Lazie Indie Magazine Edition 18 October 27, 2021
Alex Freeman Irka Bochenko Lisa Mitts Robert Wagner JOSIE MUSIC AWARDS Sir-Vere Santhosh Chandran Ashley Bean Fate Will Come Paul Edelman
Cover Story Bob Corritore
Content
Editor's Corner
Featured Artists New Release - Ayraah Lodha Josie Awards Alex Freeman Santhosh Chandran Lisa Mitts Irka Bochenko Ashley Bean Robert Wagner - Little Wretches Fate Will Come Sir-Vere Paul Edelman Lazie Indie Merchandises
Cover Story Bob Corritore
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Editors Corner Information The magazine is published by Lazie J Print Edition 18 The month of publishing October - 2021
Editorial Team Editor: Jay Pillai Coordination and promotion: Manoj Verified by: Inge Zimmermann Probst
Guest Feature: Column and Review: Tomiko Dixon, Galaxy FM Kathryn Shipley
Cover Photo: Bob Corritore Cover Photo Courtesy: Marjani Viola Hawkins
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Lazie Indie Story: When a small effort to help fellow musicians goes global When I started Lazie Indie Magazine I had 5 of our friends to write about and twenty pages of content. I thought it would be interesting to present the interviews me and my friend did as spotlights in Youtube as a neat presentation in a magazine format that our friends can actually use for their promotions. Well! They loved it and that pushed me to do the next edition and a couple of edition later. I requested another Indie friend of mine to help me out with verifying what I wrote and she was glad to oblige. Slowly we listed a few great Indie artists who were as passionate and sincere as I was in talking about fellow artists.Today we have contributors from major hubs of music worldwide and the best in the world of music gets featured here. Kathryn Shipley is our latest addition to the team and we welcome her. Coming to this edition we have a very interesting magazine this time with a legendary musician and owner of an iconic venue on cover and some phenomenal artists who are regarded high in the music circuit. We have the founders of biggest and most respected award show for Indie Music - The Josie Award. We have multiple awarded artists and yes we do have a James Bond Girl - Irka Bochenko from France in the edition who is also a popular singersongwriter herself and a guitar virtuoso who invented IndoFlamenco style of guitar playing and a rising superstar among our features. Lazie Indie Magazine is all about artists talking about and sharing great music. We don't claim to be a powerhouse who can change anything in the music industry and we are happy just to interview great artists. When are able to go to the next step we will move forward but now we are happy to write and interview great artists. Read on and enjoy this edition... Thank you, Jay Pillai Page5
Bob Corritore, American Blues Harmonica Player, record producer, Blues radio show host and owner of The Rhythm Room, a music venue in Phoenix, Arizona is a recipient of several industry honors, including a Blues Music Award, Blues Blast Music Award, Living Blues Award and a Keeping The Blues Alive Award and more. His accomplishments include producing a Grammy-nominated album and contributing harmonica on another. He is the editor and main writer of the Bob Corritore Blues Newsletter. Granddaughter of Blues Tomiko Dixon speaks to this legendary Blues Hall of Fame inductee to get to know more about his fabulous career as a Hohner Endorsed Harmonica player and also as the owner of one of the most revered venues in USA. Let us know more... LIM
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Tomiko: Hey Bob! Thank you and welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine You have worn so many different hats in your musical career as a Harmonica Player, Producer - Label to Radio show host to Venue owner and have had great success in each role you have taken up personally, which is your favorite? Bob (Bob Corritore): I enjoy each of these musical involvements! If I had to choose just one, I would say my favorite role would be that of a recording artist. I feel that if you can capture that precious moment of musical magic then that’s something that will last forever! It’s something that you get to share with the other artists that you’re making the recording with. And a recording can last forever. But all of these different hats are synergistic. They all individually work together to make the collective whole possible. Tomiko: Who were your musical influences and how did you decide to go for the Blues Harmonica? Bob: Once I heard Muddy Waters for the first time, the direction of my life was changed. Once I heard those great Muddy Waters songs, many of which were penned by Willie Dixon, I knew immediately that I had found the best of music. And of course, so many of those recordings featured the great harmonica work of Little Walter, which I found to be so intriguing. My younger brother John gave me my first harmonica and I immediately took to it. The harmonica is such a beautiful and expressive instrument and I felt, that I was able to express myself by playing it. Tomiko: As a musician who would you love to work with from the current generation of musicians? Bob: So I will define the parameters of this question to the artists that are currently in the scene that I’m able to work with. So many of my cohorts over the years are no longer with us such as Louisiana Red, Louis Myers, Henry Gray, Chico Chism, Tomcat Courtney, Pinetop Perkins and many others. They will always be fondly remembered. But I feel LIM
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"Thank you for calling me an ambassador and I hope I can live up to that title. In addition to performing regularly and touring as well, I also host a weekly radio show now 37 years old! My music venue, the Rhythm Room in Phoenix presents a wide array of musical styles but the cornerstone of our booking is always the Blues".
very blessed to have many great associations with current artists that I admire so much. I feel very blessed to be able to make music with hey John Primer, Bob Margolin, Diunna Greenleaf, Mud Morganfield, Willie Buck, Tail Dragger, Bob Stroger, Oscar Wilson, Sugaray Rayford, Andy T, Jimi Primetime Smith, Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, Kid Ramos, Johnny Main, Junior Watson, Fred Kaplan, Johnny Rawls, Ben Levin and others. And because I have my own nightclub, I get to create situations where we get to play together on a semi regular basis. I feel very blessed to have musical associations with so many wonderful artists that I greatly admire. Tomiko: As a Blues Hall of Fame inductee and Ambassador of Blues what do you do to help keep The Blues alive?
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Bob: Thank you for calling me an ambassador and I hope I can live up to that title. In addition to performing regularly and touring as well, I also host a weekly radio show now 37 years old! My music venue, the Rhythm Room in Phoenix presents a wide array of musical styles but the cornerstone of our booking is always the Blues. My Facebook page is filled with postings of both current and historical Blues photos. I have been very active in producing blues albums and I’m very pleased that I've received a warm worldwide reception! Tomiko: As a musician and a producer you have won the highest awards in popular music industry. How do you go about creating your music? As a producer when is it that you would say that ‘here it is, this is the sound I want’?
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Bob: As I’ve gotten older I am feeling like a better producer. My basic rule of thumb is to bring the whole band into the studio and record it live in the studio to capture that magic. There is always those moments where everything just clicks. Those are the moments that I live for. I always try to assign songs to each session that highlight the strength of the singer and band members. Occasionally I will add horns or backing vocals afterwards. I spend a lot of time on mixing, where I try to re-capture the relationships between all the instruments and singer in such a way that the chemistry really comes through. I am certainly not a fancy producer, but what I release is real and heartfelt. Tomiko: You own one of the most respected venues for music. How did you get into venue/event management and what has been your experience these days because of the restrictions venues had recently? LIM
Bob: In 1991 I was given the opportunity to develop a business at a property that had a long history of being a music venue. I had been on the other side of that scenario for years as a musician, and I knew what it would take to run a successful concert club. It was a chance that I took and it seems to have worked out well for me. Of course in March 2020 I had to shut down my club for a year and a half due to the pandemic. We just reopened on August 27 and I am cautiously optimistic. Starting September 20 we will have a policy where people will need to show their vaccination card or a negative test result. These are very uncertain times and so what lies next is yet to be determined. By the way the Rhythm Room just opened in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary! Tomiko: What is your take on the internet based online live sessions? Will they have a negative or positive impact on live venues, how much will they impact? Page13
Keeping in mind the reach they can offer… will they somehow become the venues of tomorrow? Bob: Personally I am not a big fan of the online shows that many musicians did during the pandemic. It will never substitute for live performance and for the interaction that an artist gets with an audience. Live, in person music will always rule! Tomiko: If you have to pick an act or artist that inspires/inspired you every time you watch, who would that be? Bob: I’m going to indirectly answer that question a little bit different than the way you asked. I find that the harmonica work of Little Walter has never ceased to amaze me and through the years it’s been a constant source of inspiration. His musical genius remains unsurpassed! Each time I listen, even if it’s a song I’ve heard hundreds of times, I seem to always find something new and brilliant about Little Walter’s playing! Tomiko: As a musician do you release music now and what is your latest release? Where can one get to see/hear them? Bob: My latest album is Bob Corritore & Friends/Spider In My Stew It features LIM
many friends: Lurrie Bell, Sugaray Rayford, John Primer, Johnny Rawls, Oscar Wilson, Bill and Shy Perry, Alabama Mike, Diunna Greenleaf, Francine Reed, Junior Watson, Kid Ramos, Willie Buck, Bob Margolin, LA Jones, Adrianna Marie, Johnny Main, Fremonts, Bob Stroger, Fred Kaplan, Doug James and more. I am very proud of all of the recognition, charting, and great reviews this album has received! You can order it through Amazon or anywhere that music is sold! Tomiko: What was the best advice given to you and how did that impact your journey? What would you advise upcoming musicians or radio hosts or Venue owners to keep in mind when they build up their career? Bob: The best advice that I ever received was from Robert Lockwood, Jr., who told me to never sell my masters. I have followed his advice and after 40 years of recording I own and have control over most of my entire catalog. My best advice would be to stay true to your heart, perform music that reflects and includes your own personal identity, and never ask for permission. Tomiko: Thank you Bob, for your time! Bob: Thank you for this interview Tomiko!
