In competitive swim races, if a swimmer jumps into the pool before the starting signal, theycould be disqualified or forced to climb out in front of everybody and start over. It’s anembarrassing scenario for athletes, but the “false start” also serves as a clever metaphor foranyone having to climb out of the pool – wet and shivering – and told to start over.It’s an allegory the Los Angeles-based singer/songwriter and actress Emily Kinney mines forinspiration on her new album, the aptly titled Swim Team. Produced by Kinney’s longtimecollaborator Benjamin Greenspan, Swim Team follows 2021’s Supporting Character and 2018’sOh Jonathan and grapples with the end of a relationship and works through Kinney’sconflicting feelings around the acting industry.Recalling early-career Rilo Kiley, Swim Team is an expert showcase for Kinney’s vocals, whichare both vulnerable and wry as she sizes up an ex on “Broken Air Conditioning”: “I’m a littletired of the measuring stick/ If I wasn’t in love, I’d call you kind of a dick/ I’m a little tired of thebroken shower/ Of the IRS/ Of the lack of sex/ I’m so tired, I can’t get out of bed/ You’re sureit’s my fault/ It’s all in my head.”“It's a breakup album,” Kinney says of Swim Team. “Supporting Character was very muchmore about my artistic spiritual life, and some of those spiritual themes do show up in the lyricson Swim Team. But I would say it's more of a breakup album, and also an album about shameand embarrassment.”Expanding on “Broken Air Conditioning,” Kinney says: "One of my favorite things about datingthis person was getting to spend so much time in Nashville. I'd go there every couple of weeks;if I had to film something, I would film and then go to Nashville for a few days, and then comeback to LA. I loved that part of the relationship. Even if he wouldn't be there until two dayslater, and I would be in Nashville by myself, I would be feeling really great. But then as soon ashe was there, things became stressful pretty quickly. So, in a way the song is about myfrustration and feeling that he destroyed Nashville for me."Later, Kinney asks herself, “How can I muster the motivation to dive in again?” on the acoustic-led “False Start,” which outlines the aforementioned scenario of jumping offthe swimmer’sblock too quickly. “Kinda wanna just quit swim team entirely,” Kinney concludes — an all-too-relatable feeling for any listener who has faced rejection and questioned how they would everstart again.“False Start” connects both dominating threads within the album — the end of a relationshipand career doubts, as Kinney explains. “‘False Start’ was written when I was trying to date newpeople, and I was dealing with a lot of rejection within my acting career. I was feeling like,‘Dang, I don't want to keep putting myself in this position. Why am I continuing to feel like aloser?’”Elsewhere, on the delicately fingerpicked “Avett Brothers,” Kinney recalls her ex driving her tothe airport as their partnership crumbles around them. “You’re a dinosaur in the museum of mybrokenhearted past,” she sighs while tucking away an Avett Brothers T-shirt she held onto fromthe relationship. “There's always been this joke about stealing T-shirts and sunglasses frompeople that I date,” she chuckles. “The song started from that joke, because I still had thisband T-shirt. Looking back at the relationship, we're just so completely different, but the oneway that we connected was with bands that we love, and we both loved that one particularband.”               Meanwhile, anyone who has ever muttered the phrase “the bar is in hell” about mediocre menwill adore Kinney’s sweetly sardonic opener, “B Or C For Effort.” Over gently chimingtambourine, twinkling synth, and shuffling percussion, “B Or C” finds Kinney mulling over howher relationship sputtered out with her ex providing the bare minimum: “At the start there waspassion, parties, and praise/ By the end there was ‘what’s the point, anyways?’/ You don’twanna hear about what I did today/ And I don’t wanna step foot on another plane/ Forsomeone who can’t even kiss me hello/ Who has no real interest in spiritual growth/ His apathyfinds a way to cut me right to the bone/ I give more, and he gives less/ B or C for effort, Iguess.”“It's my favorite song on the album,” Kinney laughs. “I think that's why I wanted to open with it.It’s like a Yelp review: I'm giving you a B or C for effort, and it's actually pretty generous,especially towards the end. I could have gone lower. I feel like it's a very kind, generous reviewof the relationship.”Kinney’s razor-sharp wit trickles down to the country-tinged “It Won’t Last Through TheWeekend,” which draws on carnival imagery to process the fact that her ex jumped into a newrelationship immediately following their breakup. “A friend and I joked how 'it won't last throughthe weekend,'" Kinney expands. “But the song is more of a warning. I can see him doing thesame things in this new relationship that he did with me. People have patterns.”Finally, on the beautifully harmonized indie-pop tune “Everything On TV,” Kinney revels in post-relationship freedom and finding all the entertainment she could ever need via TV streamingchannels. “I was starting to go on dates here and there,” she says, adding, “And I just didn'twant a boyfriend. I had made a joke to a friend like, ‘Oh, what do you want to watch? I haveeverything. I got Hulu, Netflix, Disney+. I have everything on TV. I don't need anything else.”Though it contemplates throwing in the towel in uphill battles around work and love, SwimTeam is ultimately about making peace with both journeys through music. “My relationship tobeing an actor is very similar to some kinds of romantic relationships where I feel like acting iskind of like a bad boyfriend,” Kinney says. “I've gotten advice from older actors saying thehappiest actors have some other outlet, too. With acting, someone has to pick you; you’re ahired gun. For me, music is a place where I get to own what I’m doing. I get to be the decisionmaker.In other words, now Emily Kinney is the captain of her own swim team.

