Lazie Indie Magazine - 24 - 2nd Anniversary Issue

Lazie Indie Magazine 2nd Anniversary Edition - 24 27 April 2022

Kristina Murrell & Sonny King Ed Roman

Chris BonAmour Kyle Graves Love Itoya Trevor Sewell

Fred Hostetler GREETINGS & NEW RELEASES

ON COVER WILL ACKERMAN

The Spiderhawks check page -19

Kristina Murrell & Sonny King check page 43

Content

Editors Corner The Spiderhawks Rudra Chris Bonamour Kristina Murrel and Sonny King Kyle Graves Love Itoya Ed Roman Trevor Sevell Fred Hostetler

New Releases 2nd Anniversary Greetings

Cover Story Will Ackerman

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Editors Corner

Information The magazine is published by Lazie J Print Edition 24 The month of publishing - April 2022

Editorial Team Author/Editor: Jay N Pillai Co-ordination and Promotion: Manoj Verified by: Inge Zimmermann Probst Guest Feature: Column and Review: Tomiko Dixon Emma Goldberg Cover Photo: Will Ackerman Cover Photo Courtesy Irene Young

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2 Years of supporting Independent music It has been an exciting journey. 2 years into founding this piece of experiment called the Lazie Indie Magazine. This second anniversary editorial is the place to re iterate what was, is and will be the aim of the magazine. It started with me and my friend who did a spotlight series in YouTube introducing Indie Musicians from across the world to our local audience. After a few editions of spotlight presentations, I thought it will be great if I can put together a good presentation and share it with the featured artists who were my friends in music for years and had helped me and my band Lazie J and its earlier avatar The Autumnleaf. As I already had the questions answered in the videos, it was easy for me to create a presentation with a few photos I asked from them and then started to search for a proper template to create the presentation and after a long search I realized that I can do better if I put it in a Magazine format and that is when Lazie Indie Magazine was born. Slowly we refined the presentation and some fantastic artists agreed whole heartedly to present fellow artists selflessly to our limited but very active reader base and that is what makes Lazie Indie Magazine unique. None of our contributors are the regular journalists but they are popular musicians who are interviewing other musicians. The stated aim of our Magazine is to promote independent music from across the world and now we are proud to have a great set of artists who contribute columns to LIM and are remarkably consistent with their efforts. I am truly thankful and honored to work with them.

There is lot more from our side that will unfold in the coming days... thank you for your support - Jay Pillai

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Will Ackerman’s influence on modern instrumental music reaches far beyond his own distinguished career as a Grammy winning guitarist and composer. Windham Hill Records he founded and promoted played a key role in launching the careers of many groundbreaking artists. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine interviewed Will Ackerman to know more about his illustrious career so far. Will's latest release Positano Songs is out for us to listen to. We ask him about his career, Windham Mill Records, his latest projects, his future plans and a lot more… We thank The BCompany for introducing Will Ackerman to Lazie Indie Magazine. Let us read...

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Jay: Hi Will, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine. It is an honor to speak to you.

You have been a guitar player, a Grammywinning artist, a very successful producer with our own record company. Overall, a very accomplished professional. When you look back, how was your journey so far?

WA(Will Ackerman): I’ve been fortunate to have lived most of my life doing what I love doing. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Jay: What made you pick up music as a career and guitar as your main instrument? Who were your early influences? You were into carpentry initially…

WA: I never intended to make music a career. I was a successful general contractor building high end houses in beautiful places and I regarded my music as an avocation. Then it all changed in a hurry. A fan recently sent me my business card from around 1980 which reads “Windham Hill Builders/Records/Music BMI”.

Jay: When you created your own label you had actually done it to bring out your own music. How did it develop into a fullfledged label producing music for some very accomplished professional musicians?

WA: My cousin, Alex de Grassi, was a carpenter with me and he’s a far better guitarist than I am, so we did an album with him early on. I met George Winston in Santa Monica, CA when Alex and I were doing a concert down there and obviously that’s when the doors blew off.

Even George wasn’t a “professional musician” in those days. That’s what made Windham Hill unique.

Jay: Why did you stick on to more of Guitar/Instrumental music than playing/ producing a popular Pop/Rock band?

WA: We actually experimented early on with a folk singer/songwriter, Linda Waterfall and even a blues band, Kiddafrika. We had the best success with instrumental work, supported by a very active Progressive FM following that

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created a demand for our records throughout much of the US. Jay: You won a Grammy in 2004 and then again in 2021 you were nominated to another. Can you tell us more about those records and how it could reach so far?

WA: I had been nominated a number of times for a Grammy, but it was my RETURNING album that finally won a Grammy. It felt pretty great. My wife and I were in our favorite restaurant in Montreal when I finally won. I try not to get too wrapped up in awards, but having a Grammy on the windowsill in the studio is nice.

That said, it’s always looked a little lonely… I’m sure it would like a friend on the windowsill.

Jay: What are your latest projects? Tell us more about it.

WA: I remain busy producing musicians from around the world. The Covid-19 pandemic has slowed things down a bit, but we’ve still been reasonably busy. Very

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recently we recorded another insanely brilliant album with Masako. Matthew Reith recorded a new album (I’ve been working on the sequence for that album this afternoon). Randy Meek from Boulder, CO did a beautiful guitar album with us… along with pianist Kurt Reiman, pianist Michael Borowski and guitarist Vin Downes among others.

Jay: Being in the scene for such a long time both as a musician and a producer, how do you see the industry progressing? Both in reach and also in quality, has it really changed for better or worse since the digital outburst in the early 2000s?

WA: The old days of millions of records are gone, obviously. I got spoiled in the Windham Hill days of Gold and Platinum Records (I have 20 or so of these from the US, Japan and Europe on my studio walls). After selling Windham Hill to BMG in May of 1992, I purposefully left big label endeavors. I’m happy now with the balance

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in my life which includes large organic gardens.

Jay: The lockdowns and bans on live shows due to pandemic has literally pushed the music industry a long way back. How do you see it going it from here?

WA: I’ve loved touring. That said, I don’t think I will ever court long tours… a show here and there in a destination I want to go to I’ll do. Probably the greatest honor of my life was having the royal family of Japan invite me to perform for the latest inauguration of the Nara Kasuga Shrine there. I love doing house concerts. Susan and I live well here on all levels. I suspect I will pick and choose a few concerts a year and do house concerts where the intimacy is great fun.

Jay: What are your immediate future goals and when do look to accomplish them?

WA: Stay healthy, work when it’s fun and don’t work when it’s not. My latest album, POSITANO SONGS, is doing very well and I can say in complete honesty that I

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think it’s my best album in a long time or, maybe, forever.

Jay: You have worked with a lot of very talented and well-accomplished artists.

What do you recognize as key learning that you can pass on to young upcoming talent in music? Or simply put, what is the best advice you can pass on to an upcoming musician?

WA: You can be inspired by other players, but never imitate them… you have to find your own voice if you’re really going to succeed. Musically speaking, tell the truth.

Don’t let ego drive you. Make sure the music is truly coming from the heart. There are always a million players who are as good as you are, but if you truly express yourself you have a shot at being heard.

Jay: We thank you for your time and for sharing your experience with us.

WA: Thanks for listening, Jay.

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Simon Webb has played a key role in sports broadcasting as founder of Music for Sport a leading production music library, specialising in high quality sports music..

This British composer/producer has a lot to talk about his latest project The Spiderhawks involving top musicians including Robert Hart (ex-Bad Company and Manfred Manns Earth Band), Bernie Marsden (of Whitesnake fame) and many more brilliant musicians. The band just released its LP Tavelling Light and is on the promotion of the same. Simon Webb spoke in detail to Jay of Lazie Indie Magazine about each of the songs in the album to give us an idea about what to expect when you buy the album. He also speaks on why he founded Music for Sport which integrated fantastic music to sports broadcasting that has been a part of Tokyo Olympics 2021 and European Football Champioship 2021 and will be a part of many upcoming prestigious sporting events. Let us check out...

