Award-winning, Nashville-based recording artists and producers, Louis York have released their anticipated debut full-length, American Griots – The Album today on all digital and streaming platforms. Following on the heels of their vulnerable new single “Don’t You Forget” and inspirational cover of Des’ree’s 1994 smash “You Gotta Be (Reimagined),” American Griots – The Album features 13-new tracks all of which encompass themes surrounding love, happiness, and wellness. An official music video for “Don’t You Forget” released in September, and can be viewed HERE.  The official music video for “You Gotta Be (Reimagined)” released earlier this month, and can be viewed HERE.

“The best way to put it is that American Griots is our musical dissertation,” said Louis York members Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony.  “We poured our hearts, our pain, our lessons, and our musical training into every song. This body of work is our personal suggestion of what the next decade should feel & sound like. Enjoy the journey.”

The new album features a bevy of stand-out tracks all of which were written and produced by Harmony and Kelly.  The thought provoking “I Wonder,” features Nashville poet Caroline Randall Williams, and tackles a wider message about the world at large, evoking a conversation on what activist predecessors would have thought about culture in 2019. Another album highlight includes the country-inspired track “Teach Me a Song,” which features acclaimed country singer, songwriter Jimmie Allen.

Louis York plans to tour later this year, on both the east and west coasts. More details to follow.

American Griots – The Album is Louis York’s first full album to date, and is out now and available via all digital and streaming platforms. Get the album HERE.

American Griots – The Album Track List:

1. American Griots Intro ft. Caroline Randall Williams
2. All In My Feelings
3. No Regrets ft. The Shindellas
4. Electric Blue
5. Teach Me a Song ft. Jimmie Allen
6. Teach Me a Song (Reprise) ft. Caroline Randall Williams
7. Glow
8. How Will I Feel
9. Don’t You Forget
10. Velvet
11. I Wonder ft. Patrick Dailey, W. Crimm Singers, and Caroline Randall Williams
12. Love Takeover ft. The Shindellas and Emoni Wilkins
13. You Gotta Be (Reimagined)

ABOUT LOUIS YORK:

Louis York is the powerful duo and creation of multi-GRAMMY nominated songwriting and production team Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony. Kelly, a 4x Grammy Award nominee, and Harmony, a 3x Grammy Award nominee and 2011 NAACP Image Award winner, both together and apart have written and produced hits for a long list of multi-platinum recording artists including Rihanna, Bruno Mars, Miley Cyrus, Christina Aguilera, Mary J. Blige, John Legend, Celine Dion, Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston to name a few. Having been described as a cross between Outkast and Earth, Wind & Fire, the duo formed in 2015, and released their well-received EP trilogy Masterpiece Theater: Act I, Act II, Act III.  The projects earned praise from publications including Billboard and Los Angeles Times for their genre-bending sensibilities and creative aesthetic. In a relatively short amount of time, the pair has amassed more than one million cumulative streams on Spotify; given a talk as part of the esteemed TEDx Nashville program; and performed sold-out shows, most recently on its “Love Takeover” tour since the start of the year.  In 2015, the group formed their label and artist collective Weirdo Workshop, an all-African American company based out of their current home town in Franklin, TN.  Under the Weirdo Workshop umbrella, they’ve already founded the TINY BOOK CLUB community and WE SOUND CRAZY podcast, and are in the process of developing recent signees. The Shindellas, all while bringing their vision as Louis York to the masses.  The group also share a passion for motivational speaking and wellness, and have spoken at multiple colleges across the country including: Berklee College of Music, Howard University, New York University, UCLA, USC, Syracuse, Belmont, Lipscomb, Vanderbilt, Pace, William Paterson, and Emerson College thus far.

For more about Louis York, visit:

Twitter: @LouisYorkMusic

Facebook: @LouisYorkMusic

Instagram: @LouisYorkMusic

YouTube: Louis York

Official Website: Weirdo Workshop