NEW YORK, Jan. 16, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- "Cold Storm," a reflective ballad that morphs into an upbeat dance track, has been slated for digital release through iTunes and other online distributors on January 22, 2013. Emerging recording artist, Brandon Apollo - who also wrote and produced the track - has announced that he will donate 100% of the proceeds of the release to charity.  Apollo has said he feels connected to the victims of Hurricane Sandy, having once been a victim of unfortunate circumstances himself.

"Right now, I have an amazing life. I can see the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building and the Freedom Tower all from my couch; and I'm lucky enough to be able to do what I love day in and day out now, but it wasn't always sunshine and rose petals," said Apollo.  "I've been through some very tough times. There was a time when I had to ride the subway all night just to avoid catching hypothermia. During that period of my life, I was extremely broke and hungry.  

"One day, I walked by a bakery in Grand Central Station. It smelled so amazing; but I didn't even have enough money in my pocket to get a piece of bread.  So, I just had to ignore the hunger and keep it moving," said Apollo. "Those were some pretty extreme circumstances; so I know how it must feel for the victims of the hurricane who lost everything. When things are that bad, every little bit helps. If this release of 'Cold Storm' can give a little bit of help to even one victim of Sandy, then it was a complete success."

Apollo drove himself to New York City from rural Illinois in 2008 to pursue a career in music, which had always been his childhood dream. He soon found himself living in the most expensive city in America at the beginning of what would come to be known as the Great Recession. Unemployment became an unavoidable reality for Apollo; and as the financial world continued to crumble, so did his footing. He eventually hit rock bottom, and it was ironically on one of the coldest days of the year.  

There was a snowstorm that day; and Apollo stood with his few pieces of luggage on an Upper East Side street corner, pondering his next move. The falling snow blurred his vision, but the ultimatum couldn't have been clearer. He could either go home in defeat or he could stay and fight for his dream. He chose the latter.  

Years later - after overcoming both hunger and homelessness - Apollo founded an independent record label, which specializes in mainstream dance, pop, and R&B music. "Cold Storm" serves as its first release and is dedicated to helping the most unfortunate victims of Hurricane Sandy. Apollo is currently shooting the music video for "Cold Storm," and is also in the process of preparing a series of follow-up singles to be released later this year.

Young Swaggazar Entertainment is a New York City-based independent record label founded by Apollo in 2012, which specializes in mainstream dance, pop, and R&B music.  

Fans can follow Apollo on the following sites:

Twitter - brandon_apollo, http://www.twitter.com/brandon_apollo
Tumblr - bapollo, http://bapollo.tumblr.com
Instagram - brandonapollo, http://www.iphoneogram.com/u/207741904
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/brandonapollomusic
Website - http://www.brandonapollo.com

Press contact is listed below:

Brandon Apollo, 917-210-1072, brandon@brandonapollo.com

Photo(s):
http://www.prlog.org/12059810

SOURCE Young Swaggazar Entertainment