You may know them best for producing Chance the Rapper’s smash “No Problem,” but this New York duo also boasts production credits for the likes of Anderson .Paak (“Am I Wrong?”), plus co-signs from GRiZ and Lido. Expect Ivan Jackson (trumpet, production) and Conor Rayne (drums) to make some more funk-infused noise in 2017. – Matt Medved
Sounds Like: Harmony-drenched Southern pop-rock with slick production and giant hooks
For Fans of: Little Big Town, the Lumineers, Grace Potter
Why You Should Pay Attention: Durham, North Carolina six-piece Delta Rae have been regional favorites for years, drawing enthusiastic crowds at major festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Now the band is signed to the Valory Music Co. (under Big Machine Label Group), having just released a four-song EP titled A Long and Happy Life. So far label life doesn’t seem to have changed the group’s sound too drastically, though they have adopted a slicker production style that should make these new tunes more radio-ready. The infectious pop of the EP’s title track will please Little Big Town and Lady Antebellum fans alike, with just enough of the band’s jam roots to reach the festival crowd.
They Say: “Our first single, ‘A Long and Happy Life,’ was inspired by my experience working as a caretaker to a Southern author named Reynolds Price,” says singer Ian Hölljes. “Reynolds was 76 when I met him and had been in a wheelchair for 25 years, the result of radiation therapy that saved his life from cancer. I lived in his home for a year and assisted in every aspect of his daily life and work as a writer. He taught me what it looked like to be a professional artist and to overcome incredible hardships to pursue the work you love. That spirit infuses a lot of what inspires Delta Rae’s music and is at the heart of what we understand country music to be about.”
Hear for Yourself: Massive harmonies and bright, soulful vocals make “A Long and Happy Life” the kind of windows-down song that becomes the soundtrack to summer. B.M.
http://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/delta-rae.jpg400600wppshttp://musiciansandmelody.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Untitled-1.pngwpps2017-06-28 19:38:502017-07-01 16:24:50DELTA RAE
Born and raised in East Atlanta, J.I.D — a name adopted and adapted from what his grandmother called him as a jittery child — first appeared on the Atlanta hip-hop scene with his debut EP, Dicaprio, in 2015. Growing up, J.I.D’s first connection with music was through his parents’ collection of classic funk and soul LPs. After a stint at Hampton University playing football, J.I.D also hooked up with fellow MCs as part of the Spillage Village collective. By 2012, he had dropped out of college to focus on music, and in 2014 he headed out on what would be a productive tour with EarthGang, Bas, and Ab-Soul. Touring allowed J.I.D to craft his skills, and a year later he recorded and dropped the Dicaprio EP, which saw him team up with a host of producers, as well as EarthGang. While keen to distance himself from the generic abrasive trap sound that had dominated the Atlanta scene, J.I.D wanted to deliver something that was more than just about a beat, and instead focused his time and effort on lyrics as well. In 2016, J.I.D, alongside the rest of the Spillage Village crew, released the album Bears Like This Too Much, which saw the rapper honing his unique delivery and inspired lyrics. In 2017, he announced that he had signed to J. Cole’s Dreamville label (a connection made with the rapper via J.I.D’s part in the 2014 tour with Bas and Cole’s friend and producer Cedric Brown), which released the single Never and full-length The Never Story at the beginning of the year.
