Mark Ronson

Once internationally renowned as one of the world's finest DJs, Mark Ronson has gracefully made the transition to uber-producer du jour,solo artist, band leader, and Allido Records label boss amongst many other things. At the 2008 Grammy's, he walked away with three statues, including the coveted Producer Of the Year Award, whose nominees included super-producer Timbaland. But the road hasn't always been paved with gold gramophones.

In 2001, as his DJ career was reaching its zenith, a chance introduction with soulstress Nikka Costa's manager would lead to Ronson producing the entirety of her album, "Everybody Got Their Something," which included the hit single "Like A Feather." Ronson then released his own massively acclaimed album - though shamefully ignored and criminally slept on - "Here Comes The Fuzz," in 2003. The album was released through Elektra, and though the label eventually imploded, Ronson scored an international hit with "Oohwee," featuring Ghostfase Killah and Nate Dogg. In the wake of the label's demise, Mark began to move away from the DJ'ing, and began perfecting his craft as a producer, clearly defining his own sound - firmly based in the funk, soul, hip-hop and rock traditions he fused in his DJ sets.

In early 2006, Ronson went into the studio with two female singers he knew through mutual friends: Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen. Both were virtually unknown artists at the time, despite Winehouse having released one lukewarm album. Ronson ended up with two tracks on Lily Allen’s multiplatinum debut album, "Alright Still," and produced over half of Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black album including the worldwide hits, "Rehab," "I'm no Good," and the album's title track, "Back to Black."

It was on the heels of his production work for Allen and Winehouse that Ronson released his 2nd solo album, "Version," a collection of some of his favorite tunes re-imagined with a wide array of guest stars contributing to the sonic landscape of the album.

The album debuted at #2 in the United Kingdom, propelled by the international hit, "Stop Me," featuring Allido crooner, Daniel Merriweather singing a re-composed version of The Smiths' classic, "Stop Me (If You Think That You’ve Heard This One Before)" and The Supremes "You Keep Me Hangin On." The result was a left-field dance hit that drove "Version" to double platinum status in the UK, spending over a dozen weeks in the top 10. "Version" also had contributions in the form of Ol Dirty Bastard spitting a verse on Britney Spears' "Toxic," Robbie Williams nailing The Charlatans' seminal "Only One I Know," and Lily Allen blessing a phenomenal interpolation of The Kaiser Chiefs "Oh My God" which landed at #8 on the UK charts. Finally, Amy Winehouse's rendition of The Zutons' "Valerie" which peaked at #2 on the UK charts, outsold the original production as the album's third single. "Version" also featured a then-unknown Santigold, and Kenna, both of whom have gone on to much acclaim.

"With my first album, I had all these people like Mos Def and M.O.P guesting. This time it's not about that. Despite the big names, it’s about the songs…the songs here are the guest stars. With 'Version' I’ve taken these songs that I love and turned them into Motown/Stax 70's versions. I keep the utmost respect and appreciation for the original versions of songs I use. It’s not like I’m thinking it’s a shit song that I can make good, it's more like it’s a great song and I’m now going to make it bounce."

Using his own unique re-interpretive style, Mark has set out to demonstrate pop voyeurism and experimentalism are not alien art forms. His eclectic taste has allowed him to rework classic sounds he has loved into a new, original, and refreshing format. "Version" was his first foray into that arena, and with his highly successful international tour that came on the heels of "Version," he proved he is as dynamic in a live setting as he is in the studio. In the middle of 2007, he toured Europe for 5 months with help from Daniel Merriweather, Wale, Alex Greenwald (Phantom Planet), Stuart Zender (Jamiroquai) and the Haggis Horns, gracing the stages of Glastonbury, BBC Electric Proms, and even bringing the show to the US for Coachella and Lollapalooza.

This wild ride, sparked by his Amy Winehouse and Lily Allen productions, and fueled by his successful album, "Version," and driven by his extensive touring, came to an electrifying dénouement at the 2008 Grammy Awards, where Mark picked up three awards for Producer of the Year, Best Pop Vocal Album and Record of the Year. Ronson would go on to win the 2008 BRIT Award for Best British Male Solo Artist and was recently named one of Top 10 Most Stylish Men in America by GQ Magazine in 2009.

In 2009, Allido Records will release Ronson-produced protege Daniel Merriweather's debut album "Love+War," and The Rumble Strips' "Welcome to the Walk Alone" (also produced entirely by Ronson).

