“Chicagoan Derek Fawcett presents austere singer-songwriter stuff of surpassing grace. He's a singer who knows his range, performing songs that show off his big instrument. There's been buzz around this dude for a while. Find out why.”-Kevin Williams, Chicago Tribune Mr. Williams at the Trib may well have said most of what you need to know about Derek Fawcett. His fans the world over marvel at the strength of his musicianship, the emotional pull of his songs, and his warm, powerful, arresting singing. It’s easy to hear the sad beauty of Passenger, the restless urgency of Jackson Browne, the warm sincerity of James Taylor, and the brooding fire of Ray LaMontagne in Fawcett’s music. And indeed, buzz arrived in earnest upon the release of his solo debut, FEEL BETTER. Huffington Post featured it, Fox 2 St. Louis put him on the air, and Something Else Reviews dubbed it “Best of the Year”. His forthcoming new album selflessly shifts at least some of the spotlight toward the folks who helped to generate this buzz in the first place: His faithful fans. Sing Along is a live album split between trips to Rockwood Music Hall in New York City and the Dalton Center at Western Michigan University (his alma mater), and in the case of one of the songs, is actually the two shows blended together (read below). Throughout the album, fans stomp, clap, and most of all, lift their voices, sounding more like a jovial army that travels as part of the band than folks passively taking in a show. Sing Along practically named itself. Make no mistake though, while the audience brings extra fun, Fawcett’s music is still the main event. Sing Along is mostly made up of soaring performances of songs from FEEL BETTER. Standouts include (but are not limited to) a rowdy rendition of “Not My Call To Make”, a somber and delicate “Romeo And Juliet” (with Fawcett adding accordion), and a glorious take on “Kinda Like A Love Song I Guess”. Also included are three brand-new never-before-released songs that became live show fan favorites last year: the beautifully defeated “On The Side”, the harmonious and Eagles-y in its lyrical weight “Counterfeit” and the spine-tingling, belligerent lament “Lines”. He also adds a moving cover of Jackson Browne’s “These Days” and closes the album with a wink at fans of Down The Line, the beloved acoustic pop quartet that was his first musical venture (and with whom he shared stages with Ben Folds, Peter Frampton, Lifehouse, America, Pat Benatar, Colin Hay, Gin Blossoms, and more) with “Just The Wind”. As an added bonus, we even get doses of Fawcett’s verbal interactions with his audiences. While mostly enthusiastic and funny, he also drifts to heartfelt tributes and an earnest nearly-loss-for-words 'thank you's to his glowing and roaring crowd. Another important factor to Sing Along’s success? Fawcett’s hand-picked all-star bands. He now has formed bands in Chicago, New York City, Nashville, Los Angeles, Detroit, and Kalamazoo (with more possibly on the way), all with their own distinct sound. Case in point, he couldn’t decide whether he liked the Kalamazoo or NYC versions of “FEEL BETTER” best: Each version had so much to love about it. His solution? He actually fused the two versions together. Listen closely, and you’ll actually feel like you’re traveling with Derek and his bands on a touring montage...a recording like none you’ve ever heard before! Speaking of touring, Fawcett will be playing some of North America’s finest venues this fall in support of Sing Along, including Hotel Cafe (Los Angeles), Burdock (Toronto), The Basement (Nashville), and his down-the-street neighbor, Schubas (Chicago). Realizing the limitations of live shows as it relates to reaching his audiences (the majority of his fans will, by definition, always be somewhere else), he began live streaming each show via Facebook this year, and has been thoroughly enjoying sharing each show with all of his fans. His touring will also be sponsored by Live Music Gives through ChildFund International. The welfare of the less fortunate is never far from Derek’s mind, and he’s thrilled to have found a way for his touring to lend a hand. In summation, The Trib captured Fawcett in a snapshot, but if you like what you’ve heard so far, stay tuned...clearly much more to come in the immediate future. Visit him online to see what he's up to, and don’t miss any shows in his upcoming tour...in person, online, or both.