News & Project Updates

• New EP From Kalli & One Sided Horse Releases Today

1/27/2023

- A very unique collaboration between Iceland's KALLI and the UK's ONE SIDED HORSE releases today, with two songs and their instrumentals in the aptly named The First EP.

Both artists' excel at creating mesmerizing soundscapes, yet with vastly different vocal tones. "Coming Down" features Kalli on lead vocals, and "Paint the One Star" features OSH.

The release can be found at all neighborhood online sites, as well limited - edition vinyl is available. A video for "Paint the One Star" was also released today.

Enjoy

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• Kalli/Karl Henry Releases New Album "Skuggablomin" Today

9/30/2022

- Broken Arrow artist KALLI releases his new album today, Skuggablomin ("Shadow Flowers").

Inspired by the Icelandic poet David Stefanson, Skuggablomin is Henry's first album in his native Icelandic language, and the first album he has released under his given name of Karl Henry.

This is Kalli's third album release, following the highly acclaimed Last Train Home (Icelandic Music Awards nomination for Album of the Year), and the more recent EP Escape Artist.

All songs and lyrics are by Henry, who also produces the album alongside special collaborator Arnar Gudjonsson (LEAVES).

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• Mat Callahan's "Songs of Slavery and Emancipation" Book & Film Releases

6/28/2022

- Broken Arrow artist Mat Callahan:

"Dear Friends,

We are pleased to announce the release of our film, Songs of Slavery and Emancipation. This film documents the creation of a 2-CD collection of songs of Slave Rebellion and Resistance, and the Abolitionist Movement. The recordings are accompanied by a book. You are warmly invited to view the film and to share it with others."

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• Kalli’s “Road Trip” Featured Tonight on CW’s “Walker"

4/15/2021

- The single “Road Trip” from Broken Arrow artist KALLI will be heard tonight on Walker, CW Network’s crime-drama television series starring Jared Padalecki.

The show is a reimagining of the long-running Walker, Texas Ranger show from the 90’s and is now in its second season.

The song also features Broken Arrow artist KIRSTEN PROFFIT, who does a guest vocal in the song. “Road Trip” was also heard on TNT's Rizzoli and Isles series, and is also currently featured on Apple Music’s "Singer Songwriter" playlist.

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• Kalli Co-Produced New Single from Tryggvi Releases Today

2/19/2021

- Icelandic singer-songwriter TRYGGVI releases the new single "Við erum eitt” (“We Are One”) today, the first single release from his forthcoming album. The track was co-produced by Broken Arrow artist KALLI, along with his long-time collaborator ARNAR G. (Leaves). Kalli also contributed guitars, keyboards, background vocals and arrangements to the track.

"Við erum eitt” continues the creative relationship between Tryggvi and Kalli, building on the previous efforts of 2020's "Paco" and 2018's gorgeous "Allt Tekur Enda".

Tryggvi sings the track in Icelandic, and as well Kalli has been in the studio recording new tracks of his own and, for the the first time, in his native Icelandic language. Look for a possible release of an album in summer 2021.

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• Callahan's "Shelter" New Theme Song for Activist Podcast

9/3/2020

- MAT CALLAHAN's exquisite composition "Shelter" is now being heard as the theme song for
Shelter & Solidarity's podcast & broadcast.

Written and performed by Callahan and from his solo album A Wild Bouquet, "Shelter" is the perfect lead-in to the organization's new online community collaboration. Callahan is joined by his daughter, Berlin-based/Broken Arrow artist SHANNON CALLAHAN who elevates the track with beautiful, ethereal vocal stylings throughout.

Shelter & Solidarity's weekly interactive sessions feature artists, activists, authors and experts in different fields of concern, focusing on the "struggles, challenges & opportunities" the pandemic Covid-19 is creating. Hosted by Joe Ramsey, the sessions are live-streamed and then broadcasted on YouTube, and are a joint effort of the Labor Press, Hard Ball Press, encuentro5, and
Socialism and Democracy.

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• Broken Arrow Artists Now Available throughout SAARC

7/1/2020

- Music fans throughout the SAARC union of countries in South Asia are now able to stream Broken Arrow artists.

Through a new deal with Broken Arrow Records' music distributor Orchard/Sony Music, audio/video streaming will be available in all SAARC countries via service provider AllSaints and all Oppo, Xiaomi and Vivo handsets. SAARC countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. All but India and Bangladesh now have Broken Arrow content for the first time. The deal with AllSaints also covers China.

