Performer Magazine: February/March 2020

THE MUSICIAN ’S RESO URCE

FEB/MARCH 2020 FREE

BAND BUSINESS ISSUE Pro Tips for Late-Night TV Performances Book a Successful DIY Tour How to Release Music in 2020 Why Artists Should Care About Metadata Inside the Musical Mind of YouTube’s Mad Scientist

SONGWRITERS COMPOSERS PRODUCERS! A MUSIC CREATOR EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER CREATIVE WORKSHOPS • GET HEARD • MONETIZING YOUR MUSIC NETWORK • YOUR BRAND • LIVE PERFORMANCES • WELLNESS SESSIONS

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TABLE OF

CONTENTS

14 MARCUS KING

24

COVER STORY

by Taylor Northern

TABLE OF CONTENTS

VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1

18 SOCCER MOMMY

by Sarah Brooks

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER

28

by Benjamin Ricci

BEST COAST

by Casandra Armour

DEPARTMENTS 4. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR 5. Vinyl of the Month: Elixir Strings Sampler 6. How to Release Music in 2020

32

8. Mastering Metadata for Your Catalog 10. Book Your Own DIY Tour

M. WARD

by Taylor Haag

12. Pro Tips for Late Night TV Performances 36. GEAR TEST: Bose F1 PA System 38. Best of Winter NAMM 2020 44. GEAR REVIEWS: SonoTone, Soundbrenner, Yamaha 48. FLASHBACK: 1968 Fender Telecaster Cover

Bree Hart

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 3

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Volume 30, Issue 1

LETTER

from the editor

Back from NAMM and managed to avoid getting sick (for once!) Saw lots of new gear this year – more synths than you can shake an LFO at, plus a ton of cool toys for the home studio user. SSL is getting into the USB interface game, and color (or should we say ‘colour’) us intrigued. We got to see them close-up at NAMM, and they look to be THE small-footprint interface to get in 2020. We’ll know more once we get one in the office for review.

Of course, the big news at NAMM wasn’t a new product at all, it was the great loss of Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. While I’ve often criticized NAMM for being too “rearview” focused and not engaging today’s artists, I can understand this one. It hurts. It hurts bad for a lot of industry vets who’ve never known a world without Rush. Who grew up blasting their Moving Pictures cassette from a crummy stereo system in their first car. Peart left a redwood-sized mark on music history, influenced just about every rock drummer to come along in the past 45 years, and from all accounts was a helluva guy, to boot. Plus, he gets bonus points in my book for being Canadian. I hope he’s setting up a monster kit in the real Great White North right now…

But we must look forward. And forward thinking is definitely the name of the game when it comes to Sam Battle, the face of the ‘Look Mum No Computer’ YouTube channel and a gigging musicians who happens to make synths out of discarded Furby toys and Sega Genesis boards in-between releasing music and performing in front of live audiences. Sam’s insane, mad-scientist approach to music creation and circuit bending has built him quite the audience over the past few years, and we had a chance to pick his brain about his creative process and some of his favorite projects. One of my favorite covers in recent memory, too, I must say!

So, fire up that soldering iron, hunt down some usable Speak & Spells and play along, won’t you?

Enjoy!

Benjamin Ricci ABOUT US / Performer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about.

MUSIC SUBMISSIONS / We listen to everything that comes into the office. We prefer physical CDs, cassettes and vinyl over downloads. If you do not have a physical copy, send download links to editorial@performermag.com. No attachments, please.

Send CDs to: Performer Magazine, Attn: Reviews, PO BOX 348, Somerville, MA 02143 CORRECTIONS / Did we make a heinous blunder, factual error or just spell your name wrong? Contact editorial@ performermag.com and let us know, cuz we’re big enough to say, “Baby, I was wrong.”

EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS / In the words of our esteemed forefathers at CREEM: “NOBODY WHO WRITES FOR THIS RAG’S GOT ANYTHING YOU AIN’T GOT, at least in the way of credentials. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be sending us your stuff: reviews, features, photos, recording tips, DIY advice or whatever else you have in mind that might be interesting to our readers: independent and DIY musicians. Who else do ya know who’ll publish you? We really will...ask any of our dozens of satisfied customers. Just bop it along to us to editorial@performermag.com and see what comes back your way. If you have eyes to be in print, this just might be the place. Whaddya got to lose? Whaddya got?”

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PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143 CONTACT Phone: 617-627-9200 Fax: 617-627-9930 PUBLISHER William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com EDITOR Benjamin Ricci ben@performermag.com DESIGN & ART DIRECTION Cristian Iancu EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Bob Dobalina editorial@performermag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Aaron Kellim, Benjamin Ricci, Casandra Armour, Chris Devine, Emma Griffiths, Matthew Moran, Michael St. James, Paul Klimson, Rob Meigel, Sarah Brooks, Taylor Northern, Taylor Haag CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Pascal Volk, Bigheadfiler, Kevin Hayes, Eddie Chacon, Bree Hart, Wrenne Evans, Alysse Gafkjen, Brian Ziff, Chris Devine ADVERTISING SALES William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com © 2020 by Performer Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher.

The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE. Annual Subscription Rate is $30 in the U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.

REVIEWS

VINYL OF THE MONTH

Elixir Strings New Music Sampler 7-inch Ft. Fellow Robot & Ron Jackson

(Co-Presented by Performer Magazine)

O

K, shameless self-promotion time. Full disclosure – Performer Magazine is partly responsible for this record, but we’re just so darn proud of it we had to give it some extra love in this issue.

See, a few months back we ran a promotion with Elixir Strings called the “Studio Face Off.” The objective was to get bands from across the nation to enter the promotion, and we’d pick 4 semi-finalists to send Elixir strings out to and have them shoot videos of themselves recording new tacks with the strings. The results were tremendous! We got a ton of submissions, and ended up choosing four really cool, diverse acts to participate. Special shout outs to our runners-up, the electrifying 3-piece from Atlanta, BAST, and LA-based singer/songwriter Aaron Kellim.

But the main event is this special 7-inch (on colored vinyl!), featuring the two artists who

got the most votes from the public, and ended up on wax. Mega-congrats to the anthemic Fellow Robot, who garnered the most votes and ended up on the A-Side with their KILLER new cut, “Just Go.” It’s fierce, full of spunk and crazy catchy.

Great guitar tones and a perfect way to showcase the strings.

And on the B-Side is Ron Jackson, a phenomenal 7-sring jazz guitarist who supplied the lovely “One For Melvin.” Ron just released a new album, which we’ll be covering in the near future, as well. His cut shows off the dynamic capabilities of the strings in a cleaner setting.

So, if you want to snag a copy, let us know.

We’ll also be handing them out at various events we attend throughout the year (Summer NAMM, the ASCAP Expo and the AES Convention), and the artists on the 7-inch will have copies available at their upcoming shows, too.

If you can’t get your hands on one (they are limited collector’s items), stream all the tracks from our finalists and semi-finalists at performermag.com and our Bandcamp page at performermag.bandcamp.com. We’ll also be giving away 5 test pressings on our social media this month, so be sure to like, subscribe and all that jazz to get the updates, notifications, and further jazzy items.

Follow Elixir Strings on Instagram @elixir_strings Follow Ron Jackson on Instagram @ronjacksonmusic Follow Fellow Robot on Instagram @fellowrobot

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 5

MUSIC BUSINESS

How to Release Yo W

hen teaching or consulting independent bands recently, these are the two groups of questions I get most frequently.

“Should I release music for streaming, download, or physical?” and “Should I release a single, EP, or album?”

The answer to these questions in 2020 is, yes.

That’s the truth about the industry today, you need to do it all. The real key is understanding how you should release your music in this current fractured music landscape, and why.

First, some ground rules. Set aside your preconceived notions about how your fans want music–you probably don’t know, and you certainly don’t know how prospective fans may want it.

Forget about the romance of an album, or your disdain for singles–that doesn’t matter, you can do both. Also set aside how you like you like to consume music, as a musician, because you are an outlier.

Fans today are splintered -- some love just playlists and are looking for a perfect song to add

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(no matter the artist), some want to find albums and dive in deeply to catalog, some still want to support with actual dollars and own your music by direct download or physical. It’s maddening, but that’s the market. But there is good news, by using digital distributors like DistroKid and others, it’s very affordable to release multiple singles, EPs and albums. CD printing and on-demand vinyl printing is more affordable than ever, and for downloads it’s hard to beat Bandcamp.

Be aware that the news you read about trends in streaming or how “physical is dead” are mostly about major label artists, and that’s not your lane just yet. Fans who support independent artists are different. If you want the best chance of breaking through, you have to find listeners in different regions, you have to happen upon a few influencers, you have to land on playlists, you have to service industry folks.

If you want to release music that reaches fans– established ones that follow you, and new ones who’ve never heard of you–you must release music for algorithms, not fans. Actually, you should be writing music for algorithms too, but, that’s another article.

Let’s unpack why.

With over 50 million songs in any given streaming catalog and over 40,000 tracks uploaded each day to Spotify, how does any streamer determine what music it shows a listener?

Algorithms (ML, and data grouping). That’s how you get a recommendation, next song, or populate a Daily Mix, Weekly Mix. While the actual formulas are secret, we know some of the metadata factors. One of the primary data points in music streaming algos for relevancy is recency/ date -- this is why you aren’t served songs from 1972 or from three years ago that you already didn’t like. The second is based on a single metadata point of reference meaning (UPC/ISRC, title, time) - meaning “single.” These are all singular inputs. An album or EP is actually multiple data points, so that’s not the way recommendations are served. The streamers know that no one listens to an album, they listen to one song at a time–call it an EP, an album, or a playlist–but it is one song at a time. One of the other ones that services like Spotify use is data grouping whereby they group what songs you normally listen to with others who listen like you and start to find that patterns of

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Your Music in 2020 what you all might like. But the big factor to keep in mind is new music.

No matter how much music you record, you can release it in the way I am describing, so don’t get hung up on the process. Record a whole album, record singles, doesn’t matter. (Note: As always, make sure to get an instrumental mix and separated vocals for placement opps). With each release: update your SoundExchange catalog, register it with your PRO, list it on ALLMusic, and create a YouTube Cover video with the song to get it into Content ID (some distro services do this for you).

