On Sunday, October 8, local musicians Mikayla Braun and Kathryn Rose Wood will host a double album-release party in celebration of the release of each artist’s new albums. Braun’s EP, Synapse and Wood’s album, In The Ashes, locally release at the concert, which will feature both artists performing their albums in full, along with other special musical surprises and guests.
Synapse is the first solo project Mikayla Braun, lead vocalist of The Crooked Vines, has written and recorded since moving to New Orleans five years ago. The EP is inspired by the complexity of the human thought process, during which electrical impulses travel through billions of neurons and span countless synapses before one even realizes that a thought has been created. Endless unspoken thoughts within the mind may range from harmless to completely consuming for any individual, and it is not uncommon for many people to keep them secret. Mikayla releases Synapse as a way of sharing her previously unspoken thoughts, observations, and emotional experiences that arose during her first years living in New Orleans. The EP, featuring Mikayla’s quartet, showcases Mikayla’s lyrics and vocal interpretations as its centerpiece. Synapse releases nationally October 10, 2017.
Kathryn Rose Wood, formerly of Social Set and Gravy Flavored Kisses, releases her debut solo album, In The Ashes, as part of a successful crowdfunding campaign completed in 2016. A collection of songs written in the aftermath of her brother’s suicide, Kathryn employed notable local musicians and supporters to create an album on the difficulty of navigating mental health issues – and the importance of doing so. Using music as an expressive vehicle, the songs touch on several topics of mental health, including experiencing suicidal thoughts, struggles with depression, anxiety, trauma, and more. A clinical music therapist and community advocate, Kathryn aims to provoke a candid conversation about mental illness through the album. Combining genres of pop, RnB, Americana, and folk, the album’s lead singles “Lullaby (to Preston)” and “Big Steel Wings” have received accolades from American Songwriter Magazine and the National Alliance on Mental Illness, among others. In The Ashes releases nationally October 17, 2017.
The double album-release party concert is held at Gasa Gasa (4920 Freret St., NOLA 70115), with doors open at 7p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door or online at http://www.gasagasa.com.
