Category: Interviews

Categories
Interviews

All-American Rejects

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

The All-American Rejects tour more than most bands I know. It seems as if every few months they’re back in New York and I always wind up seeing them because their live show is like none other. Whether it’s frontman Tyson Ritter’s quirky and unexpected banter with the audience or his incredulous stage antics, you can’t help but get in a good laugh.

In real life, AAR are quite amusing as well. Just read their responses from Zootopia’s press room below and you’ll see what I mean. Currently in Europe, the guys will be on tour with Blink 182 this summer so be sure to check out their MySpace for the dates.

You’re touring with Blink 182 this summer. How did that come about?
I actually saw Tom (DeLonge of Blink 182) last week at a show and I told him, “It’s crazy we’re playing with you because I was throwing CDs at your feet at the very first concert I went to.” It was Bad Religion and Blink 182 and I was darting CDs at them and they just kept kicking them off stage. It’s amazing. It’s literally full circle. Between opening up for Bon Jovi last year and now we’re opening up for Blink 182 — I don’t think there’s anything we can’t do.

Tell me about your new single, “The Wind Blows.”
“The Wind Blows” is a different step for us. We’re definitely not just a pop rock band. Like I said, there are no boundaries for us.

What songs are you looking forward to this summer?
Songs of summer. I don’t know. The songs that you play with your top down in your car and just close your eyes while driving. I know that doesn’t sound too safe. There are some great summer songs. Don Henley, “Boys of Summer.” That’s as good as it gets.

There are a lot of album releases coming up. Which albums are you most looking forward to?
I guess we should say Eminem because he’s on our label. But, I like people that play a lot of instruments. I like to see a lot of instruments onstage.

Do you have any hidden talents or quirks?
Chris is a falconer. He falcons. Like, baby bird, there you go, lets eat it together. Crazy shit. True story.

You guys have had so much success. Do you feel that it happened quicker than most bands?
We were in a van for about five years playing bars and birthday parties. Quicker than some, I imagine. But we definitely paid our dues. It feels good to be here now.

Why is “Gives You Hell” such a huge hit?
I think everybody got hell the first of this year if they were losing their job. It’s so funny, when we put out When the World Comes Down, which is the name of our record, it was right before Obama was elected and everyone was like, “What a terrible title for a record, everything is going to be fine now.” Then all of a sudden a month into it the big bomb of the economy dropped and now everyone is saying, “Wow, what foresight you had.” I’m just glad we’re putting out music in this world right now.

What gives you hell?
I think its your teacher, its your boss, its the policeman that gave you a parking ticket. Mainly it’s the opposite sex. We know how to sing about heartbreak.

You were on “House” recently. Do you plan on doing more acting?
You’re gonna see us all over the place. I’m gonna do movies. Nick’s gonna do I don’t know, shit, he’s gonna do porn. Chris will do falconry professionally so you’ll see him on ESPN doing classes. There’s nothing this band can’t do.

Do you have any advice for bands who want to follow in your footsteps?
Don’t rely just on MySpace or the Inner Web to get your music out there. You still have to do it the old fashioned way and learn how to play your instrument. Get out there and play shows.

Categories
Interviews

Ciara

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

With current single “Love Sex Magic” featuring Justin Timberlake climbing the charts and her recent appearance on “SNL,” Ciara is as popular as ever. It can’t hurt that tour dates have just been confirmed for summer shows with Jay-Z and Britney Spears. Read on for the details and Ciara’s secret to that fantastic body.

You have a pretty busy summer lined up.
I’ll be touring with Jay-Z a few dates in July; we’ll be doing five cities together. We’ll be doing two times at each city. I’m excited about it. I’ve always loved mixing the rap, R&B; and pop together. It’s always been a fun challenge for me but it’s also been very cool to be able to go on tour with a rapper like Jay-Z and then also be able to go on tour with Britney Spears which is what I’m doing in June. It’s fun to be able to do all those extremes.

In a battle scene who would win, Super C or Sasha Fierce?
You know what; I’m just going to say it would be a lot of fun. It would definitely be entertaining. I think Beyonce is really dope and talented. I definitely would get down and do my thing. I can’t really say but I would say it would be a lot of fun.

Sum up your song “Love Sex Magic.”
It’s all about having fun. Playing with the imagination a little bit and just kind of painting a picture for the mind of a guy in a show giving him a little fun, cool show: love, sex, magic.

Which songs are you most excited about this summer?
I’ll be honest, I can’t answer that question as good as I want to because I’m not really aware of every single song that’s out right now. I really am enjoying Lady Gaga and Flo Rida is doing pretty cool with some records. Also the Black Eyed Peas “Boom Boom Boom” is pretty fun. Those are a few things. Also, I have a record called “Work” with Missy Elliot which I’m excited about too and a song called “Like a Surgeon” so those will be a few of my songs as well.

What’s the one work out you can’t live without and why?
Honestly, I haven’t worked out in so long. But, I would say when I work out I love to do my squats and my lunges because it’s all about the toosh. I need to get that toosh sitting up pretty nicely. Lunges and squats are my favorite.

Categories
Interviews

Jesse McCartney

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

With his current single, “How Do You Sleep?” climbing the charts and a tour with New Kids on the Block on the way, heartthrob Jesse McCartney’s life has been pretty busy as of late. It can’t hurt that the singer/actor/entertainer has been hailed “The Heir to Justin Timberlake’s Throne.”

McCartney, like Timberlake, first rose to fame as member of a boy band. Eventually branching out from Dream Street to a solo career, McCartney has proven his prowess as a songwriter. Remember hit Leona Lewis song “Bleeding Love?” Turns out McCartney along with frontman Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic co-wrote it. Are you convinced yet?

McCartney took some time out Saturday to chat about his growing popularity, new single and his idea of a romantic date. Let the swooning begin.

It’s been a year since you released Departure. What have you been up to?
I’ve been in the studio. I’ve been writing. I’ve been working with some other artists. I did a TV show on ABC called “Greek.” Other than that just cooking, hanging out at the house watching the Food Network.

Are you excited about touring with New Kids on the Block?
I’m looking forward to it. Natasha [Bedingfield] toured with them and she told me how great it was. It’s an opportunity for me to play my music for a little bit of an older crowd which will be nice.

