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VOL. 1, ISSUE 4 | JULY/AUGUST 2018
SISTER
ACTS Interviews
First Aid Kit Larkin Poe Rising Appalachia The Warning Southern Halo
Von Grey Lucy Angel MonaLisa Twins Shonen Knife Shook Twins
Command Sisters The Sledge Grits Band Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh June Millington of Fanny
TARA Talk Sister Acts I am so excited about our July issue and all of the wonderful “Sister Acts” we cover in these pages. There are so many talented female artists among us today, and it is quite remarkable to find that so many of these artists are backed and managed by family members. What ‘s more, many of these bands are fronted by sisters who have learned to play their instruments growing up, had similar influences, and who have grown musically, ultimately writing their own lyrics and music that they perform together on stage. In this issue, we talk with 14 “Sister Acts” all of which have the right energy, confidence, perseverance, and talent to make it big in the music industry. Learning from them how they got started, what drives them to succeed, and how they leverage that special bond they have as sisters to make magic whether in the studio or on stage, and to live their dream is truly inspirational. There is something for everyone in this, our 4th issue, including product and book reviews, featured gear, industry news and blurbs, artist interviews, and of course our popular Word Search puzzle for those who love to go to their mental gym and exercise their brain! I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we here at GGM enjoyed putting it together…and don’t forget to visit our website at www.guitargirlmag. com and sign up for our monthly newsletter where you will get industry news and a sneak preview of our current and upcoming issues of Guitar Girl Magazine. And did I mention newsletter subscribers are automatically entered to win monthly giveaways? Now, turn the pages with me and let’s go check out some rockin’ sisters who know how to lay it down! ~ Tara Low
GUITARGIRLMAG.COM VOL. 1, ISSUE 4 - 2018 Founder/Editor:
Tara Low
Contributors:
Lindsey Borders Steph Castor Marco DiSandro Guitar Gabby Paige Harwood Lisa Lim Megan McClure Steve McKinley Nikki O’Neill Caroline Pizzo Victoria Shaffer Milena Thomas
Guest Contributors:
Michael Dowdell Kristen Fisher
Editorial Requests may be submitted to info@guitargirlmag.com Advertising Requests may be submitted to media@guitargirlmag.com Subscription Requests may be submitted to info@guitargirlmag.com Fan Requests/Comments may be submitted to info@guitargirlmag.com Mailing address: The Low Group, Inc. d/b/a Guitar Girl Magazine 12195 Highway 92, #114-210 Woodstock, GA 30188 (866) 364-4828 (Toll Free) Guitar Girl Magazine ©2018 Printed in the USA All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without the written permission of Guitar Girl Magazine is prohibited. GuitarGirlMagazine @guitargirlmag +Guitargirlmag
@GuitarGirlMag guitargirlmag
Cover Photo: Artists featured in Issue 4 Cover Photo Credit will be noted within each Artist’s interview
Meet the Team Tara Low, Editor
Lindsey Borders
Steph Castor
Marco DiSandro
Guitar Gabby
Paige Harwood
Lisa Lim
Megan McClure
Steve McKinley
Nikki O’Neill
Caroline Pizzo
Victoria Shaffer
Milena Thomas
Contents NEWS
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GEAR: NEW
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Features »» The Evolution of Remarkable Sister Groups - From the 1930s to Present Day 10
Interviews »» First Aid Kit: Creativity, Gear, and Music 23 »» Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell of the Powerhouse Duo Larkin Poe 25 »» Rising Appalachia: Using music is a tool and a catalyst for betterment in our communities 26 »» You’ve Been Warned: How The Warning went from video game players to rock band musicians 28 »» Sister Trio Southern Halo: Sisterhood is like having a built-in best friend 32 »» Honesty and trust in their sisterhood allow Von Grey’s creative process to flow 35 »» Lucy Angel: Two Sisters, a Mom, and the family that creates their country sound 37 »» From the ‘60s to the New Millennium, the Mania is Back: The MonaLisa Twins Serve it Up with Style and Grace! 40 »» Shonen Knife: “Alive! In Osaka” and Still Going Strong 44 »» The Shook Twins: Relying on their Extensive Music Catalog (and Each Other) to Create a Fresh Sound on the Folk Scene 46 »» The Command Sisters talk music, sisterhood, and the power of guitars in their sound 50 »» The Sledge Grits Band: Sisterhood is Forever 52
»» The GFM Band: Defining “Beautycore” for the Women Movement in the Metal World 54 »» Fanny’s June and Jean Millington: The Ultimate Bass and Guitar Sisterhood 57
NEW MUSIC RELEASES 78 GEAR: REVIEWS »» Martin 000-15M StreetMaster Acoustic Guitar 62 »» PRS John Mayer Silver Sky Electric Guitar 63 »» Traveler CL-3EQ Acoustic/ Electric Guitar 64 »» B&G Little Sister Crossroads Electric Guitar 65 »» Fender Paramount PM-TE Travel Standard A/E Guitar and Acoustic 100 Amp 66 »» Yamaha REVSTAR RS720B Electric Guitar 68 »» D’Addario Planet Waves Auto Lock Strap 69 »» D’Addario String Height Gauge 69 »» D’Addario DIY Solderless Cable Kit 69 »» D’Addario Acoustic CINCH FIT 69
LESSONS / TIPS »» Writing Songs: Americana songwriter/recording artist Nikki O’Neill shares useful insights and tips 70 »» Want to sing better, reduce fatigue, and vocal strain? Grab a straw! 73 »» Why it’s okay to be a rhythm guitarist 74 »» Concepts of Rhythm 76
FUN STUFF »» #GuitarGirl 80 »» Word Search 81 »» Trivia 81 »» Coloring 82 »» What We’re Reading Now 83 »» Word Search and Trivia Answers 84
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GGM COMMUNITY We want to hear from you! Questions, comments, suggestions, road stories, photos, and, …well, anything else you may have on your mind! Email them to us and we’ll add them to our new Community Page.
Send them directly to: info@guitargirlmag.com GuitarGirlMagazine @GuitarGirlMag @guitargirlmag guitargirlmag +Guitargirlmag
NEWS
NEWS CMA Fest 2018 Music filled the air, the streets were crowded with music fans dressed in Daisy Dukes and cowboy boots, downtown Nashville had stages spread across town, and the City was buzzing with vendors and booths packed with fun activities. Country music lovers flocked to Nashville for the annual CMA Fest to catch a glimpse of their favorite country artist signing
autographs or performing at Fan Fair X, or catch them close-up on one of the multiple stages set up throughout town where free performances were held non-stop daily from some of today’s top country artists. Nightly performances were held at the Ascend Amphitheatre and Nissan Stadium for ticketed attendees.
as some up-and-coming country stars! The sister trio Southern Halo, Kalie Shorr, Sweet Tea Trio, Brennley Brown, Irene Mandrell, Sarah Lawton, Stephanie Quayle, Lockwood Barr, Emi Sunshine, Dallas Remington, and Jada Vance. So stay tuned because we’ll be bringing you those interviews soon!
This year’s event was nothing short of amazing. We had the opportunity to meet and interview CAM, as well
For now, enjoy some of our photos below and check out our CMA Fest album on our Facebook page.!
Ashley McBryde
Terri Clark
Kelsea Ballerini as artist of the day in Q&A Southern Halo
Savvy and Mandy
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Dallas Remington
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CAM
Sweet Tea Trio
NEWS Entrepreneur Melissa Carbone to bring First Annual Tailgate Fest to Los Angeles With the goal of filling a hole in the $60 BILLION growing tailgating culture, TAILGATE FEST marks the newest venture for entrepreneur Melissa Carbone, whose other brainchild is LA’s iconic “Haunted Hayride,” and business partner Giancarlo Chersich, investor behind marquee brands such as Pop Chips, Barry’s Bootcamp, and the Jillian Michaels’ empire. Tailgating
at concerts and sporting events isn’t new by any means but combined with Carbone’s history in creating immersive and unique thematic experiences, TAILGATE FEST dives into a curated world that will mentally and bodily transport people into a down-home, ‘Americana’ day of fun, right into the heart of Los Angeles one of the biggest cities in the world.
WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: LINEUP:
“TAILGATE FEST” September 1, 2018 The Forum Grounds in Los Angeles, CA Headliner – Toby Keith Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Jana Kramer and Parmalee (with more still to be announced)
ABOUT: The first annual TAILGATE FEST is one good ole’ fashioned tailgate party, with one HUGE twist - it is also a star-studded Country Music Festival that brings the stage right to your tailgate. That’s right, no packing up the party to head inside, no need to stop that game of cornhole, no stuffing all your belongings into your pockets.
a tailgate fest brings the stage to your car Fans will now be able to bring their own grills, coolers, games, and more to enjoy the show from their own tailgate as TAILGATE FEST brings the stage to the tailgaters! To the untrained eye, the game-day/ concert-going rituals of a tailgate appear to be little more than a wild party, a hedonistic excuse to drink beer and eat barbecue. Not at all. The tailgate party is among the most time-honored and revered American traditions, creating a sense of community and belonging. The stadium parking lot is where people of all backgrounds come
together in a common ritual. Many people go to great lengths organizing and staging their parties, creating what are, in effect, miniature kitchens and living rooms. At TAILGATE FEST, the fans aren’t attending something, they’re building something. The tailgate itself BECOMES the “immersion experience” as fans are transported to those ‘Americana’ down-home summer memories of their favorite game day, BBQ cook offs, while dancing along to their favorite tunes. At TAILGATE FEST it’s dancing to the LIVE tunes of superstars Toby Keith, Nelly, Joe Nichols, David Nail, Jana Kramer and Parmalee (with more still to be announced).
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NEWS Besides the Tailgate and Country Music outdoor-festival, the experience-goers will also be able to participate in several genre-curated activities including The Tailgate Cornhole World Championships where tailgate groups can compete against each other for prizes and the Jacked Up Truck Competition where the “Best in Show” truck of the day winner will take home a brand new geared-up truck. TAILGATE FEST will also feature the Two Step Honky Tonk for those wanting to show off their dancing skills and a Dunk Tank for those wanting to stretch out their pitching arms. Food trucks galore and beverages will also be available for purchase on site, but as with any good tailgate - you are encouraged to BYOB. Tickets are on-sale now at: LATailGateFest.com. To make the experience a success, they’ve even offered up a few tips for festival goers:
5 GENIUS TAILGATE TIPS 1. TOOL BOX: Always keep a toolbox packed with tailgate essentials in the trunk of your car - spatulas, bottle openers, condiments, wet wipes, trash bags, hand sanitizers, and sunscreen!! 2. PREP & PACK: Prep, prep, prep. Skewer, marinate, and shape/pack patties the night before. Pack the cooler with cans & bottles at the bottom, water-tight containers in the middle, and bagged items on top. Freeze water bottles to use in place of ice - they can also be used as a cold drink when they melt later. Label the coolers so guests can find drinks easily. 3. DON’T FORGET SOME ESSENTALS: Pack jumper cables - in case that car battery dies. Pop-up canopy for that CA sunshine. Bring a large plastic tub to haul back dirty dishes. Have a metal bucket on hand for still-glowing coals after you are done with the grill. Games, games, games - bocce ball, beer pong, flip cup - bring all the necessities. 4. SETTING UP CAMP: Consider the wind direction when positioning your grill. Hang a paper towel roll using a bungee cord from the tent struts. To save time/money, have everyone bring a dish to share - maybe even turn it into a tasting competition! 5. TAILGATE ETIQUETTE: Make nice, introduce yourself to your neighbors. If you are going to sit on the cooler, don’t complain when someone wants a drink. If you’re visiting another tailgate, never leave with a roadie unless it is being offered. Don’t bring a six-pack of crappy beer and assume that entitles you to somebody else’s whiskey. Don’t assume that bringing beverages exonerates you from cleanup duty - cooking for 12 people is a lot more work than showing up with 12 beers. Photos courtesy of Melissa Carbone
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NEWS
The Paul Reed Smith Experience 2018 Recap By Tara Low The PRS Experience 2018 fell on the same weekend of the CMA Fest, so it was a busy weekend for GGM. I started my week in Nashville at the CMA Fest which was fun and exciting, but left early to head to Stevensville, Maryland to attend this highly anticipated event. All I can say is WOW, what a day. PRS lovers from all over gathered for a behind the scenes look at Paul Reed Smith Guitars. This was their 9th open house event and was attended by over 3,300 people. Upon entering the event, there was a covered tent where clinics were held throughout the day. Attendees were able to sit, relax, and enjoy music performances while feasting on some of the great food available from several food trucks. And, of course, beer and wine stations were plentiful! Right around the corner was the “Test Drive” PRS gear station where attendees could try their “dream” PRS guitar, and then walk across to the PRS merch pop-up shop to purchase their guitar accessories. On hand, just inside the factory doors, were PRS dealers
Showcased at the event were limited edition guitars which were just announced that day: Semi-Hollow McCarty 594, Singlecut Semi-Hollow McCarty 594, Semi-Hollow Special, and a unique Private Stock “Graveyard Limited” model.
from across the US ready to fulfill those dreams with over 200 guitars on display available to purchase. If you’ve never seen a guitar factory, it’s quite an experience. PRS opened their doors to the public and offered factory guided tours, or wander around on your own. Experiencing how these incredible instruments are created from exotic wood blocks into sleek dimensions of solid and hollow-body guitars was indeed a unique experience.
