Ari Shine

Ari Shine is quickly becoming the singer/songwriter to watch in 2011. He plays roosty rock with an eye for lyrical detail and an ear for classic pop song-craft. The heartfelt melodies and unfiltered lyrics he delivers retain the same unabashed hooks and energy whether in solo acoustic performance or with full band backing. After a number of critically acclaimed releases which earned him praise in such sources as the Village Voice, The Los Angeles Times and even from legendary Rolling Stones producer Andrew Loog Oldham, Ari has arrived with his most personal and versatile batch of tunes.

Speaking on the creation of his new album Ghost Town Directory (Beverly Martel) Shine says “My last album A Force Of One was purposely going after a classic late 70’s power pop sound, even going so far as to use veteran producer Earle Mankey (Sparks, Beach Boys, Concrete Blonde) to recreate the vibe of that era. I did a ton of touring after that album, much of which was solo acoustic shows and I decided that before I recorded my new album I was just going to write songs on my acoustic guitar not geared toward any specific genre; just songs that worked by themselves without outside adornment.”

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When it came time to record the music, Shine linked up with good friend and noted producer Noah Shain, fresh off work with acts like As Tall As Lions, Me Talk Pretty and The Secret Handshake. The results feature a wide screen sound which give Shine’s already anthemic tunes a radio ready sheen. Gutsy rockers like the opening “All I’ve Got is Love” (co-written with Shine’s wife Adrienne Pierce, also a noted performer) and the hometown kiss-off “Against the Night” mingle with more atmospheric tracks like “Here With Me” and “Simple”, the latter featuring rich pads of harmonies in a decidedly 70s vein. Though he tackled all the instruments and vocals during the sessions, drums were handled by LA traps master Chris Cano, best known for his work in another Shain produced project Orson, as well as hip hop/Latin rock road warriors Ozomatli.

Shine has racked up plenty of miles himself through the U.S., U.K. and Canada, opening for artists like Rhett Miller, John Doe, Hugh Cornwell of The Stranglers, Redd Kross, Silversun Pickups, The Donnas, Liam Finn and many others. Most recently Ari was handpicked to support Chris Shiflett of the Foo Fighters on his entire summer 2010 solo tour. “I’m proud of how much I’ve toured over the past few years. The wide range of artists I have played with has really helped me grow as a performer and as a writer. It’s a testament to the strength of the songs when you can just strap on a guitar and play to an audience who have come for an entirely different style of music and have them leave as fans.”

While Shine has built his songwriting skills and performance chops playing in live bands since the age of 15, in recent years he has become a go to songwriter for buzz acts and established artists alike. Some of his notable co-writes include tracks on albums by The Secret Handshake, Josie Cotton, Gaby Moreno, Into the Presence and Thousand Watt Stare.