What’s going to be your next single after “How Do You Sleep?”
It’s a new record I just finished. I’m very excited about it. It’s with T-Pain and is called “Body Language.” I did a re-release of the album about a month ago Departure: Recharged. It’s one of the records that I added onto the album. It’s like a “Leavin’ Part II” is how I sum it up and hopefully it’ll be another summer ’09 song.

The girls love you. How do you handle all the attention?
It’s interesting. It’s kind of overwhelming. You never get used to that I guess. The fans have been unbelievably supportive. It’s been an interesting ride, this whole music career. I started at kind of an awkward age and somehow made it out okay and I owe a lot to them [the fans]. They’re the heart of my career and the reason I can get up onstage every night.

Do you feel being in Dream Street has helped out with your solo career? What do you like better acting or singing?
Dream Street was definitely a big chapter in my book and I had certainly an unbelievable learning experience. I was very green to how it all worked and the whole recording process and touring process and it opened my eyes in a big way and it prepped me for what was to come. I don’t really have a preference. I like to consider myself an entertainer in whatever outlet it is, whether it is music or film or acting.

Where’s the most romantic spot for a date?
I have no idea. I think just good food. Maybe my house.

What was it like working with the cast of “Greek?”
It was great. I had a great time with all those guys. Scott Michael Foster became a really good friend of mine throughout the process of filming and even after. We shoot pool together now in Hollywood sometimes. That whole cast, the writers, they really do an amazing job and the actors know how to bring it off the paper to life.

What are your predictions of big songs for the summer?
I’m really excited for the Black Eyed Peas. I think that Will.i.am did it again and I’m very excited and anxious for the album. I heard the next single that they’re going to push and I think it’s going to be huge. I’m going to pat myself on the back a little bit. I’m hoping “Body Language” is going to be the next summer ’09 record. I’ve been working on making summer records and I really want to see it go.

Categories
Interviews

Black Eyed Peas

Photo Credit: Wendy Hu

They’ve sold millions of albums and have battled breakup rumors for years, but the Black Eyed Peas proved Saturday night that they’re not going anywhere. Their energetic Zootopia set at the IZOD Center in New Jersey had the crowd dancing and partying the night away. And, if their current radio hit, “Boom Boom Pow” is any indication of their upcoming June 9 release, The E.N.D. BEP’s will surely have the summer ’09 record.

While signing autographs for fans, Fergie was nice enough to chat with me about what’s going through her head while performing. Extremely down to earth, her answer may surprise you. Read on to learn what the rest of the gang had to say about the new album, working with Michael Jackson and what President Obama thinks of the Peas.

So tell us about your new album, The E.N.D. The Energy Never Dies. What does that mean? What is it all about?
Will.i.am: The E.N.D. The Energy Never Dies means a lot of things. But, most importantly it means the end of the rumors that the Black Eyed Peas are breaking up. It’s the end of an era. There used to be record stores like Virgin and Tower and Warehouse and Sam Goody and they’re no longer. The era is moving towards…we don’t know yet. But we’re going to continue to make music and tour and make people dance and make music that can change people’s lives and change our lives as well.

Everybody’s excited about Michael Jackson’s comeback tour. You and Fergie worked with Michael. What was that experience like working with him?
Will.i.am: The experience working with Michael Jackson was phenomenal. I flew out and worked with him in Ireland and produced songs on his Thriller 25 and a couple of songs on his new record. I don’t know what’s going to end up on the record, but it’s great. He’s a gift to the world.

You just did X Men. Have you ever thought of taking the acting route?
Will.i.am: That would be cool, but right now I’m focused on the Peas. X Men I filmed last year and I’m so thrilled to be a part of it. It’s a great movie. After the Peas run maybe I’ll think about it.

You set up a scholarship. Why?
Will.i.am: I set up a scholarship, the i am scholarship, because someone at some point in time believed in me and my dreams. I made it out of the ghetto. I’m able to take care of my family and I want to provide that same opportunity for some kid that has dreams – especially in this economy. You don’t bail out on kids just because the finances are not there. You still have to let them know that their dreams can become a reality, so I wanted to do my part.

Fergie, looking back on all you’ve accomplished, what’s the highlight of your life so far?
Fergie: The highlight of my life – going on tour with these guys. Seriously. Honestly, joining this band was such a blessing for me. Just them accepting me into their circle and becoming friends, it really gave me the confidence to be the artist that I had always wanted to be. I never would have been able to do a song like “My Humps” if it wasn’t for these guys and “Fergalicious” or anything like that, if they didn’t give me the confidence to tour and explore Hip-Hop music, one of the loves of my life.

Can you tell us about your next single?
Will.i.am: Our second single is called “I Gotta Feeling.” It’s dedicated to all the party people out there in the world that want to go out and party. Mostly every song on the Black Eyed Peas record is painting a picture of our party life. It was a conscious decision to make this type of record. Times are really hard for a lot of people and you want to give them escape and you want to make them feel good about life, especially at these low points.

Taboo: This is the first time we actually had all four of us on a song simultaneously with the verses, which is something different for us. Usually we break up the verses and everybody has their parts. It was a good opportunity for us to show the world what would come of it.

What was the best thing Barack Obama has said to any of you? Will.i.am: He told me that he likes my style and he likes the way that I dance.

Are you guys playing the “American Idol” finale? If so, what are you going to perform on it?
Will.i.am: Oh. I don’t know if we can say that, ‘cause they told us not to. Guess I just blew it, right?

So what are you going to do?
Will.i.am: [starts singing] Boom Boom Boom.

What do you think about when you’re onstage performing?
Fergie: When to breathe ‘cause jumping around with these guys I realize I do have to sing so I can’t be too out of breath. I’m learning now to perform in heels. I used to not perform in heels. I only did three songs in heels; “Glamorous,” “Fergalicious” and “Big Girls.” “Big Girls” I really don’t have to move much. It’s a new thing for me, learning to dance in heels, so we’ll see how that goes. Also, connecting with the fans. It’s really not just performing out to the light, but really connecting with the people and looking at people.

You can also read this interview on MarieClaire.com.