So, now that you know why, here is your ultimate answer: Release a single no more than once a week, no less than once a month. Each single becomes its own “product,” a separate UPC/ISRC code with metadata that is weighted by recency and date.

By the time you get to the fifth single, gather all of those previously released singles within your digital distributor and incorporate them to release a 5-song EP, another separate product with its own UPC/ISRC, separate title. At this point, you should

hit up friends and family to include multiple songs in their playlist, then create your own around your region or state, create playlists of moods like, “chill” or “wake up,” with a mix of top songs, other independent artists and of course, one of your songs.

At this point, you should print an EP CD for handouts or selling at shows, for booking, for specialty radio (a lot of local independent radio stations, satellite shows, even licensing houses still only accept physical). Don’t go crazy, print less than 300, in jackets. The goal here is not to make the money back, it’s to use it as a business card, a giveaway. By all means, you can sell them for fans at shows who want to support, but don’t budget it that way.

Now is when you should also add these singles, and EP to your Bandcamp account for download.

Do it again with another four songs, each a separate single, then on the fifth song release the EP. In the next few weeks add any extra songs as singles and then do a full album with all of the previously released songs on the two EPs, and the extra cuts as one product - a new album. It is at

this point, if you have the revenue, you should offer a larger physical item, a print-on-demand vinyl (Qrates is a good place to start), cassettes (cheaper than you might think) or full-blown CD. Now, get creative and add those extra tracks you never released, add a live show, add instrumentals and follow the same process.

By this point, you should be three months into it, you have at least 10 singles, 2 EPs, one fullblown album, a few physical items for any requests or sales, and all of them available digitally for streaming or download. If you follow this formula, you will see an increase in streams, sales, and most importantly in added songs to playlists and new listeners leading to more licensing opportunities, and ultimately a better touring outlook in the months ahead.

I can’t wait to hear your new music in 2020.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Michael St. James is the founder and creative director of St. James Media, specializing in music licensing, publishing, production and artist development.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 7

MUSIC BUSINESS

Why Artists Shoul Metadata and Ass

I

t’s no secret that the music industry is plagued with data problems. Incorrect and badly handled metadata is leaving billions on the table (the value of black box royalties is estimated to be $2.5 billion) and whilst this may seem like an issue that only concerns labels, publishers and other industry organizations, it’s more important than ever for artists and songwriters to understand the value of accurate data.

We’re in an era where self-empowered artists are able to do things on their terms, but whether that means working with a label, self-releasing, or working with a next-generation company like CD Baby or AWAL, metadata is at the center of everything. It is the foundation of the modern digital music industry.

So, as an artist, why should you care about metadata? In a nutshell: • Metadata ensures your songs are ready for distribution and release • Metadata helps people to discover your music • Metadata allows you to see how your music is being used • Metadata gets you paid Generally speaking, there are two main types of song metadata: 1. Objective metadata - this can be split into: • Rights and clearance metadata - ownership 8 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

•

information including details of splits/ agreements and key identifiers like ISRC codes.

Descriptive metadata - objective tags like song title, release date, track number, performing artist, cover art, main genre and so on.

2. Subjective metadata: This is metadata used to power recommendation and search engines and includes details of how a song sounds – e.g. moods and keywords.

The focus of this article is going to be objective metadata because that’s the most important data to focus on as an artist if you want to get your music distributed or licensed and, of course, if you want to get paid properly.

One of the biggest contributors to the music industry’s data problem is the fact that objective data is often entered incorrectly at the source, during the writing and recording process. This puts writers and artists in a powerful position as they have the ability to get all of their data entered correctly from the start with the right tools and knowledge in place.

Here are some key considerations that will determine the accuracy of your objective metadata: • What rights do you own?

• Are all your agreements in place?

•

•

•

Are your splits and percentages agreed?

There are a number of tools out there to help songwriters with this process, including Cosynd, Splits and SongSplits.

Are your samples cleared? There are so many great sample and beats libraries including Tracklib, BeatStars and Splice that can help you obtain and license samples legally.

Are your copyrights fully registered with PROs/collection societies?

Here are some best practices for managing objective metadata: Consistency is key - everywhere your metadata lives across the industry it should be the same.

Metadata should be verified and identical between all rightsholders.

Check for spelling mistakes e.g. your artist name must always be spelt the same, with capitals and punctuation always in the same place.

Obtain and supply industry-standard identifiers in your metadata correctly and whenever possible - product (UPC), recording (ISRC), or musical work (ISWC).

Objective metadata fields include (but are not limited to): • Track Title • Artist • Genre(s) • Composer • Composer % • PRO

• • • • •

•

•

• • • • • • •

PRO Account Number Publisher Publisher % Label/Master Owner CAE/IPI Number - a 9-digit number that is used to uniquely identify a songwriter or publisher assigned to a rights holder when they register with a PRO ISWC - an 11-character alphanumeric code that is used to uniquely identify a musical work. These are issued by your PRO ISRC - a 12-character alphanumeric code that is used to uniquely identify a sound recording and is typically assigned by your label or distributor Year Album Album Artist Disc Number Track Number UPC/EAN - a 12- or 13-digit number used to identify products Language

Tagging your files and managing your tracks and catalog There are various tools that can help embed metadata into music files as they are created, including Creator Credits from Session (formerly Auddly), a technology that works within Pro Tools to embed song credits within the session files themselves.

There are also a number of free audio tagging tools out there including Kid3, MP3Tag, MusicBrainz Picard as well as software media players and music library managers like MediaMonkey where you can embed metadata into your files.

At the very least you should also be keeping your own metadata database in a spreadsheet which contains each track along with its associated metadata. For more sophisticated track and catalog management you can try platforms like: • •

•

•

Auddly/Session - a song data hub which helps you take control of your songs and rights Soundgizmo - Synchtank’s asset management and website solution for artists and smaller music companies RightsHub - Monokrome Music’s service for storing rights information in one easily accessible location DISCO - a music management and sharing platform

Optimizing your metadata for distribution DSPs, distributors and data services all have metadata submission standards that have to be met.

Apple Music is respected as the industry standard and their comprehensive style guide is regularly updated.

If you’re releasing your music through a label or directly with a distributor, they should ensure that

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uld Care About sset Management

the metadata requirements are met for each unique DSP/service.

Optimizing your metadata for sync licensing Metadata for sync is something that is discussed a lot on Synchblog. Music supervisors work to strict deadlines and don’t have time to chase down rightsholders who haven’t provided them with enough information. A handy guide (available on our website), written by a representative of the Guild of Music Supervisors, explains what music supervisors are looking for.

USEFUL RESOURCES: https://www.associationforelectronicmusic. org/afem-ci-metadata-best-practice-guide/ https://www.synchtank.com/podcasts/ep-28best-practices-for-managing-your-catalog-andassets-with-synchtank-and-special-guest-erin-mjacobson/ https://www.synchtank.com/blog/the-guildof-music-supervisors-suggested-metadatastandards/ https://soundcharts.com / blog /musicmetadata ABOUT THE AUTHOR Emma Griffiths is Synchtank’s marketing manager and the editor of Synchblog, Synchtank’s music industry blog which provides insight into the management and monetization of music copyright.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 9

MUSIC BUSINESS

How to Book Your Own DIY Tour

Lessons Learned From a Seasoned Pro

I

self-booked my first tour a few years back after finishing my first self-recorded/ produced CD. I had been playing the Phoenix area extensively the past couple of years and knew it was important for me to extend my reach to find new listeners.

The genesis of my tour began when I was approached by the owner of a coffee house in Albuquerque. He was visiting Phoenix and attended one of my performances. After the show, he asked if I would like to play his place in Albuquerque.

It didn’t make sense for me to drive to Albuquerque from Phoenix for a single show, so I began planning a tour through New Mexico and into Colorado. My goal with this article is to share some of the critical lessons and strategies I learned in the process.

A tour is not just random dates played in various places. I consider a tour a series of coordinated dates with a linear geographic and chronological order. For example -- playing an out of town date one Saturday, then a couple weeks in town, then another out of town date, etc. is not what I consider a tour.

ANCHOR GIGS Anchor gigs are those shows where your relationship with the venue guarantees that you will have a specific date to plan your tour around. Having that date can serve as a bookmark - perhaps the final date of the tour - and helps you visualize or plan the rest of your tour. Once you have an anchor gig, you can work backward and forward from the date and location to find

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addition towns and venues to play. This is where Google Maps, and other Google tools, come into play.

USING GOOGLE MAPS Google Maps allows you to create multistop maps and flexibly modify a route. It can give you distances and drive times to help plan your routing. And you can store the route in a tour planning document.

I’m going to use an approximation of my small venue tour as an example. At the time I was living in Phoenix. I had Albuquerque locked in for a Saturday. Opening Google Maps, I searched for Albuquerque and selected the “Directions” button. In the example image, you’ll see that a route has been auto generated between Phoenix and Albuquerque.

In the left-column, you can see the two locations. Below the last location, there is an​ “Add destination” ​button. This is how we will add new towns. The other benefit of seeing your map visually built on Google Maps is that you can pinpoint potential stops on your route.

I knew I wanted to play a mountain town in New Mexico named Ruidoso, so I added it to my route. By default, it is added to the bottom, but you can simply grab a location with your mouse and move it where it is most logical. For me, to start, I moved it before Albuquerque. And based on the distance, I determined I would play Ruidoso on the Friday night prior to my Saturday show in Albuquerque.

I wanted my tour, where possible, to avoid

doubling back and had determined that I would travel South through Tucson, then into Southern New Mexico and up to Albuquerque. I added Tucson and Las Cruces to my map, sliding them in order before Ruidoso. Now the tour was taking a more circular, and in my opinion, logical route.

Things were shaping up.

By chance, a songwriter I knew heard about my tour planning and told me I should go to his hometown, Silver City, NM - a small town between Tucson and Las Cruces. I added that destination and slid it between Tucson and Las Cruces. I ended up traveling into Colorado as well. But for the sake of this article, I’ve added Flagstaff, AZ to the map as the final stop before coming home to Phoenix.

SAVING YOUR MAP In order to save your map - allowing you to bring it back up and edit it if needed - simply put your cursor in your browsers address bar and copy the entire URL into a document. I use Google Docs for this.

