SINGING TO THE MOON WINTER SOLSTICE MUSIC FESTIVAL Jillian Matundan’s Album Release Party & Yule Extravaganza!

Join us on Saturday, December 21 at 5 pm for SINGING TO THE MOON WINTER SOLSTICE FESTIVAL (Jillian Matundan’s Album Release & Yule Extravaganza)!

Don’t miss this day of incredible performances by Marcy Cochran, Florencia & The Feeling, rob Hinkal & Kristen Jones (of ilyAIMY), Eli Lev, Jillian Matundan, Michelle Swan, and Raquel Vidal! Don’t hesitate and get your ticket now!

Earlier this year, Jillian released her long-awaited, first full-length album, Singing to the Moon, which debuted at #6 on the Folk Alliance International Folk Radio Chart in March - and after a long and busy year, she finally gets to celebrate its’ release with some of the fantastic musicians that appear on the album. Come on out and enjoy some great music, food, and company on the shortest day of the year with us!

About the musicians:
MARCY COCHRAN - Best known as fiddler for former band Dead Men's Hollow, Marcy has since been playing side-woman to songwriters Jillian Matundan, Michelle Swan, Jeff Smith and others. Now stepping out as a solo instrumentalist, she’s sharing her original fiddle compositions and songs while paying tribute to her fiddle mentors.

FLORENCIA & THE FEELING - Florencia & the Feeling is a high-energy pop/funk fusion band from Johnson City, TN. Since its conception in April 2021, the five-piece has been impressing listeners with its upbeat funky grooves, heartfelt songwriting, and all-around good vibes, loading its music with four-part harmonies, hints of jazz, and Latin roots.

rOB HINKAL & KRISTEN JONES of ilyAIMY - Mixing genres from rock to folk to soul to bluegrass; flavours as varied as jazz and hip hop curl through the sound of Washington Area Music Association’s “Best Contemporary Folk Group” – ilyAIMY (i love you And I Miss You). Known as a modular band that can be up to a 6-piece, tonight will be the husband-wife duo of rob Hinkal & Kristen Jones. rob's award-winning original songs combine his signature percussive acoustic guitar style with Kristen's lush electric cello playing & harmony vocals. rob & Jillian met during covid-lockdown livestreaming and she became a regular at his Virtual Open Mics. After eventually meeting & collaborating in person, Jillian invited Kristen to play cello and steel drums on her new album "Singing to the Moon."

ELI LEV - Eli is a critically-acclaimed singer-songwriter and internationally-touring musician, an entrepreneur, a mobile lifestyle pioneer, a community leader, a son, and a friend. He is a storytelling songwriter who brings to his work a universal spirituality informed by a variety of belief systems. Eli’s Jewish upbringing, his transformative experiences with Indigenous people, and his study of Buddhism shine through his uplifting songwriting. With one foot in the traditions of conscious folk music and another foot in modern pop production, Eli stands firmly on his own ground. His earnest, enlightened, and invigorating folk-pop has garnered favorable comparisons to Jason Mraz, Ed Sheeran, Noah Kahan, Jack Johnson, and John Denver.

JILLIAN MATUNDAN - Jillian Matundan, a multi-instrumental singer-songwriter, trade unionist, and first-generation Filipina American has delighted audiences with her resonant vocals, acute and relatable observations matched with her unique guitar-style and wicked sense of humor. After a fifteen year hiatus from music, she ventured to local open mics in 2019 and has been on a tear ever since, winning multiple songwriting awards, playing numerous shows, collaborating with musicians on stage and in the studio, and released her debut EP, "Hangin' On" in 2020. “Singing to the Moon”, her first full-length album, debuted at No. 6 on the FAI Folk Chart in March 2024.

