The Blue Hit formed during the summer of 2007 in Austin, Texas. Grace Park (Grace Rowland at the time) composed her first songs in her senior year at the Texas State School of Music. Through colleagues and local bands she met John McGee - guitar player, keyboardist, and all around multi-instrumentalist. They had both grown up in Texas on similar musical diets: pop, classic rock, show tunes, and church music. Yet Grace and John broke out of their roots seeking music that came naturally. They met cellist David Moss at Kerrville Folk Festival, and realized he was a perfect match. He moved from Chicago and the three started writing and practicing in a sweltering garage apartment in East Austin. What they created was lyrical and easy-going like folk music, but exploratory and intricate like jazz, all the while skewing tradition with innovative instrumental techniques and deep, moving content. "The Blue Hit" name is a metaphor for death and change, swiftly moving in and out again like a wave. When they returned to Kerrville the next year with a full set of songs, a crowd of around 250 people gathered to listen to them play a late-night campground concert. This event made them many connections and life-long friends from across the United States, and they soon embarked on their first tour up the West Coast. Their first recording, THE BLUE HIT LIVE AT KERRVILLE, was made by Manny Moss after hours on the main stage. They toured with it until another group of live studio recordings, SUMMER 2008 EP, replaced it and their repertoire grew.
The Blue Hit's debut album, MOVE IN, was recorded in late 2009 by Dan Workman and John Griffin at SugarHill Studios in Houston. In contrast to their live sound, this album is meticulously pieced together and features background vocals, layered string arrangements, keyboards, some percussion and guest musicians. Track "All the Children" stands out as a visual journey on a circus scale, and "BoysGirls" is the pop-lover's single. "Out the Door", an ode to the Gulf Coast, epitomizes their signature sound. The cover art is from a series of paper cutouts by lead singer Grace. It depicts full-color household items, furniture, and a tangle of long cords leading into an overloaded socket, made with cut paper and scanned. All first-edition hard copies of MOVE IN sold out by 2011. A new revamped edition was printed in April 2012 to accompany the release of their second record.
THE BLUE HIT is a group of recordings from venues and studios across the U.S. The self-titled sophomore album showcases the natural fluidity and raw intensity of their live performance, a theatrical and captivating show. Not without imperfections, each song was performed and taped in front of a large silent audience, with the exception of "Graduation", recorded at The Ball Farm studio by Patrick Herzfeld. The rest were hand-picked from hundreds of live tapings, archived over two years by Cody Johnson, Roman Rathert, and John Bright. The final mix was mastered by Kyle Robertson. Perhaps more bitter subject matter than songs on their previous album, "East Side" and "Siren Song" explore the emotional and economic nature of life on the poor side of town. "I Want Fire" delves into the mind of the eccentric creative, pleading for the artist's loyalty to less destructive forms of expression. Most of the songs are newer, but there are some previously-unreleased older pieces like "Hello Baby" and "Still in Love". Cover art for THE BLUE HIT was produced from more paper cutouts by Grace Park, this time with themes inspired by seashell shapes and natural forces, simply black silk-screened on recycled cardboard wallets. Both full-length albums are available for download or hard-copy purchase from lonestarmusic.com and iTunes, or streaming from Rhapsody and Spotify.
From a young age Grace Park expressed herself through varying media; music, creative writing, and visual art. She grew up singing in church and school choirs, but was consistently shy when it came to performing solo or writing her own songs. Grace was drawn to others who made music and art, and these inspirational figures eventually led her to venture from her comfort zone and stretch her abilities. After somewhat of a revelation, she began to use singing as a therapeutic measure. Combined with her theatrical approach and melodic control, this technique gives her vocal quality a sustained intensity that conveys a wide range of moods and emotions. The primary lyricist for The Blue Hit, she speaks from a certain youthful, vibrant platform. She tells rollicking stories set to spry melodies, mostly concerned with the connections shared between humans and nature. Grace earned her Bachelor of Music and now resides in San Marcos, Texas. She continues to make visual art and conducts a solo project - Grace Park & the Deer - during The Blue Hit's off-season. When she married in March 2010, she changed her name from Grace Rowland and now performs as Grace Park (short for Parker).
David Moss grew up in a musical family in Peoria, Illinois and played cello since the age of 9. He was trained in Cello Performance at the University of Illinios, yet David's style is unlike most traditionally-educated sounds. With a vast musical background ranging from Klezmer to blues to hip-hop, he plays the cello with an eclectic, open ear. Switching between bowing and plucking, overtones and chucking, Moss expands the capabilities of the instrument and often reaches powerful, poignant depths. His creative melodies and solid tone are a beautiful marriage with Grace's voice, painting an audible landscape as they exchange dialogue. Besides his work with the cello, he is a prolific singer-songwriter, and in 2011 won the New Folk competition at Kerrville Folk Festival for his songs. David currently resides in New York City, where he pursues his solo music and a side project with his fiddle-playing twin, Adam Moss. You can find his solo album and read more about David's songwriting project on his website,www.mosssongs.com.
John McGee displayed a keen musical ear at an early age. He was brought up in the Dallas-Forth Worth area in an old farmhouse, where he and his brothers played music together. Though never classically-trained, John composed elaborate musical works and themes and played them on several instruments, including guitar, piano, and drums. Equally adept at each, he began to make a name for himself in the Central Texas music circuit, and he grew to high demand for his expert versatility. In his formative years he was a member of three Austin-area groups and a frequent guest performer with countless others. When The Blue Hit first formed, he switched between electric and acoustic guitar regularly. Eventually they found their niche in the far reaches of a campground, or a secret show in the woods, where plugging in is impractical if not impossible. John developed a remarkable ability to function as the rhythm section and the chordal foundation of the band, whether amplified or not. Tapping, scraping, and pealing harmonic chimes from the fret board, he gives the guitar a personality and voice of its own. His is a lively, conversational style steeped in pop sensibility. In addition to his signature guitar-playing, McGee also has a knack for producing vivid electronic music using synthesizers and other instruments in his arsenal, and currently has his own recordings in the making. John lives in East Austin.
Following the release of their second album, The Blue Hit will tour the U.S. seasonally. Keep up with their concert schedule, recordings, photos and more at www.thebluehit.com, or friend "Blue Hit" on Facebook for fast updates.
