Album Notes

Alain de Courtenay writes songs rooted in sparse, unaffected, yet altogether powerful poetry. A 24 year-old Chicago native, Alain has exhausted nearly a decade developing this rare and distinctive writing style, consistently producing music that moves, evokes, and inspires. In 2005, Alain joined classically accomplished violinist, TJ Callanta, to help advance his work. Together, they have since cultivated a repertoire of poignant musical compositions that serve to deepen and enhance each song’s lyrical and emotional essences. TJ’s fluid, atmospheric playing provides both stark and delicate contrasts to Alain’s soulful vocals, while Alain’s contemplative writing further imbues life into TJ’s complementary melodies. One must be careful, then, when attempting to pigeonhole Alain’s music into a particular genre; despite the songs’ widespread melodic accessibility, there exist subtle and raw complexities throughout that transcend, and, at the same time, undermine traditional modes of musical thought.

Over the past 3 years, Alain and TJ have performed at many of Chicago’s reputable music venues including The Abbey Pub, Wise Fools Pub, Uncommon Ground, The Double Door, Subterranean, Silvie’s Lounge, Navy Pier, and The Elbo Room. They have also been fortunate enough to share the bill with well-established musicians such as Switchback, Katie Todd, and Stephanie Dosen. Most recently, Alain and TJ were asked to open for Indie music sensations DeVotchKa on their Midwest tour, where performances were held at The Vogue in Indianapolis, First Avenue in Minneapolis, and the legendary Vic Theatre back home in Chicago. Other notable venues Alain and TJ have played at include Aura Nightclub in Los Angeles, DePaul University, Indiana University, and Valparaiso University.