I had the pleasure of booking Ock Cousteau back in December along with Spose and Cam Groves. The pair is made up of emcees Mike Be and Jay Caron, who are also two-thirds of the Educated Advocates.
These guys had a ton of energy and brought out old school boom bap beats with signature 90s rap styles. In other words, it was exactly what I wanted to hear! These two do all of the hard work themselves, serving as their own DJ's, producers, and of course, artists.
During their most recent tour with Spose, The Yard Sale Tour, they were giving out a special advanced copy of their upcoming album, Nautical Audibles, which were also specially marked out of 100 (I had number 49).
The first track, "All Season," was a great intro to the album and showcased just what they are about as they rap about grinding all year.
"Mortal Kombat" is the second track on the album, and their single. The song features witty boasts by the duo as well as showing the world that they "put it down." Watch it below.
"You Two" features a solo performance by Jay Caron. He goes off on the track dropping knowledge on sell outs and people who are looking for a "hand out." I love his flow and his narrative on the song. Everything about it is really solid.
Jay and Mike then go two bars for two bars on "Golden Harvest." Their voices compliment each other well regularly, but on this track with such tightly knit verses, the chemistry stands out. The isntrumental loop is quite nice as well.
"One For The..." is Mike Be's foray into a solo track, and he rips it as well. The best part of the song is the chorus from where the track gets it's name from.
"B.A. Baracus" opens up with a great sample from Mr. T. Even better is the sample to the beat, with nice guitar riffs, and then a roaring southern sounding little solo that gets worked in through out, and fully played at the end. The song reminds you of a full on bar room throw down and kind of takes you there.
Opening right into the chorus, "Ock Cousteau" is the self-titled anthem for the group. Again, good wordplay dominates this track, and has one of the better choruses of the release. Mike and Jay's chemistry as emcee's shines through on this song as they lay the lyrical pipe down.
All in all, Ock Cousteau's demo is a great look into what's coming for these two. If I could compare them to anyone, I'd dare to say a white Black Star, not so much because their lyrics are insane like a Mos Def and Kwelli, but because they are so confident, comfortable, and smooth over their beats. It's really refreshing to listen to, and they are great at what they do.
However, I have two problems with this record, it's too short! I must have more songs, and longer one's too. You'll burn through this album in 20 minutes with only seven tracks averaging just under 3:00 minutes. However, this is merely a complaint and not an actual problem. The fact of the matter is these guys can spit and are some dope lyricists. So stayed tuned for what's coming next!
Hailing from Wells, Maine, Cam Groves released his album, Hope Something Cool Happens (2011). As a side note, I booked Cam Groves at the Full Cup December 2012 along with Spose, Educated Advocates, and Kristina Kentigan. I decided to buy an album from each artist to review and this is what I bought.
After listening to the first song on this album, I was instantly hooked into listening to more because of the humorous originality of Cam Groves. That first song is “Stand Still.” I can always respect when an artist perfectly explains his/her life with no exaggeration. It’s hard for rappers these days to be honest with themselves in their music. Cam Groves does the opposite and his substance is relatable to the working, middle class trying to catch a break and have fun.
One of the coolest tracks on this album is “Studio Beat-Box.” It’s rare nowadays to have beat-box on a track in a 21st century. It definitely shows the type of Hip-Hop that he’s influenced by. As far as flow, I feel like it’s one of his best tracks on the album. The multi-syllables match together concisely.
The last song, “You Can’t Stop Me” is my favorite off this album. Regina Lucchese really purifies the hook and convinces you to pay attention to the verses that Cam Groves raps. It’s a very motivating and simple song not to mention how relatable it is for everyone. The song is about perseverance. His humor is incorporated smoothly in this and there’s nothing too outlandish that would turn a listener off on this song.
First and foremost, who are you and what do you do?
I
am legend. My name is Shameless Plug. I am a singer and an emcee. I
make music with a DJ and various producers. We're called The Yes Yes
Yalls.
Yes Yes Yall is obviously a classic hip-hop line.
Shameless Plug seems to have some of that old school flavor in it too.
How'd you come up with that name as an emcee and were there others?
