Autumn's sophomore album, "Velvet Sky" is a love letter to the moments in life that enliven our spirits, stir our dreams, and touch our souls. Marking a significant artistic stride, Autumn's eloquent performance and seasoned songwriting resonates wildly throughout, shining deep into the heart of life. Influenced by a mosaic of sounds, "Velvet Sky" is a medley of gospel-inspired balladry and Folk/Americana, masterfully fused together with Autumn's unique style and sensibility.
Teaming up once again with producers Walt Wilkins and Tim Lorsch (Sugarcane, 2006), "Velvet Sky" combines uncluttered instrumentation with potent, expressive vocals, creating a sparse yet resounding musical experience. Along with seven new originals including "Rain Down", "Trees", and "Higher", Autumn enlists Walt Wilkin's songwriting dexterity, performing his tracks "Velvet Sky", "Lessons Never Learned", "Trains I Missed" and the Wilkin's and Liz Rose collaboration, "We Made the Spirits Move". A galvanizing version of Patty Griffin's "Nobody's Crying" compliments the vulnerable cadence of four other Autumn originals, "Sunny", "Cowgirl Confessions", "Eagles", and "Paint".
Serving as the female sidekick for the 1 rated "JB and Sandy Morning Show" on Mix 94.7 KAMX Austin, Autumn's listening fanbase quickly bloomed throughout Texas with the release of her first album "Sugarcane".
The Oklahoma native first took piano lessons at age 7, her repertoire soon expanding to voice, drums, flute, and guitar. With scholarship offers from across the country, Autumn chose the prestigious music program at the University of Texas in Austin, graduating in 2004 with a degree in Classical Piano. She attests that it was during these formative college years, she discovered and honed a talent and desire for songwriting.
'Velvet Sky' was recorded in Nashville, Tennesee at the Dog Den, engineered and mixed by Bill McDermott. Also recorded in Austin, Texas at Jumping Dog, engineered by Rob Flynt, with a live recording of piano/vocal .." at The Zone in Austin, Texas. In addition to Autumn on vocals and specific piano and organ tracks, she is joined by Sam Baker, Tina Mitchell Wilkins, Ryan Turner, Walt Wilkins, Josh and Christy Grider, Tim Lorsch, and renowned Texas hippietonkers, The Mystiqueros. :: For booking, please email: booking@autumnonline.com ::
Velvet Sky Reviews & Interviews
Maverick Magazine
March 2009 - Issue 80
"This is a great Americana album by a talented singer-songwriter with a gem of a voice. There will never be a winter of discontent if Autumn is always as good as this." 4 out of 5 stars
Read the full review! Issues available at www.maverick-country.com
Sights & Sounds
Review by Scott Baker
"An up-and-coming vocalist from Texas is starting to gain momentum with her strident tunesmith writing and a flare for feel in the Americana/Folk vein."
A Fifty Cent Lighter & A Whiskey Buzz
Nelson at WDVX Americana Radio- Knoxville, TN
"...She is a songwriter from Austin, TX who has covered Patty Griffin on each of her first two albums and works with Fats Kaplan and Danny Flowers on her new album. If you can judge an artist by the company they keep... I'll certainly be keeping an eye on Autumn in the future."
"...a good example of the best of original music spawned, nurtured and produced in Austin. Easy on the ears... thoughtful and spiritual. Buy one for yourself and one to give away. Here's to the trains I've missed."
John Shelton Ivany Top 21by John Shelton Ivany
"Autumn creates incredibly well developed country-inspired singer songwriter folk. With extensive pop sensability and not much holding her back, Autumn makes her presence more than well known on this album: she makes herself seen in the spotlight of the album through and through. Her voice is beautiful and emotional, but not cheesy with twang or drenched in auto-tune. Perfectly produced, and not really too much of anything. An incredibly solid pop album."
