VOLUME 1, NO. 5
featuring:
Larra Skye Chris Anderson Joss Loner
Featured In This Issue...
JOSS LONER LARRA SKYE
CHRIS ANDERSON
CONTENTS 4
CANADIAN ARTIST Larra Skye Taks About Her Life As A Performer
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OUR FIRST FEATURED DRUMMER Chris Anderson
14 ASPIRING POP/JAZZ SONGSTRESS Joss Loner READ UP ON SOME OF TODAY’S FINEST INDIE-ARTISTS!!!
Indie-Musik Expressions is a magazine that is dedicated to the thousands of musicians, songwriters and performers who create music for the pure joy and love of it. And, for those who aspire to be the stars of tomorrow. They all share one thing in common, an overwhelmingly passionate drive for the art of creating music. In the ten last years, many avenues have opened up for creative artists to create and share their music. The internet has been tremendously instrumental in enabling independent artists to pursue a lifelong dream of becoming a musician and reaching fans across the world. While technology, having become more accessible and affordable, has made it increasingly easier for musicians to take an idea from a concept to a completed song, or a completed CD. And, with outlets like cdBaby, iTunes, lastFM, etc., once that disc is completed they can sell and promote it to the masses. Whereas, ten years ago that same musician would had to have spent a fortune in studio time, then shop their product to music labels in hopes of getting an executive to listen to it. And, if they got signed, there was NO guarantee that a record would ever be produced, released, or marketed to the consumer market. Today, musicians have greater control over their careers than ever before. It also means that those serious about pursuing a music career have to work a lot harder, but now... they can enjoy more of the fruits of their labor. And, they are more in control of their own destiny. Which is a tradeoff that most of them gladly accept. So this magazine will be dedicated to these artists and their stories.
GMJ Publications
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Contemporary Jazz Stylist...
You started out writing songs Schubert, traditional French really. But after high school, I at a very young age. How did songs, gorgeous lyrical modern decided to pursue journalism at university. Around that time, I that come about? pieces, etc. It’s a real hoot. My whole family is musical, so it all came nat u r a l l y. When I was 8 or 9, I was writing short stories – never finishing them – but always coming up with ideas, narrative, poetry. When I was 11, I started to learn the guitar f rom books at my parents’ bookstore. I think I was compelled to write songs with my guitar because I was listening to Simon & Garfunkel, CSNY and Bob Dylan. I also l oved to sing, so it made sense to accompany myself and also put my writing skills to good use. And finally finish something!
Tell us about your back ground... Are you primarily self-taught or did you have formal musical training? Self-taught, though I always wanted to take music lessons as a child. I joined a choir when I was 13 and I learned a lot about singing then. We also went on a tour of England and Wales and got to sing in some amazing churches there. Just this past year, I enrolled myself in classical vocal lessons. I am hooked and just got a scholarship, so I plan on continuing this on the side. I’m singing
When you were growing up in Canada what type of music did you listen to? All styles, and to this day, I’m a very open-minded music listener. I went through a folk/acoustic phase, then started listening to ska all the time, then trip-hop, hip hop, then jazz, country, R&B... Some of the artists I’m listening to on my iPod now include folk legend Barbara Dane, Alison Krauss (in love with her voice), Ben Harper, French songwriter Francis Cabrel, Adele and Estelle (2009 UK soul), Omar (UK soul from the 90s), Lali Puna, Bright Eyes, Andrew Bird (indie), Kat i e Melua, A Perfect Circle, etc. I could go on. I always find it interesting that people rarely compare my voice to other singers. I sometimes kind of want them to, for curiosity’s sake. But it rarely happens. Maybe because my influences are so varied?
What do you think has been the most significant event that has helped your development as an artist, thus far? Hmmm... good question! I don’t think there’s one event
started to work with songwriter Gerry Finn. I think that moving out from my parents’ place, falling in love with my schoolteacher/musician boyfriend at the time, wanting desperately to make an album, meeting new To ronto music i a n s... it all helped me to transform from a small-town guitar-toting folk singer/songwriter to where I am now (a To ronto guitar-toting jazzy singer/songwriter?). Actually, performing with professional musicians was a big one. I never went to school for music, so the stage was my school. I learned (and continue to learn) so much from them about phrasing, soloing, rhythm, etc.
