Sarakula - City Heart

'That's probably too big an introduction for the first single from Sydney piano boy Sarakula, but Caught In The Middle does have some of the tell-tale elements of excellent pop.... it has that classic pop hallmark - it makes me want to listen to it with a group of besties in the car on a roadtrip, and we all clap along and share knowing goofy smiles that it doesn't get any better than this' Simon Topper, RAVE Magazine 'Hearty, sunny piano pop from an actual piano man.' Simone, BEAT Magazine Australian singer-songwriter Sarakula writes edgy piano-pop songs that you can't get out of your head. He has been pursuing the dream of de-constructing the perfect pop song while backing himself confidently at the piano. On his forthcoming record 'City Heart' to be released in July, he will be dragging his piano-pop kicking and screaming out of his classic vinyl collection and into 2009. Sarakula has performed many times in the last few years in Europe and the USA. He's played in the great dive bars and piano bars of the world while stamping his name out as a songwriter. He sometimes jokingly refers to himself as a human jukebox of great pop songs. His songwriting has been shaped by these years of performing and the adventures that accompanied them. But the wry smile that he was able to produce while playing 'Piano Man' was wearing thin by the time he heard the 1000th request for that song. So Sarakula returned to Australia last year to complete an album that he had been writing and recording on and off the road. In August 2008 he released SOUVENIRS (MGM/Green Media Distribution) as Joel Sarakula. It is a record of bittersweet ballads about travels to the ends of the world and lost loves. To promote the album he played shows with The Basics and Pinky Beecroft among others and for all his hard work was selected as fBi radio's unsigned artist of the week for their breakfast show 'Up For It' in November 2008. With the lessons he learned from recording SOUVENIRS he has put all of his energies into creating his new record, 'City Heart'. It is full of the hooks and chord changes that he hears in his dreams. In 2009, Sarakula has already showcased these songs at two of Sydney's biggest community festivals, Surry Hills Festival and Mardi Gras Fair Day and supported Bob Evans on his Goodbye Bull Creek tour. His new album 'City Heart' will be released on July 17 [MGM]. He will be touring this album nationally in August and September.