Artist description Acoustic guitar based indie-pop with melodic chord phrasings and hooks.

Music Style Indi-Pop

Musical Influences Jimmy Page, The Beatles, Elliott Smith, Neil Young

Similar Artists Elliott Smith, The Beatles, Badly Drawn Boy, Beck, Wilco, Nick Drake, Grandaddy, +/-

Artist History Since relocating from Boston to San Francisco in 1997, Ara's songwriting has evolved considerably; openly exploring the relationship between guitar hook, melody, lyric and vocal expression. Like a fresh canvas, the west coast opened a vista on new musical discovery, partnership and sounds -- and the songs continue to pour out. Drawing on various musical influences including Elliott Smith, Badly Drawn Boy, The Beatles and Beck, Ara's debut CD You Are Here explores these landscapes while keeping true to the unique sounds and phrasings he hears internally. Culled from intensely personal experiences but striking universal chords, You Are Here is the rare record that feels familiar almost immediately. Not because it borrows directly from the past or baldly displays its influences, but rather, because it fits like your favorite shirt or pair of jeans; it just makes sense. Of course, sublime works such as these don't come easily, and for Ara, the CD was a long time--over five years--in the making. "It's been a dream for years," he says. "I had been bottling up ideas, musical notes and feelings. These are songs that I wish already existed, but since they didn't - I needed to write them." Ara developed and gestated his musical ideas for three years in San Francisco, playing out regularly and meeting local musicians. In 2001, he called upon several of those musician friends to help him record You Are Here. Rather than cut a simple four-song demo, Ara decided to go full-tilt and record a 12-song album, complete with lush string arrangement, pedal steel guitars (courtesy of The Court and Spark's Tom Heyman), four-part harmonies, and keyboards (courtesy of award-winning Jessica Will). The result is a complete package, from his emotional factory to your front door, Ara has been self-promoting this release, having stocked CD's online at CDBaby.com as well as on the shelves of popular Amoeba Records on Haight Street in San Francisco. He has also been gigging in the San Francisco area at venues like The Fillmore, Brainwash and Broadway Studios to name a few.

Instruments Martin HD-28, Gibson Les Paul Standard, Mandolin, Hohner Harmonica

Albums You Are Here

Press Reviews Sonicnet.com : You Are Here is an elegant tapestry of song, at times elegiac, at others, rejoicing. Masterful hooks push the listener to unexpected but welcome destinations. KWMR 90.5FM : Brilliant!

Location San Francisco, CA - USA

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