New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Dying Van Gogh Records) In a breakthrough moment for independent artists, "Transcendence" singer-songwriter Ed Hale achieves his first Billboard Top 40 hit with last week's Hot Shot Debut, "Scene in San Francisco," which is currently #25 and rising on the Adult Contemporary chart. The song is from his latest solo album, Ballad On Third Avenue (Dying Van Gogh Records).
Fifteen years and nine albums in as a recording artist, newcomer Ed Hale is no newcomer. Aside from his solo albums, he also sings in the eclectic indie rock band Ed Hale and the Transcendence, who debuted in 2002 with the album Rise and Shine, where Hale, nicknamed "The Ambassador," sang in five different languages. As the band prepared a national tour to support their newest release entitled All Your Heroes Become Villains, Hale's latest single started achieving major radio success in the AC format.
Hale noted, "Our solo albums were just side projects, so this is all pretty weird and unexpected." Rising on both Billboard and the FMQB AC charts, "Scene in San Francisco" was picked up by
Sirius XM satellite radio station "The Blend" and has been ranked the #1 Most Active Independent artist release on the Mediabase AC Chart four weeks straight.
Hale's first single to go commercial from Ballad On Third Avenue, "New Orleans Dreams," peaked at #10 in the Adult Contemporary format (FMQB) and is still in heavy rotation on the AC Top 100. With two Top 40 songs on commercial radio, the singer's biggest struggle he says has been maintaining indie credibility and loyalty to his art. Breaking all the rules and saying no to selling out has become a badge of honor for many independent artists. Hale cites "relentless perseverance and never giving up" as the secret to his most recent overnight success, adding, "I wouldn't exactly call it overnight success." Regardless of his exact formula, "The Ambassador's" Cinderella story is a major spark in the evolving indie-music revolution.
"Ed Hale's Ballad On Third Avenue will feel right at home to the same crowd that loves the music of Wes Anderson movies, Rubber Soul-era Beatles, Bright Eyes,
Simon and Garfunkel, or Nick Drake" - music-city.org
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