With all the commercial and critical success, Ronson has become one of the most sought after producers in the world, working with artists from Adele to the Kaiser Chiefs, Robbie Williams to Nas, Solange Knowles to Lily Allen, Estelle to Amy Winehouse and, most recently, Duran Duran, though his discriminating taste and busy schedule has prevented him from becoming oversaturated. 

Ronson is currently in the studio working on his third studio album.

Wale

For years, hip-hop's epicenter had long been its birthplace: New York City. The five boroughs churned out dozens of the game's most influential, street-savvy rappers. Los Angeles took its turn in the spotlight, contrasting laid-back grooves against visceral, eviscerating gangland lyrics. Most recently, it's been Atlanta's time to shine, riding reams of popped-collar party anthems and unapologetic theatrics.

Ironically, the nation's capital –rife with social and racial tension and inequality—has never boasted an apt mouthpiece. In most urban landscapes, the dominant musical sound is hip hop, but in the mid-Atlantic region, what should be a fertile breeding ground for hip-hop, go-go music reigns supreme. But all that's changed with the arrival of Wale.

Wale is a 24-year old rapper who rides for the "DMV" – DC, Maryland and Virginia – and who in turn enjoys support from the likes of Jay-Z, Mark Ronson, Pharrell, The Roots, Bun B, and The Clipse. The son of Nigerian immigrants, Wale cut his teeth in the unforgiving Northwest district of DC. Desperate to find quieter environs, Wale's parents moved to the Maryland suburbs when he was a teen. But the changes didn't stop there; in all, Wale spent time in seven different high schools scattered about the DC/Maryland area. "I kind of understand the plight of all people, from understanding all those different environments," he says. "My first high school was a predominantly black school, then I went to a predominantly white school, and then back again. I think that helped me cultivate an open mind about most things in life."

Wale parlayed his watchful gaze into an open musical ear: "When I was growing up, DC didn't have allegiances to any one area," Wale says. "So people listened to everyone: Scarface, Biggie, 2Pac, Outkast, UGK and Snoop. No one felt like they had to listen to artists just from New York or Atlanta. We took it ALL in." Of course, Wale was innately influenced as much by DC's output as his own subjective input. "You can't live in this area and do music and NOT be influenced by go-go on some level. It's just what we do here," he affirms. "I'm very open-minded about music. But when you're young and coming up, it's hard to be sure that you're doing the right thing. So I can understand why you don't see a lot of people taking risks."

Earning football scholarships to Robert Morris College and later Virginia State University, the multi-talented Wale made a go of higher education. But he knew where his heart lay; performing for, and ultimately winning over, increasingly larger audiences. Wale was likewise bolstered by reports of his provincial records getting spins elsewhere, e.g. North Carolina and even ATL. Riding the regional groundswell, he dropped out of school in 2004 to pursue music fulltime.

Wale's viral contagiousness spread beyond the DMV with a series of mixtapes released in the last three years– including his two most recent, Mixtape About Nothing (2008) and 100 Miles and Running (2007). He also appeared on The Roots' single "Rising Up" from their Rising Down album, and a remix of Lily Allen's bubbly pop record, "Smile," which reverberated through the blogosphere and international venues.

That remix was the brainchild of producer and artist Mark Ronson, who's responsible for the new pop/soul sound of luminaries like Amy Winehouse. Ronson was so taken with Wale's posture – part street-reared ruggedness, part introspect and wit – that he signed him to his label, Allido Records, and later to a joint venture with Interscope, through which Wale's debut album drops in 2009.

“Mark Ronson is a music junkie and he stumbled across one of my records, which he thought was really hot, so he reached out," Wale remembers, referencing his 2007 independent record, "Good Girls." "I came to his studio and we went to work. He brought me on tour and really felt what I was doing."

"He's the exact opposite of 'narrow-minded'," Wale continues of Ronson. In Wale, Ronson saw an artist after his own heart: unaffected by the hot sound of the moment, and unafraid to tackle tracks from different genres. Note the aforementioned "Smile," or his work with French electro-house stars Justice, turning their "D.A.N.C.E." record into a hip-hop banger (renamed "W.A.L.E.D.A.N.C.E." on 100 Miles and Running). But lest you test his swagger, he scathes the vocal booth with Bun B and Pusha T of The Clipse on "Back in the Go-Go," from Nothing. His newest single "Nike Boots," and its remix featuring Lil' Wayne, continues the trail of seared cement in his wake. Most recently he released the debut video for "Nike Boots," which was filmed in DC and helmed by acclaimed director Chris Robinson. Most recently he performed alongside both Ronson and a live go-go band at NYC's Highline Ballroom.

