14 April 2011
Monday 11th April really will be the dawning of a Brand New Day as Aly Cook releases her debut album. The mid 40s mother of 3, based in rural Nelson, works full time as a personal assistant to a Nelson Entrepreneur & luxury lodge owner. Despite motherhood and a demanding daytime job, Aly has always kept her hand in the music industry and continued to write music.
Aly Cook - Brand New Day producer Alan Jansson is one of New Zealand's best in his field, having produced and co-written one of NZ's Biggest global hits "How Bizaare" by the OMC. Aly's new album is steeped with great musicianship. Indeed the first single "Spend it" has a guest vocal from SINA of the OMC and title track "Brand New Day" a guest vocal from iconic NZ artist Sharon O'Neill. Players like James Pinker (played on waiting for Herb album by The Pogues) or NZ Female entertainer of the year Marian Burn's clever work on the fiddle adorn the music on this CD. It's not everyday that a debut artist has such esteemed people onboard their project. Then Aly is not your average debut artist.
After raising the funds to record the album US$20,000 on sellaband.com and using social networking to build a fanbase along with a live weekly webcast on http://www.kiwisofa.tv Aly has built her social networks into the 10's of thousands and all from a small rural location in the South Island. Where she has started her own label Futures Entertainment with distribution through ODE Records in New Zealand and WJO in Australia who also handle the global digital.
It doesnt end there as she embarks on a tour to promote the album globally & filming a documentary "Strumming Around the World" having raised nearly US$5,000 online to assist with this via http://www.indiegogo.com/alycook
The first single Spend it has been added to dozens of radio stations only one week after the release of the track on the CRS disc
Tour Dates
May 1: Urban Country Music Festival - Caboolture - Australia (New Zealand Showcase) Details here
May 15-22: Norfolk Island Country Music Festival - Norfolk Island Details here
June 12: Blue Water Country Music Festival - Port Stephens -Australia Details here
June 17-19: Tower Festival - Selby - Yorkshire - United Kingdom Details here
July 8-11: Americana International - Newark - United Kingdom Details here
The Aly Cook Brand New Day Album is available on line at Amplifier and will be available at leading CD retailers.