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About the Columnist This column is contributed by Tomiko Dixon who is the granddaughter of the Great Willie Dixon and also the youngest inductee to the Blues Hall of Fame and an Ambassador of Blues. Lazie Indie Magazine is glad and honored to join her cause to keep the spirit of Blues alive. Photo Credits: Ivan Marcio, Dave Blake, Josh Tempkin, Dragan Tasik, Joan Hunt, Jeff Fasano, Bob Keiser, Marlyn Stinger. Cover Photo: Marjani Viola Hawkins
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New Release: Lodha Luxury, a true blue luxury brand announces a new music anthem on the occasion of World Mental Health Day. The exclusive anthem, performed by Ayraah Lodha, is specially curated to spark conversations and further drive awareness among individuals around integrated wellness - including preventive healthcare, mental health, physical health, exercise and nutrition, to help maximize life quality and in turn, happiness. Music is one of the most powerful tools in the proclamation of individual expression, and the anthem conceptualized by Lodha Luxury aims to inspire people to have a much-needed dialogue around the subject. Lodha Luxury has always deep-dived into conversations that matter to the community. This is yet another effort to urge citizens to openly talk about leading a holistic life.
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Founded by Josie Passantino and Tinamarie Passantino in 2015, The Josie Music Awards (JMA) is considered to be the Grammys for Independent music. The award function includes a lavish red carpet and many performances, JMA since its inaugural celebration, remains the largest independent artist award show globally. Thousands of independent artists, songwriters, record labels, talent agencies, promotion companies, producers, engineers, management companies, press, music industry businesses and many more attend the event year on year. The Josie Music Awards was created solely to celebrate those in the independent music industry that work so hard every day and deserve to have a night of their own. JMA has just completed its 7th annual award show overcoming the LIM
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covid restrictions. Kathryn Washington Shipley (KShip) our new entrant to LIM's fabulous group of contributing columnists interviews the founders of JMA on behalf of Lazie Indie Magazine. "In this article with “Real Talk with KShip” from Lazie Indie Magazine, I had the pleasure to interview, a motherdaughter duo, that has taken the Independent Music world by storm, in the last several years. Tinamarie Passantino, and her daughter Josie Passantino-Boone have put their imprint into having one of the largest Independent Music Awards shows, (The Josie Music Awards) in the US and Globally. I was able to pull them from their busy schedule, to chat with them about how they started, what the future holds for the show and some other key mentions…" says KShip. Let us read the conversation...... LIM
KShip: Hi Josie and Tinamarie, such a pleasure to speak with you today, and congratulations on yet another successful awards show... year seven (7) how does it feel, to see what you envisioned grow to where it has and also grow in a short amount of time? What stood out this year more than any other show you have had? Josie: Thank you so much! The growth feels wonderful, it's such a great feeling! I have envisioned this for so long, so to see the progress we are making, it's incredible and I am thrilled to help the independent music community for many more years to come. This year what stood out the most was the extra events we had - the vocal competition, songwriters in the round, pre-party and award show. It was so much fun to see everyone happy for each other and working together creatively. Tinamarie: It was an incredible feeling at the JMA weekend of events! The award show started in 2015 and just had its 7th year, however we have been working on Page21
our network since 2009 supporting those in various positions in the independent music community. One brand has always grown into another for example The Josie Show (radio talk show) grew into us adding on a licensed radio station, which then ultimately led to the Josie Music Awards after several other brands were launched. One of the greatest stand outs for me this year was the incredible feeling of love throughout the events. I didn’t think it could ever get greater and it did this year. Everyone supportive of each other, celebrating each other and the music. Everyone I have spoken to at the event and since the event have said the same thing. Our hearts are so full. KShip: Where was your very first show? And let us know how that looked like... things you learned from it? And what made you decide you wanted to do an awards show for Independent Artists? Josie: The first show we didn't expect many people to come right off the bat but we had a pleasant surprise! The first show was at the Gaylord Opryland "The Springs" building which was beautiful. It was such a new experience for us, and it was before we had my husband (Matt Boone) running our sound and stage so LIM
that was difficult doing it ourselves. But we did have some great bands jump in to help. Now we are more comfortable, and things go smoothly. Tinamarie: The first show ultimately was held in the Springs Building owned by The Gaylord Opryland Hotel. The attendance was double what we could have ever imagined so we had to split the show into a matinee and evening show to fit all the planned attendees. Before it even started, we learned we needed a larger venue to be able to have one show with everyone together as it was originally meant to be. We had worked with independent artists for years and we were able to get the inside seat as to how difficult it was back in 2009 and still to today. Indie artists just were not recognized well for their talents, and they are incredibly talented. So, we went about talking to pros in the music business and had ourselves a panel and processes so that everyone could be treated fairly and reviewed on their talent. This wasn’t about press button voting, or how many albums sold, etc. There are already placed out there that handle all of that. I think we have earned respect over the years because we always seek to be fair, honest, and open with people. The ultimate decision for us to start an award show was when we were sitting at one and watched how different indie artists were treated from others and there was such a horrible negative feeling in the room, we left early and decided on the walk back to the hotel that we would find a better way to do this and celebrate the talent in a positive atmosphere. KShip: You have switched locations/ venues a couple of times and each place you have had different kinds of growth can you describe that a bit? Since we are still in a pandemic so to speak, what changes in the last 2 years do you feel were challenges? Josie: We have been at the Gaylord Opryland "The Springs", Nissan Stadium, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, Dollywood, and now the Country Tonite Theatre. All wonderful venues with a feel Page23
of their own and we are blessed to have been at such incredible places. I feel with the pandemic the challenges we've had to face is lower capacity, our friends in other Countries can't join us due to travel bans, and honestly, for me, I'm a BIG hugger so that's also been difficult. I want to hug everyone so tight! Tinamarie: We loved trying new venues, it was exciting! We have been at places such as the Schermerhorn Symphony Center, the Nissan Stadium end zone, Dollywood and more. We have been so fortunate! As we have grown, we have needed more room, parking, etc. That has often guided our decisions as well as having a venue that can handle a full production show. We have done things a bit different over the last two years with the pandemic. Our sold-out crowds left more than ample room for social distancing, following all mandates, and anything else we could do to keep our JMA family and spectators safe. We have been very successful at that over the past two years without attendees becoming ill. KShip: Planning Phases for each year... do you ever stop and have downtime a month or so, or is it constant non-stop going into the next one? LIM
Josie: I can honestly say, once one award show ends, we begin the planning phase for the next one immediately. I find it so much fun so it really doesn't bother me to go non-stop. I love to keep busy! Tinamarie: It never stops, this is yearround planning. Our event takes place on a Saturday and Sunday we are bringing our trailers back and planning starts right there during the drive back. KShip: The unsung heroes behind the scenes can you tell us a bit about these fellas, many of us know, but we really want to give the readers a bit more substance on these 2. They are kind of like an offensive line in football, they protect the Quarteback at all times so they can do well? Josie: We have to thank all of the lights, videos, and sound engineers and technicians at the Country Tonite Theatre. They do an amazing job! Also, our incredible industry panel who does all the artist research and chooses the nominees and winners. I wouldn't want their job, they diligently go through thousands of submissions, not an easy task. I don't think we could manage doing it all without their help. Also, my husband Matt Boone, who is our stage manager, who works so hard every year! It truly takes a team! Tinamarie: I love how you described that and you are right! So, Josie and I would be tag team quarterbacks and our offensive line is made up of Matt Boone (Josie’s husband) and Vito Passantino (my husband). Matt handles all stage equipment and management. He works with the performers getting them all set to take the stage. Vito handles many different projects from assisting during planning to security. We can’t forget our panel too; they work so hard for us during review time of submissions. KShip: Your awards show has been compared to the Grammy Awards for Indie Artists... can you explain and explain in a shortened way of your process with you incredible judging panel. So many think this is a voting process and it is not. There is “talk” you have been Page24
