Ed Romanoff

Last updated

Ed Romanoff
Origin Manhattan, New York [1]
Occupation(s)Singer-songwriter
entrepreneur
Associated acts Rachael Yamagata, Josh Ritter, Tift Merritt
Website http://edromanoff.com/

Ed Romanoff is an American singer-songwriter, corporate story-teller and entrepreneur. His first album, Ed Romanoff, was a Roots Radio Top 100 Album for 2012. [2] [3] He is also the founder of PineRock, a global brand communications company based in New York City. [4] He has co-written numerous soft-rock songs [5] and toured with artists such as Rachael Yamagata. [6]

Contents

Early life

Romanoff was raised in Connecticut and played sports at PineRock Park, the inspiration for the name of the company he founded in 1996. [7] He was 17 years old when he purchased his first guitar and began playing the music of John Prine, [6] whom he credits as an inspiration for him becoming a musician. [8]

Romanoff graduated from the University of Virginia where he earned a Bachelor's degree in Communications. [4] He dabbled in various professions before going into communications, including carpentry, special education teaching, and cattle branding. [6] Between 1988 and 1992 he worked as an account manager, director of sales, and assistant to the general manager at Jack Morton Co. [4] He then moved on to become the general manager of Ray Block Productions, Inc. where he stayed until 1996. [4] That year, Romanoff founded PineRock, a global brand communications company that specializes in events, digital and video production as well as communication strategy for corporations internationally. [4]

Music career

Romanoff began writing music in 2008. He studied at The Song School in Lyons, Colorado, where he studied with artists Darrell Scott and Beth Nielsen Chapman. [6]

He released his first album, self-titled, [9] in June 2012 at the age of 53. [6] The album contains ten original songs (11 total), with guest vocals by Josh Ritter, Tift Merritt and Mary Gauthier, and guest accompaniment by Duke Levine, Jaroslav Rodriguez, Tom West, Kimon Kirk, and Eugene Friesen on different tracks. [9] [10] The album peaked at number 12 on the European Americana Charts [11] and was a Roots Radio Top 100 Album for 2012. [2] Romanoff also announced that he was working on a second album. [12] [ non-primary source needed ]

In 2015 Ed Romanoff was two times on tour in Europe opening for Rachael Yamagata. In February 2015 the tour led him to Munich, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Cologne, Stuttgart, Duisburg, Hamburg, and Berlin. In September 2015 he opened for Rachael Yamagata in London, Hamburg, Verona, Ravenna, Zürich, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Rotterdam; in October 2015 he joined also in Barcelona.

On December 2, 2016, Ed Romanoff released digitally a Christmas song called "Everyday Is Christmas (Since I Met You)" on the German record label "Birdstone Records". The tune was produced by Nic v. Vogelstein.

"On February 23, 2018, Ed Romanoff's second album "The Orphan King" was released in the US and Europe; produced by Simone Felice (The Lumineers, Levon Helm Band, Bat For Lashes). The album entered in February 2018 No. 2 on the Euro Americana Charts [13] and repeated this feat in March 2018. [14] The German edition of the Rolling Stone magazine rated the album with 4 stars (out of 5) concluding the review by saying "Ed Romanoffs second album earns every attention, even more than his first one". [14] The German vinyl magazine MINT wrote in their review: "There are not many records that musically put a bracket on a whole genre and are suitable for a blueprint to a musical passion formulated to perfection – Springsteen's "Nebraska" would be one, or "Songs Of Love And Hate" by Leonard Cohen. Of course, mentioning these two is no coincidence, because The Orphan King shares much inspiration with these milestones." [14]

The impressive list of guest musicians on "The Orphan King" contains: Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Paul Simon, Elvis Costello, etc.), Cindy Cashdollar (Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Van Morrison), David Baron (Lenny Kravitz, Lumineers, Meghan Trainor), Teresa Williams (Jackson Browne, Little Feat, Rodney Crowell, etc.), Cindy Mizelle (Bruce Springsteen, Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, etc.), Mai Bloomfield (Jason Mraz, Adam Cohen, Sara Bareilles), Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids), among others. [14] [15]

Awards and recognition

Romanoff won first place at the 2011 International Songwriting Competition for the lyrics to his single "St. Vincent de Paul". [6] The song was inspired by his search for his biological father. He also received top honors for his songs "Two Yellow Roses" and "Breakfast for One on the Fifth of July" in the Great American Song Contest. [3] [6] Romanoff was also the winner of the 2013 New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival, an award previously won by singer-songwriters like Steve Earle and Lyle Lovett. [16]

Personal life

Romanoff grew up believing he was of Russian descent. In 2008, he accompanied a friend taking a DNA test [5] and took the test too as an act of solidarity and to learn more about his heritage. [5] The results revealed that he was actually of half Irish descent. The man he believed to be his father was, in fact, not his biological father. [6] [17] The opening song of his Ed Romanoff album, "St. Vincent de Paul", discusses his search to find his real father. [18]

Album

Singles (digital only)

Compilation appearances

Related Research Articles

Robert Earl Keen Musical artist

Robert Earl Keen is an American singer-songwriter and entertainer. Debuting with 1984's No Kinda Dancer, the Houston native has recorded 18 full-length albums for both independent and major record labels. His songs have had cover versions recorded by many musicians, including George Strait, Joe Ely, Lyle Lovett, The Highwaymen and Nanci Griffith.