The URL will likely be several lines long, but you only need to copy it from your document into a browser and your map will render with all destinations listed. You can then add or delete destinations and change their order, saving the URL again after any edits.

In the same Google Document, I add each destination and a document section. This is where I will add notes about the venues in each city.

I also a rough plan as to when I will play each

• • • • • •

Monday (date), Tucson Tuesday (date), Silver City Wednesday (date), Las Cruces Friday (date), Ruidoso Saturday (date), Albuquerque Sunday (date), Flagstaff

APPROACHING VENUES I find venues a number of ways. First, Google the city, state, and the words “live music” or “music venues.” Seems simple, right? I also use Indie on the Move, ReverbNation, and Sonicbids to locate venues and events I might not be aware of, or that don’t populate initial Google searches.

And when I see other artists playing in a city, I look at their website to see where they may have played in the past.

the venue and a chance to play music with the late Bugs Salcido.

SEND A VERIFICATION EMAIL Once you book a date, send the booker a confirmation email with the date. You will also send a similar email a week or two prior to you starting your tour. Having run into doublebookings, even after confirmations have been sent, I tend to over-communicate leading up to my shows.

HAVE PROMO MATERIALS Make sure you have images and posters that can be easily edited as you book venues. You want to be able to send the venue an image for their website, social media, and possibly to print. I also send a few 11x17 posters to each venue.

Important: In most cases, I do not use the above listed sites to contact venues. Instead I go to the venue website or Facebook page to reach out directly. I work to find out who books music and whenever possible, contact them directly via phone or email.

DON’T FORGET MERCH At least have a simple t-shirt. Hint: dark shirts sell better than light shirts. I also recommend having a CD - even though they are rarely used. Couple this with a digital download but having a physical product (CD, tape or record), something people can hold onto, is important to stay top-of-mind.

SPECIFIC DATES ARE EASIER TO BOOK One truth I’ve discovered is that it is far easier to book a specific date than it is to generally ask when you might play. I will, via phone or email, say something similar to:

SET REALISTIC GOALS Making money on a first tour - especially one you book and promote - is almost impossible. My goal was to create a little buzz, win a few new fans, solidify my relationship with the venues, and have fun. I accomplish all of those and more.

“My name is Matthew Moran. I’m a songwriter based out of Los Angeles. I’m touring through your area and will be in town on (specific date). I’d like to find out what you need to book me at your venue that night. I’m happy to share music, background, and how I work with you to promote the event. Do you know if that date is open? “

CONSIDER COUCHSURFING I used the website couchsurfing.com in every town except Silver City, where I stayed with a friend of the songwriter who told me play there.

My only expenses were gas and food. Also, every person I stayed with came out to see me play and brought a couple friends along.

Often, I’ve been able to book a show on the first call. A professional sounding call with a plan of how you will promote the event goes a long way to show you are a serious musician.

If the talent buyer responds that those nights are book or if it is determined they are the wrong type of venue for what you do - either musically or perhaps they do cover acts only - do not simply thank them and hang up. Ask them, “Do you know of other venues in your area that book original acts?”

This can often result in a solid referral. When I first booked Las Cruces, it was at a sports bar.

The guy who booked me called me back and said he was concerned that I would struggle to be heard in his bar on the night in question. I asked if he knew of a better fit and he referred me to a bar in old town Mesilla. It turned out to be one of my favorite nights of the tour - both due to people at

MUSIC BUSINESS

location. It may look like this:

BE PREPARED TO PLAY If you do not have a solid set, do not plan a tour. For me, this means an hour plus of music fully rehearsed and memorized.

CONCLUSION Planning and executing a tour should be exciting - not an anxiety-filled endeavor.

Consider some of the above tips as a way to make the process more productive and more enjoyable. And the final pro tip: be sure to bring quarters for laundry and water for the ride.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Matthew Moran is a songwriter, performer, author, podcaster, and technologist based in Los Angeles. He performs solo shows and with his band, Arrogant Sage. He often provides workshops to business groups and musicians on content marketing, collaboration, and useful technologies. You can find out more at MatthewMoranOnline.com.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 11

MUSIC BUSINESS

PRIME TIME READY IEMs Make Sure Your Band is Prepared for Late Night TV

I

f your band is going to play a late-night TV show, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to seize your moment. Don’t forget the IEMs.

Being prepared beforehand will eliminate a multitude of issues that will make your big day on camera successful. Stepping into the focus brackets of the camera lens can induce a fear that feels similar to staring down the eyes of an NFL lineman. Those monoscopic wide-angle HD lenses show off more than just those extra wrinkles creeping in. So, let’s help you relax and feel confident, knowing ahead of time what to expect.

Your band should spend time in a rehearsal space working on the song and getting your IEM mixes locked. As on any modern stage show, whether arena or theaters, in ear monitors are a tool that provides a controlled environment by blocking out the rest of the sound around you.

Your in-ears will also deliver click track and program cues.

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LOCK YOUR RIGS IN Tidy up your pedal boards and looms.

Fix those loose jacks. Decide on wardrobe and rehearse with it. This will reveal if those chain mail vests will get snagged or even block radio frequencies from getting to your ear pack.

Make sure to have backups of crucial pieces of gear. At the very minimum have a dual redundant playback rig with eight or more dedicated outputs. The 1/8” out on your laptop with track on the left mono and click on the right will not cut it for broadcast TV. If your performance includes moves that are timed to the track, create a click track and slate track — voice commands pre-recorded and dropped on a separate track for cuing song sections, dance moves, etc. — output from the playback rig available to everyone who will need it: dancers, special effects, the light board operator.

If a band member typically runs the tracks rig, work with a professional playback operator for rehearsals and the taping/performance. This will also help with any last-minute arrangement changes. They will know the best ways to create good intros, endings, and transitions.

One to two days of rehearsal in the days leading up to the taping is necessary. Setup in the layout that you’ll be playing in. The idea is to walk into the studio with as tight of a performance as you can get.

Repeat after me. Once everything is dialed, resist all urges to introduce anything new — no matter how seemingly insignificant. That means no new pedals, cymbals, outfits, wireless, performers. Nothing.

The more self-contained and polished that your performance can be, the better it is to navigate all of the curve balls that will come up.

On the day of the show, you’ll collaborate with the

Any moving set pieces will come and go as they are cued. Everything will happen as it will happen that night.

DAY OF: GAIN THE TRUST OF THE HOUSE CREW On most late-night shows, the house crew will work with five bands a week. You’re just one act in a five-act show and your show is just one of the many shows they will see that season. In the first year of Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, there were 172 episodes total and only 37 of those episodes didn’t have musical acts.

Following your song, the stage manager will enter and give an outro just as the host will during the taping. If all departments call the run through good and no tweaks are needed, then the musical act will be cleared from the set and the crew will go about methodically dismantling the music performance area so the next element of the show can be rehearsed.

The reason to have a good rapport with the house crew is the TV production world has a set structure as to how the daily schedule operates.

The same dance happens on the studio floor every day — whether it’s your band or Beck.

The day at the studio revolves around a production schedule and that schedule will include a slot for your band to setup and sound check. This is followed by a time for the director to take a look and convey any blocking, staging or lighting changes to the music stage manager. All of these mechanisms exist around the musical performance so they can fit your 3-4 minutes into the structure of an already well-oiled TV production. Remember that you are a guest on their show.

THE CAMERA BLOCK RUN-THROUGH After your band is setup and the blocking is locked, the lighting director will adjust the lights to further set the scene for your performance.

All of your road techs get to interface with the TV crew to make these hand-offs successful. As production elements, band risers and any floor lights get locked in, and the stagehands will start marking the floor so they can restore your gear to the exact spots during the change over from talk show to music performance.

The culmination of this time is a camera block run-through where hopefully you play the song and do any moves exactly the way you will for the taping or live performance that night.

The part of the show that your band will play in is rehearsed in its entirety with the music stage manger as your guide. They will sit or stand in the appointed spot where the host will be to give the intro for your performance. They will then wait for the cue from the director via headset to give the standby to all crew and band.

At this point, you should be at your starting marks and ready to spring into action. The director cues the intro, and the stage manager will read the intro copy and “toss” to the performance area. Then the magic starts.

The cameras will be moving in and out, up and down to get every angle of your performance.

SHOW TIME While you’re backstage getting your “last looks” from makeup, the stage crew is setting the risers and moving all the elements back to the floor exactly where they were from rehearsal some hours ago.

You emerge from a small back room right out into the middle of what seems like the market of a bustling metropolis. Stay focused, young Jedi. Acknowledge the host with a slight wave and smile, but then get right to work. Start doing checks as quickly as possible; tune your instrument, start checking in with your band mates, run a vocal lick or two. Most importantly, turn on your IEM pack and get your molds comfortably situated. It will be a bit cacophonous, but as things settle in and everyone is making their systems work, start to form a decorum.

Get everyone to focus. The house band will be playing through the break. You have eye contact and the world inside your IEMs to find that place of comfort. Look at your band mates, and when it feels like the machine is ready to fire, do a false start on the tracks. Make sure you can hear the intro and count off. I usually run clicks and counts on a TV show just a bit louder than normal in the IEM mix while being mindful of hearing safety.

DON’T FORGET: CHECK YOUR LEVELS What’s not present during camera block is a studio audience cheering. This can throw off the intro of the song and your faces will show it up until the first chorus. And there is nothing worse for a monitor engineer than the obvious “pack reach” during an on-air performance. I find it ok to actually play along with the first few bars during the track false start exercise. You’ll know immediately if your IEM pack is at the right level for this situation.

Besides all of the musical things that are in your IEM mix, there will be an additional channel mixed in. This is the “program” channel. Most TV monitor mixers will add in this channel in order for the performers to follow along with what’s happening in the show right before and right after the performance segment. There is nothing better than hearing the intro for your band read by the host in your IEMs. “And here they are….”

This feed is generated from the A1 mixer.

The A1 mixer combines all inputs except the individual musical inputs on their console. That console is the final stop before it is married with the video program and sent to air. Further down the line is the TV music mixer. This mixer is in control of all the musical inputs on the show that day. They create a typical mix that would appear on a commercial musical release. This mix is sent to the A1’s console for them to mix in with the rest of the audio program material. Really this is all about division of labor as one mixer wouldn’t be able to tend to the workload of all of those inputs.

