The Makin Waves Song of the Week is “Blessing,” the first single from Jersey Shore songstress Brielle Brown’s forthcoming full-length debut album, “In Art & Soil the Same.” PHOTO BY MARIA WURTZ
A veteran for more than 20 years as a music consultant and former music therapist, Jersey Shore songstress Brielle Brown has been in full-fledged artist mode lately.
She’s released two singles with a third on the way from her forthcoming full-length debut album, “In Art & Soil the Same.” The first, the Carole King-like “Blessing,” is the Makin Waves Song of the Week.
As the Makin Waves Song of the Week, “Blessing” also can be heard between 6 and 8 p.m. on May 2 on “Radio Jersey at ThePenguinRocks.com. If you miss it, you can tune in any time in the archives at The Penguin and Mixcloud.
“‘Blessing’ is a tribute to everyone who has their boots on the ground, their voices in the air, and their hearts on the line,” Brielle said. “It speaks to the significant role that music and art play in social and moral change. At its core, it’s a testimony to hope, art, and love. May we continue to find the light even in the darkest of places, choose hope not despair, and when there are no words left to be said, may we still find the resolve to sing.”
“Blessing” was co-written by Brielle’s two-time Grammy-winning producer husband Marc Swersky (Joe Cocker, Hilary Duff, Natalie Cole). Marc helmed “In Art & Soil the Same” at Dug Deep Production in Asbury Park with his frequent collaborator, studio owner Jack Daley (Lenny Kravitz, Beyonce), recording.
Marc also wrote the album’s “Hymn in C” and “Beautiful Resistance” and plays acoustic guitar and bass throughout.
As for the latest single, Brielle said, “‘A New Sacred’ is about the act of re-embodying and the need for a new form of sacred stories. What are the new stories we will tell about our bodies and our land if we could reclaim our attention and return to ourselves? This was the first song I wrote for the album, which inspired the story threads.”
The third single, “Get Back to the Garden,” will drop May 30. Brielle’s story threads will continue with a third lyric video produced by Story & Bone, plus animation by Gabriela Sibilska.
The Joni Mitchell-like anthem features The Carlile Family Band, an Americana trio from rural Washington featuring a dad and his teenage daughter and son. They are very popular at the legendary Albert Hall in Waretown when they’re passing through on tour.
“In Art & Soil the Same,” which drops June 27, also features a cover of Don Henley’s “Heart of the Matter.”
The album was mixed by Seth Von Paulus (Smashing Pumpkins, Christina Aguilera), mastered by Leon Zervos (Depeche Mode, Alanis Morissette) and features performances by Spin Doctors drummer Aaron Comes, Jesse Malin/Steve Forbert/Anthony Krizan keyboardist Rob Clores, Makin Waves Award-winning violinist-violist Nicole Scorsone, horn player Doug DeHays, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band percussionist Anthony Almonte, E Street backing vocalist Michelle Moorehorn, and Jonas Brothers guitarist Vin Landolfi, who also plays a sweet lap steel.
“This album is about us and the stories we tell, and retell over time, that shape our existence,” Brielle said. “It’s about the delicate closeness of grief and suffering, of the memories stored and storied in our bodies and land, and of quiet power. It was written with deep yearning to return to an embodied self in such a disembodied world. The album welcomes anyone and everyone who is searching for deeper meaning within our collective human experience. It is my offering, a container, and hopefully, a bridge to tell your own story.”
“In Art & Soil the Same” was written over the course of a 15-month long fellowship with The Witness Institute, which continues the work of Nobel laureate Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel.
The Institute aims to activate and empower leaders to act with humility, reflection, and sensitivity, and, in turn, to influence their communities towards moral action.
“While writing this album, I was very fortunate to be surrounded by fellow fellows working in fields such as justice, memory, teaching, healthcare, music, healing, and more,” Brielle said. “Our shared passion for making the world more just and compassionate is what brought us all together.”
Many of the songs on the album reflect or were inspired by themes studied, Brielle said.
One of the fellows was Carinè Müller of Billow Studio, who designed the album’s artwork. The unending fern leaf on the cover image is representative of rebirth and resilience, Brielle noted.
A Renaissance woman, Brielle also is a producer, creative director, and music therapist She has developed artists seen on “American Idol” and The Voice.”
She recently directed a video for New York City-based Noshows at Bell Works in Holmdel. Fans of the Apple TV show “Severance” will recognize the location because it also is shot there.
Brielle serves on the Steering Committee for the Louis Armstrong Center for Music and Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel and co-chaired their 2021 gala. She is a voting member of The Recording Academy and an official Grammy U mentor.
She’s also a mom of twins, her most impressive credit.
New Jersey Stage is proud to be the home of Bob Makin's Makin Waves column since 2017. His Song of the Week column comes out every Friday. He also writes an Album of the Month and Interview of the Month as well.
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