Marykate ONeil September 6, 2008

"Marykates skillful melodies and delicate voice are veritable pearls of sweetness. Deeply authentic and original, Marykate has crafted a style with humor and irony intact anchored in daily life". 4 stars - Rolling Stone Living a post-college cubicle life in lower Manhattan, and living by night as a shut-in in Brooklyn, ONeil would pen the songs that made up the critically acclaimed self-released, self-entitled, "Marykate ONeil". The no budget record, funded entirely by ONeils unofficial sponsor, visa (pre-approved), went on to peak at 8 on the CMJ charts, who in turn called the record "spotlessly constructed" and picked it as an essential listen. Rockpile said it was "the perfect blend of metropolitan indie high society and Music Citys tradition of sanguine, heart-crafted songwriting." The record was released outside the US a year later in Japan, Australia, and Europe and ONeil found herself touring both as a solo artist and along side her band throughout the US and Europe. ONeils songs were featured in the Sundance award winning film Stephanie Daily, the television show "unfabulous", and Japanese pop idol Tomoyo Harada covered three of ONeils songs on her album My Pieces. Encouraged, ONeil charged another and got the attention of Nettwerk music group. The new record, "1-800-bankrupt is released as a limited edition 32 page booklet on her own 71 recordings collective. It is being release digitally by Nettwerk records. In France it is being released on the Paris based MVS records. It is co-produced by Roger Moutenot (Yo La Tengo; Beulah; Joseph Arthur; Elvis Costello; Sleater-Kinney;) and Jill Sobule. The record was made in pieces, partly in ONeils Brooklyn apartment (which accounts for some of the ambient noise -- i.e. neighbors yelling, rain, cabs honking) and partly in Rogerss studio in Nashville. The record features performances by Marykates Brooklyn neighbors and Nashville friends: Matthew Caws (Nada Surf), Jill Souble, James Haggerty (Josh Rouse); Mickey Grimm (Butterfly); Brad Jones; Jim Boggia and Rob Burger (Tin Hat Trio). Prior to life as a NYC-based solo artist, Marykate was the singer/songwriter/guitarist for Boston indie-poppers Piewackit, who played alongside the likes of Elliot Smith, Mary Lou Lord, Lois, and Ida. Piewackit made a never-released record for IRS in its autumn years with the help of producer Michael Demming (Lilys; Pernice Bros; Apples In Stereo). 1-800 Bankrupt continues with the sound that first brought ONeil to the attention of the critics. The Boston Globe says, Bankrupt is a classic singer-songwriter collection, melding genre-defining influences such as brill building songwriting with alt-pop seasonings exploring the tribulations of life in the city with self-depreciating humor in tact.

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