Fringe Magazine - May/June 2011 by Brite

May | June 2011 ISSUE 11

NEW REVIEWS, LIVE

PHOTOS, MIXTAPE

AND

MORE!

GRACE POTTER

AND THE NOCTURNALS plus

Dallas Davidson and The Tunics

Chancellor Warhol • Emily DeLoach • Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors • Jenny & Tyler • The Kicks

FR E E A BRITE REVOLUTION PUBLICATION

F R I N GE M A GAZI N E . C OM

FROM

SOUND CHECK TO

ROYALTY

CHECK CELEBRATING

MORE THAN TWO DECADES OF

LIVE PERFORMANCE PAYMENTS

there’s always something happening at hard rock

nashville

LOCATED IN EDGEHILL VILLAGE EDGEHILLCAFE.COM

taylor

davis “More Hours in the Night” on iTunes May 31st

“0QJJEJ +A !N=VU” on iTunes June 14th PRODUCED BY DAN FERNANDEZ

!DA?G KQP www.taylordavisonline.com for tour dates! facebook.com/taylordavisfans twitter.com/thetaylordavis

CONTENTS MAY / JUNE 2011

COVER:

28. Ooh La La

Bursting with equal parts dynamism and raw talent, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are seducing audiences with their energy-infused throwback sound.

IN EVERY ISSUE:

8. EDITOR’S LETTER

Fringe’s new Editor-in-Chief, Brittany Joy Cooper, talks about three weeks in Europe, summer in Nashville and why you won’t want to miss this issue.

18. FRINGE U

I’m about to meet with an A&R rep at a label. Help!

64 49 54. SPECIAL FEATURE Setting the Stage

Entrepreneur Kristen Dabbs never stops adding her zest to Nashville’s local flavor.

PLUS:

21. LIFE ON THE FRINGE

10. FLASH

When Local Goes Global: Are we killing the local businesses we love?

Two spreads. Live photos. Every issue. This month, the shutter closes on Warpaint and Flogging Molly.

FRINGE 5

15. MIXTAPE

41. Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors 43. Jenny & Tyler 45. The Kicks 47. Emily DeLoach 49. Chancellor Warhol

For all the rainy days in May, Kami Knake, founder of Bands Under the Radar, brings you a mixtape that will brighten your day. You can download all the songs for free at briterevolution.com.

26. GUILTY PLEASURES

52. MAIN STREET

We got some big names in Nashville to talk about who they listen to when their car windows are securely rolled up.

We are totally smitten with Otis James ... and his artisan neckties.

36. BRITE NEW ARTISTS

The Tie Guy

61. HELLO, SONGWRITER. Meet Dallas Davidson, who penned four of 2010’s 10 most-played country songs.

FEATURES:

22. JOE GALANTE Former head of Sony Music Nashville, Joe Galante spent 39 years developing Nashville’s top talent.

38. THE TUNICS This budding British band is not about to be boxed in.

Your chance to meet the newest members of the Brite Revolution family.

58. TECH TIDBITS Reviews from the folks at Griffin Technology, pros and average Joes on some fun new gadgets you just might love.

64. REVIEWS

Here, Lightning 100 DJs Wells Adams and “Lieutenant” Dan Buckley give you the skinny on what’s worth spinning and what’s better left unspun.

EDITOR’S LETTER Be sure to

cheatck us

line t on ouww w.fringemagazine.com

y husband and I recently spent three weeks stomping across Europe. We gazed at the monuments, slept in bunk beds per hostel life, tried CouchSurfing for the first time, sipped espresso like natural Italians and consumed enough bread and cheese to make a Frenchman blush. And after all our adventures and travels, it was still so exciting and comforting to come back home to Nashville. I don’t think I’ll ever get over how beautiful this city becomes when spring takes over.

The warm weather means we can start looking forward to Shakespeare in the Park and the sounds of Musicians Corner at Centennial. Shelby Park will soon be in full bloom, and runners will literally jump out of the woodwork (where do they come from?) to train for the Country Music Marathon. Whether you’re the person who has already marked every summer show on your calendar, or if your mind goes straight to the scorching heat and mosquitos the size of golf balls (really, though, where do they come from?), the season will change and summer will come.

READER SERVICES

STAFF

SUBSCRIPTIONS Your subscription includes six issues of Fringe Magazine per year. To order your subscription today, please visit fringemagazine.com.

PUBLISHER Winn Elliott winn@fringemagazine.com

BACK ISSUES When available, back issues of Fringe Magazine can be purchased for $6 each on fringemagazine.com or through email inquiries to brittany@ fringemagazine.com. FEEDBACK We love to hear what you think, and we welcome your letters, questions and comments. Send your feedback to brittany@fringemagazine.com.

We at Fringe think spring is the perfect metaphor for the magazine right now, as we’re about to unveil some truly incredible new features. We’re excited to announce that Fringe is now a part of Brite Revolution, another Nashville company dedicated to helping you discover the best new music around.

WRITING OPPORTUNITIES We’re always on the hunt for great freelance writers. Please send any inquiries to brittany@ fringemagazine.com

What does this mean for you? Well, a lot of things, really. You’ll notice that we’re beefing up the magazine with new sections and a wider circulation around town. In the coming weeks, we’ll be rolling out an entirely new briterevolution.com and launching a new mobile app—giving you access to all our content in print, online and via your mobile device. Plus, you’ll be able to download FREE music from all the artists you love reading about in Fringe.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES We’re always on the hunt for freelance photographers looking to establish themselves in the music industry. Send all inquiries to mackenzie@ fringemagazine.com.

We’ve always been dedicated to music discovery, and now we’re really stepping up our game. Get ready for some of the best emerging music, the most interactive and informative web platform and an even more engaging and relevant publication. This issue, we’ve shined the spotlight on the spunky, energetic, female-driven band Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and other musicians we think you must know. We’re introducing long-anticipated columns—reviews from the Lightning 100 DJs, guilty pleasure music from some famous Nashvillians, Griffin Technology reviews of the hottest new products and a Brite playlist you can access online.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES We’re always on the hunt for great interns. To learn more about becoming an intern at Fringe, contact troy@fringemagazine.com. FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM Check us out on the web for exclusive content, videos and live concert coverage not seen in the magazine, as well as past issues, articles and special promotions.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Brittany Joy Cooper brittany@fringemagazine.com CREATIVE DIRECTOR Mackenzie Moore mackenzie@fringemagazine.com ASSISTANT DESIGNER Natasha McCracken MARKETING DIRECTOR Libby Funke libby@fringemagazine.com SPONSORSHIP & EVENTS Chris Vetrano chris@briterevolution.com DIRECTOR OF ARTIST RELATIONS Kami Knake kami@briterevolution.com WEB CONTENT MANAGER Troy Akers troy@briterevolution.com DIRECTOR: NON-PROFIT RELATIONS Elaina Shaver elaina@briterevolution.com EDITORIAL INTERN Matthew Dodson matt@fringemagazine.com

So, as you take in the fresh air and the new dogwood blooms that surround you, know that Fringe is committed to bringing you a spring of our own. Well, everything but the mosquitos. FRINGE MAGAZINE WAS FOUNDED BY DAVID W. KIGGINS CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Amanda Hensel, Junice Rockman, Matt Dodson, Erin Burcham, Francy Goudreault, Kristy Ensor, Adam Mayfield, Megan Pacella, Jamie McCormick, Wells Adams, Dan Buckley, Scott Hill, Josh Roberts, Brittany Joy Cooper

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Jamie McCormick, Evan Spencer Brace, Allen Clark, Will Vastine, Lauren Dukoff, Ian Rook, Sharon Clark, Joey Cardella, Austin Gros, Julee Duwe, Taylor Christian Jones, Laura Dart, Jon-Paul Bruno

Brittany Joy Cooper © 2011 FRINGE MAGAZINE, LLC. Issue 11. Fringe Magazine is published bi-monthly in Nashville, Tenn., by Fringe Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. Fringe Magazine is a registered trademark of Fringe Magazine, LLC. All rights reserved. Fringe Magazine assumes no liability for the return of any unsolicited materials and may use them at its discretion.

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TWITTER twitter.com/FringeMagazine FACEBOOK facebook.com/FringeMagazine ADVERTISING Libby@fringemagazine.com

FLASH

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

FLASH Matt Hensley of Flogging Molly shot for Fringe by Jamie McCormick at War Memorial Auditorium

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

FLASH

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

FLASH Theresa Wayman of Warpaint shot for Fringe by Evan Spencer Brace at Mercy Lounge

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

MIXTAPE

BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH ... WE MADE YOU THIS MIX

The Rainy Day Mixtape

YEAH, IT’S KIND OF A BIG DEAL.

Go to briterevolution.com/mixtape to download

This mix tape was created by Kami Knake, founder of Bands Under the Radar, a new music podcast that focuses on unsigned bands and indie artists. For suggestions on future themed Brite Mixtapes email kami@brite. me. Also, follow Kami on Twitter @butr for up-to-date info on the latest music mixtapes, new releases, music business news and more.

TRACK 1

SETH PHILPOTT - Nashville

TRACK 2

THE HEAVY PETS - Lazy Anna

TRACK 3

JEN GLOECKNER - Sleep To Dream

TRACK 4

RENE BRETON - A Thousand Violens

TRACK 5

GREGORY ALAN ISAKOV - Words

TRACK 6

LADY DANVILLE - Tired Magician

TRACK 7

THE HEAVY - Set Me Free

TRACK 8

TIGERS THAT TALKED - Holy Saturday, Gloomy Sunday

TRACK 9

FOUND - Mulokian

TRACK 10

STEVEN DELOPOULOS - Jungle Trail

TRACK 11

GABRAHM VITEK - Your Turn

TRACK 12

BEDOUIN SOUNDCLASH - Mountain MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

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Any “proof” of potential success is added value and may make a positive difference. Numbers of Facebook friends, professional references, viral video presence, venue performance history and similar information can help influence how the label representative perceives you, as well as the product you bring to the table. Above all, remember this checklist: Bring quality music, do your homework on both the company and the A&R person and be professional. -Dr. Timmy Tappan, Assistant Professor of Audio Engineering Technology and Music Business Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business, Belmont University

From meeting with an A&R rep to finding the right label or filing your taxes, the administrative side of a creative job can quickly get overwhelming. This month, we’re making life a little simpler by pitching your questions to the experts so you can spend less time fretting and more time on the fretboard.

I’ about I’m b t tto meett with ith an A&R rep at a label. Help! A record label’s A&R (Artists & Repertoire) department is the creative nexus of the company. You could say it’s the corporate presence of the creativity of the music itself. The hardest part of an appointment with an A&R person is … getting an appointment with an A&R person. You can go through several avenues to obtain such a meeting, but perhaps one of the best is networking. Once you set up the meeting, though, how do you best prepare for that appointment? The crucial question you need to ask yourself is this: Why am I meeting with this person in A&R? If you can’t answer this question in a simple, direct way, then you really don’t belong in such a meeting. It’s very likely that a first meeting of this type will be scheduled for only 15 minutes or so because A&R people are typically overworked and overscheduled. Therefore, you have to make your best impression in a short period of time. The two most likely reasons for meeting with someone in A&R include pitching an act or a band to a label for 18

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

signing or pitching a song to a label for an artist or band already signed to that label.

What are some of the benefits and drawbacks to signing with a record label?

The more you gain with a label (radio, marketing, production, retail, advances), the less you keep for each unit sold. But, then again, the pie as a whole is bigger, and you are likely to sell more in total sales in the long run. The real question here is one of tradeoff. As an artist, do you mind devoting time to the tasks labels are willing to take on for you? Is your time better spent being an artist, or are you able to successfully balance all the necessary administrative work as well? My best advice is this: Work as though you will never be signed, and if you are, you will bring more to the bargaining table. As an artist, you can do so much on your own, and with today’s market risk, record companies tend to pour their time and energy into artists who have steady career momentum and a buzz surrounding their name. Just like you, a label needs to consider the financial side of their business and make smart decisions on bands that show some promise to succeed.