approached by some powerhouse folks that come from some of the mainstream shows? Josie: That is a compliment! Tinamarie can explain the process, but we prefer having a panel then the voting system. Voting systems can be manipulated and I feel voting focuses more on the popularity of an artist then their actual work. Tinamarie: That is always such an amazing compliment! We hear that consistently and we work hard to ensure that we give our nominees the highest of quality. We use a pro panel to handle reviewing all the submissions and make decisions on the nominations. This year we had around 39.000 submissions and only 2.6% of those submissions obtained a nomination. The same panel then ultimately makes the winner decisions with reviews done by category. Although, if you are one of the 2.6% you have won! We do get approached regularly and sometimes those conversations guide us LIM
and the direction we are taking. KShip: What does 2022 look like? I hear there are some exciting new things that were announced at this years show? Can you elaborate? Josie: 2022 is looking good so far, we announced the JMA Fest which is so exciting! It will be filled with live entertainment, fun, food and so much more. I love a festival! Not only will it be so much fun for those who attend but another opportunity to showcase incredible talent. We will have many stages. We are currently planning it all out and all I know is we HAVE to include funnel cakes, corn dogs and cotton candy! Those are musts! Haha Tinamarie: Next year is looking amazing already! We announced at this year’s event two new brands added to The Josie Music Association, LLC. Those brands are the Bobby Ray Boone Page25
Music Foundation to help support youth follow their music dreams. We also announced The JMA Fest (an all-genre music festival for 2022). More details coming soon on both brands. KShip: Ladies! Thank you so much for your time and looking forward to another successful year for you as you go into 2022. To find out more about the Josie Music Awards, and submissions for next years’ show, please log on to https://www.josiemusicawards.com/ About the Columnist 'Real talk with KShip' is a column presented by Kathryn Washington Shipley who is an Award-Winning Modern Country/Christian SingerSongwriter who is recognised as One of the fastest-growing Indie Artists over the last few years. She interviews top indie artists and present them to Lazie Indie Readers through this column. Photos: Courtesy Josie & Tinamarie. LIM
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Alex Freeman is a singer, songwriter and entrepreneur inspiring and influencing audiences everywhere. She is truly a unique talent, singing and speaking and performing in front of major audiences for years. She speaks and performs at schools teaching how to live with greatness and dream big! Alex is excited to lend her voice as an advocate to The Association For Suicide Prevention, creating a very personal song named Somebody. After losing her mentor to suicide, she knew that she had to be involved with a so dear cause to her heart. She has been interviewed and highlighted by all major media outlets such as CBS, ABC, NBC, iHeart Radio and Galaxy FM. Her songs are available on all major music outlets. Barbara and DJ Grant from Galaxy FM speak to Alex Freeman about her career and her plans in their column 'Around the Galaxy'. Lets read... LIM
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"I love writing because it is my way to express emotions and thoughts about everything in life. Whatever experiences come my way I can create a song about it".
Brabara and Grant (B&G): Hi Alex, you have a very promising career in music at a very young age. How do you feel was your journey so far as a musician? Alex (AlexFreeman): It has been great. I’ve had the ability to work with many incredibly talented co-writers and producers. I love learning from each and every one of them and growing my skill set. I have recorded many songs over the past year, and I am just getting started. I am learning to produce, because I really feel that in today’s music business you have to learn every aspect of the business. Creating music, mixing, mastering, publishing, splits, syncs, marketing, playlisting, promoting, marketing yourself, press, interviewing, creating a brand. Finding your audience, and creating daily content that they will love. Basically we have to learn many skill sets and adapt as LIM
music changes. So, I am a baby taking my first steps learning everyday how to grow. B&G: Who/what were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play? Alex: I have so many musical influences, it stems from a variety of artists that I've listened to since I was a child, as well as being exposed to different types of music. For example, Christina Aguilera’s big powerful vocals. Otis Redding’s songs that just have a raspy and soulful feeling to them. Amy Winehouse’s timeless, stylized sound that captures my heart. Sam Cooke had that melodic phrasing I just adore. Arianna Grande her impeccable vocal range, amazing beats and record breaking career. She can write, produce, sing, perform and is just a powerhouse. I think that Brittney Spears, was one of the most dominate performers Page30
ever. I appreciate her situation that she is going through today that can help teach all of us up and coming that we need to know our business study our rights, our publishing, our contracts and be part of our own careers. I try to learn about an artist, what they do, how they create and apply what I can to my career. Even if it isn’t all good, where did they go wrong? What can I avoid? Success leaves a path; we just have to walk down it and pick-ups the clues that it leaves for us. B&G: How do you go about writing your songs? How do you record and produce your music? Alex: I love writing because it is my way to express emotions and thoughts about everything in life. Whatever experiences come my way I can create a song about it. My process is to create a chord pattern and a track and then create a melody, concept then write the lyrics. B&G: What do you look to convey to your listeners when you create music? Do you LIM
look to set a theme first or do you let the song take over your lyrics? Alex: I really love when the song takes over because it’s like stream of lyrics comes to me. I love how authentic those song are. However, I haven’t written a hit yet… so I know that there is so much more to learn. I believe that hit songs have a structure and once you have it you need to follow that structure. It leads the way for the listener to feel the music better. B&G: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release? Alex: You can find my song ‘Oh Baby” and “Paper Mask” out on all streaming platforms. The music video for ‘Oh Baby” comes out on October 1st so stay tuned!!!! My next song, Broken Record will be out shortly after that in late October early November and I can’t wait to share that with you too!! Broken Record is really exciting to me, for me it is the closest to the type and sound of music I want to Page32
continue creating. B&G: What gives you the kick, writing, producing or playing live and why? Alex: What gives me the kick is really performing, but due to Covid… I am having to find it elsewhere. So, my second favorite part of this is creating. I LOVE being in the studio and recording. I am a perfectionist when it comes to my vocals my detail oriented nature comes out and I can I can prefect each little element. My goal is to make each little note, breath and overall sound the absolute best I can for my listeners. B&G: The lockdown brought the industry to a halt for some time but many in music used it for creating new music. How did you spend this lockdown with respect to your music? Alex: During lockdown I used it as a way to create. I wrote 50 completed songs and recorded 34 of them. There is so many more that are nowhere near being finished but I used it as a time to grow LIM
my skillset and ability. B&G: What are your immediate future plans? Alex: I have my “Oh Baby” music video coming out October 1st. Have a song called “Broken Record” coming out within the next month that I’m so excited for!!!! I am looking forward to doing a few performances and ton of interviews. B&G: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with fellow young artists? Alex: Make good music and work. A lot of creatives think that magically we just one day are going to create the perfect song that will change their life. But just like any sport, job or profession thats not the case being a singer, writer, and producer does not come overnight it is a lot of work to be just good… not even great. So, my advice is to work every day on music and never stop, because it is the work that makes the difference from being good to being great. Page33
About the columnist (Around the Galaxy is a column contributed by Galaxy FM 107, New Zealand, introducing artists from New Zealand and Australia. Galaxy FM is one of the top radio stations in New Zealand and is quickly expanding its listener base across the world. The authors of the column, Barbara Harkins and DJ Grant are well known radio hosts at Galaxy FM hosting the popular Breakfast Show. LIM thanks team Galaxy for their support. Check out their websitewww.galaxyfm.co.nz) Photo Courtesy: FAITH AIKENS PHOTOGRAPHY & SCHULLER PHOTOGRAPHY.
