(EASTPORT, ME) -- AERIA recording artist Colie Brice, once a fixture on the Jersey Shore music scene who moved to Maine several years ago, has just released his 40th solo album entitled Luna Muse Vol. XL. A deeply personal release, the album chronicles a time of great trial and tribulation in the artist's life. It is available now on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon and other leading digital platforms.
Here is a public statement from the artist: “Luna Muse Vol. XL is my 40th solo release. After my tenure with Phantom's Opera, I set upon a lifelong journey of exploring music production and songwriting within a philosophical precept that I termed the Luna Muse Principle, aka 'crazy inspiration'. To that end, for better or worse I have explored every back alley, crevice, and blazed the most unique trails my musical imagination would allow and have metabolized my life experience thus far through explorations in music and sound. I haven’t strived for commercial success, as I’ve been more interested in the freedom and autonomy exploring the work itself and I have done so while working a job, raising a family and living what some would call the householder’s path.
"The result I hope is an eclectic, experimental music catalog composed of one person’s life chronicled in artistically authentic aurally vivid expressions of sound and music. After all, life is an artist who paints us with experience and experiences in turn compose the symphony of life."
"I would be remiss to not acknowledge my wife Manuela Brice’s support over these past twenty years that enabled me to even do this. She is in fact the Luna Muse incarnate and I could never thank her enough for everything she has done to help me along life’s journey. She has been a constant source of inspiration and the love of my life.”
After experiencing a metaphysical transmutation upon experiencing the Grateful Dead live, Colie set upon pursuing a creative direction he terms the "Luna Muse" principle and started exploring a sub genre of music he termed New Age Blues featuring trippy guitar leads against lush ambient soundscapes. To that end, in 1997 Colie's solo debut New Age Blues was accepted in the 40th Annual Grammy Nomination Entry List in several categories including Top Instrumental for "17 G (Tribute to Jerry)" a tribute to the late Jerry Garcia. Since then he has ardently and boldly explored and sculpted his own unique sonic character. Sometimes aggressive, raw and manic, other times peaceful and soothing, his music remains fiercely eclectic and somewhat eccentric. He is a musical chameleon. His releases are like an ongoing musical blog of one man's personal rumination and speculation as he journeys through life.
Colie Brice is a multi-instrumentalist who has been recorded on over 50 albums, some on major labels with big budgets, others recorded DIY style on indie labels. Recording highlights beyond his solo work include three albums with Phantom's Opera which at one time featured Michael Romeo of Symphony X and later Karl Cochran of Ace Frehley and Joe Lynn Turner's band. He was also a featured guitarist on a dark, mystical live improvisational recording for Musso Records with Lunar Ensemble featuring Lunar Richey, Greg D, Dave Dreiwitz of Ween and Sim Cain of the Rollins Band.
As a stage musician, Colie has performed at diverse venues ranging from the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, to the Viper Room in Hollywood, California and many points in between. He has shared the bill with an eclectic variety of notable acts such as Dick Dale, Layonne Holmes (Jon Bon Jovi solo band), Juggling Suns, Tony Levin, Handsome Dick Manitoba, Marshall Tucker, Skid Row, Jill Sobule, and Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes among others.
In 2014 the Abbe Museum in association with the Smithsonian Institute commissioned Colie Brice to produce and compose a sound sculpture to accompany their Circle of the Four Directions Exhibit honoring the culturing traditions of the Wabanaki nation.
Most recently Colie has been a prolific live musician in downeast Maine where he has played with many local bands and musicians and was even once made a city official as the music project manager for the city of Eastport, Maine when he recently produced the Eastport Music Festival among many other regional events.
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