The primary benefit labels bring to the table is capital. Labels have the finances, as well as the full-time employees to pour into the furthering of your career. If you sign to a label, you’re signing on to a team of people striving to get your music heard. You gain a list of managers, promoters -Dr. David Herrera, Director Indiebandhub. com, Belmont University Faculty and agents aggressively exploiting and increasing the exposure, revenue As a full-time singerand longevity of your career. All of this songwriter, what can I sounds pretty great, right? So what’s actually deduct from my the catch?

Either way, you are selling something, so you must have it straight in your own mind why you are going to this meeting. Practice what you want to say (maybe even in front of a mirror), because two components are going to help you sell your project: the music Of course, traditional label deals do itself and you as the representative of have drawbacks. For example, you that music. keep less money per unit sold, you may run up against old-style decision Bring a CD (or DVD if you have video) hierarchy or executives who still view and a flash drive of what you want to the industry through decades-old play, and be prepared to leave both lenses or a structure that lags behind at the A&R office. Some A&R people the lightning-quick technology of the don’t want to listen to your material marketplace. while you’re there. You can ask them to, but ultimately allow the label person To many on the label side, Twitter is to set the agenda for your meeting. still seen as a fad, and little planning

takes place to strategize how to link It should be obvious that the recording sales and promotion to social media you deliver needs to be the very best (evidenced by minimal commitment it can possibly be. This may be a to digital staffing and research). one-time shot. If you burn a bridge Because of this, major labels must with this person by submitting a substill hit homeruns in the traditional quality recording, you may not get model—under the “do it the way we another appointment the next time always have” mentality. This means around. And word has a way of getting that signed artists must be able to around the music community. So, the move the most product for the effort, recording itself needs to be above which may mean some compromise reproach, and the packaging needs to on the artistic uniqueness in exchange be professional as well. for more commercial appeal.

taxes? Typical tax preparers find it difficult to understand the unique nature of an artist’s life and, more importantly, the artist’s business. Therefore, it’s important that you become your best resource by devoting time to understanding and researching what you can deduct. It will pay off year after year. For all taxpayers, deductions are the secret to filing success. Artists, however, need to ask an additional question when reviewing their expenses each year: If I was not in this business, would I be buying this, paying for this, researching this, learning this or going to this? You can deduct these business expenses, but you will need proof. Keep a journal of your total income, expenses and travels. This need not be complicated; simply note what you do each day and what it costs,

“Work as though you will never be signed, and if you are, you will bring more to the

bargaining table.” whether driving to a gig, making photocopies or buying a guitar.

Basically, if you spent money to run your music business, you should be able to deduct it from your income taxes. The IRS says in Publication 535, “To be deductible, a business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your trade or business.” Here are some categories to think about (while keeping in mind that you will have to separate business use from personal/ pleasure use)

ITEM QTY PRICE ---------------------------------------(1) Instruments (2) Equipment, gear and accessories (amps, pedals, effects, straps, carrying cases) (3) Consumable supplies (drum skins, sticks, guitar strings, picks) (4) Music business books, record company directories, venue directories (5) Subscriptions to trade magazines

It goes without saying that the IRS is an absolute stickler for the details. So make a copy just for your tax file of pretty much anything related to your music, such as:

•Every letter and every press release you sent

•Responses from record companies, radio stations or anyone else to verify that you have been active in the pursuit of your music

•Gig fliers or postcards (even the

postmarked “return to sender” ones are helpful for this)

•A copy of your mailing list The extra time to track and detail your “business” will help to ensure you are in compliance with the IRS and will likely save you money every year. As always, make sure to seek the advice of a professional when preparing your taxes, as they can often offset their costs with additional deductions and tax strategies.

(6) Sheet music and “how-to” books and manuals (7) Promotional items (CD or tape duplication for demos, photos, bios) (8) Office supplies (paper, envelopes, photocopies, stamps) (9) Fees related to maintaining your website and e-mail access for your music-related activities (10) Rent for storing your gear and for your practice space (11) Membership in professional organizations, associations and unions (12) Professional fees (attorney, manager, agent, accountant)

-Justin Oldham, Financial Consultant, The Hassan, Oldham Group of Hilliard Lyons

------------------------------------------------This article is meant to be general in nature and should not be construed as investment or financial advice related to your personal situation. Please consult with your financial advisor prior to making financial decisions.

(13) Copyright and registration fees (14) Lessons and instruction (15) Travel expenses (keep a mileage log) (16) Losses by theft ----------------------------------------------------------Grand Total Tip: Total:

Hilliard Lyons does not offer tax or legal advice. Please consult your tax advisor or attorney before making any decision that may affect your tax or legal situation. Securities offered through J.J.B. Hilliard Lyons, W.L. Lyons, LLC, Member NYSE, FINRA and SIPC.

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ADVENTUREWORKS .COM

llife on the th hee fringe frin fri

when

local

goes global BY Josh Roberts | ILLUSTRATION Mackenzie Moore

y craving for hamburgers laced with things like bacon and pimento cheese makes Nashville’s Burger-Up one of my favorite places to “just happen to be around” at dinnertime. Two powerful forces rule my dining experiences: appetite (the most basic) and exclusivity (the vainest). I want to eat

where others can’t. That’s why, when I caught wind of Burger-Up’s plans to open a location in Cool Springs, I felt an immediate pang of betrayal.

Looking down at my half-finished pimento cheeseburger, I lamented the fact that one of my favorite experiences will now also be enjoyed by the same folks who seek out T.G.I. Friday’s drink specials on Saturday nights. I could not support this. But then it occurred to me just how unfair my affinity for all things local can be. I love local businesses right until the moment they “make it,” and then I ditch them. What is it about all things local that draws us in, and why do we so often renounce that loyalty at the first sign of commercial success? It’s a common occurrence, a cycle most of us have gone through: We see a band or eat at a restaurant and develop an immediate attachment. We rave about it, share the experience with friends and enjoy the thrill of being a part of something that people living elsewhere in the world know nothing about. In short, our local identity can become a projection of our own individual identities on the outside world.

real virtue in being a part of things nearby. The truest, as I see it, is wrapped up in how we define and engage with our community, and indeed, rampant success can occasionally disrupt those values. When your favorite local band can no longer play local shows because they’re juggernauting around the globe from arena to arena, you have, indeed, lost a bit of your little world. The hypocrisy comes in when we expect a limitless world of our own experiences but

is good for the environment—it’s envirron o ent— onm better for creativity, etc. But those e jjudgments ud are too narrow. Local businesses, businesses es for example, may be less environmentally environmental al sustainable than major chains that make mak a concerted effort to sustain nably. Or, O an artist who makes it operate sustainably. crea big may gain the creative freedom not afforded wh has to worry about cash the starving artist who s bills. b for next month’s The supposed values of ‘local cal a ’ have onlyy a tenuous connection to the act al ‘local’ upporting local—the lo off ssupporting movement has more lip b service than backing. Th hus, like hu e good parents, we must support our Thus, n communities as they grow, knowing that one day, at least some of the experiences we foster and support will leave the nest. We can be dramatic, cry betrayal and pontificate about lost values in a corrupt world, or we can take solace in the fact that it is not the business or the band that defines what is great about community; it’s us.

“Thus, like good parents, we must support our communities as they grow, knowing that one day, at least some of the experiences we foster and support will leave the nest.”

But what happens when bands get big breaks, restaurants expand and open new locations or growers achieve efficiency and higher production? An example many musicians face is the backlash from original fans when those fans have to share their adoration with a broader audience. This ignites an intuitive reaction. Bands are accused of “selling out,” and restaurants’ franchise locations are deemed “not as good as the original.” Maybe this love-loss has basis; sometimes, I’m sure, this is true. But the frequency of this cycle suggests that our fidelity to all things local might be just as restrictive as it is supportive. It’s true that a feeling of ownership is often what makes communities great. Schools with animated school spirit are more fun to attend. Committed, well-intentioned residents make neighborhoods feel safe and welcoming. There is

demand that those local experiences stay put. I’m not advocating that we stop supporting our local businesses; I’m saying we shouldn’t cut them off when they succeed. Particularly when it comes to local restaurants that grow and expand, can’t we reasonably suggest that the fundamental experience is identical from location to location? Is a band’s perceived talent defined as much by the fans as by their own creativity and progression? Fans, patrons and supporters often impose undefined parameters on local experiences with little regard for the individual artist or businesses’ aspirations. These judgments assume some kind of unimpeachable moral authority—local

We are the incubators. We provide the critical basis of support for the creativity and drive coming out of our communities. We need not be offended when the broader world takes interest because there is always more opportunity nearby. To the extent that our world is now truly flat and experience is truly global, we can be assured that an unflagging faith in our fellow creators is the best way to build a community. Unless we become secure in our innate ability to imbue local life with the experiences we desire, we’ll find ourselves unwittingly dragging down our best experiences and lowering the ceiling for new ones, and nothing could be less in the spirit of local than that. This regular column is yours to shape and mold. E-mail me at josh@therobertspress.com and show me what you see. MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

FEATURE

JOE

GALANTE BY Scott Hill | PHOTOS Allen Clark

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

FEATURE JOE GALANTE’S NAME IS A NUANCE OF SORTS, For Galante, the multifaceted job of being a In 1980, Galante became the head of Sony Music unless of course you’re a music industry trivia guru or record label president produced within him a Nashville. “At that time, they were unsure that I could one of Galante’s many multi-platinum artists. I sit down wave of spectacular insight. He boils it down to run the company, so I was on probation,” he recalls. with him one late winter day, and he speaks more like “Within a year, people were more than satisfied. I pretty practicality. “The goal of any record president a friend than the former president of one of the largest much did every job there except the mailroom. It really in my mind is threefold: It is the discovering of and most prestigious record labels in the world. His talent, nurturing executive talent so you can build was a great way to learn.” demeanor is calm and relaxed as he talks candidly, leaders and the third one is to build a catalog. If brilliantly, about the industry upon which he has penned Aside from a four-year stint from 1990 to 1994, when they can look back on that catalog and say, ‘I’m his name for the past 39 years. still selling those albums,’ that’s the mark of your he went back to New York, Galante has poured his legacy.” time and wisdom solely into Sony Nashville. Until June of last year, Galante sat atop Sony Music Nashville, one of the biggest music labels in the world. Galante, who signed Dave Matthews and helped With honesty and perspective at the forefront, he anUnlike most of his story, the opening is unassuming. It ticipates the question every artist needs to ask: “How develop the careers of greats like Dolly Parton, unfolds in New York in 1971. Galante, a finance and do you separate yourself? What the world doesn’t need Alabama, Alan Jackson, Carrie Underwood, Brad marketing major at Fordham University, Paisley, Martina McBride, The graduated from college and decided to interJudds, Sara Evans, Brooks & view for career day. He spoke with several Dunn, Miranda Lambert and I said, ‘No, I don’t really have an interest in moving to companies and received callbacks from a many more, doesn’t have to Nashville. Who wants to move to and listen to second guess the influence of few. “I was intrigued by the RCA thing,” he says, “but I really didn’t know anything about his legacy. And he doesn’t take hillbilly music? That’s them. When I looked at my record collection all the credit for his effectual at that point, I had nothing from RCA, and career. since I wasn’t a big Elvis fan, I didn’t know who they is one more band or one more Carrie Underwood,” had.” Galante says. “I think people need to search out their “I always believed in delegating because I was

“

Nashville not my idea of a good time.

