Malcolm Singleton simply loves music. How else do you explain a young man who admits to such diverse influences as Coldplay and Dean Martin? Perhaps it has something to do with a childhood in which he literally lived all over the place.
Born in the suburbs of Atlanta, he made his first move, to the Capitol City of Washington, D.C., at only one-week old. His first flight was taken at three weeks of age. He was on his way to growing up and living in dozens of places before his middle school years. The states that Malcolm has called home include New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Iowa, South Carolina, Arizona; the list goes on. Different cities, different states; always making new friends. However, there was always one major constant: music.
After settling back on the family-rooted home turf of Colbert County, Alabama, Malcolm's musical ambitions intensified. Emerging from the same rich soil as the musical tradition of nearby Muscle Shoals, Malcolm's love of all things musical began to expand in a variety of ways.
He began playing drums at the age of ten and ventured over to the guitar three years later. The melodic and harmonic possibilities of the instrument opened up new avenues for him to express himself creatively. He joined his first band in the seventh grade and it wasn't long before he discovered his passion for live performance, whether as part of a group or in solo acoustic situations.
Over the next several years, Malcolm began to incorporate his original songs into his sets. He performs regularly in front of audiences across the southeast and has performed in the greater Boston, Massachusetts area. He has been a featured performer at the Muscle Shoals Songwriters' Showcase, one of the area's most prominent venues. Malcolm has also seen his songs score in the competitive arena. His song, "Counting on You, was chosen as the winner of the Rock Category at the Songfest Songwriting Competition of the W. C. Handy Festival in the Muscle Shoals, Alabama area and another one of his songs, "I'm Over You, earned him the spot of finalist winner in the Summer Songwriting Competition at the prestigious Berklee College of Music. Both songs are included on his debut CD, "This Feeling.
Malcolm is an artist whose melodic and hook-laden songwriting skills are on prominent display, as are his chops as a musician. In fact, the music you hear on his debut CD is all Malcolm. All drums, all bass, all guitars, all keyboards, all lead vocals, all harmoniesALL MALCOLM!
“Be There”, is the full-length follow-up to his highly successful debut EP, “This Feeling”. Containing ten original songs, along with two bonus tracks, “Be There” prominently displays Malcolm’s talents as a songwriter, musician and vocalist.
The songs for this project were shaped throughout the Southeast and Northeast as Malcolm traveled to live and play in a variety of prestigious venues in New York, Boston, Atlanta, and Nashville, among other cities. He has been a featured performer at Nashville’s famous Bluebird Cafe and hip clubs Fuel, Lyrix and The Flying Saucer. Around Boston he has hit area hotspots The Burren, The Lizard Lounge, All Asia and The Performance Center at The Berklee College of Music. He has made his mark on the New York City music scene with solid performances at venues such as Googie’s Lounge above The Living Room and The Cutting Room. He was selected by the New York division of ASCAP to participate in a showcase produced by the National Academy of Popular Music/Songwriters’ Hall of Fame and had a song included on their annual compilation CD.
Covering a variety of styles and tempos, Malcolm easily navigates between thoughtful ballads (“A Road I Can’t Go Down”, “For Crying Out Loud”), tough rockers (“Tear It Down”, “I Blame You”) and pure pop confection (“I Want To Be On The Radio”, “Be There”). Each tightly-constructed song brims with creative inspiration and is delivered with powerful intensity, offering memorable melodies and strong hooks.
Utilizing a variety of studios and locations (including Murfreesboro, Tennessee and Muscle Shoals, Alabama), the majority of music was recorded at Musiek Entertainment in Harvest, Alabama and Big Mack’s Studio in Spring Valley, Alabama (Malcolm’s home studio). The production is richly layered and thoughtful of Malcolm’s gifts as a multi-dimensional musical talent. Once again, Malcolm handles all lead and background vocals and plays acoustic and electric guitar throughout, along with drums, bass, and keyboards. However, in a departure from his debut EP, on this project Malcolm and producers Daniel Beard and Eddie Martin spiced things up a bit with a handful of friends on a few select tracks. Featured musical guests include: Chris Fryar on drums and percussion, Jon Putnam on bass, as well as Kelvin Wooten, Matt Slocum, and former Steppenwolf member and ace session player Larry Byrom, keyboards. In addition, Malcolm’s longtime friend and live gig partner Gaylon Partain puts his electric lead guitar signature on a couple of tracks.
Malcolm’s evolution as an artist is clearly evident throughout “Be There”. The songs are accessible and offer a dynamic range of both emotional and listening enjoyment. To quote from the bridge of the title track:
“While we’re playing, music’s making stars in our own scene”.
It’s a scene worthy of checking out. One listen to the CD and you will realize that Malcolm’s star is about to explode; you should “Be There”!
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