One
day I thought it would be a clever name so I just ran with it. Before
that I called myself Al Sharp for a little while. It was the name of a
song by The Beta Band that had a special significance to me. Then I
briefly changed my name to Apathy until I realized there was already
another act with that name. A dope one too. I found out years later that
there was another Al Sharp as well. Hell, there may even be another
Shameless Plug. I have no idea.
What is something that is only unique to your group, and what sets you guys apart from others?
What
we make tends to land somewhere between Justin Timberlake and
Atmosphere. I can't really think of anyone else who sounds like that. If
you can, please let me know because it sounds like something I'd enjoy.
You guys have had a chance to play a number of festivals and big shows.
Which one stands out the most in your mind, and what was that overall
experience like?
You would think it would be one of the bigger
ones, but it was actually just a recent gig in our hometown area upon
the release of our latest album. Just something that night. I can't even
explain why. It just felt better than any other time spent on stage
before.
Being from NJ, how did Hurricane Sandy affect you
personally, and how do you think music can play a vital role in the
healing process?
Thankfully I don't live in the part(s) of the
state that suffered the worst damage. We were without power for about a
week and a lot of trees were knocked down but that's about it. Nothing
compared to what other people went through and are still going through.
As far as music goes, I recently helped organize a benefit show with a
friend of mine that had a whole bunch of acts get together and perform
to raise money for those who needed it. I dunno how vital it all can be,
but when you have folks like Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel doing the
same kind of thing, it definitely makes a dent.
Tell us about your newest album, and what are some tracks to look out for?
Our
newest album is called 9000 and you should just look out for the
whole thing. You can hear it all and download it for free at www.theyesyesyalls.com
What's the dopest rhyme you've ever written?
That's
for the listener to decide. Sure I have my personal favorites but
mostly for sentimental reasons. Stuff that meant the most to me tends to
outweigh stuff with better punchlines.
Biggest rockstar moment, biggest failure moment since being in Yes Yes Yalls?
I
was added to some tour a few years back and we played a show in the
middle of nowhere in Kansas. The crowd there treated me like I was some
damn celebrity. It was unreal. As far as failures go, they happen on a
daily basis. [Haha.]
Who would be your dream collaboration? (artist and producer)
Thom Yorke. Rick Rubin.
Top 5 greatest emcees dead or alive?
Andre 3000, Rakim, Black Thought, Slick Rick and Bob Dylan.
What's the the immediate future for the group and what direction would you like to see the group go in?
The
immediate future is a couple side projects I've been working on. One is
a mixtape where I sing and rap over television theme songs. The other
is a collaboration with my good friend John Blake. Some straight up
hip-hop type stuff. We're calling ourselves The Nayno. As for what
direction I'd like to see The Yes Yes Yalls go in, that kinda changes on
the daily recently. It could end up more of what we've been doing with
the producer/DJ/emcee thing. It could end up a full band that goes
somewhere completely different. It could be more electronic type stuff. I
have no idea at this point. Whatever feels right when it comes time to
work on the next album is just what we're gonna roll with.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm JD and I'm a musician.
What is your style of music, and what do you do differently than everyone else?
My style of music is Pop/R&B with a little bit if rap/hip-hop for
perfection (haha). What I do differently is mix different genres and blends of music that don't necessarily go together.
Do you feel your young age is an advantage or disadvantage?
I feel like my age is an advantage to my career because I can relate to
what other teens are feeling in everyday life, so I can include those
experiences in my music.
Who do you strive to be like?
I strive to be like ME, (laughs) but seriously, if I had to choose someone
I'd like to be like musically and especially lyrically, it would be
either D-Pryde or Michael Jackson.
What are your biggest influences in creating music?
My biggest influences when creating music, are usually normal everyday
experiences & beliefs. Other artists that influence my music include
D-Pryde, Michael Jackson, and The Beatles.
How do you feel about today's current state of music?
Today's current state of music is actually pretty great at the moment!
Mainstream music a few years ago was getting a bit dry in my opinion,
everybody was preaching about the same topics and the music was
lacking art, and passion. Since 2009, music has been breaking new
barriers with a entire lineup of new artists, and classic artists
making comebacks for themselves.
What are you trying to accomplish over the next few years?
For the next few years, I'm actually going to work on finishing up my
academic education...while still balancing my music career as a full
time job.
If you could work with any producer, artist, musician, etc- who would it be?