For the grand finale, guests rocked out to a live main stage concert with multiple acts including The Paul Reed Smith Band rounding out the evening. The opening act caught the attention of GGM. Magnolia Boulevard from Lexington, Kentucky, fronted by the raspy-throated singer Maggie Noelle, set the mood for the evening with songs from their recently released eponymous EP. Before the show, we had the opportunity to sit down with Maggie for an intimate interview that offered insights into this mildmannered and humble artist (who kicks ass on stage with her incredible band)! Check out the interview online. All in all, a great day at PRS! Our photo album can be seen on our Facebook page, so check it out!
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FEATURES
The Evolution of Remarkable Sister Groups From the 1930s to Present Day
By Victoria Shaffer
Brought up in the same household and raised on identical musical influences, there is little question as to why sisters have historically established such outrageously successful bands. What may be less noted or recognized is the complex evolution these sister groups have sustained. Emerging prior to women’s rights, sister groups provided indisputable evidence as to the sort of musicians and performers women were capable of becoming. As time progressed and the number of sister groups multiplied exponentially, there became no question as to the impact they were making. Full of determination and moxie, sister groups deserve recognition for their groundbreaking influence and vast catalogue of celebrated music.
1930s Following the stock market crash of 1929, the 1930s were a decade of extreme economic hardship. One frequent escape from this demoralizing Great Depression was the radio, specifically, the uplifting and distracting music it was known to routinely promote. Alongside countless other popular musicians from this flourishing musical time were one of the first commercially successful sister troupes, the Boswell Sisters. Acquiring massive radio success throughout 1930-1935, the Boswell Sisters were not only trailblazing jazz singers but also skillful instrumentalists. Martha Boswell was a proficient pianist; Helvetia Boswell was an accomplished violinist, guitarist, and banjo player; and Connee Boswell excelled on cello, saxophone, and trombone, while simultaneously composing the musical arrangements for several of the group’s most successful tunes. Carefully crafting a solid standing for female performers, the Boswell Sisters also developed a successful blueprint for sister groups who aspired to reimagine the possibilities behind the bond of sisterhood and take full advantage of its seemingly magical pull toward musical collaboration.
Boswell Sisters
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FEATURES
1940s Heavily influenced by the awe-inspiring Boswell Sisters, the Andrews Sisters hit ultimate fame in the 1940s, quickly becoming iconic symbols for patriotism throughout the intense period of World War II. Unlike their sister group foremothers, the Andrews Sisters dawned the stage sans instruments, but equipped with impressive vocal harmonies and contagious charisma. Their synchronized movements, complementary voices, and stunning resemblance showcased why sisters may, in fact, possess the traits most desired when constructing the quintessential musical group. The Andrews Sisters went on to become the most profitable stage attraction of the time, earning a staggering $20,000 a week, exposing that sister groups are not only a joy to watch but are capable of producing an impressive income. Due to their political involvement, iconic image, and remarkable harmonies, the Andrews Sisters became a massive national success, providing an unmeasurable example and opportunity for incoming sister groups for generations to come.
Andrews Sisters
1950s Despite the overwhelming emergence of rock ’n’ roll in the mid to late 1950s, popular sister groups throughout this period of time remained somewhat traditional, continuing a similar harmonic and synchronized performance style that was so perfectly demonstrated by the Andrews Sisters. What may have been a slight shift in musicality from the 1940s to the 1950s were the ethereal, happy, and hypnotic vocal harmonies put forth by sister groups such as the Lennon Sisters. Popularized in the time now considered to be “the Golden Age,” the Lennon Sisters represented the wholesome image and tangible vitality of America’s massive progression beyond the seemingly dark days of World War II. The Lennon Sisters demonstrated, yet again, the captivating and in-sync qualities musical sisters can so effortlessly exude. Lennon Sisters
1960s An intensely complicated decade, the 1960s were charged by the struggle of the civil rights movement, the controversial Vietnam War, the celebrated summer of love, and the monumental British Invasion. This influential period greatly impacted music in a variety of ways, one being sister acts. Despite female vocal groups remaining extremely prevalent due to the popular music domination by Motown, sister groups appeared to transition back to their Boswell Sisters roots, picking up instruments and jamming as musicians once again. The contentious yet notable 1960s sister band the Shaggs were a complete diversion from the sister groups of the ’40s and ’50s. Compiled as a three-piece, the Shaggs were persuaded into the musical profession by their father, who prevented them from listening to outside influences. This unique upbringing and lack of introduction to the musical world presented the Shaggs as an interestingly pure band that, though occasionally disfavored by some, brought forth a cult following and an inevitable impact on the sister bands to follow in their distinctive wake.
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FEATURES
1970s
The Pointer Sisters
The 1970s inherited several of the heavy social issues thriving throughout the 1960s, including the women’s rights movement and its important push toward the passing of the Equal Rights Amendment. Interestingly, it was around this liberating time that female musicians and sister bands began to increase in number and in popularity. Heart, led by sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson, released their debut hit album, Dreamboat Annie, in 1975, beginning a career that would span generations and provide indisputable evidence of a woman’s ability to prosper within the world of rock ’n’ roll music. Similarly, Fanny, compiled by sisters June and Jean Millington, rocked the 1970s, furnishing inspiration for thousands of women across the nation to pick up a guitar and begin playing. Additionally, vocal groups Sister Sledge and the Pointer Sisters began their careers in the 1970s, continuing the long-standing tradition of outstanding sister harmonies, producing successful tunes from the wide range of R&B, disco, and funk genres.
1980s The introduction of MTV throughout the 1980s rattled the music industry, amplifying the need for an impressive image and enchanting performances. As several of the sister groups from the 1970s adapted to this change, remaining relevant and continuing to produce successful music, the ’80s generated another outrageously popular sister band, the Bangles. Built on the foundation of sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, the Bangles released a string of massive hits throughout the ’80s, including “Walk Like an Egyptian” and “Manic Monday.” The Bangles were a contagious combination of pop lyrics and impressive instrumentation. This signature sound provided them with an enormous amount of commercial success, establishing the Bangles as major contributors toward the undeniable sister group influence that was so prominent throughout the ’70s and ’80s.
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The Bangles at Festival of Friends in 2012
FEATURES
1990s As the 1990s materialized, popular music spanned from heavy grunge rock to body quaking hip hop, with sister groups continuing on with their apparent evolution. Sisters Carnie and Wendy Wilson, daughters of the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson, teamed up with friend Chynna Phillips, daughter of the Mamas and the Papas’ John and Michelle Phillips, to create the all-girl trio Wilson Phillips. Destined to thrive based on genetics alone, Wilson Phillips’ delicate rock sound demonstrated to the world another outstanding facet of music that sister groups were capable of producing. Similarly, the Dixie Chicks, founded by lead singer Natalie Maines and multi-instrumentalist sisters Martie and Emily Erwin, made their way onto the country music scene in the ’90s, becoming one of the biggest country music acts of the times. The Dixie Chicks provided further confirmation of the extreme musical influence sister bands are capable of making on not only a genre of music but also on an entire generation.
The Dixie Chicks
2000 – Present Day As the millennium dawned and the path paved by the past seven generations of sister groups became solidified, the number of popular sister bands exponentially flourished. From country to alternative rock, and every subgenre in between, more sisters began to unite, utilizing the extreme advantage of the comfortability and unconditional love within families. To highlight a fraction of outstanding sister acts from this present time would be to acknowledge groups such as Tegan and Sara, First Aid Kit, the Wainwright Sisters, the Staves, Larkin Poe, and Haim. Additionally, the 2000s began to celebrate and promote sister groups that were creative lyricists, distinctive instrumentalists, and revolutionary performers. The massive success among sister bands in the 2000s may be attributed to a combination of incredible resilience and determination from sisters past, and the innovative and persistent nature of sisters present. This list of brief stories on some of the sister groups who have made a significant impact in music history is not mean to be exhaustive; rather it is just another example of the many ways women have impacted music over the years. Here at Guitar Girl Magazine, we believe highlighting some of the standouts among “Sister Acts” alone seemed like a fitting tribute to the trailblazers of the past and the brave acts today. These women may have been inspired to pick up a guitar by male artists, but the belief in themselves and perseverance is what drove them to succeed against all odds. These women broke through the proverbial glass ceiling in the music world and are an inspiration for generations to come.
Photo credits: »» Boswell Sisters, Wikimedia Commons »» Andrew Sisters, Wikimedia Commons »» Lennon Sisters, Wikimedia Commons »» The Shaggs Philosophy Of The World Album Cover
»» The Pointer Sisters, By VARA (Beeld en Geluidwiki - Een groot uur U) [CC BY-SA 3.0 nl (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/bysa/3.0/nl/deed.en)], via Wikimedia Commons »» The Bangles, By Tabercil [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-
sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons »» Dixie Chicks, By The original uploader was Wasted Time R at English Wikipedia. [CC BY-SA 2.5 (https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons »» Haim, Sister Sister Sister Tour Press Photo
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FEATURES
2018 Guitar Girl Magazine Calendar
October – November – December and 2019 Pre-Planner Artists
The MonaLisa Twins As a continuation of our feature in our Debut Issue, our first annual Guitar Girl Magazine 2018 Official Calendar was released in January and features some of the very talented ladies that we have had the pleasure of interviewing throughout the years. Gracing the cover are the extremely talented twin sisters from the United Kingdom, Mona and Lisa Wagner. The MonaLisa Twins’ love for the ’60s
and sounds from that era has influenced them as musicians with an emphasis on rhythm, lead guitar and a great backbeat from the drums. Their sound is unique in today’s music landscape but bears a striking resemblance to the sounds of perhaps the most influential decade of our past- the 1960s. Their recent album Orange was released last Fall to rave reviews.