Do you write alone or do you collaborate with your band? I write alone and, for the first album, I wrote mostly with a co-writer. At the moment, I have some songs complete that I’ll record on the next album, and I’m also on the lookout for someone to collaborate with on some new material. At live shows, I always let my band play out – they’re such fantastic musicians, and we play jazz-
Larra Skye
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esque music, so we like to jam it out. In that way, each performance is a little different. I like that.
the simplicity and the flow to my first album. We recorded it in two days on 2” tape (analog) and my vocal takes were not cut up. So it’s very natural.
yet. Also, because of my varied musical taste and experience (singing in country/blues bands, playing trombone, etc), I always said that someday I Your "World Disappears" CD would release one album in If you couldn’t have been a seems to have a jazz standards every musical style I liked. vibe, while your LIVE per - musician... what else might We’ll see how that goes!
formances seem to have more you have been? of a funky vibe. Is there a Any last words for your Larra Well, I mentioned before that I preference? Skye audience? Yeah, I’m glad you noticed! I started playing the songs off the album live in the clubs in 2006, and with an electric bassist named Rich Brow n (instead of upright bass which is on the album). This helped to move the sound into a new direction. I also am a huge soul/funk/R&B fan, so I think the live music slowly morphed into this style a bit. It also works well with the crowds. My newer recorded material (demo at this point) is more produced than the last album. But there’s no preference – I mean, I love 6
went to journalism school, probably in the hopes of being a b ro a d ca st er. I also thought about being a French/English translator, because I love writing and I love language. But mainly, it’s hard for me to fathom not being a musician, because I’ve always had this love of music. I don’t know a life without it.
What is it that you're looking forward to do in the future as an artist? I want to keep on releasing albums, and do more touring, which I haven’t done much of
Thanks for reading! I think the most important thing is to do something you love, even in some small way. After all, life is an adventure! Oh, and yeah, I’m working on a new album and I apologize for the wait! Peace.
http://larraskye.com www.myspace.com/larraskye
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Chris Anderson is an amazing drummer whom we found on the internet via YouTube. His videos feature him playing a very wide variety of musical styles, in which he brings a unique approach to drumming that is rarely rarely heard in most of today’s music. If you love percussion and haven’t heard of him, you will definitely want to give him a listen.
Chris RHYTHM IN TIME Anderson First, let me thank you for being the first drummer to be featured in our magazine. It's an honor to have one of your caliber in our midst. Thank you very much, I’m honored that you enjoy my playing! You are an amazing drummer... "Are you formally trained?" A bit of backstory – My drumming journey began about 2 and a half years ago. I bought my kit (the same Sonor S-Class that I currently use) in December 2006, but it was a few months until I had the cymbals and hardware I needed to actually play the whole set. It was maybe June of 2007 when I contacted Ben Wiseman, a Berklee graduate living nearby in my hometown of Ocala, FL. He’d come highly recommended by some other drummers I’d spoken to, and after my initial lesson with Ben I was thoroughly blown away. I ended up studying with him for about 8 months before our schedules made it difficult to get together, and I’ve been on my own since. Luckily, I have a huge amount of rhythms, rudiments, and reading exercises written down that Ben and I went over during lessons, which I never really got around to tackling on my own time. I’m always promising myself that I’ll get to those soon…hehe. So, to answer your question, yes I’ve had some formal training, but not for quite a while. I’m in the process of looking for a new instructor in the Boston area at the moment. 8
Why... and when did you develop an interest in playing drums?
I’ve always been more rhythmically inclined than melodically although I think I’ve got a good sense of melody and harmonization. I took piano lessons when I was a child, but never developed much melodically. I also dabbled halfheartedly in trumpet and percussion in the school band, but that wore thin pretty quickly. In my freshman year of highschool I discovered underg round heavy music (bands like Extol, Opeth, Meshuggah, and Cynic), and really took a liking to all the melodic and rhythmic mayhem going on in these styles. Almost to a fault, I crave complexity and a rtistic layering of unique melodies and grooves, and some might say it inhibits me from enjoying a lot of quality (albeit simple) music.
