April 2012
The Anix Midnight Mosaic Los Hollywood Blaze & Kelly Annie Automatic ! Melia ! Darryn Zewalk ! Mugga ! The Morning Birds ! Bikini Robot Army ! El Gato Dice
Editors Janet McCulloch Marianna Roetto
Promotions Director Wendy Andries
The New Age of Independent Music
Copy Editor
OUT FRONT
Kristi Curry
Editor Assistant Marguerite M. O'Connell
Contributors Sherry Brown T Dawn Bronwen Stewart Sarah Wilson
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Cover photo by: Lee Cherry
Xander Smith Copyright 2011.Rising Magazine, LLC. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, without written permission of the publisher. The views expressed herein are not necessarily those of the publisher or Rising Magazine, LLC. Rising Magazine, LLC welcomes submissions, but accepts no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Material is accepted for Rising Magazine, LLC on the understanding that it does not infringe on any copyright or libel laws. Copyrights to be declared on submission.
All free downloads used with artist permission.
ee r Fr o f k Loo nloads Dow ide Ins
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INSIDE
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Midnight Mosaic
Los Hollywood
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The Anix
Annie Automatic Hot and Rising
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! Melia ! Darryn Zewalk ! Mugga ! The Morning Birds ! Bikini Robot Army ! El Gato Dice
42 Blaze & Kelly !
The Buzz Festival Rising To The Top My Words Support Indie Music
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April 2012
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Jeff Gerew
Darryn Zewalk
Melia
was inspired to begin her music career after going to her first Green Day show during their “American Idiot" tour. She excelled at guitar quickly, practicing 6-8 hours a day. She had always written poems and lyrics and with her first band she began writing music. The summer after graduation she had the experience of a lifetime when she attended another Green Day concert and was chosen by lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong, to play guitar for the song “Jesus of Suburbia”. Melia recently debuted her 7song EP, Soundproof Walls. The music is guitar-driven alternative rock with message-laden lyrics that come from her personal experiences or from those close to her. She and her backing band have been playing in upstate NY, and have also played a gig in Hollywood at the famed Viper Room to a very enthusiastic crowd.
http://www.facebook.com/MeliaRocks http://itunes.apple.com/album/soundproof-walls/id465130036?ign-mpt=uo%3D2
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/exclusives/melia1?kick=44999
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has been the Music Minister at the Mount Olive Baptist Church in Sapulpa, Oklahoma for the past eleven years. Prior to his lead position there, he worked in the church as the organist and the musician for the Inspirational Choir. He attended college at Oklahoma Baptist University where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Voice with a minor in Piano. Darryn Zewalk is an Independent Contemporary Gospel Singer/Songwriter/Arranger. His music is best described as Inspirational Gospel with a R&B/ Top 40 jazz twist. His music is a testimony of what the Lord has brought him through and what the Lord will do for you when you surrender to his will.
http://www.darrynzewalk.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/darrynzewalk
http://www.mediafire.com/?i09t39913013j9t
Barry J Holmes
In this age of highly packaged artists
The Morning Birds are a breath of fresh Mugga
is a rock band formed in 2006 in Madrid, Spain. Their five members bring a great amount of influences that they combine to create music that is very original and varied. Their live performances have been described as a “ball of energy� that makes the audience go crazy and lose control. After spending years jamming and having tons of fun together, they decided to get serious and release an album. 2011 was a year of hard work and recording. Finally, last December they released their first EP, which is having a great reception by critics and fans. Now their ambition is to create and record a ground-breaking full length album this year, as well as to continue offering their fans the mind-blowing concerts that they are used to. Mugga will definitely be one of the hot bands of 2012 that everyone should keep track of.
www.mugga.org
http://muggaband.bandcamp.com/
http://www.mediafire.com/?7dcx7lal8e7f81l
April 2012
air, playing and recording their material with fantastic originality and dynamic range. Forged from an uncanny mixture of diverse musical styles, this bandĘźs genre-defying music is as innovative as it is accessible. Powerful bass lines, lush harmonies and soulful strings are complimented by break beats, trumpets, and cascading keys as Jennifer Thorington and Samuel Markus weave their stunning harmonies into sublime pop. Their cinematic tones make you feel as if you're floating on a cumulous cloud at daybreak, being transported to another time and place like a willing Dorothy and Toto. Above all, this is music with a message. Most of the lyrical content focuses on staying centered in our hearts and surrendering to what is. As their name suggests, the Morning Birds have come to help wake us up - not with a ten-gun salute, but with a melodic, uninhibited sound reminiscent of songbirds heralding the dawn, calling us gently from our sleep into the light of a new day.
www.themorningbirds.com
http://www.themorningbirds.com/#!store
http://www.mediafire.com/?idbcggru432d7id
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Simon Sarin
Bikini Robot Army
is Val Broeksmit. Originally called "The Good Time Charlies" with band members Brandon Geiger & Matt Goldsborough, Val branched off to create his own unique style as Bikini Robot Army. As with The Streets (Mike Skinner), Moby (Richard Melville Hall), Girl Talk (Gregg Michael Gillis) and Beck - Bikini Robot Army is a one-man band. A musical auteur with over 720 recorded songs and counting, Val writes, plays, records and produces everything at his home studio. He has created some of the catchiest, greatest grooves in music today. His music takes the best parts of: 60's & 70's rock bands, Motown grooves and post punk electronic dance beats of the 80's and 90's - perfected with his inimitable poetry and prose, from Rudyard Kipling through Robert Hunter to Robert Burns. One of Val's most addictive hooks, "Joe Strummer's House" is straight from Steinbeck's "Of Mice and Men".
http://www.bikinirobotarmy.com/
http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/bikini-robot-army/id261059712
http://www.mediafire.com/?n54jdpeolo4d4f5
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El Gato Dice, the Indie duo from San Francisco's first post-Disbelievers set is swirly, poppy, and graceful, but with still just a tiny dirty edge that won't wash clean. They're Americana, shoegaze, and indie-rock all at once. What could be a mess is actually quite alluring. Drummer Bob brings his Chapel Hill chops (he has played with Eric from Archers of Loaf) and meshes it seamlessly with Dave's post-Cleveland dreamy guitar and vocals. The result is a melancholy worth celebrating. With hundreds of fans on Jango and Facebook, and stunning live shows in SF and the peninsula under their belt, EGD are just what the 21st century needs. Internet Radio (IRMG, Off The Charts UK) and blogs are buzzing. EGD has arrived. See more music with lyrics here.
