*The Following Press Release Was Issued By Scoop Marketing*
KITT WAKELEY ANNOUNCES STAR-STUDDED NEW ALBUM: SYMPHONY OF SINNERS & SAINTS VOL. II THE STORM COMING JAN. 6, 2023
VOL. II FEATURES JOE SATRIANI, NITA STRAUSS, ORIANTHI, NUNO BETTENCOURT, KENNY ARONOFF, THE LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA & MORE
DEBUT SINGLE ‘MVP’ WITH STRAUSS, ARONOFF, THE MACEDONIAN ORCHESTRA & MACEDONIAN CHOIR RELEASED SEPT. 9, 2022
SYMPHONY OF SINNERS & SAINTS VOL. 1 DEBUTED ATOP BILLBOARD’S CLASSICAL & CLASSICAL CROSSOVER ALBUMS CHARTS, BOASTED THREE HARD ROCK DIGITAL SONG CHART-TOPPERS & ADDITIONAL TOP 20 ROCK CHART POSITIONS
Los Angeles, CA (Sept. 6, 2022) – Kitt Wakeley today announced the guest stars, track list, first single, and release date for his new orchestral rock album, Symphony of Sinners & Saints Vol. II The Storm. Led by songwriter/composer/arranger/producer Wakeley on keyboards, the album features a stellar lineup including guitar legend Joe Satriani, Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme), Nita Strauss (Demi Lovato, Alice Cooper), Orianthi (Alice Cooper, Richie Sambora, RSO), Kenny Aronoff (John Cougar, Joe Satriani), the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Voices choir (Paul McCartney, Luciano Pavarotti, the Hunger Games series), the Macedonian Symphony Orchestra and the Macedonian Choir. The album’s debut single “MVP” featuring Strauss and Aronoff was released on Fri., Sept. 9 at all major DSPs by Studio Seven Media (buy it HERE). Click HERE for a visualizer of “MVP.”
Wakeley said, “I’m excited about the release of Vol. II. It gives me the opportunity to resolve the remaining creativity from my prior projects. There is a lot to build on from the previous album and I made sure there is an upward trajectory with the second album in this series. Releasing ‘MVP’ as the first single sets the tone for the continuation of epic orchestral rock and Nita Strauss takes no prisoners with her approach on the guitars. Her rhythm and lead tracks made a huge statement for the first single.”
Strauss said, “Collaborating with other artists is always great, but it’s made better when that artist really embraces your style and what you bring to the table. Kitt’s music is thematic and emotional and I had a great time adding a layer of hurricane to these songs!”
Aronoff said, “Kitt, your compositions are amazing. I have a heavy orchestral background (Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copeland, Boston Symphony Orchestra and four years at Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana), so I appreciate and love the fusion of classical music with Rock n Roll music. Your compositions, your sounds and your production are fantastic.”
Symphony of Sinners & Saints Vol. II The Storm, to be released Jan. 6, 2023, was recorded at London’s Abbey Road Studios, FAME Studios in Macedonia and L.A.’s EastWest Studios. The album was co-produced, engineered and mixed by three-time Grammy Award-winner Tre Nagella (Lady Gaga, Blake Shelton, Snoop Dogg) at Luminous Sound Studios in Dallas. Additional musicians featured on the album include guitarists Jay Gleason and João Miguel, drummer Brent Berry, bassist Ryan Miller, pianist Starr Parodi and vocalist Marcelo Vieria.
Symphony of Sinners & Saints Vol. II The Storm Track List:
- “Sacred” featuring Joe Satriani and Kenny Aronoff ~
- “You Gave Me Wings” featuring Joe Satriani ^
- “Amadeus” featuring Joe Satriani ^
- “Paganini’s Storm” featuring Nuno Bettencourt ~
- “Requiem of the Fallen” featuring Nuno Bettencourt ^
- “No Apologies” featuring Nuno Bettencourt ^
- “MVP” featuring Nita Strauss and Kenny Aronoff *
- “Closure” featuring Nita Strauss and Kenny Aronoff *
- “Stairway to Heaven” featuring Orianthi ~
- “Hotel California” ~
- “We Will Rock You” ~
~ with the London Symphony Orchestra and London Voices
^ with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and London Voices
* with the Macedonian Orchestra and Macedonian Choir
Wakeley’s pervious release, Symphony of Sinners & Saints (Vol. 1), was recorded in October 2020 at Abbey Road Studios and released in May 2021 by Studio Seven Media. With Wakeley on synths and piano, the album featured Satriani on two tracks, as well as the talents of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Cliff Masterson (Little Mix, Kylie Minogue, Il Divo, Oasis), Grammy-nominated pianist Paul Loomis, guitarist Andy Timmons (Danger Danger, Pink), the London Voices choir and many more talented musicians.
Symphony of Sinners & Saints (Vol. 1) debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s “Classical Albums” and “Classical Crossover Albums” charts. Symphony of Sinners and Saints also debuted on six more Billboard charts that week, including No. 2 on “Heatseekers”; in the Top 20 of the “Hard Rock Albums,” “Top Current Album Sales,” and “Top Album Sales,” charts; No. 47 on “Independent Albums”; and No. 50 on “Top Rock Albums.” Three of the album’s singles, “Conflicted,” “Sinners and Saints,” and “Forgive Me” all hit No. 1 on Billboard’s “Hard Rock Digital Song Sales” chart. His first single, “Conflicted,” featuring Satriani, also debuted at No. 6 on the “Rock Digital Song Sales” chart, and No. 18 on the “Hot Hard Rock Songs” chart. The second single, “Sinners and Saints,” debuted at No. 4 on the “Rock Digital Song Sales” chart and No. 15 on the “Hot Hard Rock Songs” chart. Additionally, his third single, “Forgive Me,” also featuring Satriani, charted at No. 9 on the “Rock Digital Song Sales” chart and No. 19 on the “Hot Hard Rock Songs Chart.”
Due to the pandemic, Wakeley was unable to tour widely for Symphony of Sinners & Saints (Vol. 1); however, he scheduled some significant performances, including a memorable concert at NYC’s Carnegie Hall to benefit three worthy charities: MusicBeatsCancer, J-Bird for the Arts and Daniel’s Music Foundation.
Additionally, Wakeley serves as a Governor of the Texas Chapter of the Recording Academy.
For more information, visit www.kittwakeley.com
