Feb 08 The Civil Wars will perform at the Grammys

It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year since we first fell in love with the music of The Civil Wars. Having the privilege of working with them last SXSW, you will be hard pressed to find a lovelier duo of musicians. We are so thrilled to see the support and acclaim around their album Barton Hallow and will be cheering them on this Sunday at the Grammys! Not only are they performing, but they are up for Best Country Duo/Group Performance for “Barton Hollow” and Best Folk Album! Here’s a video we shot of my favorite song of theirs… “Tip of My Tongue”. -L

Dec 13 The Eastern Sea blows my mind

Ok, I know what everyone is thinking; we released a bunch of videos from The Sessions Factory 2011 a few months back and then we sort of went radio silent. A bunch of people hit us up and were asking if we were going to release more videos from the event. We said “yes!”, then they said “when?”, then we said “soon”, then they said “soon!? What the hell does that even mean?! I need answers!!”. Well the answer to the question is “NOW!!!!!”. We have a BUNCH of videos ready to release and we’ll be releasing them on a weekly basis from now till whenever we run out. Last week we released a video of The Eastern Sea playing “Central Cemetery” at The Sessions …

Nov 10 Easy to Love by The Jezabels at The Sessions Factory

The Jezabels are an Austrailian quartet quickly on the rise. We were so excited to work with them last spring at The Sessions Factory. Their set was amazing, and we managed to get some extra time to film this awesome take of “Easy to Love”. Perfect way to describe the afternoon. Enjoy!

Sep 30 Ohhhh It's Over

Jul 29 Fitz and The Tantrums at The Sessions Factory

The first time we heard Fitz and the Tantrums I remember thinking, “Why don’t they make music like this anymore??” Their soul-filled melodies and big band ensemble had me convinced I was listening to something right out of Motown. Quickly enamored, I could not resist the “make you wanna dance” tracks that fill Fitz and the Tantrums debut album, so when we had the chance to work with them at The Sessions Factory I was beyond excited. This is a band making big impressions all over the globe (they are currently touring in Australia) and we’ve been anxiously waiting to share this video with you all…. Check out “Money Grabber” by Fitz and the Tantrums at The Sessions Factory! Here are some pictures of …

Jul 22 Catastrophe by Amy Glen and Luke Denton

Just another lovely afternoon in Austin…The Sessions crew spent some time out on a dock at Lady Bird Lake soaking up sun, drinking a few beers, and filming some beautiful music. Check out “Catastrophe” by our friends Amy Glen and Luke Denton. Thanks to the whole gang who spent the afternoon with us! …

Jun 30 Poison and Wine by The Civil Wars

Being a producer and working in music over the past two years, I’ve been incredibly lucky to have some pretty amazing moments. It’s always a surreal realization when I take a step back from set and recognize how lucky I am to be in this profession. Much of the process for selecting bands to work with really just involves CJ and I sitting in the studio and listening to as many new bands as possible. In early January, we came across The Civil Wars on an agency list that was sent to us. It took no more than the first few lyrics from John Paul and Joy “You only know what I want you to/ I know everything you don’t want me to/ Your mouth …

Jun 24 Raincloud by Suzanna Choffel

Man, I miss the theater. We spent so much of our first year as The Sessions hosting showcases with the most talented Austin musicians. It’s been awhile since we’ve all gathered there for a show, but if I close my eyes I can still distinctly recall the smell of the dressing room and the old, red, plush theater seats. Last November we filmed some amazing performances, including this little gem “Raincloud” from our good friend Suzanna Choffel. Take a listen and revisit that old theater we love so well. xo, L …

Jun 16 Oh, Los Angeles.

Hey, hey! We’re in Los Angeles for the week takin care of a little bid-ness! BUT while we’re out here we wanted to post some oscar-worthy footage of ourselves being…ourselves. CJ is very much so into character as you can see being surly and a camera hog (notice the tight shots of his face. i mean , how could you not?) and I am- per usual- super awkward and ramble. Anyway, take a peek at our trip to the famous Amoeba Music in Hollywood… We miss you Austin! PS. We saw The Civil Wars play at El Rey Theatre last night! So. So. Good. XO L …

Jun 02 On/Off the Ledge by ROBOTANISTS

L.A. based ROBOTANISTS are one cool collective. The group joined us at The Sessions Factory and completely melted the warehouse with their firey energy and commanding sound. The fiercely talented frontwoman Sarah Ellquist DeBlanke arrested the room of early afternoon festival goers, as ROBOTANISTS proved to be a band clearly on the rise. Check out a performance of “On/Off the Ledge” from The Sessions Factory. …