http://www.elgatodice.com/
http://www.facebook.com/elgatodice?sk=app_155326481208883 www.damionleetaylor.com
http://soundcloud.com/david-jesitus/el-gato-dice-hangman-dont
Think INDIE MUSIC IS HOT? Help keep the fire burning! every dollar helps..... Click HERE to #SUPPORT INDIE MUSIC April 2012
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April 2012
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Kirsti Urpa
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Xander Smith
Kirsti Urpa
Xander Smith is best known for rockin out! He's recently fronted the psychedelic indie rock band Run Run Run as well as played guitar for Monte Pittman, Rickie Lee Jones and LA drag phenomenon Tranzkuntinental. And while he's got some major rock cred under his belt (ie, the Nymphs Inger Lorre, OtherStarPeople with Jennifer Finch/L7), he's only shared his softer side with a select few - until now. Smith's first solo cd Hey San Pedro is a collection of some of his most precious, personal songs. His earliest influences - Neil Young, Roy Orbison, Syd Barrett - help to shape this material. It始s wistful and sentimental, peculiar, onlythe-lonely indie folk that looks at life and relationships. For this record, Smith sets down his electric guitar and grabs an acoustic (and a few other odd-sounding instruments) and opens his heart to the listener. Never cynical, always searching, Smith's songs of what-could-havebeen invite you to look back and, more importantly, look within. Lee Cherry
April 2012
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Xander Smith is best known to his many fans as the lead vocalist and guitarist for the Indie rock band Run Run Run. His newly released solo album Hey San Pedro is a big departure from the world of Indie Rock that Smith usually occupies and may come as a surprise to those not familiar with his versatility and depth as a musician. Closer to an Indie-Folk album, Hey San Pedro explores the darker themes of grief, loss and heartbreak. It takes the listener on an emotional journey, one on which the singersongwriter bravely lays bare the painful places in his life, exposing his own vulnerabilities. “Down” - a folksy, guitar-driven song - opens the album, and the lyrics, “itʼs a long, long, long way down to me,” are a sort of roadmap for the journey on which Smithʼs music will take you. The opening bars of “Moving On” beautifully blend acoustic guitar and viola to create a sad yet gorgeous start for a song that explores heartbreak. “Lost Along the Way” is yet another stunning example of Smithʼs ability to blend the instrumental and vocals in his songs to create a multi-layered exploration of his subject. Here itʼs a psychedelic-sounding electric guitar riff combined with vocals sung in falsetto for a song about addiction and excess. The way that Smith uses carefully crafted instrumentals to reinforce and support the themes that the lyrics explore, allowing each song to resonate with the listener on multiple levels at once, is evidence of the brilliance that is Xander Smithʼs talent. Although the album lives up to its opening promise to take you on a long and emotional journey, it doesnʼt leave you in a dark or depressed place. The last two songs on the album, “One in a Billion” and “Oh Caitlin,” pick up the tempo and provide hooks that invite you to sing along, while reassuring you that there is light and healing at the end of the journey.
...Marguerite M. O'Connell
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Lee Cherry
Kirsti Urpa
Behind the songs: Down: A song about a broken heart that came at the hand of a very sharp tongued lady. She liked to say hurtful things when she got to drinking too much, and since I was turning thirty and feeling vulnerable, I sort of just laid down and let her walk all over me. Moving On: It took nearly six years to finish the lyrics to a song that took almost 15 years to complete. After the lyrics seemed to be set, I changed one word: "you" became "we" as I was finally ready to accept half of the responsibility of the break up of my first true love. "All the damage WE did around here." Horrible: These lyrics came out in one shot. I started playing the lullaby type guitar intro and those exact lyrics just came out, so I scratched them onto a piece
April 2012
of paper as fast as I could. The "ahs" are an ode to 1960s era Beach Boys and Burt Bacharach songs. Lost Along the Way: This song recounts the lost and lonely feeling of being too high when I was younger and wandering around the neighborhood late at night trying to figure out how to get home. Hey San Pedro: Around 3am, I was stood up again and just felt distraught enough to make that drum beat on the Casio. The guitar came out and I started thinking about the sad city where my date was supposed to come from to meet me. “Hey San Pedro� was born that night. Promises: Listening to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground for years, I couldn't help but end up writing this song - my homage to their brand of melancholy.
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Sunday Afternoon: Run Run Run was booked in a small bar in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a quiet Wednesday when a tall red-headed southern belle walked in wearing a lime green very fitted french pea coat. I was smitten. We got drunk and fell fast in crush. Alas, she was gone faster than Jenny in Forest Gump. Our Latest Tragedy: This song was a true story of a little 10 year old girl who ran after her ball that bounced out of the school yard and was run over by a passing car. It was a front page story in some small midwestern town and I was so moved and shocked that I hope to honor her memory with a song as I knew the newspaper would move on to someone else the very next day. Walking With A Ghost: These aren't my lyrics, but those of the Canadian sisters Tegan and Sara Quin. I felt the haunting nature of their version of love lost and tried to do my own take on their famous indie rock song. One In a Billion: On a trip to Asia, I sat next to a super model-to-be who inspired total cynicism in me. But the true muse for this song moved to china for work, and left me with a silly West LA crush. Oh Caitlin: I wanted to end the record on a more hopeful note and talk about the tree that I look at every single day from my apartment. I always think about just climbing up there and watching silly folks below me circle the drain of their humdrum days. Caitlin is a friend of mine who pushed me to make this music, so it seemed fitting to invite her to join me up that tree.
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Photography this page by: Lee Cherry
PROMISES Something she says it brings me to my knees A promise that things are gonna get better Something she says it buries all the grief in Promises that things are gonna get better I live from promise to promise tonight There’s something she knows I see it through her tears She wipes my eyes until my skies are clear I live from promise to promise tonight I live from promise to promise Don’t break your promise tonight Something grows cold and her smile disappears I’m watching her walk out the door Something she says it brings me to my knees A promise that things are gonna get better
Listening to Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground for years, I couldn't help but end up writing this song my homage to their brand of melancholy...... Xander
Lee Cherry
April 2012
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Kirsti Urpa
Lee Cherry
candid photos by: Wendy Andries
Xander Smith took Rising Magazine on a tour of some of his favorite places in Los Angeles. With a mind like an encyclopedia of old Hollywood lore, Xander gave us an entertaining and informative drive past some of the famous film sets and music venues in Santa Monica, Venice, Century City, West Hollywood and Hollywood. It ends on the street front of the Rock Walk on Sunset Blvd. where Xander explains why he has a moustache!
Take a Tour of Hollywood with Xander
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Xander Smith talks about his new album “Hey San Pedro”, his inspirations for some of the songs, and its different sounds. With an overall theme of abandonment he says “I thought I was writing these songs about other people, but I realized I was writing them about me”.
Watch a Rising Exclusive Interview with Xander
http://xandersmithmusic.com https://twitter.com/#!/Runxandersmith http://www.facebook.com/people/Xander-Smith/1151523697 http://www.reverbnation.com/xandersmith http://www.youtube.com/user/XanderSmithMusic?feature=mhee
http://xandersmithmusic.com
Kirsti Urpa
April 2012
Kirsti Urpa
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LOS
HOLLYWOOD
“Los Hollywood� nacen en el 2007 cuando Heidy (Vox), Marcos (Guitarra/ Bajo), y Gustavo (Bateria) deciden unir fuerzas y talentos en busca de un concepto fresco y con miras a abrir nuevos horizontes musicales. El sonido de Los Hollywood tiene influencias del rock britanico sin nunca olvidar sus raices hispanas.
