iTunes’ “Indie Spotlight†has consistently given music listeners a delightful taste of the best new music from rising stars – and this week’s bunch proves it! Peasant, with a brand new single, “The Endâ€, is currently featured both as an Indie Spotlight artist on the front page of iTunes, as well as appearing alongside such notable acts as Dave Bazan, Kate Walsh, Liam Finn, and A.A. Bondy in the Indie Spotlight Podcast (singer/songwriter catagory)!
Purchase Peasant’s “The End†digital single from iTunes here: http://www.iTunes.com/peasant/the_end
Check out Peasant’s on this week’s Indie Spotlight Podcast here: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=59375400&id=294278913
Purchase Peasant’s “The End†7-inch vinyl here: http://www.papergardenrecords.com/shop/item/47
BIO
Peasant is Damien DeRose, 23-year-old poet turned artiste, from fabled and beautiful Bucks County, PA. The sleepy hometown and its surroundings, melded with trials and tribulations, to inspire Peasant’s confessional and straightforward style of music. In and out of the bedroom studio throughout high school, DeRose helped form a small scene in Bucks County by doling out frisky live performances and DIY records. After high school, he traveled solo on several tours of the US and Europe before signing with Paper Garden Records in 2008 and releasing “On The Ground.”
From the whispered, homemade tracks of Fear Not Distant Lover (‘05), to the more polished On the Ground (’09), Peasant’s music has evolved from release to release while maintaining a sensibility and honesty. In 2009, “On The Ground” gained distribution through Team Love, as well as having several songs placed on network TV. In addition, Peasant’s music video for “We’re Good†was featured on Stereogum.com, MTVU, and Fuse.TV. Peasant had several tours throughout 2008 and 2009, playing shows as well as recording a series of sessions for Daytrotter, WOXY, and LaundroMatinee, eventually leading to opportunities to share the stage with such high-profile acts as Cursive, Delta Spirit, and Deer Tick among others.
Peasant is going back to his roots for his upcoming album, “Shady Retreat†– recording and engineering the tracks on his own in a converted springhouse studio in the woods. It is a creative step forward for an artist who admires self-produced records from The Beach Boys’ “Pet Sounds” to Nick Drake’s whispered 8 track sessions. With similar passion for all things human, DeRose creates lush, yet still simple music for “Shady Retreatâ€, a record he has worked his whole career to produce and one that is bound to exude the beauty of music that comes without pretense, and exists purely, because it does. “The End†is the first single and an excellent lead in to the record.
“Though his music is unassuming and acoustic, when armed with a guitar, DeRose makes music that beckons and calls out, as if demanding to be heard. DeRose also has a secret weapon: a voice that seems to expose his very soul.†– NPR Second Stage
Upcoming North American Tour Dates
10/17 – Brooklyn, NY @ Southpaw
10/20 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tin Angel
10/21 – Washington, DC @ Jammin Java
11/7 – New York, NY @ 3rd Ward (Paper Garden Presents: Project Multiverse – an exploration into the evolution of music, art, and comedy)
Upcoming European Tour Dates
9/16 Berlin (D) – Schokoladen
9/17 Hamburg (D) – Astra Stube
9/18 Bremen (D) – Spedition
9/19 Leipzig (D) – Paris Syndrom
9/20 Nürnberg (D) – Mata Hari Bar
9/21 TBD
9/22 Wien (A) – B72
9/23 Dornbirn (A) – Spielboden
9/24 Zürich (CH) – La Catrina
9/25 Düdingen (CH) – Bad Bonn
9/26 Bern (CH) – Musigbistrot
9/27 Winterthur (CH) РDimensione Bar Caf̩
9/28 Orleans (F) – L’atelier
9/29 Paris (F) – Le Pop In
9/29 Paris (F) – Le Baron
9/30 Lille (F) – Caf & Diskaire
10/1 London (UK) – Cafe Oto
10/2 UK – TBD
10/3 Gent (B) – Wespstraat
10/5 Düsseldorf (D) – Pretty Vacant
10/6 K̦ln (D) РStereo Wonderland
10/7 Amsterdam (NL) – Paradiso
10/8 Utrecht (NL) – Ekko
“DeRose’s vocals float above acoustic guitar melodies, evoking the lyrical eloquence and delicate arrangements of Rogue Wave and the late Elliott Smith.†– Magnet Magazine
Recent News
Daytrotter Session: http://daytrotter.com/article/1507/peasant
WOXY Lounge Act: http://woxy.lala.com/blog/2009/01/19/lounge-act-recap-peasant/