Category: Festivals

Categories
Festivals Interviews

Martina McBride

Martina McBride‘s career is what dreams are made of. Each release garners more recognition and her fan base is greater than it has ever been. A veteran to the country music scene, McBride has been belting out hits for the past 17 years. Not to mention her current single, “I Just Call You Mine,” from her tenth studio album, Shine, has been referred to as the wedding song of the summer.

With over 18 million album sales, 22 Top 10 singles, and raising thousands of dollars for YWCA, a domestic violence shelter in Nashville aimed at empowering women and eliminating racism, McBride is an inspiration to women everywhere. “It’s so important for women to support other women. It should be like a family. We should be out there rooting for each other and helping each other out,” she says.

I was lucky enough to chat with McBride at the YWCA auction as well as sit in on her press conference at this year’s CMA Music Festival in Nashville. Of her YWCA celebrity charity auction, McBride said, “This event goes to help women and children really start over and rebuild there lives in a positive way and I just think that that’s important.”

Read on for more on Martina’s musical collaborations, her signature wine, and upcoming fall tour.

Can you tell us about your Twittering frenzy?
Is it really a frenzy? I discovered it about 2-3 months ago. It’s really fun. I’m really enjoying it. I don’t try to overdo it, I check in a couple times a day. It’s a cool way to keep in touch with your fans.

You’re not a big fan of flying. How does touring in the UK go for you?
You know, I’ve gotten better. There was a period of time when I was really paralyzed by it, but I’ve gotten a lot better. I flew to Italy last year. Especially when there’s something really worthwhile on the other end and it’s worth the plane flight, I’m okay with it.

Your single “I Just Call You Mine” is the wedding song for the summer.
Well, I hope that it’s the wedding song of the summer! It’s just a love song. I don’t know that I’ve done a straight-up love song like this since “Valentine.” I’m excited about it, it’s beautiful.

Your YWCA fundraiser is this Saturday.
We’re doing the YWCA celebrity auction on Saturday. It’s our 13th year to do it and it just gets bigger and better every year. All the proceeds go to the domestic violence shelter here in Nashville. I’ve heard testimony after testimony that it’s really changed a lot of lives. It’s a place where women and children can go and get a fresh start and get the support that they need to start rebuilding their lives. So, I’m proud to help with that.

I heard you’re putting a tour together. Will it be more arena based?
Yup, we’re going to be going back to arenas. Last summer we did the amphitheaters outside. This fall of course we wouldn’t be outside in amphitheaters in November, so we’re going to be in arenas. I haven’t really started or seen any drawings yet or anything. The thing that is cool, is usually I put out an album and we go right out on tour. This time I do really feel like I have a lot of time to really plan and create a whole new show. We toured so extensively on Waking Up Laughing, even went back to markets a couple times. I really want to create something that’s a whole new experience for the fans.

You recently released the 2006 Martina McBride “Signature Series” wine. What made you take your passion for wine to the next level to have your own line?
It’s funny. We have Blackbird Studios and there’s a Blackbird Vineyard. So, when we were in Napa we stopped by and checked it out and met with the owner. And, really just sat down over a glass of wine and said, “We have the same name. It’s kind of a coincidence. If you ever want to do a signature wine, we’d love to do that.” About a year went buy and he called and said it was the right time to do that.

Can you explain your wine?
It’s really good! I’m not really a good wine speaker, but it’s a lot of fruit. It’s a Cab. It’s a blend of Cab and Merlot and some other kinds of wines. I love it because it has a little bit of chocolate. It’s just a little bit sweet, lots of jam and fruit. A fruit forward is how I think I’d say it.

You had the Jonas Brothers in the studio. Was that a business decision or were you trying to impress your children?
Well, we’re so happy that he came to record in the studio. Of course Delaney and Emma were very, very excited. John said right up front, “I want to tell you, we will try for our daughters not to stalk you while you’re here.” They were actually really good. They ran into each other, but Delaney was very poised. It was great to have him there.

How did you become collaborative with them?
Well, I got to sing with them when they were here in Nashville at the Ryman. They asked me to come sing with them onstage so I got to go to rehearsal, hang out a little bit. They’re really serious about their music, really sweet kids. Got to meet their parents. I wouldn’t say we hang out and are really close friends, but we have connected quite a few times.