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Los Hollywood is: Heidy Flores: vocals, guitar, bass Marcos Mondragon: guitar, bass Gustavo Mojica: drums
San Diego continues to demonstrate that its music scene is a major force to be reckoned with. This is especially true as the new darlings of Latin pop rock, Los Hollywood, continue to intensify their buzz nationally in the Latin rock scene and concurrently gain major interest from traditional American rock-oriented
media. Their self-titled debut EP was co-produced by Cuevo Perez from the independent imprint Carrusel Records. Los Hollywood is the artistic vision of the dynamic Heidy F l o r e s ( v o c a l s , g u i t a r, bass), Marcos Mondragon (guitar, bass) & Gustavo Mojica (drums.) The EP's unique fusion of Latin rhythms and American/British pop rock has been instrumental in helping Los Hollywood capture the eyes and ears of influential tastemakers in both the Latin and general market media. Specifically, the band was crowned the winner of MySpace Latino's first "Battle of Bands" in 2008. Los Hollywood received many accolades from their performances at 2009's Latin Alternative Music Conference in NYC (LAMC), where the band was one of the most talked about artists of the conference. http://www.mediafire.com/?h18uaaj5hv8lhqw
www.facebook.com/loshollywoodmusic www.twitter.com/los_hollywood http://www.reverbnation.com/loshollywood
April 2012
http://www.youtube.com/loshollywood
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Midnight Mosaic are carving out their own place in the musical landscape - with a unique blend of genres, they create a sound that is all their own. Their music is edgy, passionate and energetic, with lyrics and vocals that blend together with the other instruments to express both the good and bad parts that exist within all human beings. Midnight Mosaic is a band without musical boundaries, incorporating many genres into their music: rock, soul, R&B, hip-hop, pop, country, and funk. In the same way that a painter uses different colored paints to bring life to a canvas, Midnight Mosaic skillfully uses these many genres of music to bring life to their songs. Indeed, this is one band that lives up to its moniker, combining each members' individual influences to create a pleasurable mosaic of sound that most can embrace.
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http://www.reverbnation.com/midnightmosaic
https://twitter.com/midnightmosaic
http://www.facebook.com/MidnightMosaic
http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/11819355
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/fetish-ep/id481753490
April 2012
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Festival Five A small Rising selection of Independent Artists at Music Festivals ! ! " " "
The Festival: Lightning in a Bottle When: May 24 to 28th Where: Silverado, CA For More Artists and More info: http://lightninginabottle.org/
EOTO- Improvisational dubstep Electronica duo Jason Hann and Michael Travis http://www.eotomusic.com/ Video
Gaudi- Electronica & Worldbeat Hailing from London, UK, recently nominated for “World Music Awards� http://www.gaudimusic.com/ Video
Hopscotch- Electro-pop Grab your chalk, sticks and rocks... http://www.hopscotchsound.com/ Video
Janover- Electroacoustic, performance percussion Hammered dulcimer and fire-drums.. oh just go see for yourself! http://www.jamiejanover.com/ Video
Random Rab- Medicine Hop, Liquid Sunrise (electronica) After Rab was born, he banged his head on the ground thus creating the first note of his music. http://randomrab.com/ Video (Yes, the first minute is silent! Keep Listening)
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April 2012
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The Anix is a 3 piece band from Los Angeles, California known for
THE ANIX is: Brandon Smith- vocals, guitar, synth Logan Smith- drums Chris Dinger- guitar,bass, keyboards
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their sonically massive choruses and constrained electronic verses. Inspired mainly by film, the band - consisting of brothers Brandon and Logan Smith and Chris Dinger - steer away from mainstream influences, instead choosing darker films, graphic novels and comic books as the core element to the overall appearance and sound. The Anix have toured in North America, South America, Canada, and Europe and have shared the stage with My Chemical Romance, 30 Seconds To Mars and many others. Sleepwalker is the latest album, featuring the single "Warning Signs" which has been featured on a national television commercial thanks to a marketing strategy by DC Comics for an upcoming video game being released by Sony and Warner Brothers. The band recently filmed a music video for the song "Glass" which displays a graphic novel influenced dark reality about chasing your dreams. The Anix plan to tour America, Asia and Europe in the summer of 2012 in support of Sleepwalker.
Rising: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard your music? What have been the greatest influences on the development of your sound? Anix: The sound we were going for on this new record was to combine film score elements like strings and dramatic progressions, orchestral drums, with electronics like drum machines, synthesizers, samples and top it off with guitars and our always distorted bass guitar sound. Rising: Tell me about having DC Comics choose "Warning Signs" as the official song for their new game, DC Universe Online. Whatʼs it like to turn on the television and hear one of your songs playing? Anix: That was a personal triumph for me. I have grown up being obsessed with DC Comics, so to have a song that we wrote chosen and approved by them, and to know that they felt the song matched their iconic characters, is absolutely one of the greatest achievements I will ever have. It was weird seeing the commercial on TV because I never thought of our music as being good enough for something that mainstream and widely spread. The response we got from new fans was very supportive and encouraging to say the least.