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director and creative team but don’t veer too far from the product you perfected at the rehearsal studio.

THAT’S A WRAP Following your performance, the lights will come up, the host will usually cross to the performance area and throw to a commercial.

The audience will applaud and the program feed on the in-studio TV monitors will fade to black.

At this point, if it’s a taped performance, the stage manager will cross to you and ask if you’re good with the performance. There is sometimes, but not always, a chance to retake the song and the corrected take can be stitched into the show between the intro and the outro given by the host.

The time to decide whether or not to rerun the segment is fleeting.

This brings me to another important organizational element. There needs to be an advocate for the band in the Music Mix booth.

This is where all decisions of how you will be presented to the public are made. If it’s good in that booth, then it’s the best it can be going to air. Have someone who was at the rehearsals and knows your vision in the booth. The stage manager is waiting for an okay from you on the floor and an okay from the Music Mixer before moving on to the next piece of the show. Some technical issues can be fixed by flying in elements from rehearsal takes, especially if a click track is used, so make sure to choose your battles carefully.

At the end of the day, have fun. Having the opportunity to perform on a TV show for the first time is very powerful. It cements a moment in time for your band. I’ve seen some chill-inducing performances. They will live on for a very long time. ‍ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Paul Klimson is a monitor engineer who has worked for Drake, The Roots and Justin Timberlake. Klimson brings twenty highly-credited years of technical experience to the details of audio, staging, video, and lighting arrangement in the areas of television broadcasts, arena performances, international music festivals, and top-tier special events production. He designs, creates, and implements the technical foundation upon which the most resonating musical performances of the day exist.

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MARCUSKING Young Blues Royalty Opens Up About His New Record & Life on Tour Taylor Northern

Alysse Gafkjen

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arcus King is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in the guitar communit y – and with good reason. The young axe-slinger just released his much-anticipated LP, El Dorado, produced

by Grammy Award winner Dan Auerbach, a genre-infused mix of soul, blues, hard rock and everything in between. We caught up with the young 20-something just days before the album’s release to chat about his career, life on the road and the making of the record.

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You’ve recently started touring for your new record El Dorado. How’s the tour coming along?

Everything on the El Dorado Tour is going great!

The audience is responding positively to the new material and the band sounds great playing the new tunes.

Which cities have you enjoyed playing in the most so far?

That’s really hard to gauge since every city has its own unique qualities. We had a really great time in Bloomington are looking forward to getting back to NYC.

Isn’t touring kind of in your blood? I read somewhere you’re a fourth-generation musician in your family. Didn’t your dad and grandpa perform professionally when you were younger?

That’s correct. My father, grandfather, and both uncles all played music professionally. My great grandfather and great uncles performed as a hobby. It’s something that runs in my family. It’s in my blood and in my DNA. Did they teach you anything about a practice routine or give music business advice?

My father, more importantly, told me what not

“Wildflowers and Wine” is one of the singles off the record. When did you write that song?

Who helped you guys all along the way?

What were some of the first guitar riffs you mastered as a kid?

I wrote “Wildflowers and Wine” a couple of weeks before we recorded it with Ronnie Bowman and Dan Auerbach.

There was a guy Bill Haun who helped us out a great deal in the early days. He made it possible for us to do our first record. The lessons we learned from that are that it takes a lot of work and you need to trust the people you work with.

The first song I learned to play on the guitar was “Secret Agent Man.”

Which guitar did you use to record the solo on that one?

Do you have any last words about El Dorado or any other upcoming projects?

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to do and what to avoid. I still go to my father for advice and with questions on what I’m up to in my career and decisions I have to make. He’s still my trusted confidant.

“With every record it’s kind of my hope and my goal, even if inadvertently, to be a bit more mature…”

Who were some of your musical influences growing up as a teen?

I used Dan’s Telecaster on this record, it’s a ’62, I believe.

Aretha Franklin, Sam Cooke, James Brown, William Bell, Janis Joplin.

What’s your songwriting process like? Do you imagine or sing a melody before finding it on guitar?

Let’s talk a little bit about your new album El Dorado. The band has a real cool ‘70s Little Feat/Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band vibe. What makes El Dorado different from the last record Carolina Confessions or your first album Soul Insight?

With every record it’s kind of my hope and my goal, even if inadvertently, to be a bit more mature in the songwriting and performing. This one, being my first solo record, sets it apart from the rest.

El Dorado was produced by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys. How did you link up with him?

Dan reached out to me when I was in Phoenix, a couple of years ago. I went straight to Nashville [to mewt with him] and the rest is history.

When you went into the studio were you trying to emulate or follow suit in the sound of certain Black Keys hits?

No, not at all. There were touches of certain sounds because the cats that played on this record played with guys like Dusty Springfield and Elvis. There were touches of inspiration from these guys from their time in Memphis. The main goal was to pour all of me into this album.

It really changes with every song that I write. For this album it was more of a process where we would all get together with a piece of paper and it was a little more diligent. Which is different than my personal writing style, which is a little more all over the place.

There’s a lot more to be expected from my solo career and especially with The Marcus King Band. There’s a lot of new stuff on the horizon!

Follow on Instagram: @marcuskingband

Does your singing and vocal inflection affect the way you play guitar?

Singing and playing the guitar are fairly exclusive in the way I approach them.

I really dig your look in the video for the “The Well” -- who filmed that video?

Thanks - that was directed by Reid Long.

When you recorded that in the studio, what kind of rig were you using?

I was using a couple secrets of the trade!

Let’s talk a bit about your band. How did the Marcus King Band originally form in South Carolina?

I walked into a bar in Greenville, SC called Gottrocks and heard Jack Ryan playing the drums; I knew we had to start a band together.

That was in early 2013.

MARCUS KING EL DORADO STANDOUT TRACK: “SAY YOU WILL”

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Soccer Mommy Uses Co lor Theory as a Kaleidoscopic Musical Lens Sarah Brooks

Brian Ziff

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ophie Allison, known by her stage name Soccer Mommy, is self-described in her Twitter bio as “chill but kinda sad.” From “Your Dog,” a punchy antagonist to a love letter to “Cool,” a manifestation of everything she’d want to be even if some things seem more idyllic than they are, Soccer Mommy asserts a persona of feigning effortless nonchalance, a relaxed ease, while at the same time, caring intensely through the emotional depths she reaches in each of her songs.

And her newest release color theory presents a Soccer Mommy sound that is grounded, multifaceted, and complex. Songs are crafted and viewed through the lens of yellow, blue, and gray—and what shines through on the other side is something that’s wholly stunning.

Your new album is coming out, and the subject matter is a bit darker and even more vulnerable than your past album Clean. How did you tap into this part of yourself for your songwriting this time around?

You know, it really didn’t feel any different than writing Clean or anything before it. I feel like I write whatever’s on my mind, so I guess this was just what was plaguing me a little more. Maybe because I didn’t have relationship issues and other stuff that was also bothering me to coast on, it became the time to delve into these issues that have been going on for a while.

I know they’re bigger issues and they’re centered around three main color themes, but it’s also “about youth and aging, and how these problems develop and affect you as you grow up.” Can you go into more of the color theory approach you’ve taken on this album?

When I was a couple songs in, it started to really stand out to me that I was circling these three themes, these three moods, and I just immediately connected the yellow one especially with death, sickness, anxiety, and paranoia, and just feeling on edge. And that mood of anxiety, of paranoia, of falling ill, has always attached itself in my brain to a sickly yellow color.

And then I very quickly realized that this whole section of depression and sadness, it wasn’t just sadness is blue, obviously, it was like there’s a lot of imagery of water, a slower, cooler, energy compared to the yellow section. And the gray section came last. I think all of those songs came a little bit further on, actually. The gray section felt obvious once I had made these two other color connections. It’s interesting, this kind of emptiness and loss, this mood and darkness, which made a song that was riddled with

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SPOTLIGHT mortality and feeling taunted by it and feeling a fear of death and losing parts of yourself to time, and just kind of decaying.

I read your mother has a terminal illness; were these colors and themes explored from personal traumas in your own life, or more from issues in society today?

it started to weigh on me a little bit more than it ever had. But, most of the record is really about how stuff that has taken a toll on me throughout my life or the past couple of years, even, whether it’s mental illness or classic existentialism.

In making the album, do you feel that it was cathartic for you, and did you feel that you were able to explore or even dissipate

captures it all so I don’t have to struggle to think of how to express myself. I don’t usually find that it lifts a weight off me at all. It’s more of a fixation, in trying to describe a feeling perfectly.

Would you speak to the new production elements on this album? Your core sound is still there, but songs are a bit more multilayered this time around.

“There’s a few reasons for the growth; mainly, we had more time in the studio.”

They mostly all developed from my own life.

There are only a few songs that address anything with my mother on the album, which is partially because it wasn’t ever something that I dealt with.

And being away from home made me feel scared of that. I had been home every day so it was a little less pressing. But when I’d be gone for a long time,

some of those feelings that you have?

Maybe a song like “yellow is the color of her eyes,” but for most of the other ones, I have a hard time really expressing myself, and I find it feels good to be able to get a thought or the complexity of a thought down, in a way in lyrics that I feel like

There’s a few reasons for the growth; mainly, we had more time in the studio. We took all of March and then another week later, because we hadn’t gotten totally what we needed, whereas with Clean we took two weeks split up by a couple months…I literally sat at a sampling keyboard PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 21

SPOTLIGHT that uses floppy disks and listened to every floppy disk sample in the studio while we were doing stuff. As did everyone else; we would listen to these samples over and over again. We’d spend 45 minutes just to pick a synth sound to record for one part. That’s what makes it amazing, is you get all this time to literally fuck around, and that’s how you find amazing things, whereas if you just look for something that works in the moment, it doesn’t get the same level or depth, and I think we really got that.

Also, I had my whole band I’ve been playing with live in the studio for the first time, including our fifth member we added in December of last year, and our drummer, bass player, guitarist we’ve had for a year or more each. We’d really gotten into a groove live of finding our sound that made it more Soccer Mommy rather than my song. Having them in the studio really helped, because it brought in this element of the way we work off each other.

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It lets you have those moments where you’d be like, “That’s my favorite part on this song,” that little two-second thing, which I think is the most important, those little moments that make it your favorite part of the song that just strike you every time. The way you get that is by having a lot of people with a lot of ideas and letting a lot of different things shine at different moments.