who lived up the street from me. He had a drumset, and whenever he took a break I’d swoop down on the kit and begin playing grooves I’d heard and remembered. This didn’t last very long he moved away once we graduated, and I got caught up with trying to earn money. My musical tastes changed a lot from that point as I discovered all the other genres branching out from modern progressive metal. The 70’s in particular were a fantastic decade for music in my opinion – You’ve got Jeff Beck, The Mahavisnhu Orchestra, Allan Holdsworth, and countless other fusion giants on one end, and incredible Prog acts like Camel, Focus, Genesis, and Yes on the other end. I really bonded with these artists, and like most people began memorizing all the songs Towards the end of high school, I and solos without even really took up an interest in guitar, and thinking about it. I attribute my began jamming with a friend critical listening skills to giving 10
me sort of a jump-start on the instrument, and it was a really natural thing for me to begin studying the drums after such a long period spent soaking in all these styles and grooves. I once played drums for about a year and during that time I lis tened a lot to three drummers: Harvey Mason who was equally adept at playing funk and straight ahead jazz, Billy Cobham whose sheer power and speed always amazed me, and Steve Gadd who was uncanny at laying down the most incredible syncopated rhythms. What contemporary drummers do you listen to and why? We share some similar tastes, it seems! Let me preface this by saying that creative arr a n g ements within the context of a song will always get my attention
over some flashy soloing or showboating. One of the first drummers that really made me reevaluate the role of rhythm within a song was Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree). He has an incredible ability to disguise odd meter grooves and eff o rtlessly displace and relocate notes within the bar (such as moving an entire 9/8 groove ahead by a single 16th note), all while demonstrating superb accuracy, consistency, and control. Steve Smith’s playing on Enigmatic Ocean (1977) is another watershed example of jazz/rock drumming. I believe it was either the first or second album he ever recorded, which is truly inspiring to me. In fact, this album was a huge factor in motivating me to buy a drum set! I wanted to (and still want to) be able to play like Steve. Most drummers will probably recognize the rest of the names here- guys like Danny Gottleib, Keith Carlock, Martin Lopez, Dennis Chambers, Akira Jimbo, Martin Valihora, Antonio Sanchez, Vinnie Coliauta, Benny Greb, Chris Coleman, and Stef Broks. A common thread with all of these drummers is some level of improvisation in their music, and I draw inspiration from each of their unique phrasing abilities and dynamic range. A lot of drummers tend to pound the skins and thrash about. However, when I listen to your playing I am immediately taken by your sensitivity to the music, and how you never get in the way of the music. How would you describe your sound and approach to music? Usually I have a bit of a rough plan in my head of what ideas I’d like to express during the song. It doesn’t always play out like I’d pictured, but I think that’ll come with time and experience. One thing many musicians don’t do, or do WELL, is listen with a critical ear as they’re perf o rming. That may be part of what attracted me to jazz and improvisational music to begin with – the whole aspect of live, real-time interaction, and the vital need to pay close attention to the overall sound of the group (not just your own playing). As I’m playing, I’m trying to imagine myself as a third party to the music and to cater to what I feel the listener would like to hear or expect (and hopefully dashing those expectations, as the only way I want my playing to be “predictable” is by consistently being exciting and spontaneous). I listened to several of your videos... among them the
v e ry tasteful playing of "Windowpane," and "Oatmeal Bandage" which features your amazing timing and great accents. Instrumentally speaking, what attracted you to these two songs? In regards to the song “Windowpane”, Opeth has been one of my favorite bands for many years. It’s one of those situations where now they’re a quality benchmark for new music that I come acros s, even if it’s only a subconscious comparison. Windowpane has some diverse sections with interesting rhythms, and a very melancholy, wistful feel throughout. Most Opeth songs are considered Death Metal, but for the album “Damnation”, they took a diff e rent approach, working instead with Steven Wilson (Porcupine Tree) to capture the essence of 70’s prog nostalgia. No distorted guitars, just loads of mellotron, rich harmonies, guitar solos dripping with emotion, and plenty of fantastic grooving by Martin Lopez, their previous drummer. Oatmeal Bandage is from the recent Tal Wilkenfeld album “Transformation”. She worked with Keith Carlock and Wayne Krantz, recording her own jazz/fusion compositions. It’s pretty amazing stuff, especially considering she had only been playing bass for a couple years and is working with top-tier musicians consistently. Keith Carlock’s playing on the whole album is exceptional, every aspect of his playing just oozes groove. The track has a relatively simple stru c t u re, and plenty of spots during the solos for yummy accents. I’m happier with the drum sounds on this video than I am with my playing, just as a side note! There was a segment in one of your videos ("Various Grooves") where you played a shuffle beat. I was never very good at it, myself. What advice would you give to drummers for tackling this unique drumming technique? I’m probably not the best person to ask about it, seeing how I’m very displeased with myself every time I attempt it! My drum instructor really re i nforced the notion that a drummer who’s able to play a half-time shuffle correctly (the right amount of swing without lagging, yet still showing restraint) will reap the benefits of this work in MANY other areas of his/her playing. It’s a re a lly challenging rhythm…I mean, you’ve got whole notes, half notes, quarters, eighths, sixteenths, and 11
even triplets in there! Being able to play it confidently while improvising is one of my goals, and working at it has truly made a difference in the rest of my technique.