April 2012
Rising: Your latest album, “Sleepwalker,” was just named Best Alternative Rock Album of 2011, by Melodic.net. Congratulations. How did you find out that the album had been nominated? What do you think makes your album stand out from the other Alternative Rock Albums released last year? Anix: We have an extraordinary fan named Margie, who helps us in the promotion department. She alerted us of the nomination. Again this is something I never EVER thought would happen to us. I still think of our music as small, and rough around the edges since we do it all ourself, so to win that vote against some pretty big bands is just..well…crazy? What I think might separate us a bit from other bands, is our method of recording, and the use of electronics being the dominate part of the music yet still being considered rock music. Our recordings don't sound great - they aren't polished - but they sound violent and noisy, just as intended. Rising: “Sleepwalker” is a two-disc album, with the second disc consisting of rearranged and re-mixed versions of some of your older songs. Why include these re-mixes on the new album? How did you decide which songs to remix? Anix: I wanted people to get the most for their
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money. I also understand how important the club scene is, and clubs don't play rock music. The label chose the majority of the songs they wanted remixed, but the song "Sleepwalker" was remixed at my request by a friend of ours called "Invader!". That remix went on to become our biggest selling song on iTunes and has reached a demographic that our rock version could not have done. Since we are a mix of rock and electronic, we are usually able to appease fans of both genres. The older
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songs that were put on this new album were songs that in my opinion were butchered on our previous album. These new versions are actually the way the songs were supposed to have sounded originally. Rising: The Anix released the album Demolition City in 2008. How has the band始s vision and sound evolved since then? Anix: We have stayed true to our style since
2001, which has been a mix of rock and electronic music. Our influences for the most part have stayed the same, however with our newest album we wanted to expose more of the cinematic influences we have, go more electronic and simultaneously darker. I wanted the songs to be able to fit into movies like Sin City, Watchmen, The Crow, The Dark Knight, Inception etc. This new album was not recorded in a pro studio like our last album, but I think we sound best this way. We were in control of everything so we could make the guitars sound super fuzzed out, add thousands of layers of keyboards and drums without being told "That's the wrong way to do it, it has to be done this way because that's how professionals do it". I got tired of hearing that, so I will always do it our own way from here on out. Rising: Brandon also plays guitar with the Norwegian band, Apoptygma Berzerk. How do you find time for
writing, recording and playing with two bands? Have the two bands ever been on tour together? Anix: Usually Apop tours hard for a few months out of the year, which leaves the remaining time for me to do The Anix. We have toured together a few times and although it is stressful playing two shows per night, it ultimately makes you a stronger performer. Stephan Groth, the frontman and mastermind behind Apop, also helps us out with production when we need it. Playing in a successful band like Apop has opened numerous doors for The Anix, as well as created lifelong friendships with people from around the world. Rising: You始ve toured extensively in Germany as well as the United States. What始s the craziest thing that始s happened to you on tour? Anix: Well, the worst thing was when we had our equipment stolen from us in Germany on the last day of our tour! We have also had passports and computers stolen from us in Washington DC. I guess the best part was being able to play in some venues that legends have played in, massive arenas with full production crews, catering, the whole 9 yards! Rising: With fans in Europe and the United States, how do you keep such a wide fan base up to date with the band? What can your fans expect in 2012? Anix: Facebook is our main information
April 2012
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hub. It is the easiest I think and everyone around the world uses it. We also have an official site: which we created specifically for this new album, to really dissect and explore all the ideas, themes, artwork that went into making it. This is also where we post current news and merchandise offers. For 2012 we are keeping our fingers crossed for some international shows to come http://soundcloud.com/theanix/take-my-future through. We are doing some US touring and will hopefully start exploring ideas for a new record, although I don't think this current one has ran its course quite yet :)
http://iamasleepwalker.com/ https://twitter.com/#!/theanix
http://www.facebook.com/theanix
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/sleepwalker/id447519033
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Your band is your business, and as every entrepreneur knows, your business is your life. "Rising To The Top" features hints, tips, and the do's and don'ts of the music industry. If you're just starting out, or have years of experience, these monthly articles will help you rise to the top!
Playing It Safe by Sherry Brown When you are working to get your name known, it始s tempting to play whenever you can where ever you can. Here are some things to consider to keep your band and your fans safe. Make sure you and your other band members know where the exits are, including emergency exits. Check to see if the exits are blocked or locked. If an emergency does happen, you will be able to direct people where to go, and hopefully be able to keep them calm as they exit. Keep an eye on the people in the crowd, if you see your mosh pit is getting out of hand, play a few slower tunes to calm the crowd. The same goes for rowdy patrons/fans. It始s also your job to direct security to the problem people.
April 2012
Outdoor venues Make sure the stage and riggings have been inspected by the proper people, in some cases, the fire marshal, and that the proper permits are in place. You should be familiar with the procedures for the arrival of unexpected severe weather. Weather was blamed for the stage collapses in Ottawa and the Indiana State fair. As a general rule pyrotechnics should not be used at an indoor venue and with extreme caution at an outdoor one. If you do choose to use pyrotechnics, make sure you have a professional company or certified operator.
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A A nnie
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utomatic
Photography by Noa Shaw
ANNIE AUTOMATIC is a Modern Alternative Rock band, based out of Los Angeles. Founded in 2009 by CM French, the band has made quite a stir through the underground rock scenes all over the country. They immediately put out an EP called Fighting Chances, along with a video for the song "Nepenthe". After some regional touring, they began working on more music in their new recording studio, built in a converted loft overlooking the Arts District of Downtown LA. In the winter of 2010, Mr. French released a cover of "Somewhere Over The Rainbow", with his then girlfriend Kaley Cuoco of the CBS sitcom, "The Big Bang Theory", which benefited The Humane Society Of The United States. This was followed closely by the release of their album Don't Look Down and a limited edition comic book called "Killer In Disguise" in 2011, which tells the story of the character ANNIE AUTOMATIC in gripping detail. They are currently working on new music and continue to tour as much as possible.
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Rising: Who is Annie Automatic? Which band members play which instruments? How does “Annie Automatic: Killer in Disguise” (the comic book created to help promote your latest album “Donʼt Look Down”) help answer the question of Annieʼs identity? AA: Annie Automatic is a mystery. She's that girl we all know, but don't really know at all. She's fun, crazy, innocent and complex. She is our main source of inspiration - our Muse. I (French) sing, play guitars and keys, Trevor Howard plays lead guitar, Dylan Howard plays drums, and we work with a few different bassists David Berg, Gregg Cash and Andrew Perusi. Depending on the circumstances we also have extra help on keys and background vocals from Sara Sinclair (The Chances) and Daniel Brecher (Drugstore Fanatics). We put so much of ourselves into the new album Don't Look Down that we thought the comic book, "Killer In Disguise", would help shine the spotlight on Annie, the character. It dives into a story about her and her life that blurs the line between fiction and reality, and includes myself and the Howard brothers as characters within her storyline. It's mythology. Rising: Where did you get the idea to use a comic book to promote your latest album? AA: I happened to end up at Comic-Con in San Diego in 2010, for the first time. I previously had no idea that there is still such an enormous community of comic book fans, I was blown away. I get asked all the time to explain who "Annie Automatic" is, and it occurred to me that it would be so much fun to be able to tell the myth of this character through the art of comics. Lining it up with the release of the new album, it just made perfect sense.
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Rising: Who worked with you on developing the comic and how does the story tie into your music? AA: The first person I called, while on vacation with my girlfriend at the time, was my good friend, comic artist and connoisseur Joey Feldman. We immediately began putting ideas and concepts together and starting in on the overall design. Enlisting the help of screen-writer Sam Scott and artist Russell Dauterman, it really started to take shape. The lyrics and imagery of the album of course played into the story, so we loosely referenced it where we felt it was right. There are a
couple full-page images with lyrics and one with the album title that we thought made an awesome alternative to the traditional-style of physical album artwork (which kids don't get anymore with digital downloads), that can be torn out and used as wall posters. The roles the Howard brothers and I play in our relationship with Annie are as peripheral "guide" characters, watching Annie from afar and coming to her aide like renegade angels from an uncertain future. We need her, just like we need her inspiration in real life for the music.
Rising: What kind of reception did the comic book receive at San Diego Comic Con? AA: The way it worked out was perfect, actually. We were able to fund and produce the whole thing ourselves, all in-house, all friends, so by the time it got to Comic-Con it was completely independent and we had no obligations in any corporate sense, so we could really do whatever we wanted. The last thing I wanted to do, since it had just been so much fun to begin with, was ruin it by getting any of the industry politics involved. Over 10,000 copies were picked up at the
April 2012
event, distributed by hand by our street team there, for free, directly to the only people that really matter - the readers and listeners. People seemed to really get into it, which is awesome. The Annie character was loosely designed after my girlfriend at the time as well, Kaley Cuoco of the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory”, and that community also loves her, so I think that just fueled the fire. We're working on the next phase of the story now, so we'll see what comes of it!