The artists featured in our calendar cross all genres of music from rock, blues, soul, and pop to country and Latin pop/reggae. Meet the women of Guitar Girl Magazine’s 2018 Calendar. 14 Guitar Girl Magazine
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October Guitar Gabby
December Sasha Vallely
November Vanessa Izabella
2019 Pre-Planner ChĂŠ Zuro The calendar can be purchased on our website at http://guitargirlmag.com/shop/. GGM
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GEAR: NEW
Cort Guitars Sunset TC Election Guitar Retail $599
Cort’s Sunset TC electric guitar combines retro style with classic sound in a unique hybrid T-style and LP style design. Ideal for rock, blues, country, pop and funk, the Sunset TC is a simple yet versatile instrument with an authentic vintage vibe that will appeal to roots-oriented players. The ash body is lightweight with distinctive grain patterns providing a distressed finish and is available in Worn Butter Blonde or Worn White Blonde. Neck is bolted on and made of hard maple with a jatoba fingerboard with a 9.45’’ radius on a 25.5” scale. Duncan Designed® P90-1 bridge pickup and TE103B neck pickup create a T-style twang and P90-style bark. One volume pot and one tone pot with 3-pickup selector, vintage-style tuning machine heads and knobs, and nickel hardware. cortguitars.com/en
Cort Guitars CJ-Retro Jumbo Acoustic-Electric Retail $429.99 Cort’s new CJ-Retro, a jumbo-sized acoustic-electric guitar, features a classic, full-size jump body in a Vintage Sunburst Matte finish with top-mounted controls and is made with spruce top and mahogany backs, sides and neck. The nut and saddle are specially formulated Graphtech Nubone XB. Electronics include a one-volume, two-band Fishman Neo-D magnetic humbucker and Fishman VTB EQ preamp. Dual rectangular inlays add pleasing aesthestics to the Merbau fingerboard, finishing off the vintage-retro look with vintage-style nickel open gear tuners with white oval knobs. cortguitars.com/en
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GEAR: NEW
Martin Guitar New Summer Models OM-Arts & Crafts 2018 This is the third instrument from Martin that pays homage to the Arts & Crafts design movement that dates back to the late 1800s and often presents in the form of romantic, folk, or medieval style decoration. The movement was thought to be anti-industrial and advocated for economic and social reform. This ornate orchestra model features Arts & Crafts inspired pearl inlay designs throughout, paired with German white oak back and sides and Adirondack spruce top with a Guatemalan rosewood headplate, fingerboard, and bridge. The tonewoods for this guitar were selected for their significance in the movement because they were used by craftspersons and designers as alternatives to traditional industrial materials and excel tonally in the voice of the guitar. The OM-Arts & Crafts includes a comfortable highperformance neck, a Vintage Tone System (VTS) top, and vintage copper open gear tuners. This model is limited to 100 instruments and includes an engraved plate label signed by Chris Martin IV. $13,999 D-28 Bigsby Martin partnered with Gretsch to debut a second Merle Travis inspired model that pays tribute to the artist and the guitar he made famous in the late 1940s. Merle Travis is one of the most important guitar players of all time and is known for his unique playing style that is still known by guitarists as “Travis Picking.” The D-28 Bigsby is built on the foundation of a newly reimagined D-28 (2017) and is
crafted with East Indian rosewood and features a maple high-performance taper neck fitted with the Bigsby headstock. The maple neck offers a unique tonal quality that adds sustain and brightness and pairs nicely with the warmth and depth of rosewood. The interior label is numbered and signed by Chris Martin IV and Fred Gretsch. $3,999 Jimmy Buffett Custom Legendary artist and chief Parrot Head, Jimmy Buffett, has used Martin guitars throughout his career, with multiple Martin signature models in his collection. Always looking for new and exciting instruments, Jimmy was inspired when he discovered Chris Martin’s CEO-6 Black model from 2013. Along with his guitar tech Dan Cook, Jimmy worked with the Martin Custom Shop to create a version of this guitar all his own. The result is a striking, sloped shoulder dreadnought finished completely with black lacquer and Jimmy’s signature mother of pearl palm tree swaying in the breeze on the headstock. The Jimmy Buffett Custom features a comfortable highperformance neck, a Fishman pick up, and a customized interior label bearing Jimmy Buffett’s signature. The model is released as Jimmy debuts his theatrical production “Escape to Margaritaville” which is currently running on Broadway before setting off on a national tour. As one might imagine, the show includes a slew of Martin guitars and ukuleles. $5,999 D-16EPD Poker Dogs Inspired by classic Americana art from artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, this playful guitar features a 1903 painting called A Friend in Need, which is printed on a Sitka spruce top. The artwork
is part of a series of 16 oil paintings that were commissioned by Brown & Bigelow in the 1900s to advertise cigars. The Style 16 Dreadnought guitar includes sycamore tonewoods, a high-performance taper neck, and comes equipped with Matrix VT Enhance™ electronics. $2,799 Konter Ukulele The Konter Ukulele may be the most valuable ukulele in the world. It was owned by Richard Konter, “Ukulele Dick,” who joined Admiral Richard Byrd’s famed expedition to the North Pole in 1926. During the expedition, he obtained signatures at every opportunity, including those of all 45 crew members of the Admiral Byrd expedition and the Admiral himself. It’s the only artifact that traveled to the North Pole because it was smuggled under the seat of the airplane. The ukulele also made a trip to the White House and was signed by President Calvin Coolidge, along with the vice president, the secretary of state, the secretary of the Navy, Theodore Roosevelt Jr., Amelia Earhart, Thomas Edison, and many, many more. The soprano ukulele contains more than 210 signatures. The replica includes all signatures, which have been carefully laser-etched into the beautiful koa wood. The soprano ukulele also features vintage style violin peg tuners and a replica of the original interior label. $2,499
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GEAR: NEW
DE Black Walnut and GPCE Black Walnut
Monel, Martin’s new banjo strings maximize the driving, rich sound of your instrument without sacrificing brilliance and clarity. Vega® Banjo strings are designed to honor one of the most respected names in banjo history for over two centuries. The new Monel banjo strings are available in Medium (10) gauge (V740). Martin will continue to offer their existing nickel-wound banjo strings with newly refreshed packaging. $4.99 Martin banjo strings offer: • Warm, natural tone • Strong mid-range response • Great playability
Martin chose black walnut tonewood for its rich, warm color and its clear, bright trebles. Walnut produces the perfect amount of bass, resulting in a well-balanced guitar, ideal for recording, performing, and songwriting. The look of walnut stands out and is a great choice for those seeking a sound in between rosewood and mahogany (with a tinge of koa). The DE Black Walnut (Dreadnought) and GPCE Black Walnut (Grand Performance) limited edition models are finished with a gorgeous ambertone shaded top. They offer ultimate playability and comfort with the finest Martin-made strings, and come equipped with premium Fishman® Matrix VT Enhance™ electronics, so that you sound as great amplified as you do unplugged. $2,649
version of the DRSG is a great sounding guitar at an affordable price. New to this model are white binding and a multistrip top inlay, which give it a unique look in the series. Like the DRSG, it has a Richlite® fingerboard and bridge, gloss body, hand-rubbed neck finish, and Fishman® Sonitone electronics. This guitar is Road-ready to join you on all of your adventures! $1,499 Banjo Strings A good banjo string is a lightning rod for the very best of what’s in your fingertips. Made from longlasting, naturally corrosion-resistant
000RSG With a Sitka spruce top and siris back and sides, this solid wood Auditorium
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Mandolin Strings Find the warmest, deepest sound in your mandolin with this articulate, balanced, long-lasting set of strings. Made to amplify the natural tone of your instrument, Martin mandolin strings are designed to sound resonant and broken-in from day one and to live in the sweet spot of brightness for as long as you keep them on your instrument. With an even response and naturally corrosion-resistant design, Martin’s new mandolin strings are built so you can spend less time tuning and more time playing. The new Monel mandolin strings are available in Medium (11) gauge (M465). Martin will continue to offer their existing 80/20 bronze-wound mandolin strings with newly refreshed packaging. $5.99 Martin mandolin strings offer: • Rich, warm bass tone • Clear, brilliant treble • Easy playability
To learn more, visit martinguitar.com/new
GEAR: NEW
Washburn Guitars IDOL WIT16 VSK-D Street $799
Washburn Guitars IDOL WIS26 MRK-D Street $799
This model features a vintage sunburst design on the original IDOL body, USA Duncan® Stacked Tele pickups, a burled maple top, ash back, ebony fingerboard and hard maple neck, and features the Buzz Feiten tuning system. washburn.com
This metallic red copper guitar with the original IDOL body, USA ‘59/Cust5 Duncan pickups is wired with award-winning Variable Contour Control allowing the player to sweep through an infinite number of tone colors between humbucking and single coil. The top, back and neck are mahogany, and the fingerboard is ebony and features the Buzz Feiten tuning system. washburn.com
Guild USA F-512 Starting at $4,630 MSRP Guild’s F-512’s jumbo shape 12-string acoustic has a solid AAA Sitka spruce top, solid Indian rosewood back and sides, and scalloped Adirondack spruce braces making this model lighter and more refined than ever. Decorated with Guild’s classic MOP V-block inlays, railroad track fingerboard purfling, and fully bound traditional headstock, players will feel like they are holding a piece of history while starting their own. The F-512 is finished with Nitrocellulose and is available in Natural or Antique Burst with the option of an LR Baggs pickup. Comes in a premium hardshell case. guildguitars.com
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GEAR: NEW
Guild USA Starfire IV ST-12 $1,800 MSRP Guild’s new Starfire IV ST-12 is a thinbody semi-hollow electric with the added power of 6 more strings! The new Starfire IV ST-12 offers guitarists that retro choral, jangly guitar tone defined by the Beatles and The Byrds in the 1960s with modern enhancements. Features include an all-mahogany body, solid spruce center block and rosewood fingerboard. It’s thin and comfortable mahogany neck with maple center seam is anything but “clubby”. For this re-issue, Guild made a few key adjustments to its former 12-string electric, the Starfire XII made from ‘66-’74. This modern version has a Tune-OMatic bridge with a stopbar tailpiece for increased sustain and stability, imperative for keeping those extra strings in tune. The Starfire IV ST-12 includes dual LB-1 “Little Bucker” pickups, replicas of Guild’s original smaller size humbucking pickups. It is available in Aspen Green and Cherry Red and includes a hardshell case. guildguitars.com
Guild USA B-240E Basses B-240E- $695 MSRP B-240E Fretless - $695 MSRP Guild is introducing two new basses based on features from their B-50 acoustic bass design from the mid-1970s, the new Westerly Collection B-240E and B-240EF (fretless) are built with a solid Sitka spruce top over an arched mahogany back and mahogany sides. The B-240E features an ebony fingerboard and bridge, slim C shape neck profile, 1 5/8” bone nut and bone saddle, tortoiseshell pickguard, and a mother-of-pearl rosette. The B-240EF comes fretless with maple fret lines. Both acoustic basses may also be amplified through onboard Fishman Sonitone Bass pickups and come with a deluxe padded gig bag. guildguitars.com
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GEAR: NEW
Yamaha Acoustic-Electric Guitars A4K and AC4K MSRP $2,400
ACK4
AK4
Adding to the A Series, the solid-koa guitars are a limited edition run with only 75 of each model being made available. Features include all-solid koa top, back, and sides, Yamaha’s new scalloped bracing pattern, and SRT2 pickup system to include volume, treble and bass control knobs. yahama.com
Fender Player Series – Electric Guitars and Basses Fender has released a new line of electric guitars and basses targeted for aspiring players. This new line of instruments are for players “ready to take that next step in their musical journey” according to Fender’s press release. The Player Series replaces the Standard Series and will be versatile enough to handle all genres of music. Features will include Alnico pickups for all models, updated body radii, 22 fret necks, upgraded bridges, fresh, bold colors and a revised classic logo for a more traditional look. With 94 SKUs across 21 models and hero colors including Sage Green, Polar White, Tide Pool, Butter Cream, and Sonic Red, artists and players can express themselves in limitless ways. The price range is from $649.99 to $774.99. fender.com
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GEAR: NEW Heritage
G7th 12 string capos g7th.com After 2 years of development work, G7th announced a solution for 12 string capos. According to the company, their patent-pending “Compensated String Pad” design for the Newport and Heritage capo models “allows for the heavy and octave strings to be fretted at the same time and with the same pressure, eliminating the need for excessive tension.” Using the flip-lever and adjustment knob of the Newport range, the updated 12 string model allows for quick and easy adjustments, meaning you can dial in exactly the tension you require and feel confident that an extreme retune won’t be needed. Coupling the Compensated String Pad with G7th’s ground breaking ART (Adaptive Radius Technology), the Heritage capo for 12 strings continues to provide maximum tuning stability with the minimum tension required over all 12 strings.
Newport
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INTERVIEWS
First Aid Kit: Creativity, Gear, and Music By Lindsey Borders
Photo by Neil Krug
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INTERVIEWS
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wedish sister duo First Aid Kit has become known worldwide since the popular cover of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” was featured on the duo’s YouTube channel over ten years ago. Since then, sisters, Klara and Johanna Söderberg, have released four albums, two EPs, and a slew of singles. Their latest album, Ruins, was released in January of this year, and the duo has been touring relentlessly and is currently on a world tour through December of this year. Klara and Johanna eagerly took the time, while on the road, to fill us in on their writing and creative process, their gear (especially their special ones that mean the most to them), growing up with music, and their female peers. How do you manage the creative process of writing songs and music between the two of you? Klara Söderberg: It’s different for each song; some songs take ten minutes to write, and some are more like puzzles that take years to complete. I usually come up with the initial idea, and then we work to finish the song together. Johanna is more organized than me, so she helps me take all my ideas and make them into fully formed songs.
My favorite guitar is my acoustic Gibson from 1928.
