Ravinia 2019, Issue 7, Week 13

AMERICAN AUTHORS American Authors—Zac Barnett, James Adam Shelley, Dave Rublin and Matt Sanchez—first met as students at the Berklee College of Music, soon relocating to New York to pursue perform- ing as a band. The group’s first single, “Believer,” gained popularity on Sirius XM satellite radio’s Alt Nation station, quickly earning a coveted slot on the “Alt-18 Countdown” playlist. Fea- turing four-part harmonies and spirited lyrics, American Authors’ blend of pop and alternative rock caught the ears of the Island Def JamMusic Group, which signed the band to its first record deal. Working with producers Shep Goodman and Aaron Accetta, the quartet released a sec- ond single, “Best Day of My Life,” in advance of its eponymous extended play. The new single soared up the airwaves, making the top 20 on Billboard ’s Hot 100 and several other charts, in- cluding the Adult Top 40, on which it hit number one. American Authors’ debut album, Oh, What a Life , was released in March 2014 and entered the Billboard 200 at number 15. The band made its Ravinia debut, touring alongside OneRepub- lic and The Script, just three months later. After a quick return to the recording studio, Ameri- can Authors teased its sophomore album with the spirited track “Go Big or Go Home” in early 2015. Another two singles, “Pride” and “What We Live For,” successfully maintained antici- pation for the release of the new album, What We Live For , in the summer of 2016. Each sin- gle was a top-30 hit, and the disc was a top-10 smash on the rock charts like its predecessor. The restless quartet released a new single a year later, “I Wanna Go Out,” while working on their then-untitled third disc. “Deep Water” flowed out nine months later, and shortly after teasing fans again with the gospel-infused “Say Amen” with Canadian singer-songwriter Billy Raffoul, American Authors announced that its latest disc, Seasons , would be released in early 2019. American Authors is making its first return to Ravinia. ROZZI Born and raised in Southern California, Rozzi began writing songs in her teens and soon en- tered the music program at USC, and touring opportunities weren’t far behind. In addition to singing background vocals for Don Henley and Sergio Mendes, she opened dates for the likes of Esperanza Spalding, Steve Miller Band, and Earth, Wind & Fire, and several of her orig- inal songs were featured in a television movie. Then, at 19 years old, Rozzi was discovered by Adam Levine. After hearing her songs, Levine made Rozzi the first signing to his new label, 222 Records. Soon she was featured alongside Ma- roon 5 not only on their song for the 2012 mov- ie The Hunger Games , “Come Away,” but also on tour, sharing the stage at some of the most famed arenas across the country and honing her live performance. After releasing two EPs in 2015, Time and Space , Rozzi began her quest for self-discovery, realizing that she had been so focused on success that she hadn’t been living her life. So she started living—she fell in love for the first time and had her heart broken. She felt things she had never felt before, she found herself, and then she wrote about it. Her debut album, Bad Together , was released in 2018 on Small Giant and features four singles: “Uphill Battle,” “Never Over You,” “Joshua Tree,” and “Lose us,” featuring Pentatonix’s Scott Hoying. Rozzi is making her Ravinia debut. RAVINIA MAGAZINE | AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2019 106