Categories
Interviews

Parachute

From performing New Years Eve in Times Square with the likes of Lionel Richie and Taylor Swift to having their song “She Is Love” placed in a national ad campaign, the five-piece Virgina-based band is doing pretty well for themselves. Hard to believe that just a year ago the now college grads were traveling to LA during breaks to record their debut album.

Frontman Will Anderson’s smooth vocals, combined with the band’s radio friendly pop rock sound (often compared to Maroon 5 and The Fray), is sure to make the girls swoon, if they haven’t already. Not to mention, having toured with the likes of Jon McLaughlin, O.A.R., Switchfoot, Duffy and Matt Nathanson, Parachute is well on their way.

With debut album Losing Sleep hitting shelves May 19th their lives are only getting busier. Read on for my interview with Will Anderson as he chats about the recording process, stories behind the romantic songs he has penned, and what it’s like being in a band with his four best friends.

What can fans expect from Losing Sleep?
It’s a lot of new songs they haven’t heard yet, new material that we’ve been playing live but never had a recorded version of. It’s the same sound they’ve heard live, but it’s finally put into recorded mode. We have 10 great songs that we’re all definitely really proud of.

How was the recording process? Was it everything you hoped it would be?
It was a little tough because we were in school so it took a while. Once we got out of school we really got into it this past summer. It was good to work with the producers that we did. John Shanks (Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Jane’s Addiction, Stevie Nicks) and John Fields (Switchfoot, Jimmy Eat World, The Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus), to see the body of work that they’ve worked on. They took our view of recording and helped us shape what we wanted it to be and what kind of record we wanted it to be as it went along. It taught us a lot about the art of making a record.

What’s the story behind first single, “She Is Love?”
I wanted to write as straightforward a love song as I could. It really just came to me and took 10-15 minutes to write. We didn’t think it was going to be anything and it really took on a life of its own. A couple of people heard it, our manager and friends, and said we had to put it on the record so we did, not thinking there would be a reaction. Then Nivea picked it up for their ad campaign and it was a great opportunity. The reaction was so incredible that it segued into being our first single. It was a pleasant surprise and the song definitely had a journey that I did not expect it to once it was written.

What is your typical writing process like?
I have a really weird sleeping pattern so at midnight I’ll start writing songs. Ninety-five percent of the time it’s stupid stuff that I write and I usually give up after about a half hour. But on a night that something good does come up it’s one of those all-nighter things where at 5 ‘o clock in the morning I’m banging on our drummer’s door, screaming, “I got a good song! Listen to this!” and wake him up and make him listen to it. It’s usually an all night sort of trance where I go into the zone and knock it out as quickly as possible.

Often, I’ll come back and rewrite all the words in a few weeks once I realize how terrible the idea was. Usually the music comes first and lyrics come later. But you definitely know very quickly if it’s a good song or not. I’ll have the entire song laid out, the lyrics and the melody and then the guys will add their opinions to it. It’s just a matter of they add their little twist to it eventually.

I really like your song, “Under Control.” What was going on in your head when writing it, what inspired it?
That’s a funny song. I used to do this thing where I’d advertise for shows and I would go into sororities and sing to the girls. I wrote that song with the melody and I had this crush on this girl for probably about three years all through college. She had no idea who I was. So, I wrote that song in the off chance that she would hear it and realize it was about her. But unfortunately, she did not and she still does not know who I am. I don’t think she has any idea that she has that song written about her. It was definitely for that one girl who I met at that one sorority.

How much are your songs inspired by real relationships vs. fantasy?
It goes both ways, it depends on the song. Certain songs are very true to something that’s happened to me and other songs I think of something or make a story based off that. For me, it really comes down to a song and the individual. It depends. Sometimes it’s about me or it’s about someone I know or about a fictional thing if I happen to think of a good story.

Would you rather someone hear you first live in concert or your new album?
I think live is always the pinnacle for us. That’s what we want people to know us from. We want people to see us. We want to make a great record, but I think in the end, if you can come see us live I think that’s where you can get hooked. Anyway is fine in the end. We’ll definitely do anything to make sure people hear the music and connect to it in some way. For us, it’s more fun at a live show. To be with people and to be listening to the people and hanging out with everybody and just having a good time, you really can’t beat that.

You performed in Times Square for New Years Eve. How was that experience?
It was insane! It was unbelievable. We got a call two weeks earlier saying, “Come to New York and play Times Square.” It was really random. We were like, “Okay. Are we playing the side stage?” And they said, “No, you’re playing the main stage.” For us to sit there, this little college band of guys rolling up in a van and playing with Lionel Richie, the Jonas Brothers and Taylor Swift. Love them or hate them, those are just huge names and to share the stage with them was amazing to us. We were very fortunate and it felt surreal when we were up there. It was probably one of the most amazing experiences in my life, playing for that many people.

You all grew up together playing in high school and college. What is the band dynamic? Has it changed at all since you started?
You know, in the end it’s so funny because it really is almost exactly the same as it was. We’re all the same people and same guys and we’re all still the same friends. If you knew us back then and you know us now, it’s very similar. Obviously we’ve grown up and things have changed a bit. But, in the big scheme of things we’re the same guys and we know a lot of stuff about each other that we probably wouldn’t know if we hadn’t known each other for that long. For better or worse, it’s definitely the dynamic of five best friends who have known each other forever. I can’t imagine doing it with people who weren’t your friends. It’s weird for me to think about that.
You can watch the Nivea c
ommercial featuring Parachute’s song “She Is Love” as well as the full version from their performance New Years Eve below. Be sure to visit them on MySpace where you can pre-order a copy of their album, due out May 19th.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78aJ3yXuXG0]

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwGxvC3328A]

Categories
Festivals Interviews

Dlugokecki

Their first trip to the States, Southampton, England-based sextet Dlugokecki gave Americans a taste of what’s to come on their recent performances in New York and Austin, Texas. While they realize their band name isn’t the easiest to pronounce (Der-loo-go-ken-ski), they’re hoping the music will speak for itself. With their debut album, Let This Be Right, released in March and a tour on the way, the band has no plans of slowing down.

