened for Sara Bareilles and Walk Off The Earth and has had over 45 original song placements. She also had a small recurring role on ABC's The Middle and was cast in the Disney show Violetta as the lead character's English singing voice. Shane moved to Minneapolis at age 19 to work and record with songwriter/producer Kevin Bowe (Etta James, Joe Cocker) and from there his career took off. He’s since played a 30-date B.B. King tour and also toured with Etta James, Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood and the Destroyers, Johnny Winter, Edwin McCain, the Neville Brothers, and Grand Funk Railroad to name a few. He has had song placements on NBC, CBS, Discovery Channel, Hallmark Channel, and the E! Television network, as well as in feature films.
Watching the husband and wife duo perform you instantly see the chemistry, the love in their eyes, and the deep commitment they share with each other and to their music. Their love of performing, writing music, and their faith all make up the glue that keeps them grounded and focused on the dream of turning what they’ve imagined for themselves into the reality of The Imaginaries. See them preview songs from their upcoming Spring 2020 album as well as some holiday favorites during the Brian Setzer Orchestra’s “Christmas Rocks! Tour”
The Count Basie Center for the Arts is located at 99 Monmouth Street in Red Bank, New Jersey. Bergen Performing Arts Center (BergenPAC) is located at 30 North Van Brunt Street in Englewood, New Jersey.
The Brian Setzer Orchestra “Christmas Rocks! Tour” Dates With The Imaginaries:
FRI 11/15 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
SAT 11/16 Chicago, IL The Chicago Theatre
SUN 11/17 Detroit, MI Fox Theatre
TUE 11/19 Red Bank, NJ Count Basie Center For The Arts
WED 11/20 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
THU 11/21 Springfield, MA Symphony Hall
SAT 11/23 Lynchburg, VA Academy of Fine Arts – Historic Theatre
SUN 11/24 Westbury, NY Theatre at Westbury
TUE 11/26 Washington, D.C. The Anthem
WED 11/27 Durham, NC Durham Performing Arts Center
FRI 11/29 Orlando, FL Hard Rock Live
SAT 11/30 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
MON 12/2 Nashville, TN The Ryman
TUE 12/3 Atlanta, GA Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
WED 12/4 Augusta, GA Miller Theatre
MON 12/9 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
TUE 12/10 Salt Lake City, UT Eccles Theatre
THU 12/12 Ridgefield, WA Ilani Casino
FRI 12/13 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
SAT 12/14 Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
MON 12/16 Oakland, CA Fox Theater
TUE 12/17 Stockton, CA Bob Hope Theatre
THU 12/19 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
FRI 12/20 Palm Desert, CA McCallum Theatre
SAT 12/21 Los Angeles, CA Microsoft Theater