With this, the great music of Broken Arrow's artists is now available virtually throughout the world. Check them out yourself at the Spotify playlist above, or anywhere fine streams are sold.

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• The HawtThorns Release New Single "Memphis Rain"

5/8/2020

- Releasing today is THE HAWTTHORNS new single "Memphis Rain".

The video premiered along with a great review in American Songwriter magazine. The Aaron Lee Tasjan composition has been wonderfully re-spun by KP Hawthorn (KIRSTEN PROFFIT) on acoustic guitar and Johnny Hawthorn on slide. The contemplative version features the duo sharing vocals, an uncommon approach so far in the young group's music.

"Memphis Rain" is the duo's first new offering since dropping their debut album Morning Sun last year, an 11-track, all original collection named one of the "50 Best Albums of 2019" by Albumism.

Tasjan says "“When another artist covers one of your songs it’s a wonderful feeling. I love what the HawtThorns did on their version of Memphis Rain. They made it their own in a beautiful way and it made me smile to think my song would get sung by talented artists like KP & Johnny.”

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• Kalli Releases Single Featured in New Film

4/6/2020

- Icelandic singer-songwriter KALLI has just released the new single "How Long",
a quiet, contemplative gem featuring Kalli on vocals, acoustic guitar and piano, and
Gudrun Palsdottir on upright bass.

"How Long" is a wonderful addition to Kalli's long list of singular, emotional and atmospheric tracks such as "Waterfalls", "Beautiful Son" and "Laurel Canyon", to name but a few. The track follows Kalli's latest EP Escape Artist, and the full-length Last Train Home, which was nominated for
Album of the Year honors at the Icelandic Music Awards.

"How Long" will be featured in the forthcoming documentary The Amazing Truth About Daddy Green, the latest effort from the Berlin Film Festival prize-winning director Olaf Johannesson. Kalli's work has been featured in numerous film and television projects, such as The Grocer's Son (César Award winner - France), and the Emmy Award-winning Criminal Minds.

The track was mixed and mastered by Arnar G (LEAVES), who also collaborated with Kalli on his most recent singles "Lost" and "My Bird".

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• International Collaboration for Swiss TV Brings in 2020

2/7/2020

Photo: Oscar Alessio

- Ok, for a great night and a once-in-a-blue (Ridge?)-moon special performance...

Start with a very accomplished singer-songwriter from Ireland, long-time BROKEN ARROW friend and artist SHIRLEY GRIMES... joined by Americana bluegrass & folk virtuosos from the Carolinas
the KRUGER BROTHERS... singing songs from the Swedish pop supergroup ABBA... all to help celebrate a very festive New Years' eve and bring in a new decade on Swiss TV and radio
via SRF Kulture...

Yet again, showing music knows no boundaries, and is truly our global language and connection.
Well done to all.

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• Holiday 2019 Events: Iconic Halls & Singular Performances

1/13/2020

- The holidays are always hectic, and for Broken Arrow this year was happily no exception...

Events to celebrate were wonderfully diverse, starting with an other-worldly concert event at New York's Carnegie Hall by the VIENNA BOYS CHOIR. The 25-member strong ensemble graced the world famous theatre with nothing more than their exquisite voices and grand piano for a special holiday performance, and showed the timeless approach from over 500 years from the Wiener Sangerknaben school.
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At San Francisco's storied Swedish American Music Hall & Cafe du Nord, urban jazz harmonicist FREDERIC YONNET wowed the crowd at an annual holiday party with a great set. This distinctive booking was a very fresh presentation for the guests and solidified the host's reputation as a music trailblazer in their events.
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Back to New York and to a third iconic building - the New York Public Library. Most won't equate the great, majestic building as an event space, but that was one of the many things making this night so special. Guests viewed an original manuscript of "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens upon entering the Edna Barnes Salomon Room, which was transformed from grand reading room to atmospheric event space. To match the intellectual surroundings of the night was a mind-bending performance by mentalist ASI WIND.

Live music & performances elevate any event, and when creative bookings meet one-of-a-kind venues, event hosts are well on their way to giving their guests lifetime memories.

To all of our artists, clients and vendors, we say thanks to a great year. And now, on to 2020...!

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• Iconic Hall, Exceptional Talent, Extraordinary Evening

12/27/2019

The Choir and minimal stage setup

- When talent and venue alone redefine the concert experience...

