TRO Essex Music Group

06/11/2024

TRO is proud to announce that this Wednesday, June 12th TRO will be sponsoring SPIN's "Indie Week Happy Hour"! Look for Shamus Records/TRO Essex artists Sam Louis, Casii Stephan, and Flamy Grant performing! The event takes place at The Penthouse 6-9 pm, see you there!

06/10/2024

Happy Songwriter's/Indie Week! It's a busy week for TRO but we wouldn't have it any other way, look for our team at the top industry events in NYC this year such as the AIMP Global Music Publishing Summit, the National Music Publishers' Association Annual Meeting, A2IM's Indie Week Conference, and more!

06/10/2024

Happy 75th Anniversary to TRO Essex Music Group! Tonight, TRO will be celebrating its 75th Anniversary, founded in 1949, by legendary music man Howie Richmond, TRO is a leading Independent Music Publisher in all genres of music, representing iconic songwriters like Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Lead Belly, Oscar Brand, Bernice Johnson Reagon, as well as legendary groups like Pink Floyd, The Who, Black Sabbath, and many more.

While celebrating our past and standing on the shoulders of our legendary writers, TRO has continued to promote the growth of our catalog. With an aggressive A&R team that boasts 27 new writer and artist signings last year and the launch of our new label, Shamus Records. TRO Essex has offices in every territory around the World and is deeply proud of its legacy of curating and protecting some of the most important copyrights and recordings in music!

06/06/2024

Justin Hayward is an English musician, best known as a songwriter, lead singer, and guitarist in the rock band The Moody Blues. In 1966 Justin Hayward joined the Moody Blues and quickly began contributing to the group. They released the album "Days of Future Passed", in 1967, quickly becoming one of the most successful pop/rock releases of the period. The album plus the two singles “Nights in White Satin” and “Tuesday Afternoon” both written by Justin Hayward took time to find an audience, in 1972 “Nights in White Satin” made No. 9 on the UK singles chart. It reached No. 2 in the U. S. where “Tuesday Afternoon” reached No. 24 in the initial 1968 release. Look for TRO's own covers of these two hits on our new album out everywhere tomorrow!

06/06/2024

Casii Stephan is coming to NYC!!! This genre-defying artist has some exciting shows coming up in NYC this week!

TONIGHT @ The Big City Folk Event at The Vale Public House @ 7pm
TOMORROW June 7th, a solo set @ Rockwood Music Hall @ 7pm
Tuesday June 11th, @ Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn @ 8:30pm
Wednesday June 12th, SPIN's Indie Week Happy Hour @ The Penthouse 6-9pm

Stephan recently released two new singles "Can't Handle Me" and "Wine and Gold" off her concept EP “Relationship Status”. This EP takes the listener on the emotional journey of going from one relationship status to another until finally landing on the realization that these statuses do not define you. Look for the full EP coming soon, until then catch Casii performing LIVE in NYC this week!

06/05/2024

Pete Townshend: Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend (born 19 May 1945) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead guitarist and songwriter for the rock band The Who. His career with The Who spans more than 50 years, during which time the band grew to be considered one of the most influential bands of the 20th century. Townshend is the main songwriter for The Who, having written well over 100 songs for the band's 11 studio albums, including concept albums and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia, plus popular rock radio staples such as Who's Next, and dozens more that appeared as non-album singles, bonus tracks on reissues, and tracks on rarities compilations such as Odds & Sods (1974). Look for TRO's own newly reimagined cover of The Who's hit "My Generation" on our upcoming album!

05/31/2024

Sam Louis' new single "Faded Jeans" is out everywhere now! Don't be a "liar liar" go check it out: https://tunelink.to/FadedJeans

05/31/2024

TRO's newest album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume III" will be released on all platforms in ONE week!