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Santhosh Chandran, who plays a unique genre of Flamenco, Rock, Jazz, Blues and Western Classical music, brings to you a sound enriched with his influences from having played in many countries since he started playing professionally in 1989. Presently Santhosh is the lead guitarist of a contemporary fusion band ARKA, before joining ARKA Santhosh was busy touring with a number of acts. He played within India and the Middle East and toured a lot of countries - South Africa, Australia, New York, Ukraine, Beirut and Middle East. Santhosh is one of the very few Flamenco guitarist in the country. His versatility on the instrument has won him several accolades. Indo Flamenco is a creation of Santhosh Chandran which infuse traditional Indian ragas with contemporary flamenco techniques. Lets learn about his incredible musical journey... LIM
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Jay: Hi Santhosh, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine, It is great to meet you. You have had quite a journey all the way from Kerala (India) starting with traditional Indian music, navigating through different styles of music as a guitarist going through Rock music and even inventing a new style of Flamenco Guitar playing called Indo Flamenco style. How did you reach here at this sweet spot you are in as a musician? Santhosh (Santhosh Chandran): I started to learn music at the age of six and was equally passionate about Carnatic as well as Western Classical music. Later I shifted my focus to Heavy Metal and Rock genres of music and started performing shows inside and outside India mainly in the Middle East allowing me to meet and know many internationally acclaimed artists and new musical genres especially the Flamenco. This was the beginning of Indo Flamenco, the style that resulted from mixing Indian ragas with Flamenco style. For me, mixing up different styles allows me to express myself better rather than sticking to a single style. Jay: Who initiated you to music and who influenced you to turn into Guitar and explore various styles? Santhosh: I come from a musical family. Though, my biggest inspiration was my father who advised me to take up guitar after seeing my passion for music. The styles of music were purely the result of my experiences from journeys and collaboration with different artists. Once while performing with a Middle East Jazz singer from South Africa I realized that electric guitar didn’t entice me much. That’s when I started to play classical guitar in Flamenco style gradually ending up in the invention of Indo Flamenco style. Jay: What is the Indo Flamenco style of guitar playing and how did it come into being? Santhosh: While playing the Flamenco style I felt that due to the similarity in scales though the style offered a wide range of rhythmic styles, audibly they were all similar. So I decided to LIM
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incorporate Indian Ragas into Flamenco so I could bring in a different feel to the genre and also could express Ragas in a more harmony-oriented manner. I started off by designing an instrument called Geena, which was a combination of guitar and the Indian veena. Jay: You have given music to movies of great acclaim, which is more challenging, a movie project or a Rock Band or Flamenco Guitar Performance? Santhosh: In my musical career till date I have been a performer, a session artist and a composer as well. Out of these I believe the Flamenco Guitar performance part is the most challenging. Because not many people are inclined towards instrumental music. In such a scenario, I have always felt that playing a new style of instrumental music and establishing a connection with the audience has always been more challenging than being a composer or being part of a Rock band. Jay: How do you go about writing music? LIM
Do you have your own studio to suit your needs or depend on producers to bring out the best sounds when required? Santhosh: I never write music for the sake of writing music. If I feel like writing music, firstly I decide on a theme. Once I finalize a theme, the thought process starts. The music starts playing within my mind. It can be anywhere. Anytime. Even while waiting at the traffic signal. If the music that comes to my mind sustains and I am able to recreate it even after reaching home, I will proceed with the recording session. For recording I prefer to do it in my own personal workspace rather than going outside to any other recording studio. Jay: What are your latest projects? Santhosh: My latest projects include a musical collaboration with Greg Ellis, renowned percussionist, who has played for stalwarts like Hans Zimmer and the album works of my Indo Flamenco project. Page 38
Jay: Where can we find your work on the internet? How would you describe your work in a nutshell to a listener who is listening to you for the first time? Santhosh: Most of my works can be found on YouTube. My movie scores, performances and session works. The Indo Flamenco, being a theme-oriented music, is mostly performed live by giving a short intro to the audience to shed some light into what exactly the style is about and tries to establish a connection with the life of anyone listening to it. Jay: What makes you satisfied? A great song created or a fantastic live performance pick your absolute favorite and why? Santhosh: Actually composing music definitely makes you happy. But the real happiness and satisfaction is, when the music you created reaches another person and succeeds in evoking their emotions. Jay: Covid 19 struck a massive blow to the music industry as a whole, sealing off most outlets where music could have paid back to the artist. How did you cope up with the situation, especially as a musician? Santhosh: Definitely, COVID 19 was a massive setback for the global music LIM
industry. Not just music, it affected almost every human across the globe. Finding a way to surpass the crisis was essential. I mostly focused on updating myself with technical knowledge and learning new things related to music during this period. Also I tried to distribute my works among my fellow musicians to lend them a helping hand. Taking online guitar classes helped me a lot to survive through the crisis period. Jay: Finally, what was the best advice you got which you can share with upcoming musicians who are looking to make a mark and what would be your own words of wisdom to them? Santhosh: From my experience my advice to aspiring musicians is to master the instrument you are using. Being a musician it is very important for you to know your instrument. Instead of following a trend I suggest developing the music within you. Because mostly music developed following trends will not sustain for long but the latter will. - Thank you Photos Courtesy: Santhosh Chandran
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Lisa Mitts is a singer/songwriter, pianist and performer. She was nominated for Josie Music Awards and received Intercontinental Music Award (ICMA)Red Carpet Awards in Holland, Female Songwriter of the Year and Album Of The Year (Gold) at the ISSA Music Awards as well as WSA (World Songwriting Awards) for Best Song Production. She has recorded and written with R&B artist, Allen Stone, Seattle producer/artist Brandon Bee, as well as in Franklin, TN at the Castle Studios with renowned Nashville musicians such as Gordon Mote and Chip Davis. Her music ranges in genres from Pop to Country, Classic Rock, singer/songwriter and contemporary Christian to Jazz and Piano instrumental. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine speaks to Lisa Mitts. LIM
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Jay: Hi Liza, you have had a fantastic career so far in music. How do you feel was your journey so far as a musician? Lisa: I am grateful for the things I have learned in my music journey over the last 11-12 years of writing and recording music, working with talented producers, discovering my own sound and style, finding and connecting with my ’tribe’ of fans and supporters and overall growing into an artist. I feel that even though I started later in life, I am just now coming into the best part of my music journey especially after having received multiple music awards in the last couple of years from the International Singer Songwriter Association (ISSA), World Songwriting Association (WSA), Intercontinental Music Awards (ICMA) and the Red Carpet Awards in Holland. Jay: Who/what were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play? Lisa: I have had many influences from iconic artists and songwriters in the 70’s such as Stevie Nicks, Carole King, Linda Ronstadt and more to more current influences of artists such as Lauren Daigle, Hillary Scott, Adele and others. I also was raised with Classical Piano lessons from the age of 6 through my first year of college as well as musical theater of which I did a lot of. Jay: How do you go about writing your songs? How do you record and produce your music? Lisa: I usually write my songs out of issues of my life and my own heart that I am struggling with or growing through. Most of the time, I will get one lyric line that then inspires me to write more much of my own healing from significant trauma and challenges of in my life has come through writing a song about it. The music/melody to a portion of the song often comes at the same time. I have always hired professional producers to record with so all of my music has been in recording studios with very experienced producers or who are both artists and producers. My most recent producer that I have worked with for two years is also LIM
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who I often co-write with as well. Jay: What do you look to convey to your listeners when you create music? Do you look to set a theme first or do you let the song take over your lyrics? Lisa: I usually will set a theme first - a message that I want to convey to my listeners, which is often about giving them hope, encouragement and faith to not give up on their dreams, to believe for the breakthrough and to embrace or learn from the good and the bad seasons of life so we can grow into who we are fully meant to be. Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release? Lisa: You can find my music on all digital platforms - Spotify, ITunes, YouTube (all under Lisa Mitts Music) and you can also find all of my links including social media at my website at www.LisaMitts.com Jay: What inspires you most? Live performances, writing or producing? Lisa: That’s a tough one to choose because I really love to perform live, however if I had to choose, I would say that writing and recording in the studio with my producer is for me the most inspiring, because it brings out the most LIM
creativity in me, and it also produces more original music that I can then in turn perform. Jay: The lockdown brought the industry to a halt for some time but many in music used it for creating new music. How did you spend this lockdown with respect to your music? Lisa: I co-wrote and recorded more music with my producer during the lockdown then I think had done in the last three years combined…I released 7 singles from August 2020 through the end of May 2021. Jay: What are your immediate future plans? Lisa: I have a brand new EP, called “Fly Away” releasing Oct. 28th - the first two tracks were released over the summer. I am also preparing and organizing a big CD Release Benefit Concert here in Prescott, AZ on November 5th … much of the work I do through my music is to also advocate on behalf of survivors of human trafficking and provide resources for their healing as well as education to the community through my performances. Music is a powerful way to touch the heart and bring change. This will be a free benefit concert highlighting my new EP but also with special guest speaker and city leaders to bring awareness of the fastest growing crime in the world and how to protect our children and families. Jay: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with young artists? Lisa: I would encourage young artists today to look at the long-term picture and be true to who you are, don’t try and be someone else… being a true songwriter and artist is not about being famous, rather it is about leaving a legacy to the world through your art, through your music. Singing cover songs can be fun at times, but writing, recording and performing your own song with your own style is so much more powerful and can bring encouragement, hope and joy to others in a way that no one else can. So, be patient with the process, let yourself grow as an artist and don’t compromise Page44
on your values and morals so that when you are older, you can look back and be proud of your work. Jay: Thank you for your time and it was great speaking to you! Lisa: Thank you...