If I could work with any producer, it would definitely have to be Quincy
Jones! I admire Quincy for ALL of the work he's done on every
Michael Jackson record up to date.
Does your music have a message and if it does, what do you want it to tell people?
I like to think that my music has a clear message...Peace, Love, and Happiness. I want people to experience different emotions worth a
lifetime when listening to my music.
What's the best piece of advice you've gotten about music?
The best advice I've gotten about music is "Give the people what they
want, but stay true to yourself." This means to release music that will
be appealing to the public and your fans, while still writing music
that means something to you, the artist.
Anything else to add?
I'd like to thank "Broken Records Collective" for the amazing
opportunity they've given me! Also, everyone should stay tuned for my
upcoming debut mixtape! You can find more information by following me
on Twitter @TheRealJD_Music or by "LIKING' my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheRealJD98
Staten Island pop-punk band, It's Not Over, has been a mainstay in the local scene for over five years, but recently they took an extended hiatus to figure out where the band was headed and to make some changes musically.
Finally, after many months, they have announced that their comeback show will be Friday July 13 at the Cup in Staten Island. Full details here.
The band would also like to let their fans know that guitarist/back up vocalist Josh Cronopolus has parted ways with the band, and that they are moving more towards a pop driven direction. With this change of style they are eagerly looking for a keyboard/synth player to fill out their music section.
It's Not Over is asking fans to vote for their song "Stop, Drop, Love" on z100. Vote here.
Singer Mike Giordano and bassist gave Ramirez are also exclusively looking to work with artists on upcoming projects and is offering his studio and production skills to anyone looking for a fair deal.
"I have experience working as a producer/songwriter with the engineers/producers who have done songs for B.O.B (airplanes), Diddy (I'm coming home), Eminem (I need a DR.) and more. Plus I have a college degree in audio production," said Mike.
"If you are interested message me or e-mail me, mikeantgio@gmail.com. I can send you some examples and we can talk about a price that works best for you.
Anyone who books a song for June I'm charging extremely low for June because I could use some extra bookings this month."
Who are you, what do you do?
My name is Menic, I am 23 year old progressive producer and DJ.
What is the reason you picked the name Menic? Well, I originally picked it because it was the last few letters of my
real name. It kind of has this mysterious feeling to it, but it also is
an awesome sounding stage name.
What sparked DJing for you and did you ever want to do any other type of music? I originally started out listening to old school Benny Benassi and
Louie Devito house tunes in 2006. I was so intrigued by it that I
started going onto a private forum called clubbers.pl and searching for
different electro songs. Eventually, I gained an ear for progressive
house music and started listening to Tiesto's Club Life Podcast every
week. I started studying all the transitions between each song and
loved every minute of it. I noticed the structure of the music and
where to drop certain things before I even set foot into the DJ realm. I
picked up some speakers and a cheap Numark controller and started
mixing up songs from there -- I was pretty natural at DJing progressive
music.
Who are your favorite DJ's/producers? As
of now there are so many talented artists out there, but artists like
Armin Van Buuren, Steve Angello, Axwell, Sebastion Ingrosso, Dada Life,
Tiesto, Alesso, etc, are all in my list of top DJs.
Which DJ would you aspire to be like? In the industry you really have to do something different to break out,
so I am mostly working on my own sound and mixes, but one of my biggest
inspirations is the trio, Swedish House Mafia. Many people think they
are mainstream now, but they've been doing this for years and still put
on one of the craziest performances I have ever seen live.
What is some of the gear that you use? For live performances I use Pioneer CDJ 1000's and 2000's and the
Pioneer DJM 800 mixer. In my studio I'm using Ableton Live and Logic
Pro with Focal speakers and an Apogee sound card.
What goes into the process of creating a song? Each song is different for me, usually when I go through the day I
have blips of ideas that come into my head so I record them and jot them
down into Ableton Live. Otherwise, I'll start usually with my drums,
then build a bassline, melodies, bridges and transitions last.
How do you go about preparing a set, and do you test songs on crowds?
I usually get some of the latest music and incorporate it into my sets,
but I love throwing in classics to spice it up a little bit. Also, a
bunch of edits and mashups that I made are in all of my sets. Obviously
when you're live you have to adjust to the crowd so I tailor my set to
how the crowd is reacting.
