Music
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Hugo Haggie's debut EP, 'It Heals Nothing', delivers an emotional gut punch with a rendition of the Bryan Harvey tune "Burn Candles" that's both jaunty and mellow and just might have you smiling through your tears. The EP showcases Haggie's straightforward songwriting in an acoustic-heavy style that blends a dash of country twang with folk and rock. Catch him live Jan. 11 or Feb. 5 at The Camel or learn more at hugohaggie.com. - Richmond Magazine (Jack Cooksey- writer)
WRIR - New and Notable- AAA reviews- 5 January 2010 - Music Charts and Reviews -
Hugo Haggie - It Heals Nothing EP LOCAL
Straightforward alt-country and folk sung with a distant, Southern twang. The songs are cut with thick, but not cluttered, arrangements featuring organ, mandolin, banjo, trumpet, and electrified guitar. Produced at Sound of Music.
RIYL: The Band, The Kinks, Horsehead
Reviewed by: Rutz
- DJ Mike Rutz @WRIR 97.3 FM, Richmond, VA
HEARit
Hugo Haggie & Sarah Blacker @ The Camel
"If your New Years resolution was 'see more awesome live music' (and really, why wouldn't it be), the time to hesitate is through! You should be all recovered from ringing in the new decade by now, so shine your shoes and take your finely-tuned good-music-appreciating ears to The Camel to see Hugo Haggie and Sarah Blacker start 2010 off right.
Anyone who considers themselves a connoisseur of local alt-country should have Hugo Haggie on their radar, but if you've somehow missed out, I'll clue in. After cutting his musical teeth playing guitar and bass in various bands around Central Virginia, Haggie set out for Boston to attend the Berklee School of Music in 2004. There he got regular work as a session guitarist, and still managed to go to class often enough to graduate in 2008. Not long after that he returned to Virginia, ready to get his solo career rolling. Wasting no time, he put together and EP, titled "It Heals Nothing," which was released last November.
His expertise and dedication come through on the EP, which is equal parts heartfelt artistry and intuitive production. His songs manage to straddle the line between jaunty and melancholy, like a downtempo The Band, with plenty of twang for good measure (lest you forget he's from the South)."
Written by Sarah Shay
- Brick Weekly (Richmond, VA)
Discography
"...it heals nothing E.P." -Available on iTunes, Lala, eMusic and Rhapsody.
"Before The Door" - In pre-production. Full length LP to be released in summer 2010.
Also in pre-production is a promotional video for "Whiskey River Caroline" from the debut E.P.
All Songs © Hugo Haggie/Who Goes Music (ASCAP) except for "Burn Candles" © Bryan T. Harvey
Photos
Bio
With rock roots and a youth spent in the south, Hugo Haggie's upcoming solo debut "...it heals nothing E.P." conjures up images of screen doors and porch swings, sweet tea and summer night cicadas.
After performing as a guitarist and bassist for years with a variety of bands in central Virginia, Hugo moved to Boston to attend Berklee College of Music and soon found himself working as a session guitarist and sideman when not attending class. Four years, a healthy does of heartache and countless sessions later, the seeds for his solo debut were sown with an honest little song for a very close friend.
In March Hugo returned to Richmond, Virginia to begin tracking tunes for his debut E.P. with Producer/Engineer John Morand (Cracker, Sparklehorse, Camper Van Beethoven) and drummer Miguel Urbiztondo (Daniel Johnston, Sparklehorse, Nina Perrson/The Cardigans) at David Lowery's Sound of Music recording studios. Released on November 24th, 2009 with a full length album to follow soon after, the seven songs on "...it heals nothing E.P." blend deceptively simple songwriting with heartfelt lyrics and Hugo's unique ear for eccentric arrangements.
Album Personnel:
Hugo Haggie
Matt Boyle
Miguel Urbiztondo
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On November 20th, 2009 Hugo Haggie will release his much-anticipated debut EP It Heals Nothing on his record label, Who Goes Music. This event coincides with the 15th Anniversary of Sound of Music Recording Studios in Richmond, Virginia.
Recorded in the spring of 2009 at Richmond’s own Sound of Music Recording Studios with Producer John Morand (Cracker, Sparklehorse, Camper Van Beethoven) and drummer Miguel Urbiztondo (Daniel Johnston, Sparklehorse, Nina Perrson/The Cardigans), It Heals Nothing EP blends deceptively simple folk songwriting with Hugo’s own affinity for thick, bouncy, guitar tinged arrangements ala The Band or The Kinks. Coming on the heels of Hugo’s return to Richmond after attending the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, this debut release sounds less like the product of a music school grad and more like the moody, atmospheric albums of the pre-iTunes world.
The release party for It Heals Nothing, (with fellow RVA locals Blue Line Highway and Flat Bed), will begin at 7:00PM, November 20th, 2009 at Sound of Music Recording Studios to kick off their two day 15th anniversary event. As a special gift to attendees of the party there will be a select number of copies available for free. On November 24th, the following Tuesday, it will be released via iTunes, Rhapsody, and eMusic. It will also be available at Plan 9 Music in Richmond and for sale at HugoHaggie.com. Tour dates will be announced following the release party.
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