The Sing-Off” Season Two Finalists The Backbeats Release Debut Album Nov. 15
Self-Titled CD Features a Diverse Mix of Selected Covers
Oct. 18, 2011 - “The Sing-Off” season two finalists, The
Backbeats, will release their self-titled CD November 15 on
Arrival and Madison Gate Records. The record, “The Backbeats
From The Sing-Off,” will feature a mix of hand-selected
cover hits, including the group’s rendition of Beyoncé’s “If
I Were A Boy,” which helped seal their top three position on
season two of the show. The disc also includes a track
featuring the Grammynominated and season three judge from
“The Sing-Off,” Sara Bareilles, who guests on the group’s
version of Sara’s hit “Uncharted.”
Drawn together in Los Angeles by their televised adventure
in 2010, the group is comprised of baritone Kenton Chen,
soprano Kelley Jakle, tenor Eitan Nir and alto Rachel
Saltzman from USC; bass Todd G. Levin, a USC alumnus;
soprano Joanna Jones from UCLA; alto/vocal percussionist
Courtney Jensen from Brigham Young University; and Jordan
Pharoah, an alumnus of the Los Angeles County High School of
the Performing Arts.
The bonds of trust developed rapidly as they began
rehearsing for “The Sing-Off.” “We didn’t know what our
group’s sound would be like when we came into it,” Saltzman
says. “Like I said, our first performance ever was on the
show, so we went on this little retreat before the taping.
For a week we lived in a house together and just sang and
ate and got to know each other more. You could tell even
then there was something special here. We had no idea how
people would react to us; we didn’t even think it would last
past this summer. But it has and we wanted to keep it
going.”
That’s what brought them into the studio. Ben Bram and
Kenton Chen, who arranged and produced the album together,
kept the magic alive by combining careful execution with
spontaneity. “In the recording studio, options are
limitless,” Bram explains. “On ‘The Sing-Off,’ The Backbeats
only had their ten voices. In the studio, we could track as
many times as we wanted. So we arranged everything carefully
while also using the strengths of the studio, to maintain
the soul and passion of the individual voices and the group
sound as a whole. This gave us a chance to explore new songs
and dig deeper into a variety of styles.”
The group is scheduled to tour in support of their debut
album. Nearly nine million viewers tuned in to witness The
Backbeats’ performances on “The Sing-Off” and now fans
throughout the U.S. will get another chance to experience
the group’s commanding lead vocals, luscious harmonies and
electrifying vocal percussion that made them popular amongst
their fans. The group won over audiences in the first
episode of season two, leading to an astounding number of
viewer votes and placing the group’s songs among the most
downloaded throughout the series. Also, look for The
Backbeats to perform on a special episode of “The Sing-Off”
later this season.
Track listing:
1. THINKING ‘BOUT SOMETHIN’
2. BORN THIS WAY
3. EVERY TEARDROP IS A WATERFALL
4. TURNING TABLES
5. ‘TILL THE WORLD ENDS
6. FIREWORK
7. CRY ME A RIVER
8. NEED YOU NOW
9. WHO YOU ARE
10. IF I WERE A BOY
11. MONSTER
12. UNCHARTED
(feat. Sara Bareilles)
“The Sing-Off” scours the country in search of the best a
cappella groups. This year, the competition has expanded not
only weekly but also to the 16 very best vocal groups who
will perform chart-topping songs in weekly competition that
will culminate with a live finale revealing the grand prize
winner. The groups will be competing for America’s vote and
a chance to walk away with the ultimate prize – a Sony Music
recording contract and a cash prize of $200,000.
“The Sing-Off” is produced by Joel Gallen’s (“America’s Best
Dance Crew”) Tenth Planet Productions, Outlaw Entertainment
and Sony Pictures Television. Gallen, Deb Newmyer (“The Ugly
Truth”), Sam Weisman (“George of the Jungle”), and Josh
Greenberg (“America’s Best Dance Crew”) are executive
producers.