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Jay: Hi Simon it is great to speak to you, let me start by asking about The Spiderhawks. What is the idea behind getting together such a long list of top class musicians into one band?

Simon (Webb): We are a group of friends and musical buddies who have worked together for a long time, in many different formats: Sessions, film scores, bands, concerts & theatre shows. Bernie Marsden (of Whitesnake fame) and my relationship goes back longest. We met working on a session, hit if off musically, went on to do a film score together (Runaway Dreams), and later worked together on two Shakespeare productions at The National Theatre (Winter’s Tale, and Henry V). Drummer Jimmy Copley and I were introduced by Bernie, and we have done some memorable projects together, including the soundtrack for the film Punk Strut. Robert Hart was introduced to me by Jimmy, and the rest of the band are all friends and part of our wider social group.

Jay: Personally, how did you come into music and who were your musical influences?

Simon: I grew up in a musical family and have been playing the piano since the age of four. Initially my influences were all classical: Bach, Palestrina, Stravinsky (to name but a few), then, as I entered my teens my main influences were Kurt Weill, Cream, 10cc, & Michael Chapman.

Later Steely Dan, Chick Corea and Chic.

Jay: You have been one of the top composer/producers in the music scene today. When you look back how was your journey so far and what can you say is your most important achievement as a musician?

Simon: That’s quite a tricky question.

When you are working your way up, each new experience is important to you. But I would single out three. The first was musical directing The Who’s Tommy in the West End. This was the first London Theatre production and gave me the opportunity to work with Pete Townshend, a big band, a large choir, and a great cast. I think I was by far the LIM

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youngest MD in the West End at the time.

It was a bit of a game-changer for me. The second was working with celebrated musicians Bernard Edwards and Tony Tompson of Chic. I was asked to play keyboards on a solo album by Andy Taylor of Duran Duran, and he chose this stellar band. Sitting next to Bernard (who was also producing the album) in the control room for six weeks was one of the great musical experiences of my life. The third would be writing and performing the music for Sir Nick Hytner’s production of Henry V at the Royal National Theatre. It was set in Iraq during the Gulf War, and Bernie Marsden and I provided a score that was part fog of war, part triumphal heavy rock. For me this was like playing for England!

Jay: Robert Hart is one of the great voices we have heard in rock music involving with acts like Manfred Mann Earth Band, Bad Company and The Distance. Can you tell us about his input within the band?

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Simon: I had long admired Robert’s work when we first met in around 2012. I was working on a large-scale concept album titled Everybody Powwow! Whose subject was the conquest of the American Indians in the late 19th century. I was looking for a singer to carry the project. I was introduced to Robert, we got on like a house on fire, and he agreed to sing the lead role. So I spent many enjoyable days with him developing and recording the vocal parts. He has an incredible range, both pitch-wise, and in relation to the timbre of his voice. And he is a master at his craft. Later when I started doing the demos for this album, Travelling Light, I had no doubt that I wanted to work with Robert again. But this time I knew him and his voice so much better. I put all the songs a third up from the demos, to make better use of the top end of his range, and invited him into the studio. He had done some work on the songs in preparation, but not so much that he had a fixed idea Page23

of how he should interpret them. Again we had an amazing time in the studio. I stood a couple of feet away in the live room and helped him get the very most out of the songs. I am in awe of his talent.

When he sings a song, he totally inhabits it.

Jay: You are also the CEO and Founder of Music For Sport, which has been providing music to the greatest sports events in the world. What made you think about coming out with music for sports, which turned out to be a huge success?

Simon: Two of my favorite things in life are music and sport. In 1992 I went to watch England play in the World Cup finals in Australia. On the way home I was sitting in a hotel room, half watching TV, with the sound down. I looked up to see this amazing footage of two yachts racing.

What was incredible about it was that it was extremely daring helicopter footage, the like of which I had never seen before.

I turned the volume up, and the soundtrack was equally brilliant. It was a beautiful piece of music: A track I knew well, As Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls by Lyle Mays and Pat Metheny, and it fitted the footage like a glove. A light bulb went on in my head: Music For LIM

Sport! You have to understand that, at the time in the UK, whenever there was any sailing on TV it was always accompanied

by The Howard’s Way theme (music for a popular sailing soap opera). In fact most music accompanying sport at the time was clichéd. I realized there was a gap in the market and that I might be able to fill it. Over 100 albums later, Music For Sport has certainly helped do that, and our music is used all over the world by leading sports broadcasters.

Jay: Having seen different eras in music, what do you think the Digital revolution has done to music as a whole? In production and in promotion of music.

Simon: What it has done is done is given a voice and a platform to musicians and artists all over the world. It has largely removed the need for the gatekeepers, the record companies, the agents, the managers, who previously dictated what was in and what was out. In the 90s sequencers, computers, and samplers democratized the production of music, and the digital revolution completed the circle by providing a direct route to an audience.

Jay: The Covid waves and lockdown has, in fact, kind of crippled the live music scene across the world and has compelled a lot of musicians to seek alternative careers. Some others were fully into creating new music. Now that the lockdowns are over do you think there will be a huge surge in the music scene or is it going to take a long time to recover?

Simon: I think it will recover quickly. We already see a huge surge in live music, concerts, and festivals. Of course damage has been done, but musicians are resilient people. And live music is where many musicians and bands make their money.

Jay: Coming back to The Spiderhawks, your LP “Travelling Light” is just getting released on 25th March 2022. Can you tell us more about the tracks and where we can listen to them?

Simon: The new album was born out of tragedy. In 2017, after completion of the recording of Everybody Powwow!, my producer, Ian Tompson, rang me up with Page24

Sadly, Jimmy passed away in mid-album before he was able to complete the drum parts. Jimmy’s death made things grind to a halt initially. Our heart wasn’t in any more. But somehow the pandemic and the strictures on our lives, re-galvanized the project. And, bit-by-bit, we put it together, and finally completed it late last year. Sitting back now, with a little distance, there is an air of melancholy in some of the songs like Save Me and Lullabye Me. But that is not surprising.

One of the songs refers back to Everybody Powwow! Dance Of The Ghosts was written as a result of my continuing interest in, and relationship with, the Sioux Indians of the Pine Ridge Reservation, South Dakota. It is a postscript to The Massacre at Wounded Knee. The album opener, You Can Count On Me, sets up the mood of the album: Part celebration, part memorial. It’s a defiant anti-Covid song. For the first time, we have done a cover version. I LIM

became enchanted by Stevie Nicks’ Landslide, and I put together a rough version for Robert to sing on, more for fun at that stage, rather than the intention of releasing it. But it came out so well, that we just had to include it.

Lately is a song about social media, and trust, and fear. As the pandemic progressed I think we all felt the ground shift under our feet as we struggled to know who to believe, and how to relate with each other. Travelling Light is a classic narrative about going home to apologize to your partner for your bad behavior, mixed up with a desire to break free. Again a pandemic-driven emotion if ever there was one. But the spin is that this time the car is driverless! Take Me Back attempts to recapture my first memory. Lying in a pram in an apple orchard, gazing up at a blue sky. Of course I have no idea whether it is a real memory or not. I was a baby. But it feels incredibly real. The inspiration for She’s Page26

Waiting was a character in a horror film titled Awaiting that I scored a few years back. The daughter of the evil protagonist was trapped, and waiting...! I wanted to try and pull off the Bjork trick of a quiet verse and a very loud and powerful chorus. Foundation is an optimistic shout-out to my generation. Jimmy Copley and Bernie Marsden drive the band along with amazing energy, and Robert and the Choir leave the message hanging: “We’ve got to lay the foundation, for the new generation!” You can listen to the album on Spotify, Apple music, and on our website at www.thespiderhawks.com.

Jay: What are your immediate future plans both with The Spiderhawks and your other projects for the next 2 years?

Simon: The immediate plan is to promote the album, do some live appearances on TV and radio, and generally spread the word. Robert and I are planning to do some piano and vocal performances of the songs in intimate venues. Alongside this we are also working on a new album of songs. With Music For Sport we are working on an album for the Football World Cup, coming up later in the year.