Photos Courtesy: Lisa Mitts
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Irka Bochenko was born in Poland, but moved to Paris with her family when she was 6. She is known for her character in James Bond Movie 'Moonraker'. Irka is also a known singer, composer, songwriter, author, model and designer... well that is a long list. She carries an alias 'Iren Bo'. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to Iren Bo aka Irka Bochenko about her fabulous career so far... And yes we did ask how she became a 'Bond' girl and also about her song she wrote and recorded along with Sir Roger Moore. We thank Emma Goldberg for introducing Irka to Lazie Indie Magazine... Lets go to the interview without much ado...
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Jay: Hi Irka, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine. It is great to speak to a Bond Girl who can sing. Let me start by asking you: You have worn many hats till now in your career. You have been a singer songwriter, model, actress, writer, what do you think is the real Irka Bochenko? How do you see yourself when you look back? Irka (Irka Bochenko): You forgot designer (lol) Yes I have worn and I still wear many hats, it must be because I enjoy being whoever I want to be, each hat is like a disguise and lets be myself and not myself, if you know what I mean. I’m hungry for creation, I’m a kind of kleptomaniac of life's moments, a passionate perfectionist and a workaholic. I was probably born with a lot of dreams on mind, thank you Mom, thank you Dad. I’ve never really had time to get bored… The real Irka is all these things and I hope, even more… the real Irka is a lover of life, someone who takes pleasure in each and every moment and who is always looking for the next experience. The real Irka is a woman as strong as she is fragile. The real Irka grew up with four brothers and had to struggle to find even a little place in the sun. The real Irka is a very shy little girl who wanted her parents to be proud of her. I don't really like looking back. I prefer to see myself today and look forward to tomorrow… Very often people around me make me aware of everything I've done. And when in fact I realize my amazing journey I can say that I’m quite stunned remembering all of things I have done. But I still have so many dreams, so many beautiful people to meet and thousands of incredible things to achieve… So for me life begins every day when I wake up. Jay: It is really interesting to have a James Bond girl interviewed in a music magazine. How did you come into music? What were you first, a model/actress or musician? Irka: Oh thank you, let’s say now that I am author composer, singer, music director, actress and just sometimes a Bond girl. When I was 4 in Poland I didn’t LIM
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speak French at all but my Dad, who was born in France taught me to sing all the French nursery rhymes. That’s probably how the passion begun. After representing France in Japan at the beauty contest - Miss Youth International - I was asked to come and work in a big model agency… At 14 I started my career as a model and actress, taking acting classes in Paris. I used to write poems and sing since forever, but I really came to music when I was 20. Suddenly I decided to put my modelling and acting career on hold for a while and throw myself completely into the music world. Jay: Who were your musical influences? Irka: At the age of 10 I loved a very famous French singer who wrote the song « My Way » named Claude François. When I saw this big star on stage I was amazed by his energy, I said to myself « this is what I want to do ». Undoubtedly, he gave me the passion for music and the stage. But as I grew up I had many other LIM
musical influences such as Elton John, Freddy Mercury and others. I was very fond of Pop music and I loved to listen to: John Lennon, Elvis, Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson… The Beatles, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin… They are so many. And now Ed Sheeran, The Weekend, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, Emeli Sande … In French let’s say : Jacques Brel, Michel Berger, Edith Piaf… Jay: How do you go about writing your music and who helps you produce your music? Irka: I have a home recording set up and use multitrack recording protools. I do the sound recording, the musical direction. I love to work on the research of new sounds, new ideas of arrangements. So I start my work home sometimes alone and sometimes with my musician friends. When work comes to an end, I send the all tracks to some other friends for the editing and mastering. Page50
"I decided to write a song for the 50th anniversary called “Happy Birthday Mr. Bond” and ask Roger Moore to do a duet with me. I hadn’t seen him for a long, long time, but I took a chance and sent a message asking if my favorite Mr. Bond, would agree to record a song with me… one hour later I had his response “of course Irka”".
Jay: You had Sir Roger Moore singing in one of your songs. How did you get James Bond to drop his gun and pick up the mic? Irka: In France a Bond girl cannot have much talent so to work well and focus on music. For many many years I had completely forgotten Mr. Bond. But one day before the 50th anniversary of the saga I received an invitation to go to London as a Bond girl to sign autographs for fans. So I went to London for this special event. I was really impressed by the passion of the fans who came from all over the world, which shows how popular James Bond was and still is. Once I got back home, I don’t normally watch TV, but this time I don’t know why I turned it on, when suddenly the first image I saw was me leading Mr. Bond into the trap I had the Moonraker trailer in front of my LIM
eyes. For me it was a sign. As I am a singer and songwriter I decided to write a song for the 50th anniversary called “Happy Birthday Mr. Bond” and ask Roger Moore to do a duet with me. I hadn’t seen him for a long, long time, but I took a chance and sent a message asking if my favorite Mr. Bond, would agree to record a song with me… one hour later I had his response “of course Irka”. Then I went to record his voice in Geneva. It was such a beautiful moment we shared with him and his wife Kristina. Jay: Where can we find your music on the internet? Irka: You can find my music on every internet downloading platforms, Spotify, on Facebook and YouTube in some French radio or web radio like Arts Mada: https://arts-mada.fr - Le Barrio Show - which often plays my songs. Page52
Jay: What inspires you? Writing, composing music, or performing in front of a great audience? Irka: Playing guitar and composing feeds me. Writing makes me feel elsewhere in a vaporous and mysterious world. Performing in front of a great audience makes me feel alive, to share this special moment with the public and see people happy is such a wonderful gift. For me these 3 things are complementary and I love them all. Jay: What are your upcoming projects? Irka: I am currently working on an album and at the same time we are creating a special single for the fans that will coming out soon. I am also working on some jingles, for some specific brands and up and coming enterprises such as https://connecting-pro-people.com, a company which I have just created a signature sound for them. (It is a network of influential economic players, open to the world, dedicated to business, exchanges and sharing of experiences). I’m also working on news songs for other artists. I have several private concerts in the planning stage, from France to Germany, Belgium and even Dubai. Also in June I will be at the Palm Beach LIM
festival at Caldas Da Rainha in Portugal. And finally, Sir Roger offered me an exclusive and such a beautiful gift by recording this song with me. It is like a diamond, he never did it with anybody else and I feel really special. I am planning to organize an event to pay tribute to him and I will launch the 2 new versions of these duet that we recorded. Jay: The Covid pandemic and the lockdowns almost stopped the whole of the entertainment industry and now it is slowly limping to normalcy. How did you cope with the pandemic as a musician/ artist? Irka: Of course the situation was extremely difficult for artists and strange for the world as a whole. Everything was stopped, as many people were around the world, it was a difficult and often upsetting time, but we did our best to have some fun anyway. I worked from home and wrote a lot of songs, we did a lot of work by visio. We filmed some videos via iPad with friends who were abroad. Despite the situation we had some great time. A funny song was born called « C’est le merde ». Jay: As a hugely successful artist, what would you advise an upcoming artist to keep in mind to be successful in the industry? Irka: Look ahead, work hard and never give up. - Thank you Photo Credits: Irka Bochenko
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The Ashley Bean Band is a Rock band hailing from Peoria Illinois. Over the years, Ashley was nominated for two music awards, Best Song of the Year and Best Music Video of the Year in the year 2020 and won the Best Rock Vocalist award in 2021 at the largest independent music award show, The Josie Music Awards. In the year 2020, Ashley signed a major distribution deal with Rock Avenue Records USA. The Band’s music has been compared to Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, as well as Alice In Chains and Nirvana. The Band would say it is Classical meets Rock with a heartfelt and unique style. All of the lyrics and music are Ashley’s original creations. Her voice style and genre is distinct, raw and gives her music an incredible commercial, but almost underground. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to Ashley... read the interview here... LIM
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Jay: Hi Ashley, first of all a hearty congrats on your well-deserved Josies win, you really have had a fantastic career so far in music. When you look back do you feel was your journey so far as a musician? Ashley: Looking back at how far I have come has been a shock to me, never would I have thought I would be here, after 20 years of hard work this is truly a dream come true. Jay: Who/what were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play? Ashley: Growing up I heard a lot of stories about my great grandfather being a musician and how that inspired me to do the same and as well listening to Classic Rock, artists like Joan Jett really inspired me to be a Rock musician, singer and songwriter. Jay: How do you go about writing your songs? How do your band record and produce your music? Ashley: I write my song from my experience and what I have been through as an artist, musician and as a person. And we record at Eclipse studios in Bloomington Normal IL with our producer Erik Nelson, who is an amazing producer and musician himself. Jay: What does the Josie win mean to you? Does it inspire you to do more? Or does it make you more careful in your craft and be a bit more choosy? Ashley: It really shows how far I have come with my music and how I write and to inspire others to do the same, this is a huge step for me with my career and I want to continue down this amazing path with my music. Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release? Ashley: You can find my music and album What You Deserve on every download platform, ITunes, Pandora, Google play, Deezer, Spotify and more. My latest release is my album What You Deserve. Jay: What inspires you most? Live performances, writing or producing? Ashley: I would say everything that involves creating music inspires me, from LIM
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"Only you have control over your own destiny and no one can take that away from you. People will hate on your success only because it out shines their own".