Dlugokecki filled me in on their music, to which they refer jokingly as “rocky poppy” as well as discussed why they’re President Obama’s favorite band, among many tangents, which is only a glimpse into just how fun this band is to be around. While they explain they’re the least rock and roll band in the world, “We drink tea and have biscuits,” keyboardist Andy Wild said. “There are no televisions thrown out of windows,” Dlugokecki are truly a band worth checking out. Read on for plenty of laughs from the band who will prove to be the difficult name on everyone’s lips in no time.

How did Dlugokecki come together?
Ben: Well, I was a singer-songwriter on my own. Writing songs and singing into a mirror and hoping one day I’d be famous and have lots of women screaming. That wasn’t working out for me because I wasn’t a very good guitarist and didn’t have much confidence. But then I met Andy and we formed the Dlugokecki band. There was a lot of synergy and it all came together. Then we created the Dlugokecki sound, which is a bit rocky poppy. [Laughs].

Andy: On the plane, we hadn’t slept for a long, long time and someone was asking what style of music we were playing. It’s always so difficult to say, “Oh it’s that style or that style” and for some reason I said rocky poppy, which is rubbish. We did another interview today and I said we are rocky poppy and he took it completely seriously and was like, “So what’s rocky poppy?”

Ben: So now we’re our own genre, rocky poppy. We’ll be on iTunes. You know how they have all the different genres? Rocky poppy, there’s just one.

Boyd: Right in between rock and pop. And then someone will come up with poppy rocky.

Ben: Oh, I don’t like that. They’re scumbags. Sorry, we digress. So, yeah, the band formed in Southampton and we’ve just seemed to have lots of luck. It seems like every year something happens and it just gets bigger and bigger. Now we’re in Austin, Texas playing with The Proclaimers. It’s a bit of a dream.

Aidan: It doesn’t feel real.

Ben: We were in a limo two days ago riding around New York. Times Square. Just loving it.

Andy: We did pay for it, though.

Ben: No, it was paid for by Barack Obama. He knew we were coming. He thought, you know; smooth over relations with the British. If you can get in the interview somewhere that we are Barack Obama’s favorite band that might go down well. [Laugher].

Boyd: Let’s not do politics.

Ben: No, okay. Let’s keep out of politics. But Barack Obama rocks. We think he’s brilliant. We need a Barack Obama.

Is this your first time in the U.S.?
Ben: Yes. This is the beginning of our assault on America. We are going to take it by storm, bit by bit, state by state.

Aidan: This is the calm before the storm.

Ben: I like that. This is the calm before the storm. This is our relaxed, “Ahhh, there’s Dlugokecki. What’s that all about?” Then we come back and they’re like, “Wow, look at them. They’ve got a really weird name. And they’re Barack Obama’s favorite band allegedly.”

Why should we see you in concert?
Ben: We write positive love songs, which not many people do anymore. It’s very negative. A lot of the music around is, “You broke my heart, you stole my cat,” that sort of stuff. [Band laughs]. Well, maybe not cat. Maybe car or corn. We tend to write nice things of love and why it brings us all together. And every now and then throw in one that does rip your heart out.

Aidan: And cause tears.

Ben: Literally. We made people cry tonight.

Aidan: At least two people.

Ben: That’s sad. I feel really bad.

Andy: They were tears of joy.

Ben: No, they weren’t tears of joy. We want people to hear us. Every band wants people to hear them. We think we have something else. We write real songs, little bits of poetry. Come hear the difficult name on everyone’s lips. We should put that in fliers. That’s an idea.

What’s different from American music and the scene in England?
Aidan: The audiences are different.

Andy: The audiences out here have been amazing. Like, in there today they were so quiet. They were very respectful. Back home you have people chatting away. Sometimes you’ll have it complete silent. Really, really nice audiences that listen and think about what we’re trying to put out there.

Boyd: They want to hear the stories behind the songs. They want to know what it’s all about and Ben’s very good about telling people what they’re all about.

Ben: It’s all about the music really. All of us are big musicians, we love music. We are one band, but we’re also loads of different bands. The guys in Dlugokecki are in their own other bands as well. We live music. If I’m at home and I’ve got a spare minute I’m writing lyrics on the wall. I’m writing all the time. Instead of cooking the fried eggs or washing up, it’s all about the lyrics.

Would you rather someone hears you first live or on iTunes?
Andy: To be honest with you, I don’t think I would mind just as long as people are listening.

Ben: The best thing is when you’ve moved someone. They’re affected by the song. If someone says, “Your music’s good” and you go, “Which song do you like?” and they say “Ah, all of them,” you know they’ve got the CD and they’ve put it in the fridge. [Band laughs]. But then if they say, “
This song really touched me or really moved me in some way” that really gets you. I quite like it when someone sees you live and they get the CD and then they come back again and again.

Boyd: It’s always good when somebody sees you live, gets the CD, plays that to a friend, the friend likes it and then they see you and they’re blown away. For me, that’s better than a CD. There’s nothing worse than seeing a band that are amazing and then getting the CD and it’s like “Ehhh.” Either way, you’ve got to work at. You’ve got to knock them dead both times.

What is your ultimate goal as musicians?
Ben: I don’t think we’re dreaming of much. All we want to do is change everybody in the world’s lives forever. [Band laughs]. I know that sounds like a bit of a challenge, but if you don’t set your sights that high, you’re going to flounder in the sea like a stone skimming across the waters. We’re not just a stone. We’re a rocket flying to space.

Boyd: Space is the limit.

Ben: I’ve got another goal: First band on the moon. To be honest, no one has ever done it. Lazy, lazy, lazy. Yeah, first band in space and change everyone’s lives forever.

You can also read this interview posted on MarieClaire.com here. Watch the video for “Save My Soul,” Dlugokecki’s first single off album Let This Be Right. For more on the band, be sure to visit them on MySpace.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ca6zW4Tnxtg]

Categories
Interviews

Anya Marina

Sassy and comical singer-songwriter Anya Marina chatted with me right before her acoustic afternoon performance at Cedar Street in Austin, Texas. With a cup of tea in hand and a pre-show meal of goat yogurt and a bag of mixed nuts, Marina spoke candidly about being told she’d never make a career singing, recording shirtless and having a breaking feature in Rolling Stone: “I was so shocked when I heard. I just got an email one day that said, ‘Rolling Stone wants to do a breaking feature.’ In the words of Rachel Zoe, I died.”