Rising: Tell us about the writing and recording process for Donʼt Look Down. Were all of you in the studio to record the vocals and instrumentation? How did recording in the studio allow you to experiment with your sound and instruments on this album? AA: Don't Look Down was definitely the most fun I think we've ever had recording. Last year, I was also able to build out an industrial loft I have in Downtown LA into a full-production, HD recording studio and we did almost all of it there. No time-constraints, no pressure, it really was the perfect setting for these songs. It took about 6 months, so we weren't all able to
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be there all the time, but people were coming and going as they could. I like to record vocals pretty privately, so most of the time I was working on the vocal tracks just myself and my engineer, Seth Waldmann. But because we had no one telling us to get out, we all really had the opportunity to experiment and try all kinds of different things. It's the ideal circumstance for artists. Rising: Which artists have had the greatest influence on your music? How would you describe your sound? AA: Our sound has been described as Modern Alternative Rock, in the vein of Muse and Foo Fighters, which we regard as high praise. There's not a lot of groups who are playing real instruments in the same room on their records anymore, but we try to record that way every chance we get. People seem to enjoy that live, raw aspect to what we do, including studio heads, which is how we get to record in such amazing places. They like knowing we're actually using all their equipment and having fun, not just mixing tracks we made on our own and recording vocals over them. I think that's what gives our sound a bit more of a classic vibe. We all have so many different influences. We are definitely "music kids" - we've always been listeners and fans, so the sounds that have influenced us are all over the board. From modern bands like Deftones, Mars Volta and Dillinger Escape Plan, to classics like The Beatles, The Beach Boys and The Stones. I also grew up on a lot of old crooner stuff like The Rat Pack and Bing Crosby and LOVE classical music, too, so yeah. Our main influences are tough to pin down.
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Rising: Has the band始s sound evolved since you recorded the EP Fighting Chances, and if so, how? AA: Absolutely. I started writing what would become Annie Automatic on the Fighting Chances EP while on hiatus from my previous band, Palmerston. I basically wrote those songs for fun in a few weeks, and with the help of my good friend and multi-instrumentalist, David Berg, we put together what would become that whole EP within a couple months. Dylan (Howard, drums) joined us to record, and it was done and available within a very short period of time. We had a blast, and people seemed to really enjoy it, so we decided to keep it going, but it wasn't until Don't Look Down that we really started to put the time into writing better songs, together.
http://www.annieautomatic.com/ http://twitter.com/annieauto
http://facebook.com/annieautomatic
Rising: What can your fans expect in 2012? Will you be http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/dont-look-down/id458008366 touring or releasing any new music this year? AA: Yes! 2012 is already turning out to be a good year for us. While we are all total workaholics and have multiple http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Down/dp/B005HP8IFC/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328840480&sr=301-1 projects going at all times, we are working on some new Annie Automatic music and doing what we can to line up as many shows as possible. At the moment we're staying mostly regional, but we basically live for the studio and the stage, so any chance we get we'll be out there to put on an http://www.mediafire.com/?r5a5xr3sfnu57b7 outrageous show for anyone who's into it. We're actually working on a small collection of our softer, more unplugged style of songs as well, which should be available for listeners soon! Stay tuned-in to our network online for any and all further info.
April 2012
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MY WORDS
This is a place where artists and music industry professionals, in their own words, can share their experiences in the Indie Music World
Going Beyond "The Dawn" by T Dawn One thing I have discovered about the music industry is that you need to be open to what it has to offer you. Donʼt underestimate what you are capable of doing, even if it's not the path you planned on. I am a firm believer that music picks you, you donʼt pick it. I am a singer/ songwriter and the host of the Beyond the Dawn Radio Show. Iʼve got to tell you, neither one of these were on my musical path and actually I was stepping out of my comfort zone. I thought, “Why do I want to put myself into the public eye and leave myself open for failure? I donʼt have to do this…or do I?” One of my favorite quotes is this: “Failure is only opportunity to begin again but this time more wisely.” I have worked with so many artists who have told me they donʼt think they are good enough or, “I am too old, no one wants to hear my music, etc.” I find that many artists are insecure, but through their music they are changed. When I was asked to host a radio show, I thought…huh…why would I want to do this? Through encouraging words and the thought that I could play my own music on my show, how could I go wrong. This would be a great outlet to get my music heard. It didnʼt take me long to figure out that the show was not about “me and my music” but about helping others. It is about promoting artists that I believe in. It is about making people happy. The show began to take on a form of its own. When I came up with the name “Beyond the Dawn”, I am not sure I really thought about the name like I do now. It is indeed beyond the dawn, beyond the T Dawn and beyond me. The support for the show has been out of this world. Why do I write this? I think the key to any artistʼs success is to go beyond themselves. Find ways to help others but remember that it must come from the heart to be authentic - if itʼs not, others will see through it. When I discovered this, doors started to open. I have always had a passion for music. Before I started digging deep into the music industry, I would sit at my piano and start playing some tunes. I would play for hours - sometimes I would even play in the dark. Without seeing the piano keys, I allowed myself to focus on my feelings only. There was nothing more breathtaking than the feeling I had after I finished playing - I felt refreshed, renewed…like the weight of the world was taken off of my shoulders. I spent
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several years getting in touch with who I was as an artist and discovering new things about myself. I started handing out demos to friends and family, waiting eagerly to hear their response on what they thought about my music. I have to say, sometimes it seemed like forever before I heard a response. It was just my excitement; what seemed like forever was only a couple of days. Well, thatʼs all it takes for the mind to set in and play tricks on you. I started thinking, “They are not responding because my music sucks. Itʼs not good enough.” Of course I was not thinking positively. I am not sure why …did I say I felt refreshed, renewed? The weight of the world was off my shoulders? How quickly we forget why we created the music in the first place. Are we relying on what others say for our musical direction? I am not saying that opinions donʼt count - they do, but donʼt forget how that song became a song. The music industry can be an emotional roller coaster, but donʼt add a few more carts to the track with your own negative thoughts. I know all this is easier said than done. At times I find myself adding carts to the track but I immediately pull them off before people take that ride and I throw in some positive energy.
area.” (Well, unless you consider singing in my room for hours on end to my favorite artists.) In 2009, my musical career took a complete turn when my father passed away. My mom and dad were my biggest fans, of course. Before he passed away, he would always encourage me to sing to him. He was the only person I would sing to. He said, “Your voice is beautiful. You should do something with it.” Well, I did. After he passed away, I wrote my first song. It was a song about his struggles in life. The song is called “Mental Break Down.” I wrote this song from my heart. I had no intentions of singing it but when it all came down to it, no one else could sing it but me. I decided to take that chance, break those chains and pick up that microphone. My life has forever changed because if it. I h o p e th a t m y w o r d s o f encouragement finds a place in your heart. You are welcome to take my quote and place it everywhere around your house. You are never too old to start and your music DOES mean something…it means something t o y o u ! T h a t i s fi r s t a n d foremost. Remember at the beginning of this message I said, “I donʼt have to do this…or do I?” What do you think? Remember to leave your paths open and lead with your heart.