May 27 Dancing with Vodka by David Ramirez

Oh, David Ramirez. You’re so damn talented you’ve got your own damn day. Yes, folks- May 26, 2011 was officially proclaimed “David Ramirez Day”. But, if you’re anything like us, you’ll agree that any day is the perfect day to fall in love with David’s music. We’ve been lucky enough to share friendship, laughs, and liquor with this incredible songwriter, and we were honored to have him play at The Sessions Factory in March. Sit back and enjoy “Dancing with Vodka” from David Ramirez… You’ll share our love. Photos by Holly Bronko. Wardrobe by Gypsysun Vintage …

May 16 Uh Huh Her at The Sessions Factory

We’ve been so excited to release this video of Uh Huh Her from The Sessions Factory that we could barely stand it. They are so MAJOR. CJ and I have been wanting to work with these two for quite a while, and when we they arrived to set during SXSW- We may have geeked out a little. Or a lot. Their live set was incendiary, and the band was down for an impromptu acoustic performance in a near by mail room after the show. Check out this video of “Black and Blue” by Uh Huh Her, it was definitely an event highlight. Also, thanks to Harper’s Bazaar for sharing the video. …

May 05 Andrew Belle at The Sessions Factory

Andrew Belle likes to play dress-up, and we’ve got the video to prove it. Andrew and the band took some time after their live performance at The Sessions Factory to dig through some vintage duds with the Gypsysun Vintage girls, and the magic that ensued shortly after is here for you to enjoy. This takes “eye candy” to a whole new level. Here’s a Key Session of Andrew Belle singing “Reach” for us… in a dress. Only at The Sessions… Here are a few more pics taken by the amazing Holly Bronko. The guys don’t look to sure about CJ. …

Apr 27 Angus and Julia Stone

It was just your average Saturday. Hanging out with Angus and Julia Stone, post ACL performance, setting up shop on a rooftop in downtown Austin. Sure we had to be in and out within an hour, and it probably wasn’t legal to shut off that building’s air conditioning just because it was affecting our audio…BUT sometimes you just gotta roll with it. This was by far our biggest production yet. The days of hand picking through a dream list of musicians had finally arrived, and this was an afternoon we will never, ever forget. Take a glimpse into the life of The Sessions as we filmed “Big Jet Plane” with Angus and Julia Stone. …

Apr 12 Waldo Wittenmyer EP (Review)

Waldo Wittenmyer | Waldo Wittenmyer EP (by: Chris Galis) On any given night, a stroll down Red River will likely afford you the luxury to see the lo-fi rock music scene Austin has spent the last three or so years constructing amid various local hotspots like Beerland, Mohawk, and Club DeVille. You’re likely to come across a myriad of bands with semi-offensive names playing grungy garage, sweating in v-necks with a crowd of young, hip-looking kids clutching Lone Stars and watching the whole spectacle. This burgeoning group of bands (most recently featured in the Casual Victim Pile compilation) are slowly taking over the town, playing any and every venue and are consistently featured at Austin’s various music happening throughout the year like Free Week, Ditch …

Mar 24 Break Free

Andreya Triana stopped by The Factory in the middle of a hot afternoon in Austin TX. The London native delighted The Sessions crew and guests with her enchanting voice and her approachable personality. Andreya played dress up with the Gypsysun Vintage team before walking upstairs for a photo shoot with Holly Bronko. Before the photo shoot began, Andreya knelt down and sang a quick song for all of us. It was beautiful…. see for yourself. A few more pictures from the Holly Bronko photo shoot at The Factory. …

Mar 19 Barcelona

Eternally singable and likable fellows, Barcelona have a dark, quiet, romantic quality about them. Twangy reverberated guitars dance over jangly acoustic ballads about the uncertainties of life’s larger roadblocks, while a reserved rhythm section nods along behind lead singer Brian Fennell’s easy tenor. With two releases under their belt, Barcelona took their opportunity at the Factory to play some material that is set to be on their upcoming release. The date is still undecided. Originally describing themselves as piano-rock, the Seattle foursome have dropped the keys and gone for a more folky ambiance. You can see early cuts from their album on the livestream channel: www.livestream.com/thesessionsfactory. …

Mar 19 Jenny O.

It’s day three at the Factory. Jenny O. has just played a subdued charming acoustic set to a small, enthusiastic crowd. Aside from tuning problems, which I 100% attribute to the fact that everyone who is involved on the production side of SXSW – artists, promoters, sound guys, and production companies – are exhausted right now, she was flawless. Her music is subtle, often finger-picking the strings instead of strumming and singing hushed instead of crooning. But it works for Jenny O. in a way that not a lot of other singer songwriters can pull off. She’s got progress in her songs and hooks, which she uses most effectively in her staple tune, “Opposite Island”. “We’re standing on opposite islands” she sang to the audience. …