I love your song “Move You” and was curious to the story behind it.
My Dad’s a psychologist so Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell and Freud and people like that were always discussed and studied in our house. There’s this Carl Jung quote that I’ve talked about a lot that inspired the idea behind that song. The quote is, “Often the hands will solve a mystery that the intellect has struggled with in vain.” I love that idea. When you can’t wrap your mind around something and you can’t figure it out, whatever Rubik’s Cube issue you’re struggling with, sometimes it’s best just to put it on the shelf and go do something physical. I just like the idea of not over analyzing, which I’m guilty of all the time.

What’s your writing process like?
I don’t really write on a regular basis, especially now that my schedule is so unpredictable. I just write when I can, but I’d like to have a regiment. Wake up, have a cup of tea, sit down and sort of woodshed and tool away at it. But, it becomes so difficult to do that when you’re on tour or you’re playing festivals and you’re in a different city everyday. I just try and do it whenever I can. Usually, I come up with a melody when I’m walking or driving or doing something and then I’ll come home or record it on my phone and try to remember it that way.

I read in an interview that you recorded one of your songs topless in the studio.
Shirtless! I was wearing a bra. [It was] “Afterparty at Jimmy’s.” I did that song with Brian Karscig and Mark Maigaard from Louis XIV. I couldn’t get the right vocal take, so there’s another example of going into your body when you can’t arrive at the right place or the right answer — take your shirt off, sometimes it helps. And that’s the take that we got on the record and I think you can hear the rawness and dirtiness of it.

Would your rather people see you live or hear your album first?
I can’t really be objective of myself. I am so proud of the record that I would love for people to have it and hear it and get into it. I think it has a lot of legs. You can listen to it over and over and over again. I still find things in it that I’m surprised by or I’ve forgot about or even that inspire me. I really love my album; I’m so excited by it! At the same time, I think the live shows are a totally complementary experience. At least for the most part, the shows are not necessarily your typical straight ahead, “Let’s do eight songs in a row show.” I like to engage the audience and connect with people and tell a story or two. So, both.

Your doctor told you that you’d never make a career out of singing.
That was a silly little anecdote, but yeah, I have had a doctor tell me that. “You have a very tiny larynx, you have the larynx of a 14-year-old adolescent boy,” that’s what he told me. Oh well, I guess he was wrong. I think I’ve surpassed that. I’ve had a lot of people in my life urge me not to go into music or radio or acting because I had a very strange, sort of unique voice growing up. Now it’s come into its own. But, I was teased for a lot of years about my voice; that it was scratchy and high and nasally and all that stuff. I don’t know why I pursued it.

Don’t you find that when somebody tells you that you can’t do something you either sink or swim? You either get angry, which is a great motivator, or you get even, or you don’t and you just cower and shrink in the corner and not do anything. The secret is — just do it. Everybody talks about, “How do you break into blah blah blah? How do you do this?” Just do it! You make no money for a while and you just do it. You just get a gig doing open mics.

Is that how you started?
I was in a band back in college. My friend was like, “Will you sing for us?” That’s how I started. I was like, “You’re crazy, I can’t sing.” Pretty soon I’m writing their songs, which was really fun.

Where do you find inspiration for your music? Do you carry a notebook everywhere you go?
No, I have napkins and pieces of paper. I get really inspired by everything from fashion to comedians to; I just listened to this Patton Oswalt CD the other day on tour and that was really inspiring. For the content of my songs, it could be anything. It could be a friend telling me a story of some drama that happened in their life. I really do get inspired by anything. It’s really important for me to travel and go see films and constantly be reading and connecting. I really need to get a good book, I’ve been slacking.

How do you stand apart from all the bands out there?
I’m way taller. I’m 5’3”. I’m prettier and taller; my voice is louder. I have stripes on my face, that sets me apart and I’m funnier than 90 percent of these assholes. Also, I have a bag of nuts and I don’t think anybody else here has that so they can go suck it [laughs]. I’m just happy to be here.

For more on Anya, be sure to visit her on MySpace and catch a show when she’s in town! She’ll be touring with Jason Mraz and The Virgins this spring.

You can read this interview originally posted on MarieClaire.com here.

Categories
Festivals Interviews

Tyrone Wells

With close to 2,000 bands playing in Austin, Texas for the annual South By Southwest music festival it’s hard to stand out as a musician. But Tyrone Wells makes it look easy. After seeing Wells perform, you won’t be able to forget him.

Known by many for his inspiring live performance, Wells talked to me about his most recent release, Remain, whether he’d rather someone witness his concert live first or hear his album, and the inspiration behind some of his music.

“Music to me is not a way to see dollar signs; it’s an honest expression of my soul,” Wells said. Now if only every musician felt that way. Read on for my exclusive interview with Tyrone Wells and be sure to download his song “More” as well as other breakout artists from SXSW for free on Amazon here.

Is this your first time at South By Southwest?
It is my first time officially, yes. A couple years ago I played for a distribution company as an independent artist that was distributing my record, but that wasn’t an official showcase or anything. So this is my first time really. I’m very excited.

Do you prepare for a festival differently than a regular tour?
Not really. I’ve toured so much that I look at it as any other show. The sets are so short so we have to do some thinking about all the songs we need to cut and everything.

How do you go about picking what songs to play?
That’s a really hard thing for me to do. To a certain degree, you play to the crowd and whatever you think will go over best, then you put your strongest forces in the front. It’s really only five or six songs is what it is.

Is there a different type of audience at a festival vs. your normal show?
This one specifically is. There are people that just come to watch, but a lot of it is industry people. They are very different than just someone who comes to listen to your music. This is different than when we play other music festivals in cities. That is great because there are people who are there to hear music and have a good time. But, I do love playing festivals, it’s great.

Are you more nervous at a festival like SXSW since there’s so much hype?
This festival, there’s a lot of buzz about it and people are like, “It’s so important.” But it’s been my experience that, realistically, everything in my career has just been one step at a time. It’s not like everything is going to change over night because of something that I do here. At least, that’s my perspective. I could be surprised and maybe my whole world could change, but for the most part I feel like it’s always a marathon and never a sprint and this is just mile 15 of the marathon.

