Local recording artists hit the studio for unique collaboration
Many people consider the music scene in Youngstown and Northeast Ohio one of the area's best-kept secrets.
YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio - Many people consider the music scene in Youngstown and Northeast Ohio one of the area's best-kept secrets.
A lot of talented artists have come out of the Mahoning Valley and recently some of that talent came together for a special session in the recording studio.
JD Eicher, Ryan Humbert, and the Labra brothers were jamming out at Ampreon Recorder in Youngstown for a unique collaboration.
"It's fun, exciting and it's a good track and I think everyone is pumped to be part of it," said Eicher.
The track is a remake of the Jay and the Americans hit, "Come A Little Bit Closer." It will be released by North Carolina recording artist Tokyo Rosenthal. The local artists were enlisted by Rosenthal's manager, Jeff Brayn, to record the background vocals.
"These are the biggest selling artists in the region, in Northeast Ohio," said Brayn.
Brayn manages several local bands and said this is a testament to how strong the musical talent is. He said the Youngstown music scene is about to explode.
"When Youngstown went down a little bit, the music scene faded and now Youngstown is back stronger than ever and I firmly believe that the music scene today is better than it was in the 60s," he said.
"The scene has been growing a lot and I noticed in the past 5-6 years a kind of growth in the number of artists and the quality that's coming out," said Eicher.
"When it comes to a local music scene, I find it hard to believe there are many places that would beat the Northeastern Ohio market. You've got Youngstown, Akron, Canton, Cleveland and there's a lot of talented folks," said Humbert.
Helping spear the growth of that talent, Eicher and Humbert give credit to radio stations like The Summit in Akron that plays their music.
"These folks are making records that sometimes rival, if not surpass, national bands. The biggest difference is you may not have the record label or some of the other things going on but that doesn't mean music doesn't deserve to be heard," said Humbert.
Rosenthal's version of "Come A Little Bit Closer" is expected to be released sometime this winter.
