New York, NY (Top40 Charts) "A wonderful chaos of life and beauty and art"
"Kravat can go from zero to rocker chick at a moment's notice"
"…A compelling EP…easily the highpoint of her career to date. After so many years away from the business,
Amanda is getting a second chance"
In recent interview features, critics continue to rave about singer-songwriter
Amanda Kravat's return to the music business. The story of her unlikely roller-coaster ride was captured masterfully by Allen Foster of AXS, who described Kravat as "a wonderful chaos of life and beauty and art." Read his engaging, lengthy interview feature, below -- "After so many years away from the business,
Amanda is getting a second chance," with a "compelling EP…that is easily the highpoint of her career to date."
Reviewers have compared her sound to Carole King, Sheryl Crow, The Rolling Stones, Aimee Mann, Chrissie Hynde and other superstar artists, saying that "Kravat can go from zero to rocker chick at a moment's notice," and describing her as "free-floating artistry in all its intriguing splendor."
Fans seem to agree: Kravat secured a surprising #3 debut on the iTunes Singer-Songwriter EP Chart, and a #29 debut on iTunes Singer-Songwriter Album Chart, upon Viper Records' recent release of her 'AK' EP. A bizarre new music video is currently being shot in New York, a Film & TV Licensing agreement has just been confirmed, and worldwide distribution is in the works.
Already featured via Performer Magazine, Huffington Post and elsewhere, Kravat's release has earned over-the-top reviews, citing her "limitless potential," and stating, she "can attack an emotional truth and rock it out," and "if her work on the EP is any indication of what she has to offer, welcome back." New and recent clips follow:
AXS - INTERVIEW FEATURE
By Allen Foster 3/31/15
https://www.axs.com/news/amanda-kravat-talks-about-her-triumphant-return-to-music-47047
Amanda Kravat talks about her triumphant return to music
Amanda Kravat was the dynamic front woman who led Marry Me Jane (Sony 550 Music/Epic Records) back in the 90s. At the time, she was opening for
Aerosmith and getting messages from
Prince while VH1 followed her around (for a year) intent on making a television show about her life.
However, that was a period in the music industry when labels erroneously thought they were infallible. Money was available in excess, and the majors had developed several practices that indicated a profound lack of business savvy. Consequently, Amanda's spotlight burned brightly, but then it went dark.
"It would have been great if somebody in a one million dollar machine would have pointed out to me that my last record for Sony had no single on it," the artist laughed. "Seriously, it's not like I'm unapproachable or anything. All somebody needed to say was, 'Could you go back into the studio and record a single?'"
Now, roughly a decade and a half later,
Amanda Kravat is a wonderful chaos of life and beauty and art. She has recently released a compelling EP entitled AK that is easily the highpoint of her career to date. After so many years away from the business,
Amanda is getting a second chance. She's standing poised, ready to take on the world with her engaging music that is informed by life.
When she was in her teens,
Amanda was given her first guitar. However, she didn't get any lessons to go with it. "They just figured I would figure it out or something, I guess,"
Amanda considered. "So there I was in this tiny, little bedroom in the back of this Upper West Side apartment, and I had no idea how to string a guitar. I was attempting to do it on my own and the high E string went through my lip!" She started laughing. "It got stuck all the way through and I couldn't even scream because every time I tried to move, it just hurt so much! It took me another ten years before I could even pick up a guitar again!"
Luckily, Kravat did get over her aversion to guitars. AK simply would not have had the sizzle it has if the artist would have opted for a pop synth soundscape instead of the tonal wonderland of glorious growls and tasteful twangs that it is. There is an intensity to the guitar parts that provide a striking contrast to Amanda's relaxed vocal swagger.
Another facet that makes this gifted artist's material such a treat is all the marvelous sensory elements that she has infused into her lyrics. You don't just hear her songs, as you watch them playing out in your head, you feel them, too.
"I've always been that way,"
Amanda confessed. "I think it might even be a kind of autism. I'm being serious! I was terrible in school. I could never remember a single word that I read, but I could certainly talk endlessly about the tree that I was staring at."
"I can pick up a book that I've read before and even when I'm halfway through it, I won't remember anything about it except the vibe or feeling I had while I was reading it for the first time," she elaborated. "I might remember, 'Oh yeah, I was on the train when I was reading that! Or, I might remember that I was freezing cold when reading it the first time. It's all sensory stuff."
