Kimia

Calling Texas her home, Middle Eastern-born Kimia Penton was raised in London and travelled to most parts of the world, absorbing different cultures which undoubtedly had a profound effect on her as a singer and songwriter. This is evident in her latest release, “Lessons From Life and Love”.

Released today, the eight-track EP displays a soothing presence of the violin (well executed by the songstress; a skill she perfected since the age of seven). The fiddle is accompanied by the equally heavenly guitars and occasionally the sweetness of the piano. Also a psychologist, Kimia lyrics often reflect on insights and observations of life themes that are relatable…and it really shows in her latest offerings as every single word carries a heartfelt delivery of unconditional love, love that never was and losing love ones.

Second effort, “Pieces” is everything expected from a classic love song: the acoustic guitar and violin introduces the three minute almost stripped back production, before both instruments switches direction, creating a rich Middle Eastern vibe.

An infectious EDM drive made an entry in the EP through “Memories of You”, giving a perfect touch to her signature simplistic fusion. The sultry princess gives a stunning acoustic version of Emeli Sande’s hit, “My Kind Of Love”, with the violin injecting that Middle Eastern delight before the EP drawing to an end with another outstanding stripped back number, “Start Again”.

To add to her impressive CV, Kimia has developed her own course material for teaching music and songwriting for young people. Let’s hope her students inherit her capacity of turning a love note into timeless classics.

“Lessons From Life and Love” is now available from SoundCloud. - Music Crowns

Artist: Kimia Penton

EP: Lessons from Life and Love

Production: Album produced by Kimia Penton and Francis Moka at Crystal Clear Sound in Dallas

While studying and observing life themes is often times a meaningful way for people to truly understand overall human behavior in the world around them, that essential process is also an insightful way to contend with how the actions of their loved ones has a direct impact on their emotions. Dallas based singer-songwriter-violinist turned psychologist Kimia Penton expertly relied on her experience of helping others to channel those heartbreaking themes of unconditional and unrequited love, as well as the loss of loved ones, in her new EP, ‘Lessons From Life and Love,’ which is set to be released tomorrow. Similar in nature to such empowering female artists as Norah Jones, Sade, Alison Krauss and Sara Bareilles, Penton’s new jazz-pop-world release proves there’s a certain sadness behind her lyrics that comes from the depth of her experiences of seeing how people treat those they love.

Penton’s equally haunting and graceful melodies on ‘Lessons From Life and Love’ begins with its first intriguing entry, ‘My Kind of Love.’ The exotic-sounding and guitar-fueled ballad features a heartbeat-like rhythm that powerfully emphasizes the musician’s essential message that the truth doesn’t always make you happy. While the singer notes that she knows she’s far from perfect, she asks that the man she loves never questions that her heart only beats for him. The track’s soulful guitar and violin also passionately stress that she’ll always be there for him.

The enticing EP then transitions into the intriguing entry, ‘The Door,’ which grippingly chronicles how hope and despair often times influences how people develop a deep and intimate relationship. The song’s melody, which is soulfully played on a piano, is equally gentle, melancholic and dynamic. The track also entrancingly emphasizes how Penton’s relationship ended months ago, but it still feels like it was only yesterday when they fell in love. She thought they would have a lifetime together, particularly since he still has the potential to save her. The singer humbly admits that her fear and doubts about the relationship ending have stripped her confidence down, as they no longer fit as perfectly together as they once did. Penton’s soulful vocals give the song the potential to be an adult contemporary hit.

‘Lessons from Life and Love’ then delves into its exotic third track, ‘Pieces.’ The song, which is filled with a complex Flamenco-inspired sound, is driven by an intense violin introduction. The musician emotionally chronicles how in life, she’s just one of the majority of people in the world who are expected to follow a script . But she notes that mindlessly following everyone else’s expectations is a mistake, as she isn’t living the life she truly wants. She also reveals that it was an error to completely trust the man she loved, as she was only seeing what she wanted and needed in him, which he rehearsed to please her. Her violin solo towards the end of song also intensely emphasizes her pain of being hurt by the man she thought she knew and loved.

Penton’s alluring EP then delves into the pop-country-infused entry, ‘Crossroads,’ which offers a gentle and heart-wrenching take on not being loved anymore. The song’s classical and enthralling guitar and piano introduction leads into the singer’s heart-breaking realization that the man she loves doesn’t want her anymore, and there’s nothing she can do to change his mind. The musician soulfully sings that she want to show him that she has changed, but she harrowingly realizes that everything she has done to convince him has been in vain. The entry is an important change from the EP’s other songs, as she swears she still loves him, and she’s not trying to move on. But she does painfully realize that she’s living in the past, as he doesn’t say the same things he used to say to her anymore.