"Evergreens Reimagined Volume III", features fourteen classic works from our catalog, covered by talented artists like folk duo Story and Tune, singer/songwriter Sam Robbins, Americana singer/songwriter Dan Zlotnick, rock n' roll songwriter, guitarist, and producer GOODING, genre-defying artist Casii Stephan and more! Look for the full album release everywhere next Friday 6/7, or pre-save here: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolIII

05/29/2024

Meet Katelyn Richards, another artist featured on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume III"!

New York City based artist, Katelyn Richards, is not your average musician. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts: Amherst, it didn't take long to realize that her passion for music and community was too strong to be kept on the side, so she quit her day job to pursue her music career full time. Now, with over a decade of experience and thousands of live performances under her belt, she has emerged as one of the top entertainers in her field with a charm and connection that keeps her playing and in demand.

Growing up in Boston, Katelyn pulls from her life experiences and personal struggles to write songs with meaning and easily relatable feelings. Inspired by the likes of Alanis Morrissette, Jenny Lewis, and even the Allman Brothers Band, her Americana sound comes from a place of honesty and engagement that feels fresh, yet familiar.
When Katelyn performs she is there to connect with every single person in front of her, whether it's taking the stage at a festival, jammed into the corner of a packed Times Square bar, or just passing around the guitar in the living room. As a songwriter she speaks to people along all walks of life, and as a gigging musician her expansive catalog will make sure everyone gets a chance to sing along to something they know and love. This triple threat (singer, guitar player, and virtuoso foot-tambourinist) will remind you what a live music experience is meant to sound like and leaving you wanting to come back for more.

Listen for Katelyn's cover of The Moody Blues' hit "Tuesday Afternoon" on TRO's new album, out everywhere 6/7!

05/28/2024

Indie artist Sam Louis is releasing a new single "FADED JEANS" this Friday! Look for it on your favorite streaming platform, or pre-save here: https://tunelink.to/FadedJeans

05/28/2024

John Kongos is a singer, songwriter, and sound engineer, born on August 6, 1945, in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the early 1960s, Kongos was the leader behind Johnny Kongos & the G-Men, a successful beat group. In 1966, Kongos relocated to London and formed the group, Floribunda Rose, his next band Scrugg released three singles before their 1969 breakup. Upon Scruggs's split, Kongos went solo, he released his first solo album, Confusions About a Goldfish in 1969 and began to have major success in Europe. In 1971 he had two hit singles including "He's Gonna Step on You Again", which entered the UK Singles Chart in May 1971 and spent 14 weeks there, peaking at No. 4. Later that year John released the single "Tokoloshe Man" which reached No. 4 on the UK charts.

Kongos gained much attention with his single "He's Gonna Step on You Again,” it was even cited in the Guinness Book of Records as the first song to ever use a sample, though it is actually a tape loop of African drumming. Though the song was originally performed by John Kongos, covers of the song have been successful on the charts several times, most memorably in 1990 when English rock group Happy Mondays reworked "He's Gonna Step On You Again" into their hit "Step On", which reached No. 5 in the UK Singles Chart. John’s second album released in 1972 Kongos made the top 30 of the UK Albums Chart. Though Kongos’ subsequent singles did not chart, his “Ride The Lightning” was covered by Sylvie Vartan in French and were No. 1 on the France charts for several weeks in 1976.

In 1971 Kongos constructed a recording studio in London, titled John Kongos Studio, later renamed Tapestry Studios. Kongos continued his work here as a record producer, songwriter, and sound engineer. He also handled the programming of the Fairlight CMI synthesizer on Def Leppard's 1983 album, Pyromania, the band also covered Kongos' hit "He's Gonna Step on You Again," in 2006 on their album Yeah!. Kongos ran his home studios in London from 1971 to 1988 before relocating to Phoenix, Arizona, where he started tokoloshe Records with his four sons Johnny, Jesse, Dylan, and Daniel, who formed their own rock group titled Kongos. Since the 1970s John Kongos has sold over 25 million copies as a songwriter/artist with several No. 1 and Top Ten hits. Check out some of Kongos' top hits below, and look for TRO's own reimagined cover of his famous work "He's Gonna Step On You Again" on our upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume III" everywhere 6/7!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6exTOrjvaEP1jK0ZwZd42y?si=84227c143e9444c6

05/27/2024

Black Sabbath is credited with creating heavy metal. Their story began in Birmingham, England where Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward were looking to escape a life of factory work through music. After forming several psychedelic and blues bands, they started to “happen” when Butler had an idea for a song inspired by a disturbing apparition.

