“Wanderlust” Is Nominated for Best Americana Album of the Year
Enter the Blue Sky recently announced that their album, “Wanderlust,” has been nominated “Best Americana Album of the Year” at the annual San Diego Music Awards (SDMA). Released on leap day (February 29) in 2020, the album was released just before the pandemic shutdown, to a standing-room-only full-house event.
The band has a long history with the SDMA’s, having been nominated in 2019 for best Country/Americana band of the year.
“Wanderlust” has received positive reviews from the music community, with the SDMA nomination capping it off. “Lollis has a strong vocal presence, the dominant feature in the sound, and the songs are softly rendered with viola accents, with plenty of emotional heft as she delivers the memorable words,” says Frank Kocher of San Diego Troubadour, June 2020. “Wanderlust is a personal and earnest document offering a revealing glimpse into the inner world of Enter the Blue Sky and Sandé Lollis.”
Enter the Blue Sky is led by Sandé Lollis who writes all material for the band, plays rhythm guitar, and sings lead and back up vocals.
“We have high hopes for this album. It has a slightly different flavor from our first, partly because of the passing of harmonica player John Seever in 2018, and partly due to the natural evolution that comes with time and personnel changes,” offered Lollis. “Our music grew bigger and more epic as it matured during the four years since our first album. It was way overdue and fans are ecstatic. We’re pretty darn proud of it.”
Paul Tillery plays upright bass on the album. Often using a bow, he pulls the listener along an intentional path that is picturesque in the mind’s eye and sweet in the ear. Tillery adds the bottom foundation to everything but then takes it a little bit further, adding the atmosphere and environment that Enter the Blue Sky is always going for.
Karen Childress-Evans plays viola, sometimes in harmony with the bass, sometimes taking the lead, creating a mood of tension and release, serious and playful. When asked about the process, Childress-Evans says, “We are four parts that came together in this, and each of those parts stand on their own, all coming from different genres and experiences, and coming together and making something that’s greater than the sum of its parts, which I think, is magical.”
Tina Dee takes on backing vocals with sincere devotion to the project, creating buttery tones that blend perfectly with Lollis’ powerful, sometimes edgy, vocals. Dee shared, “I was over the moon to be asked to be a guest vocalist on the album; my first experience with such an endeavor, and then overjoyed to be invited to join ETBS. I’ve been a huge fan all these years.”
Bart Mendoza, in the San Diego Troubadour July 2020 issue, said, “Wanderlust is a testament to what a wonderful tunesmith and arranger Lollis is. As an acoustic trio, all the instruments in Enter the Blue Sky have to do a lot of heavy lifting, and everyone here is more than up to the task, with Childress-Evans’s work on the album’s sole cover “No Soy De Aquí, Ni Soy de Allá,” particularly impressive. Fans of singer-songwriters or acoustic country will find much of interest here.”
The public has a hand in choosing the album to win; voting for the awards goes on through Wednesday, June 30, and everyone can vote once a day everyday at https://dosd.com/p/sandiegomusicawards.
The awards event takes place Tuesday, August 24 at Humphreys by the Bay. ETBS band members are enthusiastic about attending and hoping to hear their name announced when it comes time for the winner.
“To be nominated is such a big deal, it’s a bit surreal,” says Lollis. “There are so many talented artists in San Diego, and to find ourselves in the mix is both humbling and affirming. We are honored to be nominated.”
Enter the Blue Sky is hopeful that the recognition will give them more opportunities to be heard because, as Lollis puts it, “We just want to share our music, to know that it touched someone; the connections, that’s what it’s all about.”
Wanderlust is available at EnterTheBlueSky.com, Spotify, and iTunes, or at any of their live shows.
Category: Entertainment, Events, feature, Local News, Music
