If you’re a fan of Pentatonix, and there are an awful lot of you out there, you might be surprised to know that Avi Kaplan, he of the bass voice extraordinaire, grew up listening to a musical diet that consisted of John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel and Crosby Stills Nash & Young among others. It was the soundtrack to his childhood, with his love of the genre carrying forth in to adulthood, with Kaplan unabashedly championing the former as well as Ben Harper, Bon Iver and Iron & Wine. Folk music remained a constant staple while touring the world with PTX, so when it came to working on his first solo album, he knew instinctively which direction he wanted to go in: “Folk music is everything to me; it’s where I come from; It’s home.” Listening to AVRIEL & THE SEQUOIA’S new 5-track EP SAGE AND STONE, you immediately feel his love for the music. 

From the acoustic strums of “Fields & Pier” to the gorgeous melody of “Sweet Adeline,” listeners are taken on a scenic musical journey that will leave you wanting more than the five-song-starter.  What may be the most surprising is Avi’s beautiful voice, melodic and mellow, and nothing at all like you’ve heard in Pentatonix. The highly stylized album/website art of tree vines growing through Avi’s beard makes its clear that his love of nature, and in particular the majestic sequoias, have played a big part in shaping his world view. No matter how far he has traveled as a member of Pentatonix, the escape nature, and folk music, provided was always his Sanctuary. 

Pre-order SAGE AND STONE on his new, Section 101 powered website, https://avrielandthesequoias.com.