Jordan Okrend

BIOGRAPHY Asheville NC based singer/songwriter Jordan Okrend blends the old school with the contemporary. Growing up in Raleigh NC, Jordan picked up the guitar at age 7 and immersed himself in the music scene performing hundreds of gigs from a young age. From his love of artists such as John Lennon, Marvin Gaye and Bob Marley, Okrend struck upon his own soulful sound; vintage pop imbued with an infectious jazzy, bluesy rock edge and socially conscious lyrics. From the get go Okrend’s music tended to draw from the social/emotional spectrum which resonated deeply with his growing fan base. Jordan released his first two EP’s, "Unpredictable" and "Rising Up", between 2010 and 2012 while attending Berklee College of Music in Boston and supported both releases by performing throughout the East Coast in NC, NY and Boston. He later traveled around Brazil and Hawaii; soaking up the native musical culture which influenced the songwriting for his 2015 release, "World Keeps Turnin". Since settling in Asheville NC in 2016, Okrend has continued with his impressive musical journey. He was a winner in Asheville's Brown Bag Songwriting Competition and was also named as one of the top acts to see at MONDO, NYC . He is set to release a new record in 2017, "Dance By The Riverside" that echoes the conscious sentiments of his musical heroes while building further on his signature soul pop sound. Okrend is excited to get the new music out. "It will definitely be a mix of high energy funk, pop and soul along with the themes of personal freedom, love and unity that I continue to find myself drawn to." PRESS REVIEWS Singer-songwriter Jordan Okrend works in the rootsy scene of Asheville, North Carolina and hails from nearby Raleigh. But his artistic vision looks to global themes. To call Okrend a singer-songwriter is to limit what he does and the kind of music he makes. It has the rootsy stylistic touches of an artist who grew up in the South. But there is also a very soulful and jazzy side to his music. Also belying the singer-songwriter tag, Okrend has a seductive vocal approach that recalls Amos Lee. 2017 is shaping up to be a big year for Okrend. He will release his first full-length album, Dance by the Riverside, which will display his socially-conscious lyrical strengths. It may even prove to be the pop breakthrough he so justly deserves. -SCENES, Roots and the Globe: The Lyricism of Jordan Okrend by Steve Matteo, Author of The Beatles' Let It Be AND Dylan,June 2017 “With a songwriting structure that uses advanced acoustic guitar playing to draw listeners in before layering with additional instruments and soul-stirring lyrics, World Keeps on Turnin’ fires on all cylinders. Okrend’s blues based guitar solos throughout are comparable to John Mayer’s style of using the guitar more than the vocals to convey the raw emotion of a song. It is something many guitarists try, but very few pull off. With a promising future and nothing but room to continue to develop, singer-songwriter Jordan Okrend is bound to make his mark on the music industry.” - IndieMinded (Oct 08, 2015) “12 ACTS TO SEE AT MONDO NYC 2016. Mondo NYC 2016 is "an annual business summit, festival and digital platform bringing together music, technology and innovation in the most vibrant city in the world." It will invade New York City this coming week, specifically the NYU campus as many discussion panels will take place in the Kimmel Student Center. The festival includes a number of live performance throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Here are some of the artists you don't want to miss. Asheville, North Carolina based singer-songwriter Jordan Okrend has a soulful sound with jazzy and vintage-pop roots. He'll be performing at Pianos on September 15. All of these artists and more will also be profiled on WNYU Radio. Mondo.NYC 2016 will take place September 14-18, 2016.” - Rachel Gilman, theodysseyonline.com (Sep 12, 2016) NEW CD, "Dance By The Riverside" Released June 2017 now available for download: http://jordanokrend.bandcamp.com