How has music festival changed or evolved since you started?
Well, there is the obvious change that it’s not at the Fairgrounds anymore. Sometimes I miss that. There is a certain charm about it being at the Fairgrounds. It’s gotten bigger, we obviously can have more and more fans come every year. So that’s exciting, that we have more room for fans to enjoy what I will always call Fan Fair.

What is your advice to women accomplishing goals and overcoming obstacles?
Perseverance and support. If you can get support from your friends or from your family, that’s important.

You’ve been in the music industry for a while. What keeps you motivated?
I love it. This is my dream, ever since I was a little girl. For me, every minute that I get to do this is a dream come true.

When you’re writing your material, do you feel a song comes out better when it’s based on a real person or experience or fantasy?
I think it’s a little bit of both. I’ve done songs that are obviously about my life and I’ve done songs that are story songs about someone else. The most important thing is that you connect with the lyrics and it feels honest when you sing it.

Be sure to visit Martina’s Web site for upcoming tour dates and for more on YWCA, visit their site here.

Categories
Festivals

CMA Music Festival Airs on ABC Tonight!

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

Tonight ABC will showcase highlights from the CMA Music Festival I attended and covered in June in Nashville. You can watch the special, “CMA Music Festival: Country’s Night to Rock” from 8:00 – 11:00 PM/ET with performances, interviews and fan interaction.

Sets include artists like Kenny Chesney, John Rich (photo above) Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum (below), Martina McBride, Reba McEntire, Jake Owen (you can watch my interview with him here), Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Taylor Swift, Zac Brown Band and many more. Additionally, get behind-the-scenes access to bands on their tour bus, meeting fans and shopping.

If you haven’t watched my video interviews from the CMA Music Festival with Holly Williams and David Nail, check them out on YouTube.

Categories
Festivals Interviews

PT Walkley

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

A versatile songwriter, PT Walkley has penned scores for numerous Ed Burns films, popular commercials such as MasterCard and GE, as well as his recent debut solo release, Mr. Macy Wakes Alone. An intriguing album, the storyline follows three main characters – Audrey Macy, a spoiled trust fund kid who plots her father’s murder, Calvin the Coroner, an aspiring singer-songwriter infatuated with Audrey, and Mr. Macy, Audrey’s father and evil record executive.

Walkley has said he hopes to bring back cover to cover listening and seemingly does so, as the characters and themes on each track intermingle throughout the album. I met with Walkley at All Points West and learned about his writing process, the tales behind his music and his view on performing: “If the core of the song is good, it’ll translate.”

Do you prepare differently for a festival than your own show?
Well, we definitely wanted to do the most singalong able songs. Anything with a lot of “la-la-la’s” and “oh’s and ah’s” and one word hooks like “Somebody” has. A lot of times the set can get a little mellow, which works in some environments, but when you’re trying to appeal to a bunch of people you want to rock a little more. We had a bunch more in the set, but today it was running a couple hours late so we only got to do a portion of the set, which was still great. We had a good time.

Do you feel the crowd was receptive?
Yeah. I think the crowd was locked up for hours and hours and were just ready to hear any music they could, so we got the benefit of that. By the time we went on, people were just ready to listen and have a good time.

What’s going through your head while you’re performing onstage?
Usually, it’s “Don’t screw up,” anything from that to really trying to engage with the crowd and getting into the performance and connect back to the song. At this point, you performed it so many times that sometimes you’re just running through the motions and hitting the notes or not. Connecting back to the core of the song is the important thing.

Tell me about your latest release, Mr. Macy Wakes Alone. I read in an interview that you wanted to bring back cover to cover album listening.
I had access to all these great players and I had a lot of bigger ideas floating around in my head with string quartets and crossing the genres of country, pedal steel and all the instrumentation that goes along with all the different styles. I wanted to somehow harness all of that and tie it together with a little storyline so I did that with Audrey Macy, Calvin and the Mr. Macy storyline.

The trick was to try to give it one voice throughout even though it kind of goes all over the place. I’m happy with the way it came out. I think it really worked. We put a little intro and it has the button lift and “Somebody” melody and string arrangement at the end, which was the final cherry on top where I was like, “Okay, now I think it’s a concept record.”