So tell me about your latest record, Remain. This is your second major label release?
Yes, this is my second release on Universal Records, but I’ve done four independent releases. My fourth independent release got picked up by Universal and then my most current record on Universal was my second record that they’ve released. So, it’s my first time having a major label behind me when going in to making a record. It was a really great experience. I recorded some of the songs in London and worked with a producer named Martin Terefe who did Jason Mraz’s last record and James Morrison’s first record, and a lot of different artists that I really like.

How was the recording process different this time around?
I think the biggest difference is that for the first time I had more of a recording budget and therefore, I didn’t have to cut corners everywhere. In the past it’s been a shoestring budget so it’s really great to have a label behind me.

What was the inspiration behind the album? Did you do anything different on this release?
The last album I think I probably wrote 30 songs, but this current one I wrote 60 or 70 songs and tried to just pick the ones that I thought were the best, which was really hard. There are songs that I recorded that I’m so afraid are going to fall to the waste side, that I really love. In those terms, I wrote a lot more and I worked with three different producers this time instead of just one. This record was a lot more, I want to say epic or emotional lush in its production than previous works. My last record was definitely more sparse, this one has a more full band sound.

Would you rather have someone see you live first or hear your record?
That’s a good question. I guess I don’t mind how they hear me first as long as they’re listening. I think for me, the majority of my fan base has been because of live shows just because I’ve played a lot. Also, just word of mouth. Friends showing friends the music. It’s hard to answer. Either way, as long as they come and listen I’m grateful.

I love the lyrics in your song “More.” What was the inspiration behind it?
It’s funny. A little side note on that song, it almost didn’t make the record because I had written the chorus with a friend of mine. Loved the chorus but didn’t like the verses that we wrote. So when I was in the studio I was messing around with it and showed it to another friend of mine and we decided to take a crack at writing different verses and a different bridge. And we did right there on the spot and then recorded it that same day. So the verses and the bridge to that song were written the same day they were recorded, which lyrically and musically was a really cool thing that came together so quickly. It became the first single on the record, that’s the one that’s on the radio.

It’s really the age old search of mankind to find more meaning, whether it be faith in God or faith in humanity or hope for a better day and hope that we can see people loving each other in this world and coming together instead of always separating. Less selfishness and more togetherness. I think everybody who hears that song plugs their own life into it and whatever is more for that person is what they draw from it.

I met a girl who really wants to write screen plays and she adopted the song as her mantra. For me, it was the age old search for God and connecting to him and finding more meaning in that. I love playing “More” live.

What makes you stand out from the other bands at SXSW?
I’ve been asking myself that question. There are so many musicians here. Honestly, I’m doing my best to be really vulnerable and honest. Music to me is not a way to see dollar signs; it’s an honest expression of my soul. I think that’s true for a lot of artists, but it’s definitely true for me. I think something that’s unique about what I do is, I have people tell me all the time at shows that they cried or they were weeping or they were really moved by what I have to share. So, if you really want to cry come to my show. No [laughs]. People laugh a lot at my show too. I don’t know. It’s just an honest expression and I feel like it’s a good experience. I lot of people tell me that they walk away feeling really inspired and that’s the highest compliment that I could receive and I love that and I’m grateful for that.

What would you be doing if it wasn’t for music?
It’s really hard for me to say. I’m sure I could find several things that I would enjoy. I think maybe something in teaching or counseling. But, because there is music I guess I don’t have to worry that much about it. I would really like to be that guy that when he’s 70 he’s still writing songs because I love the process.

To listen to some of Tyrone’s music and find upcoming tour dates, be sure to visit him on MySpace.

Categories
Festivals Interviews

Meiko

I caught up with singer-songwriter Meiko shortly after her Wednesday afternoon showcase at South By Southwest. From having her self-titled debut album hit No. 1 on the iTunes folk chart to being a featured artist on the SXSW homepage, 2009 is definitely the year for this songstress and she couldn’t be more content. “I’m really happy that things are being well received and I’m happy to be here again and I’m happy that I have fans. I’m going to keep on doing what I’m doing and keep on making music and hopefully I’ll have people to listen.”

Touring with the likes of Joshua Radin and the Hotel Cafe tour, Meiko appropriately describes her music as indie pop-rock folk. Read below for my interview with Meiko as she talks about South By Southwest, her music and adjusting from living in a small town in Georgia (population 808) to the busy city of Los Angeles.

Is this your first time at SXSW?
This is my third time. It’s been really cool. I don’t feel like a veteran really; I still feel confused as to where everything is. But I know that I really love Austin so it’s nice to be in the city and eat the BBQ and hang out with the locals.

Do you prepare for the festival any differently than your typical performances?
Not really. I just call around to all my friends and am like “Hey, are you in town? You want to play the show with me?” It’s just a cool time to get together with old friends and play music, which is pretty much what it should be.

What would your advice be for people who have never been to SXSW?
I would say get the wristband so you can go to all the cool shows that you want to and I’m sure it helps to be over 21. A lot of the places are 21 and up. Check the weather. I was packing all kinds of pea coats and big boots and stuff but someone told me it was so hot here and it was cold a couple weeks ago. So bring a lot of sundresses and girlie, cute stuff.

I read that you used to have stage fright.
Yeah. I don’t really anymore. When I started singing in public I was about eight-years-old and I was very, very, very freaked out. I always thought that people were against me. When I was singing I would think, “These people hate me” and “Why am I doing this to myself?” I hated performing in front of people, but it was something that I would make myself do. It was something I wanted to get over because secretly I enjoyed it, but I got so nervous.

When I moved to LA I asked a lot of people’s advice and they would say play as many shows as you can because that’s how you get over it. So, I took that advice and I played as many shows as possible — playing in somebody’s living room. Eventually things got better and I started really enjoying playing in front of people. I always take advice from my friends and one of them said, “Maybe you should say thank you after a song or try to say something and introduce a song” because I would just play song after song after song. That’s where it started that I was more comfortable and I felt like the crowd was on my side — when you have that open communication. I love talking to the crowd now.