With lyrics by Osbourne, the group composed a song about the visitation entitled “Black Sabbath” the song reached Number 8 in Britain and exhibited staying power in America, remaining on the charts for 65 weeks. Sabbath's album Paranoid was recorded in 1970 and included the classic tracks “Iron Man” and “War Pigs” which reached Number 1 in the U.K. and charted for 70 weeks in the U.S. Look for TRO's own newly reimagined covers of these classic Sabbath works on our new album everywhere 6/7!

05/24/2024

Meet Jaclyn Dima, the talented artist who covered John Kongos' "He's Gonna Step On You Again" on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume III" out everywhere 6/7!

"Music has been a part of me since before I was born. My mother is a retired choir director and she still loves to tell me the story about when I was in her tummy. She would be rehearsing with her choirs during the day. And without fail, every time they rehearsed The Lord Bless You and Keep You with the Seven Fold Amens, that’s when I would “kick” the most. That song still makes me emotional to this very day.

I grew up in Cincinnati in a very musical home, my mom and brother both musicians as well. I was extremely active in choir and theater throughout high school. When I was 12 years old, I was given my very first guitar. As soon as I learned 4 chords, I began writing my own music.

My greatest strength was always classical voice. So I decided to major in Vocal Performance in college and attended the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University in Bloomington where I earned my Bachelors degree in music and theater. However, songwriting remained my greatest passion.

After graduating from college, I packed up my things and moved to New York City…hitting open mic, playing at clubs and bars, releasing an album, and starting a band called the Shakey Tables which released an album in 2014. During this time, I landed a job with the amazing Laurie Berkner, playing music for children. I learned incredible things from Laurie and this job surprised me in so many wonderful ways. I fell in love with children’s music and even started my own companies around children’s entertainment.

Today, you can find me leading music classes for children, as well as concerts, parties and events for children, families, adults…dinosaurs, robots, and unicorns ;-) No matter who you are, my promise is to bring you the most wonderful experience with my music."

05/23/2024

Meet HalleyNeal, one of the talented artists on TRO's "Evergreens Reimagined Volume III" album! Halley is a folk singer and songwriter whose live shows center on themes of positivity and peace. Based in Nashville for the past five years, her straight-up Americana songs are met with upbeat instrumentation and soaring vocals. Halley has been blazing the folk trail over the last 2 years, performing at festivals such as: Kerrville Folk Festival, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Rocky Mountain Folks Fest, Falcon Ridge Folk Festival, and recently she was named the winner of SolarFest’s Singer-Songwriter Showcase.

Halley released her most recent record “Beautiful and Blue” to critical acclaim on September 30th, 2022. Her sound blends effortless layered vocals with Americana production, and is rooted in classic 60’s and 70’s folk. In 2020, Halley became an official Guild Guitars artist, and performed a set of original music at the 2021 and 2023 NAMM Shows with Guild. Currently, Halley tours nationally to house concert and listening room venues. Listen for her cover of The Who's "My Generation" out everywhere Friday June 7th, pre-save: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolIII

05/21/2024

Joe Cocker was an English singer known for his gritty, bluesy voice and dynamic stage performances. He was born on May 20, 1944, in Sheffield, UK. He first performed publicly at the age of 12, and in 1960 formed his own group, the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers eventually broke up when Cocker left school to become an apprentice gasfitter. In 1961, Cocker took the stage name Vance Arnold and began performing with a new group, Vance Arnold and the Avengers. The group played in Sheffield pubs and in 1963, booked their first big gig as an opener for the Rolling Stones. The following year, Cocker was offered a solo recording contract with Decca Records and released his first single, a recording of the Beatles' "I'll Cry Instead".