‘Start Again’ is the next relatable and endearing pop-infused entry on ‘Lessons From Life and Love,’ as Penton intriguingly notes another drastic change in her emotions and motivations. The song notes how she was the one to leave the relationship, but she humbly admits that she has been in pain since she walked away from the main she loves. She also admits that has lost her way, and regrets leaving him. She expresses her sincere apology when she asks if he’ll hear her out, even though she knows he has to reason to take her back. She also grippingly questions if they can take relationship back to where it first began, when nothing stood in their way. The track’s soulful piano also powerfully emphasizes that he’s all she’ll ever need, and that she hopes they can repair their broken trust and relationship.

Following ‘Start Again,’ ‘Lessons From Life and Love’ ends with one of its most captivating entries, ‘Memories of You.’ The song, which features an enthralling instrumental section led solely by the guitar and percussion, offers an optimistic look at how to best approach life after a painful breakup. Penton relatably sings about learning to hold onto every aspect of life that she cherishes, as she still wishes her romantic relationship lasted. She also relatably asks how she can replace the memories of him, as she doesn’t want to frozen in the past, where he made promises he didn’t keep.

Having been born in the Middle East and raised in London, and now based in Dallas, Penton’s diverse experiences and beliefs are relatably and expertly revealed throughout her stunning and relatable new EP, ‘Lessons From Life and Love.’ After she began writing songs as a teenager, as a way to communicate her feelings and beliefs, and now also studying human behavior as a psychologist, she passionately crafts lyrics that often reflect her insights and observations of life themes that her listeners all face and can identify with. Most notably channeling the heartbreaking themes of how unconditional and unrequited love, as well as the loss of loved ones, can influence people, Penton’s new jazz-pop-world release proves there’s a certain sadness that comes from the depth of her experiences of seeing how people treat those they love.


Read more: http://www.shockya.com/news/2015/10/15/kimia-pentons-lessons-from-life-and-love-ep-review/#ixzz3pOftuyfL - Shaockya.com

Lessons From Life And Love is the newest album from psychologist turned musician Kimia Penton. Her heartfelt songs have strong meanings to the artist and those emotions resonate with listeners as well. With the album due out on October 16th, Penton is currently planning a tour to support the material and get back in the studio. We spoke with her recently about her new songs:

Me: Lessons From Life And Love is a very personal sounding title for an album. Were these tracks written from experiences from a specific time in your life or are they more over the course of everything?

Kimia Penton: It is a very personal album and the songs tell stories from my own experiences as well as experiences of friends and family, particularly over the last year. “The Door” for example, was written on the one-year anniversary of a close friends death from cancer. Every song has a very significant meaning for me.

Me: There are a lot of different genre’s mixed in with the album. Who are some of your influences and how did you get into playing these styles of music?

KP: I’ve been moving internationally since childhood and was exposed to a variety of different cultures and musical backgrounds from an early age. Growing up as a violinist in a Middle Eastern family but on the outskirts of London, I was raised on a blend of Middle Eastern music, classical music and the European music scene. I’ve always been fascinated with travel and learning from different cultures and music is a very significant part of that experience. Some of my influences are Farid Farjad, Norah Jones, Gershwin, Bach, The Beatles, Carole King, Sade, Eric Clapton, Diana Krall, Alison Kraus, and quite a few of my friends who are part of the Dallas music scene.

Me: What was the concept you wanted to get across the most with the new album?

KP: As a psychologist, I’m always interested in human behavior. With this album, I wanted to explore my own experiences as well as touch on common themes we can all relate to as part of the human experience. We can all understand feelings of first love, heartbreak, joy, loss, grief, anger, which are all part of the human existence. This album is about embracing these experiences and persevering despite our disappointments.

Me: How important do you feel it is to interact with fans via social media?

KP: I think it’s very important. While I am more comfortable with face-to-face interactions, I do appreciate anyone who takes the time to write and shows interest in my work. I do respond to all messages personally and hope to continue to make more time to be available and interact online.

Me: Are there any tour dates and plans to play any new shows either nationally or in the Dallas area?

KP: Yes! I have several shows in October and November in the Dallas area, including my album release on October 16th. I’m taking December off and I’m currently planning a tour, which will start in early 2016. I’ll keep you posted! In the meantime, Texas based fans can catch me live at Opening Bell Coffee in Dallas on November 1st, 7pm.

Me: With six powerful songs, the album is going to wet fans appetites for new material sooner rather than later. Will there be any newer material coming out in the near future and is your songwriting confidence at an all time high?

KP: Thank you for the kind words about the album. As a writer, I’m always writing more music and will start production on new material in January, with a full album scheduled for release in summer 2016. As far as confidence, I wouldn’t say it’s at an all time high. I’m always hoping to grow and improve at my craft. But I am enjoying writing from the heart and embracing my own life experiences and that is a great place to be as a writer.