How did you come up with the three main characters throughout the album?
I came up with this Audrey Macy character. I think that was first. She was based on an amalgamation of different people that I’ve met and some fiction too. A spoiled brat kid who hatches the evil plan to kill her rich Daddy. And then it was like, who is the rich Daddy and why would she kill this guy? Calvin the Coroner was just a throwaway line, she pays off Calvin the Coroner to get what she wants and then I elaborated into that. Then it spun into he was infatuated with her as a kid so he’ll do anything. He assumes, “Oh, she’ll come back some day” but she comes back to pay him off. He must be thinking, “Oh, I knew you’d come back,” but it’s really that she wants to bribe him. It’s important for me to tape these things. I’ll just spout out ideas and play and free form songs and take the good stuff and let the garbage go out the window.

You’ve written music for Ed Burns’ films and commercials. How is the process different writing an album vs. a 30-second commercial spot?
The assignments are always a lot easier when there is definite direction. It’s like, “Okay it should have this feel” and the commercials are really fun that way because you get to do a lot of different styles. That learned me the different genres a little bit. Whether it’s dance stuff or orchestral arrangements or mariachi band version of this. Sometimes you get crazy direction from clients. The assignment is usually fairly easy to cover, but figuring out what I really want to do and if it’s something I’m really going to be proud of and make my own sound is sort of hard to land on sometimes. That can take a long time.

How did you originally get into music?
You know, it was kind of late in the game. I think my parents got me a guitar when I was 15 and I took one lesson and was like, “Oh, that’s kind of like homework. I don’t want to do that.” So, I put it under the bed for a few years and then I picked it up again in college and started playing along to old Velvet Underground records and things that are easy enough for a beginner to feel like he actually knows how to play. Then it just spun from there. I started in a band in college just playing guitar and once I moved to New York I had a landslide of ideas and it just never stopped. I try to be as productive as I can. It’s good to have different avenues for all those things because all the ideas need homes, whether they’re goofy, kazoo melodies that I would never release on a record or something deep and meaningful. I feel lucky to have all the different outlets.

Do you feel a song comes out better when it actually happened to you?
Yeah, I think so. I think it has more lasting. Sometimes you can capture a character and you’re happy to sing. It’s always good when it comes from a real place. My life’s not incredibly interesting, so I try to get creative when I can. We’ve all been through some shit, so it’s good to tap into that and when you do you’ve got something really good.

Are you ever afraid to reveal too much because the person you’re singing about might be in the crowd?
I was for a while. I was just having fun with melodies and throwing out words that sounded good together. I have this other band, The Blue Jackets, and that’s fun, it’s more of a rock band and then I put out this Track Rabbit album a couple years ago. But this album, Mr. Macy Wakes Alone, even though it’s mostly character based, there is a lot of me in there. I really wanted to go inside a little more and reach from personal experience. Even in the fictional songs, I would use those characters to speak for, like a ventriloquist dummy. There is some of me in all those songs.

Chris Martin originally heard you sing wi
th your band The Blue Jackets and had you open for Coldplay.
Yeah, through Ed Burns. We had been friends for a while, I had been doing the scores for his movies and I started a side band and it started getting more and more serious. We got offered the spot to open for Coldplay and it was unbelievable. It was at Madison Square Garden. Through that I’ve gotten to know Chris a little bit. He and Eddie are friends. So yeah, that was my first brush with them and tonight I’m looking forward to seeing them again. To see how they’ve come along, I hear they’re doing well [Laughs].

What’s your advice to aspiring musicians?
It sounds so corny at this point, but God, just believe in yourself and keep going. A lot of things come your way and it’s real easy to give up. There’s going to be a lot of crappy days and a lot of things that don’t work out but if you know you’re good, you usually figure that out at some point and just keep going.

For more on PT Walkley, be sure to visit him on MySpace and if you’re in New York or D.C., catch one of his shows in the upcoming weeks.

You can also read this interview on Filter-Mag.com.

Categories
Festivals

All Points West : Music, Mud Wrestling, and Beer Gardens

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

Despite torrential downpour, tornado and hail warnings, thousands of people packed a very wet and muddy Liberty State Park this past weekend for the second annual All Points West Music & Arts Festival. With headlining sets by Jay-Z, Tool and Coldplay, music fans trekked through fields, which felt more like rivers, throughout the three-day festival.

Referred by many as All Points WET, Sunday’s four-hour rain delay resulted in multiple canceled performances and scaled down sets. New Jersey favorites The Gaslight Anthem was just one example. The band recently released a statement requesting fans to bring their APW ticket stub for a free drink at their upcoming October 15th New York show.