You both play guitar, although Johanna plays keyboards, autoharp, and bass guitar. What gear do you guys use, and are there any other instruments that either of you play? Johanna Söderberg: I play short scale basses. I play a Hoffner club bass and a Fender Mustang bass. The Hoffner is so light and easy to play, and it sounds beautiful live. The Fender is a vintage one from ‘66; it’s amazing. I don’t play keyboards anymore, but I used to play a NORD, with my own MainStage samples. I have a lot of autoharps, but my favorite is my electric one from Oscar Schmidt, the OS150FCE model. That’s it in terms of instruments I play, for now. I have this old vintage Gibson mandolin that Jack White gifted me that I really want to start playing live soon. Klara: I have a couple of different guitars I tour with. I had these two beautiful acoustic guitars custom made for me recently; they are by a Swedish luthier named David Sundberg. I also play Jeff Tweedy’s signature Martin Guitar. When I play electric guitar, I either play a Fender Stratocaster or Telecaster, the classic ones. I love old guitars, but they’re too fragile to tour with! My favorite guitar is my
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acoustic Gibson from 1928. It is custom made and absolutely stunning. I wish I could take it on the road, but it would be too much of a risk. You both are currently promoting your new album, Ruins, and will be on tour through December. What do you look forward to the most about touring? Klara: It’s easy to forget that your songs have a life of their own when you’re at home. When we get on the road, it’s a constant reminder that people live with our songs and that they have a special meaning for people. It’s one of the best things about touring, getting to meet our fans and feel that connection with them. We also just love to play music, and our band is so cool! It’s such a treat getting to rock out with them every night. Growing up, did you both always want to pursue music together? Johanna: When we were kids, we were always singing, but not necessarily together. Klara started writing songs on her own when she was around 12. When she recorded her first demos to upload on Myspace, I added harmonies to the recordings. We thought it sounded pretty good and did a first live show together as First Aid Kit. We officially formed the band after that show. We then started to write songs together. It’s only until later that we realized we had something really special together with the sibling harmonies. Who are some of your female peers that inspire both of you and with whom you’d like to possibly collaborate one day? Johanna: Oh, there are so many, and too many to list! We mostly listen to music made by women; I guess because we can relate more, maybe. We’ve been huge fans of Laura Marling since she released her very first songs. She’s about the same age as us and has just been killing it musically since she started. We love her guitar playing especially. Jenny Lewis is another big inspiration for us. When we started out, we basically tried to write songs like the ones from Rabbit Fur Coat. She has this amazing live energy. Our other favorites are Neko Case, Julia Jacklin, Angel Olsen, Mitski, Big Thief, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Alela Diane.
INTERVIEWS
Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell of the Powerhouse Duo Larkin Poe By Lisa Lim
Photo courtesy of Larkin Poe
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lassically trained in music at an early age by their parents, these sisters took that background in music and transitioned into a style of their own utilizing traditional folk instruments into an Americana, rock-infused, Southern style, defining it as a roots rock genre, blended with blues. Sisters Rebecca and Megan Lovell took on the band name Larkin Poe in 2010 based on their family historytheir great-great-great-grandfather was a distant cousin of Edgar Allen Poe. How does the writing process work with you and your sister? Does one write the lyrical content while the other commandeers the musical content? Rebecca: Every which way, I would say. Megan, how would you say? Megan: Yeah, we approach it in many different ways. Rebecca usually commandeers the lyrics and I’ll help with the music. But, she’s definitely kind of our musical leader in the band. So, she heads it up and I add my finishing touches here and there. Rebecca: You’re the finesse in everything we do. Are there ever any creative differences between the two of you? Megan: I feel we’re so lucky that we are on the same page since we’ve been
playing music together. We’ve played music together since early childhood, and professionally for over a decade now. We move together so easily while we’re creating. We feel very lucky to have that sort of close sibling bond. Rebecca: Absolutely. We share very similar musical tastes. Like all my favorite bands are Megan’s favorite bands and what we aspire to create together, we always have a shared vision. We do not take it lightly. We’re very lucky that we do walk in lockstep, you know, nine times out of ten, especially at this point, in our musical relationship. I think at the outset, everyone has to figure out their differences. You and I are just like, you know, two souls split, entwined. You hear people talk about there being a connection between twins. I get that vibe with you two. You two are so in sync with one another. Rebecca: We feel the twin connection, even though we aren’t twins. But,
in our entire life, we have never spent more than two or three weeks apart. That’s for 28 years. That’s a considerable amount of time to spend with a person. So, all the time, we’ll experience, sitting in the car and will just randomly break into the same song, at the same moment. We look at each other like, that’s so weird. Our minds are working like maybe we saw something out of the window and it triggered something inside our head. Then our brains just went to the same place. It’s very strange. Megan: What I think is the most fun about having spent the last decade in a band together touring the world is the overlap of shared memory that we have together. All the different references and inside jokes that we’re able to share that seem like total nonsense to any outsider. We have sort of this strong like gang bond. It’s a little ridiculous at times and sort of unnerving. But, at the same time, it really helps us make music effortlessly together.
Excerpts from February 12, 2018 interview by Lisa Lim Sister Duo Larkin Poe Talk Peach, Performing, Gear and Goals
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INTERVIEWS
By Steph Castor Photo: “Resilient” Art Work
Using music is a tool and a catalyst for betterment in our communities
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isters Chloe Smith and Leah Song make up the Southern-based folk band Rising Appalachia, along with bandmates David Brown on upright bass and baritone guitar and Biko Casini on world percussion. Hailing from Atlanta, the sisters were raised on music from the Appalachian Mountains frequently attending fiddle camps and music gatherings in the region.
muster up the energy for the public every night on stage. There was a deeper need to internalize and be more private, to sit with the bones of our work and re-envision what we would be doing in the years to come.”
Longtime social and environmental activists, the sisters have been involved in the rebuilding efforts following Katrina and protests at Standing Rock against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Their recent single “Resilient” is described as “an anthem for seeking calm in the chaos-storm that has descended upon America and the world at large.” The song was
“Resilient” is Rising Appalachia’s first release since their 2017 album Alive and is a beautiful, uplifting song highlighting the sisters’ stunning vocals and multi-instrumental talents. The band has been busy touring and back in the studio recording, but took the time to talk to GMM about “Resilient,” their experience as females in the music industry, and their roles as musicians.
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written while the sisters were touring the Pacific Coast during the 2016 presidential election. “I needed to hear those very words myself... to remind me to be my highest self in the face of chaos and adversity, and to use my platform to encourage others to do the same,” says Chloe. She continues, “...honestly, with so much animosity in the country, it was challenging to
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INTERVIEWS The photo and video for “Resilient” show the two of you, among others, with a simple yet stunning color scheme, diverse representation, and poetic choreography. What can you tell us about the visual representation of the song? The video was filmed in New York City, one of the world’s biggest melting pots, with some of our favorite dancers in the world. We wanted to represent resiliency in a stark and stripped back way, simply focusing the video on each dancers’ interpretation of the lyrics with up-close, personal, and dynamic shots. The art here is skin tone, muscle tone, honed craft, expression, and our common humanity as movers in this world. Leah and I sing straight at the camera for pretty much the first time ever, inviting the viewer directly into the conversation of what it means to be resilient. We want people to take this word and this song into their own lives, personalizing it and garnering its strength. Describe what it’s been like for the two of you to maneuver through the music industry, not only as women but as sisters. There are so many sides to this coin of “women in the music industry” question. Leah and I have been performing folk music together under Rising Appalachia for 12 years now. It’s been difficult, rewarding, uplifted by incredible men along the way, challenging to be seen at times, and very much family centered at its origin. Because we are sisters, there were very natural and unstructured beginnings to this project that formed a different sort of foundation than your standard band approach. We began playing music to complement a path that was already full of travel, activism, and an ‘un-schooled’ education as opposed to starting a band to take us to some place of stardom. Without fully realizing it, we forged our own music management concepts and basically learned how to run a business as well as an expansive art project. Art makes industry, industry does not
make art. Industry helps art, but can’t create it. We have always felt that the standard way that musicians worked was not the structure we wanted to pursue. We take a more feminine, family, gentle, healthy approach to our work. The fact that we are sisters has helped us stay true to our vision. It’s a balanced partnership that helps both of us navigate the many ups and downs of this work. What specific cultural responsibilities do you feel you have inherited as strong women in the folk music scene? As women in the folk music scene, we really value femininity and running a female-forward, family-forward platform. We quite literally inherited that from our parents and our Georgia musical community, whom all taught us the ropes of folk music and showing up for each other in high times and low. We believe that the role of the artist should be to question social norms. Music is a tool and a catalyst for betterment in our communities. It’s always been a cultural tool for social change and a platform for dialog around justice issues in our world. We work to utilize our platform as musicians to help promote social and environmental justice causes with the aim of educating and inspiring positive change. It’s a give and receive system. We have learned from our powerful fans about how they are each touched to make changes in their own lives. We all need that momentum from each other to live in a fully integrated way. That is the most valuable kind of progress. What are some challenges you face on the road as sisters? Is there any separation from home life? You know, I think our sisterhood has kept this project alive and breathing for the most part. When one of us is about to collapse, the other one can step in and take the torch. We know that about each other so well. We also know every button to push, but mostly we are allies to each other. We try to take time off to just hang out together and keep our friendship strong, and there is never any doubt about where
the loyalists lie. We keep a strong balance. If you had to sum up your musical endeavor and overall mission in one word, what would it be? Melting pot. Sorry, that’s two words, but I think that Rising Appalachia is a melting pot of folk music. Simplistic, textured songwriting that highlights vocal harmonies and incorporates elements of clawhammer banjo, fiddle, double bass, and acoustic guitar, along with world percussion such as the djembe, barra, and bodhran. We also like to feature a lot of spoken word. Our goal is for Rising Appalachia to be both genre-bending and familiar at the same time. Like I mentioned earlier, we work to utilize our platform as musicians to help promote social and environmental justice causes with the aim of educating and inspiring positive change. The melting pot is the best flavoring at the end of the day when all these ingredients come together and bring the music out beyond the stage and into the layers of daily life. How can musicians better yet equally represent the unheard voices of our generation in such a volatile political era? If all musicians used their platforms and strived to create a bigger impact on their audiences, encouraging people to create dialogues and join forces in local community building, the world would be a better place, especially in this volatile political era we live in. With Rising Appalachia, we try and make each live performance a myriad of experiences: a dance party, a place of nurture, a dialogue about how to uplift communities, a political questioning, a call to action, a respite. We hope that every song will reach somewhere that we may never know, and that it brings a moment of place back into someone’s life. ANNDDD that we are all entitled to a music, a story, and a sound that is telling our story, that we are making and holding our own traditions, and we need everyone’s voice – through this, we can give the unheard voices of our generation a way to be heard.
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INTERVIEWS Daniela
You’ve Been Warned:
How The Warning went from video game players to rock band musicians By Michael Dowdell
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t is not every day that you hear of a band that started from playing the popular music video game Rock Band to ultimately becoming a real performing rock band only to have the game maker choose one of your singles to be featured on the video game. Well, the creative young
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sisters behind The Warning were able to make it past the video game’s TV screen and into the real world of music. The three sisters, Daniela, Paulina, and Alejandra Villarreal, from Monterrey, Mexico, are now touring around Mexico and the U.S., showcasing their musical talent. It was the cover of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” uploaded to their YouTube channel in 2014 that went viral and has to date garnered over 17 million views, which got the attention of Ellen DeGeneres and an appearance on her show. With an EP under their belt from 2015 (Escape The Mind) and a debut
INTERVIEWS
Photo by Dany Tamez
to use when performing in front of thousands of fans. “You Have Been Warned!” These girls are on the rise and ones to watch! You all started in music so young, attending your first music camp as toddlers. Were your parents’ musicians or did they come from a musical background? No, our parents are not musicians, but they are hardcore music lovers, and our Dad used to own a recording studio here in Monterrey so naturally, we grew up surrounded by music. We just had another interview on our site where the artist talked about learning a musical instrument on Rock Band. Your bio states the video game was very influential in deciding what instruments you would play. How old were you all when you started, which instruments did each of you gravitate to, and how often did you play? Dany: Yes! Rock Band was a huge inspiration for us; we played it like every day! It was great playing together! Pau usually went straight for the drum set, and I grabbed a guitar and, well, Ale was still too young to play, but she still danced around while we played. We were eight, six and three at the time.