My big plan for the summer is to go LIM

sailing. In 2001 I started building a large wooden sailing catamaran. It took me nine years to build: A labour of love. Having sat in my studio working throughout Covid, I have promised myself a break, and a chance to really stretch the boat’s legs. We’re heading west!

Jay: What was the best advice given to you and what would you advise a young talent in music to keep in mind?

Simon: The best advice I was given was by my music teacher. It was to be true to myself: To follow my own star, if you like. And I have tried to do that. I understand now that it’s almost impossible to be what somebody else wants (and sustain that position), but it is possible to be what you want to be.

It’s a rollercoaster ride. You jump off a lot of cliffs (metaphorically), you burn bridges, but you make your own story.

That would be my advice to a young talented person. Be true to yourself!

You are unique!

- Thank you

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Rudra are the progenitors of the genre Vedic Metal and one of the most compelling acts to come out of the East of the World in the Metal scene. 2022 marks the 30th anniversary of Rudra. To commemorate 30 years of Vedic Metal, remastered versions of its first 3 albums will be re-released by Awakening Records. In addition a live DVD and CD release of the groundbreaking Kalaa Utsavam performance in 2021 would be done by Trishul Records. An independent book is also about to be published on the band’s history by K Krish. The band plans to end the year with the 30th anniversary concert in Singapore. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine catches up with the band to know more about how they came into being and how they created such a unique genre of music. The boys at Rudra were kind enough to give us a detailed account of their journey so far. So with huge respects for their caliber, endurance and vision and for the 30 years of Vedic Metal let us learn more...

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Jay: You guys have had an incredible journey as a Metal Band with your own Genre of Music – The Vedic Metal, when you look back how do you see your journey so far?

Kathir: It has been very rewarding, professionally and personally. As an artiste, we take risks when we create something new. We were doing something unprecedented in the mid 90’s and we wanted to test the response from the global metal audience. And the response was just overwhelming and therefore we kept going and became an unstoppable force in the metal scene. We kept putting out albums and in the process carved a niche for ourselves in the form of this genre.

Jay: How did you get together as Rudra, who picked whom?

Shiva: Both Kathir & I formed Rudra together with Bala (the first guitarist of the band) during our campus days at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. The band has gone through several lineup changes since then. The current line up now includes Devan & Vinod together with the Kathir & Shiva. Our primary criterion for picking members would be friendship or the possibility of it.

Jay: You formed the band with the name Rudra- (Lord of destruction or Shiva) 30 years back, Being from Singapore how did you come to this idea of Vedic Metal which is Indian by origin? Was the creation of this genre accidental? I was told you are well versed in Vedas…

Kathir: The founding members of the band were all of Indian heritage. Shiva and I have been in the band from day one.

Being part of the Indian diaspora in Singapore had one significant advantage which was that our parents continued on the Indian/Hindu heritage. We decided to amplify that identity in Rudra, a way to pay homage to our cultural and spiritual identity. I was also classically schooled in the philosophy of the Vedas, specifically the Upanishads. That influence had a huge impact on the way Rudra evolved.

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a band can you explain the process?

Vinod: Before we start writing for an album, Kathir would present to us possible themes he has in mind for the album for us to agree on. After which we would agree as a band as to how the musical direction would be, ‘Aggressive in-your-face album’, ‘epic’, ‘emotion focused’, etc.

Devan: In terms of writing music, there are a couple of ways that we typically compose our music. Typically, if any one of us comes up with riffs that we think sounds cool it will usually be presented during our jam sessions. The band then works together to churn the riffs into a rough-cut song. We then record the song as reference and will revisit it once again to further enhance it before it is completed as a song. Once compositions of the song is completed Kathir will come up the lyrics of the songs. We will then move into pre-production where each song is recorded, and

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vocal tracks are also laid out to provide a picture of how the complete album would sound like. At this point in time there may be changes made as well to ensure that each and every song fits the bands collective vision.

Jay: What is your latest/upcoming release? Can you tell us a bit about that?

Vinod: The upcoming album theme is about 8 women from the Vedic literature who have challenged or questioned the stereotypical ways of thinking about how a woman should be. During those early times, men were seen as more dominant and were leaders whereas women were domesticated and did not actively contribute much to society. These 8 women have proved that women can be contributors too from a philosophical perspective. They taught both men and women alike as teachers, seers and philosophers.

Jay: How is your touring after the lockdowns? Do the venues get crowds?

Devan: With the restrictions within Singapore and the neighboring countries travelling was difficult as each country had its own set of measures to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Hence we have spent this time to work on the new album. We LIM

had a show in November 2021 as part of the Kalaa Utsavam – Indian Festival of Arts organized by Esplanade Singapore.

The turnout for the show was really good as we almost sold out. Better than we expected. Everyone is hungry for more shows!

Jay: How did you use the Covid enforced lockdown? Many have used the time for creating new content. Hope you did that too.

Vinod: The initial Covid lockdown period in from early 2020 had been tough for us.

When it started, things were just uncertain on when things would go back to normal. As situation kept getting worse and us not being able to hit the studio regularly, we explored other approaches on keeping the band active. As virtual meetings such as Zoom became more popular, we discovered JamKazam. An online jamming platform. We tried it out a few times but it didn’t quite work out well for us. We managed to jam a little more early 2021 but the main highlight was a concert we did in November, which Devan talked about. It took us almost 5 full months to prepare. Thankfully we managed to pull off the jam sessions and the show with all the tight safety measures.

Jay: You are basically of Indian origin and perform music which is a cusp of Indian mantras and Heavy/Thrash Metal music.

How has India responded to Vedic Metal?

When did you last tour India? And is there any plan to tour India soon?

Kathir: Looking at our Spotify statistics, listeners from India are in our top 3.

Certainly we have a sizeable fanbase in India. Our last show in India was in 2011 and we are looking forward to be back in India. We hope to stage the epic production that Vinod and Devan spoke about that fused Carnatic music and metal, we staged for the first time ever last year (2021) at the prestigious Esplanade Arts centre in Singapore. We hope to bring this to India. It would be a great way to pay homage to the culture of India that had inspired our career of 30 years.

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Jay: Where can we find your music and what would you tell a new listener to expect from Rudra?

Shiva: Our CDs are available via our band website and our music is on all streaming platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music etc. We have 10 albums to our credit.

Every album is different and is conceptual both musically and lyrically. It is not your ordinary death or black metal music.

Being distinct is the band's motto.

Jay: What was the best advice given to you as an artist/band and what would you tell a newcomer to keep in mind while building a career in music?

Shiva: Believe in yourself and push yourself beyond your limits if need be.

Success will come one fine day. Till then keep on trying and keep the faith.

Devan: Perseverance. To believe in what we stand for as a band and work hard together to come up with music that we enjoy first and foremost.

Vinod: “If you put your mind to it, you LIM

can accomplish anything”. This was something shared to me by many old musician friends/band mates when I first started playing guitars. I have seen this with many fellow musicians too that when you give your 100% you will see yourself accomplishing your goals.

- Thank you

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Pop star Chris Bonamour was born in Lyon. He set out to Paris at a very young age, where he met very well-known musicians and felt at home with the music industry.

Soon he began to write his songs… Being passionate about Fashion, he met YvesSaint Laurent and entered the Famous Shop of the Faubourg Saint-Honoré and Stayed there for twenty years. Between Paris and Monaco he dressed the Queens, the Princesses and the stars of the world. Then he joined the Ralph Lauren shop but he continued to compose and write many songs. In 2016, a serious illness forced him to stop his work, but through chemo and positive will and energy, he recovered and he returned to his first passion, Music!... Emma Goldberg speaks to this incredible musician in her column Just like Emma asking him about his life as a musician and to know more about is immediate future plans… let us check out...

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Emma: Hi, Chris, great to speak to you.

You have had an exciting career as a musician so far. How do you feel was your journey so far?