live performances to writing and spending time in the studio. Jay: The lockdown brought the industry to a halt for some time but many in music used it for creating new music. How did you spend this lockdown with respect to your music? Ashley: I spent a lot of time pushing my music as much as possible getting it to radio, magazines, and distribution as well as working on new material for new releases. Jay: What are your immediate future plans? Ashley: Right now I'm planning on recording new material, new videos, photos and pushing new music out. Jay: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with young artists? Ashley: No matter what anyone ever tells LIM
you that you can't do anything is lying to you, only you have control over your own destiny and no one can take that away from you. People will hate on your success only because it out shines their own. - Thank you Photo Courtesy: Ashley Bean
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Lazie Indie Magazine interviews Robert Andrew Wagner who is the chief songwriter/lyricist for seminal Pittsburgh Rock band, The Little Wretches that rode a wave of local notoriety and led the underground music scene. Taken as a whole, Wagner's body of work covers a vast range, and he is regarded by fans as "The Folk Poet of Pittsburgh." In 2020, Wagner recorded and released two new albums: Undesirables and Anarchists and Burning Lantern Dropped In Straw, the former having spawned an iTunes chart-topping single and having received airplay on more than 115 North American AM/FM radio stations. The Little Wretches were named Multi Genre Group of the Year at the 2021 Josie Music Awards. Let’s talk to him ... .
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Jay: You have had a rising career in music so far creating a substantial fan base worldwide with your music. When you look back, how do you feel was your journey so far? Robert Wagner: I feel like I’ve everything I’ve done to this point has been to prepare me for where I am right now. The Little Wretches have an incredible catalogue of albums and songs that cut across genres, material that can be presented in any number of settings with various types of instrumentation. I can perform solo, duo or with our mighty band. People all over the world are a mere click away from ‘The Little Wretches’ music. So professionally, I’m in a very good position. And personally, it’s like I went through the fire and came out the other side. I’ve gone from being the angry outsider with a bad attitude to the elder statesman deserving of respect. People keep telling me how positive I am. Things turn into their opposites. What do they call that? Paying your dues. Jay: Who/what were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play? Robert Wagner: There’s a deejay on WRCT in Pittsburgh who says, “I can’t be prepackaged because I fit in no box.” The Little Wretches don’t really have a genre. People tell me we are “Folk Rock.” I think we’re PURE FOLK. I think we’re REAL Folk. We’re using the instruments and technology of our times to tell the stories of our people. Ain’t that folk? Good stories, good beats, good melodies, simple chords. Guitars, percussion and singing. Ain’t that folk music? Our genre is largely shaped by the people and tools at our disposal. Our genre is also shaped by the limits of my abilities, my limited vocalrange, my limits as a guitarist. It is likely that I’ve been attracted to and influenced by the types of music that are within reach of my abilities. I never wanted to do anything other than play music, but I was resigned to being some kind of poet. I thought I wasn’t good enough to be a performer. But then I heard Bob Dylan. Then I heard Patti Smith and Lou Reed. LIM
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Then Punk Rock happened, and people like me were granted access to the stage. Now, I look to the Rock and Folk poets for inspiration. I also love Michelle Shocked, Peter Himmelman, Jonathan Richman, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Steve Earle, Neil Young, The Kinks, The Who, The Rolling Stones. As a writer, I look to Sam Shepard and August Wilson. Jay: How do you go about selecting your songs? Robert Wagner: I’m not sure if you’re asking how I select songs for shows or how I select songs for an album. Either way, I think like a writer. I need to get the listeners’ attention. Once I’ve got that, I want thematic unity with supporting detail. I want songs that belong together and build to conclusion. I like a beginning, a middle and an end to a set. When we’re finished, I want it to feel like, “Yes, they said it. Nothing more to say.” And I listen for the call of the spirit. There’s a thing in the Bible where the disciples are sent out. “But what are we supposed to say?” Don’t worry about what you’re supposed to say. Get your butt out there. When your time comes, the Spirit will tell you what to say. I sometimes tell the band, “We don’t have a set-list. We LIM
have a repertoire. Be ready for anything.” We’ve got an opener and a closer and the question is, how to climb the mountain, jump the canyon and reach the sea. Jay: How do you record and produce your music? Do you have any special gear/ recording system which you feel is important to bring out the kind of voice you want? If so, why? Robert Wagner: I depend on professional recording engineers. Me, I’m perfectly happy with bootleg recordings and basement tapes. I’ve spent much time listening to unauthorized recordings. I don’t listen the way others listen. I need professional engineers capable of taking what The Little Wretches do and balancing the levels in such a way that might be at home on the radio, on car speakers, on earbuds, and so on. I met Lenny Kaye of the Patti Smith Group and producer of artists like Suzanne Vega. I asked if he saw making a record as a process of making a document or a process of creating an illusion. He said without hesitation, “Creating an illusion.” I love the music Lenny Kaye is associated with, but I don’t have the time, money or expertise to create an illusion. I’m all about uncovering the illusion and exposing the real thing underneath. I want to take a well-rehearsed band and blast out our live set in the studio. That’s how the early Beatles did it. That’s how Dylan used to do it. Do you think Woody Guthrie or Pete Seeger were trying to create an illusion? I don’t think so. Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Robert Wagner: Pick a browser and do a search. Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, YouTube. I think you’d enjoy our website - a lot of pictures, a lot of blog-posts. WWW.LITTLEWRETCHES.COM Visit our website and send us a message. Find us on Facebook and send us a message. I must say, though, that REAL music fans have a MUSIC COLLECTION. People come to your home, look through your library and judge you by the quality of your collection. People, I thank you for streaming our music, but PLEASE Page63
PLEASE PLEASE purchase downloads system. It is a joy to perform in a quiet listening-room with an attentive audience. But performing live can involve a lot of work, a lot of travel, a lot of uncertainty. Bad shows can be expensive and disheartening. But I love connecting with an audience. Nothing is as satisfying as connecting, soul to soul. Every Monday morning, I receive an email with an accounting of all of our streams and downloads. Sometimes, I’m surprised by the magnitude of the numbers. But those numbers are meaningless to me. Living, breathing people with smiling or concerned faces, people who applaud, people who ask questions, people who make wisecracks… I LOVE playing LIVE. The other stuff doesn’t even feel real. I’ll tell you, there have been times when I had no gig but played an amazing concert for the dust-mites and spiders in the corner of my room. I’ll start playing, get on a roll, and when I’m finished, I realize I just played a pretty powerful set for nobody. Maybe the angels were listening. Jay: Tell us about the success of your album "Undesirables & Anarchists" and its hit singles! LIM
Robert Wagner: Well, remember how you asked about my preferences for recording? UNDESIRABLES & ANARCHISTS was recorded live in the studio. Mostly. We overdubbed some extra guitars, percussion and vocals, but we were wellrehearsed, road-tested, and we went in and didn’t even wear headphones. And you have to admit, we KILLED it. Killed in the positive way. What a strange idiom. Thou shalt not kill, except in rock’n’roll. In rock’n’roll, we take no prisoners. Okay, I’m full of myself. We won some studio time, recorded the album, and sat on the tapes for an eternity. Then covid happened, and Donald Trump sent me a check for $600. I used the money to have the album mastered. I’m affiliated with The Orchard Enterprises, a subsidiary of Sony, and I prepared the album for release. But how to get anyone to care? Now, years ago, The Little Wretches were approached by an independent radio promoter who, for a fee, offered to promote our album BEYOND THE STORMY BLAST to radio. We had a band meeting, and we were afraid to pull the trigger. BEYOND THE STORMY BLAST was reviewed as the best rock recording ever made in Western Pennsylvania, and that’s saying something because West-ern PA includes The Iron City Houserockers, Donnie Iris, The Silencers, Billy Price, The Clarks. And we’d recorded a monster, but we were afraid to take the entrepreneurial risk. This time, I didn’t have to call any meetings. I made the executive decision. I knew The Little Wretches had a great album that was perfectly fitting for the zeitgeist of the times, so I did some homework, sought out some independent promoters and publicists, took a look at some of their work, and I decided to employ the services of a publicist. I mean, I’m a working class kid. I was raised with this naive notion that if you do good work, you will be rewarded. But the question is, REWARDED BY WHOM? How do you get people to know that you exist? How do you get people who’ve never heard you or heard of you to listen to you? Well, I’m Page64
not a naive kid anymore. My friend, Tony Norman, every time I’d see him. He’d remind me that I’m sitting on a gold mine. And I fully believe that I am. I mean, I believe in my heart that I can hang with any of the heavyweight songwriters out there. I think The Little Wretches’ catalogue bears up to that scrutiny. So I took the risk, paid for the services of a publicist with a strong trackrecord, and I don’t know how he did it, but people started to notice. We got airplay on something like 115 AM/FM stations. I got to do a lot of interviews and podcast appearances. Have you seen the videos for ALL OF MY FRIENDS and WHO IS AMERICA? Aren’t they fun? I love those videos. As the YouTubers are fond of saying, LIKE, SHARE,
booked last year are the same-old-sameold that have been jammed down my throat for twenty years. Same names, living off their reputations. Well, make room for me. I want my turn. Put me in front of an audience, and I’ll give them something to remember. Jay: What are your immediate future plans, say for 2021/2022? Rob: When Rosa Colucci, our rocking diva, summons the creative energy to lay down her vocals, our new album, RED BEETS & HORSERADISH, will be ready to be mixed. Hollis, our engineer, has previously won a Grammy, so I expect him to do a stunning job. I think it’s the best writing I’ve ever done, and I expect the album to be successful. By success, I mean that people will still be listening to
"All my life, I’ve had to cope with the reality of being an outcast and an outsider. All my life I’ve had to deal with the realities of being a Little Wretch. For me, Covid leveled the playing field".
