WRITTEN AND PRODUCED BY JIM PETERIK IDES OF MARCH, FORMERLY OF SURVIVOR, PRIDE OF LIONS)
Brooklyn, NY – Scherer/Batten announce the release of their debut album, BattleZone on September 22nd via MelodicRock Records. The duo is comprised of vocalist Marc Scherer — the lead singer of Peterik/Scherer and Lovecraft (formerly H.P. Lovecraft) — and the star lead guitarist Jennifer Batten – who has toured worldwide with both Jeff Beck and Michael Jackson.
The album features material exclusively from the songbook of writer/producer Jim Peterik (Ides of March, formerly of Survivor, Pride Of Lions). Featuring eight rare musical gems from Jim’s songwriting vault, the album also features three brand new tracks, written specifically for this project.
Together, the pair has teamed up with the same musical talent featured on the 2015 Peterik/Scherer album, Ri
Rounding out Marc Scherer’s lead vocals and Jennifer Batten’s lead guitars on the record are guitarists Mike Aquino, Dave Carl and Jim Peterik. Christian Cullen, Chris Neville and Barb Unger play the keyboards, while Bill Syniar and Klem Hayes play bass. The drums and percussion are provided by Dave Kelly (30 Odd Foot of Grunts) and Ed Breckenfeld (The Insiders, Pride Of Lions, Jim Peterik’s World Stage). Two time Grammy nominated Mindi Abair lends her saxophone and Bill Champlin (Chicago, Sons of Champlin, The Rhythm Dukes), Bryan Cole, Brian Hemstock and Danette Pahl all contribute backing vocals.
Jim Peterik exclaims, “As a long time enthusiast of Marc Scherer’s vocal chops and the expertise of rock guitar goddess Jennifer Batten, you can imagine how excited I am at the release of Scherer/ Batten’s BattleZone. As a song writer and producer, it was a dream come true mining some lost gems from my many years in rock, producing them to a new lustre and even writing three brand new cuts with Marc and Jennifer. You can hear our excitement in every song.”
Jennifer Batten cheers, “it was such a pleasure to jump into such a high level inspiring project! Marc’s vocals are out of this world, the grooves are kickin’, and working with Jim Peterik is so joyous and creative. I can’t wait to take this to the stage!”
And finally, the vocalist fronting this extraordinary project, Marc Scherer declares, “Even something as innocuous as lunch with Jim Peterik can inspire great things…
It was during one such meeting that Jim and I conceived of an album showcasing his lost musical treasures. This album is extra special because it features a collaboration with one of the world’s greatest guitarists, Jennifer Batten. They say you know when it’s right in the first 30 seconds, but in this case, you can sense the magic in the first few notes. BattleZone blends the songwriting craftsmanship and storytelling genius of Jim Peterik with the artistry of some of the most amazing musicians in the business.”