Chris: Hi, Emma, thank you so much, thank you to all the readers of Lazie Indie Magazine, and Lazie Indie Magazine Team to welcome me in such a great magazine I feel very good in my career.

My career is growing as I was dreaming and maybe better and a little more than in my deepest dreams.

Emma: Who were your musical influences and how did you arrive at the electro pop genre you play?

Chris: In real life, I met Elton John when he was in France, and of course, he inspired me so strong in my career. When I was often dining with him in Paris, in the evening, I was listening his new songs and all the records I had at this moment, of definitively, he inspired me, this meeting was very important to me. I went to the electro pop music because I was often listening much electro pop French Radios like Fun Radio and many free radios, I fell in love Of Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Julien Doré, the sounds of these artists influenced me so much. So all the UK and US electro pop artists influenced me, and I began to write my lyrics, very short, like American music and lyrics, exactly like in US and UK music, I wrote very differently than French style lyrics, because my sentences are shorter than in French pop songs to adapt my lyrics to my melodies and music for French electro pop music, that's why I play electro pop genre.

Emma: How do you go about writing your songs? How do you record and produce your music?

Chris: I write my songs depending on my inspiration, always alone, and sometimes I have several songs at the same times which are coming on my mind and my keyboards. So I can write several songs at the same time, I go to the recording studio N 7 W, I come and see my music partner, my recording engineer Gio, to propose to him, the lyrics and the melodies, he makes the music, the LIM

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musical direction and the arrangements of the music, and we begin to record, all at the same time. A real good team that helps me so much!!!

Emma: What do you look to convey to your listeners when you create music, which dominates, a lyrical theme or a musical feeling?

Chris: I try to give to my listeners a positive energy, I wish that people feel good with my music and happiness. That's I way I want to live and I want to give.

Emma: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release?

Chris: You can find my music on all the platforms, Deezer, Spotify, Amazon music, YouTube etc. etc... My latest release is "OPTIMISTE" (means optimistic in English) this is also the name of the new album that you also can buy on every platform. You can buy my songs everywhere on internet.

Emma: What do you like the most? Writing, producing or performing?

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"It was real pleasure and And I will be happy to welcome you, all of you, on my networks, and don't hesitate to write to me, I will answer to each and every one who's writing me, I enjoy, I send you all my Love from France. Take Care".

Chris: I prefer performing of course and performing on stage of course, I enjoy the special link I have with the fans and people who know my music, and they sing with when on stage, it's an amazing feeling fraternity, even if I love writing songs as well, of course.

Emma: What is your plan for the immediate future say, 2022 as a musician?

Chris: 2022 will be the year I will make videos on each song of the new album and every 2 months, I will make a new video with a new song, the next filming is scheduled in April.

Emma: What are your immediate future plans say, the next two years?

Chris: I think I will be on stage; I will film my videos of my new songs and I will write my new album, I am on the new songs yet, I began the writing of 7 or 8

songs, and I will be back at the same time at the recording studio with my friend GIO I’m going to give a lot of work to my press agent, Patrick Moyse, who is still working on my next future TV shows and radio shows in France and abroad.

Emma: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with fellow young artists?

Chris: Nobody gave me any advice, unfortunately, my advice to the young artists, I will advice them to follow their dreams, their heart, their intuitions and never listen to some people who want to stop them in their art, just believe in yourself, everytime, every day, each second!

Emma: Thank you for your time and it was great speaking to you.

Chris: "Thank you so much.

About the Columnist Emma Goldberg is French Pop Singer, Composer, Video Producer, Author writing in Italian, Spanish, English, French. She also is a radio host in Radio 242 UK introducing Independent musicians to audiences across UK, France and the nearby countries. Emma has her own radio show called Just like Emma which is maintained here for the column she contributes to Lazie Indie Magazine.

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Kristina Murrell is a R&B recording artist whose debut album, “Passion & Pain” was released on Valentine’s Day of 2021. The Bridgetown (Barbados) born singer has always had a natural affinity for music. After moving to the United States at the age of fifteen to pursue her education, Kristina made waves with her first album, ‘Passion & Pain’. She has been featured in hundreds of magazines and blogs across the world, held the #1 spot on Chicago hip hop and r&b radio for 2 consecutive weeks, reached #1 on the iTunes R&B Soul charts and #4 on the pop charts in Barbados her home country. Kristina reached the top 40 on the DJ download charts, received multiple nominations on various awards. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to Kristina and her mentor Sonny King a great artist himself who also takes up the role as Head A&R at "Music For Love". Let us learn more about these fabulous artists...

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Jay: Hi Kristina, great to speak to you.

You have an exciting career as a musician.

How do you feel about your journey so far?

Kristina: This journey has been so amazing yet unbelievable from the start.

Constantly learning and meeting new people has brought so much more happiness into my life!

Jay: Who were your musical influences and how did you arrive at the genre you perform?

Kristina: I look up to so many different types of artists for example Lauren hill, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Beyoncé, the list goes on but the lane that I have taken when it comes to music is very unique to me. I truly have my own style. I love RnB, Pop & Reggae so much.

We try to be as spontaneous as possible where you never know what type of song could be made next.

Jay: How do you go about writing your songs? How do you record and produce your music?

Kristina: Everything is done with my manager/producer Sonny King, he is always so full of ideas and makes it so easy for me to get the music done. The process of recording is my favorite part. I LIM

have a draft to practice until I’m comfortable and then when it’s time to actually get in the studio I go in and take on the challenge one step at a time, adding all the necessary backing vocals and vocal runs until it sounds like a hit!

Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Which is your latest release?

Kristina: My music is available on all streaming platforms YouTube, Amazon, Apple Music, Spotify etc. By typing in Kristina Murrell, Passion & Pain & my social media platforms (Facebook/Twitter Kristina Murrell, Instagram: @Krisscrispy). My latest release is the single “Body” also available on all platforms.

Jay: What do you like the most? Writing or performing?

Kristina: Definitely performing because there’s no better feeling than being able to do what you love while connecting with so many people.

Jay: What is your plan for the immediate future as a musician?

Kristina: I’m all in 100%! I don’t want to do anything else. This is what I will do for a living and the goal is to travel the world with my team and share my talent.

Jay: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with fellow young artists?

Kristina: Knowing and learning who you are will make you so much more confident and comfortable when it comes to doing music. People will connect with you when you are being your true self because there’s only one you!

- Thank you

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Sonny King is a producer, songwriter and engineer but a musician first with his passion for music beginning at the age of eight as a young gifted saxophonist and drummer. After serving in the United States Marine Corps, Sonny returned home and built the recording label I.T.Y Music. He’s also an accomplished TV & Film composer for popular TV shows such as Keeping up with the Kardashians, Ball in the Family and the NBA as well as Major networks like OWN, HULU, HBO Max and MTV, just to name a few. In 2019, King joined with charity organization and record label Music for Love as the Artistic Director and Head of A&R traveling internationally, co-producing, recording and performing with famous Italian funk band Dirotta Su Cuba. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine speaks to this multi-talented artist A&R head of Music for Love, to know more about his career so far and his plans for the future...

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Jay: Hi Sonny, you have been a producer, mentor to Kristina how was it like working with her?

Sonny: It’s been amazing! Kristina is a joy to work with. She’s naturally talented and always ready to work and learn something new. She has a great work ethic and doesn’t mind taking direction. She’s also hilarious and makes the hard and long hours in the studio fun!

Jay: You are also an artistic director for Music for Love... Can you tell us more about your job?

Sonny: Yes, I have been working with Music for Love for the past 3 or 4 years as not only the Artistic Director but Head of A&R as well as an artist. I get the opportunity to find and cultivate new talent like R&B/Pop artist Kristina Murrell and Hip Hop artist Vanity Wyze.

I also oversee their projects with Music Production, Writing, Engineering and Direction and build marketing plans for upcoming releases. As an artist I get to travel to different countries and perform.

Jay: Who were your early musical influences and how did you come into music?