COMMENT! If you haven’t seen those videos, what are you waiting for? And in many ways, UNDESIRABLES & ANARCHISTS been a fresh start. It’s like I’ve been stockpiling weapons, and now it’s time to conquer the world. No offense with the war-imagery, but I’m a warrior. If you listen to The Little Wretches, you already know that. Jay: How are you coping with the new realities post the Covid scare especially when the live music scene is hit hard? Robert Wagner: All my life, I’ve had to cope with the reality of being an outcast and an outsider. All my life I’ve had to deal with the realities of being a Little Wretch. For me, Covid leveled the playing field. It’s like a crash at the Indy FiveHundred. Everybody circles the track and prepares for the re-start. Green flag. Go. I’m going to speak my mind here. A lot of the venues and concert-series that I’ve approached are booking the shows they canceled last year and the shows they had LIM
it twenty, fifty, a hundred years from now. Like all of our stuff. In the meantime, I’m still missing some parts of the team. We need a booking agent. Booking is a fulltime job. I’m not good at it. I work in bursts of inspiration, and booking requires a consistent, methodical approach. I want to wake up in the morning, thinking about where I’m playing tonight. Listening rooms. Houseconcerts. Songwriters events. The Little Wretches were recently named MULTIGENRE GROUP OF THE YEAR at The Josie Music Awards. Nonetheless, we have to create opportunity for ourselves, and I have to create opportunity for myself. Ain’t no money in streaming music. Ain’t no satisfaction in looking at accounting figures. I want to be playing every night. My plans? Book gigs. Play live. Drive 300 miles. Play another gig. Jay: Being a very successful musician yourself, what would you tell an upcoming musician to keep in mind when Page65
If you quit, you’ll never know how close to you were to your destiny. Falling one inch short is as bad as falling short by a million miles.
a) he/she is struggling to get recognized and b) once he/she has just made a mark in the scene and needs to sustain here? Robert Wagner: I’m flattered that you think I’m successful, but my sights are set much higher than where I am right now. My advice to others? This is something I’ve said previously and repeatedly, but if you have any quit in you, quit now. This is a hard road unless you are a prodigy. I ain’t no prodigy. I was a late-bloomer, and you might be, as well. Most of us, we’re going to hear lectures about being realistic and finding a line of work with stability. The people who think they love us will be dragging us down and discouraging us. “Get real.” “Don’t waste your life!” “What are you going to fall back on?” And being real, most of y’all are going to quit. The Bible is filled with stories of people who were called by God LIM
but quit just inchesshort of their destination. If you quit, you’ll never know how close to you were to your destiny. Falling one inch short is as bad as falling short by a million miles. People, if you feel the calling, if you have the gift, honor that gift. Heed the call. Put your shoulder to the plow. Don’t look back. Do the work. Make the sacrifice. You hear me? Jay: Thank you for your time and it was great speaking to you.
Photo Courtesy : Robert Andrew Wagner
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Fate Will Come is an original Hard Rock band inspired by 80’s Hard Rock. The band was formed 2 years ago when Renita Zintel met Matt Kirschner on a musician website called Drooble, all members live in the US while Renita lives in Canada. Their first album “Fate Will Come” will be released late fall 2021, with their first single from the album ‘Bitch” will be released to radio Oct 2021. With their first EP ‘Heavy Heart’, their first single “Charger" reached #12 - top 100 Euro Indie Music Charts/ Digital Radio Tracker May 2021 . They are veracious songwriters, to date they have written close to 100 songs. Lazie Indie Magazine catches up with the band members Renita, Matt and Richard (drummer) to know more about their music and their plans... LIM
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LIM: Hi Folks! Welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine. Great to speak to you. Let me start by asking this, who were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play? Richard: I grew up listening to a lot of different genres. I have performed those different genres most of my life in various bands, original and covers. I still write and record various genres of music and Rock is my primary. It’s what I enjoy. Matt: 80's Hard Rock/Metal and everything else is what influenced me. For instance when a Metallica album came out I would get the book and learn the whole album, not the leads... just the rhythms. I never really played lead guitar until we formed Fate Will Come, and only do it now because we need it. Michael and I share the lead guitar role. LIM: How do you go about writing your songs? How do you record and produce your music? Richard: I have an idea that if it stays with me for a while and the words come to me, I begin to hear the music along with the lyrics. I will then start the writing process and figuring the chords and melody. From there, it’s working it out on guitar then recording the basic rhythm track(s) and building the recording of the song from there along to a click track. I hear the song in my head, I can hear all of the instruments, sounds and I have a structure, somewhat, of how I want it to go and if I’m collaborating, it’s working the song out with those I’m collaborating with. Matt: The writing is kind of strange as we are never in the same room with each other. Most of the time I will come up with a riff and send it to the others to see if we can make something of it or not. If they like it, then Michael will put bass to it and Renita will put a melody and lyrics to it, then Richard puts down the drums. So to answer the 2nd part of the question, we all record and produce ourselves, then the files are sent to me and I do the mixing. Renita has also sent songs to me to make heavier and that works out also, Wreck and DNA are a couple of them. LIM
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"I am about the riffs, then Renita takes the riff and makes it a song with the melody. On occasion we will send ideas for lyrics once the melody is in place. I think that most of our songs can have many meanings and that is up to the listener to make it about what ever works for them"- Matt.