’”

Galante would go on to become the youngest label head ever in Nashville, but it didn’t begin with lights and fame. His career began at RCA Records in New York. “When I started, there was no money. It was a job, but it was a passion,” he says. “I went in and started in financial analysis. That job gave me the ability to walk around and meet all the department heads. It gave me a great sense in a short time of an overview of the record company, and that allowed me to start meeting people. I would stay at night and hang out in the promotion department and ask a lot of questions.” Galante quickly moved through different departments within RCA, jumping from promotion to marketing and eventually to product manager. Those jobs served as preparatory stepping-stones for the opportunity he was offered next. In 1974, the general manager of RCA called Galante into his office and told him he was sending him to Nashville to be a part of some new opportunities. “I said, ‘No, I don’t really have an interest in moving to Nashville. Who wants to move to Nashville and listen to hillbilly music? That’s not my idea of a good time,’” Galante remembers. But his opposition didn’t alter their plans for him. “They told me at that point, because I was 24, I was going. So I went.” Galante met three people in Nashville who changed his life. The first was Waylon Jennings. “I thought, ‘This is amazing, and if this is what country music is, then I’m in,’” he says. “Then I met Dolly [Parton], and then [Ronnie] Milsap was the straw that broke the camel’s back. Spending time with those three people just rocked my world.”

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

identity and hold themselves to a higher standard and realize they need to go out there and build themselves an audience.” Galante says he believes that, coupled with talent, entertainment has to be at the core of an artist’s development. “You are given gifts and, unfortunately, people don’t spend enough time thinking through the gift of entertainment and how you really become a better entertainer and make a better show. How do you separate yourself in your art and in your look and your appearance and what you believe? It is something people need to focus on if you want a career.”

surrounded by really smart folks that helped me along,” Galante says. “Developing good leaders allows you to do more. You have to give them guidelines. You’ve got to give them backup. You’ve got to give them resources.” In a city that takes forever to learn your name and a day to forget it, Joe Galante figured out a way to sit on top for a long while. Thirty-nine years in the making, he climbed from the bottom all the way to the pinnacle of the industry and, looking back now, the road is paved with gold and platinum records with his signature all over them.

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GUILTY PLEASURES PHOTO: WILL VASTINE

“My guilty pleasure at the moment is an entire genre—the mid ‘80s R&B à la Klymaxx, Al B. Sure, Jeffrey Osborne, Karyn White, Ready For the World and Luther Vandross. Is that guilty enough for your ass?”

“Ok, I admit it. Ke$ha’s “We R Who We R” is a favorite. I love the way she sings the line, “And yes, of course we does.” It really tickles me. Seriously. And obviously “F#&! You” by Cee Lo Green. Duh.”

Yes, Mike. Yes it is.

Annie Beaty – Bass Player for Sugarland

Mike Grimes – Co-Owner of Grimey’s New & Preloved Music

“I’d love to say that all I listen to is something cool like Arcade Fire or Mumford & Sons, but in reality, since I have a four-year-old daughter, it’s ‘Big And Chunky’ by will.i.am.” Perrin Lamb – Artist/Songwriter

“I dont listen to Lady Gaga, but I’d like to see her show. I did enjoy Janet Jackson’s live show” John Singleton – President of Sun Records

“The band I’m currently listening to that may surprise some people is the Zac Brown Band.” Dave Ramsey – Personal Money Management Expert and Nationally Syndicated Radio Talk Show Host

“Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Yes and Rush—prog rock bands I loved when I was 14 and that I’ve recently revisited only to find out those records still resonate with me. I’d put The Yes Album on my top 10 list of all time at the moment, which means perhaps it’s not exactly a guilty pleasure, but that helps explain it to my more hipster-minded music buds. And don’t get me started on how awesome Steve Miller Band’s Fly Like an Eagle album is!” Doyle Davis – Co-Owner of Grimey’s New & Preloved Music

“The second most played track on my iTunes may be a surprise—‘Hey Leonardo (She Likes Me for Me)’ by Blessid Union Of Souls from their album Walking Off the Buzz. The first wouldn’t be a surprise—‘The Letter’ by The Box Tops, which my dad published and helped put me through college!” Scott Siman – President of RPM Management and one of Music Row’s finest golfers

“My guilty pleasure is definitely KE$HA.” Thomas Doeve – Owner, Paper Swan Studios 26

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Ooh

la la!

Bursting with equal parts dynamism and raw talent, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals are seducing audiences with their energy-infused throwback sound. Here, Potter speaks to marrying her band, life on a tour bus and learning how to light the spark before a fiery show. By: Amanda Hensel | Photos: Lauren Dukoff

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

GRACE POTTER CALLS ME WHILE RIDING SHOTGUN in a car darting through LA. She’s bustling between recording and an appearance on Conan, and she’s trying to keep her eyes on the road and keep her boyfriend, the band’s drummer Matt Burr, out of oncoming traffic. “Enjoying a little sunshine in LA,” she says, pointing out that the past week had been sadly rainy while the band was working on a benefit for the Alzheimer’s Association. “I thought I’d be coming into like some massive sunshine, but not so much.” Potter is the lead of Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, a firecracker burning straight out of 1960s rock ‘n’ roll. The sexy, female-driven rock group with roots in Vermont is quickly becoming a music industry marvel, with their infectious energy and their sheer musical prowess. The Nocturnals have made appearances on shows hosted by names like DeGeneres, O’Brien, Letterman, Leno, Lopez, Kimmel and Daly, as well as on “Good Morning America.” They’ve garnered kind words from Spin, Rolling Stone, Nylon, Billboard and VH1 and sold out virtu30

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

ally every venue they’ve recently played. Yet, speaking to the raw, edgy female rocker for the ﬁrst time is like chatting with an old friend for the thousandth. “We’re like a litter of puppies. We just love each other,” Potter gushes about the band. With a laugh, she adds, “Certainly there’s a brother and a sisterhood to what we do, and also, we’re just really loud, opinionated people. We’re very much like a Greek family—a lot of yelling and hand gestures. But yeah, I’m deﬁnitely the mama.” Potter is grounded but driven, a wild child with a light-hearted nature, a self-described country bumpkin-turned citizen of the world. Despite the band’s undeniable growth, the Nocturnals manage to stay connected to their dedicated fans (now more than 90,000 on Facebook alone) and are legitimately and undeniably homegrown. Potter relishes in the fact that the band is a close-knit group and that she is the mother hen to her four chicks: Burr, lead guitarist Scott Tournet, rhythm guitarist Benny Yurco and bassist Catherine Popper. Potter herself is the lead vocalist and pianist, known for her signature Hammond B-3 organ.

The band spends most of their time tearing up the road playing more than 200 shows a year. Potter, who shares a deep bond with her blood family back in Waitsﬁeld, Vermont, admits to missing home, and she says the Nocturnals do too. “It’s very much a part of who we are as a band. We came from a low overhead and sort of built ourselves from the ground up, because we managed to convince my parents that this was our dream and that we wanted to do it,” she says, revealing that the whole band lived with her parents for a spell in a complex of wooden sheds and barns. Potter’s parents have always been creative role models—her dad, a sign maker, and her mom, a bowl painter. “My folks are the biggest piece of the puzzle for sure. They raised me and my sister and my brother to be insanely creative and have a reverence for art, so they really brought me into the fold as a creative force, even from a young age,” she says.

lowed to watch television as a kid. “The only reason I would be able to watch TV was if I was somehow selling it as a music project,” she explains. “So, I would sit at the piano, and I’d watch TV, and I’d play along to the shows at the piano, so my parents couldn’t yell at me for watching TV. I’d be like, ‘Mom and Dad, it’s music videos! I’m learning something here!’ I got smart, and that was my trick.” With an innate talent and a shiny pair of spitﬁre wings, Potter left home to attend St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York. It was there that the Nocturnals got both their start and their name. The band came together in a popular barn on campus that was used for everything from classes to poetry slams to an Irish musician night. At ﬁrst it was impossible for them to reserve a rehearsal slot there … except at 2 a.m.

“We’re very much like a Greek family—a lot of yelling and hand gestures.”

She relays how her mom would go to the farmer’s market—“which is, you know, sort of the local artist’s showcase”—every single weekend. Her mom’s bowls always did well, but one client in particular impacted young Potter. “Whoopi Goldberg ordered a whole bunch of them, and my mom had to inscribe them to everybody,” she remembers. “So she’s inscribing bowls to like Steven Spielberg. I mean, as a kid in Vermont, that was about as far from reality as possible.”

“We started out as a relatively quiet band. Not acoustic, but we were pretty quiet. We used ampliﬁcation, but we weren’t smashing them over the head with The Who songs yet. That came later,” Potter says. “So we would rehearse from like 2 a.m. to four or ﬁve in the morning and just go home, do our homework and stay up and go to class the next day.” In the end, the Nocturnal name stuck, as did the lifestyle. “Our sleeping schedule is just out of control,” she admits.

Potter dishes that, while her artistic inﬂuence was strong, she developed a passion for music in a roundabout way since she wasn’t al-

After two years at St. Lawrence, Potter was ready to move on from school, though her parents weren’t immediately keen on the idea.

“The day we put out the record was the day I got married to my band.” “They didn’t want me to leave college after two years, but I did,” she says. “They supported it in the end because they knew there was something really fun that was cooking with the band. They were just experiencing empty nest syndrome, and I jumped back into the house and brought four people with me!” With the band so often on the road, Potter fills her maternal niche to the extreme, even whipping up rich pasta dishes for the group and serving them out of their tour bus sink. “I sterilize the sink, and then I use it as a server,” she says. “That sounds disgusting, with everybody scooping pasta out of the sink, but you work with what you’ve got when you’re out on the road.” She says it’s a lot like summer camp. “Food is what fuels us, so I take it upon myself to make whatever local food from the city we’re going to. I’m really more a student of food than anything.” While it’s public knowledge that Potter and Matt Burr are an item, Potter herself will tell you that she’s married to her band. Around June 2010, when the self-titled album released with Hollywood Records, Potter started sporting a new ring on a significant finger, which drove her fans crazy speculating about whether she’d actually taken the plunge. “They were like, ‘Is she engaged? What’s going to happen next?’” Potter says. “And what happened is the wedding was the band and the record release. The day we put out the record was the day I got married to my band.” Potter lives out this belief, and she claims the band really is that tight. “It definitely makes it hard at times, because there’s the brother/sister energy, but then there’s a lot of sexual energy, and there’s a lot of encouraging each other to take things beyond the comfort zone.” Anyone who has seen Grace Potter playing live in one of her short, sparkling dresses can attest to how she grabs her stunned audience, taking them captive by her sensual, danceable show. She and her band share a palpable chemistry, a tangible connection that invites the entranced audience to reach out and touch it. “You have to get your sexual juices flowing!” Potter says. “Our show is very fiery, and if we’re not feeling it that night, that’s fine. I mean it’s not a schtick. It’s definitely very real.” The Nocturnals get amped up before shows on music documentaries, and Potter says they connect over James Brown, Iggy Pop and Led Zeppelin DVDs, to name a few. “And we dance!” she says. “And we push each other around a lot. We grab each other by the shoulders and shake. You know, there’s this whole thing about the show where you need to come in hot. Certainly the crowd needs to warm up to you and you need to warm up to the crowd, and there’s a relationship there, but you

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

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have to come in full-speed ahead. So the way we do that is by dancing, moving, screaming, shaking—lots of that.” True rock ‘n’ roll. But perhaps the most ‘shaking’ thing for the band itself, Potter says, is that they’ve gone from playing 15-person pub crowds to sold-out venues packed with thousands of fans. “And you know, hopefully we can continue and it can grow and expand even beyond, because we really try to keep our fans happy,” she says. In fact, the Nocturnals often book intentionally small rooms, not to gain the bragging rights of a sold-out venue but to give ﬁrst access to the fans who have been there since the beginning. “We’re trying to grow reasonably and slowly and respectfully without toppling everything that we built ourselves upon,” Potter says.

