Village Records, a student-run record label operated out of the NYU Steinhardt Music Business Program, has selected 20-year-old New York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Burke as the label’s signature artist this academic year.
Village Records, a student-run record label operated out of the NYU Steinhardt Music Business Program, has selected 20-year-old New York-based songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Kevin Burke as the label’s signature artist this academic year. Burke - who joins solo artist Kiah Victoria, Australian band Tigertown, and South African duo Christian Tiger School, as artists who have worked with the label – will release his first video produced by Village Records today.
The Village Records label operates in tandem with a Music Business Program class of the same name, designed to provide students with real world experience in all aspects of the music industry. As with several other artists affiliated with Village Records, Burke came to the program and label through CMJ, where his performance at the festival drew the eye of Village Records A&R student scouts. The label then selected Burke as its signature artist, breaking with its former practice of promoting international acts in favor of a local artist.
Since October, Burke has worked closely with the Village Records team to develop and promote Burke as an artist, first by filming the video, “Live at Washington Square,” an intimate live performance of his original song Snow on Sand, staged at NYU’s Kimmel Center for University Life. Students then worked with Burke to record Snow on Sand at Steinhardt’s Dolan Studios, a state-of-the-art recording facility, with support from faculty and students of the Steinhardt Music Technology Program.
In spite of his age, Burke has already made an impression with his previous EP, Waiting Season, for which USA Today described his sound as a mix of “the Beatles, Elvis Costello and The Beach Boys” as well as newer artists Bayside, Tom Odell and Hozier. Nashville-based website Highlight Magazine, in rating Waiting Season 4.5 out of 5, wrote: “[Burke] has undoubtedly found his place as a solo artist.”
“Village Records has come a long way this semester as a class and as a team,” said student Erin Simon, who serves as leader of the production and content team for Village Records. “We were lucky to work with Kevin, who is such an incredibly talented and down-to-earth artist, and he was more than willing to have us involved. By having a hand in every element of releasing his new song - A&R, recording, video, promotion, and social media - we have developed an even deeper appreciation of his music, and we're confident that audiences will respond positively.”
Today’s release of “Live at Washington Square Park” can be viewed here, and was released in advance of Burke’s special upcoming Christmas Show, taking place at Amityville Music Hall December 18. Tickets for the show can be purchased at Burke’s website at http://www.kevinburkemusic.com/.
About the NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions
Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, established in 1925, instructs over 1,600 students majoring in music and performing arts programs. Music and Performing Arts Professions serves as NYU’s “school” of music and is a major research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, songwriting, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).
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