LIM: What do you look to convey to your listeners when you create music? Do you look to set a theme first or do you let the song take over your lyrics? Richard: The story line… Matt: I am about the riffs, then Renita takes the riff and makes it a song with the melody. On occasion we will send ideas for lyrics once the melody is in place. I think that most of our songs can have many meanings and that is up to the listener to make it about whatever works for them. LIM: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release? Richard: Drooble, Reverbnation. I have several as I also record drums for other artists around the world. Matt: Fatewillcome.com, YouTube. Renita will have more info on that. LIM: What gives you the kick, writing, LIM
producing or playing live and why? Richard: Music has been a passion since I was a young child. I was also allowed to join the school band in middle school and proceed on into high school where I excelled. Life/music has been good. Matt: I enjoy the writing and mixing of the music. I like sitting down with a drum track and just come up with something, hit record and send it out to the band to say yes or no! The best is though for me when I send a riff out and Michael will add to it to make it sound nothing like the original riff, even though the original riff is still there! If that makes sense... lol LIM: How do you overcome the lockdown on live music and is the internet-based performance good enough to generate a livelihood for musicians? Richard: I’ve had no problems at all but I know and have many friends, famous and Page70
get where I have been. Through the highs and the lows, I never gave up and the shows had to be right and regardless if it were one person or one thousand, the shows were given one hundred percent! Life is what YOU make it, there will be times of despair and there will be times of glory, don’t ever take it for granted… Matt: Never give up, work at it every day. That is all you need to do, of course being able to write and play helps too. Don't do it if you don't love it, you will fail. - Thank you - Thank you
Photo Courtesy: Renita Zintel
semi that have suffered because of the lockdowns. They did find other ways to get heard and make it through. Matt: We are a studio band, so the lockdown has not changed anything that we do or how we would do it. LIM: What are your immediate future plans? Richard: To keep doing what I do and can do for as long as I can. Matt: To get the next album out! Right now we have the EP 'Heavy Heart' out and the 1st album coming out in the fall. We are working on the next album now, I would say it's about half done, I would like to have it out by spring 2022. LIM: Being a successful musician/band yourself what would you tell an upcoming musician to keep in mind to launch a successful career in music? Richard: I have been blessed and fortunate to tour, travel and perform with some amazing musicians, some famous and some not, but the fact of the matter is, they were all superb musicians/artist. I’ve done more than I ever thought that I would get to do because I stayed true to myself, true to the music and dedicated to the bands I was with and worked hard to LIM
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SIR-VERE - Is an Electronic Rock Music band from the UK, the band is a living embodiment of the Dance/Rock Revolution. A full live band with remixers, DJs and a string of guest collaborators. Forged from Drum & Bass they quickly became popular in the Break Beat and House music scene. With a considerable back catalogue the band has quite a few hits to their credit and has played worldwide from Manumission to Glastonbury to Kings Cross' infamous Scala and everywhere in-between. Lazie Indie Magazine speaks to Craig Hammond of SIR-VERE to learn more about the band... let us read...
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Jay: Hi Craig, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine, Great to speak to you. Let me start by asking you, When and how did SIR-VERE come into being. Who picked whom? Craig Hammond: SIR-VERE was formed by Craig Hammond back in 1997/98 at this point working the first SIR-VERE releases with early Zed Bias (Madd Slinky) & Spatts from Environmental Science on Skint Records. Gary Morland soon joined band in 1999 and quickly started working on new material which devolved into first album Paranoid & Crucifed in 2001/02. Jay: How did you pick this genre of music? Craig: I've never been led by genre and always believed in throwing all influences into a big melting pot. We have always sat between the Dance & Rock/Indie scene. Sometimes we go hard at the dancefloor other times we Rock out with full live band with fat guitars and drums. Jay: Who are your musical influences? Craig: In the early days we were heavily into LCD Soundsystem, The Prodigy, Soulwax, Nine Inch Nails, Queen of the Stone Age, Ministry, Fatboy Slim etc.... Jay: How do you go about creating your music? Who writes? Craig: Gary Morland is the chief in the studio writing lots of demos which we then find the right ideas to move forward with. Craig Hammond is the Lyric writer & front person and creates in and around Gary. Stevie Craighead (S-VAS) our resident DJ & keyboard player also adds songs into our catalogue and always has healthy say on direction. Jay: What gives you the kick, playing live, creating (the process of creating the song) or producing (listening to the final output)? Craig: All of it gives us a big kick thou when we play live the feel and energies come alive. It's always great taking those early ideas and seeing how they develope into huge live tracks. Jay: The current lockdown and pandemic restrictions have dealt a severe blow on music industry as a whole. How do you LIM
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see the future going from here? Will it be more the internet based or will the live venues finally start seeing talent very soon? What did/do you do to keep yourself afloat? Craig: I see the industry reinventing it's self and going more yes towards live stream events but live venues will mostly survive. Festivals will always be huge events and key for bands to break through. We kept ourselves afloat by taking on day jobs to keep it all alive. We never stopped in Covid times and kept on writing and recorded 2 albums SINGULUS which is out now and another new album for next year. Jay: Can you tell us about your latest release and your immediate plans. Have you toured Asia before? Especially India? Craig: Our latest release is an EP called Extra Beats on Big Fat Mama Beats LIM
These tracks are reworkings from our new album SINGULUS which have the longer versions on. Never toured Asia thou we would love to at some point. Japan wouldbe high on the list for us and yes possibly India. Jay: Where can we find your music on the internet? Where should a new fan of yours follow you? Craig: Best way is through our Facebook , Instagram , Twitter , Tiktok & Soundcloud accounts. Jay: What was the best advice given to you and what would you advice an upcoming talent? Craig: Keep true to yourselves and never conform, never give in, never let anyone tell you, you’re not good... believe in oneself & enjoy the ride... - Thank you Photo Courtesy: Sir-Vere Page76
Songwriter Paul Edelman and his ensemble Jangling Sparrows have come out with the spectacular album called Telecoaster. Paul has worked with some of the industries greatest names, he has recorded with Jimmy Johnson (founder Muscle Shoals Studio), Nashville session staple drummer, Martin Parker (Ricky Scaggs, Alison Krauss, Pattti Loveless) and keyboardist Steve Fordham (Mavis Staples). Paul was winner of the 2009 Flat Rock Music Festival songwriter competition. Telecoaster generates an exciting “Vintage” sonic experience with songs that, while fresh and unique, still find a retro quality with songs actually recorded on an old reel to reel analog machine. Lazie Indie Magazine speaks to Paul Edelman about this new release and about his musical journey so far. Check out... LIM
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Lazie Indie Magazine (LIM): Everyone has musical influences, who are some of yours? Paul: Neil Young, Uncle Tupelo, Guided By Voices, Jim Croce, Firehose, Led Zeppelin. LIM: You used to live in Philadelphia and now you live in Asheville. Does where you live influence your songwriting/material content? Paul: Absolutely. Sometimes it's the environment, that has an overt influence on content, but sometimes the new environment can expose stuff about the old environment that was there, but you couldn't get to it because you were too inside it to see or feel. I've written songs about living in Philly since I moved. Perspectives I could only have had from a distance. LIM: How have you been able to exist in the age of Covid; and what special things have you done, musically and businesswise, to weather the Covid storm? IM
Paul: This business is all about adaptability. Frankly Covid was certainly something to adapt to, but I think as a working artist you're kind of already there. I just went whatever paths weren't closed or clogged. Recording, Social Media videos and such. And then rehearsing after vaccinations. LIM: Some say it's better to be single in the music business while others say its best to be married. What does Paul Edelman say? Paul: Both are fine. Single worked great for me and marriage is working fine as well. That said, I couldn't and wouldn't be with someone who doesn't get what I do. If you're going to do this for a living you have to find someone who truly respects and supports it. That definitely is rare. I think a lot of people see a career and a relationship as parallel but unrelated. That doesn't work here. Page79
I couldn't say. Maybe touring with one of my favorite artists. But mostly I'm over those kinds of things. Really just making a steady living and continuing to produce work I'm proud of. Big milestones are fun and they make great stories, but give me something I can really build on any day.
LIM: What would be the greatest thrill you could possibly have in your music career? Paul: I couldn't say. Maybe touring with one of my favorite artists. But mostly I'm over those kinds of things. Really just making a steady living and continuing to produce work I'm proud of. Big milestones are fun and they make great stories, but give me something I can really build on any day. LIM: What's your musical roadmap going to look like for the next five years (gigs recordings et cetera)? Paul: Short answer. All of the above. I have two more records already lined up and I feel a songwriting surge coming on soon. Plus we'll be getting serious with band rehearsals soon. LIM: Describe the songs on your new album, Telecoaster? LIM
Paul: Ready Or Not – “The concepts of tranquility, calm and peace, relaxation can be all too elusive. “ Hey There Brother - "Talking with, listening to someone that is going through a tough time is a large theme in my life and it manifests in songs often.” Contagious – “This song is about communicating in the age of social media.” I Still Love Rock and Roll – “Part social commentary, part fun, this song is pretty self-explanatory.” Photograph – “As I get older I find myself having a lot of conversations with friends who, more and more, reminisce about earlier days.” Dance Around the Fire – “a phony will put layers over themselves to come off as someone they’re not.” Ghost of 8th and Tasker – “8th and Tasker is where I used to live in South Philadelphia. I never quite fit in there and it spurred a lot of selfconscious musing.” Page81
I Got Your Number – “This one goes out to all the phonies.” Americana B-Roll – “About a good friend leaving town, very personal.” Flags You Don’t Fly – “Dignity is a very important theme for me. In some ways that’s what this is about.” The Feather and the Well – “About a couple that can't work it out.” Rain on the Rooftop- “This one is really more of a personal muse; it may be something only living in the city can produce.”” LIM: Where can we find your music? Paul: Paul Edelman and Jangling Sparrows/Socials: facebook.com/ pauledelmanthejanglingsparrow www.janglingsparrows.com instagram.com/ janglingsparrow - Thank you. Photo Courtesy: Paul Edelman
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