Most singer-songwriters don’t wait a lifetime to release their debut album. But for Pegi Young, longtime backup singer for her husband, Neil Young, and whose self-titled collection of country-rockin’ heartache tunes came out in June on Warner Brothers Records, life kept getting in the way. “I’ve been writing songs and poetry since high school,” she says. “It was something I’d always wanted to do but could never make time for. There were other things that took priority.” Young’s greatest priority was co-founding The Bridge School for special needs children like her son Ben, born with cerebral palsy. She also raised a daughter, Amber, and toured the world as a backup singer with Neil Young. Pegi and Neil have been married nearly three decades. With The Bridge School running well (Young is still president of the Board) and her kids grown, Pegi finally had time to get into the studio. On Pegi Young, she turns out a set of gorgeous, twangy songs that ponder the tug-of-war between love and independence. After several years of performing with Neil Young’s various touring ensembles, Young gained the self-assurance she needed to make a record as well. “All of these great experiences kept leading to me stepping out and trying my own thing,” she says. For Pegi’s 3 performances, she will be will be performing songs from her debut album and some new ones, ably backed by stellar music veterans and collaborators Ben Keith, Rick “The Bass Player” Rosas and Anthony Crawford.

“This has to be one of the most delayed debut albums in singer-songwriter history. Pegi Young wrote some of the original songs here more than thirty years ago, long before she married Neil Young. But one of the unexpected pleasures of Pegi Young (along with the sound of Neil playing electric sitar in "Love Like Water") is hearing Pegi revisit questions and impressions from her youth -- "Key to Love," "White Line in the Sun" -- in a voice etched with the deep-cut grain of adult experience. Pegi's recent songs, such as "Fake" and "Sometimes," are as simple and direct in their promises and worries as her husband's, and producer Elliot Mazer sets them in a pedal-steel sparkle that inevitably echoes Neil's Harvest.” - DAVID FRICKE, Rolling Stone Magazine
www.myspace.com/pegiyoung

Port O'Brien began early in the year 2005, as a folk-ish duo of Van Pierszalowski and Cambria Goodwin. The two penned songs while Cambria lived in the tiny Californian coastal town she shares her name with and Van lived in an apartment in Oakland…which was about the size of his name. Shortly thereafter, Cambria moved to up to the Bay Area and within the next year, the project added a rhythm section, comprised of Caleb Nichols and Joshua Barnhart.

In the summer of 2007, the band released a compilation of previously self-released songs titled The Wind and The Swell on American Dust Records. They've become a touring machine since the critically lauded M. Ward first named Port O'Brien his Favorite New Band on Pitchfork Media. They have been able to perform with several of their favorite artists; touring the United States with Rogue Wave, the West Coast with both Bright Eyes and the Cave Singers, and England with Modest Mouse. Now, Port O'Brien is ready to take on the rest of the world, using the little island of Kodiak as a jumping off point.

"Port O'Brien crafts beautiful, melodic tunes that utilize string instruments to their fullest. And the group is not afraid to rock out: "Pigeonhold" has it grinding down on guitars and "I Woke Up Today" revels in an Arcade Fire-style energy." -Billboard Magazine
www.myspace.com/portobrien
Video at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw3Y84zXLwg&feature=related

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