Paul McDonald’s voice is immediately recognizable and impossible to ignore.  Often compared to legends like Rod Stewart and Bob Dylan, his songs are relatable and universal. The poetic story-driven narratives and deeply catchy hooks in his music are delivered by a raspy yet refined voice reminiscent of another era yet that demands to be heard right now. He pulls off the rare feat of being a poet, visual artist, songwriter, adamant performer, and a powerful vocalist. Born in Auburn, Alabama, he was raised on southern rock with bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Allman Brothers, roots, country, and gospel music intertwined with the late 60's Laurel Canyon folk scene.  He has been inspired by the authenticity and artistry of his heroes like Tom Petty, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young, and Jackson Browne.      As a child, Paul was obsessed with everything music related, but never considered the idea of being a musician until his father bought him a guitar for Christmas at the age of 15. He immediately started writing his own songs and playing shows around town, but it was always more of a hobby and form of self-expression than a career path. In college, he joined the school’s gospel choir and toured all through the southeast performing at small southern baptist churches. During this time, he was still writing his own songs and was pushed once again by friends to start playing in bars and local venues around town. By his early 20's he had started a band called “Hightide Blues” and was touring and making records full time. “It all seemed to happen pretty quick and naturally. I’ve been carrying around a guitar since I was a kid, and as soon as I ever tried to go in a different direction (he was two classes away from majoring in Biomedical Sciences at Auburn University), the universe would always pull me right back to the music. I always felt like I was supposed to be writing songs and playing shows for the rest of my life. There was no other option….and I haven’t looked back ever since.”      Although his life on the road in his 20’s was necessary for his growth and understanding the ropes of the business (he was playing almost 250 shows a year), all good things have to come to an end. After years of fronting various rock and alt-country rock bands including The Grand Magnolias, Hightide Blues, and a short stint in a LA Americana duo, Paul was on the search to find his own voice. He moved to Los Angeles in 2010 to work with major labels and established pop & rock producers experimenting with different sounds and genres and leaning into the art of co-writing and top-lining on pop tracks, but after a few years and a few albums that were never released, he decided that LA was a bit much and the grit and realness of the East Nashville community was more his speed. He moved back home in 2014 and with the help from his peers and producer Jordan Lehning, he independently released his first solo debut "Modern Hearts" in 2018, which introduced a more alternative rock approach and brought him widespread exposure through tours across the U.S. ,a record deal with Vacancy Records in the U.K , along with song placements in major motion pictures, commercials, with songwriting cuts on other major artist records. ‘Modern Hearts’ is a result of years of personal experiences, good and bad. This record is Paul hitting rock bottom and then slowing crawling out of that hole. “It was getting back to basics and then finally arriving on a sound that felt like home.” This may be a ‘break up’ album, but it’s more about rebirth and bursts with serious hooks and anthems; desperation is tempered with introspection and, ultimately, redemption.  Paul’s hope & mission is to spread peace, love, and unity through his music. Connection & community through song. He’s currently putting the finishing touches on his sophomore album with producer Anthony Da Costa and plans on having new music out in 2023.