The band has honed their sound into something like soul with a twist. “A lot of our inﬂuences come from way edgier material than we’re actually performing,” Potter claims, “but every once in a while we’ll pull out a Radiohead cover. Or, you know, we did a Portishead song, much to the chagrin of many of our Deadhead fans. It was just really cool to take the crowd with us and do something that’s completely out of our comfort zone.” Rolling Stone recently named Grace Potter and the Nocturnals one of the best bands of 2010, a notable spark, but a spark Potter is ready to outlast. “I think this year will bring a more solid basis, because so many people feel like, ‘OK, there’s this one year that a band is hot and then they kind of go away,’” she says. “We’ve been at it long enough to know that we’re not going anywhere.”

“We’re trying to grow reasonably and slowly and respectfully without toppling everything that we built ourselves upon.”

With her face-forward nature, Potter has been compared to many greats, most often Bonnie Raitt, Lucinda Williams and Tina Turner. But in order for the Nocturnals to develop their own unique sound and stand on steady legs in the long run, the band has learned to push themselves to new and unexpected places.

“The way you blaze a trail is by making mistakes, or by trying things that are a little out of your comfort zone, and sort of monitoring how the crowd reacts to that and how the band reacts to that,” Potter says.

Potter’s ‘motto to live by’ carries through to her band as well: “Be bold, be compassionate and love yourself,” she says. “Then ﬁnd something else to love beyond yourself.”

For the Nocturnals, that something else is the music. The band has been chosen to headline the inaugural Bonnaroo Buzz Tour, beginning May 17, and they will be sharing the main stage at Bonnaroo with the likes of Arcade Fire, The Decemberists and My Morning Jacket. Potter herself will also be making a solo performance with Stevie Wonder and Janelle Monáe July 24 at the Hollywood Bowl.

As 27-year-old Potter looks toward the next stage of life, she says she’s going to take the next three years to go nuts. “Thirty, to me,” she begins, “thirty is when it’s really gonna take oﬀ. Plus, every woman I meet seems much more welladjusted than girls in their twenties. So, I’m looking forward to the moment where I can just enjoy life and not be so ambitious and career-driven … I’m deﬁnitely holding out for the dirty thirties.” With so much acclaim coming at the band from all angles, I ask Potter to explain the best part of the gig. “I love that moment when the show is over and you’ve kind of done your work for the night, and the crowd wants one more song,” she says. “That’s just, like … I mean, that means you’ve given them their ticket’s worth and they want more, and you have the opportunity to give it to them. That’s special,” she declares. “That’s the cherry on top.” gracepotter.com

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THE TUNICS BY: Brittany Joy Cooper PHOTOS: Ian Rook

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

FEATURE

WHEN JOE COSTELLO WAS 14,

to be accurate, he

he started a band. Well,

spoke a band into being.

“Yeah, I’m always a little bit afraid to answer this question because often we get labeled as being a kind of copycat band,” Costello says. Booth grabs the coattails of the comment. “As soon as you say you liked The Libertines when you were 15, they’re like, ‘Oh, you’re the Libertinesinspired indie outﬁt,’ which is not really a catch phrase we want.” Fully assured that I won’t spin them as Oasis reborn, they open up about what music drives them to create.

Gorka Odriozola, head of artist management for Manta Ray Music London, says Costello was the initial reason he was drawn to The Tunics. “That shy, yet cocky, brilliant kid has a way with words in conjunction with music that is quite unique, and he’s had it since I first met him when he was 15,” he says. “We signed the band shortly after his 16th birthday, at which stage he decided to quit Luckily, the young musician did have some friends school, surprisingly with the full support of his in mind to fill in the blanks; he just hadn’t told father.” “The Beatles are an obvious influence,” Booth them yet. With a bass player, drummer and guitarstarts in. “Blur— there’s just quite a lot of bands ist soon added to the mix, The Tunics pulled off If you Google The Tunics, you will find several and individual people who you wouldn’t quite their inaugural live performance (minus the prom- stories touting them as the self-proclaimed re- think on immediate listen.” He lists among turn of the guitar band. I ask them about this them The Dear Hunter, Arcade Fire, Rufus ised original songs). proclamation, and before I finish the sentence, I Wainwright, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, addThat was six years ago. Now, Costello is the can hear Costello responding. ing, “That goes without saying.” 20-year-old frontman of the British band The Tunics, a band that still has one other member of “I like Leonard Cohen a lot,” says Costello, “beits original cast—bassist Scott Shepherd. The two cause the thing is … I’m a lyricist first and a ... are joined by Simon Hargreaves on drums and guitar player second. So I take influence from James Booth on keys. people like Leonard Cohen before I would take influence from, say, Jimi Hendrix.” Costello is remarkably confident, yet youthfully comical. He’s likely to joke one moment about A band comprised of four guys spanning the drunken shows, laughing with a bit of a boyish ages of 20 to 26, The Tunics have much to ansmirk, and then launch the next moment into a “Don’t believe it!” he says, laughing with an I- ticipate. While they might not want to be the vehement and developed soliloquy against people knew-this-was-coming tinge. “No, I did not say poster children for the return of the guitar band, trying to squeeze The Tunics into the same mold that. No, I was asked a question, whether I think they’re certainly not shying away from attention. as British rock bands before them—“We don’t guitar music needs a renaissance, and I said yes, “Don’t get me wrong,” Costello clarifies, “I am all want to pigeonhole ourselves. I’m not Liam Gal- kind of. But I genuinely don’t see it as though we about front covers … just preferably not with a are in any way trying to front some … renaissance guitar next to me.” lagher; I’m not.” of guitar music. It’s really trite, just all that rubThe Tunics are burning just under the internation- bish. I don’t think guitar music really went any- myspace.com/thetunics al indie radar and are threatening to explode at any where.” moment. I ask Booth and Costello what it’s like to Booth chimes in. “It’s see their careers evolving before their eyes. quite important not to “It’s the best thing in the world,” Costello asserts. pigeonhole yourselves “It’s everything that we want from this band. I love as the return of one the UK. I mean, I really do. I love it, but I also love thing, because that France.” He says “France” like the Queen of Eng- thing will return and land or the phonetics professor on My Fair Lady. then go again,” he says. Since their first international show in Holland in “I think the exciting 2008, The Tunics have traveled all over Europe thing is the fact that, and are looking forward to the day very soon when I mean, we’re adding new instruments and their music will take them beyond those borders. new things and trying The Tunics released their debut album, Somewhere out new things. And in Somebody’s Heart, in 2008, when they really you can tell by the started cutting their teeth on the solid food of live growth of our live perperformances. In the past three years, they’ve un- formances.” dergone an evolution of sorts and announced their rebirth with their most recent record, The Dab- When the conversabler’s Handbook, released March 28 of this year tion turns to their influences, both Costello with BMG/Manta Ray Music. and Booth become noReviewing Dabbler’s, UK music magazine The Fly ticeably hesitant, like said, “The upbeat, angular shadows create a won- they’ve been burned derful sense of English melancholy and romanti- by their own answers cism,” and UK music magazine New Musical Ex- to this question in the press (NME) described the album as “fiery, urgent past. tunes with a brutal honesty and earnestness.” “I KIND OF LIED TO THIS GUY and said I had this really great band with all these great songs,” Costello admits. He didn’t have a band at all, of course, and his nonexistent band subsequently hadn’t gotten around to writing any great songs. Still, Costello’s story landed him a gig in his hometown, the London suburb of Croydon.

I don’t think guitar music really went anywhere.

”

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DREW HOLCOMB & THE NEIGHBORS By: Matt Dodson | Photos: Sharon Clark

I can’t think of a more appropriate band name for Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors. The Neighbors; it just seems to fit this band comprised of Drew and his wife, Ellie, both on guitar and vocals, and their friends Nathan Dugger (guitar and keys), Rich Brinsfield (bass) and Jon Radford (drums). With Holcomb’s grassroots approach, deep level of fan involvement and straightforward personality, he seems like a guy you would wave hello to at the grocery store. where the members of the band lived at its beginning, and where most of them still reside.

THE BAND’S MOST RECENT ALBUM, Chasing Someday (February 2011), is rocking the charts, with a peak position at No. 8 on the Folk Album Charts and appearances on many more. The band spent most of February and early March supporting Marc Broussard, and their music has popped up on TV shows like NBC’s Parenthood, ABC’s Brothers and Sisters and the FX hit Justiﬁed. But Holcomb makes it clear from the start that the band wouldn’t be where they are today without a little help from their friends and, yes … their neighbors. Holcomb funded his entire album through Kickstarter, a fan-ﬁrst donation website, on a limited budget. He says he originally heard about the site from his friends in the Dallas-based band Green River Ordinance, and it got him thinking, “Why not invite people into our whole creative process?” The band decided to go for it, and the Neighbors created a Kickstarter campaign to raise $15,000, a small sum when compared to the millions poured into many chart-topping releases today. “We launched it on a Friday morning, and by Saturday afternoon we had half our funds already,” Holcomb says. The project went far beyond the initial hopes of the band and earned more than $23,000. But the funding wasn’t even the best part of the process from Holcomb’s perspective. He was just elated to see people rallying behind their music.

About their label executives, Holcomb says, “They’re people we know and trust, and everybody knows the expectations we have for each other.” The band still owns the rights to all their music, and the label, Dualtone Records, takes care of the marketing and management aspects for them. “It’s just a partnership where everybody has their role and everybody fulﬁls it,” Holcomb says. This mutual understanding has led to a healthy level of comfort and has also provided the Neighbors with the freedom to create outside of strict parameters. Holcomb tells me his main goal is to make his music relatable. “I try to put myself in other people’s shoes and try to write from their perspective.” This observational approach has led him into many stirring interactions with fans. “The other night, after I played ‘Live Forever,’ this ER doctor came to me and the band is seeing today. “If you wanted to reach was telling me how much the song meant to him,” your fans 10 or 15 years ago, you had to have an Holcomb shares. He goes on to say that the doctor actual mailing list where you printed up postcards looked him square in the eyes and said, “I see so and mailed them to people when you were coming many people come in here dead on arrival, and it’s to town,” he says. But now, with email lists, Face- just a great song for me to think about as I usher these people out of their lives.”

“It’s just a partnership where everybody has their role and everybody fulfils it.”

“It was kind of an intense conversation,” Holcomb recalls, “but I just thought, ‘Wow, this is a great place for me to put myself in this guy’s shoes and to try to write a song from his perAs a thank you to their supporters, the band gave book and Twitter, an artist can access their fans, spective.’” away exclusive, Kickstarter-only packages of music, and fans can access the artist in ways never before posters and more. A $40 donation got fans an au- possible. These moments are a big part of what drives Holtographed album two weeks early, a digital copy a comb, his wife Ellie and the rest of the Neighbors month beforehand, an unreleased EP of ﬁve cover “I’d say pretty much all of the buzz about us was to make music. Their songs are accessible, and songs and a band T-shirt. For the most adventur- driven by those three outlets,” Holcomb tells me. their inspiration stems from interactions with fans ous spenders, $1,200 secured a private living room But the community the band has built around and friends. And the best part of this burgeoning their music isn’t just limited to the fans. Even Hol- band is that they’re inviting everyone to join the concert, complete with a custom setlist. comb’s record label and management are in the neighborhood. It’s just this type of grassroots, word-of-mouth neighborhood—literally. As he tells it, “They’re publicity, Holcomb says, that has led to the success people that we’ve known out in East Nashville,” briterevolution.com/artists/neighbors drewholcomb.com

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

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JENNY & TYLER By: Kristy Ensor | Photos: Joey Cardella

It was a sunny spring day when I pulled into the parking lot behind Fido in Nashville’s hip Hillsboro Village. I went with one mission in mind: to meet Jenny and Tyler Somers, the husband and wife folk/rock duo simply known as Jenny & Tyler. I ARRIVED A FEW MINUTES EARLY, grabbed a booth and had barely settled in when I caught a glimpse of the couple wearing jeans and casually walking toward the counter. We met and Tyler volunteered to man the table while we gals ordered our coffee. At first, Jenny seemed a bit shy, but then her sweet and sincere disposition came out, and once we got back to the table, the conversation just flowed.

genius. “I didn’t really realize that until recently. He’s part organist, part jazz piano player, part choir director, but above all, he’s a phenomenal classical composer.” Tyler’s dad encouraged him to learn music theory, which he says has had a big

ler told Powell they had an idea for a song and they thought a speciﬁc part would particularly suit him. “When I met Jenny, she had a big poster of Third Day in her college dorm room,” Tyler dishes about his wife.