Alejandra
I think the three of us are really married to the idea of playing until we’re really old since we have so much fun doing it.
album from 2017 (XXI Century Blood), the band has announced they will heading to LA to record their second studio album. The girls are the perfect blend of newage rock and roll and old school rock to produce music their fans love. It was a pleasure to learn more about The Warning, and to hear from Dany, Pau and Ale themselves on what inspires their music and what gear they like
When did you transition over to real instruments? Dany: I was eight years old when I picked up the guitar and found out it was very different than the one in the game! I didn’t have a very hard time with notes and stuff thanks to the piano, because we all play the piano. Pau: With Rock Band, my Dad found out that I had very good coordination for my age and since I loved playing the drums in the game, that’s the instrument I chose to learn to play for real. I started at the age of six. Ale: Although I didn’t get to play Rock Band, I still enjoyed watching them play! I don’t know why but my first choice to pick as an instrument to
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INTERVIEWS play was the harp! But I’m glad I didn’t choose that because I really love the sound and feel of the bass. Although I got my bass at the age of six, I didn’t start playing until I was seven and was big enough to hold it! Never intentionally intending to start a band, it was your practice video of Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” that was uploaded to YouTube in 2014 that went viral that made the decision for you. That video has garnered over 17 million views! Besides Metallica, what other bands have influenced your music? We really listen to every type of music
there is, from classical music to pop, and I think that all of that has really influenced our music. I think the bands that have influenced us the most, besides Metallica, of course, have been Muse, My Chemical Romance, Queen, and Pink Floyd. Are there any female musicians that have inspired you? Yes! A lot actually, but to name a few, Hailey Williams, Esperanza Spalding, Sheila E., and Lzzy Hale. What a fantastic opportunity you had to be on the Ellen Show. Tell us about
Paulina Photo by Dany Tamez
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that opportunity. It was indeed amazing from the time they first contacted us to invite us on the show! We had to prepare a short version of a song to play, and we played “Crazy Train” by Ozzy. We were a bit nervous about our performance since we knew that millions of people were going to watch it! We were shocked when we found ourselves backstage moments before meeting Ellen. We didn’t meet her until the show, so our reactions to seeing her in person were what you saw on TV! We were smiling from ear to ear the whole time and a lot of the time after that!
INTERVIEWS Harmonix Music Systems was so impressed with the story of your early beginnings of learning your musical instruments on Rock Band that they included one of your singles on Rock Band 4. Which single did they choose and why? At that time, we had only released an EP of our earliest compositions, so we were just getting the hang of it when Harmonix surprised us with this great opportunity. The song that we chose to be on Rock Band 4 is “Free Falling,” and now we are very happy to have a second song in the game! This one is called “Survive,” and it’s from our first album XXI Century Blood.
Exciting. Congrats on that. Has becoming musicians together strengthened the sister bond that you all share, or have you always been very close? Dany: We’ve always been very, very close as sisters. We are best friends, but I still think that playing together does make us closer. It’s very cool that I get to play with my sisters; it’s extremely fun, and I think I speak for all of us that we love playing music together. Do each of you have separate idols who helped shape you into the artist you have become? Ale: Paul McCartney Pau: Neil Peart Dany: David Gilmore Are one of you considered the “leader” in the band in making the decisions when making music, creating videos, touring, and the direction the group will take? Not really. Since the three of us are always very into what we are doing, we have a very nice balanced way of dividing the work between ourselves, and since we have a great team, all the decision making isn’t up to only us, which really helps. How about the songwriting process? How do the three of you collaborate on the lyrics, instruments, and melody? The song usually starts with Pau playing the piano and creating basic melodies which then become vocal lines. She then starts spitting some lyrics, and once she has a line or two, she shows it to us, and we finish the song together. Same thing if another one of us starts the song. After the song is finished on the piano, the three of us starts putting the other instruments to the song. Tell us about your gear. Ale: I play with a Spector bass and Orange Amp which Dany and I are sponsored by. Dany: I play with two guitars at the
moment; a guitar made by the luthier Rick Toone, and I am sponsored by Manson guitars and play the Manson MA-2 EVO-S. Pau: I’m sponsored by my favorite cymbal company, Sabian! Since you all began your music careers so young, do you hope to continue to make music for many years? I think the three of us are really married to the idea of playing until we’re really old since we have so much fun doing it. We all just want to keep writing and playing for the longest time possible! Outside of music, what other hobbies and interests do each of you have? We like to read, draw, watch anime, listen to music, play video games. Really just anything a normal teenager also does. What music are you listening to today? We like listening to My Chemical Romance, Panic At The Disco, Muse, Fall Out Boy, Pierce The Veil, and Shinedown, to name a few. Do you have any rituals you perform before going on stage? We usually gather the team and say a little prayer and then run up on stage. Your debut album, XXI CENTURY BLOOD, was released in March of last year and you’ve been performing since then. What can fans expect for the remainder of 2018? Well, we’re planning on playing as much as we can, and we’re currently working on our second album! But so far this year has been great! A lot of unforgettable things have happened like opening the two nights for The Killers in Monterrey’s Arena and playing at the Hell & Heaven Festival in Mexico City with a lot of bands that we admire so much like Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth, Deep Purple, Scorpions, and so many others.
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INTERVIEWS
Sister Trio Southern Halo: Sisterhood is like having a built-in best friend By Tara Low
Photo by Chuck Arlund Left to right are: Natalia, Hannah, and Christina
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INTERVIEWS
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ountry music trio, Southern Halo, from the small town of Cleveland, Mississippi, have been busy making a name for themselves in the industry with their music, which has been described as “a blend of multiple Country styles, current Alt. Pop vibes and a dash of Southern Rock,” along with their beautiful harmonies. Southern Halo are Morris sisters Natalia (principal songwriter, guitarist, lead vocalist), Hannah (bass), and Christina (drums). Recently relocating to Nashville, the sisters have released a new concept album Just Like In The Movies, new music videos, toured, and most recently performed at CMA Fest. Natalia, you’re the guitarist in the group. When did you first start playing guitar and how did your sisters get involved with the instruments they play? Natalia: I actually started off playing the piano at age six, and I loved it so much that I just continued playing it. Then about six years later when I was twelve years old, I found an old Taylor guitar in my dad’s closet, and I really wanted to learn how to play that, as well. Knowing the piano first kind of helped me to learn other instruments very easily, and I just picked up the guitar really well. Then my sisters actually wanted to play an instrument as soon as they figured out I was playing. So, they picked out some instruments that basically suited their personality. Christina is the middle child, and she is super crazy, so she instantly took to the drums. And she’s just loved it ever since. Christina: And this is definitely evident on stage! Me being the drummer, I’m also the middle child, which makes me crazy. Definitely, a lot of drummers have that persona. Hannah: And me being the baby of the group, the bass player, I’m very laid back and chill, so my personality just fits my instrument really well. You’re known for your harmonies. What are your backgrounds in vocal and how did you develop your style? Christina: Growing up we have always listened to the classics and lots of musical groups that had great harmonies like Fleetwood Mac and the Dixie Chicks. We said to each other, ‘why can’t we be like that? Let’s just do what they’re doing.” So, we each picked up different parts of the harmonies and here we are today. Natalia: I would like to add that when we were like little kids, we went to music camps at the university in our hometown, Delta State University. I would
have to say that also helped define our voices. We were given little pieces to sing, and they grouped us together since we were sisters. Ever since we did that one camp, we were just like, wow… we really loved singing together! So, we kind of just ran with it after that. You’re obviously a very close-knit family, and your parents are very supportive of your musical career. Share with us one family value that has given you the drive to pursue your career in the highly competitive music industry? Natalia: Yes, my parents are extremely supportive, and they’re really cool. Dad even let us turn his garage into a band room–he took down all his cars! He’s a radiologist, so he gets to take his work with him on the road and Mom drives the bus. So, every show is literally like a family vacation. As to one family value, I would have to say Mom and Dad’s hard work ethic. We’ve grown up constantly watching them always support us, always love us, and just work so hard so we could live a great life. The only way I can really think of to pay them back for that is to work just as hard as them. They’re very, very inspirational and such great parents. They’ve been really good at teaching us that if you really want something in life, you have to work really hard at it- put those 10,000 hours into anything, and you will be the best at it. The band has been so busy with interviews, writing, performing, photo shoots and videos, and all the things that come along with pursuing a career in music, how do you still find time for yourself, and what does being yourself include? Natalia: For me, it’s all about time management. That’s something I think everybody learns as you grow up in life- taking on a busy life and still finding time for a social life, as well. So, we’re good with time management- set aside a few hours for school, a few hours for music, road time, and even time to fit in friends. Socializing and networking are very important, especially growing up in the music industry. That’s what the girls and I have definitely learned. And it also helps growing up in a really cute, small town because it’s so easy to stay connected with our friends. We always find time to hang out with them on the weekends, go support the football games and basketball games, all those fun things. Christina: I know any time that we’ve come home from a gig or radio tour, it’s great for all of
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INTERVIEWS
us to just try to recollect ourselves. As for time management, we do our work, of course, and then we use our other time to have fun because you can’t have work without play. For me, I just love to use my time fishing, mud riding, any kind of crazy outdoor adventure. Hannah: I would have to say we each have a hobby that we love to do, so Natalia is really into working out and nutrition, Christina loves her mud riding and fishing, and then me, I really love to find time to just deal with animals. I’m actually an equestrian, so I like to go out to the barn and ride a little bit. And I always have time for my friends on the side. As sisters, how does the band operate? Natalia, as the oldest sibling, do you take on more of the leadership role for the group or do you guys all have equal input? How does all that play out? You know that was something that we also learned growing up. We’ve been doing this since about 2009 I would have to say. We’ve learned a lot, especially being together so close in age, growing up in the music industry. We taught ourselves, and our parents have also helped teach us, that it’s us three against the world. Work together. And we’re literally best friends, too. So, anytime that an argument ever arose, the girls and I just really worked our hardest to always overcome that. And back to the leadership thing, I wouldn’t really say that I’m the leader or anything, but I am the oldest sister, so I do have that mentality of guiding my sisters in the right way. But the great thing about my sisters is they are just so cool, and we are all so different that we learn from each other. We have learned to work together with our differences and our different personalities. And that makes us even stronger. What does sisterhood mean to you? Hannah: Literally everything. It’s just great to have someone always there for you. Natalia: Sisterhood is like having a built-in best friend. And you know that you always have somebody right there who’s always got your back. Built-in best friends.
Christina: Sisterhood is great! We literally do everything together, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. Because, I don’t know about you guys, but I would probably not do so well on my own. You guys are like my built-in system. Since you all have different artists that have influenced you, how do the three of you approach the writing process? Natalia: We each do have our different influences in the industry. I gravitate toward country artists, Christina gravitates toward rock artists, and Hannah loves pop songs. We each get together, and we don’t try to be like really anyone else. We just try to bring all of our influences together and then turn it into Southern Halo. That’s what makes Southern Halo today. As for the writing process, I’ve been playing the guitar and piano since I was really, really young and I started writing songs at a very young age, as well. So usually I mainly write the lyrics by myself. Then I come together with my two sisters, and they help me build the song musically and kind of produce the song. So, we come together and make a song the way it sounds today. It’s really fun, and they’re a lot of fun to work with. What about your gear? What brand of instruments do you play? We are endorsed by Gibson, so whenever we go to Europe they let us borrow instruments from the Gibson factory, so we don’t have to take all of our equipment overseas. Christina has a great Gibson bass, and I have a beautiful Gibson J45 acoustic guitar and Les Paul. They’ve just been really sweet to us, and we just love their instruments. Any particular musicians who’ve had an impact on you? Hannah: I really love Tal Wilkenfeld. She’s a great bass player. Christina: Being a drummer and being obsessed with rock music, I just can’t get enough of Dave Grohl.
Excerpts From October 18, 2017 interview by Tara Low Sister trio Southern Halo
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INTERVIEWS Pictured L to R: Kathryn, Annika and Fiona Photo by Mary Caroline Mann
Honesty and trust in their sisterhood allow Von Grey’s creative process to flow By Victoria Shaffer
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omprised of sisters Annika, Fiona, and Kathryn, Von Grey is an innovative, electronicbased band whose sound and imagery lure’s listeners into a musically fantastic world. Classically trained multi-instrumentalist, Von Grey’s musical journey began at a young age, slowly transitioning into the distinctive sound fans have come to adore.
Alongside this notable music, is Von Grey’s outstanding use of eye-catching dark symbolism. This contagious combination of unique visual and aural experiences sets Von Grey up as an unmatched talent whose presence is near impossible to ignore. Following the release of their latest EP, Trinity in December of 2018, we
caught up with Von Grey, inquiring about their influences, how being sisters has impacted their music, and what fans can expect from them for the remainder of the year. Growing up, were your musical influences and tastes similar? Surprisingly, or maybe not so surprisingly, no! We’ve all definitely loved many of the same artists, but Annika’s taste has always skewed more alternative, Kathryn’s is more pop (Britney lover), and I generally dig more urban and soul music. At what age did you begin playing music together? We all started classical training when we were five or six and about three years in, we began experimenting with playing music together classical music first, then slowly found our way to more contemporary styles of music.
