Lift You Up

Band :
Title : Lift You Up
Release Date : June 1, 2023
Label :
Catalog ref. : OTBR0005
Format : CD
Album One Sheet Download PDF Lyric Sheet Download PDF

Band Press Kit Download PDF

Hi Res Band Photo Download Photo

Arranged/produced by: Nick Russo, Betina Hershey, Len Monachello

Available on DSPs July 14: Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, Pandora, Bandcamp, etc.

“A band that has to be seen to be believed.”  – John Platt (WFUV)

Led by vocalist Betina Hershey and multi-instrumentalist Nick Russo, The Scooches, formerly known as Banjo Nickaru & Western Scooches, have assembled a world-class lineup of musicians from New York, Suriname, Sapelo Island (Georgia), Mexico, and the Caribbean on LIFT YOU UP (due July 14). The vital new 12-song collection builds upon the exuberance that made 2018’s ‘Get Us Out Of Fearland’ (#2 on the International Folk Alliance Chart) and ‘Very Next Thing’ (2016), a transcendent breath of fresh air.

Inspired by the current social climate, the songs on LIFT YOU UP, including “Stop This Climate Change”, “Spread Your Wings And Fly”,  and “Open A Door” call upon society and the human race to believe that we, collectively, can make a difference, a change for the better. 

“Not just music forged from myriad sounds and cultural styles garnered from genre and geography but the music of the world, about the world.”  – The Big Takeover

Other highlights include the reggae-dub groove of the title track, the playful, country break-up song “I Broke The Egg,” the 1920s-inspired “What’s Meant To Last Will Last,” the smoky Motown-inflected duet “Give It To Me Real” (featuring Griffith and Hershey trading lines), the gospel-tinged “Leavin’,” the eerily lilting “Run,” about trafficking and gun violence, and the rollicking bluegrass-driven “Let’s Grow Our Roots Deep And True,” about finding home. 

The ever-timely traditional protest song “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round” is presented in two versions and both are stunners; the first a celebration to lift the spirits, the second a Gullah Geechee version featuring stirring improvisational vocals from Miles Griffith and drumfolk riddim percussionist/vocalist Dr. David Pleasant.

With additional contributions from Aditya Phatak (tabla), Mamadou Ba (bass), Harvey Wirht (drums), Angela Workman (vocals), Kenny Kosek (fiddle), and Brooklyn rapper Ra$h Ca$h, The Scooches raise their voices, their instruments, their consciousness, with an eclectic melting pot of original music inspired by world folk traditions, global Americana, New Orleans and 1920s. Elmore Magazine championed the group’s “remarkable musical dexterity with songs that bask in a genuine roots regimen and a sense of timeless tradition.” 

Americana music at its purest and most impressive  – No Depression 

VERY NEXT THING  #6 Album – International Folk DJ Chart (Sept 2016)

GET US OUT OF FEARLAND  #2 Album – International Folk DJ Chart (April 2018)

For bookings, interviews & more: contact@thescooches.com • 516.982.7496 

         Socials: @TheScooches 

Stop This Climate Change

Band :
Title : Stop This Climate Change
Release Date : June 1, 2023
Label :
Catalog ref. : QZXRQ2300003
Format : Digital Download

Not just music forged from myriad sounds and cultural styles garnered from genre and geography but the music of the world, about the world.
—Dave Franklin

Stop This Climate Change” is a poetic and uplifting call to action fraught with cataclysmic imagery of fire, ice, flooding, and the desire for change. The lyric “We’ve got to stop this climate and change” refers to the climate of helplessness and denial that surrounds climate change. Vocalist/composer/lyricist/performer Betina Hershey wrote the song about interpersonal relationships with each other, but also with Mother Earth, because, collectively, the human race must stop denying climate change. Featuring a stately co-lead vocal by the gifted Miles Griffith, and spiritually-elevated musicianship by multi-instrumentalist Nick Russo, the excursion concludes with a passage of thought-provoking spoken word by Brooklyn rapper Ra$h Ca$h as a hypnotic Indian-influenced outro propelled by Aditya Phatak (tabla), Mamadou Ba (bass), and Harvey Wirht (drums) carries strength to the promised land. The uplifting vocals, harmonies, rhythms, instruments, and visceral message combine into a bold, and jubilant, declaration of unity. Climate change is not irreversible. Together, we can, and will, make a difference.  

“Our goal for this song is to inspire people to roll up their sleeves and take action. The purple hands on our album cover symbolize the magic that comes with hard work! We recycle, compost, use compostable garbage bags, and bike or walk whenever we can. We can’t afford to deny our impact on the Earth. Let’s come together and truly believe we can create positive change,” says Hershey.

A portion of the proceeds generated from the single will benefit the Sierra Club, the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the U.S., one whose purpose is to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world. Buy the single at thescooches.bandcamp.com

DJs can access all assets via Airplay Direct: https://airplaydirect.com/thescooches

The forthcoming album, LIFT YOU UP,  combines the rich cultural influences of the Caribbean, Suriname, Gullah, and North America to create an immersive experience that artfully exemplifies a diversity of sound, culture, and community. Scooch on over and help stop this climate change!

This beautifully review says it all! BigTakeOver Review

Read on:  All About JazzBroadway WorldMusic Mecca, Tinnitist, v13 , It’s In Queens, MSMinute Podcast

Past Albums:

VERY NEXT THING  #6 Album – International Folk DJ Chart (Sept 2016)

GET US OUT OF FEARLAND  #2 Album – International Folk DJ Chart (April 2018)