"Autumn followed up her notable 2006 release, Sugarcane, by remembering the first lesson of a sophomore release: Give the audience plenty of what it came for the first time. Autumn's warm voice wraps "Lessons Never Learned" and "Trains I Missed" in the blanket of folky Americana. The Walt Wilkins-Tim Lorsch produced Velvet Sky posits Autumn alongside Wendy Colonna among the strongest of Austin's new songwriters."
Times Record News- Witchita Fallsby Don Chance
"The new set from Austin-based singing, piano-playing songwriter Autumn Boukadakis might not feature the breathy vocals of today’s country radio divas, or the frilly, shallow lyrics, but she has something the radio chicks don’t have: Raw talent and a strong sense of musical artistry. I wish her the absolute best luck with it."
"Autumn's appealing, quietly emotional voice can be as strong and smooth as the velvet sky in the title song, confident and bluesy enough that it could belong to a gospel soloist."
Folk and Acoustic Music Exchangeby Bob Gottlieb
"It is one of those rich mosaics of music that seems to develop new levels with every listening. A true gem that has been shaped for our pleasure, enjoy this it is one of the finest to come along in quite awhile."
"...as a piano-based composer recording in Nashville there's more weight to her arrangements, and gospel vocal inflections steer this to a soulful realm. That soulfulness is reinforced by lyrics that form an inner-monolog of human isolation, spiritual faith and sought-after redemption."
"Autumn should be nominated in the Best New Artist category, for a Country Music Award. That is our view for what it is worth. If you appreciate, well-crafted songs and you want to be the first person on your block or in your social group to say that you own a CD, by the next big star in, whether you want to call it Country or Americana music then you should already be planning to purchase Velvet Sky."
"If the songs contained on Velvet Sky are any indication, Autumn has beaten the sophomore slump... ...If you haven't discovered Autumn yet, there's still hope... A+"
Click HERE to dowload the October issue and read the FULL review!
Wildy's World
"Velvet Sky is a masterful album that explores the still waters of Autumn's musical vision. And oh those waters run deep. Rating: 5 Stars (Out of 5)"
"Take some confessional 70's singer/songwriter vibe, filter it through 90's angst and leaven it with some contemporary Texas songwriting sisters and you get a voice for contemporary college girls that are more into reality than reality shows..."
"Her songwriting style on this album is more advanced than most of the artists that I have heard come out of the singer/songwriter genre as of late… …if you like lyrics that are put together in the perfect, relatable ways then you will love this album.”
Performance Review: CD Release at One World Theatre
"It was a great evening all the way around. ...Autumn has an excellent voice and plays a nice piano which is not a complement of the piano but her playing of the same."
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 162 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; Historic buildings are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
Hi stopping by to say Hi and invite you to a listen of my new minute long version of White Christmas.Thank you for your support and the Best To you always. tim
Sometimes when i look around, all i see is misery, despair, frustration and pain...
Then, i close my eyes, take a couple deep breaths, RELAX...And ask myself, "WHAT IF all I saw was what I WANTED TO SEE?" Then, I open my eyes. I see the sun, I see the blue sky, I see my girls smiling back at me, I see life...
And then, lo and behold, I see nothing but OPPORTUNITY...
Thanks for reading. And if you enjoy these little sayings I send out, take a look at my site, http://TankJones.com and take a look at my blogs. You can also see a lot of pics of events I've done, music I've made and learn about my foundation.
I hope your fall tour wnet well. Things have been very busy with The Hot Sauce festival and our CD release. I would love to get you a copy of our CD. I do not know if you are back home and I am sure you are trying tio rest some. We are playing tonigt at Lamberts around 12:15 if you wnat to catch our show. I should also mention I am trying to write a little with my first song that is up on my page. We hope to play it soon. Best wishes.
Autumn, How's it going? I just wanted to let you know that my debut CD "Like I'm Beautiful" is now available on iTunes, on sale for only $5.94 this week!
Hope that you enjoy and have a blessed day! Kelly Murray
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