Do you ever hold back as a songwriter because each song is like your diary?
If it’s anything super personal, I write in a way where the listener may take a completely different thing from it. I don’t give the whole story, but I give enough where it makes me feel satisfied that I have completed the song without giving too much away.

I love your song “Boys With Girlfriends.” What’s the story behind it?
I was really good friends with a guy. He was my best friend and he had a girlfriend that really got jealous and thought something was going on between me and him when there wasn’t anything. It was a very innocent and awesome relationship and she got in the way a lot and eventually she sabotaged my friendship with her boyfriend. I was very, very, very hurt by it. I don’t have my friend anymore, but I have a song. The even trade I say, which I don’t know if it’s that even.

You used to waitress at the Hotel Café in California and then eventually started playing there. How did that come about?
I played there once before I started waiting tables there and I met the owners and told them, “I love this place so much! One day I’m going to ask you for a job and you’re going to have to give it to me.” About a month after I said that to them I had gotten fired from waitressing at this Indian restaurant and I called the Hotel Café owners and said, “Hey, remember a month ago when I said if I needed a job for you to give me one? Well, I need one.” They were very cool about it and they hired me as a waitress and the rest is history really.

What’s your advice to people who want to make a career in the music business?
I always tell people to get a job. Get a job anywhere involving music and it’ll inspire you being around all that music and it really connects you with people. Not just networking and giving out your demos, but you actually establish friendships with these people and that’s what happened with me. When they needed someone to play or someone canceled they’d say, “Hey Meiks, can you fill in for so-and-so” and I’d be like, “Of course I can!” And that’s just the way it happened and it was awesome and I loved it.

One of your songs was featured on “Grey’s Anatomy.” Did you watch the episode?
I did! It was awesome! I’m a big fan of “Grey’s Anatomy” from the beginning so it was really cool. It is crazy to me how well songs are placed in shows like that. It was amazing at how good they are with what they do. I actually got to meet Katherine Heigl the other day. I didn’t have the guts to say, “My song was in your show.”

You’re signed on MySpace Records. Do you feel as an artist you need to be on a label?
No, I don’t think you need to be on a label at all. I think the cool part about these days is nothing is set in stone and there’s no exact formula for doing anything. I considered staying independent and not signing with a label. The reason I did sign with a label was because the whole reason I’m playing music and getting it out there is because I want as many people as possible to hear it. I figured I could only do so much by myself and it made sense to sign with someone that are marketing geniuses. MySpace.com has been insane for the music industry and so I went with them because I knew that that would help the awareness.

Do you have a dream collaboration?
Yeah. I would love to work with the guys from The Postal Service. It’s just so cool what they do and all that electronic stuff. That would be really cool.

Was there a moment that you thought to yourself, “Okay, I’ve made it”?
No, no! People are always like, “What’s it like? You’ve made it!” I don’t know if I really feel like I’ve made it. The moment that I do feel like
that is when maybe I can sit in m
y backyard by the pool or something and, not necessarily money wise, but just where I can be comfortable and happy and proud of what I’ve done and I don’t think I’m done yet. I feel like I’m still truckin’ along.

What motivates you as a musician? When you were waiting tables, what kept you going?
Seeing everybody else living their dreams — that was motivational. I watched a lot of really cool bands come through there. It was cool to hear the different songwriting styles and the different personalities onstage. It was really inspiring to me and it made me want to go home and write and it made me want to play more shows. And what still motivates me now is seeing as many shows as I can see. Definitely with South By Southwest that’s what I’m going to do.

What’s your typical songwriting process like?
I try to carry a notebook, but I rarely write in it. I sit in my house. I have a lot of guitars so I keep a guitar out and about in every room, which doesn’t say much because I live in an apartment. But I keep one in the living room, keep one in the bedroom and whenever I have an idea or I’m bored I’ll just pluck away at something and then I just come up with something. It’s not like a certain time of the day, so I don’t really have an exact way of doing it.

You’re originally from Roberta, Georgia where the population is 808 people. How big of an adjustment was moving to LA?
It was really difficult. It was pretty scary to come from a tiny town where everyone knows you and you feel really safe. There’s no crime. And then you move to LA. It was very overwhelming. I was really scared to leave my house for a little while. In a small town you grow up with all these ideas of how big cities are. I’m thinking, “Oh, I’m going to get mugged.” And eventually I got out and I did wake up in the morning and get a cup of coffee by myself and I started meeting people and it got a lot better. It has taught me that these ideas that you grow up with aren’t always right. I go back home and I talk to my friends and they’re like, “I could never live in Los Angeles, it’s so crazy!” and that’s what I thought, but I did it and I love it now. I’m a big cheerleader for LA.

Be sure to give Meiko a listen on MySpace and catch a show when she’s in town!

Categories
Interviews

The Canon Logic

With the craziness of CMJ week back in October, I just realized I never posted my full Q&A; with the guys of the Canon Logic. Originally, I intertwined my show review and interview for my CMJ festival write-up, (which you can read here) but thought fans might want to read the interview in its entirety. Be sure to check TCL out on MySpace and if you like what you hear, catch their show this Friday at Southpaw in Brooklyn!

The Canon Logic are:
Mark Alu
Sean Enright
Josh Greenfield
Tim Kiely
Michael Mignano

To hear more about their upcoming album, live show and how they define their music (at one point, jokingly as “a mint-scented breath of fresh air”) read below.

Is this your first time at CMJ?
Tim: It’s our first time playing at CMJ, yeah.

I loved your set, how was it for your first CMJ performance?
Tim: It was unbelievable. The fans were great. We had a blast; we always have a blast onstage. We felt pretty tight.

Josh: I could only really see the first two rows of people. It wasn’t until the very end that I went up front and realized there was a pretty packed house, so that was cool. Our fans are great.

Mike: It’s pretty cool to know that we can get a good group of people out at 7 p.m. on a Tuesday night and they’re acting like its 11 p.m. on a Saturday; dancing, screaming, singing along. So, it was cool, it was a good feeling.

Is this what you expected CMJ to be?
Tim: I think it was everything we expected and more.

Josh: It was really a great show; a lot of people were there. It was really nice to have our fans come out and support us. It felt like an awesome Saturday night show at a bar.