Having met every challenge, and exceeded every expectation, Wale is poised as hip-hop's next innovator. He's already amassed much early press (Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, The Fader, MTV, allhiphop.com, VIBE and covers of XXL, URB and DNR). His recent mixtapes, produced by Nick Catchdubs, have earned heaps of praise. And his peers echo the plaudits: "Jay-Z told me, 'If it feels right, do it. Don't go by demographics,' reports Wale. "I reassured him, saying 'I never do anything by demographics.' 

Wale's debut album, "Attention: Deficit" (Allido/Interscope) is slated to be released September 22nd, 2009. With its initial single, "Chillin" featuring Lady Gaga, gaining spins on Rhythmic Radio, boosted by a video from Grammy-nominated director Chris Robinson, Attention: Deficit catapults Wale to hip hop's center stage. 

Proclaimed "The Great Rap Hope" by The Washington Post (October 2007," Wale fulfills his promise of a new voice in hip hop. For more information on Wale, please visit www.walemusic.com, www.myspace.com/wale or follow him on twitter at twitter.com/wale

For Media Inquiries Contact:

Interscope Records:

Fairley McCaskill: Email: Fairley.mccaskill@umusic.com Office: 310-865-9634

Yvette Gayle: Email: Yvette.gayle@umusic.com Office: 310-865-6278

Daniel Merriweather

It has been three long years since 26 year old Daniel Merriweather swapped the streets of Melbourne and his native Australia for the cosmopolitan bustle of Manhattan, downtown NYC. The road to the release of his debut album 'Love & War' however, stretches back even further, across continents, decades, relationships, moods and struggles.

A few of you may know Daniel as the emotive voice on his producer Mark Ronson’s chart-busting cover of The Smiths ‘Stop Me’. He is however, anything but a set of rent-a-pipes and 'Love & War' will rapidly tear up any pre-conceived ideas of what and who he is, as will five minutes in his company. He has wolverine like tenacity and possesses a sense of humour and self awareness, articulateness and worldliness that belies his tender years. In Love & War, Daniel has shaped a record informed by the juxtaposition of these two cultural metropolises which is both complicated and equally carefree without ever being schizophrenic. Here shiny pop production and the temptation to make a slick and smooth contemporary neo-soul record have been wavered in favour of space, stark emotional intimacy, sonic expansion and crackling introspection. The results are extraordinary; an anthemic psyched out acoustic folk record fuelled by the fires of Motown & Stax, with a heart the size of Alaska. It is every bit the classic debut one would have hoped & more, filled from start to finish with thrilling hit singles to boot, and is a long, long way from busking on a street corner in Melbourne, just to earn a buck.

Born and bred in a blue-collar area in Melbourne's outer east, Daniel Paul Merriweather was one of three boys born to teacher parents. “I lived in a town at the end of a train line on the edge of a forest - childhood was about getting by. It was a humble sort of lifestyle. I spent quite a bit of time on my own as a kid, I used to travel long distances on my own and over think things." Indeed thinking and over thinking is a running theme in the youth & young manhood of Merriweather: "I imagined a lot as a kid, and I was really interested in philosophy.

As a teen, Daniel was distracted a lot, and ended up getting himself into trouble. “I was fighting against something…”, he explains... It was at this point he found himself in often tricky and sometimes violent situations. When he went to court charged with assault it looked like he might go the same way as some of his peer group – to jail. “I bought my Dad to court. It was only him, this mild mannered, humble, nice guy in an old Harry Highpants suit he’d had since the 70s that made the judge decide ‘Things can go OK for this kid.”

Daniel may have avoided jail, but he did end up dropping out of high school. “There weren’t a lot of options for me at that point” he says, “I’m not stupid so I could have made more options for myself I guess, but at the time it was hard because you have to make money and survive. I worked at KFC for a couple of months and it wasn’t for me so in the end I thought I’ll try this music lark,” he laughs.

Music thankfully had always been an intrinsic part of Daniel’s life. “I started playing violin when I was four, the Suzuki violin; where basically you learn to play by ear without reading music. You begin with a ruler and a tissue box, you learn posture first and foot stance, and then step by step you learn more and more technique. By 13 I was playing Vivaldi concertos I’d learnt by ear even though I couldn’t read music."

"I’ve always sung, and in many ways my voice was always my first real instrument, from singing Elvis Presley songs in the shower, to falling in love with r&b and hip hop in the 90s. I was always into anything that meant something vocally or if someone made a good sound with their voice, whether it was D’angelo, Boyz II Men, Nas, Thom Yorke, Otis Redding, Jeff Buckley or whatever. To summon emotion it doesn’t always have to be complicated. You can say more with just a few words. I've realised now you don’t have to spend ages over explaining things, you end up chasing your own tail”. A philosophy he has subsequently applied to his own work.

