Singing River Records Group To Release Student-produced Ep

Feb. 16, 2012

Michelle Eubanks, UNA, at media@una.edu, 256.765.4392 or 256.606.2033

FLORENCE, Ala. - The Bluebirds, the student duo signed by Singing River Records last semester at the University of North Alabama, will hold a release party for its first EP Feb. 23 from 6 to 8:30 p.m. at Makadoo's Fresh Frozen Yogurt and Treats in downtown Florence. The free event will also feature an exclusive musical performance by the group. The EP will cost $5 and includes four original songs that were written and performed by UNA students Noah Myers, of Madison, and Madeleine Frankford, of Athens. The group names artists Ingrid Michaelson, Jeff Buckley, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver and the Civil Wars as musical influences. "The Bluebirds are excited to release their product and to see what people think about it," said Josh Skaggs, UNA junior and public relations and publicity representative for the group. "They've been anxious to release the product since we finished cutting it last semester." Singing River Records, which was first initiated by the Department of Entertainment Industry in the fall of 2007, gives UNA students the opportunity to gain real-world experience in the music and entertainment industry. Myers and Frankford were chosen last semester from a pool of applicants who competed to be the 2011-2012 Singing River Records artist. The Bluebirds competed with several other artists and groups by submitting a demo and individual recordings to Singing River Records at the beginning of the fall 2011 semester. They were selected and signed to the record label in October and recorded their EP for approximately three months after that. Singing River Records is a music label that allows students to completely produce, manage and market a music group and album. Students at the label are responsible for tasks such as finding an artist, producing the album, booking shows and marketing the final product. In the past, students have chosen musicians Archie Hubbard, Michael Clements, Lee Taylor and Rachel Pochop as Singing River Records artists. "This is a complete learning process for all of us," Skaggs said. "I feel like this process has taught us more than we could ever learn in a classroom. It gives us that hands-on experience that sitting in a classroom listening to a lecture can't give us." To learn more about the EP release, contact Dr. Bob Gafrerick, chair of the UNA Department of Entertainment Industry, at 256-765-4369 or email ragarfrerick@una.edu.