The VIENNA BOYS CHOIR gave an acoustic, non-amplified concert at New York's iconic Carnegie Hall for a special holiday event, and the combination of pure talent, venue design, and performance resulted in a one-of-a-kind evening. It was an evening that was solely about song, as the minimal production set up included just two stage risers and a grand piano. No special lighting, video, effects, or any other production elements were necessary, and in fact would have detracted from the natural sound of the boys' voices. Which were resplendent.

The 25-member choir, all between the ages of nine to fourteen, is one of four touring groups of the famed Wiener Sangerknaben group, who have been educating children for over 500 years. The sound and presentation were timeless, and within the aura of the hallowed hall, showed us why this choir is one of music's, and culture's, great achievements.

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• After 25 years, Shirley Grimes Returns Home to Ireland

10/3/2019

- At long last (if you count over 25 years as long...) SHIRLEY GRIMES returns to her homeland for 5 special concerts beginning tonight, for the first of two shows in Killaloe, County Clare. Ending in Dublin, the run is the long-awaited highpoint of the Hold On.... tour.

The concerts will feature songs and musicians from Shirley's new release Hold on... which have already gained critical attention with the Irish press:

"Her newest album 'Hold on....' is a work of wisdom and maturity. It collects 11 poignant songs that are both outspoken about world affairs and intimately personal. The songs are beautiful, the arrangements refined, the voice as honest as ever. 'Hold on....' is the sound of sincerity." - The Glens, Manorhamilton

The songs are wonderful, but always so extra special, when sung at home.

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• The HawtThorns Lift Off featuring Kirsten Proffit

8/16/2019

The "HawtThorns excel at expertly weaving pop into Americana,
which is what makes 'Morning Sun' a special album."
- Steven Ovadia, Albumism

- Long-time, prolific Broken Arrow artist KIRSTEN PROFFIT has created a wonderful new music adventure in THE HAWTTHORNS. The new husband-and-wife team bring Johnny Hawthorn
(Toad the Wet Sprocket, Everclear) together with KP for a poppy, electric guitar-driven, thoroughly enjoyable Americana debut release Morning Sun.

Kirsten continues what she started with the female California Country duo CALICO THE BAND but this time brings in Mr. Hawthorn to share vocals and lend his considerable guitar talents to KP's melodic song arrangements.

This is not sleepy, mirage-inducing Americana, but upbeat, energetic excursions in and out of the genre all the while focusing on their blended harmonies and expert songcraft. For those fans of Kirsten's pop styles, this album has you covered. More from Steven Ovadia:

"Ultimately, the gift of the HawtThorns is how they make songs sound pretty. They do it in a variety of ways. Their arrangements. KP's vocals. And their gorgeous sense of melody."

Now that the album is out, the road is where you'll find the HawtThorns.

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• "In Search of a Better Life" Concerts in Bern, CH

7/10/2019

- The impact of music to tell a story...

Two special "In Search of a Better Life” concerts took place this past weekend at the majestic French Church in Bern, CH, featuring Irish songstress & Broken Arrow artist SHIRLEY GRIMES, joined by the ORCHESTRA DIVERTIMENTO, the THIRD DAY CHORALE from Dublin, and the
ONE RIVER VOICES choir from Bern. With 180 performers on stage, it promised to be a very special presentation, and it exceeded all expectations.

The remarkable and emotional peak in both sold-out shows was Shirley’s beautiful & haunting new song “Here Upon the Water”, which she wrote in anticipation of the shows, telling "the story of a man forced to flee his country and embark on a deadly trip across the sea to Europe.”
There wasn't a dry-eye in the house.

Unfortunately both song & concerts become more poignant by the day, but here they creatively helped divert the global narrative,
to the personal story.

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• Mat Callahan Hits Woodstock; Clearwater Folk Festival

6/13/2019

- Author, singer-songwriter, provacateur...MAT CALLAHAN arrives stateside for a slate of appearances supporting his new release Working Class Heroes, with YVONNE MOORE. Mat kicks off the tour with two very special dates this weekend.

June 14 Mat appears at the Woodstock 50 anniversary conference at Marist College in Bethel Woods, NY. Mat will be speaking about music and the sixties' counterculture in his talk
"Music as a Rival of the State."

Then on June 15, joined by blues songstress Moore, Callahan will appear at the 41st annual Clearwater Folk Festival, aka The Great Hudson River Revival, alongside artists such as
MAVIS STAPLES and ANI DIFRANCO. This great and storied festival - the country's oldest & largest music & environmental festival - is rooted in the environmental causes spearheaded by local resident and iconic folk music pioneer PETE SEEGER, whom Mat collaborated with in, among other projects, presenting Seeger's program on Public Domain reform at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland in 2007.