~Love T Dawn Before 2009, I was identified as being an instrumental artist. One of my instrumental songs called “Beautiful Birds” that I wrote back in 2004 was actually signed to http://www.tdawn.com/ a record company. I had no idea what I was doing. That song was being distributed all over the UK and the United States. I was on a high, but the company http://twitter.com/#!/tdawn1 ended up folding. I thought, “ I am done”, but because I am not like that I continued on my journey. During http://www.facebook.com/people/Tdawn-Dawn/100000296060607 that time I started feeling trapped behind my piano keys. I wanted to sing. Huh…I donʼt sing. I thought, “How can I do this? I was never trained in this
Beyond the Dawn Radio Show
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Rising
and Beyond the Dawn both support indie artists, so it seemed a perfect match to contribute our picks to the show. All artists featured in Rising have a chance to be our "Pick of the Week". Internet radio is a great way to get exposure for indie music and for music lovers to discover great new sounds. Please support TDawn and Beyond the Dawn and listen for our pick of the week on Rising Notes
http://alienfingerz.ning.com/page/beyond-the-dawn April 2012
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BLAZE & KELLY
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Danielle McNally
Blaze & Kelly is: Niccole Blaze: singer/songwriter guitar, harmonica Mo Kelly: singer, electric bass Picture this: an East Coast 70ʼs child bee-bopping on her bicycle singing, “Iʼm at the top of the world looking down on creation” (Carpenters). These were the days when banana seats were “in” along with big hair and 8track tapes. Niccole Blaze was the only girl in her elementary school interested in guitar.; it was not the “cool” or “lady-like” thing to do back then. While the thought of being like Carly Simon or Carole King swept her into a secret love affair with music, another little girl was conjuring up her own dreams in her parents' northern California living room. Mo Kelly, flanked by her brothers, was the entertainment of the evening in the Clahan residence. Using brooms for props, they would break into songs like John Denverʼs “Country Roads” or Roberta Flackʼs, “Killing Me Softly”.
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Having invested in higher education and “real jobs”, both of these women were encouraged (like so many women from their generation) to take the “smart” road into a sustainable career; Niccole chose teaching and Mo chose counseling. But they shared the dream to pursue their music, and they found themselves thrown together years later on stage, opening for artists like Shawn Colvin, Crosby, Stills and Nash, the Weepies, and many more. Who would have thought that little girl on the banana seat would master the guitar, release 4 original CDʼs to date and travel the nation? Who would have known that Mo Kelly would become the longhaired beauty with an angelic voice, thumping away on bass guitar to an original song that could make your heart feel pecked by curious birds craving substance?
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The artistic chemistry between these two women provides plenty of “food” for those starving little birds. When their voices blend together, audience members soar. It's a common thing to see smiles or tears streaked across the faces of concert-goers. Becoming “lost in the music” is their goal, both for their listeners and themselves. Now residing in Boise, Idaho, and playing over 200 dates a year nationally, they were voted “Boiseʼs Busiest Band” by the Boise Weekly. Also touted as “Boise's Own Indigo Girls”, a liking to their style, they strive to shake it up! Crossing the country and skipping genres, they finesse classics from artists such as Patsy Cline, Janis Joplin, Pink Floyd, and newer artists such as Brandi Carlile. They have a love for the road, and you might find them traveling in their tiny little Shasta to your own home town. Their self penned songs are favored requests. The latest release, “Life is Beautiful”, has been known to Bogart the car stereo. “B-Lazy Records” was established in 2001 to house their works and help other artists accomplish their musical dreams. Humble and gracious, B & K show the home-grown qualities of what it means to be a great musical act. With true singer/songwriter folk-rock fashion, and with comic banter in between, these girls will start a Blaze in your heart!
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Rising: Why Boise? How did you end up in Boise? You are one of the Boiseʼs busiest bands, do you have any advice for other artist how to develop and maintain contacts in their local area to increase bookings? Niccole: Mo and I moved to Boise together for a few reasons. One, she landed a good job here. Two, my sister lives in Boise who I adore. Three, I out grew Sandpoint Idaho where Mo and I met and needed to find a bigger audience and more culture but still be Idaho, loving the mountains and the outdoors. We looked in other places and I think we were destined for Boise because we found amazing friends, and a great fan base. Boise Weekly touted us Boiseʼs busiest band ha…and itʼs true and somewhat of joke to us. One summer I was trying to keep up with all the shows. I submitted 50 shows in one day to Boise Weekly, they were inundated with our influx of Blaze and Kelly shows for the entire summer. So, the humorous and sarcastic BW ran with it and voted us Boise's busiest band. It is true, there are a lot of great bands in Boise, who work their little fannyʼs off, locally or on the road. Weʼve put 250 gigs on our roster in a year and weʼve decided now that that is not the direction we want to go. I think itʼs important to establish a fan base in your home town. Boise allowed us to establish new venues and try out new material to appreciative audiences. We could be booked everyday if we wanted to, or if we worked for less, but we found our threshhold. We played
Danielle McNally
sometimes 5-6 nights a week in the summer sometimes 2-3 shows a day! This meant a LOT of performing practice. You can practice all you want at home but what about doing that song you are a little shaky on when some dude is yelling at the waitress, “Hey you forgot my olive!” My advice for others developing and maintaining contacts? Be a professional. Donʼt sell yourself short and do shows that bring you no value. If youʼve worked your craft for hours so that you can do a two hour set donʼt feel like you shouldnʼt get paid! The worst thing you can do for the community of musicians is work for dirt cheap. Not that you have to be expensive, but it hurts others if you set the bar too low. Then venues feel the worth of music is somehow lessened. Ask the venue what the going rate is. Talk and make friends with other artists, if you have good intentions and they are confident in themselves, they will share. If they feel threatened by you “jumping on their turf” they wonʼt. Huge advice, go where you are wanted! It will be a win-win for everybody. Donʼt force yourself into a venue you donʼt belong, you wonʼt feel good about the show. I make it a point to talk to other artists. They are a wealth of information. I remember someone saying about the business of music, “just stay in line”. Half the battle is showing up and NOT giving up. Rising: You have opened for some amazing artist like Shawn Colvin, Crosby Stills and Nash, the Weepies, and Toni Childs. How did you connect with those artists? Do you have any favorite stories or memories from those performances? Niccole: This is a great question. You find out “so and so” is opening for a “big freaking deal” and say…“huh? Howʼd they do that?” Every single opening act weʼve done was based
Annette Shaff
pretty much on who we knew and a reflection of an opportunity coming our way because weʼve “beaten the streets”. Working hard to deliver great live performances no matter where you are goes a long way. People remember you. If you are playing a bar venue and a lady props herself in a chair, you have NO idea that she sits on the board for “so and so” and “such and such.” She may be talking and you think sheʼs not listening but sheʼs interviewing you and logging in her mind what will work for her presentation. Make your cards and CDʼs available. Create special demos to give away. (Iʼm still teaching right now arenʼt I? A run off from the last question ha!) The Shawn Colvin show happened by being in the town of Sandpoint and playing out all the time. I was relentless in my wish to open for the Festival. If you can get someone ELSE to ask for you itʼs even better. A fan recommending you over and over again, they canʼt get mad at the passion a fan has and it might peak their curiosity as to why this person is so animated about having you open. Find the key players or supervisors in charge of such decisions. My favorite memory of opening has to be the time I opened for Shawn Colvin. I showed up for the sound
April 2012
Annette Shaff