What is the best and worst feedback you've ever gotten? The best feedback is when people are dancing and the worst is when
they're not, but you just have to learn to adjust when you are out
there.
What are your realistic goals in music? Well, I have always set huge goals for myself and with hard work
they will come. I am working on perfecting my image as an artist
because that's important. Once I gain an image as a producer I plan on
sending demos to a bunch of contacts I have made in the industry. I
want to take over the scene by storm.
FAIRDAY SKYLINE
Fairday Skyline live at the Battle of The Boroughs - Staten Island 2012
Vote them into the Ultimate Battle of the Boroughs at thegreenespace.org
or by texting ST6 to 69866 between noon on Monday, May 7th and 11:59 pm on Sunday, May 20th 2012.
HEROES
GRAFFITI 6
I interviewed these British rockers back in 2010, and finally two years I have spliced up the footage. Check it out!
TONY KZ
Download this hot track and spread the love!
BROKEN RECORDS COLLECTIVE
Check out what's going on with the BRC and see videos from Eric D'Alessandro, Vinny Jett, and Process of Fusion
Vin Major is NYC hip-hop producer who raised himself in hip-hop culture and tries to embody the sound of genre with every beat he makes. His production is top notch, and is planning big things in the immediate future.
Who are you, what do you do?
What's up world? My name is Vin Major, I am a producer/beatmaker from New York.
Tell me about Get Major and how did you get started?
Get Major was my initial independent production label that I created years ago while in the process of evolving my music and business opportunities. I have branched off to starting my own production team known as The Tune Doc's represented by 523 studios/records.
How long have you been producing and did you ever explore other things musically?
I have been producing music for roughly eight years with a few long hiatuses here and there. I have never limited my creative opportunities and experimenting with other genres has always been my sole goal. I am currently working on a instrumental album which consists of many different genres from trip hop/ funk/soul/electronica and rock all mixed in one.
What do you feel is the connection between good rapping and good beats?
They go hand for hand, but I feel sometimes you have to know the artist you are working with and arrange music accordingly...where the artist and beatmaker do not fight to out shine each other. Many artists lack substance in certain departments of lyricism where the beatmaker would have to emphasize more characteristics in an individual track and visa versa. Sometimes the beatmaker adds too much, he leaves no room for the artist but I think you should know the people you work with and know their strong points as an artist. I know how to create music with enough space for them to be as creative and comfortable as possible.
What gear do you use and how do you go about creating your beats?
I started on Acid Pro and until this day I still swear by it. My current set up consist of a Macbook Pro, Logic Pro 9, Reason 6, Akai Mpk 25, a MPC 1000, and a bunch of midi controllers, keyboards with a lot of custom sounds and samples on my hard drive.
Who are your favorite producers and rappers?
I change my mind every day, but as far as producers I've always been a Dr. Dre fan. I admire his perfectionist craft, DJ Khalil (Not to be confused with DJ Khaled), Nottz Raw, Hi Tek, Alchemist... too many to name. I'm definitely feeling the new kids, my guy Arrabmuzik, Hit-Boy, Frank Dukes, Jhalil Beats, Cardiak, just to name a few.
Who would you aspire to sound like and have you gotten any comparisons?
I try not sound like anybody, I do not think any two artists or producers sound the same. You can deliberately tell when there is a carbon copy or one producer influences the other, but everything I do is based on feeling and the atmosphere or my mood; so I basically arrange my mood and emotions. It's still me to the core.
What rappers have you worked with, and are any of them famous?
I have worked with a few artists in the past: Big Lou (former Street Sweepers artist), Bodybaggs (Champion Muzik), Grafh (Black Hand), Cash NY, and featured tracks with Kool G Rap, Nino Bless, Joell Ortiz, and Styles P. They've gone uncredited due to legal issues and some paper work, but that's the game...I am focusing on my own project now and the artist I am working with now.
Where do you hope to take your music?
Right now I have a bunch of projects in motion. Me and my partner/engineer Mike Checks of 523 Records have been working hands on and trying new things out in the new studio. Shout out to Mike Checks, he's a very dope engineer and we have this in studio chemistry that I feel is bringing a lot of my creativity back to life. He knows exactly how I want my stuff to sound from a mixing stand point and his ear for music is phenomenal. In the long run I am just trying to create good music and leave something for people to remember me by. It's my art, it's my vent, so regardless how far it goes I just enjoy making music.
