Ocean Carolina is what happens when a life-long musician stops questioning himself and lets the music unfold on its own.
Michael Simone left an EDM career as a producer to become the songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist behind the band and Ocean Carolina will release Maudlin Days on June 30 via Old Hand Record Company.
Last month, we presented album opener "All I Can Do" and this morning, Elmore Magazine debuted "Nobody Wants To Cry" saying, "On the sparse, mellow track with a delicate hint of twang, Simone recounts a bittersweet relationship from his past."
AXS recently stated, "Ocean Carolina's Maudlin Days is the country record you need to hear" and My Old Kentucky Blog says, "A vibe that approximates Harvest Moon-period Neil Young or the Marks (Eitzel and Kozalek), without getting bogged down in their obsessions and idiosyncrasies. These guys are good. Real good.”
Listen to “All I Can Do”:
Maudlin Days is an exercise in giving up control and allowing the music to be what it’s meant to become. Simone has immersed himself in music since he was a teenager, and his varied passions and interests—from Prince to Led Zeppelin, The Cure to Waylon Jennings, and Jeff Buckley to The Smiths, everything has culminated to produce a record that sounds like ‘70s alt-rock while maintaining a timeless story of heartbreak and trying to find one’s place in the world.
Ocean Carolina will be celebrating their release with a hometown performance at Rockwood Music Hall - Stage 2 on Thursday, July 30. Additional dates will be announced shortly.
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Maudlin Days is the follow-up to the Ocean Carolina debut LP, All the Way Home. The studio band features accomplished New York studio musicians Tony Leone (Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Levon Helm, Phil Lesh) on drums, Jon Graboff (Ryan Adams and the Cardinals, Willie Nelson, Noel Gallagher) on guitar and pedal steel, guitarist Dave Wanamaker (Expanding Man, Loveless) and Simone’s life-long friend, bassist Alex Cox.
Acoustic Nation is written by Laura B. Whitmore, a music industry marketing veteran, music journalist and editor, who has contributed to Parade.com, Guitar World, and others. She has interviewed hundreds of musicians and hosts the She Rocks Podcast. As the founder of the Women’s International Music Network, she advocates for women in the music industry and produces the annual She Rocks Awards. She is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for Positive Grid, making the world safe for guitar exploration everywhere! A guitarist and singer/songwriter, Laura is currently co-writing an album of pop songs that empower and energize girls.