dynamics, education, and intuition essential to turning your musical vision into reality. In that same vein, it’s my desire to challenge and inspire other musicians to think imaginatively and perhaps stumble across something For a perfect example of how this they hadn’t ever attempted or groove SHOULD sound, check realized about a song. out the track “Home at Last” by Steely Dan. Bernard Purdie is Do you write music compositions? rhythm in human form! David Thompson and I wrote Editor's Note: Yeah, I'm familiar with three songs for “The Awakening”, that piece... one of my faves actually. which we recorded in December And, the interesting thing is I'd never 2007. I’d been playing for under heard a drummer play shuffles like a year then, and it was my first that, before Purdie. He is so "wicked!" time in a studio environment. Those instrumental tracks cover You also work with a band called a few different styles (Jazz, The Awakening... proving that you metal, ambient, and progressive have good instincts for both jazz rock) and were a really gre a t and rock music. As a drummer do experience. David and I are still you have a pre f e rence? collaborating via phone and the i n t e rnet, so we’ll likely have That’s a tough one. A year ago I something new to offer before would have answered this diff e r- too long. ently, I think. As I continue playing, I’m realizing the value of To be honest, I feel like most of developing my range of skills and the creativity comes from being proficiencies in various styles, in the studio environment. I feel while recognizing that the especially fortunate to have a “genre” of music is really just a nice home studio setup. It’s very subjective term. liberating to be able to just head into the next room when I’ve got I love the freedom and inhere n t an idea, and see how it works in creativity associated with Jazz, the context of the song I’m workand pro g ression is my primary ing on. It also gives me a setup goal in making music - to that doesn’t have to be torn down pro g ress in my technical abilities or moved, and that’s a huge help on the kit, to pave new pathways in getting better drum tones and no matter what I’m perf o rming, “learning” the recording space. and to constantly be challenging Factor in applications like myself when recording, produc- P ro Tools, Omnisphere, and ing, and engineering. I suppose Melodyne, and it’s staggering it’s that “world’s your oyster” out- how much your average musilook that draws me to the genre, cian can do by themselves! although the label of “Jazz drummer” isn’t necessarily one I You mentioned that you are work desire. I want to be the guy that ing on some NEW music videos. you re c o rd with because you Can you tell us a little something know he’ll always play appropri- about the viewers can expect to see ately for the song and have the in them? 12
I moved to Boston this past December and things have been pretty hectic since then (I work as an IT consultant), so I haven’t been able to devote as much time as I’d like to putting up new items on YouTube. Most of what I’ve re c o rded there are playalongs or drum covers, and I’d like to start adding more original material. I’d say within the next two or three weeks, I should have added a couple new videos. Ideally I’ll be diversifying the array of styles in these videos (perhaps some funk, IDM/dub, or even fusion/metal). So keep an eye out! Any last words that you would like to offer to your many fans? I’m often asked by people how I was able to pro g ress quickly in such a relatively short amount of time, and the answer is pretty simple! Like most other things in life, it’s up to you to make it happen! Be serious about spending your practice time actually practicing, and try to train your ear to pick out the positive qualities in other musicians that you feel are lacking in your own playing – there are so many amazing performers in this world, but they each bring a totally different set of traits and skills to the table. In that same regard, listen back to your OWN playing with the same mindset, and pick out the qualities that set you apart – you might be amazed with what you’re capable of.
www.myspace.com/xopethx www.youtube.com/user/ xCrumblingMirth
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Joss Loner
the smooth sensuous sounds of
We are always looking to find new artists on the internet... Which is what we were doing when we dis covered you.
not only ballads, I want to sing a mixture of ballads and upbeat songs in the styles of jazz, swing, blues, soul and funk.
Your website is written in German... At the moment I´m working on is that where you are from? some of my own material with several musicans, and I'm trying to be Yes, that's right I´m from Germany. c reative with ba llads and some At the moment, I´m living in a uptempo stuff. Mostly in the "jazz, wonderful city called Hamburg. pop, soul" genres. Is "Joss Loner" your stage name? Joss Loner, Josephine Loner, Josi, Josy, Josn..... you can call me whichever one you want. But yes, Joss Loner is my name.
You have a style where at certain points in a song you sing slightly ahead of the tempo, as in Gershwin's Summertime. I've heard that done before, but not in the unique way that you do it. Does that come nat urally... or was that a style that you developed over time?
You have a voice that is very sensu ous and hypnotic with a soft lilting quality that is perfect for ballads. That's difficult to answer. I think Would you say that is true? it's a combination of development... and something that comes naturalA sen su ous and hypnotic voice - that ly. I´m not sure how to explain sounds nice. Thank you very much! exactly, but I´will try. If your question is "do I like singing I niti a lly, it started with me ballads?," The answer is... yes. But uploading videos to YouTube.