“When you write together, you share emotions that go pretty deep.”

In their free time, the Somers say they like to bake and take walks, but it’s really their ardor for music that fuels their creativity. When I ask them about the main message of their music, they say, “Ultimately, it goes back to the gospel of Jenny and Tyler met in the fall of 2004 at the University of Delaware, and soon they were compos- impact on the way he plays guitar and writes music. Jesus. We want people to see Jesus through our ing music as a duo. “When you write together, you In August 2008, the couple decided to settle down music.” Their songs are an intriguing message of share emotions that go pretty deep,” Tyler says. in Music City. Since then, they’ve had the opportu- hope encased in beautiful and intricate music. Eventually, Tyler, a business major with a minor in nity to play music full-time. Now, their schedules voice and music management, began dating Jenny, are saturated with touring and playing an eclectic “We always say that the best part about being on an English and history major. Their courtship led mix of venues from colleges and churches to hous- the road is meeting people and forming relationto marriage, and June of this year will mark the es and cafes. They book their own gigs and are cur- ships,” Jenny says. “So I think that kind of plays rently busy promoting their latest album, Faint Not, in the songwriting and the records. We’re comcouple’s four-year wedding anniversary. which they released in November 2010. Predomi- municating our heart in as honest a way as we Both Jenny and Tyler hail from musical families. nantly folk/rock infused with some Christian lyr- can and hoping it will resonate and relate to people.” Tyler agrees, adding, “Really, concerts or Jenny was nurtured by the sounds of her dad playing bluegrass and her mom layering on the “We’re communicating our heart shows are just conversations with different people. The reason why we like house conharmonies. Eventually, she and her siblings began in as honest a way as we can certs so much is we’re able to connect with to sing and play along. When she was in junior and hoping it will resonate and people on a pretty intimate and personal high, she and her brother formed a band, and relate to people.” level.” Jenny perhaps sums it up best when that’s when she first began experimenting with she says, “Reaching people is what drives songwriting. “In addition to bluegrass and country music, we listened to The Beatles, Bob Mar- ics, Faint Not unfolds like a story of sorts, grap- us because, if it were just about the music, that ley—my parents were hippies in college—and Paul pling with the highs and lows of belief, depression, wouldn’t really mean anything.” Simon,” Jenny says. She’s been playing the clarinet doubt and rest. Jenny and Tyler’s voices blend like since she was 12, and now she wields the mandolin a brilliant fusion between Alison Krauss and Jack After talking for an hour, Jenny and Tyler show me their “tour bus”—a Honda Element. When Johnson. and guitar as well. they’re on long road trips, they plug a crockpot As for Tyler’s musical influences, “Picture Barbra Their song “Carry Me” from the album was a col- into their car to heat up their meals. Talented Streisand mixed with Mike Myers’ impression of laboration with Mac Powell, frontman of multi- and practical, Jenny & Tyler are playful and fun, open-minded yet willing to talk about what they Linda Richman from SNL, and you have a pretty Grammy Award-winning band Third Day. believe. Be sure to catch them on May 14 at Cenaccurate picture of my mom,” he says. “My mom tennial Park, where they’ll be making an appearhas a very jazzy style about her, and when she and “We played a show with Mac Powell about two ance at Musicians Corner. my dad get together and play old jazz standards, it years ago,” Tyler tells me. “He’s very kind and down-to-earth, very approachable.” Jenny and Tycan be magical.” He describes his dad as a musical briterevolution.com/artists/jenny-and-tyler jennyandtyler.com

FRINGE

THE KICKS By: Francy Goudreault | Photos: Austin Gros

When it comes to being a do-it-yourself indie rock band in Nashville, The Kicks could write the book. So, when I sit down with them for coffee at Whole Foods in Green Hills, that’s the first thing I ask them about. “YOU GOTTA BELIEVE IN your band more than anybody,” answers lead singer Jordan Phillips. He’s wearing a long black jacket, a thin scarf and a face full of scruﬀ. I push him further. “So do you embrace the do-it-yourself thing, or is it just a means to an end?”

plains, before turning to Gabe and asking, “How much money did we put in?” Gabe smiles. “The ﬁrst thing we ever did as a band … we each put $30 in an envelope to get to Missouri to play a show, and it’s grown from there. We’ve never put any more personal money into the band.”

Adam Stark, the band’s lead guitarist, chimes in: “You kind of have to embrace it. If you don’t, nobody else will. “The band’s become self-sufficient,” Adam says. “Which And nothing’s going to get done.” is huge.” This very interview illustrates their point; it wasn’t set up through a manager or a publicist, but through the band’s They’re right; this is huge, especially considering that hoodie-clad drummer, Lucas Cummins. Coffee in hand, The Kicks have been giving away their music for free. Lucas pipes in saying, “Being in Nashville, there’s so many Their new double single release, as well as the rest of their catalogue (all produced by Grammy Award-wingood players, so our aim was to be great players, too.” But ning producer/engineer Mitch Dane), are available on now, he says, the band is delving even deeper than talent their website. And they’re absolutely free. The band and focusing on what it means to become stellar enterhas also worked tainers. with Vance Powell, “Our philosophy is, the sooner we can a Grammy-winning Gabe Anderson, the create a business model around engineer who has band’s bassist, adds, eliminating record sales from being a engineered for The “It’s important to resource of revenue, the sooner we’re going Raconteurs, Kings alize that, as a live of Leon and The band, it’s not good to be successful.” White Stripes. enough just to be the best band on a Friday anymore. You have to be better than all the alternatives … “Our philosophy is,” begins Adam, “the sooner we can going to a party, going to a movie. A Friday isn’t necessar- create a business model around eliminating record sales from being a source of revenue, the sooner we’re ily about music anymore. It can be about music, if you’re going to be successful.” good and you give something that’s entertaining.” Jordan keeps it going. “To me, it’s always been about the energy. Look back at The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks— there’s energy and magic in the live performance of that music.” Gabe says one of the most fun things about being a young band is getting to play new clubs. “Like in a new city, where you’re the opener, and people aren’t expecting much,” he explains. “You kind of get to …” He trails off, searching for the words. “You get to be the underdog.” Adam says with a grin. “Yeah, like people didn’t expect it. We do really well with that.”

Gabe finishes his coffee and tells another story: “I remember when we first decided to put the music out for free, we were wondering if it was a good idea. We played a show in Charlotte—we’d never been to Charlotte before—and these people at the show knew the words to the songs. They said, ‘We just went to the venue’s website, then yours, and got the music.’ Stuff like that happens all the time now.” Each member of The Kicks was a singer-songwriter in his own right before they all decided to start jamming as a band. With that in mind, I ask them to describe their writing process.

Gabe says The Kicks are in the business of making believ- “Uh, a disaster?” Jordan answers with a laugh. He continues over his bandmates’ laughter. “We have to disciers out of people, one fan at a time. Talking to these four pline ourselves down to what we think a Kicks song is. guys, I’m getting the impression that touring and reaching their fans is top on their list. “What’s your strategy?” I ask. Like one of us could play a song, and we’re like, ‘It’s a great song, but it’s not a Kicks song.’ There’s a ﬁltering process that we put all our songs though.” “Initially, we just took every show,” Adam tells me, “but there comes a time when, OK, you have to play smart, too.” “With all these writers in one band, you never know “So, we picked a handful of markets, and we’re just focus- what you’re going to get,” Gabe says, and then Jordan adds, “But we know when we’ve got it.” ing on getting back to those Southeast cities as often as possible,” says Gabe. His bandmates nod. They all know the feeling. “There’s just too many bands that play six weeks at a time, and they always lose money, personal money,” Lucas ex- briterevolution.com/artists/kicks 46

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EMILY DELOACH By: Junice Rockman | Photos: Julee Duwe

You may remember Emily DeLoach as the easygoing, local indie-pop performer who made it to moments of fame on the 10th season of American Idol. Though she was cut in Hollywood, DeLoach has solidified her career not by flashes of glitz but by a faithful and ongoing dedication to her craft. Back in Nashville now, this singer-songwriter and guitarist continues to charm audiences with her powerful, yet whimsical voice and her endearing stage presence. GROWING UP IN BIRMINGHAM, Alabama, DeLoach warmed up her voice by singing in a church choir when she was in middle school. From then on, she pursued music on her own. “I don’t have a musical family,” she says. “We deﬁnitely weren’t the Von Trapps singing around the ﬁreplace, so it was a learning process for everyone.”

in 2004 with a diploma bearing witness to her education in commercial music/vocal contemporary music. She crossed one stage that day and found herself on many more in the years that followed.

Within every song DeLoach performs lies a message of hope, a nugget of inspiration and wisdom. She wants listeners to know that they’re all gifted, that each person has something valuable to offer and that it’s never What her family lacked in musical acumen, too late. however, they more than made up for in active encouragement. She lists her mother and grandmothers among her most loyal supporters. And DeLoach isn’t the only creative talent in her family; her maternal grandmother was involved in community theater 40 years ago and even turned down opportunities on the national stage to attend to her family life. DeLoach, who is quick to glean both inspiration and wisdom from others, says her grandmothers both taught her how to feel music and not just listen to it. Though her love of music trumps some of her other interests, like math and science, DeLoach says she tries to mix it up a little by doing a variety of things, admitting, “I get bored easily.” Thus, she “It’s been a struggle at times,” she acknowledges, “but I has figured out a way to bundle several of her finally feel like I’m getting a grasp on it, feeling like I muses into one musical career. have something to share, and encouraging others that we each have something inside of us that we need to “A lot of people don’t realize it, but on the scor- give the world. I hope that’s a very clear message.” ing and technical side of music there’s a lot of math—making sure all the notes are all fitting on the same chord,” she says. “Some artists say, “Instead of avoiding the topic, I ‘Just do what you feel is popular,’ but I like the ‘boring’ side of it, the math, logic. The more decided to go after it. Sometimes you try to understand what you’re doing, the we have to do that in life.” better you are. It shapes your mind in ways you don’t realize.” DeLoach says the best part is performing. “The chalAfter high school, DeLoach came to Nashville lenge is also finding new creative ways to get your name to study at Belmont University, where she was out there because it’s so saturated,” she adds. “I always amazed that she could essentially go to school to say, ‘Keep your head on your shoulders and don’t listen study rock music. She graduated from Belmont to every negative thing that pops into your head.’” 48