Sonny: My early influences were artists and producers from many different LIM

genres. I played instruments as a young child like saxophone and drums for my church back home, so southern gospel music was my first major influence. I was a huge fan of the Hip Hop group Outcast and their soulful sound while R&B singers like Jodeci and Usher influenced my writing. As a teenager I studied the great music producers like Dr. Dre, Jermaine Dupri, Timbaland and Darkchild, but I also love the legends before my time like Ray Charles who influenced my piano style of play.

Jay: Being a mentor what would you look for in an upcoming artist?

Sonny: For me of course talent and ability are a big part of what I look for, but drive and ambition are just as important. The music business is incredibly competitive and if the artist doesn’t have a passion for their craft it can be a very hard road to travel. I love consistent, hardworking driven artist that love what they do and want to learn all they can. We interviewed Franco Nannucci in January of this year, and he spoke about this amazing project Music for Love.

Jay: What is the plan for Music for Love this year and what would be your immediate plans?

Sonny: We have several musical projects that will release this year including our newest hip hop artist Vanity Wyze whose debut album “Vanity Before Wyze” that I produced and co-wrote with him just released the 25th of March and is doing well. Our R&B/Pop artist Kristina Murrell’s 2nd studio album I produced and wrote will release May 27th and preorders begin mid April. Franco’s son Roc Flowers has a new jazz project with Stefano De Donato, an Italian bassist and member of the famous funk band Dirotta Su Cuba, that will release this summer.

We also have several concerts and events planned for the U.S., Barbados and Italy.

To stay up to date on all our upcoming events and projects check out our website at www.MusicForLove.org.

- Thank you

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At the age of 21, Kyle Graves is an award-winning singer, songwriter and guitarist from Mississippi, USA. Graves is a self taught guitarist starting at age 13 and, established himself as a rising star in the Southwest Mississippi music scene from his school days. While attending Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Graves joined with fellow musicians Ryan Purser, Joe Cranfield, and Wyatt Brady to form Four Way Stop, a retro-rock band specializing in "classically soaked rock 'n' roll." The group's debut EP, Landmark Live Sessions, released worldwide November 17, 2020 won the 2021 Josie Music Award for Rock Song of the Year, while the quartet as a whole received a nomination for Rock Group of the Year. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to this rising star among the independent musicians worldwide to know more about his journey so far and about what his plans for future plans are...

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KG (Kyle Graves): Hey, thanks so much for having me!

Jay: You have had a rising career as a musician so far. When you look back, how do YOU feel about your musical journey so far?

KG: I feel as if I’ve accomplished more than I could hope for. For example, my debut solo record The Autumn Sessions, just hit #26 on the iTunes U.S. Singer/ Songwriter chart. At the same time, I don’t want to slow down. I have so many friends and family that support me, so it makes it even more exciting to see what happens.

Jay: Who or what were your musical influences and who inspired you to play music?

KG: Much of my musical influences came from my childhood. I started out with classic rock and have branched out some.

The biggest influence of mine would be Led Zeppelin. A few others would include The Black Crowes, Eagles, The Doors, Guns N Roses and more. I would say plenty of those inspired me along with some local musicians here including Kevin Trantham and Cole Powell.

Jay: How did you pick up this genre and how do you go about composing music?

KG: This sound just felt right. It’s raw and out there, but it can be kind and considerate when it needs to be. I usually try to find a lick that I like and base the rest of the song off of that. Then, I’ll write lyrics that seem to fit.

Jay: How do you record and produce your music?

KG: Anyway I can! I have a great group of friends that have been kind enough to welcome me into their homes and professional studios to make it happen.

Producing just comes with the recording process for me. Sometimes I’ll decide to scrap things or add elements in.

Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Can you tell us about your latest release?

KG: The website kylegraves.com has all of the music from both my solo career and Four Way Stop! It’ll lead you to plenty of different mediums. This latest release was LIM

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very vulnerable. Most of the songs I have either written or developed while being with my fiancée, Autumn Hendrix.

They’re my gift to her.

Jay: What excites you most, writing, recording or playing live?

KG: I would definitely say playing live.

There’s a certain energy that comes from live music that I just can’t describe.

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?

KG: I spent a lot of time trying to develop my social media presence. It gave me a lot of time to focus on getting my face out there and giving it a shot. I’ve accumulated almost 60k followers on TikTok, and I wouldn’t have done it outside of the pandemic.

Jay: What are your immediate future plans?

KG: I plan on writing, recording, and LIM

hitting the road more. I play with Four Way Stop, and we’re trying to get out as much music as possible. The guys in the band are some of my best friends, and it makes playing in different cities a lot of fun.

Jay: What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with fellow young artists?

KG: Get out of your comfort zone! It’s okay to show someone that new song you’re working on. Play it at your next show. You never know who it can connect with. Be okay with people not paying attention, but when they do, it’ll make it all worth it.

Jay: Thank you for your time and it was great speaking to you.

KG: It’s my pleasure. I’m glad I was able to be a part of this.

- Thank you

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Love Itoya is a Greek Nigerian singer, songwriter, dancer, performer and vocal producer. She was born on the 23rd of November 1996 in Greece. Her debut EP Introduction was mostly written by and her brother, who is also a singer/songwriter and her parents. The process to create Introduction started in 2018, The EP, has very catchy melodies and has lyrics coming out of her own true story. "I like mixing different kind of genres, and when it comes to my Nigerian roots, people haven’t seen me singing more afropop songs, neither have they heard me do something more R&B or pop/rock. They knew me more as soul/funk singer, which I love but I love to experiment with more genres too. That’s something I wanted to showcase in my EP" says Love Itoya. Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine speaks to this beautiful singer songwriter to know more about her career so far and her plans for immediate future ... let us read.

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Jay: Hi Love Itoya, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine, and great to have you here.

You have had a great career as a musician. When you look back, how do YOU feel about your musical journey so far?

Love (Itoya): Thank you so much for having me, well I feel so blessed about my musical journey so far although the constant Ups and Downs, but God helped me to overcome.

Jay: Who were your musical influences that inspired you to play music?

Love: Certainly, Beyonce, Rihanna, Aaliyah, Christina Milian, Alicia Keys, Willow Smith, Destiny’s Child. You can tell I’m really a 90s baby of RnB. Jay: How did you pick up this genre and how do you go about composing music?

Love: Well I call myself a multi-genre artist. I’m a huge lover of Pop & Rnb, so I like combining my music with different genres like Pop & Afro, Pop RnB, Pop Rock etc.

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What is the best advice given to you and what would you share with fellow young artists?

“Be a singer that can sing it all” by Milcho Leviev. I’ll never forget that advice by him given to me. To my fellow young artist be patient, pray, work hard, trust in yourself, be vigilant and surround yourself with people that really root for you and that want you to win. Stay away from bad energy vibes.

I don’t like being boxed into one type of genre, that’s why I choose this path.

Anytime I go by composing my music it always starts with humming a melody, whether I’m outside or busy doing chores.

So that’s how the whole magic starts.

Jay: How do you record and produce your music?

Love: Like I said previously, I always create melodies alongside playing some chords on my keyboard and then I just fluently write my lyrics and just record my song.

Jay: Where do we find your music on the internet? Can you tell us about your latest release?

Love: I released my song Reminiscing You from my Debut EP called introduction. This song was written in 2019, it’s a Love and R&B Ballad just referring to a past memory which I had to let it out. In every relationship whether

friendly or otherwise no matter how it ends you’ll always remember the good times.

Jay: What excites you most, writing, recording or playing live?

Love: Definitely playing live. I’m a lover of live performances, just connecting with people through your music and the excitement presenting to the people the different instrumentations of the songs in a live version.

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?

Love: Lockdown really made me realize that I want to put out my music. I was finally ready to reintroduce myself to the world. That’s how my Debut EP called Introduction was created. It was a period of boldness and serious decisions.

Jay: What are your near future plans?

Love: Hopefully perform on stage again after this whole pandemic dies down.