Rain aside, festivalgoers had many performances to choose from. With three main stages, acts ranged from comedy to music with carnival-esque concession stands as well as beer gardens and misting stations set up throughout the grounds to combat the heat. Friday highlights included Fleet Foxes, The National, Vampire Weekend, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Jay-Z headlining on the main stage.

With a fitting tribute to former headliners Beastie Boys and Michael Jackson, Jay-Z covered “No Sleep till Brooklyn” as well as Jackson 5’s “I Want You Back.” “We don’t mark death, we celebrate life. Don’t wait ‘til someone’s gone to appreciate them,” Jay-Z told the crowd.

Saturday proved more promising as the clouds parted and the sun dried some of the grounds. Sets by St. Vincent, My Bloody Valentine, Arctic Monkeys and the Ting Tings proved festival favorites while celebs like Courtney Love and Entourage heartthrob Adrian Grenier were spotted.

The steady rainfall and four-hour delay Sunday didn’t stop concertgoers from having fun, as many were seen dancing in mud puddles and creating mud slides. Unfortunately, some highly anticipated sets were canceled, but Coldplay’s 90-minute performance made up for it. Like Jay-Z, the band paid tribute to the Beastie Boys and Michael Jackson. A few feet from the main stage, frontman Chris Martin performed “Fight For Your Right (To Party)” solo on piano. Later, the band joined him for “Billy Jean.”

Always comical, after traipsing through the mud onto a third stage in the middle of the field, Martin realized what festivalgoers dealt with the entire weekend. “We have infinite respect for you now that we had to walk through that shit. Wish we had backstage passes for all of you,” he said.

While backstage passes would have been a nice end to the weekend, the festival showcased multiple first-rate performances, albeit a bit muddy. Just a taste of what Woodstock must have been like 40 years ago, All Points West proved that music fans will suffer the elements to see a worthy live show. This past weekend was living proof.

You can read this article, originally posted on MarieClaire.com.

Categories
Festivals

All Points West Weekend!

http://farm.sproutmixer.com/load/yQC-wBl1AhghLFMA.swf

You can follow my All Points West adventures this weekend on Twitter. I’ll have plenty of interviews and festival coverage for you in the following days including interviews with The Ting Tings, The Gaslight Anthem and Chairlift so stay tuned for some video footage. Love to know any questions you may be dying to ask these bands! Feel free to direct message me on Twitter, since I’ll have my phone with me all weekend but no Internet access.

For more on All Points West, check out the official Web site. Read Rolling Stone‘s top 24 must see acts, here. Who did they leave out? Who are you dying to catch live? Updates to come!

Categories
Features Festivals News

Martina McBride and Former Miss America Speak Out on Domestic Violence

For the thirteenth year, Martina McBride’s charity fundraiser in Nashville auctioned off thousands of dollars of celebrity memorabilia. Items like Darius Rucker’s autographed guitar sold for $775 while popular garments, such as Reba McEntire’s black sequined top went for much more. All the money raised was donated to support YWCA, an organization with the goal of eliminating racism and empowering women.

This year has seen the rise of relationship abuse portrayed by A-list stars in the media. Just take Chris Brown and Rihanna’s ongoing coverage and it’s clear that married women with families are not alone when it comes to abuse. YWCA’s mission is to support women and with popular artists like Martina McBride and former Miss America Ericka Dunlap providing needed awareness, much more can be accomplished to combat domestic violence. However, McBride and Dunlap aren’t the only ones who can help. “We can have it all if we work together. Girls are so competitive and catty and it’s not necessary to be mean girls,” said the former beauty queen.

More can be done. No woman is alone.

“If I had one message for women, it would be that we have the ability to reach out and help other women,” said Patricia Shea, President and CEO of YWCA. “When women help women, we change the world and we change the future. I want women to know that we are so powerful and we can change the world so we have to step up.”

Chart-topping and four-time winning CMA Vocalist of the Year, Martina McBride has a similar message. “It’s so important for women to support other women. It should be like a family. We should be out there routing for each other and helping each other out. This event goes to help women and children really start over and rebuild their lives in a positive way and I just think that that’s important,” McBride said.

Although new to the music business, aspiring country singer-songwriter Ericka Dunlap is familiar to the entertainment scene. Former Miss America 2004, Dunlap talked of how she first became involved with the YWCA. “I have become friends with some folks who are involved in the YWCA. I love the mission, it’s very clean and clear and it’s just so obvious that we all need to be a part of the issue of domestic violence and solving these problems,” Dunlap said.