What is your take on today's hip-hop?
It's evolved for better and for worse, technology evolves, trends fade, fads have a short life span and we just entered a different age. I just take it for what it is.
Anything else you'd like to add?
Look out for my Tune Doc Saints instrumental LP. There's a few things I want to keep quiet that I can't speak on, but I am very excited about Broken Records Collective, we'll just have to wait and see (laughs). Also my future project with Drow and Damier of the Cypha, I have been working heavy with them and I think they have a bright future in this game.
Shoutouts to: Mike Checks, Hoffy, 523 Records, Bareknuckle Mafia, and SiK Boi.
Affiliation Red is a hip-hop/rock group comprised of DTropp, (rap, bass, beats), and Doug C, (guitar and vocals) who are from Pittsburgh and Oneonta respectively.
A.F. blends the sounds of early nu metal groups with Linkin Park, and the Flobots to create a unique listening experience to the audiences ears.
Their EP, released on May 1st, titled, Ideologies, is available for free download at http://affiliationred.bandcamp.com in the original version and the clean version.
"Stories" opens up with great piano chords that lead into a heavy guitar riff for the chorus. Once the guitar kicks in it remains for most of the song until the drop out and vocal bridge before ending the song again.
The rhymes and lyrics are reminiscent to the Flobots as the emcee, DTropp, keeps a steady even keeled flow throughout the song as he covers pop cultured topics such as the "three little pigs" and "Romeo and Juliet" as the message of growing up beyond the stories heard as a child are forayed into growing up.
The next track, "Welcome to the Industry," features heavier guitars over a synth laden track while discussing the insecurities and the feeling of smallness when entering the music industry.
The second half of the song sees the vocalist standing up to the "Industry" and fighting back by getting it together. This is symbolically heard in the gang vocals part of the chorus that drives home the point of unity and togetherness to overcome obstacles.
"Graduation Day" once again focuses on growing up, but this time by reflecting back on real "stories" and life as things to learn and build on.
It is almost a teen angst song without the angst; the laid back feel of the instrumental and the relaxed vocals make you feel like you're in your teenage skin again as you replay a montage of highlights from high school.
Polishing off the set is the grittiest track, "Sickened," which sounds like a nu metal early 2000s radio banger. DTropp is the most aggressive on this track as he targets the things that make him sick and sends out a warning that he is coming to take them out.
After a brief guitar solo the song hits back into the chorus and closes out the EP with a bang.
The following track is a remix of "Welcome to the Industry" called "DTropp Remix."
It is the same song with different synths, piano, heavier bass, and different filters on the voice. A nice touch and send off for fans who are looking for some more length on their albums.
Overall, Ideologies, is a good first venture into in the music world for Affiliation Red as they look to make an impact in a genre that has risen and fallen over the years.
Anticipating the End, you’re a band from New Jersey. I’m from New
York, how would you describe your sound to someone who doesn’t locally
know you?
I would describe our sound as something never heard
before. We basically put our heads together with all of our influences
and put them into this band. We are definitely alternative with some
electronica and a mash of other genres because we have a lot of variety
in our music. That's what makes our music and sound so unique esspecially
at our age.
Your band is composed of six different members; is it difficult to maintain or does everyone play their own unique part? Definitely; all I can say to anyone out there who's starting or is a
starter in a band that it isn't easy. You can't just pick up an instrument
and call yourself a musician, you gotta work your heart out and put
your mind to the music. Getting everyone to practice is sometimes crazy
because we're only 16 and well transportation is limited until we get our
license. My message out to everyone is if you're gonna start a band with 3
or 4 or 5 or 6 guys just know you can't mess around, you gotta be serious
and dedicated and you may end up like us, making a difference in the
industry
Your song “Bravery” focuses very much on fighting
against any hate or negativity. Was there a specific event that led to
the composing of this song? This song came together by one
word, "3/4," meaning the time signature of the song. It's actually 6/8
but it's basically the same thing. The true meaning of the song was about
bullying and how we all witnessed it infront of us. We just wanted to make a song people can relate
to and be able to say "hey im not afraid to stand up for myself!" The
lyrics say it all in the song, every word is true.
