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Erisa Rei

Erisa Rei’s relationship to her music is not a “love affair”... it’s a torrid, sultry, and passionate romance that has defined her existence for over two decades

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Hometown	Spring Hill, TN
Genres	Roots, Southern/Blues Rock/Rockabilly
Band Members	band varies upon requirements of the gig/venue.
Achievements
Upcoming Shows	None

Contact Information:	Artist / Band Member Erisa Rei booking@erisareimusic.com (217) 671-0113
# Years Experience Performing Live:	6
# Live Perfomances Past Six-months:	28
Market Draw:	Nashville: 31-50
Venue History:	12th & Porter - Nashville, TN The BlueBird Cafe' - Nashville, TN The Rutledge - Nashville, TN
Opener Experience:	Since October; Kree Woods
Similar Artists:	Ray Lamontagne, Heart, Fiona Apple, Janis Joplin
Performing Rights Society:	ASCAP
Discography:	Black Ball LP—2012; Don't Give Up Single—2011; Backwards EP—2007

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About the Artist

Erisa Rei’s relationship to her music is not a “love affair”... it’s a torrid, sultry, and passionate romance that has defined her existence for over two decades. Her lyrics tell the tale of the long miles between then and now, and her music cries out with every heartache and triumph along the way. From a whisper to a shout, from a growl to a tear, Erisa Rei feels each moment of her life deeply and invites the world to share it through her music

The romance began innocently enough, as a singer in the church choir. Soon she was writing worship songs for her church and from there, the music filled her head and her heart. Years went by and her talent bloomed as she found her home in the roots-rock/ Americana genres. In the embrace of the music, Erisa was swept away, transforming the joy, anguish, and passion of her journey into heart-catching chords and lyrics that came together in 2007 with a four-song EP titled “Backwards”, which earned respect for her art from professionals in that genre

Today, with experience, maturity, and a few more miles under her belt, Erisa is taking her music to a whole new level. Her latest project, “Black Ball” is a defining work, a vital and vibrant cry into the night that is already drawing industry attention. Produced by a creative team of visionaries, including Mike Kyle of Littleton Music Group (noted for his co-production work with Ronnie Dunn’s solo project), and Grammy-nominated Brent Hendrich of WestEnd Productions, “Black Ball” has already received an enthusiastic thumbs up from industry insiders.

This pulse-pounding compilation hit the scene in January and has already made its mark on Americana radio charts. “Black Ball” currently commands the #2 spot on the Root Music Report's Roots Rock internet charts, #27 (and climbing!) on the Roots 66 charts, and is burning up the track on the AMA charts. Radio play is surely looming on the horizon and fans of Erisa’s music can rejoice... live performance is in her blood. She’ll be on the road touring for a long time, striking sparks and sharing the fire.

Anything worth loving is worth fighting for, and Erisa Rei has come on the scene swinging.

Bio written by Dreamhand

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Achievements

Top 40 in Pro Performance Video , October 2012

Top 40 in Pro Performance Video , August 2012

Top 40 in Pro Performance Video , July 2012

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Press Coverage

This EP is one power-packed little firecracker." by
Erisa Rei’s Backwards EP is one power-packed little firecracker. At only four songs in length, it is but a small taste of what this explosive singer can do. Yet it’s more than enough material to evaluate Rei’s earthshaking talent. Some biographical material compares Rei to blues singer Susan Tedeschi and classic rockers Heart. No doubt these two acts were models for what Rei attempts to project. But I hear a few other significant (potential) influences, as well. I don’t believe it’s any coincidence that Rei looks a little like Wynonna Judd. While Rei doesn’t growl like Wynonna, nor does she get many chances to harmonize like the younger Judd once did with her mom, this smoldering pop-rock singer oftentimes reminds me of an un-country Wynonna. Rei also shares Wynonna’s Christian faith. Maria McKee is another vocalist Rei resembles. This is especially true during “Cover Me," which brings to mind Lone Justice’s “Shelter." Lone Justice was McKee’s breakthrough rock band, before she set out for solo ground, and McKee’s sound is also conjured whenever Rei sings in that conversational style of hers. She's is not just singing at you; she's also talking to you. Tim Holt, who also provided digital programming, bass guitar, and keyboards, produced this effort. He brought along Mike Caro for some of the disc’s bass work, while Erik Ferguson contributes electric, acoustic, and bass guitars. It’s what Holt doesn’t do that counts most, however. He doesn’t let the instrumentation overpower Rei’s vocals. Then again, a full-on hurricane would have trouble drowning out Rei’s powerful pipes. Rei wrote all four of these songs, and while her words could easily be applied to male/female relationships, one suspects all of these tunes are directed solely at God above. Both the title track and “Cover Me” speak of looking for the divine in an oftentimes dark and godless world. But with “I Still Need You,” Rei sings sincerely about her desperate need for God. On it she asks God to show her whenever self-reliance replaces God-dependency. One factor that separates these songs from all the mostly forgettable sugarcane in cellophane that fills Christian radio play lists is Rei’s serious demeanor, put to minor key melodies. There are no useless everything-is-alright-forever tracks here. Instead, Rei is begging for God to not only save her in the afterlife, but to uphold her soul for as long as it takes for that day to arrive. When she begs God to break her spiritual chains during the closer “Set Me Free," you best believe she means it. by Dan McIntosh for indie-music.com