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

On her most recent single, “The Lucky Ones” (October 2010), she experiments with electronic programming, a slight deviation from her traditional guitar sound. The song itself is a deeply personal ballad for DeLoach, who wrote it about a high school car wreck she was in that ended in the death of her boyfriend. She says she put oﬀ writing about the accident but eventually came back to it, which got her back into the writing process after a few years of feeling discouraged. The title was born out of the idea that the lucky ones are those who can sleep at night and not stay up worrying. “Instead of avoiding the topic, I decided to go after it,” she says. “Sometimes we have to do that in life.” Several female icons like Joan Osborne, Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant and Chrissie Hynde have fed DeLoach’s creativity and nurtured her into the musical realm. “I heard these powerful woman vocalists and realized I could keep the notes when I sang along,” DeLoach recalls. “I said, ‘This must be a gift!’” When she discovered powerhouse Jazz artists like Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Nina Simone in high school, she fell in love not just with their lustrous voices but with the way they interpreted songs. DeLoach says she strives for that quality in her own music, unraveling the words on the page and delivering them from her heart. DeLoach is married to Nashville folk artist Jason Feller, and she says it always touches her heart when she gets to perform a song he’s written. Always willing to try something new, she is looking toward recording an acoustic EP, and she’s also set to compete this summer at Eddie’s Attic in Atlanta in an open mic competition judged by industry professionals. As summer approaches, this artist who never stops learning and taking in the world around her, says for now she has it in her mind to try her hand at a little gardening. briterevolution.com/artists/emily-deloach emilydeloach.com

FRINGE

CHANCELLOR WARHOL By: Erin Burcham | Photos: Taylor Christian Jones

It’s not every day you meet an artist who is equally inspired by Back to the Future and Pharrell Williams, but then again, Chancellor Warhol is not your everyday artist. Channeling an electro rap

style all his own, Warhol says he finds his muse in movies and indie rock. He drove home his wholly unconventional sound last year with the release of his first solo album, Japanese Lunchbox: A Love Story. IT’S HARD TO PUT A LABEL ON WARHOL, unless it’s Marti Mcfli, the fashion line he launched during Nashville’s Fashion Week in April. Described as “Tokyo street couture,” Warhol’s clothing brand is expanding under the slogan, “Always Ahead of Our Time,” a fitting mantra for Warhol’s musical career as well. Born Antonio Dewayne Boleyjack, the Nashville native translates his preferred name, Chancellor Warhol, to mean “dictator of my art,” saying it serves as a constant reminder to him to never compromise his sound for the sake of fame or popularity. Warhol came into music to the sounds of The Beatles and The Commodores until he was taken by the rap song, “Rapper’s Delight,” when he first heard it on vinyl. A middle school kid in the grunge era of the ‘90s, He found himself relating with two very different crowds of kids: the skaters who

identified with Nirvana and 311, and the jocks who listened to hip-hop. “The realization that I could hang out with two different groups of people was the first sign of how I would be as an artist,” he says. “I found hip-hop, but rock found me.” Warhol started listening to Pharrell Williams in high school and drew inspiration from his distinctive style. “It was so different from usual hip-hop,” he says. “He wore a trucker hat and had a moustache. He wasn’t gangster, and I could connect with that.”

me.”

When he was 19, Warhol joined a rap crew under Hunnedspoke Entertainment, a label run by his friends Kevin Davis (Big Kev) and Calvin Lane (Drupy). “For my audition, I had to rap for the CEO over the phone,” Warhol says, laughing at the memory. At the end of the call, the CEO told him his next show would be the following day.

His love of fashion inspired him to eventually create a line of T-shirts to sell at the crew’s shows. He says he has always tried to dress fashionably himself, so a fashion line just made sense. Aimed at something positive and fresh, the shirts simply said “Fli.” “My music and design piggybacked oﬀ each other and helped create a common ground for fans at my shows,” he explains. “Thug heads were listening to my music, and skateboard kids were wearing my shirts, and that was really cool.”

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

In 2009, Warhol formed the group N.O.B.O.T.S. (No Other Band Offers This Sound) with his friend Ducko Mcfli. With Mcfli as the DJ and Warhol as the MC, the duo produced a sound that forced the music media to classify it as “cyber rap.” Though he’d always known he couldn’t be contained within a specific genre, Warhol was finally proving it by sharing the stage with groups like Hot Chelle Rae, Wale and Enjoy The Zoo.

“I found hip-hop, but rock found

Warhol soon carved out a niche for himself as an atypical rap artist. “I’m sure people thought, ‘Who is this kid?’” he says. “I was listening to Peter Gabriel but still rapping hardcore.”

To top it all oﬀ, he got to hang out with Pharrell Williams brieﬂy before one of Williams’ shows, and it was there Warhol’s music idol told him, “Keep doing your thing. Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t do what you do.” It was advice Warhol would not ignore.

Despite his love of performing, Warhol almost gave up on music due to frustrations with the hip-hop industry. But when he started going to indie rock shows, he developed an appreciation for this group of artists known for maintaining complete control over their careers.

Urged on by encouragement from friends and collaborators, he released Japanese Lunchbox in February 2010, combining hip-hop tracks with digital beats. The album packs a rare but distinctive fusion of rap, electronic, pop and dance music. A selfproclaimed movie buﬀ, Warhol compares it to the 2001 ﬁlm Vanilla Sky. “I put the album together with humble thoughts,” he says. “It was completely independent and a way for me to express my thoughts and tell my stories. The attention it has received and everything else that has happened was just a blessing.” That attention has secured a place for Warhol to perform alongside The Civil Wars at the Recording Academy Nashville Chapter’s annual Grammy Block Party this May, landed his name on the Cafe Stages lineup for Bonnaroo in June and got him a spot at Austin City Limits in September. The leader of an eclectic but loyal following, Warhol says he loves that his music continues to blur divisions and bring people together. “At the album release party, there were so many diverse faces in the crowd,” he says. “It lets you know that music is truly colorblind, and that’s what it should be about.” Warhol is working with a wide range of artists on several musical collaborations and has plans to release his sophomore album, Silver Factory, later this year. briterevolution.com/artists/chancellor-warhol chancellorwarhol.com

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From Newton’s apple to Fleming’s penicillin and Epperson’s popsicle, much of our modern world came about by accident. One such chance discovery happened to Otis James, serendipitous purveyor of handmade neck and bow ties. INSIDE HIS BACKYARD STUDIO hang dozens of ties at varying stages of completion. Across the room, a multi-level shelf disappears beneath a mountain of cloth, which promises a diverse, brightly colored neckwear future. In a city of artists, James happened his way into the life of an artisan. He gives new meaning to the phrase “making it in this town” by doing precisely that: He makes every single tie right here in Nashville.

James’ co-worker loved those first ties so much that she suggested he start making them for wedding parties, and his craft began to take wing. In April 2010, James applied for a business license and began selling his wares more widely. He decided to start at Imogene + Willie because of a loose affiliation he had with the owners. “I just basically approached them one day and said, ‘Hey, would you guys like to sell my ties?’ And they were really enthusiastic.” Though his career may have come along un- Now, James also makes bulk orders for out-ofplanned, James found his way to Nashville by state clients and sells stock and custom designs design. Part Cali kid, part Knoxvillian, he says through his website. he has always been attracted to Nashville, “I just like making things. I James’ ties are truly though he can’t quite unique. Not simply custell you why. After a like taking raw materials and tom in design, they are stint in film school, he in every aspect, making a finished product.” singular went through a postfrom the material to the college period of wonhand-painted tags. “A dering what to do next. lot of the materials I use His conclusion: a travel hiatus beginning with a aren’t really tie materials,” he explains. “It’s a biking trip along the West Coast. When he finally challenge, really, to kind of wrangle the matestopped moving, he found himself in the artist’s rial and get it to the shape you want it so it will Mecca that is East Nashville. hold up.” And his aspirations extend beyond ties. He has already begun making hats in sevFashion, including ties, was never really a pas- eral different styles—he’s currently trying to sion or a priority for James, who speculates with a get the hang of the fedora—and he plans to add laugh that his first tie was probably a clip-on. But them to his web offerings as soon as he masters being a skinny kid whose clothes never fit him their unique demands. Though still new to the quite right, he began altering his attire in college, game, James is moving toward designing items with the help of his girlfriend at the time, and he for various musicians. “I’ve thought about just quickly found himself enjoying it. “I just like mak- sending Jack White a tie or a hat,” he says, adding things. I like taking raw materials and making ing wistfully, “… maybe one day.” a finished product,” he says. “I’m very hands-on, and I really like the problem-solving aspect of James now finds himself on an undulating cait.” With a vague plan to make custom clothing, reer path abounding with new challenges as James took a job at Street Tuxedo in Nashville well as the tedium of hand-stitching 40 buttonand began observing and learning from tailors holes in one afternoon. But the payoff will be around town. well worth the roller coaster when he can devote himself to his business full-time. That day Though he had a knack for alterations, modify- should be coming soon; in the meantime, he ing something and creating something out of will simply continue to fine-tune his art. nothing are two entirely different propositions. “I didn’t really know how to make much,” James The greatest thing James has learned, he says, admits, “but I figured I was just going to learn as is how to be a craftsman. “I definitely have a I went.” When his co-worker (the daughter of tendency toward impatience, so one thing I’ve the owner) asked him to make ties for her father really had to learn is how to take my time, to and brother for Father’s Day, James jumped right always do things the right way and not take in. Like a precocious pre-teen with a radio, he shortcuts. Then, when something’s not right, bought a tie at a thrift store and took it apart to to take it apart and start over,” he says. “I really see how it worked, then made a “practice” tie for value quality a lot, and that’s the only way to get his friend, Tommy. “It was pretty sloppy,” he says it—just to always do it right.” with a chuckle, “but he still has it, still wears it and he loves it. I’ve come a long way since then.” otisjamesnashville.com

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

Kristen Dabbs You’ve never heard Kristen Dabbs sing, but if you’ve been around Nashville for any length of time, you’ve heard music that points back to this entrepreneur’s community-driven creativity. BY megan pacella | PHOTOS laura dart

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

S F

IT SEEMS LIKE EVERY TIME KRISTEN DABBS TURNS AROUND, SHE HAS HER HAND IN THE MIX OF ANOTHER BUDDING PROJECT. In the past 10 years, she has worked on Oxford American Magazine, sold ads for Paste Magazine, helped launch Musicians Corner (the free summer concert series in Centennial Park) and created American Songspace, a popular social networking site for American Songwriter Magazine. Oh yeah, and she’s also a dominant creative mind behind the popular Nashville musical collective Ten out of Tenn. It’s not that Kristen doesn’t finish what she starts; it’s not that at all. It’s just that as soon as she launches a magazine, organizes an annual concert series or connects a community of musicians to a larger project, she can’t fight the itch to, well, do it again. Currently, Kristen’s pet project is Ten out of Tenn, which she and her husband, musician Trent Dabbs, co-founded in 2004. Showcasing 10 of Music City’s most talented songwriters and musicians, the collective is an ever-growing reminder that Nashville is not just a hotbed for cowboy hats and songs about trucks. It’s also home to one of the most vibrant emerging music scenes in America. As one of the founders of this now widely respected cooperative, Kristen is always finding new ways to feed the rising music community in Nashville.

