New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Mother West) It's been a busy year for Vermont based, Kris Gruen. Since the release of his sophmore record Part Of It All last spring, he's toured up and down the West Coast several times, spent a week performing in Brazil, made his premier music video for the song "Red Doors", played CMJ and SXSW, is working on a limited edition vinyl release, and is about to embark on a string of dates around the US throughout the summer.
Building off of the lush, whisper-folk of his 2007 debut album Lullaby School, Gruen's sophomore release Part of It All adds an innovative, eclectic, and electrified new approach to his songs and production. With the help of the Mother West Producers Charles Newman (The Magnetic Fields, AM, Soko), JJ Beck and Rob Stevens, they take Gruen's new songs and stories to an adventurous and fresh musical place.
Gruen's music and style is often compared to the likes of Andrew Bird, Arcade Fire, and The Decemberists. Kris is no stranger to the world of music. His father, the famed rock photographer Bob Gruen, has long been synonymous with immortalizing countless musical icons on film, but Kris has chosen to pursue a path more similar to the lives of those of his father's subjects.
Recording in both New York City and Los Angeles enabled Gruen to collaborate and record with great musicians and friends, including drummer Butch Norton (The Eels, Lucinda Williams, Rufus Wainright), bassist Sebastian Steinberg (Soul Coughing, Dixie Chicks), Nashville's Jason Goforth (Over The Rhine) on lapsteel, and drummer Nick Brown (The Dig).
Gruen has toured the US, sharing the stage with Sean Lennon, The Avett Brothers, Bishop Allen, Jesse Malin, Nicole Atkins, Anais Mitchell, The Bowmans, SoKo, AM and more.
June 01 - California Music Channel - Oakland, CA
June 02 - Viracocha - San Francisco, CA
June 05 - KPIG Radio "Please Stand by" - Watsonsville, CA
June 05 - Sculpterra Winery - Paso Robles, CA
June 08 - Silverlake Lounge - Los Angeles, CA
June 09 - Zoeys - Ventura, CA
June 10 - Gypsy Den - Santa Ana,CA
June 12 - The Foundry - Los Angeles, CA
June 15 - Cafe 939 - Boston, MA w/ Company of Thieves
June 17 - Milkboy Coffee - Ardmore, PA
June 18 - The Bowery Electric - New York, NY
July 15 - The Black Door - Montpelier, VT
July 16 - PA's Lounge - Somerville, MA
Aug 13 - Union Hall - Brooklyn, NY
Aug 14 - Shade Bar - NYC
"Artfully conceived and expertly executed, Part of It All is nearly a masterstroke. Sophisticated, spirited and cunning" -Seven Days
"His sound belongs to the hours right before dawn when you wake up a little too early, and you're not quite sure what to think about. Then you realize it's best to just listen to the birds start chirping as the dawn reveals itself in its own good time." -The Portland Tribune
"Oooooooooh this is utterly lovely: Beautiful melodies, lush harmonies, and all the jingles in the right places. There is the sense of theatre that artists such as Sufjan Stevens achieve, and Gruen's music certainly stands alongside such artists comfortably. Lullaby School is truly a thing of beauty." -Americana-UK
"Gruen successfully transports his listeners to where he wants them to travel. There's a charming song cycle to be heard here." - ASCAP Playback