This year's festival is celebrating Seeger's 100th birthday, as well as the 50th anniversary of the sloop Clearwater, the famous ship Seeger built to advocate cleaning up the Hudson River. Also appearing are such artists as Railroad Earth, The Wailers, and Immortal Technique.

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• New Album Release for Mat Callahan & Yvonne Moore

6/3/2019

- Broken Arrow artists singer-songwriter MAT CALLAHAN and Swiss blues songstress
YVONNE MOORE have just released a special new album Working-Class Heroes. This represents the duo's forth major release together and will be supported by initial tour appearances in the U.S., U.K., and Switzerland.

The album arose out of Moore's exploration of Sarah Ogan Gunning songs after her acclaimed Blue Wisdom albums, which featured gems from the American blues songbook, and follows a parallel path with the duo's previous release on the songs & writings of Irish Eastern Rising
leader James Connolly.

From PM Press:
"The most essential music is conceived by real human beings; ordinary, anonymous, often poor who stood up and joined together to fight injustice and institutional oppression. This is the story of Working-Class Heroes, a collection of American working-class, pre-World War II folk songs revived by Mat & Yvonne. Here the duo presents 20 songs written by both folk cannon heavyweights and lesser-known but equally gifted songwriters. Both beautiful and emotionally arresting, the album is a collection of stories as much as songs - stories of the women and men who (sometimes literally) gave their lives to emancipate the working class. Heroes such as Sarah Ogan Gunning, Woody Guthrie, Paul Robeson and Ella May Wiggins...and several more anonymous proletarian songwriters, whose names have been long forgotten but their words immortalized."

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• Kalli's "Lost" Releases Today Worldwide

5/3/2019

- KALLI's new single "Lost" releases today around the world through Broken Arrow Music ,
his first release since the Escape Artist EP was released in 2017.

"Lost" also follows Kalli's last full-length album Last Train Home, which was nominated for
Album of the Year at the Icelandic Music Awards.

The Kalli & Katherine Hoyle penned song was recorded in his hometown of Reykjavik, & features Kalli on vocals, organ & guitar, plus Gudrun Hulda Palsdottir on background vocals.
Arnar Guðjónsson (Leaves) plays drums, bass, guitars, & synths, as well as co-produced the track with Kalli.

A lush, expansive song with building dynamics, energy & positive feel, Kalli says "Lost" is about
"transformation, change...letting go of the past & finding new ground."

Available worldwide wherever quality notes are found.

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• Vinyl Release Today for Shirley Grimes' Hold On....

3/6/2019

- Today SHIRLEY GRIMES' new album Hold on... releases in vinyl format.

Exquisite acoustic guitar and mandocello work, Shirley's singular vocals, and all the deep glows of Hold on... are wonderfully captured in the warm embrace of vinyl, a perfect way to listen to her most personal release.

This release comes with a flurry of new spring tour dates, including tonight in Basel, CH, at the Atlantis. Maybe the only way better than vinyl to hear these songs is live, so we're covered there as well.

For full information, ordering, and tour dates, head over to Shirley's website.

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• Hot Concerts Heat Up Holiday Parties

2/28/2019

- The holiday season came and went in a blur, but what a blur it was...

We had the pleasure of acquiring great live music for a variety of events. In particular we wanted to thank LA MISA NEGRA for their irresistible sets of high-fun Afro-Latin dance jams at AT&T (now Oracle) Park in San Francisco. A hot band on the rise, check out their new album
La Misa Negra ("the Red Album").
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Latin orchestras are always a big hit for festive live events, and we had the pleasure of working again with one of the best, the Grammy-nominated PACIFIC MAMBO ORCHESTRA, in their full 20-piece attack. This band is just hot, so be sure to check them out when they're back on tour.
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Another holiday treat was working with DJ RED CORVETTE. This Oakland-based DJ not only excels in prime soul/r&b/hip hop mixology, but as well in taking things to a higher level as co-founder of the Women Sound Off festival (coming up this year April 5-7 in Oakland). At this same event from Los Angeles was GROUND CONTROL, an A-list party band that shook the house down.
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Also, our first time at the "new" August Hall was a great success. In a historic building right off Union Square in the heart of San Francisco, the former home of Ruby Skye has been remodeled sonically and visually, and besides being a new tour stop for many, it's now a wonderful venue for private events with a great staff.

Definitely a happy holiday for all.

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Music curation, booking and contracting by BROKEN ARROW