Ferraby Lionheart, a Los Angeles transplant from Nashville,Tennesse, lives in a studio apartment in Korea Town. He owns a guitar and a piano. He idolizes Shel Silverstein and Judy Garland. Ferraby recorded his self-titled EP in the living room of his small apartment. Except for track six, "Something to Love", which was recorded in the kitchen.
This is the solo debut for the singer/songwriter from Nashville. Till now, Ferraby has fronted the exquisite pop rock outfit Telecast who, after forming in 2003 immediately attracted attention from musical higher-ups in Los Angeles. Jon Brion, famed and exalted, genius producer, film scorer and artist in his own right, attended Telecast's second show. Later Jon gave Ferraby's songwriting his personal seal of approval with an impromptu duet one Friday night at Brion's legendary Hollywood show. Telecast recorded a self-released EP with Joey Waronker at NRG in N. Hollywood, which was picked up by UK indie label, Falsetto Records.
A prolific and maturing songwriter/producer, Ferraby now delivers an astonishingly beautiful and intimate solo effort, and with no help from a record label has surprisingly attracted the most attention thus far, receiving airplay on a half dozen (major) indie stations across the country, glowing online reviews, and thousands of passionate Myspace fans, all within a few months. His music, overflowing with soft, heartfelt melodies, and gracious insights into love and loss, hopefully provides a glimpse at what is to come from the slight, dark-haired songwriter from the South. The new EP weaves an effortless blend of classic pop, folk, and country tunes into a kind of elegant and shimmering quilt, a cover, an escape-a work which bears both a quiet poetry and an aching secret. Ferraby Lionheart's timeless songmanship is truly the mark of a classic in the making.
“Silver Lake folkie is already gaining an audience for his all-nerves-exposed pop songs.” Los Angeles Times -- Ten Bands on the Horizon in 2007
“After listening to Ferraby Lionheart's piano- and guitar-fueled folksy, bedroom-pop gems, it's hard to believe the Nashville-born, Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter is unsigned.” Spin -- Hey, This is Awesome!
Nylon’s “The Young and the Restless”- These Musicians, designers, artists, and multitaskers keep L.A.’s mojo rising.
“Fans of Rufus Wainwright, Elliott Smith, and The Beatles will want to get involved with Ferraby, a piano-and-guitar folkie that comes to us from the hipster-haven of Silver Lake, CA (but truly calls Nashville "home"). There's whimsy to his melodies and poignancy to his lyrics, but the timbre of his voice was the initial draw. A bit of a "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" feel to "The Fighter," but that's alright 'cause, at that point, Lionheart is just getting started. He's studied the family tree well, double-tracking "Won't Be Long"'s vocals (a la Elliott) to earn that instant, endearing vulnerability. We think you'll enjoy.”
Stereogum- Artist to Watch
“It takes a damn talented musician to pull off songs with such stripped down arrangements, and Ferraby Lionheart is just that…Finding new music as great as Ferraby Lionheart's EP is like finding a needle in a haystack. Although most of the time it results in nothing but disappointment, occasionally you stumble upon that one great new artist that makes the search worthwhile.”
The Tripwire
“Jangly pop chords with tremendously catchy vocals jump out at you via the album opener and knee-rocker “Tickets to Crickets”. A total genius, Ferraby Lionheart makes Nashville his home in its Korea Town section. It’s that odd quirkness of Asian meets country that veins its way into the eclectic yet masterfully intelligent pop of this self-titled EP. Piano and guitar-centric pop that leans heavily on the vocals to get it from one end to the next, Ferraby Lionheart just might have redefined what we have come to expect from Nashville.”
Smother Magazine
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