- Thank you

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Ed Roman is an Award-winning singer/songwriter, performer and multiinstrumentalist with songs that have received regular rotation on more than 100 terrestrial radio stations across North America and more than 600 stations, worldwide. Ed was featured as an “Emerging Artist” in Billboard Magazine, December 2018. The animated music video for the Top 20 iTunes charting song, “Red Omen” has been shown at numerous film festivals around the globe, earning accolades and raising funds for Whole Dyslexic Foundation, a cause near and dear to Ed’s heart. Ed’s single, “Stronger” was released in January 2020 on MTS Records. The song raced onto the iTunes Canada Pop charts, and it was followed by an iTunes South Africa chart-topper, “Tomorrow Is Today.” His current single is “Happiness”, another international iTunes smash! Jay from Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to Ed Roman let us check out...

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"I stopped looking for approval from the industry many years ago. The most important person for me to impress is myself. The most important thing for me every day is to be creative and to feel connected to that creativity. It’s also very important to have something to fall back on as cliché as that may sound".

LIM: Hi Ed, welcome to Lazie Indie Magazine, great to have you speaking to our readers. You have had a great 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?

Ed Roman: It has been an incredible journey. Like many things we do they can be fruitful or bound for failure. The most important thing is that we remain persistent in our efforts and learn from our mistakes. One may think the reward is the completion of a project or the signing of a contract… however in artistic endeavors, it really never ends. We just fade away. Hopefully leaving a subtle imprint of our experiences for those that may choose to follow the breadcrumbs of our existence. Fore it is not the overall goal that makes this journey worthwhile.

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reward to strive for.

LIM: Who were your musical influences and how did you arrive at this genre you play?

Ed Roman: Everything in the kitchen sink ladies and gentlemen. I grew up at a time in the 1970s when music was everywhere.

Defined us as who we were as people. It gave us a link to philosophy and sociological change. I love a very wide variety of music and have played in many kinds of bands, ensembles, orchestras and groups. I’m fortunate to have had all of these kinds of exposures and they allow me to procure the kind of insanity that I create which is known as music, or as I also refer to it “kitchen sink”. We are all defined by our influences and at the same time they can remain our limitations.

Finding yourself through your own experience is the most important thing.

Believing in yourself… The stories Page58

through melody and language that flow through you like a river are a testament to your artistic experience.

LIM: How do you go about selecting your songs?

Ed Roman: The songs select me actually.

The writing experience has the same attenuation. I’m always thinking about the feeling of the overall living experience. In the now. Somehow integrated into not only myself but the current feelings of our existence here together on this ball. They kind of choose me just like lyrics. The feelings I have are catalysts for ideas. The important thing is I act on those epiphanies and try to answer the questions they ask of me. I am bound to them and they are attached to me whether I like it or not. LoL LIM: 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?

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Ed Roman: Much of the songwriting happens ahead of time. When it comes to lyrics arrangement and basic presentation much of this is worked out by me in the studio before anything begins. This way the recording process can happen quickly and fluidly. As time goes on in the recording process, you may start to hear other things that are necessary or unnecessary which will greatly embellish the music you are working on. I am fortunate to have a wonderful producer and engineer who I’m also proud to call my friend. Michael Jack and I have been working together for many years and without his help none of the music would have sounded as fantastic as it does.

LIM: Where do we find your music on the internet?

Ed Roman: Thank you so kindly for asking. You can find my music all over the internet. iTunes, Amazon, CD baby, Spotify, YouTube and of course where all music is available for purchase. You can Page59

also listen to my music on SoundCloud, Roku and Vimeo.

LIM: What gives you the kick, writing, producing or playing live and why?

Ed Roman: I get a kick out of all of it. So long as there’s something creative and three-dimensional happening I’m pretty happy. What I don’t enjoy is waiting around and feeling frustrated about travel and accommodations. I love playing live especially when there are good musicians on the stage.

LIM: Tell us about the success of your single "Happiness".

Ed Roman: “It’s just happiness” It’s wonderful to see a song that was born out of frustration make its way into the world and make people feel good. The world can be a frustrating place and sometimes when we cathartically release our anxieties we can be brought to elation. It’s great to see it being played on so many stations worldwide.

LIM: How are you coping with the new realities post the Covid scare especially when the live music scene is hit hard?

Ed Roman: I’m really without words when it comes to trying to explain my situation. As I believe the world is extremely divided in their opinions about LIM

so many things but especially this. All I’m gonna say is it has been horrific, frustrating and grave worthy.

LIM: What are your immediate future plans say, for 2022?

Ed Roman: I’m planning on releasing another single and then the full on project that I’ve been talking about called “A Recipe For Perpetual Spring”. The last three singles have come out of this project and I’m planning on releasing it this year.

I’m also planning on gigging as often as I can through this summer. Everything is kind of up in the air in my country of Canada and I’m not entirely sure if I’m going to be able to stay here much longer.

Especially when you’re heading for totalitarian dictatorship.

LIM: Being a very successful musician yourself what would you tell an upcoming musician to keep in mind when 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?

Ed Roman: I stopped looking for approval from the industry many years ago. The most important person for me to impress is myself. The most important thing for me every day is to be creative and to feel connected to that creativity. It’s also very important to have something to fall back on as cliché as that may sound. I taught music for 25 years in order to supplement my income. I also met a lot of really wonderful people and learned a lot from that experience. When I haven’t been able to find gigs I’ve played in graveyards.

When I haven’t been able to find money I sell vegetables. The most important thing is that you believe in yourself and that you don’t give up. Don’t give up for yourself… you need to express your inner passion and feelings. This is the desire of music.

LIM: Thank you for your time and it was great speaking to you.

Ed Roman: Thank you so kindly for having me today and it’s been an absolute pleasure to be able to speak with you.

Thank you for letting me be lazie…

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Seven albums, six American tours, 17 international awards and collaborations with the likes of Janis Ian, Tracy Nelson (Mother Earth), Paul Barrere (Little Feat), Lorraine Crosby (Meatloaf). His music has been described as ‘smashing down the barriers between Contemporary Blues and Americana. Granddaughter of Blues Tomiko Dixon interviews veteran singer/songwriter and guitarist Trevor Sewell.

Projects/Album Titles: Live In Portugal and I-Spies Artist, Band or Organization Name: Trevor Sewell Website or Social Media link: https://trevorsewell.com

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Tomiko: Who inspired your most recent projects and or music?

Trevor (Sewell): I actually have two recent album releases and they are both quite different. One is a Live album entitled ‘Live In Portugal’ which we recorded at the Vila Do Conde Blues Festival in Portugal prior to the pandemic and it features songs from several of my previous studio albums. I guess you could say that pandemic was actually in part the catalyst and inspiration for the release as it represents our response to that ‘new normal’ where no live music was being played anywhere and as we had had to cancel all of our own European and U.S dates it seemed like the appropriate time to release it. We actually recorded the whole show that night which was around 2 hours 40 minutes in duration so we may well release a second Live In Portugal album in the coming year along with the new studio album we are currently recording for release in 2022.

The second recent release is a very different type of album in that it is essentially an instrumental album punctuated with just a smattering of spoken word. The album called 'I-Spies' is a project I’d wanted to make for some time and as touring had completely ground to halt it gave me the opportunity to finally get around to recording it. The album features eight original instrumentals and it is my tribute to the many private eyes, spies and characters, who inhabit that wonderful world we call Film Noir. I’ve always loved those old movies but had never really had the luxury of time to actually make the recordings so the inspiration for I-Spies was most definitely my love of Film Noir.

I was also lucky to be able to bring in the wonderful Mia Moravis to not only sing backing vocals but also provide the female voice overs. The best quote I have seen to date that I think really sums up what the album is about is: ‘If Humphrey Bogart joined a band and made an album - this is what it would sound like’.

Tomiko: Who would you most like to collaborate with and why?

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"I think just do it for the right reasons i.e., don’t think about what it can do for you with regard to money etc. just do it because that’s what you really want to do and don’t try to second guess or chase the market - make the music you love - people can tell when you mean it - that’s the cool thing about music".

