Joshua Radin 'Simple Times' album

Joshua Radin's Simple Times, due out on September 30th, will be the premiere release from mom & pop, Q Prime's new independent label. The album is the follow-up to Radin's acclaimed full-length debut, 2006's We Were Here, which praised as "understated, poignant and refreshingly frank" in a four-star review. Rolling StoneSimples Times will be available on iTunes on September 9th.

Ohio-native Radin worked with producer Rob Schnapf (Beck, Elliott Smith) on Simple Times to create a sound that stays true to the integrity of his past work, but adds percussion and other instrumental elements to give the new music an edgier kick. The twist on Radin's trademark "whisper rock" is particularly apparent on the uncharacteristically up-tempo "I'd Rather Be With You," the album's first single.

Patty Griffin adds her pure vocal accompaniment to "You've Got Growing Up To Do," a track Radin notes as one of his most personal on the CD. Rising star Meiko joins him on the uplifting and charming "Sky."

"People ask me all the time about my 'whisper-rock' type of sound; all I can say to them is that the quieter my vocals are, the more an audience is apt to listen to the lyrics. And when I decide to get loud, I do it because the lyric calls for it, and if I do it sparingly, it means more each time," Radin said.

"This record represents the last two years of my life. It's about falling in and out of love, the world in which I live, my friends, my family, but most of all, it's a loss of innocence record; in writing these songs, I am trying to get back to where I started while also growing as an artist simultaneously - not a very easy task, but one that I will continue to struggle with for the rest of my creative life. It helps when people like Patty Griffin, Rob Schnapf, Lenny Castro and Greg Leisz jump on board. I still can't believe I was fortunate enough to work with them. This record is exactly the way I intended it to be, and I hope people dig it."

One famous fan is already putting her stamp of approval on the soulful singer/songwriter's latest project. Ellen DeGeneres asked Radin to give an intimate performance at her nuptials to Portia de Rossi this past Saturday. He sang acoustic renditions of several new tracks, including the romantic "They Bring Me To You".

"I've never played a wedding before," said Radin, "and I probably won't again until it's my own as I cannot imagine topping that experience."

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Joshua Radin - Simple Times