Speaking of the sensory aspects of her creativity,
Amanda promised that her upcoming video for her single, "Not Myself Today," will be visually striking. "I can't wait for this video to be done!" she enthused. "Do you remember that movie, 'Brave,' that came out a few years ago? It had that girl with all that curly red hair? Well, we ordered a ton of Merida wigs, and we've got everyone in the video wearing one... even a dog!" she laughed. "Yeah, that's how my brain works! How scary is that?!"
When asked if there might be anything else that was important to her that she didn't get to discuss, the artist remarked, "Yeah, stop wearing heeled shoes! Why do women want to wear a pair of eight thousand dollar shoes with those little spikes sticking out of the bottom?" She laughed, then she became serious for a moment. "I used to be one of those people who would run away if somebody tried to hug me. But now that I'm older and happier and I have my own kids, I just want to hug people and do nice things."
Amanda Kravat's AK is currently available on Viper Records . For more information on this must-hear artist, visit her website , like her on Facebook , and follow her on Twitter . And, if you do nothing else, make sure you watch her lyric video to "I Could Tell You I Don't Love You ." The beautiful poignancy driving the song is
Amanda at her best. The soulfelt honesty of Kravat's impassioned performance is strong enough to change your outlook on life. That's the power of true art.
Foster's feature was also reprinted via Songwriter's Monthly:
https://www.facebook.com/SongwritersMonthly
AXS - Video Feature: Check out
Amanda Kravat's video, 'I Could Tell You I Don't Love You'
By Laurie Fanelli, 4/13/15
https://www.axs.com/news/check-out-amanda-kravat-s-video-i-could-tell-you-i-don-t-love-you-48635
New York-based singer-songwriter
Amanda Kravat is back and better than ever. After making a name for herself in the 1990s with Marry Me Jane, performing with Aerosmith's
Steven Tyler and working with VH1, she took a long hiatus to focus on her family and herself. Kravat recently released a new, four-song EP, entitled AK, which finds her exploring some of her most personal material to date.
The centerpiece of the EP is the heartbreaking love song "I Could Tell You I Don't Love You ." The deeply poetic sentiment of the track is enhanced by an accompanying lyric video. The song begins soft and sweet and patiently develops into an emotional peak before coming back down with a longing sadness.
In a recent interview with AXS , Kravat expressed her excitement for her new EP and the visually striking video for her song "Not Myself Today." "I can't wait for this video to be done!" she said. "Do you remember that movie, 'Brave,' that came out a few years ago? It had that girl with all that curly red hair? Well, we ordered a ton of Merida wigs, and we've got everyone in the video wearing one... even a dog!"
It's this free creativity, paired with Kravat's open storytelling, that makes her music resonate with fans. After suffering from terrible panic attacks and experiencing the death of her father, Kravat regrouped and used these traumatic events to make brave, touching music. The pain that she felt can be heard in her expressive vocals, but there is also strength at the core of her powerful melodies. Kravat can go from zero to rocker chick at a moments notice.
Besides performing with Marry Me Jane, Kravat has also previously worked on several films. She composed scores for "If Lucy Fell" and "Never Again," among other great movies. She also appeared in the 1997 film "Most Wanted," which starred Jon Voight and Keenen Ivory Wayans.
Kravat's new EP debuted at No. 3 on iTunes' singer-songwriter EP chart, revealing that her partnership with Viper Records is off to a great start with this debut release. AK has recently been confirmed for international distribution and Kravat is in talks for a film and TV licensing deal. Kravat's return to music is an inspiring example of someone taking their life into their own hands and making great art to share with the world.
Check out the video for "I Could Tell You I Don't Love You" above and click here to pick-up AK by
Amanda Kravat. Keep your eyes peeled for tour dates, which should be announced later this year.
LIB MAGAZINE - ARTIST OF THE WEEK - INTERVIEW FEATURE -
By
Kelly Farley, 2/26/15 https://libmagazine.com/singer-amanda-kravat-steps-outside-herself-lib-artist-of-the-week/
Singer
Amanda Kravat
Steps Outside Herself
Amanda Kravat is a lyrical powerhouse with the ability to touch nearly anyone's heart through her music. Described as "deep" and "rocker chick", Kravat has used her impressive talents to create songs inspired by her compassion for the abused, as well as her own angst brought on by tragedy. Amanda, a New York native, has channeled the power to unify a world of audiences through songs that have earned her immense critical acclaim and top spots on Itunes EP and Amazon music charts. Hitting it off with
Steven Tyler doesn't hurt an artist, either.
