ED HALE DREAMS BIG FOR NEW ORLEANS ON LATEST MUSIC VIDEO

Shooting wrapped up this weekend in New York City for the newest music video for singer/songwriter Ed Hale’s song “New Orleans Dreams” which is scheduled to be released as a single to commercial radio stations in the US, the UK, and seventeen countries in Europe on August 15th. This will be the third proper single from Hale’s latest album Ballad On Third Avenue, the most successful album to date of Hale’s solo career. The song follows in the footsteps of the album’s first hit single “Beautiful Losers (Ballad On Third Avenue)” which tore up college radio charts in late 2009, followed by “I Walk Alone” which broke the singer into a brand new radio format known as Triple A on over one-hundred stations nationwide throughout 2010.
Hale and crew were sure the next single from his new album was going to be the opening track “Scene in San Francisco”, an obvious choice and a standard throughout Hale’s tour dates over the last eighteen months. The band has not performed “New Orleans Dreams” live in concert even once so far. But that was before the BP Oil Spill and the spring floods that hit the South earlier this year; scenes that captivated America and broke hearts all over the world. It was then that the singer’s record label (Dying Van Gogh Records) decided to switch gears and release the poignant and politically-flirtatious ballad “New Orleans Dreams” instead. A clear stand-out on the album as a whole, “New Orleans Dreams” is an acoustic guitar and harmony driven ballad that calls to mind Simon and Garfunkel, Kings of Convenience, and Belle and Sebastian; the only problem being that the song clocks in at just over six minutes long — not exactly the made for radio airplay 3’30″ that is expected in today’s highly structured attention deficit music market. One of the biggest radio promotions company in the US approached the singer’s label and offered to take the song to a yet another new radio format, Adult Contemporary, for the singer who has primarily been associated with the Alt Rock genre, if the label could provide a shorter radio remix that is. That task was handled by producer/engineer extraordinaire Zach Ziskin of Funny Monkey Enterprises, a longtime colleague of the Transcendence camp. Fans will soon be able to hear the new shorter polished and primped radio remix of the song on radio all over the US and Europe when it hits come August.

ED HALE SIGNS PRODUCT ENDORSEMENT DEAL WITH ULTRASONE HEADPHONES

 

Singer/songwriter Ed Hale signed a two year product endorsement agreement with German luxury headphone manufacturer UltraSone this week guaranteeing the singer will use UltraSone headphones exclusively for his new album. Hale, who is currently in the recording studio in New York City commented Friday “Obviously UltraSone headphones sound great. Without that there’s really nothing else. But really sold me was their S-Logic Surround Sound technology. It enables listeners to listen at much lower levels than we normally do and still hear the music we are creating which translates into much less potential for hearing damage or hearing loss. This is more than important I would think.”
No details about the agreement were made public but Dying Van Gogh Records stated that the artist is in the process of signing multiple product endorsement deals including last week’s agreements with MikTekmicrophones and Dean Markley guitar strings. Hale earned his street cred back in the heyday of the jangly guitar rock of the early nineties and has never been shy about saying no to product placement or advertising no matter what the benefits. He and his band Transcendence boycotted participation in the Budweiser Battle of the Bands Concert Series after they won the competition and once made waves by refusing to appear in a guest spot on the Howard Stern show.
“I don’t see how or why that particular decision caused any waves at all. What the hell does the Howard Stern show have anything to do with what we do in Transcendence?” the singer was quoted as saying. “What we are looking for are companies whose products we actually use, or want to use, companies we admire, who are aligned with the bigger mission. UltraSone is breaking boundaries. Their headphones are incredible sounding AND they have new technology that actually respects the health of the listener. That’s innovative. Big ups to them.” Hale is currently excited about a possible agreement with the Gibson guitar company.

