MURRAY A. LIGHTBURN Second solo record, Hear Me Out, to be released Spring 2019 MURRAY A. LIGHTBURN is a composer, musician, performer and music producer. He’s best known as the lead singer and principal songwriter of internationally-known Montreal chamber rock band, The Dears. Formed in 1995, their orchestral, dark pop sound and dramatic live shows cemented The Dears at the foundation of the then-emerging Canadian indie rock renaissance. In 2013, M.A.L. independently released MASS:LIGHT, his first ever solo record. This was a concept album that ​ ​ CBC Music described as “dark and fantastic, MASS: LIGHT shines a spotlight on Lightburn’s genre bending ​ ​ capabilities through assertive songwriting.” The limited edition vinyl sold out almost immediately. The Dears then released their two volume epic Times Infinity in 2015 and 2017. The project kept M.A.L. busy ​ ​ touring throughout the world, while giving him space to contemplate his latest project, Hear Me Out, and ​ ​ perform several shows on his own. Hear Me Out is M.A.L.’s second full length solo work. While musically distinct, Hear Me Out will build on his ​ ​ ​ association with The Dears to connect with a new fanbase. “During a personally turbulent spring of 2016, I responded to an unstoppable flow of creativity. I wrote 15 songs that I knew would be my second solo album,” M.A.L. recalls, “musically inspired by 60s girl-groups, Motown records and soulful romantic crooners. Vulnerable black men singing sensitive love songs, like Nat King Cole or Marvin Gaye, isn’t something I see a lot of these days. In Canada, there are almost zero. Perhaps I can fill that void.” Of his solo performance, XS Noise wrote: “Murray Lightburn proved he could take himself in any musical direction he wishes without dividing or disappointing fans.” -- Regarding The Dears The Dears are an influential Montreal based independent rock band. Since 1995, they have released 7 studio albums and 2 EPs and have toured the world over, including performances on Letterman (twofold), Jimmy Kimmel, Jonathan Ross and at Glastonbury, T in the Park, Wireless, Montreal Jazz Fest, Siren Festival, Coachella, Austin City Limits, V Fest, Les Inrocks (France), Montreux Jazz Fest, Istanbul Jazz Fest, Pop Montreal, CMW, NXNE and countless appearances at SXSW. Their albums have been nominated for the Juno Award, Polaris Prize and for the Slaight Family Polaris Heritage Prize. They have shared stages with Spiritualized, Arcade Fire, Broken Social Scene, Daniel Lanois, Rufus Wainwright, Zemfira, Bloc Party, Keane, Morrissey, The Tragically Hip and Death From Above, to name a few. NME once called The Dears the “best new band in the world,” and their breakthrough album No Cities Left ​ sold over 200,000 copies worldwide. -- https://www.facebook.com/murraylightburn/ https://twitter.com/masstolight https://www.instagram.com/masstolightratio/ https://thedears.org/ .