MICHELLE SWAN - Introduced to the guitar at age nine by her father, himself a singer/songwriter, Michelle Swan has pursued a musical path ever since. After studying classical musical and clarinet performance at Towson State University, Michelle entered the Baltimore-Washington acoustic folk music scene in 1990, performing at local open-mics and coffeehouses. She currently has 3 full length recordings of original music and continues to record and perform all over the DC metro area and beyond. Self-reflective and acutely observant, Michelle deftly weaves lyric and note together to create intensely personal songs that tell of sentiments and circumstances nonetheless familiar to everyone. Michelle's poignant song "Enemy in my Scope" was voted 3rd best song overall in the 2024, 30th annual Mid-Atlantic Song Contest.

RAQUEL VIDAL - Raquel Vidal is an indie singer-songwriter whose amazing work can also be heard fully fleshed out in her band, Diamond Hotel. Her lyrics explore the dark corridors of the human experience, ultimately revealing the light, wit and wisdom seeping through. Piano ballad confessionals and thought-provoking lyrics punctuated by rhythmic guitar are equally at home in her sets and are delivered like smooth bourbon. She has appeared on various stages and recording studios solo and in support of others, and her band has been featured live on WFUV’s, “On Your Radar”. One of the co-founders of Writing A Song That Matters songwriting retreats with Dar Williams, she mentors songwriters in her workshops there and loves the thriving songwriting community that continues to grow after a decade and over 20 retreats. Raquel is currently in the studio putting finishing touches on a solo EP full of pandemic-infused wisdom, and is wrapping a full length band album, “Imagining the Sun” with Diamond Hotel, which offers up layers of electrified energy and rich harmonies.

SINGING TO THE MOON:
Jillian Matundan’s first full-length album bursts forward with an energy and honesty rooted in navigating life’s highs and lows. Singing to the Moon was primarily written during the COVID pandemic, which forced all of us to fully stop for the first time in our lives. Jillian was just returning to writing and performing her own music —after 15 years of putting it on the shelf—and found herself in the same place as everyone else on the planet, with space and time to face herself. Singing to the Moon is a collection of songs that examine hard truths, relationships, expectations, and all the many facets of self-realization that can only reveal the fullness of their insights with focused attention.

Since releasing her debut EP, Hangin’ On, in June of 2020, Jillian’s music has evolved and deepened. Singing to the Moon tackles personal material while also continuing to explore a style that mixes Jillian’s classical music training with traditional folk music and contemporary influences. Singing has a unique sound overall and between the tracks themselves. On “Worth”, Jillian sings about expectations and constant motion, matched by a sophisticated production that allows listeners to subconsciously feel as if they are also on the move. In contrast, “Frozen” features Jillian’s unique guitar style against syncopation and mandolin. “Alright Tonight” and “My Way Home” feature ear-catching and unique, layered harmonies - a trademark throughout the album. And front and center is Jillian’s intimate and welcoming alto voice.

“Shadows” strips away full-instrumentation leaving only guitar and a cello to accompany a plaintive vocal. “Through the Threshold” is a meditative song featuring rhythmic hand drums, string bass, and native flute that explores regaining a sense of self and purpose in a world that requires the rigors and motions of everyday life to survive. Jillian also covers the late Paul Koors’ song, “You Read My Mind” with a folk guitar against a subdued mandolin and impressionist piano.

Recorded at Plaid Dog Studios in Waltham, MA and produced by Mike Davidson, Kari Estrin, and Bryan Fennelly, Jillian plays guitar, string bass, and violin. She was joined by a number of musicians throughout the album, including Rick Gedney and Michele Gedney (Open Book), Florencia Rusiñol (Florencia & The Feeling), Kristen Jones (ilyAIMY), Marcy Cochran, Raquel Vidal, Michelle Swan, Kellie Lin Knott, Kathleen Huber, Tracie Potochnik, Amanda Gates-Elston, Jennifer Dauphinais (Ponybird), and Eli Lev.

https://jillianmatundan.com
https://florenceandthemachine.net
https://www.michelleswan.net
https://www.diamondhotelband.com
https://eli-lev.com
https://www.ilyaimy.com