Which I did just for myself, at first. . . because I lacked confidence in my mu si c, and I wasnt sure what kind of mu sic I wa nted to do. So I started singing in my room while sitting in front of my webcam. I wasn't sure if th is was such a good method, but I repeated it again and again, and after receivi ng some positive feedback... I gained self-condidence. Then, after a few videos, I began to figure out my own style and with each new video my fear has become less. At the beginning, I just sang cover songs f rom all styles of music. I would say that the covers were horrible, but they were an important part of my self-development. As a result, my confidence has grow n immensely. Today, if I am singing a song for YouTube I do not over-think what I am doing . I just hit the record button and let the music in my mind and soul flow out of me. But this is only possible because I went through that important step before - of finding myself in the music. Hopefully, you will under-
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stand what I mean.
Because of the quality of your voice, and your jazz leanings, it would be easy to make comparisons to the vocalist Sade. Do you think that is a valid comparison?
covered her music a long time ago, and whenever I hear her mu sic I always remember a very sp ecial time in my life. Also, I love the vocal col or of Ben Ha rper, in addition to his intonation and his phrasi ng.
We noticed that you are on MySpace and YouTube. Have they been help ful to reach a larger audience?
Oh, yes... for sure. My Space and YouTube are very important for all of us. I think it's important for every You are a vocalist and pianist. Does musican. The internet gives artists Oh, its a nice compliment because that make it easier for you to inter - so many new possibilities. You can Sade is awesome! I ge t a lot of pret other composer's songs in a share your music with millions of requests to sing Sade songs, but I am style that is your own? people. How crazy is that...? not sure if I should do it because I do no t want to im itate someone Oh, I´m more a vocalist than a I think it's the best way to promote with my music. Sade is wonderful pi a nist. I should explain what hap- yourself, and get in touch with and her voice is full of emotion, but pens when I try to make a song my other musicans to do collaborations, she IS Sade... and of course I am Joss, own usi ng the pi a no. I´m sitting etc. It is so inspiring to see the many you know. there in front of my pi a no, with th is different musicians and artists feeling of the song that I wa nt to play. from around the world... and all for Can you name three music artists I´m playi ng and playing and that you've listened to that have searching for the right chords, and influenced you musically? while I´m playi ng... I create my own mel ody and discover new ideas. So Only three...? Okay, I´ll try. most times at the end of my pi a no Hmmm, it has changed over time, session I am not able to play the song but in recent years it's Diana Krall. I wanted to cover, but created a new I like the way she makes some old mel ody or arrangement instead. I´m songs her own, and I just love the not a good pi a no player for certain way she sings. It's an really honest covers. Maybe it's becau se I´m too way. She is just singing. impatient with my fi ngers . I don't like it when singers make too many "curves" with their voices, like when a singer wants to "riff" every single note to emphasize how good they are. Do you understand wh at I mean? In my opi nion, Diana is just singing and putting her fe elings in the songs w ithout focusing on the highest notes, or the most dif ficult phrasing s. It's just pure singing, without all the major stuff on it. The second artist would be Tracy Chapman. I love her dark voice, and her lyrics are great! I dis-
You have a wonderful way with bal lads. Do you prefer to sing ballads? Thank you! No, I dont wa nt to only si ng ballads. I wa nt to sing whatever I feel. I love it when I hear a mel ody that all ows me to get into the song. That's why I love jazz so much. I feel free to just fall into a song and let my feelings fly, while expressing what is in my heart. I absol utely love the feeling I get when I am making mu si c. Especially when performing jazz ballads.
free. I think it's awesome... absolutely wonderful! I´m very glad to be a part of this internet storm! It has helped me a lot. As a result of the internet, I was featured by the German YouTube site, and I was invited to London by Google. And, it all began by putting videos on YouTube. So the answer is absolutely... "Yes!!!"
Lastly, any new things coming up from Joss Loner that you would like to share with your loyal fans.... and our readers? Yes, I´m planing a few new things in the near future... but for now it's a secret! I will update my friends and fans via my My Space and YouTube sites. So check out my YouTube channel. Thank you very much for inviting me to do this interview. I feel very honored that you chose me for this! I also wa nt to thank all my You Tube and MySpace friends for watching my videos, listening to my mu si c, and for foll owi ng me on my sites! Thanks for all the lovely messages and comments. You are the best!!!
Oh, yes... for sure. MySpace and YouTube are very important for all of us. I think it's important for every musican. The internet gives artists so many new possibilities. You can share your music with millions of people. How crazy is that...?
www.myspace.com/imjosephine www.youtube.com/jossloner
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