ED HALE AND CREW BEGIN RECORDING NEW ALBUM — FOLLOW UP TO BALLAD ON THIRD AVENUE

Ed Hale and a handful of his fellow Transcendence members are in the recording studio in New York City this week and have begun work on a new album, the followup to last year’s commercially successful Ballad On Third Avenue. Their band, Ed Hale and the Transcendence, have a new album being released September 6th — the long awaited rock-opera concept album All Your Heroes Become Villains, on Dying Van Gogh Records. This new album the band just started recording will be released as an Ed Hale “solo album”, not to be confused with Ed Hale and the Transcendence. (confused yet?) Ed Hale’s solo albums tend to be quieter, more tame and on the acoustic side, though they usually feature the same roster of musicians he has worked with since first appearing in the public eye in 2002 with his eclectic debut, Rise and Shine.
Although Ballad On Third Avenue is still active and going strong on radio — the second single “New Orleans Dreams” is scheduled to hit Hot AC radio stations all across the US, the UK, and seventeen countries in Europe on August 15th — the band felt that they just might be able to “squeeze in a few weeks in the recording studio to complete a new batch of songs” before promotional and touring efforts begin in earnest for the All Your Heroes album. The “new batch of songs” will most likely be a full length of 10 to 12 songs and follow in the same footsteps sonically as Hale’s last solo effort: stripped down acoustic singer/songwriter whisper-pop. The style was new territory for Hale, who has largely been associated with the “alt-rock” genre over the years.  But the new format treated the singer well, fueled by the first single “I Walk Alone” which garnered airplay on over one-hundred Triple A radio stations across the United States, bringing Hale’s music to a whole new legion of listeners and fans.
The new album is tentatively being called Born to Lose, at least as of today, based on the song of the same name. But things can change quickly and dramatically in Hale’s camp as those close to the artist know only too well. The album was originally slated to begin recording on June 1st and was going to have Hale attempting to create a contemporary hit Top 40 album; but the idea was vetoed by Dying Van Gogh Records label mate Roger Houdaille, who is producing the album. “Ed already has enough songs to record ten more Ballad On Third Avenues if he wants to and right now that’s how people relate to him. So I don’t think we should mess with that. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to jump into a totally different sound again after only one album. Especially now that he is starting to get more attention and momentum. He can do his Top 40 album later,” offered Houdaille with a laugh.
Hale reports that he has been brushing up and learning to play a host of new instruments over the past few months in preparation for the album, including the ukelele, balalaika, mandolin, autoharp, glockenspiel, dulcimer, Persian setaar, a chinese guqin zither (really?!), and the Turkish oud. “If I’m not going to get my shot at recording a Top 40 album right now then at least I want the new album to go in somekind of new direction. I don’t want it to be “Ballad On Third Avenue part two.” So I figured why not try to make something as organic as we can… you know like we’ll use all these traditional stringed instruments from all over the world to mix things up a bit, but still make it sound like a modern record.” “Mixing things up” is certainly territory Hale and company know well. The band’s debut disc Rise and Shine was a world-music meets modern rock fusion that included musical styles from all ends of the earth and back that turned more than a few heads, earning the band two hit singles in the process. The band has continued to change and evolve its sound with each successive release, challenging listeners to keep up with their fervent quest for the new and different. The rapid and prolific pace at which the band records and releases albums on that quest culminated in what many believe is their best album to date, 2005′s Nothing Is Cohesive.
But that was over five years ago. Since that album’s release, Hale or “the band” have recorded four more albums, two of which have yet to be released: All Your Heroes Become Villains, scheduled for release in September of this year, and The Great Mistake, scheduled to be released in January 2012. In the meantime fans can look forward to what awaits on this new new album. Hale and his merry men of Transcendence plan on staying in New York for most of the summer or until they finish the project. No release date is set yet.
Randy Foster
Ascot Media and PR

SINGER/SONGWRITER ED HALE SIGNS MULTIPLE PRODUCT ENDORSEMENT DEALS

With the success of his new solo album Ballad On Third Avenue still climbing, singer/songwriter Ed Hale of the rock band Transcendence has been keeping busy. One of the activities that seemingly go hand in hand with rock stardom is product endorsement deals. But don’t expect Hale to show up on TV talking about a new car or sporting a new signature pair of sneakers just yet. In the past month though the singer has signed numerous product endorsement deals but so far has been keeping it in the biz, the music biz that is.
First came a two year exclusive agreement to use only Dean Markley guitar strings, both on stage and in the recording studio. Next was a new microphone for the singer known for crafting songs where the vocals are everything. Hale chose to go with American made MikTek. “I’ve been using Neuman U-87s for so long now… I really didn’t think there was anything better. But I was wrong,” said the singer about the microphone company. “A sales guy at Sweetwater actually turned me on to the MikTek CV4 and C7 microphones, and lo and behold days later I received an offer to try them out for myself and endorse them professionally. Total flow. What amazes everyone about these mics is that they sound as good and sometimes even better than microphones that are two to three times the cost! They are absolutely awesome in every sense of the word. And what’s more they’re made in the USA. And right now, at least to me, that’s a very good thing.”
Regarding Dean Markley guitar strings, Hale commented “Man I’ve been using Dean Markley strings since I was a kid. They’re it. Their technology is mind blowing, this new Alchemy Series they have is incredible. The strings are frozen so they last like ten times longer than other strings, and they’re double and triple wound which greatly reduces string buzz and keeps them in tune a lot longer. For someone like me who uses a lot of open tunings, this was a dream come true, a guitar string made for players who stretch the hell out of their strings in ways that aren’t necessarily traditional. I am more than honored to use Dean Markley strings exclusively. Keep ‘em coming. They’re awesome.”
Hale is known primarily as a singer and guitarist. He has fronted the modern rock band Transcendence for more than ten years and also releases albums and tours as a solo artist. Integrity has always been a calling card for the singer and his music. Thus he has attempted through the years to avoid product endorsement agreements that don’t make sense to his basic ethos. “I think random product placement in exchange for cash is bullshit,” Hale stated rather bluntly regarding the announcement of this new series of endorsement deals he has entered into. “There are always other ways to get funding if you’re serious about maintaining your integrity and still raise capital for your projects. Actors wear a different freaking watch every year just for cash. It’s prostifuckingtution is what it is. I don’t wear watches so how the hell can I endorse one? But microphones, guitar strings, these things make sense. I use them. If someone sees that I use a particular piece of gear they can be guaranteed that it has nothing to do with money and everything to do with how much I like the company and its products.”
Next up Hale is set to tie up agreements with keyboard mavens Kurzweil and Nord and is eager to speak with the Gibson and Taylor guitar companies.

