KYLE PARK

What a time it has been for young, Texas country recording artist and songwriter Kyle Park — a time of firsts, scores of dates across the Lone Star State and beyond, and big anticipatory buzz surrounding his upcoming full-length album, MAKE OR BREAK ME (September 2011). The recording is a collection of 15 songs, all written or co-written by the Austin-born Park, featuring six brand-new songs along with four cuts from his SPRING 2010 EP and five from the FALL 2010 EP (all remixed and remastered), the EPs born of a Park belief that he ought to give fans new music as often as he can. MAKE OR BREAK ME was produced by Park. “Being producer throughout the entire recording process was a great experience,” he says. “At first it seemed a little overwhelming, but then when I treated it as a welcomed challenge, it became fun and actually easier.” Other exciting firsts include filming a music video of “Make or Break Me,” shot at New Braunfels’ Whitewater Amphitheater and in Austin, and an appearance by Park on an episode of “Veteran Outdoors” on The Sportsman Channel entitled “Anywhere in Texas” after a Park album of the same name. Park also played on “Tuff Hedeman Championship Bull riding Challenge” and was the featured artist on “Texas Music Scene.” He’s also been spending time in Nashville co-writing with George Ducas and Trent Willmon and others. And Park and his band — Karl Schwoch (electric guitar), Will Armstrong (drums, percussion) and Eric Lenington (bass) — took their high-energy live show to Chicago and Kansas City for the first time. They’ll tour France and Germany, too, not for the first time, but the second. As always, Park’s originals are built on smart, soulful and personal lyrics and a melodic style that features fresh, powerful lead guitar. “... There’s a melodic thrust to Park’s songs, delivered with a twang often lacking in others of the so-called ‘Red Dirt’ country scene of Texas and Oklahoma. ...” says the Austin American-Statesman. Park says “All Night” was a fun song to write and record; he was striving for a very natural, organic acoustic sound. “I love the lyrical melody and the acoustic guitar/steel guitar dual solo,” he says. It enjoyed a multi-month Top 25 run on Texas radio charts. Other songs on MAKE OR BREAK ME and what Park says about them: * “I Love Her for a Million Reasons,” a rocker with witty, light-hearted lyrics and a hard musical edge: “Years ago I would have never thought I would record something this heavy, but I absolutely love this song now.” * “Any Day or Night”: “one of my all-time favorite waltzes I’ve recorded. The words are simple, but I feel paint a good picture.” * “Leavin’ Stephenville,” a cool song co-written with Ryan Beaver: “I honestly didn’t think I would ever record it, but after DJ Adam Drake (then with Aggie96 in College Station) posted a video of me playing it live on the radio, it became an online fan favorite.” Park started to find himself musically after December 2006 and a gig at Austin’s Broken Spoke opening for Asleep at the Wheel. Since then, Park has performed with or opened for Clint Black, Tracy Lawrence, Mark Chestnutt, Gary Allan, Jack Ingram, Randy Rogers Band and Eli Young Band, playing more than 175 shows a year in clubs, at festivals and rodeos, and dancehalls.