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check and got to meet her. I asked the stage manager where I could park my dilapidated old RV and he said, “what ours isnʼt good enough for you?” He pointed and there was a trailer just for us with our name on it! My jaw dropped! I went inside and there was all this complimentary snacky stuff and we just giggled like little school girls! They literally had the red carpet rolled out. A masseur was there to help us relax! A dinning buffet! It was amazing!!! It was also a fabulous set! I saw so many members in the community in those 4000 faces that I knew and that were so proud that we got a chance to shine. I literally saw THEM shine! . To give them music and be acknowledged for your art… there is no better feeling. Iʼll also never forget Graham Nash just sitting back off to the side listening to us. He was intent on listening and we were playing with special guest Rochelle Smith, we all got butterflies in our bellies and after the song, he came up and introduced himself in his lovely English accent, “Hi, Iʼm Graham Nash and you all sounded lovely.” He asked what all of our names were acknowledging each one of us. He even said during their show, “letʼs get those ladies up here, they sound a lot better than David here and look a lot better too”. LOL! It was cute. Rising: Tell us about the instruments you play and the unique way you play the guitar in “Lenaʼs Lullaby”. Niccole: I play a Larrivee six string acoustic guitar with a Fishman pickup and I have a loop station and preamp pedal on the floor. I also play harmonica and occasionally the 12 string acoustic guitar. I play electric guitar as well and love stretching out with electric and getting funky. Iʼm kind of a gear head for a girl. LOL! I use the loop machine to basically to do simple rhythm tracks on the fly and lay down some lead lines so that there is a musical variety. Itʼs great to bring in another sound and play the guitar in another way instead of just strum or finger pick. Leads are very fun for me to play and I like getting a little nutty now and then. That being
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said I use it sparingly as well. My main goal being, to keep the audience engaged. As a performer, you want to stay connected and getting overly caught up with gadgets looses the connection. The technique you are referring to in Lenaʼs Lullaby is called “slap harmonics”. I really didnʼt know it had a name until I did more research about the style. Lenaʼs Lullaby called for something to take the listener out like a “kite” in the wind and I express that with this aggressive tapping technique. I basically discovered it and later realized, there are people far more advanced than I am with this style and Iʼd certainly like to explore more of it, but I really like how it blends with the song. When you hear slap harmonics and tapping it is often a guitar showcase instrumental. I find Lenaʼs Lullaby to be unique in that itʼs a special song and then hereʼs this special sound texture to shift the listener into a new groove. Mo plays a Carvin custom made 5 string fretless bass guitar with tape wound strings. She loves it! She has a great ear and to sing and play with no frets, my hats off to her! She has the hardest job really. I get to sing my lines and play with lines (of the frets). Sheʼs out there with this black abyss for a neck of a the guitar and if Iʼm off pitch just a little, she has to adjust or it will make her look out of sync. She holds down the rhythm, adds the beauty to the songs with her vocals and is quite an amazing and talented person. Rising: What is your favorite part and least favorite part about doing live performance? Niccole: Well, I just LOVE performing! Even the stress of it is truly exciting for me. I love meeting people and I am very much like my dog Osa, she loves to greet people and her tail wags nonstop. I am pretty much like that the whole show. I love when the right songs flow and the crowd is getting filled. They fill up and you feel it. You break their heart with a song and they love you for it cause it gave them a chance to feel and connect. Iʼve had people come up and say, my mother just died and I needed to cry, or I got over my divorce so much easier thanks to your song, “Fairytale Land”. The hours that you play your set you feel like you are making a difference. Unless…the down side…youʼre not. *huge laugh*! Sometimes no matter how you hit the crowd, they wonʼt budge. Usually due to the venue or the mood or energy of the night. Those nights I STILL love to perform because music lifts my soul and spirit. Music is so healing and if there is NO crowd the music itself will still pick me up. But itʼs much more meaningful when others get something from it. When the audience is open and the energy is right, I can truly become a comedian between songs. I feel my ornery little self brewing with something funny to say and it rolls off my tongue before I know it and then we are all cracking up. The best shows I love to go see is when an artist makes me laugh and makes me cry in the same set. I strive for that. If I can do that then I know Iʼve done a good job.
April 2012
Annette Shaff
Danielle McNally
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Yes those nights where the load in is tough…you have to walk up 20 flights of stairs and the venue is stingy with itʼs concessions for you. You have to move furniture just so set up or drive 50 million miles for the gig. Driving is tough on the body. Itʼs such a romantic dream to “hit the nation by storm”, but it cost a lot. Itʼs hard on the body and gas is expensive, so there are huge things to consider. Rising: Your songs weave your powerful vocals together with emotional lyrics. Tell us how the songs writing process works for you and what inspires you? What message do you want to send you fans through your songs? Niccole: My first record Despite the Dents was such a new experience for me and a very healing one. I was and can still be an emotional writer and Lisa Krause so many things were happening that were sad in my life, I found many muses. Even now, if I get Iʼll either get an inspiration or an idea and run with that emotional, my guitar is my best friend. I work it out idea or Iʼll be sitting with the guitar and hit on a good with words and song. riff. “Above the Rain” we were driving outside of I like to match the music with the mood of the lyrics. Portland on the way to some show and it was dreary My angry songs are thumpy and hard, my happy songs out but I love the rain. I was a passenger and was are bouncy, my reflective songs are played with chords humming the melody and came up with the idea that and patterns that hopefully draw out the words and somewhere, the sun is shining. Just because itʼs not meaning of the tune. Since playing with Mo now, I also here, doesnʼt mean it isnʼt somewhere else. think of her voice and she has become another The message meaning, we all have dark clouds instrument in the back of my mind as I write a song. baring down on us from time to time but “this too shall Not in every case because I write just to release, but pass”. My message to folks, “believe in yourselves, on a song that has a deliberate intention, such as love one another, love yourself, enjoy life because it is “Above the Rain”, her voice was all over in my mind. so temporary”. Life is a fleeting second and we have so much love to spill out there. Life can also kick you so hard you never want to get up again but the adventure is waiting “Tomorrow is a new day, nothing bad is here to stay”. You take your hits, you take your losses and heart breaks and you feel them, because without that, you will not feel all of your joy, all of your love. Be vulnerable enough to feel and be open. To let the light in and to let your light out. Iʼm very passionate about this ha ha! Itʼs what we are doing down here on Earth. We are here to make known the unknown and to create and to grow, learn and share and experience the fullest state of love capable. This can be a joyous ride or a hard ride depending on our attitude. So…sometimes I come up with words and no music, like “Deep”. That was a poem I wrote and left on my coffee Danielle McNally table for months. Never thought it
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would be a song. Then I played this cool riff and somehow they merged. I try to have paper and pen everywhere, near the bed side, when I travel. I carry a little digital recording device and now many phones have a voice recorder. These things are so handy because you can capture the essence of the melody or idea if you canʼt pen it all out. Some songs come flopping out all at once and others trickle. I think “Above the Rain” took a year or two, sometimes they just need to “bake” for a while. A song like “Fat Pants” took me a couple hours. The process is so cool, some will make you laugh and others like “Dadʼs and Their daughters” was agonizing for me to get down on paper. But if the song wonʼt let you go…you KNOW you have to finish it. Even if you never sing it out.