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

S F “When we first moved here, Trent was already pen. They’re already on their way to somedoing music, and he was getting ready to put thing bigger, but we’re just putting them out a record. He moved here to find a band, together so that their fans become each other’s fans.” and we kind of assumed that we would only run into country music artists,” she “We decided that by creating a community tells me over a small of musicians, we could get the word out to table at Fido. “We had no idea what the New York and LA that we are not country music scene was like, but we quickly met and becity. We have it all.” friended all of these incredibly talented musicians.” Shortly after moving to Nashville, Kristen and Trent took a road trip to Mississippi to visit While Ten Out of Tenn artists are dosome friends. Listening to albums released by ing just fine on their own, it’s nice to take local Nashville musicians sparked an idea in a break from being a one-man act on the their minds: They would put together a com- lonely open road to hop on a tour bus with pilation CD with the best Nashville had to offer other like-minded musicians. Instead of hirand put it out there for the rest of the country ing a band, the artists play for one another, giving up coveted center stage spots to sing to hear. back-up vocals for someone else, or to pick When she tells the story, Kristen regains that up an unfamiliar guitar riff. The result is a spark in her eye. “It’s just crazy that nobody goose bump-inducing alliance of artists outside of Nashville seems to respect what we playing to one another’s strengths. have to offer,” she says. “We decided that by creating a community of musicians, we could When Kristen explains how it works, exget the word out to New York and LA that we citement emanates through her voice. She tells a story about a live Ten Out of Tenn are not country music city. We have it all.” performance in Chicago where the artists Each of the many endeavors Kristen has put stood on a bar and sang an a cappella verher name on in the past several years is sewn sion of Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released” to together by the common thread of community. a crowd of enthralled onlookers. Just hearing her tell the story gives me chills. “I think that community has always been important to us,” she explains. “It’s important to surround yourself with people who will continue to inspire, encourage and challenge you to become better at what you’re doing. When you move to a place where people are doing the same thing as you, you can either be intimidated, or you can take that and be challenged to do better. I think in Nashville [Trent and I] “Of all the work I’ve done, this is definitely have chosen to take that as a challenge to bring the thing that I believe in most,” she says. “I remember watching a show they were dopeople together.” ing at the World Cafe in Philly, and just While Kristen and Trent have set the stage for thinking, There’s something special about this Nashville artists to collaborate, Kristen is quick that you don’t see anywhere else. You have all to point out that the artists bear the heaviest of these artists who are frontmen, and they take the side stage to play for each other. load. And there’s something so humbling about “Our goal is to connect with people who are out that.” there making things happen on their own,” she says. “All of our artists are already out getting Ten Out of Tenn will take the stage in 2011 shows, putting out albums, making things hap- with a few new artists in tow.

“Our goal is to connect with people who are out there making things happen on their own.”

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GuitarConnect WHAT A TECHIE HAD TO SAY

Mic Stand Mount for the iPad WHAT A TECHIE HAD TO SAY

AirCurve Play WHAT A TECHIE HAD TO SAY

GRIFFIN TECHNOLOGY

Griffin’s GuitarConnect cable turns the iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad into a handy, portable guitar workstation. The 1/4” cable connects easily into guitars, basses or other instruments, and a stereo 1/8” mini-plug connects directly to the iOS device for use with audio applications such as Frontier’s iShred LIVE. The 6’ GuitarConnect cable also provides a stereo 1/8” mini-jack to connect headphones or an audio cable for connection to a home stereo, amp, mixer or other audio source.

Our new Mic Stand Mount for the iPad allows you to easily mount an iPad on a mic stand for a range of scenarios. Whether displaying lyrics, sheet music, tabs or otherwise, Mic Stand Mount screws onto a standard 5/8” mic stand so the user can raise or lower the iPad to the perfect height. The Mount’s four rubber-lined grips hold the iPad securely on all four corners without blocking the controls, dock connector or audio jack.

AirCurve Play makes the speaker of your iPhone 4 more than 10 decibels louder, and it works without batteries, cables or power adapters. Just slip your iPhone 4 into AirCurve’s rubber dock gasket, and your iPhone becomes the perfect portable audio/video conference phone, video viewer, self-contained music player or beside alarm clock. AirCurve is a cleverly designed acoustic amplifier that collects the sound from the built-in speaker of your iPhone, amplifying it in a coiled waveguide within the base.

WHAT AN AVERAGE JOE HAD TO SAY

TROY AKERS, The CO

WINN ELLIOTT, Brite Revolution

CHRIS VETRANO, CMENT

Griffin’s GuitarConnect is a very good idea. Now, I know this was created for guitar, but I plugged it up to my Nord Keyboard. This is something fun to add to the mix when thinking up new ideas for songs on keys. The cord was easy to connect as well as download and open the iShred LIVE app. My only reservation is that there isn’t an easy way to share what you create.

Basically, I think this product is awesome. The only thing that makes me nervous is the plastic part. If it were made of aluminum or some other kind of metal, I think it would be a little sturdier. Also, you need to have a weighted stand to use this product because the whole thing gets a little topheavy and becomes a little unstable when you use the iPad. This doesn’t work well with the iPad 2, but for most users, I think it’s great.

If you judge this product based on what it promises to do, with the understanding that the iPhone 4’s sound quality is less than desirable for playing multimedia, the AirCurve overdelivers. Designed to sit upright, while also allowing the phone to charge, the AirCurve Play frees up your hands, maximizing the functionality of the device while using FaceTime or during conference calls. This product requires no batteries, cables or power and is a responsible and efficient system for increasing the iPhone 4’s output.

WHAT A PRO HAD TO SAY

NATHAN SPICER, Nashville Guitarist

CHRIS WEIGEL, Nashville Bassist

ANDY MERRICK, Aloompa

The Griffin GuitarConnect Cable is a fun little toy that is actually pretty entertaining. Past this, you won’t find it useful in most situations (honestly, what do you expect?). The cable does its job, and the software’s interface looks nice, but the actual sounds have that harsh digital jangle. The functionality is also below mediocre. However, one interesting thing is that you can play along with songs on your iPod. Overall, it’s a little gimmicky, slightly entertaining, but not very useful.

This gadget is the perfect compliment for the high-tech musician on the go. It allows you to mount your iPad to a fully functional mic stand. I found that the mount wasn’t as solid when my iPad wasn’t in its case, and I also had to be careful how the mic stand was positioned, as the iPad is heavier than most microphones. All in all, I highly recommend this tool to any musician who uses their iPad for lyrics or charts during a live performance!

The redesigned Griffin AirCurve Play is a sound amplification dock that multiplies the volume of the iPhone without using AC power. But, as they often say, “garbage in, garbage out.” The iPhone’s speaker isn’t a Beats by Dr. Dre product. There’s virtually no bass; the AirCurve doesn’t help this. It amplifies the iPhone’s tinny output. However, FaceTime users know it’s a pain to hold the phone while FaceTiming. The AirCurve is a big winner for this.

MUST-HAVE APPS 1. POETRY by The Poetry Foundation

PowerDock Dual WHAT A TECHIE HAD TO SAY

Survivor for iPhone 4

by Mobestream Media Inc.

WHAT A TECHIE HAD TO SAY

GRIFFIN TECHNOLOGY

Charge your iPad while you chat via FaceTime, or stream Netflix on your iPad. PowerDock Dual is a dual-dock charger and stand with unique charging bases for the iPad, iPhone or iPod. The built-in speakers of your iPad are unobstructed, making PowerDock Dual the perfect platform for FaceTime calls, bedside entertainment or a quick countertop reference. The dual dock charger ensures that your devices stay charged, while the built-in valet tray keeps items like keys and loose change organized.

The ultra-rugged Survivor, the first in Griffin’s new Armored collection, is a case designed to go anywhere and stand up to even the toughest environments. Designed and tested to meet or exceed US and UK Military Standards, Griffin’s Survivor Extreme-Duty Case is designed from the inside out to protect your iPhone or iPod from extreme conditions like dirt, sand, rain, shock, vibration and a host of other environmental factors.

WHAT AN AVERAGE JOE HAD TO SAY

2. KEY RING REWARD CARDS

WHAT AN AVERAGE JOE HAD TO SAY

TYLER SEYMOUR, Just Kidding Prod’s

BRITTANY COOPER, Fringe Magazine

I love docks. Overall, I like this one. Pros: The semimoveable dock connectors allow it to work with many different iOS devices, and the iPad and iPhone both charge simultaneously (use with an iPad 2 with caution). Cons: It isn’t heavy enough to lift the iPad or iPhone off without lifting the dock. I also can’t charge the iPad with a case on it. I’d use it; I just wish it were heavier.

As someone who doesn’t drive a pickup truck or often drop my iPhone from heights above four feet, the Survivor case is a little too intense for my lifestyle. However, after examining this case and performing some in-office tests (read: putting an iPhone in the case and throwing it at office walls), I think this product is great for anyone who has a high-impact job or lifestyle, whether you’re driving to a construction site or jumping into a mosh pit.

WHAT A PRO HAD TO SAY

PHIL COBUCCI, BAM! Solutions

MATT DODSON, Avid Rock Climber

I’m always looking for easy ways to charge my many electronic devices in a single location. When I saw the PowerDock Dual from Griffin, I was excited to use it to simplify the wires surrounding my homemade charging dock. The idea is great, and the product design needs just a little refinement. If you’re only using the unit to charge an iPad, then it topples over within minutes. However, the PowerDock Dual charges the iPad and iPod with the correct wattage and would be a surefire hit with a minor balance adjustment.

As an outdoor enthusiast and rock climber, I rely on my phone to contact the world beyond the wilderness. The Survivor case protects my phone from pretty scary falls and bumps, and it also deflects rain—if the rain is light enough. The case is quite bulky, and isn’t fully waterproof, but no existing case is both functional and waterproof. It’s no miracle, but it’s a solid and trustworthy case that does its job.

Problem: I have 20 discount cards from 20 different stores. Solution: the Key Ring App, which lets me scan the cards neatly into my phone. No more standing at White House, Black Market awkwardly promising, “I know it’s here somewhere!”

Whether it’s contentment & love or nostalgia & family, this handy (and free!) app lets you pair topics and “spin” the poetry spinner to find related poems from poets spanning all genres and time periods. Nerdy? Perhaps. Enriching? Let me count the ways.

3. INSTAGRAM by Burbn, Inc.

6. WORDS WITH

I love photography. And though I’m no Jeremy Cowart, I like to rock the Instagram app, whether I’m at a live show or just hanging out with friends. Instagram lets me edit my photo on the spot and BOOM! I’m the best photographer around.

FRIENDS by Newtoy, Inc.

My favorite app is Words With Friends. I’m an English major and a writing/ editing intern, so I guess words are a relatively large part of my life. Why not use that to my advantage in a game?

4. DRAGON DICTATION by Nuance Communications

OK, I admit that texting isn’t my strong suit, and I know I’m not alone in this. Enter Dragon Dictation, which turns my spoken words to written text with scary accuracy. It’s perfect for those of us who struggle with the little things—like typing.

5. OMAHA STEAKS: STEAK TIME

Like Brite Revolution on Facebook for a chance to win these and other great products from Griffin Technology

by Omaha Steaks International, Inc.

It’s getting warm, and that means grilling season. Ever tried to achieve the perfect grill marks and get every steak to finish at once? Ever succeeded? Yeah, thought so. Look like a rock star at your next cookout with this handy set of timers, tips, techniques and recipes to grill every steak to perfection.

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

hello, songwriter.

DALLAS

DAVIDSON By: Adam Mayfield| Photos: JON-PAUL BRUNO

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM

hello, songwriter. Not even the best public relations firm can manufacture the career momentum that comes from three songs climbing the charts at once or, better still, a single mega-hit that soaks its way into all corners of country society. Most songwriters have seen neither; Dallas Davidson has seen both. And because of that, he’s one of the hottest tickets in town. DAVIDSON WAS HANGING OUT at the Wildhorse Saloon one evening in early 2004. He was new to town from Georgia, and he and his buddies, Randy Houser and Jamey Johnson, knew one of the bartenders. “We were up on the third level looking down at some girls line dancing on the main floor,” he says. “There was this one girl who was a little ‘thick,’ and she was shaking her badonkadonk back and forth. And Randy goes, ‘That’s a honky tonk badonkadonk right there!’ We all just looked at each other and said, ‘Let’s write it! Let’s write it and not care what anybody thinks about it.’”