Tim: It’s fun to be a part of the madness, it’s exciting

You just released another EP and you’re working on an album also, right?
Mark: We just released our EP. It’s a collection of unreleased material just to give people a little something until we’re finished.

Josh: It’s sort of showcasing some of our other stuff. We have a live sound going, but we have some other music that we write that probably won’t make the album, but we still want people to hear it.

What should fans expect from your full-length album out in 2009?
Tim: We’ve dwindled the list from a couple hundred songs down to hopefully 10 to 12 songs.

Mark: It’s the best of the best that we’ve got.

Josh: We’ve finished instrumentals on four tracks and the production is ridiculous.

Tim: It’s the best sound we’ve had.

Mike: Expect a refreshing kick in the face.

How do you feel you stand out at CMJ vs. all the other bands around?
Tim: I think something that we do, which is the toughest aspect of our music, is having five people singing while also being able to handle the rock attitude. I don’t see many bands do it. I don’t know if I’ve seen a band do it and pull it off well. We’re really confident in what we’ve got going and I think that’s what separates us. And we’ve got great songs.

Josh: You can also expect a little bit of everything; some dancing, some singing along. We have a lot of songs that our fans come to shows to see and they’ve been learning the lyrics; they’re really easy to sing along to so they really enjoy getting into the songs and dancing and also head banging and rocking out too.

How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard it before?
Mike: Our corny catch phrase is a mint-scented breath of fresh air. Realistically, I’d say it’s a gritty blend of harmony driven pop.

Josh: I think that it hits on anyone from your grandparents to your parents, to my sister who’s in high school, she really likes it. I think we have a wide range of fans. We like to try and bring everybody together. We’re trying to pull from so many different influences. We really like the classic rock stuff and we also like what’s going on now. I think we have a good balance of the two, which allows everyone to really get into the music. We enjoy that aspect of it.

What else do you want fans to know about you?
Tim: Our blog, thecanonlogic.com. If you want to be up-to-date about what’s going on with the album. We post pretty much everyday. We’re writing songs every day. There is so much music to show people, we want them to hear it. That’s why we released this EP.

Mike: Can we tell a funny story? We definitely want everyone to visit our blog, we post very regularly to our blog multiple times a day. A quick funny story about that blog is, this morning I was picking up my badge for CMJ. I took a picture of the CMJ thing and I immediately uploaded it to our blog and I titled the post, “CMJ Badge Pick-up.” Well, somehow throughout the day anybody that ended up Googling CMJ Badge Pick-up was directed immediately to our site over CMJ.com. So, our site trumped theirs.

How did you pick your set-list?
Tim: We wanted to start off quick and really give everybody a kick to the face while also trying to show our versatility. But really, we were just trying to rock people out for 45 minutes to an hour. We like everyone dancing.

Mike: We like to keep people moving.

How do you react on nights when the crowd isn’t moving or interested in your performance?
Tim: We’ve been together long enough where there’s no one standing there. We try not to let whatever the audience is doing affect us. We’re always trying to be the best we can be. The audience definitely motivates us, but if they’re not kicking it, we still will.

Mike: The bottom line is, whether or not there is one person in the room or 100, we’re still going to give everybody that came the best performance we can give. We don??
?t get bummed b
y low numbers if we ever have them. We just rock out.

Did you prepare for your CMJ showcase differently than other shows?
Tim: Not too much differently than our normal shows, other than the fact that we’re giving out a lot of free stuff. We’re giving out our EP and hopefully you’ll see people around Manhattan wearing The Canon Logic sunglasses. Otherwise, no. Same kind of thing, coming out and playing our best.

Josh: We have enough loyal fans that every show, even though not everyone can make it to every show, the amount of people we’re pulling from ends up giving us a pretty packed house. A lot of our shows are similar in the sense that people are there, really getting into the music and enjoying themselves. We try not to change it too much.

What is the writing process like between all of you?
Josh: We all like to write. Generally Tim will bring a song in or someone will bring a piece to him and we’ll just throw out ideas. It’s rare that we ever have a finished song that one person brings and does. Maybe we’ll have a bridge and a chorus or a verse and a bridge and then we’ll expand and we’ll try different things. Our songs are rarely ever complete. We’ve been playing this one song, “The Run” for three or four years. It’s probably one of our first songs and we’re still changing it and trying to make it better. Nothing is ever really finished. We’re always trying to change and stay ahead of the curve and keep things fresh.

You were on Warped Tour and MTV2 recently. So your music is definitely getting out there.
Sean: Both of those were great because we rarely get to touch upon the teenage demographic. Usually we’re playing at bars so we’re lucky if we can sneak some 18+ in on a good night. That’s a huge crowd playing 13 through 18. We really take advantage of those; we either have give-a-ways or practice extra hard. I think the MTV2 thing was the perfect example. We made a point to be on point and grab as many fans as we could when we had a chance because those opportunities are, at the current time, few and far between.

Do you feel like a band can survive being independent or are you looking for that record deal?
Sean: We don’t feel any immediate pressure for our careers to get a record deal. We know plenty of bands who have gotten low-level indie with major distribution who have just gotten screwed over and they’re on the shelf for three years. We know better than to make a stupid move, but we can sustain ourselves if we put out a really good CD just on MySpace and grassroots. We’re smart guys; we have plans all the time, different marketing schemes.

Josh: The Internet has really been a great tool. We all work and during the day, probably about a few hundred emails in a given day might go back and forth so we’re always in contact. Sure, we have our jobs, but this is what we want to do. We try to do as much as we can on the Internet. I think we’ve gotten a lot of younger fans from the Internet because they’re the ones that go on the Web sites, comment and check things out. That’s why we like to try and get a few all-age shows, 18+. Sullivan Hall is a great venue because it’s 18+, so a lot of the kids from NYU come, a lot of college kids. In the end, that’s the loyal, dedicated people that come out. Once you’re out of college it definitely gets harder to come to shows. The Internet’s been wonderful to us.

Be sure to give the Canon Logic’s MySpace a listen and check out their Web site as well. Watch a live performance of fan favorite, “Avenue of Criminals” from their performance during MTV2’s “Battle of the Bands” below.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAlz30OGPc0]