Trevor: I have been very fortunate to collaborate on a fairly regular basis with many artists around the world and am always open to ideas for collaborations.

There are really so many people that I would love to play with in fact too many to mention really - however if you do happen to bump into Brian Setzer, Fantastic Negrito or Stevie Wonder could you please pass my phone number on :) Tomiko: What is one message you would like to give other artists that are inspired to get into the entertainment industry?

Trevor: I think just do it for the right reasons i.e., don’t think about what it can do for you with regard to money etc. just do it because that’s what you really want to do and don’t try to second guess or chase the market - make the music you love - people can tell when you mean it that’s the cool thing about music.

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Tomiko: Which entertainer(s) do you admire the most and why?

Trevor: Once again there are so many but the ones that really made a huge impression on me when I started out were John Mayall with Eric Clapton and the Bluesbreakers (my first introduction to the Blues), Jimi Hendrix (Are You Experienced) and a little later Freddie King in particular his last album ‘Burglar’.

I also admire the early bluesmen who blazed the trail for the rest of us to follow.

I felt an instant connection with their music then and still do to this day. The Bluesbreakers album and Are You Experienced were particularly inspirational to me. I generally have a very eclectic taste in music and enjoy playing across a wide music spectrum although at the end of the day I always come back to my Blues roots.

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to me my music is roots based with a strong bias toward the blues. The I-Spies album is a little different as I’ve already mentioned, but the new ‘Judgement Day’ album, which will be my 8th, is definitely Contemporary Blues.

Tomiko: On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the highest): What rating would you give yourself on this music or project?

Trevor: Wow that’s so difficult to answer, but I always put everything I can into my writing and playing so if it was based on effort alone I think I would probably score quite highly, but I think its really up to listeners to decide on everything else. I guess I’m like most artists in that you get so close to the music while you are recording that it can be difficult to retain true objectivity.

- Thank you Tomiko: What is the best advice been given to you?

Trevor: Play the music that you like yourself - who knows somebody else might like it too :) Tomiko: What’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming gigs or events?

Trevor: Well, I am touring in the UK in 2022 assuming everything stays the same and the venues remain open but at the moment my main priority is to complete the new studio album (tentatively called ‘Judgement Day’). I’m about halfway through recording now so I’m anticipating a release around August 2022. I’m also of course keeping a very close eye on the Grammys in particular Linda Chorneys Grammy Nominated track ‘Bored’ as along with my friend EJ Ouellette and Linda herself I am a coproducer. EJ, myself and the very talented Becca Byram are also featured artists so its all quite exciting and I am very much hoping that Linda gets the Grammy when the time comes.

Tomiko: How would you best describe your music or project?

Trevor: Well I usually seem to be categorised somewhere between contemporary blues and Americana but LIM

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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..

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Fred Hostetler, Singer Songwriter and producer from USA has worked with Jeff Beck, Billy Squier, Graham Parker, Johnny Winters, The Knack, been on stage with Buddy Guy, Mick Taylor, Jeff Healy, and recorded with the Grammy winning producer Jack Douglas. For 9 years he was the manager, rhythm guitarist, and cowriter for the popular southern California blues band Blue By Nature with Karen Lawrence and Rick Dufay formerly of Aerosmith. After 15 years of voluntary service in an ashram in Tamil Nadu, India, Fred returned to the USA. 'Heart Radio' marks his first solo effort. The eight song CD was recorded and produced the seclusion of rural India and an island in the Pacific Northwest. Lazie Indie Magazine spoke to this master musician to learn more about his long and fulfilling musical journey...

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LIM: Let's start by asking you about your latest album, Wall of Dreams?

Fred (Hostetler): The Wall of Dreams Ep is a six track disc of original songs and my fourth album release since returning in 2018 from 17 years in India. It is the follow-up to Fortuna Redux, a more blues-rock disc. I view the Wall of Dreams Ep as a cohesive thematic work which harkens back to progressive rock days. In a way, the songs are snapshots from life’s journey. As I am an indie artist, I record almost entirely at home with help at the mixing stage from two talented and experienced multitasking musicians, Eric Troyer and Robbie Cribbs. The title track is a song I started a few years ago but never finished because in my mind I could always hear the voice of longtime friend and band mate, Eric Troyer of the Orchestra, doing the harmonies with me as in our early band days. Eric has sung on many hit records and with many high profile artists including John Lennon.

Finally, that opportunity arose for Eric to add his voice, and my dream came to fruition. We grew up as Beatles fans and I hope this song might in a humble way pay homage to their inspiring music. Eric also helped me out with production, keyboards, and his engineering skills on other tracks on my ‘dream’ album.

Currently full length videos for the songs 'Wall of Dreams', 'You Don’t Know What You Don’t Know', and 'River of Hope' are up on YouTube. Fred, you used to live in India for a number of years. Our magazine is based in India even though we're worldwide thanks to the internet.

LIM: What do you recall most fondly about your time living in India?

Fred: Oh my! After 17 years of living there, this is a difficult but delightful question. From my point of view as a denizen of the USA, it was a mind and life altering experience for which I am eternally grateful. It gave me a new perspective on life. In the book l wrote, ‘Encounters with Shiva: Journey to the Cave of the Heart,' I report how I had to learn to “let go of the wheel and go with the flow” and be ready for many LIM

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challenging experiences. It was great!

India with its amazing diversity and traditional awareness of the inner journey opened my heart. It also changed the way I write songs. I think there is now a deeper current flowing through them that reflects the need for unity in diversity and the interconnectedness of all things. I experienced the feel and feelings of Indian music from bhajans to Bollywood.

I detached from years of working all kinds of band gigs and listening to western music. I immersed myself in learning a different culture and its music. I went 'inside'. What emerged was a sense of the interconnectedness of everything and how actions can have unknown consequences. The music you presently make is a great deal different from your first group, blues rock band, Blue By Nature.

LIM: What do you attribute your musical transformation to?

Fred: I don’t know about transformation, but I did find myself free to explore and produce songs without any constraints other than my own. As I said, I had just returned to the US from India, and there was great deal different all around me.

Pop trends of the USA had passed me by LIM

and like Rip Van Winkle, I woke up to a totally changed music and business landscape. There were astonishing changes in the way music was made, recorded, and marketed. CD Baby had pioneered a path for independent musicians to release, market, and eke out a career. Independent musicians were accounting for an increasingly large share of the industry. That was amazing, and so was the MacBook Pro that my former band mate Eric Troyer said I should buy for home recording. After the solitude of rural life in southern India, an island just north of Seattle in the Pacific Northwest was the perfect spot to re-enter westernstyle life. There the natural world could provide some solace from the constant use of screens, iPhones, smart TV's, politics, and the stress of facing the steep learning curve of coming up to speed to a changed world. Haven't quite succeeded with that, but the burst of creativity I have experienced is gratifying. Perhaps that is why I recently received the 2021Severn FM-UK Blues Hour 'Industry' Award. Actually there were eight groups before the best live band of all, Blue by Nature - (Backdoor Men, Colours, Bittersweet, Jackdaw, Lance, Karen Lawrence and the Pinz, The Fanatics, Karen Lawrence). As a reviewer recently said about me, I am a man of many influences and you can hear them all come together in a most pleasing manner in Wall of Dreams. In the band Blue By Nature you had three music biz veterans, Karen Lawrence, Rick Dufay, and myself, whose paths had finally crossed at the right time. We found ourselves in Los Angeles and ready to go back to our roots and just have fun doing what we love.

And that was playing the blues.

LIM: What are three basic things that any seasoned musician would tell a beginner seeking advice about the music business?

Fred: 1. The music ‘business’ feeds on you. Its history is a sad trail of misery for most who dare to enter. It is not a brush with death in most cases, but close. Are you up to such an encounter? Sometimes I felt like the ‘cannon fodder sent out to Page70

"The music ‘business’ feeds on you. Its history is a sad trail of misery for most who dare to enter. It is not a brush with death in most cases, but close. Are you up to such an encounter? Sometimes I felt like the ‘cannon fodder sent out tob entertain the troops’. It seems like you are always getting taken advantage of somewhere"

entertain the troops’. It seems like you are always getting taken advantage of somewhere, and you can’t afford a lawyer.