Old Crow Medicine Show Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States

Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, Remedy, released in 2014, won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. The group's music has been called old-time, folk, and alternative country. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs.

Rachael Yamagata American musician

Rachael Yamagata is an American singer-songwriter and pianist from Arlington, Virginia. She began her musical career with the band Bumpus before becoming a solo artist and releasing five EPs and four studio albums. Her songs have appeared on numerous television shows and she has collaborated with Jason Mraz, Rhett Miller, Bright Eyes, Ryan Adams, Toots and the Maytals and Ray Lamontagne.

Mark Erelli Musical artist

Mark Erelli is an American singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and touring folk musician from Reading, Massachusetts who earned a master's degree in evolutionary biology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst before pursuing a career in music. Erelli has released nine solo albums and three collaborative albums. His self-titled debut album was released in 1999, the same year that he won the Kerrville Folk Festival's New Folk Award. His first recording for the Signature Sounds label, Compass & Companion, spent ten weeks in the Top Ten on the Americana Chart. Erelli has worked as a side musician for singer songwriters Lori McKenna and Josh Ritter. He has performed at various music festivals and shared the stage with John Hiatt, Dave Alvin, and Gillian Welch. Erelli's song “People Look Around”, which he co-wrote with Catie Curtis, was the Grand Prize winner at the 2005 International Songwriting Competition. His songs have been recorded by Ellis Paul, Vance Gilbert, Antje Duvekot, and Red Molly.

The Wood Brothers American folk band

The Wood Brothers are an American roots band consisting of brothers Chris and Oliver Wood, as well as multi-instrumentalist Jano Rix. Their music is a combination of folk, gospel, blues and jazz.

Jason Isbell American singer-songwriter and guitarist

Michael Jason Isbell is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell has won four Grammy Awards.

Dualtone Records is an American record label specializing in folk, Americana, and indie rock. It was founded in 2001 by Scott Robinson and Dan Herrington. The company is run by Robinson and the label's president, Paul Roper. Albums are distributed by the Alternative Distribution Alliance. On January 20, 2016, Entertainment One acquired Dualtone Records. Later, Dualtone's parent company eOne Music was acquired by The Blackstone Group in June 2021, with eOne Music rebranded as MNRK Music Group in September 2021.

Eric Taylor (musician) American musician

Eric Taylor was an American singer-songwriter from Texas, known for his storytelling style, combining spoken word with anecdotal songs to create a theater-style performance. In addition to Taylor's nine solo releases, his songs have been recorded by Nanci Griffith, Lyle Lovett, Peter Cooper, and others.

Amy Speace Musical artist

Amy Speace is a Nashville-based folk/Americana American singer-songwriter and essayist from Baltimore, Maryland. National Public Radio described her voice as "velvety and achy" and compared her to Lucinda Williams. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. A former Shakespearean actress, her music has received critical acclaim from The New York Times, NPR, The Sunday London Times, Mojo Magazine, etc. Speace's song, Weight of the World, was recorded by singer Judy Collins on her 2010 album Paradise. She has toured extensively in the US, UK and Europe and has shared the stage with Guy Clark, Judy Collins, Mary Chapin Carpenter and many others. She regularly performs at The Rocky Mountain Folks Festival and The Kerrville Folk Festival and has appeared at Glastonbury Music Festival, Cambridge Folk Festival. She has appeared on Mountain Stage Radio 4 times. Speace also works as a songwriter with the non-profit SongwritingWith:Soldiers which helps veterans process their trauma.

The Lumineers American indie folk band

The Lumineers are an American folk rock band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites. Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing together in Ramsey, New Jersey in 2005. Cellist and vocalist Neyla Pekarek (cello) joined the band in 2010, and was a member until 2018. The Lumineers emerged as one of the most popular folk-rock/Americana artists during the revival of those genres, their popularity growing in the 2010s. The band's stripped back raw sound draws heavily from artists that influenced Schultz and Fraites such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty. They are known for their energetic live shows and several international hit singles including "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love", "Ophelia" "Angela" and "Cleopatra". The band has become one of the top touring bands in the United States and is also popular in other countries.

Eliot Bronson American singer-songwriter

Eliot Bronson is an American singer-songwriter.