You recently got booked to play at Six Flags Great Adventure, how has that impacted you all as a band?
It has definitely pushed us to the point where we know we're on the
verge to enter the music industry. Six Flags is a really big venue for
us and only a few bands ever get to stand on that stage. We're honored to
be one of those bands. we were always made fun of and told we wouldnt
be anything so this is a big in your face to the people who said we
werent good enough.
Is there a plan for an album release in the future? Yes! The name will be announced very very soon, but we are anticipating
for it to be released in the fall. Expect songs just as good as the ones
we have up. We made sure they were all high caliber songs and that we
add variety so people who like different sounds will have something of
ours to enjoy.
Who are your main influences? Linkin Park, Muse, Pendulum, and Three Days
Grace.
What’s the relationship with your fans like? We love our fans so much. We are always open to more and having more
activity on our facebook if it was possible. At this point in time I believe more will come and more gifts will be given to the really loyal
ones.
Anthony, this is more of a personal question, rather
than one for the band, but the song “Gone” is about a significant loss
in your life. I don’t mean to ask a question that has probably been
asked a thousand times but how did this event lead to the writing of the
song and how has it affected your music career? When I was 14 I loved to hangout with my neighbor, Adam. He was a drummer and he always loved jamming. So one day, I learned a song and we jammed. His friends and him showed me Linkin Park, and I was IN LOVE after I heard "Faint."
Two months later my dad passed away and I was crushed. It
was such a bad time for me, but Adam was there. Then a month later he was
gone, and I was all alone. Then I made
ATE and added the members that are here today. We officialy started in January of 2012, but we were around in June of 2011. My dad was the real
reason I came into music. I put passion and commitment into everything. I studied my butt off for two years and bam, I became who I am today. I wouldn't be anything without my dad, and thats why I wrote "Gone."
If there was a movie about Anticipating the End, which actors, if any, would portray each member of the band? Anthony - John Travolta (young) Russell - Matt Timmons Tom - Michael Cera Evan - Woody Harrelson (with glasses) Danny - Ido Mosseri (from Zohan) Kyle - Adam Sandler (maybe)
What are some bands that you guys would like to headline a tour or show with? I mean, professionally I'd say Muse, Linkin Park, or Three Days Grace. Locally, I'd say Alter The Ending, 287, The First Law, Standby, and
Forever Broken.
Is the band looking to get signed onto a record label or are you looking to produce your own music? We're looking to get signed. We're actually on the hunt thanks to our
promoters working hard on finding labels that fit us and also that will
support us so we can make more music and be able to do more things. Right now we're in talks with some big labels but we aren't sure if we
will choose them or the other one we find so you'll just have to wait and
find out
Where does the song writing process usually start?
A melody or even simply someone presenting a new idea. We work off that, dissect it, then rebuild it and add little things into it to give it
that pop and ATE feel. We work with an
underrated producer who reads our minds all the time and just makes
magic happen.
In my interviews I like to
randomly pit two pop culture and/or media figures against each other and
find out the bands opinion on the outcome. So here it goes, in a bare
knuckle brawl, who would win The Terminator or Iron Man? I'd have to say the Terminator. That guy is crazy! He'll be back so.....
Well, if we're gonna be specific, I was eight. My dad was a piano player and taught me how to play my first piece of classical music. I started writing songs that were really bad, but I loved playing. Fast forward ten years or so, I released my first album in late 08' that spread pretty well on Facebook and Youtube. I got featured on the YouTube homepage and my album made the top-40 on the iTunes pop charts. I started touring based on that initial online fan base.
At what point did you feel that what you're doing now became a full-time career? Providing that's how you feel about your music.
After I released my first album I was working a day job and kind of sitting around in my apartment waiting for something to happen. I soon realized that I had to be touring and growing my fan base outside the online world to really have a future in music. I was able to support a few bigger artists on some east-coast tours due to the support I had from fans online. I started building it one fan at a time. What really made it full-time was when I put the word out about my first house concert tour two summers ago. I couldn't believe the response. I did around 60 house concerts in the span of two months, often doing two shows a day on Saturday's and Sundays. I started selling out of CD's and merch at these shows, and I was traveling solo so expenses were low. It turned into a full-time thing.
