WARREN NORTH IS AN EXPERIENCED PERFORMER & MUSICIAN WHO LEADS THE MUSIC SCENE.

“Listeners can enjoy the presence of light doo-wop harmonies as they underscore a catchy, jaunty melody that calls the songwriting of Paul McCartney to mind.”

- Gerard Longo (Underground Music Collective)

Warren North is from everywhere and nowhere. Sure, if asked he'll tell you about growing up in suburban New Jersey and Eastern PA and warmly recount how he was initially influenced to pick up a guitar because of his parents' classic rock cassettes – The Beatles, The Cars, Zeppelin. He'll tell you that he started singing and writing on guitar as it seemed the most direct way to express emotion. But Warren North is from everywhere and nowhere because his pop-rock songs transcend trends while the recordings that envelop them seem perfectly in the moment. From a fan perspective, Warren seems to know something we don't, as if he knows what we've been through in our lives and also being a step ahead culturally. When describing Warren North's music or persona, there is always x AND y.

Warren North's latest release (Fall 2016) is a solo EP titled, Game of Love. The songs, spearheaded by the single “Cafe,” are a warmly-recorded, retro-modern mix of Motown, 80s pop, and Beatle-Esque melodies. “Cafe” and the Game of Love EP are available at all major digital services.

It's Warren's ability to write timeless songs with viral melodies that has propelled his career thus far, with his band Sunsets North and now as a solo artist. In the short span of a few years, he has sold 5,000 CDs and digital downloads, gained over 20,000 YouTube views on his music videos, and has a vast amount of live performance experience (you kind of stop keeping count after the first 1,000 gigs). Sunsets North, with Warren as frontman and sole songwriter, has received airplay, won contests, and played officially-sanctioned shows for commercial radio stations in major markets, including being asked to play live during PM drive on Philadelphia's Radio 104.5 - twice.

Of course, no artist is really “solo.” Talented people in the music industry feel compelled to attach their own names and effort to other talents that they believe have a bright artistic and commercial future. Warren's first album as Sunsets North was produced by Rob Freeman, who also worked with Hidden In Plain View (Drive-Thru Records). The new solo EP, Game of Love, was produced by and received musicianship from Allen Carrescia (Berklee College of Music), himself having been pursued by industry insiders. Knowing this, the accomplished results on Game of Love are no surprise.

Warren's knack for surrounding himself with talented pros to get stellar results can also be seen in his music videos. The latest, for the song “Cafe” off of Game of Love, was viewed 11,000 times on YouTube in its first week and it isn't slowing down.

Warren North is that extremely rare regional artist who is ready for a national audience. Industry types have already felt that rare, elusive “x-factor” in his songs and persona, from producers to radio programmers to booking agents. His accomplishments prove that he's ready, as he steps forward under his own name. To paraphrase one of his favorite writers, buy the ticket and take this ride to everywhere. Warren will see to it that you're well rewarded.

WARREN NORTH - SLOW IT DOWN

WARREN NORTH - GAME OF LOVE

WARREN NORTH - GAME OF LOVE REVIEW

By Jamie Funk

Warren North is an artist from Philadelphia who recently released Game of Love. The biggest umbrella you could label his music as is pop. That being said each song has a distinctly different flavor.

North opens with the title track which sounded somewhere between a number of 80’s pop stars including INXS, Huey Lewis and the News, and Robert Palmer. It’s not only the songwriting but also the production was a hit of nostalgia for being a young teenager in those years.

The song bursts with exuberance. North vocals sound great. I also thought the sax and the Peter Frampton-sounding vocal effect worked really well in the song. The lyrics are pretty straightforward. He sings “When you run out of luck Once is not enough, and you're Losing in the game of love”.

My personal favorite track was “Cafe”. The song is a little more emotionally resonant with the lead piano backing up the vocals. I was actually reminded of a band not from the ’80s on this one (although there were some 80’s elements as well). There was a band called Fountains of Wayne that this song has similarities to. The chorus is catchy and infectious. There is no denying that.

“She's Got a Hold on Me” is the most rock-based and also in a number of ways the most poppy sounding of the batch. The horns are a big plus here. He closes with “Break the Mold” which sounding like a standard intimate singer/songwriter. “Break the Mold” felt the least defined to me and could easily get lumped in with many other songs because of that.

I thought North was strongest when he embraced some of the 80’s aesthetics. There are a lot of bands who embrace bands from that generation but it's not that often that you hear this particular niche.

I hope North comes out with a longer EP or album to really define his style in stone. It felt a bit elusive with these four songs.

North is certainly one to keep an eye out for. In the meantime, there is plenty to appreciate with these four songs. And make sure not to miss the video below.

https://www.divideandconquermusic.com

WARREN NORTH - GAME OF LOVE (Recap)

By GERARD LONGO

Game of Love “ a vintage look at modern romance” one that borrows from popular music’s old school while sounding accessible for the present. Opening and title track “Game of Love” is a funky, upbeat way to start the record; one that seems to borrow some influence from contemporary acts like Daft Punk and X Ambassadors.

''Cafe'' is Warren North's debut single. The story of “Cafe” finds North as the protagonist, trying to muster up the courage to show his affection – or at the very least, say hello – to a woman he desires. These innocent lyrics are a refreshing throwback to an era of popular music where chivalry was alive and well.

A bit later, the emotion is palpable on “She’s Got a Hold on Me,” as North’s vocal bubbles with desperation to escape the addiction of a toxic-turning relationship. Closing the effort is “Break the Mold,” a tender ballad for the hopeless romantic in all of us.

https://undergroundmusiccollective.com

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