After channeling the elemental energy of their ever-swelling fanbase to carry out what's undoubtedly the band's most ambitious musical mission to date, Adam Ezra Group is poised to unleash the full force of their 15th album "Hurricane Wind," which will be released, free of charge for two weeks, through NoiseTrade on Sunday, May 21st.
"Hurricane Wind," which has been not only fan-funded but also fan-produced, is the sonic manifestation of Adam Ezra Group's intrinsic dedication to that fan community they love so dearly. Together, they've long-shared a crucial, galvanizing belief: that making music together is itself a form of grassroots organizing, capable of nothing less than changing the world.
For the Boston-based rockers, such an innovative, inclusive approach to releasing music is right on target. This roots-steeped, road-trippin' collective of musicians has been powering past expectations and breaking down barriers for over a decade now, all the while staying true to their belief in the importance of crafting rawly truthful music, giving back to the world around them, and building an unwavering, unaffected community of listeners.
Recently, the group's songwriting and activism caught the eye of John Oates, of Hall & Oates fame. For the past year and a half, Ezra and Oates have been regular writing partners, meeting up in Nashville between tours. Three of their co-writes are featured on "Hurricane Wind," and Oates himself joined Ezra in the studio to sing and play on the album. They performed their first co-written song, "All I Am", live in-studio as an acoustic duet, a process also shared with fans, who were invited along for a virtual tour of the studio as well as granted access to unreleased studio performances.
Last December, AEG galvanized their community partnership by releasing 23 studio demos to fans, including multiple collaborations with Oates. Ezra established an innovative framework through which fans could follow the process of song arrangement and studio tracking, help whittle the album down to just 11 polished final cuts, steer artwork creation, and assist in naming the project itself.
The now-cemented title, "Hurricane Wind," speaks to an elemental, overpowering force of nature, a quality AEG believes exists in every human being and can be magnified when infused with music and community. From foot-stomping sing-along "Steal Your Daughter" to life-affirming anthem "I Believe" and tender "You Speak Girl," "Hurricane Wind" is a truly communal experience, its songs as aw ash in big-hearted, full-throated storytelling as they are anchored by exhilarating instrumentation and frontman Adam Ezra's warm, earnest vocals.
"Hurricane Wind" will be available for download for free from May 21st to June 2nd through NoiseTrade from the Adam Ezra Group website. and at www.noisetrade.com/