What inspired you to become a singer and songwriter? I became a singer/songwriter/musician/whatever people call me, because I started out as one. I grew up always making music. Singing songs, or plucking at an instrument. Mom sang to us all the time. She would make up little ditties on the spot, about drying off our toesies or eating all our peas. She is funny and quite musical. It runs on both sides of my family. I always envied the other kids who were growing up uncertain of what or who they would become as adults. But I always knew what I wanted to do, I couldn't help it. Couldn't wait to get out there and do my thing!
Since you are originally from NYC, did you feel at an advantage compared to those who migrate to big cities in hopes of fame? Growing up in New York City I was really lucky to have access to all kinds of different music. And access to amazing musicians and great places to play. Really quite an advantage.
How did you end up collaborating with Aerosmith? I must ask, is Mr. Tyler as animated and ready to belt out tunes offstage as he appears during concerts?!
I met
Steven Tyler through a friend, and while I was waiting for a session to end at my first love, Avatar Studios (nee Power Station) I was strumming and singing a new song I had just written. And Steven popped out and started singing a phenomenal (and impossible) harmony and that was that. The man is on fire, all the time. He embodies music. He never stops singing. I wouldn't either, if I had his pipes!!
How do you feel about "YouTube artists" who often reach millions of people before ever actually performing live - compared to more traditional ways of live bands and networking in person? I think anyone who does anything creative deserves a pat on the back. Anything except people making art with the goal of becoming famous feels OK to me. That's generally transparent and that kind of contribution to society, well, we can all live without it. That's contributing to people's shallow, selfish natures. We need to give to people and take care of each other, not just buy things and get attention. Back to the point tho, I happen to find "seasoned" musicians more interesting, I love seeing someone sparkle onstage as well as on record. But a great bit of music is great in any form. So if some 13-year old from
Houston sings and posts a song on youtube and someone else gets to enjoy it, go get 'em. The only thing that depresses me is that people aren't really buying whole records (CDs) anymore. They just stream them. There's something about plunking down cash and owning something that feels more righteous to me. Also I like hard copies, I love to hold the artwork and read the inside. But most people don't bother even printing credits or "liner notes" anymore.
Who are the most influential persons you have met in music thusfar? I met
Paul McCartney and I worked with
Steven Tyler and Aerosmith. Need I go further? Can we just say I'm absurdly lucky?
Are your songs written from personal experiences? Yeah, 'Not Myself Today' was about my panic attacks. But sometimes I'll read an article or meet someone that will inspire me, like an old single on mine, '21'. That one was about a kid who was abused by his mother. That wasn't my story, but I tried to imagine what he felt like. I heard a whole song once, as an express roared past the 79th street station. Everything's from personal experience. I try to step outside of my own little box, but I'm not too imaginative.
Lastly, what are your future plans (in music or otherwise)? Upcoming tour dates? Looks like I'll be doing a little touring in the Spring, but mostly I just want to keep writing and recording!
VENTS MAGAZINE - INTERVIEW FEATURE
By RJ Frometa 12/30/14 Read the full article, here:
https://ventsmagazine.com/interview-amanda-kravat/
BlogCritics - Four-Star Editor's Pick:
'Amanda Kravat makes a welcomed return.'
By Jack Goodstein / December 31, 2014 READ THE REVIEW HERE:
https://blogcritics.org/music-review-amanda-kravat-returns-with-ak-ep/
ALSO RAN VIA SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER AND ELSEWHERE:
https://www.seattlepi.com/lifestyle/blogcritics/article/Music-Review-Amanda-Kravat-Returns-with-AK-EP-5989121.php
AbsolutePunk by Gregory Robson 11/26/14 (excerpts):
Everyone loves an overcomer, an artist who fights tooth and nail for what they believe. New York City-based singer-songwriter
Amanda Kravat is such an artist. Her four song EP AK is a DIY effort that vacillates between late 90s alt-rock (think Alanis Morrisette) and plaintive piano balladry (think Carole King). Written as a result to a series of panic attacks she was suffering, AK is a deeply personal and powerful work that charms and delights. …the placid piano ballad "I Could Tell You I Don't Love You" is heartfelt and tender and proves Kravat's limitless potential. Penultimate effort "Wouldn't Be This" has a definitive
Sheryl Crow vibe and meanders along through a mid-tempo melancholy that has a pronounced sense of gravity. The EP closes with "Somebody Else is Driving," a big-hearted slice of alt folk-rock with a towering chorus and the most promise of any of AK's songs. It is here and on "Not Myself Today" that AK resonates, smolders and simmers. Whether AK launches Kravat out of the ever-crowded Manhattan singer-songwriter scene remains to be seen. For now, it's a welcome tonic to the onset of winter.
