AUSTIN COLLINS - CD SOMETHING BETTER

Popis - SOMETHING BETTER:
AUSTIN COLLINS (Austin, Texas) - Although he's been honing his craft for just a few years, singer-songwriter Austin Collins is finding himself splashed across alternative-country's wide musical map with his debut, Something Better (Fat Caddy Records). To top off what has already been a spectacular debut year for any artist, Austin Collins will be performing in the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival alongside such legendary acts as The Allman Brothers, Lyle Lovett, Wilco, Counting Crows, and many more. This accomplishment is virtually unheard of for any rookie performer in the music industry. 'Someone out there must really like my music. Life is so good sometimes - it's stupid,' says Collins. 'I was late to songwriting,' admits Collins, 26, who started playing guitar in fifth grade. 'I was always trying to write songs, but I could never finish them.' The Houston native didn't find his muse until after he earned his degree from the University of Texas. But when the songs started coming, he couldn't stop them. Collins' musical career started in earnest with a sold-out CD release party at Stubb's BBQ on February 18, 2005. Even with fellow alt-country rockers Reckless Kelly celebrating their CD release party at Antone's that same night, Collins had no trouble bringing a crowd. Once the first 350 people got in the door, Stubb's staff turned away the line of remaining fans that wrapped around the block. Once a virtual unknown in the Texas music scene, Austin Collins now finds himself as the recipient of enthusiastic reviews and significant commercial success. Collins now plays regular dates in well-know music venues like The Saxon Pub (Austin), Threadgill's World Headquarters (Austin), the Mucky Duck (Houston), and the Gypsy Tea Room (Dallas). Critical reviews and headlining gigs in the Spring of 2005 demonstrate that Collins is well on his way. 'For now, I'm content to accept his offering for what it is: a solid if not spectacular debut from a promising singer/songwriter.' - Patrick Nichols, This Is Texas Music 1/28/05 'With a winning tenor somewhere between Radney Foster and Vince Gill, catchy yet eloquent songs and a high-quality, modern style, Houston native Collins (now residing in Austin) proves that contemporary commercial country can be something far better than Nashville dreck.' - Rob Patterson, Spring 2005 issue of Texas Music magazine. That Austin Kid? ' Today has been a good day for one young man in our store, Mr. Austin Collins. I came in this morning, and his disc was the second c.d. to go into the play list for the day, and as soon as the first song ended for '22 hours' the first track off his debut album Something Better, the discs started flying off the shelves. I am a firm believer in his c.d, and that this guy has a lot of potential to go on and do something great. But needless to say, I played through this c.d. twice today, and now we are totally sold out in store. That is a great accomplishment in my eyes for a debut c.d., but this is one of the best I have ever heard.' - Michael Devers, March 22, 2005 - LoneStarMusic.com BIOGRAPHY INFORMATION: Like so many young dreamers, Austin Collins knew deep down that he wanted to be a songwriter. There were just two problems: His parents wanted him to get that University of Texas finance degree he was working on, then go out and earn a good living. And he couldn't finish any of his songs. At that time, Collins didn't even take his guitar outside his dorm. But eventually, something clicked for the Houston native, and he managed to complete one song he titled 'Something Better.' After he cleared that first hurdle, the music flowed freely. He began testing his songwriting on fellow Austin musician Michael Jarrett, with whom he started playing at local open-mics. 'We used to sit in his trailer and swap songs all night,' recalls Collins. 'That's really where I first started getting the courage to play my songs. Michael pushed me out of the nest.' By then, Collins had long outgrown his adolescent fascination with Guns 'n' Roses, then Dwight Yoakam, and turned his attention toward alt-country. 'If Son Volt and Whiskeytown had a baby, it would be my music,' the 26-year-old says. He soon built a repertoire strong enough to impress self-described 'song slinger' Billy Cerveny, the Nashville musician who would wind up producing Collins' debut. Of course, the namesake tune of his Fat Caddy Records, LLC release is the one that unlocked his creative dam. Collins also chose Something Better as the album's title because it exemplifies the optimism that permeates many of his songs, a philosophy perhaps cultivated by his deep spiritualism. Collins and Cerveny met during summer 2003 while both were volunteering at a camp in Colorado. They soon discovered they shared the same musical tastes; both are huge fans of Ryan Adams album Heartbreaker. They quickly bonded, and when Cerveny heard Collins' songs, he told his young friend, 'If you ever want to do a record, let me know.' Toward the end of 2004, they booked time at Nashville's Sputnik Studio, which is owned by Grammy Award-winning engineer Mitch Dane. (The recording was mastered by two-time Grammy winner Richard Dodd.) Producer Cerveny says, 'I'd put this record against anything in the alt-country world. Austin has it, whatever that is. I see nothing but a rapid ascent for him.' With the release of Something Better in February, Collins has made his dream come true - his first one anyway. FACT SHEET: AUSTIN COLLINS Residence: Austin, Texas Musical Idiom: Alt-country Debut Album: Something Better (Feb. 1, 2005, Fat Caddy Records, LLC) Recorded in Nashville at Sputnik Studio Produced by Billy Cerveny Engineered by Mitch Dane Mastered by Richard Dodd Emphasis Tracks: '22 Hours,' 'Inside (Restless),' 'Down,' 'Reckless & Lovely,' 'Something Better' The Players: Austin Collins - vocals, acoustic guitar, harmonica Paul Moak (Griffin House) - guitars, mandolin, accordion, pedal steel, banjo guitar Mark Polack - bass Billy Cerveny - guitars, banjo, vocals Andy Hubbard - drums, percussion David Henry - cello Kenny Hutson (Vigilantes of Love) - Dobro Amanda Larsen - fiddle, vocals Ian Fitchuk - piano, Hammond B3, toy piano Elizabeth Foster - vocals Record Label: Fat Caddy Records, LLC, Austin, Texas; 512.306.9822 www.fatcaddyrecords.com Of Note: * Performing in the 2005 Austin City Limits Music Festival *Something Better CD available at Waterloo Records in Austin, Tx or www.FatCaddyRecordStore.com Booking Contact: Fat Caddy Records, info@fatcaddyrecords.com Media Contact: Jon Pattillo, jon@fatcaddyrecords.com # # #