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INTERVIEWS At what age did you collectively decide to take it on professionally? Some time in our early teens we all decided we’d like to embark on a more serious musical path and began touring shortly after. Von Grey has such a distinct aesthetic; where was this derived from? Was it a collaborative process amongst the band? Thank you! We are all lovers of visual art and enjoy the process of working together to conceptualize our own visual content. Incredible photographers like Annie Leibovitz and Ansel Adams as well as many artists of other mediums have influenced us to create an aesthetic of purpose and let it manifest purposefully in our visuals. Have there been any sister groups, past or present, that have inspired your career or sound? There are so many incredible sister groups out there that have absolutely enthused us in our art. Tegan and Sara, CocoRosie, Heart, First Aid Kit... I can’t say that we’ve been influenced by one particular sister group, but there are several that we’re fans of and respect greatly. In the creative process, does each sister have an assigned role, or can this vary from song to song? Annika and I usually begin the songwriting process, although that can vary. Annika is an incredible poet and lyricist, and once the bones of the song are created, Kathryn adds musical embellishments and harmonic accents.
Do you feel there are any advantages to being a sister band that non-sibling bands may not have? Absolutely! Just growing up together and having had the ability to tour in close quarters very easily. We also have a creative understanding of each other’s musical background and our influences that, when we come together to create, we mesh well to form a collective vision and band. Are there any favored brand of instruments or gear amongst the ladies within Von Grey? We love KORG keyboards, Infiniti Drums, MOOG, and most anything made by Gibson. With the release of Trinity in December of 2017, is there a standout song that the band feels most proud to have created? “Poison In The Water” was an important song to us to release because of the lyrical content. The song was written during the last election, and it was our way of working through thoughts in lyric form that were politically charged, but not overtly obvious without knowing the backstory. We’re generally proud of the whole entire project and are excited to continue releasing music and remake a few songs off of Trinity in our upcoming release In Bloom.
How do you feel your relationship as sisters impacts your music? The honesty and trust in our sisterhood definitely allow for a creative process that encourages vulnerability and ultimately creates music that is unapologetically honest. We have also been singing together for so long that we’re able to improvise vocally in our live show and play off one another, which is very fun!
The “Poison in the Water” music video is visually outstanding and incredibly complimentary to the song. When creating the music, do you already have an idea of the images you’d like to have associated with it? Thank you very much! We do love to think of colors and landscapes when we are writing and recording. We had a loose concept for the “Poison In The Water” video before we completed the recording! It called for vast imagery and beautiful landscapes. That video was the first piece that we ever filmed and directed on our own, so very happy to hear you like it.
Do you feel there are any challenges sister bands face that other groups may not encounter? On the other side of our closeness as sisters, we have the dangerous power to push each other’s buttons at times! We’ve grown to be respectful of each other’s space, but it has come with challenges over the years.
What can fans expect from Von Grey for the remainder of 2018? We just wrapped up a spring tour, lots of exciting new visuals, we’re releasing an EP In Bloom of self-produced acoustic songs on July 20th, and hopefully, we’ll be rounding out our touring plans for the rest of the year soon.
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INTERVIEWS
Lucy
Angel:
Two Sisters, a Mom, and the family that creates their country sound By Tara Low
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ucy Angel is a country music trio consisting of Mother Kate and Sisters Lindsay and Emily. The entire Anderton family is behind the trio with the help of Dad, known as the G-Man, and brothers Jake and Fletcher. With lots of family support and band commitment, hard work, desire, oh, and talent, these ladies have been on one heck of a journey over the past ten years, and things are really heating up.
With their debut album Lucy Angel (2015), followed by singles “Yard Sale” and “Public Pool Party” in 2017, a 2015 TV docu-series entitled Discovering Lucy Angel, a brand-new single “Boyz II Men,” and fresh off the CMA Fest, it is an exciting time for the trio for sure. “Boyz II Men” is the first in a series of singles set to release in the coming months. Country pop tunes and catchy lyrics blended with the trio’s signature harmonies create upbeat and lighthearted melodies that will have you singing along in no time. Singles “Got Country” and “Yard Sale” have already garnered over 179K Spotify streams. We had a chance to get to know more about Lucy Angel from Kate’s beginning in music to how her daughters followed in her footsteps to create the trio. Family dynamics play
Pictured LtoR: Lindsay, Emily and Kate Photo by Jake Anderton
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INTERVIEWS an essential role in the band from music writing to touring and beyond. They shared with us how they overcame challenges, what guitars Emily and Kate love, touring, Jammie Jam, and what advice they have for aspiring artists. Kate, you began your career in country music as a solo performer. Tell us about your background in music, who were your musical influences, and why country music. I started singing and doing solo work at an early age in church and continued on in school and then musical theater productions in the San Francisco area. Music was always a huge part of my life growing up. My father sang with the San Francisco Opera before his military career. There was always music on in our home and particularly when we were stationed in Germany where there was no American television. I feel I was fortunate in having had a wide variety of musical influences growing up; from opera, classical, Broadway, Barbra Streisand, Carole King, to the Beatles. In college at Brigham Young University, I was one of four female vocalists in the touring group called The Young Ambassadors. It was there that I met my husband and we married that following year. I began my country music career when my husband introduced me to Tammy Wynette, Patsy Cline, and Loretta Lynn. Listening to the country classics inspired my love of country music. Shortly after I began singing country, my husband entered me in the Wrangler Country Showdown. I won for the state of Utah and traveled to Nashville for the finals where I had the amazing experience of singing on the Opry Stage. I started lessons in my early teens, and my first instrument was actually piano. I picked up guitar and mandolin about 16 years ago. Lindsay and Emily, I’m sure you were both influenced by your mother and growing up in a musical environment. How did each of you “join” in on the
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family venture? Lindsay, let’s start with you as you’re the older sister. Lindsay: Yes, I was very influenced by my Mom. She always sang while we were growing up and would involve us any way she could. I joined another trio that my Mom had when I was 12 where I had a crash course in 3-part harmonies via the Andrew Sisters and such. That segued us into having a duo together for several years and moving to Nashville. Emily finally decided to join in on the fun shortly after we moved to Nashville. Emily: We grew up singing as kids, and I always loved every minute of it. When we were young, Mom and Dad filmed 120 episodes of a children’s tv show (they acted and sang) and us kids made occasional cameos. Singing and performing was just the way of life. I watched Lindsay and Mom sing as a duo for several years prior to moving to Nashville and joining the band. Funny enough, I told Lindsay via text message that I wanted to join the band, and we’ve been singing together as a trio ever since. Emily, you play guitar. When did you start playing guitar and what inspired you to pick that instrument? When I was 19, my parents got me an acoustic guitar for Christmas, and I think I started taking lessons that next week. Do any of you play other instruments? Emily: Lindsay plays harmonica and a little guitar. I play guitar and ukulele. Mom plays mandolin and guitar. So, the band formed naturally? Emily: Yes, absolutely! Both Mom and Dad grew up performing and singing as kids and then, naturally, met in a singing group in college! They were married a year later and had Lindsay nine months after that. When we were young, Mom was offered a record deal but turned it down to stay at home with all of us kids. She still sang in bands and performed in plays, but she would always find a way to bring us
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along even if that meant getting us kids cast in the play. We put on Christmas shows at the mall with another family who had kids the same ages as us and loved every minute of it. When Lindsay was 12, she joined Mom’s trio called “Jasmine” and got her first experience singing harmonies. A few years later, Lindsay and Mom started singing as a duo. While I was still in high school, Lindsay and Mom performed six nights a week at The Damn Bar and Grill in Paige, AZ. It wasn’t until we made the move to Nashville that we became Lucy Angel. What’s the meaning behind the name Lucy Angel? Emily: The name comes from a World War II plane’s nose art! Mom is an Army brat, so the name is a nod to her military upbringing. You’ve been releasing several new singles lately, the latest of which is “Boyz II Men.” Tell us about the inspiration behind that song. We wrote this song with our brother Jake and Summer Overstreet. Jake is very observant because he had the title. We call it our public service announcement to women everywhere. Don’t waste your time trying to “fix/ change” someone. We wanted to reference the ‘90s, but also speak truth over a cool melody. “You know he ain’t the one,” “You can’t turn boys to men.” We also may have had some personal experience to draw from! On your Facebook page, you posted a video of the three of you playing “If This Was A Beach.” Loved it! Awe, thanks for watching the video! We had a lot of fun recording that acoustic video. We have been writing and collecting songs over the past year and are really happy with this little group of songs. I think every artist thinks their newest stuff is the best stuff they’ve ever written and performed, but we feel exactly that way about our new stuff.
INTERVIEWS What’s the songwriting process for Lucy Angel? Lately, we have been writing a lot with our brother Jake and Summer Overstreet. Five people writing one song could get a little crowded at times, but we have had so much fun and really love the vibe of the songs we are writing. AXS TV aired a docu-series Discovering Lucy Angel which gave viewers a “behind the scenes” look into your family, the music industry, and some of the struggles and challenges bands face. Can you share with us one major challenge you all met in your career and how you overcame that challenge? One of the biggest challenges we’ve overcome is learning to trust ourselves, believe in our ideas, and find our voice as a band. It wasn’t easy and honestly took years of gaining experience as writers, musicians, and singers to realize we can do this and don’t need to rely so heavily on other’s opinions. It’s always good to be open-minded and open to good ideas and suggestions, but also have a solid vision of who you are as a band. With all the challenges, there have also been many positives. You’ve traveled the world – all the way to China – and shared the stage with so many great artists. Is there any one particular moment that stands out in your mind? We have been very fortunate that our music has taken us on so many unforgettable adventures around the world. That being said, collectively, one of our greatest experiences so far is singing with Ronnie Milsap on his soon to be released duets album on our label G-force Music Group. We grew up listening to Ronnie’s music, and his records were the soundtrack to our family vacations. The first time we met him was at private rehearsal around his piano in his living room. As soon as he started singing, we all cried. It’s something we will always remember.
The band had some cool gigs this year. The Melissa Etheridge Cruise being one; how was that? It looked like such a blast. Did you ever feel like you were working? The Melissa Cruise was such a cool experience! It’s hard to beat playing music on the pool deck in the middle of the Caribbean. The lineup of artists on the boat was insane! We were running around trying to catch everyone’s shows. One of the highlights was watching Melissa and Sarah McLachlan sing “In The Arms Of An Angel.” It was so beautiful. Honestly, it felt more like a vacation than work. The whole family was able to be there (minus our brother Fletcher), so that was a lot of fun, too! Fresh off of CMA Fest where the energy is so high, how was your experience at the show this year? CMA Fest is the best week of the year in Nashville! Country Music truly has the best fans on the planet. This was our first year playing inside with AC. We must say it was pretty amazing – haha! It kind of felt like we cheated a little, but we’ll take it. The crowd was amazing, and we loved chatting with everyone after the show. We already can’t wait for next year. Before going on stage, does the band ever perform any pre-show rituals? We just realized that our pre-show ritual with the three of us is a group hug and a pat on the derriere followed with “have a good show, girls”! To celebrate the release of “Boyz II Men,” you had a giveaway on your Facebook Jammie Jam group where you gave away a Taylor Guitar. Tell us about Jammie Jam. Jammie Jam is our twice weekly live stream that we’ve been doing for the past year, every Wednesday and Friday mornings, on Facebook. It’s crazy that we just celebrated our 100th episode. We sing songs, drink coffee, and chat with our viewers in our Jammies. It’s become one of our favorite events because you can interact with so many
people at one time from all over the world from our pink couch. That brings me to my next question. What brand of instruments do you play? Emily: I play a Taylor Guitar, 614 GB Gerry Beckley (one of only 32 built). I absolutely love everything about this guitar. The way it feels in my hands, how easy it is to play, the size of the body, the special star inlay on the ebony fretboard. It’s my perfect, dream guitar. Kate: I play an Epiphone mandolin that was specially detailed by singer/ songwriter and artist, Anthony Smith. He actually set the instrument on fire before he painted and bejeweled the whole thing. I think it plays better after the fire! I also have a Taylor. I love the action and tone of Taylor Guitars. I also have a modest 12 string guitar, BUT I do have my eye on a Taylor 12 string! Working together as a family and band must take a lot of team effort. Tell us how Lucy Angel makes it work. Honestly, it takes every single member of the Anderton family to keep the Lucy Angel dream alive! Our Dad, the G-Man, is our biggest fan/believer/ champion and we couldn’t do any of this without his support. Our brother Jake is a super talented Director/Photographer/Writer, and he is an integral part of Lucy Angel. We call him the silent angel! And last, but not least, our brother Fletcher is our road manager and traveled to Switzerland, Japan, and China with us. His support throughout the years has been so important. What advice would you offer to young women wanting to pursue a career in music who might be struggling and facing challenges? Be YOU! Don’t let other people crush your dreams. Surround yourself with positive people who are doers. If this is what you want, you have to be willing to go out and fight for it. Never ever, ever give up, and although it’s always good to have “other skills,” if you have a plan B, you will probably end up with plan B.