New album comes with a new name – Ed Hale and The Transcendence

New album comes with a new name – Ed Hale and The Transcendence

In anticipation of the brand new album, “All Your Heroes Become Villains,” the alternative rock band Transcendence has officially changed their name to Ed Hale and The Transcendence.
The name change took effect in their back catalog on retailers such as iTunesAmazon & across social media websites. One of the main reasons for this change is to help new fans of the prolific singer-songwriter Ed Hale connect with his body of work recorded by the group.
Some time has passed since the last Transcendence album, “Nothing Is Cohesive” was marked as one of the important breakthrough CDs of 2005 by tastemakers Hellfire. It was during this interim that Ed Hale’s passion for activism took him across the continents to help people, building houses in places like Colombia and Ghana. He also got married, wrote a book, starred in the Transcendent Television series, traveled to Iran as an ambassador, founded the Dying Van Gogh record label and somehow managed time to launch his solo career with the charming, acoustic “Ballad On Third Avenue” album and the hit single “I Walk Alone.” Other band members went on to form successful indie acts too, namely Ex Norwegian and Dreaming In Stereo. Now, the group Ed Hale and The Transcendence is back in action with a new album and fresh name.
Download an mp3 from the upcoming album “All Your Heroes Become Villains,” to be released September 20th on Dying Van Gogh Records.

NEW ALBUM COMES WITH A NEW NAME – ED HALE AND THE TRANSCENDENCE

In anticipation of the brand new album, “All Your Heroes Become Villains,” the alternative rock band Transcendence has officially changed their name to Ed Hale and The Transcendence.
The name change took effect in their back catalog on retailers such as iTunesAmazon & across social media websites. One of the main reasons for this change is to help new fans of the prolific singer-songwriter Ed Hale connect with his body of work recorded by the group.
Some time has passed since the last Transcendence album, “Nothing Is Cohesive” was marked as one of the important breakthrough CDs of 2005 by tastemakers Hellfire. It was during this interim that Ed Hale’s passion for activism took him across the continents to help people, building houses in places like Colombia and Ghana. He also got married, wrote a book, starred in the Transcendent Television series, traveled to Iran as an ambassador, founded the Dying Van Gogh record label and somehow managed time to launch his solo career with the charming, acoustic “Ballad On Third Avenue” album and the hit single “I Walk Alone.” Other band members went on to form successful indie acts too, namely Ex Norwegian and Dreaming In Stereo. Now, the group Ed Hale and The Transcendence is back in action with a new album and fresh name.
Download an mp3 from the upcoming album “All Your Heroes Become Villains,” to be released September 20th on Dying Van Gogh Records.

ED HALE RELEASES NEW SINGLE “NEW ORLEANS DREAMS” THAT SHINES SPOTLIGHT ON THE SOUTH

New York, NY, July 06, 2011 — Ed Hale is known for being a musician and singer/songwriter, however there is more to his music than meets the ears. On his last solo studio recording Ballad on Third Avenue, a rousing collection of alternative pop-rock acoustic tracks, he sings about love and all the emotions that are forthcoming.
Yet there is much more on the album that needs your attention, particularly the track “New Orleans Dreams”. The track is a rather poignant take on the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and the ineptness of our government to help the suffering people of the area when it was needed most. This is a story that continues today several years later as people are still reeling from the disaster of the hurricane and many other natural disasters that would follow in that area including the disastrous BP oil spill.