Davidson’s network quickly expanded to include fellow South Georgians Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip. That gang—nicknamed “The Peach Pickers”—yielded a bumper crop of cuts over the next handful of years, including Blake Shelton’s “All About Tonight,” Jack Ingram’s “Barefoot and Crazy” and Josh Turner’s recent No. 1, “All Over Me.”

Lance Houston, radio personality for country station WUBL-FM, Atlanta, speaks to the strong correlation between Georgia and country music right now. “With the success of artists like SugarAnd so they did. Notoriously conservative country land, the Zac Brown Band, Billy Currington, Jaradio stations were slow to warm up to the Trace son Aldean and Luke Bryan, Georgia is to country Adkins single that so graphically and repetitively music right now what Texas was to country music described swinging booties and the men who love in the ‘90s and early 2000s,” Houston says. “Dalthem. But “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” like the las Davidson and others are certainly a part of that shimmying posterior for which it was named, quick- movement from a songwriting perspective.” ly took on a life of its own, setting new records for country ringtone sales and earning Adkins a doubleplatinum on his 2005 album Songs About Me. “It was a big, big, big song, and for that to be our first? It was a big deal,” “I try to write songs like I talk. If I’m Davidson says. A big deal, indeed, especially for someone barely two years into the Nashville songwriting scene and only about three years into playing guitar. “[People up here] told me I might get a hit after 10 years,” Davidson remembers. But he wasn’t having any of that. Other songs replaced “Badonkadonk” as the ringtone of choice for country music booty-shakers, but Davidson’s newly minted career didn’t fade with the song’s shiny patina.

Back when Davidson was in college at Georgia Southern University, he befriended Luke Bryan, now a Capital Nashville artist. Davidson was from Albany, Georgia, and Bryan grew up just a few miles away. They became quick friends in college and writing partners after graduation. “At first, I’d call Luke and say, ‘Man, I got something here!’ and he would shoot down most of it, because it just wasn’t there yet,” Davidson remembers. His skills were getting sharper by the minute, though. The two eventually became a great writing team, giving life to Bryan’s hit, “Rain Is A Good Thing,” which became Bryan’s first No. 1 when it topped charts in 2010. 62

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

I ask Davidson why he thinks country music from Georgia is resonating so loudly right now. At first, he speculates about diversity: “Otis Redding is from Dawson, Georgia, about 20 miles from where I grew up, and Ray Charles is from my hometown. So you have that soul music coming out of Georgia, Widespread Panic and the jam bands coming out of Georgia, not to mention country artists like Alan Jackson and ‘Whispering Bill’ Anderson. I think it’s just feel-good music and a blend of great sounds that people love.” He takes a minute, and then seems to stumble upon what may be his magic formula. “I try to write songs like I talk. If I’m writing a song, I wouldn’t say ‘my crazy buddies,’ I’d say ‘my wild-ass buddies’ like we did in the Blake Shelton song [‘All About Tonight’]. I want to write songs that my buddies back home will put in the truck and say, ‘Hell, yeah. This is what I like right here!’ They’re kind of the bar for me.”

writing a song, I wouldn’t say ‘my crazy buddies,’ I’d say ‘my wild-ass buddies’...”

You’ll find that same southern, down home voice in much of Davidson’s most successful work, and especially in his latest undertaking with Rhett Akins, Outdoor Channel host and self-proclaimed “rowdy redneck” Michael Waddell and Warner/Reprise on a hunting and fishing-themed album called Bone Collector: The Brotherhood Album. Songs like “Duck Blind,” “My Baby Looks Good in Camouflage” and “Granddaddy’s Gun” won’t see much— if any—radio airplay, but they are seeing success on iTunes and in specialty retail outlets like Bass Pro Shops and Cabela’s. The Bone Collector project, four of 2010’s 10 most played country songs and Billboard Magazine’s 2010 Hot Country Music Songwriter of the Year award have made for Davidson’s biggest year ever. But this Georgia boy doesn’t strike me as the ‘stop and smell the magnolias’ type. “I’ve got a lot more stuff to do,” he says. “I’d love to win a Grammy or a CMA or ACM Song of the Year. All I know to do is keep working hard, and hopefully that will get me to the next level. Right now, I’m just pushing hard not to drop the ball.” dallasdavidson.com

Tuesday June 21, 2011

@ 7:00 p.m.

EXIT IN

2208 Elliston Place Nashville, Tennessee 37203

Deep Fried 5 SPECIAL SURPRISE GUESTS TBA alternative event planning + design

7:00 p.m. THE LISTENING ROOM

Wednesday June 22, 2011

209 10th Ave S # 200 Nashville, TN 37203

615.439.0652 INFO@ dandylionevents.com @dandylionevents facebook.com/dandylionevents www.dandylionevents.com

Teen Bands

Thursday June 23, 2011

@ 7:00 p.m.

VENUE TBA

Friends of the Fringe Concert & Legends Award

Friday June 24, 2011

play it safe. store it with us.

@ 7:00 p.m.

ROCKETOWN

601 Fourth Ave South Nashville, TN 37210

Youth Speaks Nashville

for more information

www.nashvillefringefestival.org

aplustorage.com/nashville.html 615.726.6000 â&#x20AC;˘ 911 Division St.

REVIEWS

IN this long-awaited NEW section, we’re bringing you REVIEWS

of the hottest new albums from some of Nashville’s

MOST INFLUENTIAL music connoisseurs—the

DJs at

LIGHTNING 100. Here,

WELLS ADAMS & “LIEUTENANT” DAN BUCKLEY give you the skinny on WORTH SPINNING and what’s better left UNSPUN. what’s

One of these things is not like the other, members of The Head and the Heart .

The Head And The Heart

Middle Brother

Self-Titled

Thank you Sub Pop Records … again. This Seattle-based indie/folk group has done well on their premier, self-titled release. The simplicity of this record is what shines. It spins just like you think it would sound on stage. Also, it’s a couple dudes and a pretty blonde—yep, smart and simple. Mellow acoustics, wonderful harmonies and stellar lyricism hit you right in the head and the … well, you know. The band has been giving away “Down in the Valley” and “Lost In My Mind” on their MySpace page, but you should just buy the whole record. It’s that good, and the record label is worth supporting. WELLS ADAMS

FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM MAY/JUNE 2011

Another super group? Please … The new collaborative effort from the frontmen of Delta Spirit (Matthew Vasquez), Dawes (Taylor Goldsmith) and Deer Tick (John J. McCauley) has the boisterous sound of the prodigal son rather than the middle brother. I hoped this would be a primarily Delta Spirit-sounding record, but this was not the case, and in hindsight I couldn’t be happier. Vasquez took a step back to let Goldsmith and McCauley really shine and, in turn, created something that far surpasses all expectations. Record labels continue to amaze me, however. The suggested single to Lightning100: “Me Me Me.” Come on, Partisan Records. Dig on: “Daydreaming,” “Middle Brother” and “Portland.” WELLS ADAMS

Lykke Li

Alexander Ebert

Wounded Rhymes

Alexander

Don’t take this one out of your CD player just yet … The sophomore project from Swedish recording artist Lykke Li has a few tracks that jump out right away, like the catchy opener, “Youth Knows No Pain,” and the evocative “Get Some.” Tracks like “I Follow Rivers” and “Love Out Of Lust” don’t take long to catch your ear as well. After the third or fourth listen, tracks like “Unrequited Love,” “Sadness Is a Blessing” and “Silent My Song” really find their home. This is a cool record, and I can’t wait to see Lykke Li live. Also, check out the videos she made for a few of these, as they are worth your time as well. DAN BUCKLEY

Alexander… is sick of people thinking his name is Edward Alexander Ebert unshackles the hemp chains of his Magnetic Zeros with this new solo effort. Although the LP lacks the Edward Sharpe female counterpart “Jade,” It does sound very much like an Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros LP. The A-side is far more energetic than the back … almost as if the trip begins to wear off. Tracks like “Awake My Body” and “Truth” rekindle the power that swept those lovable hippies from busking on the Venice boardwalk to the bungalows of Hollywood Hills. Refrain from flipping that vinyl, but if you love Edward Sharpe, you’ll dig on this. WELLS ADAMS

REVIEWS

Lucinda Williams

Abigail Washburn

Blessed

City of Refuge

The soundtrack for a six-pack and a setting sun In Blessed, Lucinda Williams’ tenth studio effort, she is at her best. Producer Don Was incredibly captures Williams’ vocals and the sounds of her top-notch band. The first track, “Buttercup,” is classic Lucinda Williams, sounding like it could have been on her breakout album. This artist has a knack for weaving a story, and she’ll get you in the heart with “Soldiers Song,” a beautiful tale of a soldier thinking of his family while away at war. With half the songs on this record lasting at least five minutes, Williams takes her time getting her work done. But whose mother didn’t tell them to chew their food slowly? DAN BUCKLEY

Thank God she picked up a banjo and didn’t go to school in China ... In her fourth full-length album, City of Refuge, Abigail Washburn finds a new but familiar path to walk. It’s the first record without Chinese lyrics, but it isn’t without Chinese flavor. Washburn teamed up with former Tommy and the Whale multi-instrumentalist Kai Welch (who co-wrote five songs with her) instead of The Sparrow Quartet, her usual bandmates. The final product is truly excellent. Washburn, who’s married to fellow banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, released this beautiful new album, and she also knows how to put on a terrific live show. If you get a chance, catch her in town or as she returns to the Bonnaroo stage. DAN BUCKLEY

Noah and the Whale Last Night On Earth

I’ll need two of every album You may remember this UK quartet from when Laura Marling was in the band; maybe not. The band’s third full-length sails out of the gates, and the third track, “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.,” is a hit, ain’t no doubt. I just kept thinking, Who am I listening to? One second it’s The National, and the next, Lou Reed is waxing poetic about a “Wild Thing.” Lead singer Charlie Fink seems to peer deep into the past lyrically on tunes like “Give It All Back” and “Just Me Before We Met,” but I think the bright days for this band reside in the future. WELLS ADAMS

Radiohead The King Of Limbs

Crank up that stereo Radiohead has taken the world by storm once again, announcing on a Monday that they were releasing a record the following Saturday, then putting it out a day early. This record is full of electronic, hypnotic jams, picking up where Kid A left off. It’s no OK Computer, but the eight tracks find Radiohead doing what they do best. “Little By Little” is one of my favorite songs, as it sounds hauntingly familiar. I’m not sure which song that bass line is from, but I like it. Don’t be scared off by the first track, “Bloom.” Check out “Morning Mr. Magpie” and “Lotus Flower,” and give a listen to Yorke’s vocals on the last track, “Separator.” DAN BUCKLEY

Stephen Gordon

The Apache Relay

So Young Now

American Nomad

I think it’s pretty good: “But, After All, What Do I Know.” This Nashville singer-songwriter makes an impact dropping his second record into the sentimental hearts of the Americana populous. Sounds of John Denver, fellow Nashville local Keegan DeWitt and Ryan Adams can be heard. Gordon’s backing band is extremely tight, but I think the best of him lies between himself and that guitar … almost as if he doesn’t want to share his best stuff with anybody else. This is a strong record from back to front. Focus on “Summertime,” “Field And Flower” and “But, After All, What Do I Know.” WELLS ADAMS

American Nomad packs a mean left hook This Nashville-based band delivers an excellent album with American Nomad. It’s one of the rare records on which every song feels important and more than lives up to its inclusion. Nashville producer Neilson Hubbard takes this fantastic live band and captures them at their best. Apache Relay were just added to the Bonnaroo lineup, and there’s no wondering why. Their live show is soon to be legendary, and they have the perfect record to entertain fans until their next gig. Don’t skip any of the songs on this album. DAN BUCKLEY

The prodigal sons return, members of Middle Brother

MAY/JUNE 2011 FRINGEMAGAZINE.COM