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INTERVIEWS
From the ‘60s to the New Millennium,
the Mania is Back and the MonaLisa Twins Serve it Up with Style and Grace! By Tara Low
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he MonaLisa Twins is a ‘60s influenced band based in London, England fronted by twin sisters Mona and Lisa Wagner. When GGM first learned about the group in October last year, we poured through YouTube clips to see their work. We were immediately taken by their high positive energy, their talent as musicians with voices that harmonized and took every song to a different level, and their love of 1960s pop music demonstrated in high -quality music video tributes to The Beatles and other iconic ‘60s bands. While their YouTube channel was growing rapidly, they were writing and performing their own music to an expanding and loyal fan base. On September 29, 2017, the Twins released their second album ORANGE featuring 12 original tracks revealing their ‘60s inspiration while demonstrating their talent for creating their own sound blending pop, rock, and blues.
the exponential growth of their YouTube channel, the inspiration and development of their music, to their singing and songwriting style, collaboration, the special bond of twins, and a hint of new music on the horizon...can’t wait for that!
GGM had the pleasure of catching up with Mona and Lisa again to see how things have been going since the release of ORANGE and what lies ahead for them…and they have been very busy indeed! They have released music videos from ORANGE including most recently “Still a Friend of Mine.” I would highly recommend watching and listening to this (and see if you can guess who it’s about).
So nice to catch up with you two. When we last spoke, it was right after the release of Orange. How is the album doing? Lisa: Great to talk to you again. What a crazy last few months these have been. We’re still seeing everything through orange-tinted glasses, and things are looking all the more beautiful for it. We couldn’t be happier with the feedback we have received, and the interest in this album is growing and growing. Mona: And the album isn’t even on Spotify and YouTube yet, except the singles, and people are talking about it more than ever. It goes to show that you don’t have to do things the same way major labels do and can still have an impact.
Keeping their fans up-to-date via their many social media outlets, working in the studio, and so much more, we really appreciated the time they gave us filling us in on all that has been happening in their exciting lives. From their fantastic album ORANGE,
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And now, a conversation with Mona and Lisa:
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I see you recently released a music video for the closing track from the album, “Still A Friend of Mine,” which is beautifully done. Tell us about the filming and the musicians that accompanied you on the video. Mona: Thanks! This is a song from the album that stood out to a lot of people, and it became everybody’s instant favourite. Piano ballads often strike a chord with people, but we assume a lot of our listeners did not expect that from a guitar-heavy band like us. Maybe because it’s something we’ve never done before. A piano ballad, who would have thought? When our Dad, who we write our songs with, first approached us with the rough idea for this song, we knew this was going to turn into something special. The words mean a lot to us, and some people have already cracked the code who it is about, but we also view it as a general statement. About a certain type of person that the world could use a lot more of. The type of friend everyone should have. We wanted to keep the video simple, let the words and song do their thing. Not going to lie, I prefer having a guitar in my hands, but I like how different it turned out, showing a new side of us. Lisa: For the video we needed other musicians to play the parts that we recorded in the studio, so we contacted a few orchestras in our area with a certain image and idea in mind. The players that came forward and that we ended up choosing fitted that vision perfectly. Brigid Hemingway (Viola), Rachel Pugh (Cello 1) and Phil Turner
INTERVIEWS Pictured LtoR: Mona and Lisa Photo by MonaLisa Twins
or in the recommendations on the side. Throw all the other things we were doing outside of YouTube into the mix, for example, four years of non-stop playing live shows and a tour with Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, and we get a very exponential curve. Mona: Of course, it’s a lot about the algorithm on YouTube, too. Sometimes it works in your favour; sometimes it doesn’t. We had weird, unexplanatory spikes in our view count and sometimes where things got more quiet. All in all, we love how the curve appears to follow our level of experience and “readiness.” It all seems to happen at the right time. (Cello 2), three professional and seasoned players who did a marvellous job despite never having performed in a music video before. And, of course, it’s “Papa” Rudi, our Dad, on piano, who normally stands on the other side of the camera. But the video wouldn’t have felt right without him in there. And congratulations on reaching 20 million YouTube views! You’ve had your channel for ten years now. I read that it took you eight years to get the first 10 million views, but only two to get the second 10 million views. What do you attribute that growth to and what plans do you have for continued growth? Lisa: Quite a few factors played into this. The more videos we made, the better we got musically and as videographers, and the more songs we had online for people to discover. We have a special approach to how we cover Beatles and other ‘60s musicians, and YouTube is just the perfect showcase for what we do. When people search for their favourite Beatles song, there’s almost always our cover on the first page, too,
Over the last ten years, we’ve accumulated so much stuff – music, videos, photos, ideas, stories - that we simply never got around to releasing.
When you look back on those ten years, how do you feel you have developed both creatively as artists and as musicians? Lisa: This goes quite deep actually. At the moment, when I think of ten years ago, I think of a quite confused 14-year-old trying to figure out its place in the universe. For us, it was music at the time that gave us something to aim for and of course the amazing family support that helped us through all the rough patches along the way. And ten years later it is still that. Playing guitar together, working on harmonies, standing in the kitchen and coming up with crazy drumming patterns while cooking spaghetti. It’s needless to say that in ten years our musical abilities improved a lot and I remember the time when I reached the point on my guitar journey where things I played started to sound the way I envisioned them in my head. That was huge for me and meant I no longer had to struggle with the basics and the frustration of not getting my fingers to cooperate. Well, most of the time.
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INTERVIEWS Our experiences through life changed our outlook on things, our priorities and the focus on what we want to communicate through our music and art. This whole talk about selfdevelopment and life-experiences and “being yourself” that you hear about when you’re young, actually starts making sense after falling on your face a couple of times. Things boil down to their essence, to what is really important. We think that also reflects in the music. Are there any other music videos from Orange in the works? Mona: We have some ideas and some things on the boil. Which ones will actually get to see the light of day is another question, that we can’t answer yet. Your Beatles inspiration is apparent in the rhythm patterns you play and your harmony, two and three part, the latter presenting a challenge for only two singers. Tell us more about the work you did to achieve perfection in that style of singing, I mean, did it come naturally or did you two take singing lessons to develop that natural instrument? Mona: We never took any serious singing lessons, but ever since we were young we would spend every car journey with our Dad singing our hearts out having a go at harmonies. Cars have great acoustics and smartphones weren’t invented yet, so singing was the number one activity on long trips to go see relatives. Lisa: We loved it. The thrill of hearing individual voices blend into something bigger was exhilarating. It was natural for us to explore it more and more and like anything in life, it all comes down to practice and repetition. And since we were twins with lots of bus rides to school every day, we had enough opportunity for all that practice and repetition. Did you know those roofed bus-stops also have great acoustics? Mona: It’s kind of funny to think that we still get most of our practice time
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from car rides these days. However, we obviously spend some time in the rehearsal room actually sitting down and working on tricky vocal parts. It’s said that there’s a special bond between twins that is different from regular siblings. Do you agree? From your perspectives, can you share with us an example of how that special bond is reflected in your music? Mona: What we have found is that between us there is this unspoken understanding about things that you never really think about until you start working with other people. Things that Lisa and I can say with a single look or gesture suddenly take minutes to explain. Lisa: That makes for a very easy and straightforward experience in the studio but especially in live situations and when we harmonise. We very often both know what we want and adapt to each other subconsciously. Singer-songwriters are interesting and seem to all have different approaches to their work. Some start with the poem (lyric) and put music to it while others lay lyrics over a melody or chord rhythm. For a songwriting team, collaboration is key, like when Paul McCartney talks about how John collaborated with him on “Getting Better” when he added, “it can’t get no worse” to the lyrics…so typical John. So, how do the two of you approach the songwriting process? Lisa: We always write together with our Dad, so for us it’s definitely a collaborative process. When we’re not specifically working on a new album, all three of us are usually collecting ideas on the side. We all have several word documents with phrases and short audio recordings on our phones of hummed melodies. It’s fun when you empty your phone after a few months and find all these melodies that you didn’t remember recording. That’s when you know what has got potential and what to throw away. Sometimes the brilliant idea you had at 4 am isn’t quite that brilliant on second listen
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while the line you overheard someone say casually at the mall that you typed into your phone to remember still makes you smile. Mona: When we properly begin working on a new album, we usually bring out all these ideas and collectively decide which ones to take further. From then on, mostly two of us work on one aspect of a song at the same time. Having all three of us chiming in at the same time can be a bit too much, so we’ve found that working in pairs or on our own is the best way to do it. We meet after a few hours, discuss, and pair up again. In our last interview, I mentioned that there were many young women your age who listen to Top 40 and that you both have such a love for ‘60s music and that songwriting style, and that has been apparent throughout all of your music. On ORANGE, you blended that ‘60s sound with your own distinctive and modern sound, almost as if the ‘60s was a ferry boat your fans took to get to a whole new place that was MLT. What is in store for your fans now? Will you move to an all-new MLT sound or will we always be reminded of the ‘60s? Either would be great I’m sure. Lisa: Thanks, that’s a lovely way to put it! We definitely had a lot of fun taking our sound a little bit further with the latest album ORANGE and combining the ‘60s style with influences from all over the place. Mona: We definitely can’t imagine ever getting rid of that melodic, ‘60s element in what we do – it’s what we love about music and why we fell in love with it in the first place. Besides, that era in music was so diverse and so experimental that it’s not like we are limiting ourselves in any way. If anything, that is what we are striving for – varied, interesting and beautiful music. It’s not about sounding “retro” – it just happens that we find a lot of inspiration in the ‘60s. You mentioned in the past that you both learned different instruments,
INTERVIEWS Mona on drums and Lisa on lead guitar, then you started learning each other’s instruments…and added some rhythm guitar for Mona and uke for Lisa. How can we expect you to evolve from here? Mona: We’re often picking up new instruments and playing around with them, especially for experimental purposes on recordings. For our next cover album, I recorded a bit of flute for the first time, and Lisa has picked up the cello quite a lot lately. We both know the very, VERY basics of piano, but thankfully have a Dad who is great on the keys and bass. Lisa: We’ve not mastered any of these other instruments nor is that a current priority, but we like to try out new things. If you can imagine it, there’s usually a way to get it to sound right on the track – with enough patience.
wanted to, there is so much character in it. That was the set-up I used for more than 100 shows at the Cavern Club, and it was perfect. Mona: At home, we do most of the writing on acoustic guitars. I currently have a Maton guitar sitting on my bed that we picked up in Australia back in 2009. Beautiful sounding guitar with great playability. Lisa: In the studio, we use whatever suits the song best. There is a lot of Gretsch, but also loads of Rickenbacker, Strat, even some dobro and banjo on the record. Some guitar tracks we recorded in reverse, sometimes we used our AC30, sometimes a combination of obscure plug-ins. All we concentrated on was making each guitar track fit the sound, message, and vibe of each song. Sometimes that meant no guitar at all.
Speaking of instruments, tell us a little about your gear; preferred brands and models of guitars for writing, recording and performing? Lisa: My go-to guitar for almost anything would be my Gretsch DuoJet. For me, it is just the perfect instrument. It has that Les-Paul-like comfortable shape but provides the iconic Gretsch voice. It’s hollow which gives it that woody, semi-acoustic sound as well as makes it comfortably light-weight on stage. I changed the Bigsby for a Düsenberg tremolo which means changing strings is no longer a nightmare, and I also swapped the floating bridge for a “Compton” one that I sticky-taped in place. Pair that with a good set of strings, and you’ll never want to play anything else. I use this little Vox Pedal for just a little bit of compression, volume control, maybe chorus, and other than that, go straight into a Vox AC30. If the strings are super new or of the extra crisp sounding variety, I can go quite heavy on the tone-cut. There is so much twang in that guitar also due to the brassy Compton bridge that I use it to calm it down just a little bit. But the great thing is you could go all out if you
John Sebastian appeared on “Waiting for the Waiter.” Which iconic musician would you like to collaborate with next? Lisa: Recently we got to know the Zombies, whose music we absolutely adore. You might know them for their hits like “Time of the Season” or “She’s Not There.” They also released this insanely gorgeous album called Odessey and Oracle after they had already split up in 1968. So underrated, yet one of our favourites. It would be fun to work with them on something at some point maybe. Obviously, Paul McCartney is very high up that list, too. The man without whom our journey wouldn’t even have started that way. A girl can dream, right? Your music career is a family affair with Rudi and Michaela as part of the band/business, and even a recording studio in your home. What does the family do for fun on its “off” time? Mona: So much of our work is part of everyday life and our passion anyway, so for a long time we hardly separated the two. In a way that’s a good sign, as our “work,” our craft is so much part of what we want to do with our time
that it just seeped into every part of our lives. And over large parts, this is also absolutely necessary to be able to achieve something of this magnitude. It’s only recently that we decided to dedicate more time to consciously spend as a “family” rather than “band family.” It helps to do that mindfully. So, when we’re not figuring out the next release strategy, writing songs, updating the website, or planning the future, we normally like to go out into nature somewhere. Dad and Lisa do a lot of working out together, lifting weights and such. I sometimes join them and tend to go for long runs with Lisa. Michaela loves nature, so we do picnics and hikes. It sounds very “Sound of Music,” but turns out that many of the things I deemed “lame” as a teenager are actually pretty darn nice. And then, of course, there’s the obvious stuff we’ve always loved like going on holidays, going for motorbike rides with Dad, watching movies, going shopping with Michaela, visiting our grandparents, etc. Lisa: But to be honest nothing beats working on music, photos, and videos together. You know, these creations are also always sort of our private family chronic and diary that we get to rewatch from time to time. Naturally, there’s always some kind of travelling involved too, which we just love. And then we remember all the happy and rough times we had together and feel massively proud about what we have accomplished together as a family so far. What are the MonaLisa Twins’ plans for 2018? Is there another album in the works? YES. Details coming soon. Also, more videos, more recordings – both original and covers. Besides that, we’re currently working on a major website upgrade to be able to share a lot more content. Over the last ten years, we’ve accumulated so much stuff – music, videos, photos, ideas, stories - that we simply never got around to releasing. So, we’re planning to give it all a place to live on our website soon.
