WBUR's 14 albums by New England musicians to listen to this summer

WBUR's 14 albums by New England musicians to listen to this summer

The Gravel Project, 'Find What You Need'
June 13

With his bluesy electric guitar playing and blue-eyed soulful vocals, Andrew Gravel and his band have found plenty of fans in the local jam and roots rock worlds and drawn favorable comparisons to another group with Boston ties: the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Unlike a lot of their peers, the members of The Gravel Project have figured out how to bring the electricity of their live shows into the studio with a clean recording that echoes the best of their classic rock influences. Gravel digs deep to bring out these 10 musical stories that explore the complexities of relationships, with especially inspired playing from organist Jordan Gravel and master percussionist Eugie Castrillo.

The Gravel Project will celebrate the release June 14 at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge.

New album, "Find What You Need" coming 6/13/25. Pre-order now!

New album, "Find What You Need" coming 6/13/25. Pre-order now!

Our new album, “Find What You Need” is slated for worldwide release 6/13/25 and is now available to pre-order! Buy the album on Bandcamp or Amazon and get your copy today on Vinyl, CD or Digital formats.

The Gravel Project Releases Their Latest Single, 'So Sad'

The Gravel Project Releases Their Latest Single, 'So Sad'

The Gravel Project's new album will be released on June 13, 2025

The song taps into those moments when you know you’ve messed up and hurt someone you love.”

— Andrew Gravel

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, April 28, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Gravel Rocks Records is excited to announce the release of The Gravel Project’s second single of this year, “So Sad”.

“So Sad” is the second single off the upcoming album, “Find What You Need” which is scheduled to be released on June 13, 2025. The track moves with a funky, danceable rhythm, packed with bluesy guitar riffs and a chorus that sticks with you. Beneath the groove, "the song taps into those moments when you know you’ve messed up and hurt someone you love, when you’re stuck between guilt, hope, and a deep frustration for causing ongoing sorrow even though you’re doing everything you can to make things right,” explains Andrew Gravel, the band’s frontman and songwriter.

“The song taps into those moments when you know you’ve messed up and hurt someone you love.” -Andrew Gravel 

Both “So Sad” and the upcoming album were recorded at Power Station New England, a world-class studio modeled after the iconic Power Station/Avatar Studios in New York City. The sessions were led by Grammy-winning producers John Paterno (Gov’t Mule, Bonnie Raitt, Robben Ford) and Greg Ogan (Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson). 

The Gravel Project is a Modern Blues/Rock band based in Boston, MA, and is the creation of Andrew Gravel, the lead vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter. Since its inception, The Gravel Project has served as a platform for Andrew to collaborate with some of Boston’s most talented musicians, both in the studio and on stage. The band features Andrew’s brother, Jordan Gravel, on Hammond organ and keyboards, along with Dave Fox on drums, Eguie Castrillo on percussion, Jen Kearney on vocals and Jesse Williams on bass. The Gravel Project has previously released three albums including “Wishful Thinking” (2017), “Many Miles Ahead” (2022), and “Live at Wellspring Studios” (2023). The band won ‘Best Roots Rock Band of the Year’ in the 2023 New England Music Awards and their song, “Wishful Thinking” won ‘Song of the Year’ for AAA [Adult Album Alternative] Radio Station, WMWV 93.5 FM in Conway, NH. “No More Fire” was also added to Spotify’s Editorial playlist, ‘Modern Blues Rock’ for almost a year and their past releases were played on AAA radio stations across the country.

“So Sad” is currently available on all major streaming services including Spotify®Apple Music, Tidal, Pandora, and Amazon Music. If you are in the Northeast USA, be sure to check the band’s calendar on their website to catch a show. To find out more about The Gravel Project and the upcoming shows, you can visit their website at https://www.thegravelproject.com.

The Gravel Project Reminds Us to Appreciate Each Other With Their New Single, 'Love the Life'

The Gravel Project Reminds Us to Appreciate Each Other With Their New Single, 'Love the Life'

“Love the Life” video premiered worldwide on Music-News.com.

The song celebrates the life two people have built together, reminding them of all the reasons it’s worth fighting for.”

— Andrew Gravel

BOSTON, MA, UNITED STATES, April 8, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Independent record label, Gravel Rocks Records, announces the release of The Gravel Project’s newest single, “Love the Life”.

