Nile Rodgers, Tony Moran, and Kimberly Davis, Film Hit Single At Factory Underground Studio

Davis, Moran, and Rodgers in the Control Room

Congratulations to the Studio for hosting world renowned record producer Nile Rodgers, famous producer Tony Moran, and up and coming musician Kimberly Davis! Rodgers, Moran, and Davis all entered the Factory Underground Studio to record shots for their new music video, “My Fire”.

Nile Rodgers in the studio with one of the Factory Underground owners, Kenny

Nile Rodgers has worked with artists such as Madonna, David Bowie, Sister Sledge, and Daft Punk, providing his impressive background in the music industry. Starting off as a guitarist in the hit band Chic, he created top-charting songs like, "Le Freak," "I Want Your Love", and "Good Times." Rodgers’s repertoire of songs he has worked on over the years include, Bowie’s “Just Dance”, Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and “Material Girl”, Sister Sledge’s “We are Family”, Diana Ross’s “Upside Down”, Adam Lambert’s “Lay Me Down” and even Daft Punk’s “Up All Night To Get Lucky”.

Davis told Billboard.com, “No sane music artist would deny Nile being a part of their project." Where Moran  added, “Nile is a true inspiration to the world in his ability to create and shape musical genres,”

From 80s disco, to modern electronic music, Rodgers has revolutionized the music industry, granting him the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame prestigious award of Musical Excellence. On top of being a two time grammy award winner for his work on the record “Get Lucky” and album “Random Access Memories”, Rolling Stone has named him in “The 50 Most Important People in EDM”, coming in at number 29.

Rodgers, Moran, and Davis in the Factory Underground control room

Rodgers’s newest pop project includes teaming up with two time Grammy nominated Tony Moran. Moran, a mixer, producer, DJ, and singer-songwriter, is best known for his remixes of popular songs. His remixes of Kristine W’s “Walk Away” and Martha Wash’s “Keep your Body Working” have landed number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Club Play charts. Moran has worked with Madonna, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Martha Wash, Janet Jackson, Neyo, Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin, Selena Gomez, Kristine W and many others.

Rodgers and Moran are now teaming with singer Kimberly Davis. Davis’s new single is being released through Curtis Urbin’s dance label, Quark Records. Despite being new to the music industry, Davis has already succeeded in making it to the top ten on the Billboard’s Hot Club Play Charts with her songs, “Get Up” and “Twist of Love”. Her newest single, “My Fire” is destined to be a hit, already having almost 130,000 Youtube Views in a mere week.

Screenshot from the music video with Rodgers, Moran, and Davis in the control room

The music video’s artistic black and white camera frames includes quick glances of the Factory Underground logo, in addition to showing Davis, Moran, and Rodgers jamming out in the Studio's control room. The music video also exhibits different areas of the studio, showcasing the cement walls and  modern rustic decor, which provided the perfect setting for the urban inspired music video.

The name Factory Underground featured in the music video

“It’s kind of fun that scenes shot in Manhattan make it seem like the Factory Underground is in New York City, but it’s great that you see our branding all through the video; the producers were very kind to us in that regard. We really enjoyed hosting the production. Everyone was friendly and super professional,” said Marc Alan, Factory Underground Director of Marketing.

“My Fire” first premiered  through Billboard.com, where thousands of viewers read up about the production of the music video. Featured on the website is a picture of Rodgers, Moran, and Davis sitting in the Underground’s control room, with the Factory Underground logo brightly displayed behind them.

Factory Underground's address featured in the music video

While Rodgers was browsing the Studio’s spaces, he said “I’ve heard about Factory Underground for a long time, and was always interested to see what was happening here”.

We are so proud of the studio for being a part of Nile Rodgers, Tony Moran, and Kimberly Davis’s new project, and we wish them all the best success with the new single.

Kenny Cash, one of the Factory Underground owners added: “It meant a lot to me professionally having Nile playing guitar in my studio, posting photos of the Factory on his Instagram. We are attracting incredible new artists to the studio every day, but this was definitely one for the books.”

New Alt Music Album from Brian Larney "America Needs The Town Hall" in the Norwalk Hour Newspaper

A SONGWRITER'S OBSESSION

Reprinted from the Norwalk Hour Newspaper, May 25, 2017

 

Brian Larney at Factory Underground Studio

NORWALK — Last summer, Brian Larney enjoyed a picnic at the beach, the details of which he still remembers vividly.

He was at the boat marina in Fairfield, not far from the Black Rock apartment he shares with his cat.

He ate a sandwich — turkey with cheese — and a side of chips with iced tea. Stuffed from his feast, he did what any reasonable person at the beach would do.

He took a nap.

But when he awoke, it hit him. He’d been struggling to name his next album and suddenly — perhaps caused by a sandwich-induced euphoria — he had it. The collection of songs he’d written as his own response to current events would be called “The Town Hall.”

“I was taking a nap after I ate a sandwich at the beach and it just came to me,” Larney said. “I wanted something identifiable and simple.”

Brian Larney at Factory Underground Studio

 By day, Larney is a software engineer at Norwalk-based Factset, a financial data and software company. But by night — and pretty much any free time he can find — he’s a guitar-strumming, piano-playing, song-writing musician who’s just released a new album through the Factory Underground recording studio and label.