huge arena and granted, that would be amazing. I would love notoriety for the songs Iʼve written on a wide scale basis, but Iʼm happy to touch someone with a song whoʼs just having a rough time and help them through their process. We have traveled this past year to the East and West Coast. Iʼm planning a trip to go to the ASCAP Expo to meet with other writers and see what I can do to care for my writing. I would love to have our songs placed in film of some sort, that is indeed a lofty goal of mine Iʼd like to see come true. Iʼd like to be able to get to these states that keep calling us to come p l a y. (Colorado, Arizona, Minnesota, Indiana, Kansas). Itʼs Danielle McNally financially challenging. We have played across the nation and yes it would be great to have someone professional represent us. Weʼve done most everything on our own. So we are the managers, the marketers, the sales reps., the tour manager, the financial advisor, the net worker, the
Rising: What is next for you in 2012 and beyond? What are your dreams? Niccole: In all that I do from here on out, Iʼd like to mostly meet myself where I am. Ha ha! I mean, people are sometimes so busy running after the next thing, I want to enjoy every step of the ride. If Iʼm in a bar playing I want to “bring it” to the people and if Iʼm up on the big stage with some amazing artist or headlining for a festival, I want them all to enjoy an evening out with us. That is my first wish. Not to make the music biz too hard on myself and tell myself things like I should be here or I should be there. People get one impression of music success and that is the big American Idol dream. Making it big! To have the big tour bus and have 10K fans waiting for you in a
April 2012
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label, the creative designer, the promoter, the web manager, the booking agent, the sound tech., the publicist, the producer, the accountant, the driver, the roadie. Ha! We have local shows booked this summer and a few regional tours on the roster. We are also heading to Provincetown M.A. again this year for Womenʼs Week in Oct. Weʼll tour the East Coast again and also the midwest. I would love to be a part of the Womenʼs music festival in Michigan and get down to Austin TX, someday too. I will ALWAYS be working on my craft of singing and songwriting and playing and teaching guitar. I will always be striving to write the next song that will break a persons heart or put it back together again. I will always want to entertain because people need release and I need to sing. Itʼs just who I am. I am also always working on the “next” CD. This will be true until Iʼm at least 80 ha ha! I have some great new www.blazeandkelly.com songs for the next batch of music to release. I have no date in mind to put it out. Iʼm usually and “odd year girl” most of my records come out on an odd numbered year www.twitter.com/blazeandkelly for some reason, so hold on 2013 is just around the corner! I do believe I am living the dream. I love my life and who http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blaze-and-Kelly/493421065051 is in it and what I do. I donʼt think art form is ever about “arrival”. You never “arrive” somewhere and then you are done. That is the beauty and the curse of art. There is www.reverbnation.com/blazeandkelly ALWAYS more to be done, more to see, more to create, Danielle McNally more to do. The key is enjoying the rung of the ladder we are on and to celebrate others successes as well as our www.myspace.com/blazenkelly own! There is no proverbial “yard stick” to measure success. It means different things to different people. But if I were www.youtube.com/blazeandkelly gone from this existence tomorrow I think my attempt to make this plane of existence a better place, through songs and the people Iʼve connected, has all been worth while. Iʼm happy and fortunate to be doing something I http://blazeandkelly.com/music-store/ love and something that brings lovehttp://www.mediafire.com/?666e35f0c3ce6n9 to so many! http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/blaze-and-kelly/id366525687
Watch Blaze & Kelly perform “Missed the Mark” LIVE!
CLICK PLAY to Watch Video!
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April 2012
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Check out these artists showing their support for Indie Music in their own unique way!!! Want to show your support too? Send a pic to submissions@risingmag.com and we may publish it! Use the words “Support Indie Music” in a creative way!
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Blaze & Kelly
April 2012
Danielle McNally
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Wendy Andries
Xander Smith
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April 2012
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Travis Royce
Hell & Lula Regina Visconi
Standing Shadows
See our March 2012 issue for these artists!
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Broken Romeo
Gentlemen Hall
Chamber of Echoes
R始Chive April 2012
Eric Lawson
See our February 2012 issue for these artists!
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Kylie Edmond
See our December 2011 issue for these artists! Lauren Wolf
LizMartin
SoundQ Carlos N贸brega 58
Brian Patrick
Quinn Ivory
turn off your television
See our November 2011 issue for these artists!
Seasons
LizMartin
Xavier Toscano
April 2012
Don Q Photography
Tha Vill
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See our October 2011 issue for these artists!
LizMartin
Blare LeVoir
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Asteria Photography
See our September 2011 issue for these artists!
Hank and Cupcakes
Patrick J. Eves
Tomorrows Bad Seeds
Sarah Ault
April 2012
Mark Kawakami
Marie Bergstrรถm
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See our August 2011 issue for these artists!
Evolove
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Stitched Up Heart
Greg Eident
Greg Eident
See our July 2011 issue for these artists!
Vintervila
Johanna Elvira Bakke Haarstad
Fans Of Jimmy Century
Ember Swift Josh Damigo
Daniel Chin Lü Qiang Qiang
April 2012 My Cousin, The Emperor
63 Patrick J. Eves
See our June 2011 issue for these artists! Brian Mackey Steve Reganato
Mumiy Troll
Cisco DeCun
Paul Smollen
Liz Martin
Run Run Run
Dmitry Plavshudin
Maitland
Jeff Crosby
64 Vicky Sue Baucom
Brianna Bambic
Monte Pittman
Greg Eident
Paul Smollen
Barbara Dengel
Mouth
Alo and The Narcissist Steve Reganato
Aspen Switzer
April 2012
See our May 2011 issue for these artists!
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A sincere Thank You to all of our readers, artists and sta that make Rising Magazine possible