While being an African-American country star may turn some heads, Dunlap had an important message for young women making their way in the world. “I think one of the most important things that young women can learn is to really pay attention to who you are. Find out who you are. Ask yourself some of the deeper questions about life that really are simple,” she said. “There’s a lot of things that people just don’t know about themselves and when you’re tested and when you’re tempted in certain situations, if you don’t know the little things about yourself, you’re not going to be able to handle the really big things that come along.”

She continued with a shoe analogy every girl can relate to. “Don’t ever devalue yourself. If you go into a shoe store, it’s great to get a pair of designer shoes on clearance, but you’re only going to get it somewhere else. You’re not going to get it from the designer for a discount because they always know the worth. So, make sure you know your worth and don’t discount yourself for anyone. Your parents, boyfriends, best friends.”

For more information on the YWCA be sure to visit them at www.ywcanashville.com or call their domestic violence 24-hour hotline at 1-800-334-4628.

Categories
Festivals Interviews

Lady Antebellum

Categories
Festivals

Poll of the Week: Which All Points West Headliner Are You Most Excited About?

Just a few days ago I was credentialed for New Jersey’s very own summer music festival — All Points West! I’m still in the process of setting up interviews with this year’s lineup but I’d love to know which headliner’s performance you’re most excited to read about. The headliners for this year are below:

Jay-Z
Tool
Coldplay

All Points West takes place this coming Friday, July 31 – Sunday, August 2 at Liberty State Park. Check out the lineup here and let me know which bands you’d like to see covered on You Sing, I Write.
Categories
Festivals Interviews

Brad Paisley

Photo Credit: David McClister


Far from a newcomer to the country music scene, Brad Paisley is what legends are made of. A three-time Grammy award winner, Paisley has secured 14 No. 1 singles and recorded eight albums which have amassed to over 10 million albums sold. Hard to believe it all started just a decade ago with his debut, Who Needs Pictures.

Since 1999, Paisley has secured himself as a talented singer-songwriter and admired entertainer. His concerts are known for their interactive and animated backdrops and energetic performances, as Paisley can be found continually running around the stage between his breathtaking guitar solos. A stand-out performer at this year’s CMA Music Festival, in the press conference Paisley discussed visiting the festival before he was a country star, his current tour and album, American Saturday Night, and the freedom he felt making his previous instrumental album, Play. Read on for more.

How does this year’s CMA differ than previous years?
It’s great. It’s come a long way since Fan Fair of ’99 [which] I think was the first time I played, back before anybody knew who I was. For me, I used to visit Nashville during Fan Fair. I came down a few times before I had any real reason to be here than just to watch and so it’s an interesting thing to see it evolve. I think it’s really important for a couple of reasons, the big one being this city. Having a music festival that is country in Nashville is very important. They have great music festivals everywhere else and one of them needs to be here. I think they’re doing a great job here. The lineup is great and everybody seems excited. Last night I did a performance at 1 in the morning at a club downtown and the crowd was young and just excited and it just feels like this festival is still young, in a good way. It feels almost new and that’s a good feeling.

Why is it important for Tennesseans to support CMA Music Fest?
Well, because it’s ours. It’s something that brings a lot of money into this city and keeps it the center of country music’s attention. We shouldn’t be getting on our busses and only playing other places. It’s a big deal that we actually present what we do here to some degree, even though all of us go out there and it’s a different thing than putting on your full production. It’s a good thing to have this celebration of our music, which is largely, probably 90% recorded on these streets.

You kicked off your “American Saturday Night Tour” this past weekend. How did it go? Why did you feel your opening acts were the perfect fit for this tour?
I’ve got Dierks [Bentley] and Jimmy Wayne out. I just like what they’re doing and it’s a great thing to have. Also, they’re both old friends of mine. We really wanted to give the kind of show to these fans where they have gotten their money’s worth before I even strike the first note. And I think they do, they get their money’s worth with these two.

The comments from Jimmy the first night I heard about from meet and greet, and a lot of people were very excited about him. That’s not always the case. It’s not a normal thing for the fans to come to the meet and greet and say, “Oh, I love Jimmy Wayne!” Which is really great and it says a lot about him. He really relates to a lot of these people I think. As far as how the tour went, for the first weekend it really couldn’t have gone better. You walk away with some tweaks, I did, I was like, “This song needs to be here, not there” and certain things felt like they could be tighter, but we’ll get it right I think.