The Gravel Project is a Modern Blues/Rock band based in Boston, MA and is the brainchild of Andrew Gravel, who is the lead singer, guitar player, and songwriter. With Andrew as the founding member, The Gravel Project has long showcased some of Boston's most talented musicians, both in the studio and on stage.

“Love the Life” is the first single off the new forthcoming album called “Find What You Need” that is slated to be released on June 13, 2025. “The song celebrates the life two people have built together, reminding them of all the reasons it’s worth fighting for,” says Gravel. The track features lead vocals by Andrew, joined by R & B/Soul artist, Jen Kearney. “I take the first verse, Jen takes the second, and together, we bring both sides of the relationship to life - two voices, one shared desire to reconnect.”

Both “Love the Life” and the upcoming album were recorded at Power Station New England (a replica of the legendary New York City Power Station/Avatar Studios) with Grammy-winning producers John Paterno (Gov’t Mule, Bonnie Raitt, Robben Ford) and Greg Ogan (Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Kelly Clarkson). “John Paterno and Greg Ogan challenged us with fresh ideas and innovative recording techniques that pushed our boundaries,” Andrew remarks. The new album also features Andrew’s brother Jordan Gravel on Hammond organ and keyboards, Dave Fox on drums, Eguie Castrillo on percussion, and Jesse Williams on bass.

The Gravel Project was established in 2010 and has released three albums including “Wishful Thinking” (2017), “Many Miles Ahead” (2022), and “Live at Wellspring Studios” (2023). The band won ‘Best Roots Rock Band of the Year’ in the 2023 New England Music Awards and their song, “Wishful Thinking” won ‘Song of the Year’ for AAA [Adult Album Alternative] Radio Station, WMWV 93.5 FM in Conway, NH. “No More Fire” was also added to Spotify’s Editorial playlist, ‘Modern Blues Rock’ for over a year and their past releases were played on AAA radio stations across the country.

The video for “Love the Life” is now available on YouTube and recently premiered worldwide onMusic-News.com on Friday, April 7, 2025.

“Love the Life” is currently available on all major streaming services includingSpotify,Apple Music, Tidal, andAmazon Music. The band performs regularly in the USA's Northeast region. To find out more about The Gravel Project and the upcoming shows, you can visit their website athttps://www.thegravelproject.com.

We're recording a new album!

We're recording a new album!

We are incredibly excited to announce that we are hitting the studio in October to record a new album with Grammy winning producers, and we’re inviting you to join us in helping create this new album. 

The Gravel Project has previously recorded four albums (The Gravel Project (2013), Wishful Thinking (2017), Many Miles Ahead (2022), and Live at Wellspring Studios (2023), and these records were self-produced and self-financed. We’ve never run a crowdfunding campaign, as we’ve always been a bit uncomfortable with the idea of asking for help. However as we look ahead to this next project, the reality is we can’t do this alone. The music industry has changed big time. It's extremely expensive to make an album, and the return on investment for releasing new music is minimal. Most people listen to their music on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music that barely pay musicians. Many listeners expect music to be free, even though it’s very expensive for the artists to create. 

The total cost of recording, mixing, mastering, artwork and design, manufacturing of vinyl and CDs and promotion of the album will be more than $30,000. Our goal is to raise as close to that number as possible, which will make this incredible opportunity a reality for us. In return for your contributions we are offering a number of cool perks including T-shirts, hats, CDs and vinyl, limited edition posters, lessons with band members, house concerts, and liner note credits on the album. Please let us know if you would like to see any other perks not currently included. We are humbly asking for you to consider contributing to the creation of our next album. 

The new record will be recorded and produced by two Grammy winning producers/engineers, John Paterno and Greg Ogan. John engineered and produced Gov’t Mule’s two latest albums, and has also worked with Bonnie Raitt, Robben Ford, Michael Landau, and Steve Gadd, amongst many others. Greg Ogan has worked extensively with artists such as Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Justin Bieber, and Britney Spears. We’ll be recording for three consecutive days at the Power Station New England in Waterford, CT October 25th through 27th. We’ve never worked with a producer before, and this is an incredible opportunity to bring out the best of new material with two highly regarded music industry veterans. 

If you are in a position to support us we would be beyond grateful for your contribution and belief in the future of this band. If monetary support isn’t possible for you now, spreading the word to your friends and family or sharing our music would also be a great help. We'll be releasing some live-in-studio videos, interviews and other content throughout the campaign. No matter what, we are committed to making this record a reality.  Thank you for your consideration, and we greatly appreciate your support!

