Album Notes

“Trancendent. Her voice is haunting and his musicianship is superb. Their music stirs the soul and moves the spirit.”
Monica Rizzo, PEOPLE Magazine


Beauty and edge merge in Grace and Tranquility, Gypsy Soul’s electric and acoustic soul collaboration with lyricist and author Eric Alan. With mastery of feel and expression, Grace and Tranquility effortlessly dances through genres, taking the music in places from funk to folk, rock to Americana, all woven together into one seamless whole.
“In the same way that you’d listen to Radiohead’s OK Computer or Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon, Grace and Tranquilityis a listening journey,” says Gypsy Soul’s multi-instrumentalist and producer Roman Morykit.
The journey is a companion to Alan’s elegant books of photography and prose, Grace and Tranquility and Wild Grace: Nature as a Spiritual Path, with the lyrics adapted from and inspired by the books. The result is a concise, cohesive flow in which the band’s vocal and instrumental brilliance are given new life and dimensions.
“On Grace and Tranquility we really challenged ourselves as writers and arrangers,” says vocalist/ lyricist Cilette Swann. “We feel we created the ideal vehicle which embodies our unique style and Eric’s beautiful words and vision for this collaboration.” This project was born of years of envisioning before the right moment presented itself. “How could we
capture the grace and hard edges within nature, our urban world and ourselves, in a way that furthers beauty and daily tranquility?”Eric asks. “This is our musical answer,”Roman adds. “It’s been an exquisite unfolding.”
Co-writing with an outside lyricist was new for Gypsy Soul, despite a worldwide journey that’s found them selling over 110,000 CDs and 1.5 million downloads over the course of their previous releases. This lifelong dream began with Alan’s words and musical references, honed by his 25 years of music business experience.The results were surprising—and inspiring. “We always managed to capture the feel, even when the references were polar opposites,” notes Swann.
After Roman wrote music with the existent words in mind, Cilette distilled Eric’s lyrics down to their essence rendering her own interpretations, before creating the indelible vocal melodies. “Something was always gained in translation, never lost,” Eric says. “Sometimes the most important words are the ones left unsung.” Roman’s production and sonic treatments recall the beautiful layered work of Daniel Lanois; with his musical artistry and hypnotic guitar playing, placed newly
forward in the band’s music. The gorgeous and poignant melodies are immediately accessible but reveal nuanced layers upon repeated listens. The smooth flow of “Liquid” stands in contrast to the electric ancestral pulse of“Older Than Its Name,” with tabla master Benjy Wertheimer adding percussive drive. “Grace and Tranquility” itself climbs to a danceable edge, while “Letting Wounds Go” turns heartache into beautiful forgiveness. The deceptive acoustic simplicity of “The Beauty of Doubt” reveals a mature complexity beneath. Elsewhere the influences of artists who shaped the band are infused, from Marvin Gaye to Shawn Colvin, Prince to Sgt. Pepper. “This sounds like what might happen if Loreena McKennitt fronted Peter Gabriel’s band, especially if Eno and Lanois showed up.” Alan muses. “Each of us placed the greater good
over our individual contributions,” says Morykit. “And in the absolute trust of that is the model for our wider intentions,” Swann adds. Grace and Tranquility centers those intentions.


GYPSY SOUL CONTACTS:
www.gypsysoul.com

Band
Cilette Swann and Roman Morykit:
band@gypsysoul.com

Radio Promotion: Jeff Cook- Coherent Music
jeff@coherentmusic.com

GS Raconteur
Heidi Bowen:
heidi@otbtrecordings.com

ERIC ALAN CONTACTS:
www.ericalan.com

Author
eric@wildgrace.org

Promotion/Management/Booking:
GandT@whitecloudpress.com