FUN PHOTOS:
Amanda is currently at work on a new video for the track 'Not Myself Today' - she promises something bizarre, fun and packed with red hair! Here's a behind-the-scenes screen-cap. More details coming soon…
And here's
Amanda with the great Will Lee, during a visit with some friends backstage at Late Show With
David Letterman - and yes, that's Dave's desk!
Other Reviewers have praised, "If there's any justice, that would be wider stardom for Kravat, whose sense of rigorous wit amidst impossibly gorgeous hooks (not to mention that shock of hair) recalls Aimee Mann. But there's some of Chrissie Hynde's could-give-a-shit toughness, too. Credit for this layered approach probably goes to life choices, which saw her putting aside the music business to raise a family." See additional clips below.
The EP release marks Kravat's return to the music business after a multi-year hiatus. This is a rare 'second chance' music industry story — an established artist who took a trip down the 'major label/pursuit of the big hit' rabbit hole, and has thankfully come out the other side. In interviews, below,
Amanda chronicles the often rocky road from being signed to Sony in her twenties to having VH-1 film her for an entire year (for a TV show that ended up not airing, really it was what would become 'Reality TV' as we know it today,) to touring with Aerosmith, to having
Steven Tyler sing on one of her albums, to maintaining her sobriety on the road to finally opting out of the industry, having kids and gaining a much-needed sense of grounding and family...she's started fresh...one of the lucky ones...
PERFORMER MAGAZINE
MEDLEYVILLE.US Interview and Song Premiere. By Chris
Junior 10/14/14
FEELING MORE LIKE HERSELF
Amanda Kravat resumes music career with new EP
(From Performer Magazine, originally printed via Medleyville.US)
Interview: https://performermag.com/amanda-kravat-resumes-music-career-with-new-ep/
Interview: https://www.medleyville.us/2014/10/feeling_more_like_herself_amanda_kravat_feature.html
SomethingElseReviews -
Sneak Peek Song Premiere
By Nick DeRiso 10/13/14
https://somethingelsereviews.com/2014/10/13/amanda-kravat-sneak-peek/
Amanda Kravat starts in a moment of every-dayness, then as "Wouldn't Be This" catches a contemplative groove, she begins crafting a billowing dream of what could be — for herself, and for this song."Wouldn't Be This," which advances a new four-song EP called AK from Viper Records , builds with an enveloping power, adding layers of scrumptious pop beauty even as Kravat continues to sharpen the lyric. As pretty as the track can no doubt be, it's not soft. Instead, she's facing things as they are, even as she determinedly begins to clear a path for what will most assuredly come next. If there's any justice, that would be wider stardom for Kravat, whose sense of rigorous wit amidst impossibly gorgeous hooks (not to mention that shock of hair) recalls Aimee Mann. But there's some of Chrissie Hynde's could-give-a-shit toughness, too. Credit for this layered approach probably goes to life choices, which saw her putting aside the music business to raise a family. This is a song written by someone who's seen life outside of the corner coffee-house bandstand, and it's all the better for those experiences — both good and bad. AK, mixed by Mark Saunders of
David Bowie and the Cure fame, heralds
Amanda Kravat's next chapter. Due for digital release on October 14, 2014 with national distribution to follow via INgrooves/Fontana in early 2015, the EP is rounded out by "Not Myself Today," "I Could Tell You I Don't Love You" and "Somebody Else is Driving."