What habits, routines, hobbies, or rituals make you feel most creative and ready to make music?

It doesn’t take much; I can be anywhere to write, and it really just has to do with something coming to me. I wrote a lot of this record in the back seat of the van. Just on random days…sitting back there and playing when I’d get ideas, or in hotel rooms. It’s never really mattered much what my surroundings were; I just need a slight feeling of this false isolation or privacy. I can be in

the back of a van or back seat where people can’t hear me really, and that’s enough.

At practice or whatever, you just need to get inspired by the people you’re playing with, and hear them play an idea a couple times. It always starts with one person playing something a couple times over and over and everyone’s kind of like, “What is that?” But you don’t say that, and you just start playing along to it. And eventually you end up jamming for like 20 minutes for no reason. And I think that’s where you get a lot of great ideas for songs because you can sit and play this guitar part you’ve been thinking about, and you can let other people join in and hear what it’s going to sound like. So, I think having people around is a great way to come up with ideas for songs, because instead of hearing a guitar part and not knowing what it can sound like as a band, you hear what it can turn into, and it’s inspiring to see the different directions it can go.

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Follow on Instagram: @soccermommyband

“I think having people around is a great way to come up with ideas for songs… you hear what it can turn into, and it’s inspiring to see the different directions it can go.”

Follow on Instagram: @ahimusic

SOCCER MOMMY COLOR THEORY STANDOUT TRACK: “CIRCLE THE DRAIN”

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Bree Hart

Benjamin Ricci

Mad Scientist/Synth Guru/Circuit Bending Champ Sam Battle Gives us a Peek Inside His Brain

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f you’ve ever been on YouTube at like 3:00am searching for, oh, I don’t know…how to circuitbend an original Simon toy from the 1980s, the good ol’ YouTube algorithm might just decide to serve up a heaping helping from Look Mum No Computer. LMNC is the nom-de-plume of one Sam Battle, the UK’s leading mad scientist when it comes to making old, analog (and some might say, though they’d be wrong) obsolete kit useful again in a modern electronic music workflow. We had a chance to sit with the rising YouTube superstar (and Ted Talk alum) about all things video, electronic and weird.

Enjoy!

Can you give a little background on where you come from? I’d ask for the boring bio that most artists give, but something tells me you’re anything but boring :) I spent most of my childhood in a place called Peterborough where I spent most of my spare time building things and playing guitar. I was always into putting things together, even tried to build a couple of Robot Wars robots but it was so rubbish -- I had a thing for rockets too. I only merged my love for music and building when I tried building my first effects pedal when I was 16 or so, I heard Brian May had a homemade effects pedal (later found out I heard it wrong) so I thought if he can do it, I can do it too, so I spent a couple of months trying to build a copy of a pedal called a Dallas Range Master.

When I finally got it working I was so amazed by what I had done; it sounded awful and I don’t think it worked the way it was supposed to, but the fact it worked was amazing, especially how bodge job it was. I went to uni to study chemistry then realized I was really not cut out for that and jumped over to a music tech course at the same uni in the same year and caught up. It was interesting enough, I left halfway through to join a band in London, however. Which was a good three years -- we signed a record deal and ended up in a confusing situation where we were sort of stuck with an album that wasn’t being released and no gigs. I used this time to learn electronics.

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“I go through phases of being very focused, and phases of being a confused and frustrated mess.”

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How did you get your start merging music and electronics?

I first got into music when I was about 12, I just decided one day I was going to learn guitar so got my sister’s old acoustic out of the loft and tried figuring it out. Later that month my dad took me to a music shop to get a plectrum, and the music shop seller talked him into getting me this secondhand Yamaha Pacifica, which I learnt back to front. As for electronics, it was a mixture of that and my very young years of just taking absolutely everything apart which I had done for as long as I could remember, wanting to know how things worked.

I heard Look Mum started as a zine, but soon morphed into what it is today. How did you get going with video production?

Yes, it was a zine, in another band of mine called ZIBRA I put together some zines called ‘look mum no computer.’ Before this I had been experimenting with doing videos, by this time I had been making random music videos and such for my musical projects, so I already knew how to do videos and all that malarkey, in the ZIBRA project, we put up one short musical video every other Sunday, about a minute long, it was usually a cover, but could be anything really, and one of those near the end of the band I put up a video of me playing a Gameboy triple oscillator I had built which people seemed to really like. It was a video version of the zine, so it had the zine’s logo at the start of the video, the same logo I use today. After that I decided there might be something in this, so I chose to keep experimenting with videos about what I was building.

When did you realize this YouTube thing was taking off for you?

I didn’t really take my YouTube channel particularly seriously, I used to keep forgetting to put my videos up on YouTube, funnily enough, initially it was purely a Facebook kind of project, I just kept on going at it and experimenting, I took it quite seriously after a few months of putting videos up, figuring there would be something in this.

You’ve done a number of creative things with electronics, including circuit-bending Furbies, Game Boys and most recently making a Giant FM synth out of Sega Genesis parts. How do you get inspiration for your various projects?

Not sure really, some are born from conversations with friends, for instance the flame throwing Henry hoover was just a conversation with me and a friend called Johnny, or the fart box was a tweet from an artist called Kursa, but many have varying origins, for instance the Furby organ I had the idea since I started circuit bending but it was such a big task and it seemed pointless to build for no reason!

Sometimes ideas come when walking around and

I’m sure if back in the day they could make things smaller and cheaper they would, but old products are so much nicer. Not to mention easier to maintain when broken. Another thing is they are simpler, and in my opinion a simpler machine is a much quicker and easier to use machine, a lot of things now a days are crammed with functions, which hinders them. When I design things, I like them to be big and simple, which make them extremely impractical, but very useable.

Unlike a lot of YouTubers, you actually put out your own original music and perform live. How do you balance your own creative outlet with the ever-increasing demands of putting out quality videos on a regular basis?

It’s difficult. Very difficult. I go through phases of being very focused, and phases of being a confused and frustrated mess. I’m having one of those weeks right now, I just can’t seem to get anything done, everything is a cloud of brain fluff.

I sit down and look at my compositions and I can’t seem to figure out what to do to them, and I’m at a stalemate with projects I’m working on, but that’s the thing, weeks like these are very tempting to slack off but I just have to keep on persisting, and hopefully next week I will be back on the focus train.

The good weeks are easy, everything falls into place, I do some electronics work and design some things, then I can go over and work on music then go home and sit in bed and edit a video. When it works it works!! As for gigs it was rather hard last year; tours are great as they squeeze gigs all into a pocket of time. I have found one-off shows use up a lot more time than you would want, I need to practice, make sure everything works, then play the gig, before you know it you’ve lost three days for one show. So, I’m trying to make an effort to designate pockets for each aspect of the project, so I can maximize my time.

What’s the project that you’re most proud of?

I don’t know. Creating is a strange one, you spend so much time building something that it just ends up getting on your nerves -- when I look at my projects, I see the bits that is wrong with it. I’ve made a very conscious effort in the past few years to ditch my perfectionist attitude as I would not get anything finished, my joy from the machines comes from when I see other people enjoying them -- either trying to use them or just looking at them. I get to see the machines through their eyes, instead of the memories of how much of a pain in the ass they were to build!!! Haha. Maybe the synth bike is my favorite possibly because it’s the most useable. Also my touring synth, as I have been finessing that for years and I’m proud of how it sounds

What’s the one that didn’t turn out as well as expected?

Usually with the big projects they tend to turn out as I expect or better, I’m usually surprised by them myself. I tend to not think of the finish line until it’s there, as most of the time the design of the finished project is wholly dependent on many technical decisions along the way. The flame thrower organ, however good it was for indoor use, was useless outdoors. It went out of tune all the time. And well…it’s not every day you can use a flamethrowing organ indoors!!! Hence getting to do it in a church.

I know you recently worked with Doctor Mix on a cool Commodore synth project. If you could collaborate with anyone on an upcoming project of yours, who would it be?

Always wanted to think of something to do with Colin Furze, we have chatted a couple of ideas about some things, but nothing has yet come to fruition. I’d love to collaborate with some musical artists, but I’ve never found myself in a position to contact. One day hey!

What are some of your favorite analog synths of all time?

I have been trying to save up (unsuccessfully) for a long time for a Memorymoog. To me it seems like the ultimate. No pointless fluff. Just a 3-oscillator-per-voice beast. Not the most in tune, a little bit temperamental... Mix that in with some wonderful 1980s design choices, it is truly the ultimate in synth design in my eyes, to me it doesn’t make sense why you would buy an analog synth that is made to be good. May as well use a plug-in, the charm comes from the scratchy pots, the oddness in tuning, the hums, the imagination you get from playing it and how that bleeds into the song you try to make.

The channel is called “Look Mum No Computer” but you sometimes do work with computers (albeit old ones) as part

of your process. Most recently an ancient Mac that you got drums and sequences working on. Is there something inherently more satisfying about older computers and their simplicity that modern machines don’t afford as part of the creative process?

As someone who has written with a number of artists and seen a lot of creative flows, you can get into a rut sometimes. Where maybe the compositions and sounds are good, but man they are bland or safe. Sometimes it’s worth trying something different or odd. For these videos I use them as an opportunity to mix a few of my interests together. I love old machines as you know, and trying to make music on them just goes hand in hand with that.

So, making a part for a song on an old computer then dragging it into a new project, sometimes is worth it.

Would you have any advice for people out there getting started in repairing or modifying old synths, drum machines and the like?

Best thing to do is try it all. If your scared of breaking stuff you’re probably not into it. Because in order to not break things you’ll either need to go to years of college, or just take a load of stuff apart and break it.

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I just feel I need to make it happen, others have been sitting around for ages. It’s tough to say really!

Being that you’re a bit younger than a lot of the old kit you take apart and work with, what attracts you to these vintage (and some might say obsolete) bits of machinery?

I’m not sure, I have always been like it since a young age, going to my grandparents and playing with the old strange things they had, the feeling of old brittle plastic, questionable functioning condition. I don’t know, it just seems so much more interesting and appealing to me, there was a point where products just got crap -- their need to be more and more functional and practical overtook the ergonomics and overall aura of the machine, which are byproducts of the design of older machines.