"Today, with the cost of creating content being close to zero, people can share an incredible amount of content.” (Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO and out of touch billionaire who doesn’t seem to understand that recording and releasing new music is very expensive!) 

New England Music Awards Roots Act of the Year!

New England Music Awards Roots Act of the Year!

We’re super psyched to have been awarded the Roots Act of the year by the 2023 New England Music Awards! Thank you to all our fans, friends and family for your votes and continued support! We’re very excited for the future of this band, and looking forward to some great shows closing out 2023 and much more in 2024. Check out tour schedule to find out where we’ll be next!

June 29th at Levitate Backyard!

June 29th at Levitate Backyard!

Ranked the third best outdoor music venue in Massachusetts, we’ll be performing at Levitate Backyard in Marshfield, MA on June 29th from 6pm-9pm and featuring special guest, Elise Testone. Mark your calendars and join us for what is sure to be a fantastic evening of music!

"Live at Wellspring Studios" - new album drops February 11th!

"Live at Wellspring Studios" - new album drops February 11th!

We’ll be releasing a new live album, “Live at Wellspring Studios” on February 11th and will be performing an album release show at Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, MA. The new live album captures the new lineup of the band performing live in the studio in front of an intimate audience of family and fans, and consists of a 10 song set. We’ll also be separately releasing an accompanying video of the entire performance at a later date. Pre-order the new album now on our Bandcamp page!

The Gravel Project Moving Forward with ‘Many Miles Ahead’

The Gravel Project Moving Forward with ‘Many Miles Ahead’

The Gravel Project is an eclectic bunch of talented players that bring an array of musical influences to the mix. ‘Many Miles Ahead’ is the band’s latest release and includes a barrage of elements from rock, jazz & blues to funk, Latin grooves and soul. The Gravel Project brings an intoxicating display of sound to the table on ‘Many Miles Ahead’ that will revitalize your ear drums.

The Gravel Project kicks like a mule on 'Many Miles Ahead'

The Gravel Project kicks like a mule on 'Many Miles Ahead'

The Gravel Project consists of guitarist-vocalist Andrew Gravel, his brother, keyboardist Jordan Gravel, drummer Dave Fox, and percussionist-vocalist Brandon Mayes. New album Many Miles Ahead blends classic rock, blues, and other old school influences into a chunky block of feisty nuggets, songs that introduce themselves by kicking down the door with exuberant musical muscle.

Looking 'Many Miles Ahead' with The Gravel Project

Looking 'Many Miles Ahead' with The Gravel Project

There will always be something special about a band playing music together live. With all the “bedroom” production music taking over the airwaves lately, some of that is becoming lost. The halt on live music over the past couple years definitely had an effect on that but some great bands, like our friends The Gravel Project, have been refining their live skills and are ready to tackle the stage again. New album Many Miles Ahead set for release on February 19th is an example of what a live band is supposed to sound like.

Pre-order "Many Miles Ahead"

Pre-order "Many Miles Ahead"

A vinyl, compact disc and digital pre-order for the upcoming album Many Miles Ahead is now available for purchase! All of the singles from the album, "Big Deep Blue," "No More Fire," "Saving up my Love" and "Facts and Fiction" are ready for immediate listening upon each pre-order purchase. The album will be released on Saturday, February 19th with a release show at The Fallout Shelter, Norwood, MA and a second show Friday, February 25th at Theatre in the Wood, Intervale, NH.

Pre-order for Many Miles Ahead is currently available on vinyl, compact disc and digital formats!

NEW ALBUM "MANY MILES AHEAD" OUT 2/19/22

NEW ALBUM "MANY MILES AHEAD" OUT 2/19/22

We’ll be releasing our long awaited new album, “Many Miles Ahead” 2/19/22! The new album will be available in vinyl, compact disc and digital formats; the vinyl will feature 8 tracks and the CD and digital will have 11 tracks. We’ll be performing two album release shows in support of the new record: 2/19 at The Fallout Shelter in Norwood, MA and 2/25 at Theatre in the Wood in Intervale, NH. Tickets are on sale now for both shows! We’ll also be announcing a vinyl pre-order sale soon.

South Shore Show in August with The Silks!

South Shore Show in August with The Silks!

August 29th we’ll be playing in Plymouth, MA with The Silks as part of the new concert series, Rhythm Room Afternoons. The venue, John Alden Sportsmen's Club has a huge field, complete natural setting, a shade pavilion that can hold 200+ people. This show is not a drive in.