The album is a solo project filled with songs written by Larney. He said the album is more “socially aware” than his previous albums, and the songs are more about his reactions to current events.
“I write all my own songs,” Larney said. “It’s my main obsession. Lately I’ve been getting more world-aware. In the past, generally it’s been broken heart crap. Loosely it’s rock. Someone once called it smart pop ... I thought they meant college rock. I think I’m a little less angular than that.”
He’s never been injured enough to find out for sure, but Larney is pretty sure he would bleed music notes in a dire situation.

“I got in a fight once with a singer and he said, ‘If I cut you, you would bleed music notes,’ and I really think that’s probably true,” Larney said.

Brian Larney at Factory Underground Studio

Larney first fell in love with music as a child in Fairfield where his father would constantly play old records. As he got older he only grew more obsessed with songwriting, and even taught himself how to play the piano by sneaking into the music room at Fairfield High School for 6 a.m. practice sessions. Eventually, the school found out and — after reminding him not to use the room outside of regular school hours — simply gave him a key to practice whenever he wanted.

“In High School I was kind of a dork,” Larney said. “I didn’t have a ton of friends. But I played electric guitar at an ongoing show my freshman year and after that it was easy. People respected people who played music. I formed a band after that and I haven’t stopped making music since.”
Even as a software engineer at Factset, a job he’s held for nearly a decade, Larney has found a connection between his work life and his music, as well as the ardent support of his coworkers.
“I know a lot of software engineers who are also musicians and I think there’s a reason for that,” Larney said. “When it doesn’t suck, it’s like writing a song.”

Larney said he’s often thought about making the leap to full-time musician and part-time regular adult, but hasn’t worked up the courage just yet.

”One day I’ll just do it,” Larney said. "I'll just stop and just do it. On tour, I always say I’m going to. It seems so easy, and the happiest time for me is on those tours where all I have to worry about is getting to the next show where I get to play again.”

Larney’s album, ”America Needs The Town Hall” is out now, and available on iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon Music and www.thetownhallband.com.

kkrasselt@scni.com; 203-354-1021; @kaitlynkrasselt

FNX & Factory Underground Present: HOMETOWN LOVE2 2.0 Charity Barbecue and Basketball Tourmanent

FNX & Factory Underground Present: 

HOMETOWN LOVE2 2.0

Charity Barbecue and Basketball Tourmanent

CARVER CENTER

17 Academy Street,

Norwalk, CT 06850

Saturday, May 20, 2017

Factory Underground recently partnered with our music recording artist and Carver alumnus Kenneth Shuler (FNX) to help Carver Foundation of Norwalk succeed in Fairfield County's Giving Day. Now we are planning the second annual Hometown Love event at the Carver Community Center!

 The day will include a ten-team “5 on 5” full-court basketball tournament drawing players from New York and from across Connecticut. Guests will enjoy games and a grand barbecue cookout. The family-fun event will include a renowned DJ, an inflatable bounce-house, face painting and much more!

Please join premier national risk specialists Willis-Towers Watson Insurance in sponsoring the event!

The fundraising goal is to raise at least $10,000 for Carver summer camp scholarships and to collect more than 1,000 non-perishable or canned food items to be distributed to families by Person-to-Person.

DONATE HERE: https://www.carvernorwalk.org/#/hometown-love-2-saturday-52017/

FNX's original inspiration to launch Hometown Love at Carver in June 2016, (and here for another feature in The Hour) was to create a fun, interactive community-pride event, and to feed as many people as possible with a canned-food drive. Love of community is certainly reflected in the title of the event, named for one of his more personal songs. FNX’s inspiration for this event arises from his personal story that The Hour and other media have written about in the feature articles referenced above. Carver played a significant role in FNX’s academic and professional music and business success.

Carver today is the largest provider of after-school programs for middle and high school students in Norwalk.  Carver summer learning programs include Summer Enrichment (5- to 13-year-old students at two sites); Freshman Summer Success Academies for graduated 8th-grade students transitioning into 9th grade at Norwalk and Brien McMahon High Schools; and summer learning experience for 5th-grade students transitioning into middle school. Since 2005, 100 percent of Carver’s seniors have graduated on time and nearly 100% of our graduates go on to college. 85% of Carver students graduate college within 6 years.

Hometown Love Sponsorship packages:
$2,500 Presenting Sponsor

•  Name and/or logo displayed on tournament trophy
• Presenter at tournament award ceremony
• Prominent signage on event banner and full-page ad in the event program journal
• Cocktail Reception and Thank-You Concert at the Factory Underground in Norwalk
• Name and/or logo featured on Caver, FNX Music, and Factory Underground websites and social media
• Sponsor support exalted in all press relations
• Meet & greet with all VIP attendees

$1000 Hometown Love Champion

• Cocktail Reception and Thank-You Concert at the Factory Underground in Norwalk
• Signage on event banner and full-page ad in the event program journal
• Name and/or logo featured on Caver, FNX Music, and Factory Underground websites and in social media
• Sponsor support exalted in all press relations
• Meet & greet with all VIP attendees

$250 Hometown Love Team (limited to ten team sponsors)

• Basketball team sponsor with name on the team's t-shirt
• Half-page ad in event program journal
• Named on event page on Carver, FNX, and Factory Underground website and in social media

$100 Hometown Love Friend (No limit to the number of FRIENDS! Your name listed in the event program journal!)