THE ARTIST
Breaking The Waves
Beth Ann McDowell is an indie singer-songwriter hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota. A seasoned world traveler, classical pianist, and ethereal vocalist, McDowell's music blends classical with synth, electronic with organic, all wrapped in an experiential soundscape with nostalgic undertones.
Born in Seoul, South Korea, McDowell moved to Bloomington, Minnesota, at a young age. She grew up studying classical piano with aspirations of becoming a solo pianist. The songstress worked as a vocalist and keyboardist for the band Addamanera in Italy on their album Un Uomo Che Si Pensava Quell’Altro. During her time in Italy, Beth also collaborated with the band Mariposa and the founders of the label Trovarobato. She worked with artists Enrico Gabrielli and Sergio Giusti, along with 72 other musicians, on an experimental documentary called UPM - Unita’ di produzione musicale, which was shown at various film festivals.
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McDowell released her debut album, Symbol of Love, in 2012, at Minneapolis namesake First Ave 7th Street Entry with features Jeremy Nutzman, known as Velvet Negroni, Andrew Broder (PEOPLE, Jenny Lewis) and Casey Deming, and followed up with her dreamy synth pop EP Mermanity in 2020. She has been featured in Glasse Factory's music blog, Last Day Deaf, Alchemical Records, Grrrl Music Blog, and is regularly featured on Phoenix FM's Resurrection Show and Indie YFM.
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McDowell's upcoming album instead is arguably the most profound and serious of her career. Produced, recorded, and mixed by Walt Vincent who has worked with some of indie rock's darlings such as Liz Phair, Pete Yorn, Scarlett Johansson and Joseph Gordon Levitt, it was done in the way McDowell was accustomed to recording music: with musicians playing live and the organic result used for the album instead of overdubbing and piecing recordings together. It will be released in Spring of 2022 as a testament to the artist creating her own path.
"The Sim Is Real" is now available on all streaming platforms on the Pitch and Prose Label. You can order the vinyl LP at the link to the Store on this site. The full video of her full band's live performance at the iconic Pachyderm Studios, Beth Ann McDowell: Live At Pachyderm, in collaboration with Indie YFM, will be live later today.