Having quickly garnered industry attention in Australia, signing with indie-label Marlin, he begun work on tracks for his debut album that he would later shelve before release because the label just "wasn't ready and that’s not how I wanted it to be." Courted by major labels there, few could see beyond the marketplace and how this voice could sit alongside the home-grown rock music that dominated the charts at the time. Thankfully nature intervened and his demos came to the attention of Mark Ronson who instantly fell in love with his voice. What followed was not only the birth of a unique working partnership but also a great friendship. After a couple painstaking years of commuting to and fro from Australia, Mark and partner Rich Kleinman's embryonic label Allido Records with its new found relationship with J Records was ready to begin work on bringing Daniel to the masses.

But the road to ‘Love & War’ doesn’t end there; 18 months of writing and recording, punctuated by months on the road touring with Ronson’s Version Players band and one nasty incident with a polyp on his vocal chords and its subsequent recovery period later leads you to the record that you are hearing now. “I just felt something had changed. I went back into the studio after I’d recovered. You think I’d be more cautious with it but it actually freed me up. You could die tomorrow and so I might as well go and sing the fuck out of these songs. Singing is an emotional thing; you’re giving a lot – a month or two off and getting back into the studio felt really good.”

““Every song started with me sitting down with a guitar but they all ended up somewhere totally different. That is why working with Mark was a real blessing, he works alot with the Dap Kings. I brought them a whole bunch of songs that they wouldn’t naturally play on and their amazing musicianship really helped these songs evolve. I wanted to let go of genres and make an album of just songs being played by good people. I wanted it to be a natural one, to innocently maybe naively find its own place...These days there is too much thinking and not enough singing songs, what ever happened to singing songs?

‘Getting Out’ is about thinking you mean the world to someone but realising actually you don’t, they were sick of you without you ever knowing it and is a classic universally applicable break-up anthem in every-sense. ‘Cigarettes’ is about the idea of “fucking up” all the time, “In relationships or whatever. Regret & denial are hard emotions to think about. I quit cigarettes but I would come home at night and my jacket smelt of smoke, it’s so easy to pass a buck, to blame the guy with cigarettes in the bar next you, and not yourself for being there in the first place.” ‘Chainsaw’ is about a dysfunctional relationship that is more destructive than good, but can also be applied to mankind’s gravitation to the bottle. Alcohol is the great equaliser; it can be a beautiful thing, the great comforter. Laughter too, it’s so underrated, just laughing at stupid shit all the time. At the end of the day nothings ever going to be perfect, you just have to laugh at shit...I laugh at myself a lot.”

‘Red’ is a key moment on ‘Love & War’, recorded during the albums latter stages, it is simply about putting everything down, and whilst its subject matter is sad, its shuffle is infectious. It features the talents of both Harper Simon & Sean Lennon duelling & duet-ting on guitar throughout;

And what of War? “I’m only 26. no, I’m not world weary quite yet, I’m just trying to make sense of everything. When I was a kid there was something romantic about the bright lights of a city, I thought I would know all the answers, but we’re all just as confused as each other trying to make of it for ourselves what we can. ‘For Your Money’ documents his relationship with his adopted home. Like James Brown’s ‘Down And Out In New York City’, it’s bombast is more uplifting than depressing, with Sean Lennon channelling his father’s spirit on a rousing guitar solo and a reprise that screams of hope and not despair.

“When I listen to the album, if there is a thread running through it’s probably my own coming of age. There are definitely some crying into my beer songs, the old Beer & tears routine. I always wanted to make a classic sounding album. One I could put on in 20 years and still enjoy listening to, i like things that over time will get a scar and nicks in it but it’s still a table, with legs and you can still put a drink on it. Right now I feel that I’d be proud of my kids when i have some, listening to it and I’m really proud of the songs that I wrote, the whole thing is at a really good point .”

So where does Daniel Merriweather sit in 2009? “I don’t really think about people’s perception of me. I’ve always been writing songs and singing them. I’ve always wanted to do something that means something. At the end of the day I didn’t play the violin from the age of 4 to please the bloggers. Pointless pop culture annoys me, where a record becomes talking fodder or cool for 6 months, then that’s where I choose to bow out! I also think it is impossible to be the perfect artist who says everything their generation feels and sums it all up and articulates it into one sentence, that’s when life imitates art and you have to be a junkie or bad mouth someone to fit your image in people’s heads.

Love & War speaks for itself and for now at least, Daniel Merriweather remains a lover and a fighter.