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Anthem, Bias and Leslie Mack this Monday at Smith’s Olde Bar

This Monday is an exciting new show put on by Far Out Ventures. Anthem, featuring Bias and Leslie Mack are gracing the stage with some hot new tunes… Check out the information on the bands below…

On Anthem:

Glenn is everything that his musical influences have put in place for him: fragments of hip hop, soul, new wave, folk and alternative rock. Still, his sound is as unidentifiable as they come.

Glenn always sets out to challenge himself. Born Glenn Allen Saddler II in Durant Miss. on July 14, 1988 to a single mother, the only child spent the early years of his childhood being primarily the only black child in a southern suburban climate. His conscience didn’t suffer – neither did his confidence in himself. “The experience taught me to be myself and just to be natural,” Glenn says.

Relocating to Atlanta at age 15, Glenn also found his calling in the music in his environment. An older cousin, armed with a tape recorder and a keyboard, would convince the young boy to put words and phrases together just for fun: sometimes making it mandatory for Glenn to rap. Not to mention, Glenn’s cousin nurtured his ears with OutKast, Snoop Dogg, and A Tribe Called Quest while his mother entertained his musical palette with Lauryn Hill, Otis Redding and a nice collection of soul music. Before long, Glenn would find his true idol in Jay-Z followed by The Carter 2-era Lil Wayne, Lupe Fiasco, Pharrell Williams, Elvis Costello, Coldplay, and Kanye West. He even takes his catchphrases (i.e. “I’m down!”) and turn them into infectious cultural byproducts.

After graduating from high school, an 18 year-old Glenn along with best friend, artist Bias, created a mixtape titled New Hope. He realized from this experience he could channel his personal ideals on issues that hit close to home – his absent father, dealing with racial identity, his upbringing, his friends and discovering universal truths. By 19, Glenn created his second project, So Far, and the foundation for his calling – FarOut Ventures, LLC (FOV). Originally starting out as a record label, the constantly evolving artist decided to expand FOV into a creative platform highlighting progressive music, art and management. Originally calling himself “Glenn S.,” the artist decided to condense the name to simply “Glenn.”

From that point on, a string of side projects followed: his debut EP Run ‘Til We Fly (2008), his collaboration with local Atlanta artist Kese on Do Work (2008), and Long Days, Late Nights (2009). Glenn’s initial singles, the soul-drenched “Drum Roll” and the melodic “Swing Set,” introduces a new artist to the Atlanta music scene not set on trendy dances, overprojecting swagger and broadcasting an uber machismo persona.

Glenn is a serious artist to be reckoned with. He constantly watches the great performers and classic footage – citing Prince and James Brown as masters. Inspired by such, Glenn has also created a buzz performing on college campuses including Princeton University and The University of West Georgia. He’s even coined a sub-genre, “electro-soul,” which fuses bare emotions, incredible melodies, magnificent drum arrangements and industrial pop to create a new vibe that is part rap and part harmony.

Glenn is currently at work on his debut LP, Anthem, which further examines the industrial pop and new wave influences Glenn heavily consumes. Calling the set “the most angst of any record I’ve done,” Anthem is a collection of songs highlighting insecurities (“Blue Skies” and “It’s All Happening”), shortcomings (“Expectations” and “No Tomorrows”) and redemption (“Spirits Up” and “Everyday”). Anthem is set for a 2011 release.

On Bias:

Bias is a modern griot. He creates characters with his music: taking his story-oriented lyricism, straightforward delivery and versatile rhymes schemes to a progressive plateau.

Born (and currently rearing) in Atlanta by way of Tallahassee, Florida on March 22, 1987 in a single parent home, Bias (nee Tobias Lora Harris) has always had quite the clever imagination. Raised without a father, Bias found his calling with hip hop to take his ideas and hopes to a deeper place. It didn’t help either that his grandfather, a man Bias refers to as “his father figure,” would share his philosophies with his grandson. On the other hand, his uncles introduced him to 2 Pac, A Tribe Called Quest, and OutKast among others. It was only natural for Bias to emerge as an incredible orator and conceptual artist.

Throughout his teenage years up until attending high school in Tucker, GA, Bias knew he had a way with words. He began to freestyle as a drill – battle rapping with his friends and realizing his competitive spirit was slowly developing into his calling and his craft. The minor buzz was so overwhelming, local students at Morehouse College cited Bias’ skills were better than the artists on campus.

His musical influences has an incredible range of stories, imagination and sound: he references Lupe Fiasco’s visceral style, Nas’ grandiose lyrical ability, 2Pac’s straightforward emotions, The Gorillaz’s animated yet epic rhythms, OutKast’s nontraditional cadences and rhyme scheme and Evanescence’s cinematic sound as his inspiration. Bias is a prolific and creative spirit who paints pictures with rhythm and rhymes – an avid reader of comic books and anime and manipulating it into conceptual projects for the mind and the conscience.

Now with best friend, recording artist Glenn (Saddler), the two masterminds are taking their production outlet, FarOut Ventures, LLC (FOV), beyond the status quo. Originally a recording label that started in 2007, FOV has evolved into an independent company specializing in music, art and management – a move that Glenn and Bias both agree should encompass difference and the progressive nature of their sound.

Bias’ 2008 debut project, ATLanta Blues, allowed him to stake his claim in a musical culture known primarily for whiny synth riffs, thunderous chants, sparse trap star laments and bouncy 808s. ATLanta Blues, inspired loosely by the work of Grammy-winning OutKast member Andre 3000, was Bias’ critique on audiences and critics creating a homogenous theory on Southern hip hop acts and his attempts to escape the microcosm of this idea.

Bias just wrapped up amazing performance’s on the college campus circuit – including Princeton University and the University of West Georgia. Bias is currently in the studio wrapping up his sophomore effort, Sent By Messenger. The album’s debut single, “Stencil,” with its rugged beats and two-part harmonies, features Glenn and attacks the lack of individuality in culture and music. The single has generated an incredible presence on numerous blogs.

On Leslie:

The peace that can only be found on a summer’s day after the rain storms cease; this is the place your mind escapes to when hearing the unconventional melodies and lyrics of guitarist, singer-song writer Leslie Mack. Leslie’s music is a addictive tool that perfectly marries the ear and heart as she creates a map blissfully leading you above the troubles of the day. There is a beautiful honesty and humbleness that draws you to Leslie, because she is not only a talent artist but she has the heart of an philanthropist. She often lends her heart and talents to efforts that positively effect her home town of Atlanta, Georgia. When performing she invites the audience to take a journey on freedom ave that will never be regretted. So pack a bag, leave your worries behind and come experience the journey of Leslie Mack.

So be sure to make it out to see these talented and unique artists grace Smith’s Olde Bar and rock your face!