Archives For Nate Ruess

INTERVIEW: O.A.R.’s Marc Roberge On New Music, ‘Concert For Dreams’ And Winter Olympics

Ralphie Aversa  —  03/15/2018 — Leave a comment

We’re only halfway through March but it’s already been quite the year for Of A Revolution. The band found itself in the headlines for a rather unlikely reason to kick off 2018: Russian participants in the Winter Games were referred to as Olympic Athletes from Russia or… O.A.R. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect for a little (read: a lot) of free, unexpected publicity; that week, the band O.A.R. announced a new single and the “Just Like Paradise Tour” featuring Matt Nathanson.

But well before the cross-country trek kicks off in July, the quintet from Maryland is hard at work on a benefit show for the Garden Of Dreams Foundation called “Concert For Dreams.” The lineup includes the aforementioned Nathanson along with fun frontman Nate Ruess, Run D.M.C. co-founder Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Goo Goo Dolls’ singer Johnny Rzeznik, Counting Crows lead Adam Duritz, Robert Randolph and Gavin DeGraw.

“When you come in and the lights go down, you’re going to hear some O.A.R. songs, you’re going to hear hits from each one of those artists, you’re going to hear cover songs of us performing them together and at the end of the night you’re going to get to hear everybody out there doing some very classic songs in a very big way,” O.A.R. lead singer Marc Roberge told me. “It is a real concert; this is not a fundraiser, it’s not a corporate event. This is a concert and that’s what it’s going to feel like and be.”

That said, funds will be raised; all proceeds from “Concert For Dreams” will be donated to Garden Of Dreams, the non-profit arm of the Madison Square Garden Company. The charity helps to improve the lives of children across the tri-state area while also helping them overcome obstacles.

Tickets are still available through Ticketmaster for the event, which takes place March 23 at the Beacon Theatre on the Upper West Side.

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NEW MUSIC: Mariah Carey And fun.’s Nate Ruess Drop New Tracks

Ralphie Aversa  —  04/29/2015 — Leave a comment

Mariah Carey and fun. lead singer Nate Ruess each released new singles on Monday, both in support of albums due out later this year.
Mariah Carey, Nate Ruess
For Carey, “Infinity” marks a new chapter in both her personal and professional life. The song is the first from the songstress since separating from husband Nick Cannon. “Infinity” is also the only new recording on the compilation #1 to Infinity. The album will feature the latest track plus all 18 of Carey’s number one hits. It hits shelves May 18. Carey kicks off “Mariah #1 To Infinity,” her new residency at Las Vegas’ Caesars Palace, on May 6.

Perhaps suprisingly, you could say the same in regards to “new chapters” for Ruess. His first solo single, “Nothing Without Love,” was actually meant for fun. But according to Rolling Stone, it was his new relationship with designer Charlotte Ronson (Mark’s sister) and the hiatus away from the GRAMMY-winning band that allowed him to begin writing the lyrics to the song. Ruess confided in the magazine that for the first time, he felt “comfortable in my own skin.” This revelation led the singer to keep “Nothing” for himself and continue on with his LP. Grand Romantic will be released June 16. The artist dropped a second song from the album, “AhHa” on Monday.

What do you think of the songs? Listen below and sound off on Twitter – @ralphieaversa.

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NEW MUSIC: Zedd f. Selena Gomez; FUN.’s Nate Ruess

Ralphie Aversa  —  02/24/2015 — Leave a comment

A couple of pop radio staples released new singles on Monday to their eager fan bases.

After months of rumors and Instagram photos, the world finally got to hear the single that DJ/producer Zedd and Selena Gomez collaborated on. While speculation ran rampant over their personal relationship, there is no doubt that the duo can combine to create a hit record in the studio. Zedd, nee Anton Zaslavski, is billed as the title artist on “I Want You To Know,” with Gomez as the feature. OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder told Billboard that he wrote the single and gave it to Zedd.

Monday also marked the return of FUN. lead singer Nate Ruess. The front man is working on a solo album and unveiled “Nothing Without Love” as the first single.

“I remember taking a trip upstate to finish the lyrics,” Ruess wrote on Facebook, “and returning thinking that I’d finally been able to say everything I’d ever been feeling in that moment, and it’s applied to my life in so many different ways ever since.”

Ruess calls it his favorite song that he’s written. No other details on his solo effort are available yet.

What do you think of the tracks? Let me know on Twitter – @ralphieaversa.

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DAILY DOWNLOAD: P!nk f. Nate Ruess of fun. – ‘Just Give Me a Reason’

Ralphie Aversa  —  02/22/2013 — Leave a comment

This song totally could’ve ended up on Some Nights in my honest, non-expert opinion. The music video for this track just dropped a few weeks ago. It’s the third single from P!nk’s The Truth About Love.

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INTERVIEW: Ke$ha ‘Shocked’ by Vibe Cover; Says’s F— All Ya’ll’ To Critics

Ralphie Aversa  —  11/27/2012 — Leave a comment

Ke$ha literally went from what she describes as “a hobo” to a platinum-selling recording artist with a memoir in stores, all within a couple of years. It might take a lot to surprise her these days, but one publication did the trick.


“I was a little shocked. I was like, ‘Are you sure?’” Ke$ha recalled when she heard Vibe Magazine wanted her to grace its cover. The artist became the first Caucasian woman to appear solo on the front of the magazine. “It is shocking, but also massively flattering.”

The “TiK ToK” singer attributes the honor to the idea that with music these days, “there are no boundaries.”

“On this record especially, I worked with so many people from so many different genres of music,” she explained on “The Ralphie Show.” “From Iggy Pop, to Flaming Lips, and the Strokes, and the Black Keys, and then will.i.am and Nate (Ruess) from fun. There’s so many different genres of music represented.”

That new album, Warrior, comes out December 4. The lead singer of fun. is a co-writer on the first single, “Die Young.” He and Ke$ha haven’t even met.

“He was working with my friend Benny Blanco here in New York, and I was in LA making my record with Dr. Luke,” she recalled. “They just sent over the chorus-y, like idea. And then Luke and I were like, ‘Oh, that’s great.’”

And voila, hit record? Not so much. Ke$ha also revealed that she re-wrote the song 10 times until she felt it was representative of her. The artist’s meticulous detail to lyrics is the main reason why almost two years passed between the releases of her two full-length albums.

“I really wanted to take my time with my second record because I feel like that is the record you really make a name for yourself or it could suck,” she stated. “I just wanted to make sure that my second record was me and it was right and it was honest and it was dope.”

The Nashville-born singer is played on the radio next to artists like Rihanna, who has worked at a pace of releasing seven albums in the last seven years.

“I think I would die,” responded Ke$ha when asked if she could release music at that speed. “I have a lot of respect for her.”

In addition to Warrior, Ke$ha is also selling the Deconstructed EP through her website. The release features acoustic, broken-down versions of songs such as “Die Young,” – allowing the singer to once again prove she doesn’t need auto-tune.

“I was just like, ‘Really? You really still don’t think I can sing? F*** all ya’ll!’” Ke$ha exclaimed, eliciting laughter in the studio. “It’s really irritating when you can do one of three things in your entire life, and everyone’s like, ‘You can’t sing!’”

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