The Blue News (also known as "Blue News", "The Blue News Project") is an American Indie rock duo originally formed in 2006 in Terre Haute, Indiana. The songwriting duo includes singer-songwriter and guitarist Brent Orndorff and drummer Dustin Richardson who joined the band in 2008. The duo currently focuses on recording, Record producing, publishing, and licensing. New music is recorded in Orndorff's home recording studio in Indiana as well as various studios in Nashville, Tennessee. Dustin is also an audio engineer, mixing engineer, and music producer at House of Blues Studios, Nashville. The Blue News have become well known for several music licensing placements, touring (1992–2012), and college radio and AAA radio campaigns. The band's original music style includes soulful male vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar and creative songwriting featuring drums, and an eclectic blend of several musical styles including blues rock, American blues music, pop music, alternative rock, post-grunge, gospel, rock and roll, reggae, and classic rock.
The Blue News' music has grown in popularity due to several factors: consistent social marketing, 20 years of touring in the US, charting on radio for college, AAA, and blues radio markets, and several song placements in television series, interactive art installations, web videos, popular video games, film trailers and feature films. All of this combined with the digital revolution seen in the US Music Industry means that the band's followers are now streaming the band's music 24/7/365. The Blue News has also gained 'high-profile' celebrity fans including Sublime with Rome, Sheryl Crow, Isaac Hayes, acclaimed producer Sylvia Massy and Stephen Wrench, former RCA Records executive and original music manager. The band's most recent release is a remastered greatest hits album released digitally in September 2017. The album includes 17 of the most popular songs from the band's previous albums.
History
Formation and early years (2006) The Blue News was formed in 2006 taking its name from a spoonerism of the words 'The New Blues'. Brent Orndorff founded the band after signing a recording contract for a record release deal with Statue Records Hollywood of Hollywood, California. He accomplished this by opening a studio in downtown Terre Haute called "Blame Records" where he recorded other artists to help pay for manufacturing and promoting his first solo album. The band's signature sound began with a few songs recorded that combined live instruments and vocals with samples and drum loops programmed with the ReBirth RB-338 software. Orndorff self-produced the band's debut LP, titled Blue News recording in a bedroom using a PC and the band began to tour, averaging two to three shows per week in several cities around the Midwest United States. After gaining momentum in the Midwest live music scene, the band was interviewed by both Chicago Music Guide and Louisville Music Guide, and made in-studio live radio broadcasts as more people began to take notice.
The Signs (2007)
In 2007, the recording contract with Statue Records was dissolved before the release of The Signs EP. The album was self-released as The Blue News Project to reflect that the songs were the result of a collaboration with multiple musicians. During this period, however, the band primarily performed live as a duo, featuring drummer Kraig Kerins. Songs from The Signs EP were used in the band's first college campus radio campaign with Vigilant Promotions of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The band's music aired on 75 stations across multiple states.
The songs "Love's So Strong" and "Next Time" were both featured in the PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation. At the time the songs aired, the band was regularly playing shows at live music clubs in several US cities. In between gigs, the band started recording their third LP, Strange Light. The LP was self-produced and released by the band's Blame Records indie label after signing a distribution agreement with INgrooves Digital Distribution in San Francisco, California (now part of Universal Music Group).