Follow on Instagram: @lookmumnocomputer

LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER LOOK MUM NO MIXTAPE STANDOUT TRACK: “LIVING IN THE PAPER”

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BEST COAST Breaks Down Their Personal Growth on Latest LP Casandra Armour

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Kevin Hayes & Eddie Chacon

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W

e recently had a chance to speak with Bethany Cosentino from Best Coast about their new album, Always Tomorrow.

As she puts it, “Always Tomorrow is the story of where I was and where I am now. As well as the struggles I am still learning to identify and figure out because let’s face it, life is fucking hard, and like I said before, there is no guidebook. Some days I wake up and I feel like I’m on top of the world and I forget about everything that’s ever bummed me out, and other days, it all comes flooding back. This album is about leaving the darkness for the light, but still understanding that nothing is ever going to be perfect. It’s an album about attempting to fix your broken patterns and learning to get out of your own way. It’s about burning it all down and starting from scratch even when the idea of that is fucking terrifying. Closing one chapter and moving onto the next even when you have no idea what is on the other side. Acceptance. It’s about taking a gigantic leap of faith.”

This is a really personal album for you, I wonder if we could start from talking a little bit about the songwriting process. I read that this record and come from sort of a low point, flowing back up. Can you speak to that?

It took a long time. I didn’t really produce anything that I liked until the song, “Everything Has Changed.” Over time more songs would come…In the past I’d sat down and written a record over the course of a month or two or approaching going into the studio I’ll have some last-minute ideas. But this record was years.

I was curious how [bandmate] Bobb [Bruno] factored into it. How did he receive this very powerful material from you? What did he bring to it?

The way it’s worked in the past is I write basically the blueprint for the song. I write the main rhythm guitar. Sometimes I come up with different ideas. And I’ll send them to him and say, “Here’s my idea, here’s what I want it to sound like, I want it to kind of have a groove like this” and he fills in the missing pieces, completes the puzzle.

But this time around I was struggling so much with writer’s block…I’m telling you could not get anything out. I would pick up a guitar, start playing, and get so pissed and upset and throw it all down. So, I went to him and said, hey listen, I think I might want to try having music that’s pre-written and just try to write lyrics and melodies.

It’s so funny, he and I both have a lot of self-doubt-- we’re artists, I think that’s

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intrinsically in the mind of every creative person. And he was like “I don’t know, I don’t know if you’re going to like it.” I was like, whatever just try, just send me any ideas you have. And so, he started sending me these songs that were different from songs I’d have written. But that was cool because it allowed me to sit with them and take my time with the lyrics and the melodies and the style in which I sang.

For this record, I just sort of took a risk and said can we try it this way and he was willing to do that.

I love that you decided together to take that risk and it paid off in this case. Where did you record the album?

We did all the drums as Sunset Sound. And then we did everything else at Carlos de la Garza’s home studio in Eagle Rock. He’s recorded a lot of rad records there and done a lot of cool stuff at that studio. It was an amazing and beautiful studio, but it was cool that it was kind of in our neighborhood and at Carlos’ house and we could break to go get lunch in our local neighborhood.

It’s also interesting because the first music that Best Coast ever created was at Bobb’s house in Eagle Rock. So, we got to go back to where

a woman. I’ve figured a lot out sort of through my own music.

A lot of promo materials for this album talk about where your path took you: which is that you’re a couple of years sober now, right?

Yeah!

What’s it like for these other musicians in these sessions with you, working with these producers and folks recording with you? Making music together is already an intimacy, let alone when you’ve now taken it to this next level.

With this record, everyone was really excited because we haven’t made a record in five years, we felt really invigorated to be back and make music. Everybody just wanted to help us be the best version of Best Coast that we could be.

Especially for me, talking about things that are very personal and being more vulnerable on this

Congratulations!

That’s amazing…and you’re in the public eye. It’s a lot. It’s huge that you’re able to carry that off. But you put a lot of that into this album.

Yeah, yeah. I think for me, music is really the place in which I work through things. It’s really funny because I’m a super private person. I’m a

“Music is really the place in which I work through things.”

Scorpio, so like, if you believe in astrology, I’m secretive, and until you earn my trust, I’m not going to open up to you. In my personal life, I’m super personal, my friends know this, my friends don’t ask me certain questions. But my entire band, my entire career, has been built on spilling my guts. It’s very interesting the way in which I’ve made that my personal brand, essentially.

But I think for me, when it comes in the form of music, it feels very safe and comfortable to talk about because I know that it’s going out to a mass amount of people that are then going to take it and going to relate it to themselves and going to connect with it and feel.

Maybe some people will listen, and they’ll be like, “I don’t know what it’s like to get sober. I don’t know what it’s like to have your career explode overnight.” They aren’t going to understand those things. However, I talk about certain feelings and emotions that are just universally understood.

Everybody knows what it feels like to doubt yourself. Everybody knows what it feels like to be insecure. To have anxiety. To feel like you’re your own worst enemy. We’ve all struggled with that.

To write about these feelings, in song, it helps me work through them and it helps me to hear that it helps other people.

It’s been a growing experience for me, for sure, from when I started to now. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a writer and a lot about myself as

record than I think I’ve been in the past, they just wanted to give the message of these songs this amazing landscape to try to exist within.

Everyone came to it with their best selves.

We all would go in each day going, “What’re we going to do and how are we going to do it?”

There were a lot of suggestions we’d consider; this record was a lot more collaborative than in the past. Carlos would sit with me and say, “Hey, I think you should change this, or I think it’d be better if you went to this chord instead” and I was like, “Sure! Awesome! Let’s do it!” In the past, I was a lot more protective and it made me feel so much pressure.

like?

We’ve been doing a lot of radio stuff over the last few weeks, playing these songs in a sort of stripped-down way. But I’m really, really excited to play these songs live and to just sort of bring a different version of us to the stage. Like I said, I think these songs are a little bit tougher, a little bit heavier, they have a little bit more of like a rock vibe to them that I think will be fun.

SPOTLIGHT

it started and make this sort of fully-fledged, produced record.

Playing them next to the Crazy For You songs is so funny. The Crazy For You songs feel like they were written by a 22-year-old girl. And these new ones feel like they were written by a woman in her thirties, going through some heavy shit.

Well! [laughs] It’s really cool because my music is weirdly like a little bit of a time capsule I’ve created for myself.

I can play a song and remember what it felt like to be a 22-year-old girl, sitting on my floor, being like, “Oh god, I’m just so annoyed by this guy.” You play it now as a 33-year-old woman and you’re like, “Aww, I remember that version of myself.”

That’s personal growth!

It is! But I’m excited…It’s new and it’s fun to feel like we’re in a new era of our lives as a band, it’s a new decade -- there’s a lot of new stuff that I feel like is going to happen for us.

Follow on Instagram: @best_coast

Now that we’ve allowed other people to come in: with Bobb writing music for the songs, with Carlos and Justin helping me with arrangements, it allowed me to breathe for a second. I was very excited that we had a crew of people that we trusted enough to even be like, yeah, sure, we’re down to let you do that.

And in such capable hands too. With Carlos you’re talking about credits for Paramore, Tegan and Sara, Young the Giant, Ziggy Marley-- real heavy hitters and amazing artists.

So, after talking about recording, what do you think taking this to the stage is going to look like? You’ve got tour dates starting at the end of February. What’s that going to be

BEST COAST ALWAYS TOMORROW STANDOUT TRACK: “DIFFERENT LIGHT”

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 31

SPOTLIGHT

A Word With

M. Ward Taylor Haag

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Wrenne Evans

SPOTLIGHT PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 33

SPOTLIGHT

“I love playing the alchemist who gets to combine elements that shouldn’t go together but every once in a while they do and it’s magic.”

O

ne hundred years ago M. Ward’s grandfather crossed into the United States from Mexico at the border near El Paso. In April, the singer-songwriter will release his tenth album, Migration Stories, a hazy collection of dream-like narratives with their origins in pictures from newspapers and television reports, stories told by friends and even some, like the aforementioned one, from Ward’s own family history.

From the opening lines of the Migration Stories’ title track, Ward casts a simple, consoling message of a journeyman: “Sailing on past space and time; that’s how I’ll get back to you.” This endearing sentiment becomes the spine of this musical travelogue. As the album unfolds, Ward weaves together a collection of narratives that are simultaneously a contemporary look on life in the Wild West that is 2020, but also as timeless as the fabled lonesome cowboy in the peaceful desert.

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In contrast to the Rust Belt imagery of the album’s stories, Ward travelled to Montreal in winter to tap into the abundance of talent north of the border. In late 2018 and early 2019 Ward assembled a team and began to record with Canadian indie royalty: Tim Kingsbury and Richard Reed Parry, alongside Craig Silvey and Teddy Impakt at Le Studio Du Arcade Fire.

demos that were inspired by migration stories I had heard or read about while on tour in Europe and North America,” says Ward. He adds, “I remember being struck by the similarities of the stories I heard from both continents and how really only the names of the powerful and the powerless had changed - I was left thinking, ‘Is this the future? Is this our future?’”

“I’ve been a big fan of Arcade Fire for a long time and we’ve been acquaintances over the years and I started hearing some of their textures on these new songs,” explains Ward. “For some reason all signs were pointing toward Montreal, a city I’ve never had the chance to dive into except quick stopovers. I had never recorded there so I was definitely taking myself out of my comfort zone, which has worked for me on most recording projects I’ve done. Montreal turned out to be great and working with these musicians was a pure thrill.”

Ward became a curator of these stories, telling the tales of “Stevens’ Snow Man,” a brief and warm instrumental of two dancing guitars, the escapades of “Coyote Mary’s Traveling Show” who warns that “you better have a friend when the lights go out” and the recurring story of Slow Down Jo who apparently “died long ago.”

Lyrically, the album’s content was developed in a Mark Twain-esque approach to gathering stories and finding inspiration. “I had a bunch of

As the anecdotes glide along, Ward is at ease as a narrator and as a craftsman. “There’s honestly no exhausting elements of making music -- writing, recording and producing is all just playing with musical ideas,” he explains. “I love playing the alchemist who gets to combine elements that shouldn’t go together but every once in a while they do and it’s magic. The part

In addition to using his go-to tender guitar playing, Ward welcomed some new items into his musical tool belt. “The team in Montreal introduced me to a lot of old synthesizers that I never knew existed. I knew I wanted a lot of space within the songs and for each production to be like trying to implant a spacious 3-minute film installation in the listeners mind.”