You’re such a guitar aficionado. Did you enjoy making your guitar album better than your vocal album?
I loved making that. I don’t know that I liked it better. I liked it from the standpoint of, creatively there was so much freedom to do whatever I wanted to do. I also felt freedom in the sense that I didn’t think that anybody was going to buy it. So it’s the kind of thing where you go in and make a different record when you’re not the least bit concerned with that. In the end, it’s done very well and I’m really proud that I did that. And it’s the reason we didn’t do an instrumental on this new album because I figured there are 10 new ones and the time to take a break from that was this new album. I didn’t need to add another one to that.

Can you talk about your pants? Are those designer paint pants or did you just add slaps of paint on them?
On the way here there were some protestors. The blue, they were protesting Smurfs. [Laughs]. No. The album cover and the whole package is about this painting that I did in an hour of the town, basically with red buildings and the sky. It’s cartoonish. And then we took photos in front of that and that’s our album cover and the entire inside is me painting that. So, we had this idea for the tour where we would just take clothes and throw paint on them, and that’s what we wear. From the first night on through this tour, we basically come out with something with stripes of paint on it. I’ve always liked that thought process of you feel like when you go to this tour, it’s launching an album at the same time. There’s a concept behind it, which is we’re coming basically to paint your town and we’re going to try to do that in one night on one of these nights when we play a city and we walk out there covered in it. I think it kind of says, “New tour. You’re in for something.”

There is such great energy behind your latest release, American Saturday Night. What inspired it? Is it something you orchestrated?
I think it’s my team. I have a really good team of writers. I co-wrote every song, there is nothing I wrote by myself. I came to the table as prepared as I can be, but I have a group of songwriters that have since gone on to surpass me and write for other people as much as they write for me. Kelley [Lovelace], Chris [DuBois], Ashley [Gorley] and Tim Owens and all these guys that started out with me in some way. When it was time to do the record it was like all of us got together and said, “What do we got?” Everybody came with ideas. Some of them had 25 on a page and one of them might be something called, “I Thought I Loved You Then” and we wrote that one.

I think my team, as far as Frank [Rogers] as a producer, it goes without saying based on his track record and what he’s doing now without me around. Both of us went to school together and we were each other’s first time . . . you know. He’s gone on and has done such great records. He is just so confident going in there, it’s almost annoying actually. Going into the studio he knows exactly what a song should be like the minute I pla
y it on an acoustic guitar. I
can play a song like “Water” and he’ll say, “Okay, it needs this and needs that. How ’bout this in the chorus?” He’s a genius. This crew, they’re really hitting their stride. That was another reason for the album cover. I feel like we got together and threw paint on a canvas and this is it, in a way I’ve never done before. It just felt right to me this time. There are other albums that I’ve done before that are different of course, that are compilations of some outside songs and things I wrote, that in my opinion are perfect the way they are. This album felt like it was time to do one of these — almost hauled up in a studio or a club and play some songs.

You started out with Frank. Were you always cool with him going off and doing so many other projects?
I was cool with it. I make a record every two years and he belongs in the studio doing this. Right off the bat he was sought after we made Who Needs Pictures album. The next album he did was Darryl Whorley and then Josh Turner’s debut, which took a few years before he came out with his first single. I’m cool with him doing any of that. I’m also really content on any album we do, whether it’s instrumental, to not produce, to not co-produce. He is the sole producer on these records.

Frank is the sole producer. He’s the guy in there directing this movie. I like that. I don’t think I’m somebody who can be behind the camera and in front of it. I’m no Clint Eastwood that way. I need somebody to tell me when I didn’t sing it very well ’cause I would go into the studio and sing a song twice if I could get away with it. And Frank usually makes me do it at least eight times on that. He knows. He knows me at this point. He needs to be producing as many people as he feels necessary, that’s for sure.

Your animation started out as a hobby and has since evolved heavily in your shows. Have you thought about taking that talent and skill and putting it somewhere else? Maybe animating movies or television shows?
Not really, but thanks. I should. I’m really proud of the new tour cartoon. The premise of the new cartoon is that it’s the first time that I’ve drawn other artists or cartoons in the show. It says, “Country music singers are under attack. Who will save them?” And I run and I leap into the air and I rip off my clothes and I’m wearing a Superman outfit and Carrie Underwood is tied to train tracks and then I fly and save her and she says, “My hero” as I fly off. And then Kenny Chesney is in the islands getting attacked by robots and I fly and save him and beat the robots up and he says, “My hero.” It also says in the beginning, “This is based on a true story.” [Laughs]. Then Reba is being chased by a dinosaur in it, which could happen. And I save her and she says, “My hero.” Then the third one you just gotta see.