Cocker soon teamed up with English musician Chris Stainton to form the Grease Band, he found his break, when the group came to the attention of Denny Cordell, the producer of Procol Harum, and the Moody Blues. He and Cocker recorded a single "Marjorine" in London, and Cordell pushed Cocker’s career forward by setting him up with a residency at the Marquee Club. In 1968 Cocker’s rearrangement of the Beatles’ "With a Little Help from My Friends", brought him to near-instant stardom. The single remained in the top ten of the UK Singles Chart for thirteen weeks, reached number 68 on the US charts, and became a staple of Cocker’s live shows including Woodstock. Cocker's album With a Little Help from My Friends was released soon after and made number 35 on the U.S. charts. After performing at Woodstock, Cocker released his second album, Joe Cocker!, album reached number 11 on the US charts.

In 1971 Cocker released the single "High Time We Went", which became a hit, reaching number 22 on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Throughout the 70s and 80s, he continued to tour around the world. His 2012 album, Fire it up, would prove to be his last, which was followed by an extensive tour. He died from lung cancer on December 22, 2014, in Crawford, Colorado, at the age of 70. Check out Cocker's most memorable works: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7oLWgm5cbKZpPrKbJL6lxQ?si=8227968fea2449a0

05/17/2024

The TRO team had a great time attending the 2024 Association of Music Producers (AMP) Awards, and were proud to be platinum sponsors of the event. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

05/16/2024

David Bowie was a singer-songwriter, an influential musician who often adopted new personas (Ziggy Stardust, Alladin Sane, Thin White Duke) to accompany his musical phases. He released 26 studio albums, 9 live albums, and 8 EPs, and has had 27 hit singles recorded on the US pop charts.

Bowie’s first big hit was a song off his 2nd album, Space Oddity. Space Oddity was about a fictional astronaut, Major Tom, and correlated with Apollo 11, helping launch the song into success. The song reached the top 5 in the UK and was his 1st and last hit for 3 years. Look for TRO's newly reimagined cover of this classic work performed by indie artist Will Bentley on our new album everywhere TOMORROW!

05/15/2024

TRO is proud to now be representing hip-hop and R&B artist COLOM81AN!

Summer nights, cold winters, urban vibes and electronic influences are what embody the sound of COLOM81AN. Hailing from Montreal Canada, COLOM81AN’s experience in music dates back from the mid to late 90’s. At the time, cultures such as underground house and conscious hip-hop were on the rise, shaping society and its youth. Years later, those same influences have helped shape the vision behind Colom81an's projects!

Check out COLOM81AN's music: https://open.spotify.com/artist/2HJ4GhTAOvS6yX0RJdWv6A?si=hnR0NrRcQvqyP0GwvgP_qw

05/10/2024

Bill Evans was an American jazz pianist and composer; he is one of the most admired and imitated jazz pianists of the second half of the 20th century. During his lifetime, Evans was honored with 31 Grammy nominations, in 1994, and he was posthumously honored with the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Look for a newly reimagined cover of Evans' "Time Remembered" by indie artist Will Bentley on TRO's Evergreens Reimagined Volume II, out everywhere next Friday!

Pre-save: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolII

05/10/2024

Sam Louis' newest single "Burnout" is streaming everywhere, go check it out!

https://open.spotify.com/album/3nWFIgoqORK8OPsdUnwWwU?si=zpdD5bY6T0q04BbgSQE6YA

05/09/2024

Meet Grant Rossi, this multi-talented, writer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist is featured on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume II"!

Influenced by the sound emitting from clubs in Bushwick, open car windows in Crown Heights, and local AM radio in Houston, he aims to make music that elicits physical sensation—creating sound as a direct embodiment of emotion rather than an allusion to it. His love for technical rigor and maximalist production makes his music dense and exciting, ripe for sonic and lyric dissection. His next project—7 self-produced tracks—arrives later this year and features his most expansive work yet.

"Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" was exclusively recorded with stripped vocals and a monophonic analog synth—a decidedly different stylistic approach than Ed McCurdy's original track. Grant replaces the folksy, waltz-like sound of McCurdy's performance with a synthetic, grimy, pessimistic reframing of this midcentury antiwar fantasy to fit the current historical moment—one in which the dream described is more alien, more unlikely, and more strange than ever. Look for it on TRO's upcoming album out everywhere next Friday 5/17, pre-save: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolII

05/09/2024

Casii Stephan’s newest single “Wine and Gold” is getting a ton of buzz, have you checked it out yet?

https://open.spotify.com/track/1CsCKV0Zsqd5JTRTbYww15?si=huU-UhbHSoS21_fnZVIb_A

05/08/2024

Meet Ashley Sage, a Brooklyn-bred R&B and Pop songstress whose cover of "I Know Your Heart" is featured on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume II"!

Seemingly coming out of the womb with a curiosity for music, her father tells stories of Ashley Sage remembering songs by heart and holding a note when she was as young as three years old. Her love for singing followed her throughout her school years where she was eager to participate in theater, choir, vocal training, and talent shows. However, it was not until she was a 17-year-old student vocal performance at Edward R. Murrow high school in Brooklyn that the young vocalist began writing her own songs and using professional studios to record covers of songs.

The songstress deeply believes that it is her divine calling to make music. She feels that her purpose on earth is to spread joy and authenticity, especially to young Black women. She hopes that sharing her own journey and the resulting wisdom through music will send the message that it’s okay to be their authentic selves– no matter how beautiful, quirky, weird, loud, or intelligent that may be.

Furthermore, the songstress’ deep connection to her work is epitomized by her stage name. While her parents gave her the name Ashley, she came up with the name Sage during a cypher with her brother and his friends. They were all inebriated, spitting lame bars, and the name came to her out of nowhere. She felt it suited her as she uses music to express the wisdom she’s learned in life. By late 2019, Ashley Sage had dropped her first EP, “Sage the EP” and so “Ashley Sage” was born.

Today, Ashley Sage’s lifelong love of music shines through as she uses music to get honest with herself and connect with listeners through ethereal vocals and introspective yet catchy lyrics. Impressively, she's amassed over 100,000 views on YouTube, performed at legendary venues in New York City including SOBs, and is currently working on her debut album.

Look for Ashley Sage's cover on TRO's upcoming release out everywhere Friday 5/17, pre-save: https://tr.ee/_x2vfmoezn

05/07/2024

Meet Kenji, a talented R&B artist on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume II"!

Kenji is growing quite the reputation for leaving rooms both speechless and in awe after delivering some of his original records. The Brooklyn-born crooner’s music consists of sticky hooks intertwined with beautifully executed melodies and surrounded by tailor-crafted production; don’t be too surprised to find yourself humming some of those same earworms well after the music has stopped.

Drawing inspiration from R&B and soul greats, Kenji references albums like Voodoo by D’angelo, Erykah Badu’s Mama’s Gun, and CTRL by Sza for the dynamics, quality, and emotion derived in each. Embracing the unexpected, Kenji is well on his way to blazing a tremendous trail, the likes of which only a select few can ignite. Look for Kenji's cover of the TRO classic "With These Hands" out everywhere on 5/17 or pre-save: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolII

05/07/2024

TRO is proud to be a sponsor of the 2024 AMP Awards! Look for us next Wednesday 5/15 at Sony Hall, ticket link below!

Without the support of our sponsors, the AMP Awards would not exist! Thank you to Platinum Sponsor TRO Essex Music Group for coming on board as a sponsor this year. See you Wednesday, May 15 at Sony Hall. Tickets on sale now at associationofmusicproducers.org/!