On the other hand, there are a lot of good people who believe in the importance of what you are doing, so seek them out.

Fortunately, as DIY indie artists have become increasingly important and prospering, there’s a lot of good advice available for them. Search it out. But remember the entrepreneurs have already figured out how to monetize you and your love of music and performing. So make sure you pay the rent. 2. Learn to enjoy the process. To have commercial success in an endeavor involving music and the arts is nearly impossible without a bit of luck and help from others. You do it because you love it and feel you must do it, but you'll experience massive amounts of disappointment along the way. But if you do it without being attached to the LIM

fruits of your work, then disappointment can be kept at arm's length. You'll have a level of satisfaction just from having brought something to life that was not here before. You've accomplished something creative even while you're barely hanging in there, waiting for a big break which may never come. Alas, the unpredictable roadmap of a musician.

3. Best advice: Always have something to fall back on. My father always wanted a career in music. But he became a doctor because it would have been nearly impossible to maintain a family based on the kind of money a musician makes and the amount of time away from home.

Lucky for me, he considered family very important. The uncertainty of the whole experience discouraged him. He told me, “It is a very difficult life... always have something you can fall back on". I said to myself, "I'm going to do what my father Page71

loved but was unable to do." Indie musicians must have some alternative means of support in nearly all cases. A joke I have often heard from other musicians is to find a rich spouse who supports the artist’s journey. (I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this as it often ends badly.)

LIM: How did you cope with both recording and performing music during the height of Covid, 2020-2021?

Fred: It was the worst of times, and it was the best of times. I’m in the high risk category for Covid 19, so hanging out close to home seemed like the right thing to do. I immediately started cranking out and recording new songs and videos and went into creativity mode. After 17 years in India, it was a great opportunity to catch up and integrate the many things I’d learned there. I began working nearly every day at practicing, writing, singing, and learning new amazing studio software. Sitting on an old blue chair in the living room, I recorded a live acoustic blues album of original songs entitled ‘Blue Chair Blues’. With the time I had left I struggled with social media, something that felt strictly alien to me. I was grateful that some media platforms LIM

attempted to assist us in connecting with our audience through live streaming opportunities and by making it possible to ‘crowd fund’ these events through PayPal, Venmo, Bravo, Spotify and tipping methods. This was helpful. Still, what LeBron James says of basketball goes for music, “it is best when the fans participate in the event." Finally, I saw ‘Covid’ as definitely a time to go inside and reflect on the state of the world and its people, the wildlife, the ecosystem itself, the inequalities, and how we might move forward together. Reflection and soul searching can lead to a place where you tap into others’ feelings, the shared feelings being experienced locally and around the planet. You can write in a more honest, meaningful way.

LIM: Do you think the advent of Streaming has been a blessing or a hindrance to the music industry?

Fred: It is a mixed bag so far. Honestly, I am an indie artist and even though according to a recent study we make up close to 40% of industry income, I feel we are still but pawns in some ways. I am not going to harangue here about the streaming giant Spotify. It has helped open up the world as a market to the little guy, but it has cut our local life support system (CD sales) in the interim. They are trying to help us tap the potential of this new paradigm, but I can tell you I’m strapped for the time and the money to read up and do all the things they are suggesting. I don’t have the inclination to do all the marketing and media stuff.

What I love is working in an organic way with songwriting and music. This classifying and dividing things into categories I find confusing, and there is the danger of putting both listeners and artists into a box. I tell young people to beware of "branding" yourself into a box during a time of life when assimilating influences is important and easier.

Everything is changing, including yourself. Don’t be afraid to work outside of specific genres, even though the industry is insisting on labeling and classifying you. After all, the bots can Page72

even daunting task, trying to maintain a social media presence when an aversion to self-promotion is one’s nature. I have tried all my life to avoid judging my own accomplishments by others' successes. If I can satisfy my heart, that is enough.

Name, fame, blame, and being lame are all the same. They’re just part of the journey. I already learned a great lesson from founding Hostel Records and the band Blue By Nature. We paid our bills, lived simply, made our audiences happy, and toured up and down the West Coast, up to Alaska, and on across the country to Texas, Boston, New York, etc. We were able to play all our gigs, doing songs we had written ourselves. This remains a great source of satisfaction.

Fred Hostetler Links: actually help you know who you are by who they line you up with in playlists.

Somewhere in the midst of all the diversification might be an element that really inspires you.

LIM: There are so many Social Media sites, which ones work best for you? Will you share your social media links here with our readers and offer some parting thoughts?

Fred: I will happily share my social media links, but first some parting thoughts. The hard truth for me was missing 17 years of monumental change in tech/social media and having to discover for myself a new paradigm in the music industry. I was a needle in a haystack and at the very bottom, an invisible indie artist beginning his first solo career after a lifetime of being in group settings. Selling CDs at gigs used to pay the bills. That was gone.

To make matters a bit more difficult, I am on an island just off the coast in the Pacific Northwest where I have to figure things out for myself. I took the challenge and I turned to Facebook in the beginning and then started my own YouTube channel (Fred Hostetler). Eventually I added Instagram, then Twitter and most recently TikTok. It’s a challenging and LIM

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ bluebynature/ https://www.facebook.com/ fred.hostetler.169/ Instagram: dejablooze https://www.instagram.com/dejablooze/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ FredHostetler10 Website: fredsheartradio.com

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Amr Mohsen: Little Games Originally from Egypt and currently based in KL, Malaysia; Amr Mohsen fuses cultural influences with his love for pop and dance music. His excitement for life, and desire to connect with people infuse his songwriting, creating empowering, positive and uplifting anthems, full of catchy melodies and contagious lyrics. "Little Games" is his latest upbeat release about motivating us all not to overwhelm ourselves in regrets over bad decisions, to be kind to ourselves, move on and not allow anybody or our emotions to weigh us down. Listen to it on Spotify & Watch the fun-filled music video on YouTube! All Social/Music links: https://linktr.ee/ amrmohsen

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Keith McLoughlin: Big Joe Keith McLoughlin releases his debut single as a performer with a track called Big Joe which will be released on Friday 1st April. The song covers the story line of a man called Big Joe who Keith served for many years in the pub. Joe would tell Keith his life story from his working life, to drinking, smoking, living the high life. Big Joe takes on a Country style song with Keith’s vocals added to Grace Day’s backing and Mandolin plus Enid Conaghan added some violin. The song was recorded at Beardfire Studio giving the full sound of guitars, bass, drums.

Keith McLoughlin: Writer, Lead Vocals. Grace Day: Co-Writer, Backing Vocals, Mandolin Enid Conaghan: Violin Beardfire Studio: Recorded at with Rohan Healy, Al Quiff, David Virgin.

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SADU : YAKEEN After the experimentation of contemporary ghazals in the Covid lock down I was desperate to produce my trade mark songs of course indi-pop. Took a while to write the song, the lyrics of Yakeen is a bit matured hence its tailor made arrangement took a lot of time. it’s a soft pop-rock track With contemporary sounds, grand piano and electric guitar solos.

Yakeen is the inner belief that your beloved is around you, watching you, embracing you all the time. It’s just that she ain’t there physically. The bond of eternal love exists in the most reverent form. The full bloom of which evokes and spreads magnetic fragrance. Bliss experienced can’t be put in words, nevertheless relishing the memories you shared with her. One fine morning she’s gonna be back… link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9F33mmLnXaI

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LYIA META: YOU THINK ABOUT ME "She’s now back with a new five track EP co-written with Nashville based Bob McGilpin and she’s not taking any prisoners."

Lyia Meta is a Multi Int.Award Winning Singer/Songwriter/Visual Artist from Malaysia.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9iLmhdhfvA

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@ https://wangdangdoodletees.com/lazie-indie-magazine/ Quote discount code: lazie indie magazine fan to avail an introductory discount.

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