Erisa Rei Preparing Her New Big Surprise! by from Breathecast.com
Erisa an independent artist and a worship leader had a concert last weekend at Curb Cafe, Belmont University. BREATHEcast could not miss an opportunity to hear her live and right before the event we met for an interivew! 'One Way Home' band accompanied Erisa during the concert. She opened the event with the song 'To Bleed' a song that will be released on her new project! 'To Bleed' is about how we need to empty and surrender before God in order to be filled by him - 'I have to bleed, I give you my right and forsake my pride...and to get to the heart of it, I have to bleed'. After that 'Backwards' and 'Your Glory' were performed. 'Backwards' is a song that especially brings out Erisa's colorful voice. It's a song from her project from 2007, as well as 'I Still Need You' that was performed afterwards. 'Here I Am' was next. The song 'Don't Give Up' was a closing song encouraging listeners to never give up! 'Don't Give Up' is a really powerful tune-you just find your self sing along! You can expect Erisa's new project sometimes in 2010. The songs 'To Bleed', 'Your Glory' , 'Here I Am' and 'Don't Give UP' will be on it. Erisa is currently working on her new project with full focus. Erisa: 'I want that project to be a surprise! But it's going to be a 2 discs CD with 10 songs on each. It's very real and honest with different aspects of a Christian walk and how the church and the bride of Christ is and so', shared Erisa. 'I've been want to do this project for 6 years and it's been on my heart to do. Finally it came to the point where I felt it was time to do it'. She continued 'Musically speaking it will be very earthy, very creative. And it will have a different sound than what most people are used to, and I am really excited about it!'

Josh Discovers - Chick Singer Night by Josh David by
Currently being held at the French Quarter in East Nashville, Chick Singer Night is a national showcase, hosting shows from Chicago to Nashville. Laura Clapp Davidson has been the host of this show for some time, although rumor has it that she is turning over the reins to Jacklyn Brown. I’m ashamed to confess that I have never made it to one of Laura’s showcases until I accidentally arrived at one a few weeks ago. ( 2 paragraphs omitted) The second singer on this particular Chick Singer Night was a contemporary Christian singer named Erisa Rei. And I admit thinking, “Oh, no…..another christian rock singer. “ But let me tell you, this woman is a SINGER! Holy cow. From the first note of her first song, the French Quarter heard a vocal gift on display that is not seen very often in East Nashville. Or anywhere inside or outside of Nashville. Soul. Emotion. Power. And what is more, she was ……for lack of a better phrase……’emotionally invested” in each song she sang; in between songs she had to breathe deeply as a release; I’ve seen the best of them do this. But ONLY the best. What an unexpected thrill. She sings “like Wynonna tries to sing,” as the pretty lady sitting next to me remarked. I didn’t say it, but I won’t argue. Perhaps because Chick Singer Night is a premier networking opportunity, I think Erisa’s set was a bit lost on this crowd. Which is a shame. My goodness, this young lady can sing! (Paragraph omitted) I’ll be on the prowl to check out these wonderful female singers at their upcoming outings in the greater Nashville area. Whenever I hear people say, “Nashville is not just a country town anymore,” I truly want to believe that. And professional, intriguing, and talented young women like Jara Johnson, Erisa Rei, and Rachel Solomon make me a believer. Give these deserving young singers a chance when they pop up in the music listings. I’ll see you at their shows!

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