As Ward embraced each song as a short film, he did not stray from an opportunity to make some front-page commentary: “Things are heated in America. More than I can ever remember. Leadership is not helping and neither is the mis-information overload climate - the ‘spin age,’ as Dave Chapelle’s deemed it.”

Ward goes on to explain that, much like the goals of many of his characters in Migration Stories, he too has found refuge, even if it’s for a moment: “It’s good to be able to rely on music to create space away from the news for a second wherever and whenever you want recharge and then jump back in if you want to. I’m sure there will be a time again where I want to hear screaming and crashing cymbals, but that time does not seem to be right now.”

that can be exhausting is all the stuff you have to do once the recording is over.”

Migration Stories draws heavily on personal narratives and liminal places. It also incorporates Ward’s own “sense of place,” which is not a house, but a “home” he found in the creative process years ago. “The creative process started simply when I was 15 learning how to play chord progressions from a Beatles songbook and songwriting started simultaneously,” he says.

As he dug deeper and began honing his craft, creative doors began flying open. “Things sped up when I started reading about alternate guitar tunings used by John Fahey, Sonic Youth and Joni Mitchell. It’s grown into this kind of psychic space to help me process whatever ideas are floating around in my head, whether it’s just chord progressions or helping to process the news of the world.”

To create Migration Stories’ unique sonic pallet, Ward relied on the expertise of Tim Kingsbury, Richard Reed Parry, and co-producer,

Though quick and contemporary in his commentary, Ward describes his overall approach to songwriting as more of a slow burn, with ideas hibernating then blossoming as something better at a later date. “I need to let a new song sit on the shelf for at least a year or two before I feel ready to bring it to the studio,” he explains. “Every song feels great in the moment you are writing it, but more often than not the song grows into being either fodder for a future song or just an exercise in spreading your wings for an audience of nobody. A few times a year a song will be completed in an hour, but usually these things take time.”

Over the last fifteen years, Ward has become known for his genre-spanning collaborations, wearing hats in the realm of pop, folk and rock.

Whether it is his husky vocals dueting alongside Zooey Deschanel as She & Him on six inviting albums, to studio work with Jenny Lewis, to teaming up with Conor Oberst, Mike Mogis and Jim James for the beloved Monsters of Folk, Ward is definitely a team player. For 2020, he plans to continue to collaborate, but in a slightly more insular manner. “This upcoming year of touring for me will be a big experiment in collaborating on stage with some of the friends I worked with in the studio,” he says. “I’m arranging these songs

for that tour as we speak.” Ward will be touring the U.S. in April and May of this year.

More than 20 years ago Ward released his debut, Duet for Guitars #2. Now countless recording sessions, features and tours later, he can look back on his body of work, much like the characters in his songs, staring into the desert’s night sky casually looking for meaning...

SPOTLIGHT

Craig Silvey to “supply most of the surprises on the record.” Entering the studio with a high degree of openness, he drew on the talents of his collaborators: “I don’t like going into the studio with everything pre-programmed and prearranged so it was a pleasure to see how these guys helped build the songs.”

“The connection between records happens without thinking about it. I only focus on the connection between the songs for an individual record,” he says, adding, “There needs to be a through-line, but there should also be surprises -- like a good book or a good movie: familiar and unfamiliar in the same shot. Some relatable characters. Some not-so-much. The balance is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose.”

Throughout this decades-long journey, Ward is still as wide-eyed and appreciative as ever of the creative opportunities and landmarks he has reached.

“My ‘tenth record’ is not a thing I ever thought I would be able to say. It’s insane to think about. But I feel lucky to do something I love for a living and I don’t think most people can say that about their work.”

Follow on Instagram: @ mwardtravelogue

M. WARD MIGRATION STORIES STANDOUT TRACK: “UNREAL CITY”

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 35

TOUR TEST

BOSE F1 MODEL ARRAY SPEAKE [Editor’s note – a few months back we opened up submissions for artists to win and demo the new Bose F1 for their live shows, and from those entries Aaron Kellim rose right to the top. He’s a great singer/ songwriter from LA, and if you haven’t checked him out already, you owe it to yourself to do so. Check out Aaron’s multipart video series featuring the Bose F1 on our YouTube channel, and read his final thoughts below. Enjoy!]

I’ve been quite a fan of Bose products ever since I was in college and purchased the original 36 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

Bose L1 model. So, when I learned that I had been chosen to test out the F1 Flex Array Speaker, I was thrilled. When I opened the box, my first honest thought was that the F1 was going to be way too heavy to be convenient for a singer-songwriter to lug around, but as soon as I pulled it out, I realized that wasn’t true at all. From first glance, the loudspeaker was everything I love about Bose gear: simple, sharp, and easy to use.

As an artist who isn’t a massive gear head, and often times setting up and tearing down on my own, I love a system that is easy to operate.

That’s one of my biggest attractions to the F1,

there aren’t a ton of things that have to be dialed in or plugged in to get it up and running and sounding amazing. On board, there is an XLR/TS combo jack, a quarter-inch jack, and stereo RCA inputs. That’s it. Not a lot you have to overthink or manipulate.

Another feature that comes in extremely handy if you’re someone who finds yourself playing in new rooms all the time, is that you can adjust the speakers to whatever vertical pattern suits the room best. Whether you’re on a floor, on a stage, or facing theater seating, you’re able to adjust the speakers accordingly. And, you’re

TOUR TEST

L 812 FLEXIBLE ER REVIEW Aaron Kellim

not having to bring a screwdriver, or any other tools with you to adjust the speaker. It’s as simple as a quick push, or a quick pull, depending on which way you’re directing them. As I mentioned previously, the speaker is surprisingly light, and extremely easy to carry thanks to two perfectly placed handles.

The first gig I did with it was through a parking lot, up two flights of stairs, and down a long hallway, and I had zero trouble with it. Part of the simplicity of carrying it, is also the simplicity of getting it onto a speaker stand. I’ve lost many battles trying to get a heavy speaker onto a stand,

but the F1 has an extra wide pole cup that made it effortless to put on a standby myself. Lastly, and probably most importantly for a musician, the amplifier sounds incredible.

My show consists of a Taylor acoustic guitar and my voice, and the high end makes my voice sparkle like no other system, and the mids and lows bring out the best in my acoustic. And this is all from a dry signal. I wasn’t using reverb or any EQ. I can only imagine what it would sound like if was using the ToneMatch mixer as well.

But if you don’t have a mixer you’re running

through, you’ll still be blown away by the quality of sound that comes out of this loudspeaker. All in all, I would highly recommend this speaker to the gigging musician who is looking for incredible sound, effortless setup, and easy mobility. (Side note: There is an option of the F1 subwoofer as well. I haven’t tested the unit with the subwoofer, but you’ll still be quite pleased with the low-end if you do not own the sub, too.)

Follow Aaron Kellim on Instagram @ aaronkellim and learn more about the Bose F1 at www.bose.com PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 37

NAMM 2020 We got to check out some really interesting desktop synths from the folks at Sonicware, including the glitchy/cool “LIVEN 8bit warps.” These things have crazy unique synth engines and will change the way you think about synthesis – plus they’re ultra-affordable.

Casiotone is back! We spent quite a bit of time playing around at the Casio booth, and ended up snagging one of these for review shortly after the show. Crazy affordable and retro-chic. Nice!

THE BEST O FROM INST T

his past NAMM was a doozy – and we sent our resident guitar guru Chris Devine to roam the halls in Anaheim looking for the coolest new gear on display. If you haven’t checked out our Instagram feed yet, I urge you to do so. There’s a lot of great picas from the show floor, and also be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, where we’ll be posting product videos in the weeks and months head featuring some of the best gear we got from the convention.

The next few pages highlight some of our fave new items from the 2020 dog-and-pony show. So, enjoy, and get those wallets out!

Ben Ricci, editor

We also spent some time with the good folks at Roswell Mics, getting up close and personal with a selection of their studio condensers, which we also managed to get a hold of for review after NAMM. So, stay tuned for our thoughts on those, and a possible giveaway in the not-to-distant future (but you didn’t hear it from me!)

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NAMM 2020 Blackstar has a new series of amps, The Silverline, and they scare up some very practical tonal options in an attractive case. We got one, don’t worry. Look for our review shortly, natch.

T OF NAMM STAGRAM The EVO 4 USB audio interface from Audient is downright adorable, and a super bragain in the sub-$200 interface market. Built for creators, we really dig the SmartGain technology that makes getting started a breeze.

Everyone at NAMM seemed to have a REVV t-shirt except us (hook us up, REVV!!). We’ve reviewed Revv Amplifications Pedals in the past, and their amp is monstrous sounding!

Looking forward to blasting this in the office studio soon.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 39

NAMM 2020

Godin brought some new tones with Seymour Duncan P-rails in this stunning hollow body axe. We just got a delivery from the good ol’ Godin factory up in Canada, so once it thaws we’ll open it up and give it a whirl!

One humbucker, slanted and enchanted.

That’s all you need for rock n roll, amiright?

In other words, Kramer is back in full effect!

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NAMM 2020 Gibson has made tremendous strides this year (belated congrats to Mark Agnesi on the new gig, by the way – don’t let internet trolls get you down, buddy). No carve, no problem – they’ve got a stunning array of new Les Pauls with P-90s or Humbuckers – player’s choice.

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 41

NAMM 2020

Boss always has stuff to step on!

Need way say more?

Spector basses always look a bit wavy (in a good way), and the white to blue fade on this model is fantastic.

Good news -- they play even better than they look, if that’s possible. Hoping to snag one of these beauties soon!

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NAMM 2020 There is an amazing collection of boutique builders at NAMM if you know where to look (or…you know, can read the show map). Anyway, this Lucem Paradox is quite insane!

PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 43

GEAR REVIEWS

PROS

SONOTONE Symphonic Acoustic Guitar Strings

G

uitar strings are very personal things, like underwear. So, getting a guitar player to try out a new brand of strings can be like moving a mountain. SonoTone’s premium acoustic guitar strings are well worth breaking old habits.

