VARIOUS ARTISTS | “ROAD ANGEL PROJECT” SERIES | RELEASE ME RECORDS

BIO (ROAD ANGEL PROJECT PRESENTS: DEV MARVELOUS X THE BIRD AND THE BEE):

“It is always so incredibly flattering to have someone play or record a cover of a song I wrote, no matter what,” says Inara George of The Bird and The Bee.

When Louisville, Kentucky-based producer, singer-songwriter, and pianist, Devon Moore aka Dev Marvelous, sent her an album’s worth of reinterpretations of The Bird and The Bee songs, George immediately asked if she could put them out.

Road Angel Project Presents: Dev Marvelous X The Bird and The Bee is now scheduled for release on April 16th as the sixth volume in George’s ongoing charity series in partnership with, and benefitting, the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund’s COVID-19 fund.

“I was just blown away by his interpretations of our songs,” George says. “Dev really made them his own, and it seemed obvious to me that he was a serious musician with his own unique vision.”

“Thank heaven for the ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ music supervisors,” Moore says about his initial encounter with The Bird and The Bee through the use of the duo’s music on the show. “Together, Inara and (her The Bird and The Bee bandmate) Greg Kurstin have created some of the classiest indie-pop gems of the mid-2000s to present day.”

“It’s always been a dream of mine to collaborate with Inara,” Moore continues. “Her voice and tone, paired with her clever, poetic lyrical ability are unmatched.”

Moore goes on to credit Kurstin, who has written and/or produced songs for many artists Moore admires such as Sia, Kelly Clarkson, Kendrick Lamar, Paul McCartney, Beck, Kylie Minogue, Lily Allen, and Beyoncé, as his “music production hero.”

“That’s just touching the surface,” Moore exclaims. “He’s one of the most badass multi-instrumentalists I’ve ever heard.”

Among The Bird and The Bee’s many original songs, the duo has become known for their “Interpreting The Masters” albums, in which they do exactly that, covering a full album’s worth of tunes by their heroes. First was Daryl Hall & John Oates, which was followed by a Van Halen edition in 2019.

In all its meta glory, the gracious appreciation that Moore’s album shows for The Bird and The Bee’s tunes is clear.

“I was inspired in 2019 by Interpreting The Masters, Vol. 2: A Tribute to Van Halen, and I set out to return the love with an Ella Fitzgerald-style songbook tribute to The Bird and The Bee’s work and artistry. I wanted to not just celebrate their music as a band, but their solo compositions as well.”

Indeed, Road Angel Project Presents: Dev Marvelous X The Bird and The Bee includes one cover each from George and Kurstin’s solo catalogs.

In addition to paying tribute to artists that inspire him, Moore’s stated goal through the creation of his original music and visual art is to unite and brighten the world around us, “no matter your skin, orientation, or music library.”

He says, “Being a black, gay musician, I always look to incorporate my unique queer voice into a lot of my work. Similarly, I am very in touch with my spirituality. It’s important to me, and I always include a spiritual, faith-based piece in as much of my original music as I can.”

For her part in releasing the material, George couldn’t be happier about keeping the circle unbroken, saying, “I’m very excited to be working on this release with Dev, and it feels appropriate for the ‘Road Angel Project,’ which, in addition to raising funds for musicians and music industry workers, is also a way for lesser known musicians to have a platform to be heard.”

Road Angel Project Presents: Dev Marvelous X The Bird and The Bee arrives via Inara George’s Release Me Records label on April 16th, preceded by “La La La,” one of the most lighthearted of the covers on the album, out March 26th.

ABOUT:

The Bird and The Bee vocalist Inara George has teamed with Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters for a new single “Sex In Cars: Road Angel Project,” a duet version of the track “Sex In Cars” from George’s latest release “The Youth of Angst”. The song is available now on all streaming platforms and can also be heard via Rolling Stone here.

“I wrote ‘Sex In Cars’ after the artist Terry Allen asked if I’d be a part of an art installation entitled “Road Angel” that he was creating for The Contemporary Austin,” George explains.

“Sex In Cars: Road Angel Project” is the first in a series of planned “Road Angel Project” singles, which will see all proceeds donated via a partnership with Sweet Relief Musicians Fund. The COVID-19 Relief Fund at Sweet Relief provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who have lost income due to the global pandemic.

“Having been such a massive fan of Inara for years, it’s always such an incredible honor to work with her, whether on Foo Fighters music or for The Bird and The Bee,” Grohl says. “Her voice is timeless, so pure and real. So I jumped at the chance to duet with her on this song. It was a dream come true! And for a great cause: Musicians coming together to support each other in difficult times, working to keep the music alive.”

The name “Road Angel Project” is an Allen-authorized nod back to the piece that inspired “Sex In Cars,” and the cover image for the series by Alice Lin is based on a Brian Fitzsimmons photograph of Allen’s actual installation.

With “Road Angel Project,” George is continuing to follow a line of thought that began with her current release “The Youth of Angst”. George saw so many musicians and music industry friends out of work during the pandemic and saw an opportunity to keep them working. With the previously unreleased duet version of “Sex In Cars” featuring Grohl, she hopes to continue helping.

“I always knew I wanted this version of ‘Sex In Cars’ with Dave to benefit some amazing non-profit,” George says. “As the pandemic hit and it became very clear that live music would not resume for many, many months, I immediately thought of Sweet Relief, not only because they help so many musicians, but also because they help everyone in the music industry.”

George has many friends in the music industry and has seen their jobs evaporate.

“All of those people who work at venues booking shows, stage managing, bartending, lighting, mixing sound, and on and on... Sweet Relief is set up to help all of these workers during this crisis and also any other crisis that might come.”

Sweet Relief’s Aric Steinberg says, “Sweet Relief is so grateful to be a part of the Road Angel Project. It’s been incredible to see the music community come together during this pandemic, and this is another example of good people doing good things. The funds raised will allow us to help even more music industry professionals in desperate need and we are truly thankful for Inara and Dave’s support.”

For more information about the Sweet Relief COVID-19 fund, visit: https://www.sweetrelief.org/covid-19-fund.html