HUFFINGTON POST
Interview and Song Premiere
10/6/14, by Michael Ragogna -- huff.to/1s3noMn
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/mike-ragogna/conversations-with-jamie_b_5937064.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
HEAR SEE DAILY - Song Review - https://hearseedaily.tumblr.com/post/99384951118/hear-new-music-from-amanda-kravat-the-marry-me
Michael Doherty's
Music Blog - 11/26/14 - Read the full review, here: https://michaelsmusiclog.blogspot.co.uk/2014/11/amanda-kravat-ak-2014-cd-review.html
"I'm lucky I get a second chance," Kravat comments. 'AK' marks her return to making music after a multi-year hiatus during which she raised two kids, built a more grounded life, and re-discovered her creative 'voice' -- "I've always thought of myself as an alright enough songwriter...but so much noise always got in the way, either inside my own head or just nearby. Finally I feel like I can get through that haze. I still haven't bought my mother the house I promised her years ago - that would be nice. But if I can make good music for people who want to hear it, and have that music support me and my family, I'd be a happy camper. Success for the sake of fame is not a goal (observing my celebrity friends has taught me that). I've always struggled to find real balance in my tightrope life…feels like I'm closer than I've ever been."
Artist-songwriter
Amanda Kravat is a rare blend of insightful, emotional, deep and exuberant, all dolled up to match her bright orange hair. Evoking the lyrical vigor of Aimee Mann, the Pop ear of Sara Bareilles, the confidence of Chrissie Hynde, and the over-the-top style of Steven Tyler, Kravat recorded her Viper Records debut EP 'AK' live-to-2" tape at the famed Magic Shop in NYC.
Kravat's witty and melodic four-song collection suggests glimmers of her heroes Cheap Trick,
Neil Finn and more, and was mixed by Mark Saunders (David Bowie, Shiny Toy Guns, The Cure, Neneh Cherry). Kravat's frenetic opening track 'Not Myself Today' and its wailing crescendo suggest a panic attack/collapse down the rabbit hole; the gorgeous ballad 'I Could Tell You I Don't Love You' is the EP's centerpiece and easily one of the most elegant and memorable love songs to emerge in some time; 'Wouldn't Be This' evokes
Semisonic on a Sunday morning, and 'Somebody Else is Driving' sets "faith in a Higher Power" to an uptempo beat. Viper released the EP on October 28th, with broader national distribution via INgrooves/Fontana (UMG).
More about
Amanda Kravat:
NY-based songwriter/performer/rocker-chick Kravat is a jack-of-many-trades who has toured with
Aerosmith (opening for the rock legends with her former band Marry Me Jane,) and as she's said, "had a dash of the spotlight in her twenties". Things happened fast: VH-1 spent a year filming
Amanda and her (then) band Marry Me Jane, for a show that never aired, 'Making the Band'.
Little did Kravat know at the time that it was an early version of the 'Reality TV' phenomenon that would saturate American culture in years to follow; Tommy Hilfiger custom-made a line of stage clothing for her; she was cast in movies; Billboard featured her on its cover. It was heady stuff, buzzworthy for sure, even as the band chased the elusive 'hit single'. Yet there was a heartbreaking element to it as well…the TV show you work on for a year doesn't air; the album everyone says is radio-friendly doesn't find its breakthrough song.
Amanda needed to be resilient.
With a cinematic songwriting style, it's not surprising that numerous tracks by Kravat have been featured in motion pictures (including in films starring Ben Stiller, Jill Clayburgh,
Sarah Jessica Parker and more). In fact, one of her ballads, the lush, dramatic "Green (You Can't Touch Me)," caused a bit of an internet stir after it appeared in the closing titles of an independent film, years ago. Fans were so impacted by the song (listen to it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvxfm1c7SqQ ,) that they rented the film (on VHS at the time,) and recorded the track, with overlapping movie dialogue, and posted/shared it online, using the then-cutting-edge service, Limewire. Once on the web, the song took on a life of its own, and ultimately lead
Amanda to release it officially, as part of an indie compilation project.
Kravat released two albums on Sony/550 with her band MMJ, before going solo with her indie debut Wrong All Day (which ranked #1 on five different Amazon charts upon its release.) Critics have said she "recalls the likes of Sheryl Crow,
Aimee Mann and Tori Amos," and over the years she has been featured on the cover of Billboard Magazine, on CNN, in The Village Voice, NY Daily News and scores of other outlets. Recently signed to Indie Rock, Pop and Hip Hop label Viper Records (their first female act,) Kravat looks forward to making a renewed impact with her songwriting in the months and years ahead.
Tour dates will be announced soon.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-Kravat/54572840317
Visit: https://www.Amandakravat.com/
Visit: https://www.viperrecords.com/artists/amanda-kravat/
Twitter: @amanda_kravat https://twitter.com/Amanda_Kravat
https://www.facebook.com/viperrecords
Viper Records is distributed via INgrooves/Fontana (UMG).