It was fun to do that and also fun to do that without asking permission from any of these guys. I asked about that. “South Park” gets away with amazing stuff and I asked, “How do they do that?” and they said that parody is the broadest of basic copyright licenses. You can parody anybody and get away with it. They’re really lenient with that and I was like, “Great!”

For more on Brad, visit his Web site and catch him currently on tour.

Categories
Festivals

CMA 2009: Six Artists To Watch

Photo Credit: Russ Harrington


This year’s CMA Music Festival brought country fans closer than ever to their favorite musicians through signings and fan parties. While LP Field was the place to be each night to catch some of country’s more established singers, the smaller stages throughout the four-day festival introduced some refreshing new talent to the country music scene. Give each artist a listen, I think you’ll like what you hear.

Jake Owen

One of the most comical musicians I’ve interviewed, Jake Owen sure knows how to make those around him laugh. When asked about his dog touring with him, Jake informed the press room that his dog was just neutered, adding, “I realize I need to get neutered. I would probably chill out a lot if that happened.” Coincidentally, the room erupted in laughter.

While his debut album, Startin’ With Me has garnered much success, recent release Easy Does It isn’t too far behind. With first single, “Don’t Think I Can’t Love You,” winning praises from critics and fans alike, Owen is sure to be following in the footsteps of country’s great legends. Whether it’s his heartwarming ballads or edgier, rowdy tracks like “Eight Second Ride,” Owen brings his diversity to the table, always leaving room for the unexpected.

Darius Rucker

Former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker (photo above) has proven that successful pop rock artists can go country and still maintain that edge and uniqueness they’re known for. His debut country album, Learn To Live, graced No. 1 on the country charts while all three singles off the album have received similar success. One of the most down-to-earth musicians, when Thursday night’s show at LP Field was postponed three hours because of a storm, Rucker was found mingling with fans in the rain until the show continued. If that’s not a true sign of character, I don’t know what is. Catch him currently on tour with Rascal Flatts.

David Nail

With a solid performance Friday afternoon at the Sommet Stage, David Nail captivated the audience with his heartwarming ballads and onstage banter. While hit single “Red Light” is climbing the charts, ballads like “Turning Home” leave a lasting impression on the listener. It didn’t hurt that the recent newlywed dedicated a song to his wife onstage, surely making all the sentimentals in the crowd swoon. A self-proclaimed mama’s boy, be sure to visit his MySpace to hear tracks from his upcoming release, I’m About To Come Alive due out August 18.

Veronica Ballestrini

17-year-old Veronica Ballestrini has been garnering attention and numerous fans after launching her music on sites like MySpace and Facebook. Not to mention, current single “Amazing” is gaining quite a buzz. Her laid-back vocals and catchy melodies make for the perfect summer soundtrack. Be on the lookout for a digital release of her debut album, What I’m All About, and tour soon.

Holly Williams

Her name says it all. Daughter of Hank Jr. and granddaughter of Hank Williams, music runs in Holly Williams‘ blood. Her latest release, Here With Me, is a solid compilation of heartfelt tracks. Penning the majority of the album, Holly sings about divorce on emotional song, “Mama.” Telling the story of her mother and the positive attitude she displayed when splitting with her father, it’s one of the album’s most striking songs. With such a stellar release and a tour on the way, Holly continues the strong family legacy.

Lady Antebellum

Having won Top New Duo or Group by the Academy of Country Music and New Artist of the Year by the Country Music Association last year, Lady Antebellum were definitely a favorite among many at the CMA Festival. Hundreds of fans attended their fan party and autograph signing (watch live footage below) and they rocked LP Field Saturday night with hit song “I Run To You” and a solid cover of John Mellencamp’s “Hurts So Good.” Currently on tour with Kenny Chesney, Lady A is working on a follow up to their debut self-titled album. Giving a preview of one track at their fan party Friday morning, from the sound of it, the album is sure to be another smash for the trio.

Lady Antebellum Webisode of CMA fan party/autograph signing (and a proposal!)

http://swfs.ilike.com/swfs/v.swf

Lady Antebellum on iLike – Get updates inside iTunes

You can also read this article on MarieClaire.com with my complete video interviews.