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Lauren DePino, vocalist/songwriter and Bill Riechers, pianist/songwriter, have always found unique reasons to share their craft. From performing at Temple University functions to writing personalized songs for special events, Lauren and Bill have been making their musical mark on Philadelphia. For the past three years, they have been providing a source of comfort through music at Catholic funerals. Finally, they spent the past year penning a plethora of songs and creating a demo. Lauren’s voice is known for its pureness, sweetness, and sincerity, and Bill’s accompaniments are innovative, propulsive, and technically dazzling. Their individual talents combined with their thoughtful lyrics and timeless melodies touch and inspire audiences of all ages.
Despite her many interests, Lauren decided to focus on songwriting after graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a double major in English and Spanish and a philosophy minor. Lauren has been performing since the age of five and has sung internationally at venues such as the Valley of the Fallen in northern Spain and Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic. She has sung the national anthem at various sporting events, including Temple Basketball games and Camden Rivershark games. Landing the leads in her high school musicals, her peers deemed her “Most Likely to Appear on Broadway” and voted her onto the homecoming court.
For Bill Riechers, the piano has become an extension of his arms. Since the age of five, Bill has had the uncanny ability to hear a song once and then play it back with his own twist. His intuition and rigorous training at Temple University as a Jazz piano performance major has equipped him with the skills to be the seasoned songwriter/pianist/accompanist that he is today. Throughout his high school years, Bill was honored to be the youngest player in a notable New Jersey swing band called the Nocturnes, who played with eminent Swing Era performers. Bill not only writes his own music for Almost Awake, but also composes piano accompaniment for Lauren’s songs.
Lauren lists Allison Krauss as one of her favorite singers and Elton John, Howard Ashman, and Alan Menken as her favorite songwriters, while Bill cites Ben Folds, Randy Newman, and Suddenly, Tammy! as some of his influences.
Bill brings dark and depth-filled melodies to the table while many of Lauren’s songs are sunny and more treble-based.
Lauren and Bill are preparing to record their music professionally with Jud Friedman in Los Angeles, songwriter/producer/manager who has worked with Whitney Houston and Barbara Streisand among other successful artists. Most recently, Lauren and Bill have performed at the Java Joint Café (Levittown, PA), 11 East Coffee House (Glassboro, NJ), and Emjay’s Café (Mullica Hill, NJ). They have played at the Grape Street in Manayunk three times, headlining their latest Saturday night performance. Their list of performances continues to increase as they polish more original songs.
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