John Fullbright Musical artist

John Fullbright is an American singer-songwriter from Okemah, Oklahoma. While still in high school, Fullbright performed at the Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah. In 2009 he released the album Live at the Blue Door and three years later released his first studio album, From the Ground Up, which received a Grammy nomination in the category Best Americana Album. He has been the subject of two segments on NPR and was a 2012 winner of ASCAP Foundation's Harold Adamson Lyric Award.

Dave McGraw & Mandy Fer are an American folk rock singer-songwriter duo based in northwest Washington State. McGraw & Fer had both been pursuing solo singer-songwriter music careers before they began their musical partnership in the summer of 2010.

Ho Hey 2012 single by the Lumineers

"Ho Hey" is a song by American folk rock band the Lumineers. It was released on June 4, 2012, as the lead single from their debut self-titled studio album. The music video was released on March 11, 2012. "Ho Hey" reached number one for 18 non-consecutive weeks on the Billboard Rock Songs chart, as well as two weeks in the top spot on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and eight weeks in the top spot on the Adult Pop Songs chart, and reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming their first single to do so, as well as their first top 5 single. It also reached number 2 on the Billboard Mainstream Top 40 chart, behind "Locked Out of Heaven" by Bruno Mars. It is also their first single to be certified in the US.

<i>The Lumineers</i> (album) 2012 studio album by the Lumineers

The Lumineers is the debut studio album by American folk rock band the Lumineers. The album was released in the United States on April 3, 2012, and contains the singles "Ho Hey", "Stubborn Love" and "Submarines". The album peaked at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Wesley Schultz American guitarist and singer

Wesley Keith Schultz is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the American folk rock band The Lumineers.

<i>The Lone Bellow</i> (album) 2013 studio album by The Lone Bellow

The Lone Bellow is the debut studio album by the American folk rock trio The Lone Bellow. The album was released on January 22, 2013 by Descendant Records label, and the producer on the album was Charlie Peacock. The album has achieved critical and commercial acclaim.

Dawn and Hawkes

Dawn and Hawkes are an indie folk duo from Austin, Texas consisting of singer-songwriters Miranda Dawn and Chris Hawkes.

Angela (The Lumineers song) 2016 single by The Lumineers

"Angela" is a song recorded by American folk rock band The Lumineers for their second studio album, Cleopatra, and released as the album's third single on April 1, 2016.

<i>III</i> (The Lumineers album) 2019 studio album by the Lumineers

III is the third studio album by American indie folk band the Lumineers. The album was released on September 13, 2019.

References

  1. Doherty, Megan E. (August 16, 2013). "The troubadour CEO: An 'ignorance is bliss' tale from PineRock's Ed Romanoff". Upstart Business Journal. Retrieved September 20, 2013.
  2. 1 2 "Top 100 Roots Rock Albums of 2012". Roots Music Report. Archived from the original on August 8, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Jeff Giles and Matt Wardlaw (June 11, 2013). "The Matt 'N' Jeff Radio Hour, Episode 21: Ed Romanoff". Pop Dose. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Schafer, Sarah (August 31, 1998). "Making A Big Production Out of a Corporate Meeting". The Washington Post. HighBeam. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
  5. 1 2 3 Powers, Calvin (August 27, 2012). "Ed Romanoff Interview and Podcast". American Music Show. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Francis, Naila (December 6, 2012). "Ed Romanoff Is A Lucky Latecomer To Music". Philly Burbs. Archived from the original on January 7, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  7. "Vision". PineRock. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  8. Martin, Shantell (June 17, 2012). "Ed Romanoff Artist Interview". Subculture. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  9. 1 2 Chilton, Martin (August 16, 2012). "Ed Romanoff: Ed Romanoff CD Review". The Telegraph. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  10. Breen, Joe (February 15, 2013). "Ed Romanoff Self-Released". The Irish Times. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  11. "Euro Americana Chart 2012". Dutch Roots Radio. Archived from the original on September 8, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  12. "News from a bench in Woodstock". Ed Romanoff. August 12, 2013. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  13. Month chart December 1, 2018.
  14. 1 2 3 4 Ed Romanoff December 1, 2018.
  15. ED ROMANOFF: THE ORPHAN KING December 1, 2018.
  16. "Announcing The 2013 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Winners!". Kerrville Folk Festival. Archived from the original on October 6, 2013. Retrieved August 13, 2013.
  17. Dinerman, Annie (August 27, 2012). "Ed Romanoff:Ed Romanoff". americansongwriter.com. ForASong Media, LLC. Retrieved April 2, 2016.
  18. Chilton, Martin (April 2, 2016). "Ed Romanoff: Ed Romanoff, CD, review". The Daily Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Limited. Retrieved September 15, 2015.