You've been playing annual house tours; what were some experiences you'd like to share about them? How do they differ from other types of shows and tours you've done?
House shows are different in that there are no rules. They can be as basic as no amp, totally acoustic, just 25 people squeezing together in a living room.. or it can be 200 people in a backyard. I leave it up to the fans who book me how they want the evening to be. It's usually very loose, and you can connect with your fans on an even more personal level. Whenever I'm back in their town playing a venue show, I find that the fans I made from the house concerts are always in the front seats.
Your music has been used in shows like Ghost Whisperer and The Real World. Those honestly seem very different from each other in terms of genre and the audience they're reaching out to. How did you and your music get involved in these shows?
Most of these placements are the work of 3rd party licensing companies that work directly with these shows and provide music. If the music happens to fit a specific scene, you might get lucky and get a placement.
Your relationship with your fans, whats it like? Do they influence your music to some effect or is your sound coming solely from you?
I'm very thankful to have the support of my fans and have been able to put out a couple records now. Through outlets like Twitter and Facebook posts, my fans play along well and are very responsive. I'm always excited to hear feedback or read tweets from them, and hopefully they are happy to hear from me too on a daily basis. Influences for songs can come from all over, but I just want to write good music that moves me and hopefully will move a few other people too.
What would you say to someone who has never heard you before? How would you get them to listen?
I would kidnap them in a cop car, lock them in the back seat, and play my record over and over.
If you wouldn't mind, what has been one of your embarrassing on-stage moments? And in contrast, have you had any "Super Star" stage moments that you'd like to share?
I'm lucky I've never had any really terrible embarrassing on-stage moments yet. I think the worse was a big show in New York City at an up-scale venue called City Winery. It was a sold-out crowd opening for Howie Day, I walked on stage, and of course, the battery in my guitar felt like giving up. I had to entertain the crowd with jokes while we looked for a 2nd guitar. However, I cracked some kind of joke like "I like to start every show like this…it's all good." I find if you're real with the audience, they will most likely forgive you and cheer you on. A recent super-star moment was a 100 or so fans in Corpus Christi, TX singing along to the chorus of my single "Counting On You." I was so surprised they all knew the words and sang out loud.
I keep asking two part questions, my apologies, here's a single one. Whats next up for you and your music?
That's like one and half questions. I'm currently writing a lot of new music, and I'm touring pretty often through the Summer. The song I mentioned earlier "Counting On You" is right now #41 on the Hot AC charts. I'm hopeful that song and my new album Constant Motion will continue to grow so I can tell you more super-star moments next interview.
How would you say you've evolved as an artist from your first entry into the music industry to now?
I think whatever career you pursue, you just naturally get better at what you do on a daily basis. I think I've improved in all areas of music, from the songwriting process, to recording, performing, and the business side.
How has your most recent album Constant Motion been doing; Has it met your expectations?
I think it was the right album for me at this point in my career. My first album, Change Again, was a slower-paced, moody album, and Constant Motion is a bit more of an up-tempo pop album. My fans have been reacting really well to it, and radio has been playing the first single, so I'm happy with the response so far.
On whichever mp3 player you may own, who do you find yourself listening to the most? Are they an inspiration to you?
I usually do Pandora cause I like to go for runs and not have to create my own playlist. Lately I've been putting on Fitz and the Tantrums. Great songs and I love the throw-back 70's vibe.
Are you spontaneous in song-writing or is it something you work on slowly until you approve?
I think it's a combo of both. If there is something I come upon and it's "wow this can be all mine," I'll probably go with it and finish it on the spot. Due to all the touring I've been doing though, that isn't as easy now as say when I used to sit in my college dorm room avoiding doing a paper.
In the time between touring and composing, what do you usually find yourself doing for fun?
I was joking with my friends the other day that I've become pretty boring. It's always nice to see my friends and family back in NY, but even if I have a weekend off and I'm home, I won't really party too hard with my buddies, cause right now I'm so focused on my career and I don't want to risk losing my voice on an off-night for a show the following Wednesday. So for fun I like seeing movies, running, drinking coffee and reading the paper. Real rockstar-ish.
Since we've already talked about your fans and their support, what would you say to anyone who speaks negatively of you?
Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk about me.
Final question, who do you think would win in a fight, Cordell Walker aka Texas Ranger or Bruce Lee?
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