We received a set of SonoTone’s Symphonic acoustic guitar strings, .12-.52, a pretty common size, and are made from a Phosphor/Bronze alloy, which is wrapped around a hex core. Our test guitar is a very inexpensive Mitchell ME1ACE Acoustic, which has an auditorium body style.

Stringing them up, one thing we noticed is that during the installation, they tuned up to pitch very quickly. When we tried our usual pull hard, re-tune three times routine, they stayed in pitch on the first try. No having re-tune during our little break-in routine. Big plus if you need to re-string just before a gig or studio session.

New strings are always nice and bright, but this set seemed to be slightly more articulate. The wound strings seemed tighter-sounding during very aggressive runs, and even with barre chords, there was a lack of flubbyness. The unwound strings rang true with plenty of balanced clarity.

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The feel was super comfortable, and very smooth, something that’s usually not found in an uncoated set of strings.

Putting them through their paces over a few weeks we noticed a few things; they did darken up a bit, but just slightly over time. That’s expected of strings as they break in, but the feel was still the same, and they just seemed to warm up, not go dead.

Hand sweat can do a number on strings, and these maintained clarity with heavy use. We took a break from playing for a few days to attend the NAMM show, and sometimes when a guitar goes un-played, the leftover sweat can really corrode and kill the tone. Not in this case, they still had plenty of life in them!

These are a bit pricey, coming in at $18.99, but considering the feel, and sound extended use, it could be worth it for players who want a lot more useful life out of a set of guitar strings.

For players who like the long life and durability of a coated string, but want the clarity of an uncoated string, these are well worth checking out!

Chris Devine

Great feel, excellent sound, durable CONS

Expensive STREET PRICE

$18.99

Super functional, well-thoughtout, durable design

GEAR REVIEWS

PROS

SOUNDBRENNER Core Musician’s Smartwatch

CONS

Slightly pricey STREET PRICE

$329

O

K, multi-function smart watches have gone from novelty to functionality in their short time, finding uses in fitness and health areas. But SoundBrenner has taken the idea and included some very savvy functions that are tuned specifically to musicians’ needs.

The actual device looks and feels like a medium sized watch bezel, with some very strong magnets that can attach to a baseplate fitted with a silicon rubber watch strap. It charges up via an included USB cable, again with strong magnets providing connectivity. The display is a decent size digital readout, displaying the time, date as well as battery charge, with just a turn of the wrist.

The magnets are quite strong (did we mention that?) so there should be no need to worry about it detaching in daily use.

The functions are quite musician-driven; a metronome, tuner and decibel meter are all built in, easy to use and readily accessible at any time -- there is a companion smartphone app that connects via Bluetooth and is very easy to navigate. The metronome can be set to pretty much any time signature, with customizable accent beats (perfect for drummers). While tempos and accents can be set via the watch, the app is a bit easier to navigate and has the ability to save songs and setlists of tempos and recall them.

Tempo-wise, it can be configured up to 400 BPM, and if you don’t know the actual BPM, it can be set via tap tempo. We did get a nylon strap as well, meaning it can be strapped to a thigh, chest, arm, or other limb. When set, the metronome pulses, giving the wearer a physical thump to get the

body in rhythm. An outer ring lights up to pulse visually as well.

The tuner function is very interesting; simply stick on the tuner device, a small metal disk, to the back of a guitar’s headstock with the included double-sided tape and detach the watch from its wrist band. The magnetic unit connects securely, and the tuning function works like a clip-on style tuner. It works equally well for bass and 6-string guitars.

One very important function is the decibel meter. Musicians are exposed to high volume levels at practice, as well as gigs they are playing, and attending. When exposed to higher levels the

watch gives a warning to the wearer. Our little kit also included a set of silicone earplugs in a keychain-friendly container.

Overall, it’s a great little device that does exactly as it states, featuring a great metronome, tuner, and decibel meter. We were told at NAMM that there is supposed to be an update coming that will also give on-screen notifications, but as of this review is not available yet. Maybe the function to text your singer, to remind him or her of practice would be pretty cool. It’s a bit pricey, but the compact functionality tailored for musicians might be worth it if you’re in the market for an Apple Watch alternative.

Chris Devine PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 45

GEAR REVIEWS

YAMAHA THR10 II Modeling Combo Amp

A

ll in one bedroom/home/practice amps often get a bad rap -- yes, they have effects, but usually with not a lot of adjustability, and most are meant as an entry level player’s item. Yamaha’s THR10 II desktop amp redefines the small format, all in one unit, with plenty of tweakability and a pro-level quality of tone.

At first glance, it looks like a piece of portable home audio hardware, with a pair of 3” drivers sitting behind the grille. Clocking in at a cool 20 watts, it has enough power to fill up a room, and beyond. One big thing to consider is that Yamaha considers this to be a desktop amp. So, having it at your feet like a typical combo practice amp, it just sounds off -- boxy and small. Placing it on a desk or table, anywhere just above waist height, the sound is way more optimal!

There are 8 types of amps at your fingertips, with 3 variants on each; Modern, Boutique and Classic. This includes versions optimized for bass and acoustic guitar, as well as a flat version for plugging in items like keyboards. Each amp model and its variant has a set of speakers to choose from as well, from 1x12 to 4x12 with variations on those too -- styles like Juicy, Boutique, Yamaha, British, California and American. Scrolling through them, it’s easy to come up with great sounding versions of real amps with no issues.

The 3-band EQ gives plenty of response from each model and works in a practical sense like a traditional guitar amp normally would.

The effects knob has that usual “fan” diagram around it with a sweep from minimum to the 46 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

So, could it go past being a desktop amp, and be a live amplifier? Yes, in smaller venues like a coffee shop or small restaurant where the music may be more background -- there’s plenty of headroom to be had. Need to get above that? Run maximum on chorus, flanger, phaser and tremolo. the output into a PA system, and it’s all there.

The echo and reverb control works in a similar Connect it to a Bluetooth footswitch and it’s fashion, covering echo, and reverb styles of plate, just like having a multi effects system rig. It also hall, spring and room. interacts with pedals nicely, so pairing it with your existing pedalboard is no big deal, especially Now there is a companion app for this device, if you have some oddball pedal of the moment you and it connects via Bluetooth, which we ran on an can’t part with. iPhone, an iPad, as well as a computer. Want to connect to a computer without using Bluetooth?

Overall, it’s a great little amp that delivers, Well, a USB connection on the back solves and looks like a nice piece of decor, meaning your that! The app unlocks a TON more adjustable roommate/significant other won’t want to move aspects of the unit -- getting into the amp and cab it when company comes over. It’s a practical variant selection as well as the parameters of the sounding amp that doesn’t take up a ton of room, modulations, echoes, and reverbs. Additionally, a and yet fills it up with great sound. What more compressor and noise gate can be engaged here. It could you want? also offers up the ability to save five presets to the

Chris Devine unit, as well as load up factory presets and usercreated tones. Even better, the app looks and feels analog with simple knobs to adjust parameters easily, as you would on a pedal-like device.

PROS Sound-wise, it delivers plenty of superusable and practical tones. The models are very nuanced, and players looking for a particular version and variant of any amp/cab configuration should have no problem here. There’s a factory preset bank available; just name a player and style and it’s there, under a fairly easy to figure out name. Our fave tones were the super crystalline cleans, with enough chorus, delay and reverb to be lush but not squishy, and the Boutique crunch with a touch of reverb has that nuanced modern classic bite with top-end articulation. Gain tones past that stay true, and practical, not getting into overkill that makes a player turn up their nose, you want to turn up the Master!

Great, practical guitar tones, app offers up super functionality CONS

None STREET PRICE

$299

PODCASTS...

...ARRIVING 2015 #PodOutWithYourRodOut

FLASHBACK

’68 FENDER TELECASTER (FIESTA RED)

Hey Gang, Rob Meigel here from Soho Guitar.

Today I had the pleasure of working on this beautiful Fender Telecaster from 1968. It’s in the stunning custom color Fiesta Red, the original factory paint job along with an original Bigsby B5 tremolo system. The whole package is a real eye catcher for sure, although the pickups have been changed somewhere along the way.

After a fresh setup, this baby has the sweetest country twang you could ever ask for from a Tele. Exactly what you want and have come to expect from these late-’60s Fenders. The pickups she boasts today include a Seymour Duncan Antiquity in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan Vintage 54 Lead at the bridge. As expected, this guitar plays like a dream and I’m sure it will get plenty of recording time at its new home at the Lala Mansion Recording Studio here in Tampa.

Special thanks to Soho Guitar in Tampa, FL. Soho Guitar is located at: 3313 W. Cypress St. Tampa, Florida 33607 813-871-1872 Find them online at http://sohoguitars.com 48 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020 PERFORMER MAGAZINE

$75 REBATE

per system with qualified 600 MHz trade-in through March 31, 2020.

Visit audio-technica.com for details.

Versatile High-Fidelity Wireless 3000 Series expands the possibilities of performance

Interchangeable capsule options

audio-technica.com

• Class-leading, extremely wide 60 MHz UHF tuning bandwidth for maximum versatility • True Diversity operation reduces dropouts • Unique multifunction button on the handheld and body-pack transmitters can be used to switch to a backup frequency should interference be encountered • Automatically adjusts squelch setting to maximize range while minimizing potential interference • Frequency scan and IR sync for ease of setup • Handheld transmitter offers industry-standard thread mount for use with six interchangeable A-T microphone capsules, as well as other compatible capsules

“W E ’ RE A THREE -PIECE ROCK BAND. PU RC HASED A N L1 MODEL II W/B2 BASS TO US E FO R ACOUSTIC GIGS . END E D U P B UYI N G A N OT HER TO POWER O U R E L EC T R I C ( RO C K ) SHOWS. TH E S OUN D IS AMA Z I N G A ND IT REPLACED T HE CO MP LETE POWERED PA WE’ D BE E N U S I N G. I ’M G O I NG TO BUY TWO MO R E B 2 ’ S F O R M A X B A S S T H U M P. C L U B O W N E R S L I K E T H E G R E AT T O N E AT LOW E R VO LUME LEVELS .”

FN D R B SS Actual review on BOSE.COM

Sounds impossible.

A portable line array? People thought it couldn’t be done.

15 years ago, we did it. Today, there are a lot of portable PAs that look like the L1 Portable Line Array system.

But there’s only one L1.

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