Find Kimia Penton on Facebook - Music Existence Magazine

LOS ANGELES, CA, May 09, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The year 2015 was a good year for British singer, songwriter, violinist and psychologist Kimia Penton, she released her successful LP "Lessons from Life and Love." With her newest release "Where the Rain Falls", she's making 2017 even better. The new album is a personal expression tinged with flavors of jazz, folk and pop music. Critics have compared her sound to Norah Jones, Sade and Allison Kraus.

"Where the Rain Falls" will be available on iTunes, Spotify, Google play and all major digital distribution sites on July 14th. An album release party is scheduled in July in Dallas and a tour will be planned for the fall.

An avid traveller, Kimia's personal experiences and the experiences of the people she encounters on her travels shape the music she creates and the stories she wants to tell. The original songs on "Where the Rain Falls" were written and produced with University of North Texas jazz guitarist Kelyn Crapp.

"I wanted to stretch myself even further lyrically and musically with my next release, which is why I invited my friend Kelyn Crapp to co-write and co-produce the project with me. I wanted to be vulnerable but to also paint a hopeful picture of the human experience, celebrating life and love. The combination of my pop and folk tendencies, with Kelyn's incredible jazz sensibilities has resulted in a project that I am very excited to share," Kimia says about creating "Where the Rain Falls".

Kimia was especially excited to collaborate with Kelyn on a cover of Bob Dylan's "Blowin' In the Wind" because they are both students of music and fans of great songwriting, and it felt like a natural fit. A music video of their cover of "Blowin' In the Wind" will also be available. Additional songs on the album include "Not Goodbye", which will be released on iTunes and all digital stores on May 19h, a hopeful ballad about commitment and compromise, "Alive Again", an infectious pop/blues song about finding new hope, strength and direction, "Where the Rain Falls", a folk style song with acoustic violin to encourage the listener to let go of past mistakes and accept life's journey and "First and Last Time" written for a friend's wedding.

About Kimia

Kimia Penton is a singer/songwriter/violinist living in Dallas, Texas. Her signature sound, a blend of pop, jazz and world music, reflects her background as a citizen of the world. Kimia has called the Middle East, London and the US home. Her worldly upbringing, and her background in psychology, drives Kimia to create music with a message about the power of humanity. Go to www.kimiapmusic.com for more information about new releases and upcoming performances. - 24-7 Press

Kimia Penton was born in the Middle East, raised in London and now calls Dallas, Texas her home. The singer, songwriter, violinist and psychologist who started classical violin lessons at the age of 7, plays a fusion of pop, jazz, and world music. Her brand new album “Where the rain falls”, will be released on July 21st, 2017. Kimia is in love with her violin and it permeates every note and melodic phrase of the new album. Added to this is the jazz influenced arrangements and sublime musicianship of her band. The production is faultless and the microphoning of the instruments and Kimia’s voice gives the impression you are sitting a few feet away from them. The strumming of the guitar strings and the thumping bass on the opening track “Alive Again” and the piano driven ballad “Stepping Stones” gives me chills.

There is a beautiful balance of organic instruments to compliment the vocals and they feel not overly rehearsed, like when musicians are playing live; there is a palpable energy of unbridled excitement coming through the speakers. The technique is bewildering. Kimia Penton’s voice adapts to the jazzy surroundings and different tempos with ease. She sings gently and warmly, over small ensemble playing, that is simply classy.
“Where the rain falls” is not just a jazz-flavored album; it is an album whose roots are in jazz, classical, as well as folk-pop musings, showing her to be a good writer, player and vocalist with loose-limbed phrasing to match the smooth tones. As a musician, vocalist and lyricist, Kimia is in a solid place in terms of near-mastery.

Together, she and the tight ensemble convey a warmth and quietude that envelops the entire affair. And they do so with a smoky groove on “Show Me Love”, a song that unfolds with a sultry smolder, and where the resonating bass line alone, is totally intoxicating.

The acoustic swoon on “Where The Rain Falls” is sublime as the restrained intensity of Kimia’s songwriting rushes in together with her violin, validating her lyrical wisdom and musical sensibilities.

From its calming chord progressions to its sultry chords, “Not Goodbye” confidently immerses Kimia’s music in a genre-bending fusion, creating a truly amazing listening experience. Her voice is rich and captivating, and here she puts the focus squarely on that, making sure her skill comes to support it.

“Where the rain falls” is a beautiful recording and Kimia Penton is following her love of music wherever that happens to take her. I am more than happy to join her on that journey, as I know the massive talent she possesses, and I know she can do anything and go anywhere with it. This record breathes with a sense of musical adventure and exquisitely sculpted songs. - Jamsphere