ABOUT THE FUNDRAISER
Mississippi Delta natives Kristian Dambrino and Fish Michie partnered with The Oasis Center in Nashville, TN to release their 3rd album, Change of Heart, as an online fundraiser for the only youth crisis shelter in Nashville. 100% of $6000 in album sales benefitted houseless and displaced youth ages 13-17 in crisis.
MAKING CHANGE OF HEART
Written by Michie and Dambrino, the 11-song album “Change of Heart” represents intrapersonal, spiritual and global change, exploring how pain and loss are gifts in teaching each of us more about ourselves and our capacity to empathise. The record’s emotional journey progresses from projection to growth and healing transformation. Fish Michie, who co-wrote several of the songs with Dambrino on the record, adds, “What really represents the theme of the project was the title track, Change of Heart, which is literally a prayer for change.” Michie, influenced by James Booker, Professor Longhair, and Mose Allison, contributes gospel-piano intensity to the title track. Dambrino states, “This is something I continue to pray for - for openness to healing, for the willingness to change. How can I be less self-absorbed? How can I learn from others? How can I listen more deeply?”
Materialising this prayer for change, Michie and Dambrino released Change of Heart on March 1, 2021 as an online fundraiser for The Oasis Center’s emergency shelter for teens in crisis. Founded in 1967, the shelter is a two-week residential program that is designed to keep families together and help youth avoid state custody. During their stay, teens are able to participate in individual and family counseling, therapeutic activities and attend school at the Oasis Learning Center. In a typical year, the shelter serves over 150 youth, reuniting 97% of them safely with their families.
THE BAND
Written, produced and recorded throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Change of Heart was engineered by Dylan Alldridge at Skinny Elephant Studios in East Nashville and produced by fellow Mississippian Neilson Hubbard, producer of the Grammy-nominated album by Mary Gauthier. Change of Heart showcases musicians whose diversified careers span genres. Jazz piano virtuoso Lori Mechem, Founder & Director of The Nashville Jazz Workshop, co-wrote a Brazilian-influenced Bossa Nova with Dambrino. Other songs feature 3x-Grammy-Award winning saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Dave Matthews Band, Bela Fleck) along with stellar background vocalists Nickie Conley (Donna Summer, Patti LaBelle, Natalie Cole), Maureen Murphy (Greg Allman, Zach Brown Band, Toby Keith) and Wil Merrell (Sam Hunt, Josh Turner, The War & Treaty). With Pat Bergeson on guitars (Emmylou Harris, Alison Krauss, Chet Atkins), Josh Hunt on drums (Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas) and Brian Allen on bass (The Oak Ridge Boys, A Star is Born soundtrack feat. Lady Gaga & Bradley Cooper, etc.), Michie and Dambrino recorded the entire album live over the course of two and a half days, exercising full social distancing and mask protocol.