Author: Thomas Goodrich

Brian Hardgroove ~ Santa Fe

Brian Hardgroove works as a producer and educator. Most recently, he served as artist in residence at Santa Fe University of Art and Design, where he helped start the Artists for Positive Social Change program. As a music producer, Hardgroove sites Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss) and Jack Douglas (Aerosmith, John Lennon, Cheap Trick) as two of his closest and most trusted advisers in the music business. He worked as a producer for Demerit and Brain Failure. He is also the founder of From a Whisper to a Dream, a program that helps young musicians obtain endorsements from manufacturers of musical equipment. Brian is most popularly known for his work with the hip hop group, Public Enemy.

His most recent project is “Audio Rhythm Theory” with Police drummer Stewart Copeland, along with Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Mitchell, who were on a world-wide search for vocalists for their new recording project Audio Rhythm Theory (A.R.T.), touted as the “Biggest Audition in the World,” looking for vocalists who can sing and/or rap in English as well as their native languages. Hardgroove was also recently in production with Fred Schneider (The B52s) completing the debut album for GOOD THANG. Schneider and Hardgroove compose all the songs together. Hardgroove plays all the instruments while Schneider provides his classic vocals stylings.

In November 2015, Hardgroove joined Harmony Central to create a Signature Forum called “Hardgroove (and Nothing Less).” The aim of the forum is to provide access to the huge reservoir of expertise Brian has accumulated from his years of touring, recording, playing, and producing.

Andru Bemis ~ Carlsbad

Andru Bemis is a folk and Americana musician from Carlsbad currently living in South Haven, Michigan. He performs on the banjo, violin, guitar and banjo-ukulele (which he calls a “banjolele”). Bemis lives a minimalist lifestyle, and is known for his engaging live shows throughout the United States. He tours primarily by train, public transportation, and hitchhiking.

Bemis has released half a dozen albums, most notably: “Plays Past His Bedtime” (2002), “Singer” (2004), and “Rail To Reel” (2006). “Folkadelphia Session” (2015) is his most recent release, recorded live at the WXPN Studios. He has collaborated on albums with Jason Webley, Trent Wagler & Jay Lapp, Rachel Ries, and Elisabeth Pixley-Fink.

Since 2007, Bemis has operated Foundry Hall, a non-profit, all-ages community center and performance venue in South Haven, Michigan.

Bemis’ solo performances are spiritual, enlightening and entertaining for audiences of all ages. His powerful tenor voice and instrumental accompaniment harken to a time before television, when tunes were shared between neighbors in parlors and on porches, in churches, saloons and Grange halls. His repertoire is a seamless combination of original songs and carefully selected public domain and folk songs, many of which are rarely heard today. Like Woody Guthrie and countless historical folk musicians and troubadours, Bemis often adds new verses to old songs and crafts them to his liking. He has played violin since the age of 5, and is self-taught on the guitar, banjo, banjolele, and an assortment of other instruments.

Songs from Bemis’ self-produced albums are played on radio stations throughout the country, and have been featured in a number of independent films. “Rail To Reel” was called the “Best Folk Album of 2006” by KVDS FM (Davis, CA), for bringing new life and unique instrumentation to a collection of lesser known traditional songs learned and adapted through his travels. Bemis contributes frequently to other artists’ recordings, including a 2011 collaboration, “Say Yes to Yourself!,” with fellow Michigan musician Elisabeth Pixley-Fink. The duo celebrated the album’s release with a 22-state train and bus tour, performing nightly for two months, from Minneapolis to Mexico City.

Learn more about Andru