FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 22, 2014 DYNAMIC SINGER-SONGWRITER JANIVA MAGNESS PUSHES THE ROOTS, ROCK AND SOUL ENVELOPE WITH DARING
NEW ALBUM ORIGINAL

Award-winning performer’s eleventh release, out June 24, 2014,  
brings her songwriting skills and stunning range to the fore,
with help from Grammy nominated producer Dave Darling

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Janiva Magness’ new album Original stretches the artistic boundaries of roots, rock and soul music. Its 11 songs seamlessly weave all three genres into a highly original approach defined by nakedly honest storytelling and the live-wire emotionalism of Magness’ two-and-a-half octave range, buoyed by arrangements that effortlessly blend traditional sounds with edgy experimentation. “Let Me Breathe” opens Original with the amplified chunk of an electric guitar and the chime of a glockenspiel followed by the confessional lines, “Nobody’s perfect/Nobody knows that more than me,” setting a tone of frank self-assessment that resonates throughout the entire set, from the Stax-influenced celebration of dignity “Mountain” to the wanton “I Need A Man” to the concluding “Standing,” which confronts insecurity with true survivor’s resolve.Magness had much to overcome in making this adventurous album. Since 2010 she’s endured the dissolution of a 17-year marriage, the deaths of eight friends and relatives including her foster mother, and an operation for a serious neck injury that could have ended her accolade-filled career. Read More