05/07/2024

So happy to have you! Go pre-save the talented Sam Louis’ new single “Burnout”, link below!

Presave Burnout by Sam Louis.

05/07/2024

Hugh Martin was a musical theater composer, and arranger. He is best known for his score for the musical Meet Me in St. Louis, which included the songs, "The Trolley Song," and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." Hugh Martin was born on August 11, 1914, in Birmingham, Alabama, he was enrolled in the Birmingham Conservatory of Music at age five, and attended the Birmingham-Southern College, where he discovered the music of composer George Gershwin and was inspired. Martin soon left college and moved to NYC where he found work as a vocal arranger and performer.

In 1937, he performed and arranged music for the Broadway r***e Hooray for What! While working, Martin met fellow performer Ralph Blane and they began a long-lasting songwriting collaboration. Martin’s first big break came in 1938 when he arranged “Sing for Your Supper” for the show The Boys from Syracuse. The following year, Blane and Martin collaborated on the first show entirely written by them, Best Foot Forward. In 1944, Martin co-wrote the original songs for the classic musical Meet Me In St. Louis. From 1948-1951, while working alone, Martin wrote the music for the Broadway shows Look Ma, I'm Dancin', and Make a Wish. In the late 1950s, Martin reunited with Ralph Blane, and they continued writing songs for theatre and film and recorded an album of their best songs, titled Martin and Blane Sing Martin and Blane.

In 1964, Martin began collaborating with songwriter Timothy Gray, together they wrote a new Broadway musical High Spirits. Martin spent much of the 1980s as an accompanist for gospel singer Del Delker and collaborated with Michael Feinstein for a 1995 album. He was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Alabama Music Hall of Fame in 2001, his work received two Academy Award nominations and four Tony nominations. In 2006, Martin released an album of his music called Hugh Sings Martin, which drew from his catalog as a composer. Martin died on March 11, 2011, in Encinitas, California at age ninety-six. Check out some of Martin's memorable songs below!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4UUDQAW8eosYOzds6TmiSy?si=fc6a2a23cbcd4b0e

05/06/2024

Sam Louis' newest single "Burnout" is out THIS FRIDAY 5/10! Look for it on your favorite DSP or pre-save here: http://tunelink.to/Burnout

05/06/2024

Meet Gianna Alessi, one of the talented artists featured on TRO's upcoming album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume II"!

Cited for her honeyed vocals and soul-stirring melodies, New York native Gianna Alessi discovered her passion for music during her time spent at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee School of Music. However, her musical journey truly began when her grandmother—a former soprano at the Metropolitan Opera—gave nine-year-old Gianna her first ever voice lesson.

The vocalist, songwriter, and artist has packed well-known NYC venues such as Bowery Electric, Heaven Can Wait, Arelene’s Grocery, Rockwood Music Hall, and the historic Club Groove in Manhattan's West Village, where she held an artist residency. She has been prominently featured as an artist for Mondo NYC, Music Attic TV, and more. Her vocal versatility shines in her work as a sought-after session vocalist for countless projects across genres.

Currently based in Los Angeles, Gianna Alessi Music draws inspiration from R&B, soul, jazz and pop, seamlessly blending retro aesthetics with contemporary production techniques to craft her signature sound. Look for her cover of the classic standard "September Song" out everywhere 5/17, or pre-save here: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolII

05/03/2024

TRO is proud to promote the release of our new album "Evergreens Reimagined Volume II", featuring modern covers of classic songs from our catalog by some of our top writers including David Bowie, Bills Evans, Kurt Weill, and more!

"Evergreens Reimagined Volume II", features ten classic works from our catalog, covered by talented artists like singer/songwriter Grant Rossi, indie/folk artist Will Bentley, soulful vocalist, songwriter & producer Gianna Alessi Music, R&B artist Kenjii, and Brooklyn-bred R&B and Pop songstress Ashley Sage! Look for the full album release everywhere on May 17th, or pre-save: https://tunelink.to/EvergreensReimaginedVolII