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INTERVIEWS
Shonen Knife: “Alive! In Osaka” and Still Going Strong By Michael Dowdell
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honen Knife, the Japanese pop-punk band, based in Osaka, Japan, is still rocking out. For three decades now, sisters Naoko and Atsuko have been making music, having started a band in the early ‘80s. Their music still has an impact in the entertainment industry today.
1960s girl bands, the Beatles, The Beach Boys, and the Ramones are all groups they credit as having heavily influenced their sound. As a matter of fact, the Ramones had such an influence on them, the sisters even performed for a while as a Ramones tribute band – The Osaka Ramones. ALIVE! In Osaka is the band’s first live album released in ten years, accompanied by a DVD, and features Shonen Knife classics such as “Rock N Roll Tee Shirt,” “Sushi Bar Song,” and “Twist Barbie” and was filmed at the same location as the previous live album Live in Osaka. Having been through several member lineups, Shonen Knife has stayed a steady course and has an avid fan base, even garnering the attention of Kurt Cobain in 1991. With over 20 studio albums under their belt, the release of a live album, and their unique fashion style, we were pleased to feature the Naoko and Atsuko and their band, Shonen Knife, to learn more about them, and the bond between these two sisters. Your band has been going strong for
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37 years now. How are you able to continue creating great music and staying relevant? Naoko: I’m lazy and just doing something spontaneous for that reason. I don’t realize so many years have passed. I can say one thing when I see our audience’s smiley face, I can be motivated. I’m happy if people get happy through our music. You have been making music together and traveling and touring for a long time. Does being in the band together support the sister bond and keep you close to one another? Naoko: Touring with my sister is easy for me. We share a hotel room and can be relaxed. I’m living in Osaka, Japan and Atsuko is living in Los Angeles, so touring together can be kind of a reunion. The good thing about playing with my sister is it’s easy to communicate, especially on stage. How did the two of you find out you had a love for music that you decided to start a band and travel the world; it is fantastic to see such a diverse fanbase. Naoko: We usually don’t have any
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conscious that we love music, it’s simply a sensuous thing. We feel good when listening to music. It is amazing and lucky that we can travel the world and play in front of our fans. Naoko, when did you first learn to play guitar? Naoko: When I was 15, I asked my mother to buy an acoustic guitar. She bought it for me, and I started to play, but it was too difficult. It was too sore for my fingers to hold the guitar strings. Three years after, I bought a cheap yellow Stratocaster model and started to play. I’m a bad player still. Atsuko, you were initially the drummer, but because of some band changes, switched over to bass. Did you play bass before then, or was that something you had to learn? Atsuko: I played the bass guitar in high school. I was 16 years old when I started. I played for a couple of years, and then I started to play the drums in Shonen Knife. After the original bass player left the band, I took over playing the bass guitar. It was about 20 years since I picked up the bass, so I had to do some practicing! I really enjoy playing the bass guitar now. How about the songwriting process for the band? Is it an equal collaboration or is there any one member who takes the lead?
INTERVIEWS Pictured LtoR: Atsuko, Naoko, Risa Photo by Tomoko Ota
Naoko: Over the last ten years, I write all the songs for the band. I record the song roughly with voice memo on my iPhone and then send it to members. Then we get together at a rehearsal studio and decide arrangement. You recently released ALIVE! In Osaka which is the band’s first live album in ten years. Tell us more about it! Naoko: We had many requests for releasing a live album from our fans for a long time. Ten years have passed since the last one, so we thought that it was a good opportunity to release a new one. We were thinking if we make not only an album but a video, too, it might be fantastic. So, we made a video, too. The club we played at is called “Fandango” in Juso, Osaka. Our live album that was released ten years ago Live in Osaka was recorded at the same club. It’s fun to compare the new one and the original one. Recently finishing up a UK tour, do you have any memorable road stories to share? Naoko: Thanks to our audience and fans, our UK tour finished successfully.
I had a very good time at our shows. Besides the shows, we had a day off in York and went to the National Railway Museum. Many cool trains were there, and the smell of paint was interesting. Atsuko and I kept a blog on our website during the tour. I hope many people read it and enjoy. You’ve been so fortunate to have toured the world, visited so many places, and worked with some pretty amazing talent – Kurt Cobain comes to mind. Have you drawn inspiration for your music from these experiences? Naoko: Yes, of course. I wrote some songs inspired by my experience during tours. For example, my song “Do You Happen To Know?” is about a story when I left my guitar at the airport. “All You Can Eat” is inspired when I go to an ‘all you can eat’ restaurant during U.S. tours. When touring, do you change up your songs or improvise in any way according to the crowd? Naoko: I don’t improvise, but fix our setlist during the tour according to the reaction of the crowd.
Being such talented musicians, you all very passionate about your instruments. Do you each have a favorite brand to use when playing? Naoko: I use Daisy Rock Guitars in the U.S. They are very cute looking. I love them. They are a good match with our stage costumes. I also like my custom-made guitar by a Japanese company called Fujigen. I sometimes use my Gibson Flying V for shows, so I can make a thick sound. Other than that, Aria Pro 2 guitar is what I used for Osaka Ramones, and I have some Rickenbacker guitars. The design of the bodies is beautiful. For pedals, I use Sobbat Drive Breaker, Little Big Muff, BOSS Blues Driver, and BOSS Chromatic Tuner. Atsuko: I really like my Fujigen bass they made for me. I also like Zon Sonus basses. Sometimes I use a 1980s Fender Jazz Bass Special, a Daisy Rock Candy bass, and an Aria bass. We love your unique style and stage presence which the band has become known for. Do you all have a similar fashion sense or is one of you the chief “fashion expert?” Naoko: Atsuko and I have a similar fashion sense. We sometimes buy the same clothes by coincidence. For stage costumes, Atsuko designs and makes all of them. She is inspired by ‘60s and ‘70s fashion. She understands the performer’s feeling and reflects it in the design like using quick dry fabric. They are very comfortable to wear, and the design is so sophisticated. Lastly, what would be your one piece of advice for young, aspiring artists? Naoko: Please make people entertained with your talent.
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INTERVIEWS
The Shook Twins: Relying on their Extensive Music Catalog (and Each Other) to Create a Fresh Sound on the Folk Scene By Megan McClure
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Photo by Summer Wuerthner (Lumis Memorie)
INTERVIEWS
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he Shook Twins, a sister act featuring identical twins Laurie and Katelyn Shook, is currently dotting the country with a sound that is actually hard to pin down. Rooted in folk and layered with ethereal harmonies and experimental vocals over a combination of electric, ambient, and synth sounds, the Shook Twins bring something new and fresh to the singer-songwriter, folk scene.
Laurie Shook filled us in on their process, their influence, and what the family business of music is like. Tell me a little about your musical background. Who were your influences? What drew you both to playing music, and what drew each of you to the instruments you play? We were always drawn to singing. We’ve been making up songs since we were three years old. There is a home video of us with mullets singing Sinead O’Connor’s “Nothing Compares to You” in our backyard. We were in choir from fifth grade up through college. It was when a boy with a crush on Katelyn gave her a guitar as a high school graduation gift that we started learning how to play and write our first songs. They were adorably terrible. When we were first writing, we were influenced by Ani DiFranco, Jack Johnson, Bjork, Lauryn Hill, the Beatles, and a lot of the pop of the 2000s. It was a very poignant time when we were able to accompany ourselves because we were always drawn to music by singing. There was a whole world ahead of us once we started learning guitar. It was about four years after that when I decided to get a banjo, just to broaden our sound. I still play a little guitar, but I love the banjo because of its unique tone and the feeling it gives. What was it like growing up in Idaho, musically speaking? Was there a music scene you could align yourselves with, or was it just the two of you making music? When we moved back to our hometown after college, there was actually quite a music and poetry scene blossoming. There was this bar we all went to, The Downtown Crossing. Our friends ran it, and they started an Open Mic Night. It may have been one of the first Open Mic Nights in town. There was a big group of us - poetic, wandering twenty-somethings (a handful of them were living in our parents’ Guest House), and we were all so into this Open Mic Night and challenged
ourselves each week to show up with something new that would make each other feel things. That’s where it all started for us - that feeling of impressing your impressive peers and writing things that meant something. Describe your creative process. Do you write individually or collaboratively? We write individually and collaboratively. Lately, we have been locking ourselves in our friends’ Air B&B and kind of clocking in - setting up all our gear and writing, practicing, or remixing covers or old songs of ours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. It seems like the muse won’t come when forced, but that’s not the case for us. It does. We do a sort of ritual and call the muse in, and most of the time, a song will fall out of the sky for us. I went to Mexico this winter and did the same thing - rented an apartment on the beach and called in the muse. What inspires you? We are inspired by many things. Mostly the way we live our lives. We like our songs to mean something to us, almost like a diary entry or a memento from a certain time. Then we use language that can translate and become relatable to other human beings, and perhaps, a few animals, but we’ve written about chickens, rain, living under the ocean, heartbreak, love, robots, the bulls**t of the world around us, finding joy, messages from friends who have passed - you name it. Being twins, how do you distinguish yourselves and bring your own flavor to your music? That’s a good question. We definitely try to capitalize on the twinness. We coordinate our outfits and try to match our voices, for example. But there are a lot of differences in what we are playing on our songs. I started learning the banjo, and how to loop that percussively from the very beginning, so that we could maximize our sound. She is also the harmony part for the most part. She has a lower, airier voice. She beatboxes with a special drum mic or adds a delay to her harmony part. Katelyn uses her telephone
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in a band full of shredding male guitarists. A woman adds so much to music.
We love how our voices blend together with our matching DNA. microphone to give the vocals an interesting, distant lo-fi texture. Katelyn holds down the lead rhythm guitar and the melody, for the most part. Your sound is very varied, and I especially like the instrumentation on “Stay Wild.” What were your influences on that track? “Stay Wild” is a song to remind us to find the joy in life, to stay wild. A friend told us once that she felt like she wasn’t living the life that she had dreamed up and that her “palette had gone pastel.” We asked her if we could use that line, and she was honored. That song started with Katelyn’s fast fingerpicking high up on the guitar neck that made a harp-like tone. I matched that on the banjo, adding delay and playing whole notes. Once we found the groove, we realized it had a disco feel to it, so that’s what we told the band, and they really hit it home. We referenced Pharrell’s “Get Lucky” for tempo and groove because that has the same kind of subtle disco feel we were going for. We had our bass player, Sydney Nash, play a clavinet for the solo, and there were a lot of pedals and knob turning by Niko Slice, our electric guitarist, to create the underlying textures. There are so many female musicians out there right now, and the numbers are increasing, but the music industry still seems extremely male-dominated. It has been so great to see more festivals and clubs become more aware of booking female-fronted bands. A shift of awareness is happening, for sure. For me, I am always drawn to the woman on stage
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What has your experience been like as women in music? Do you ever find you’re not taken seriously or like you’re at a disadvantage? We have - thankfully - never had any blatant sexist experiences, but it definitely makes us wonder where we might be in our career if we were twin men? What is it like being a sister act? We love being a sister act. That is the most common comment we get - that our sister harmonies are something else. We love how our voices blend together with our matching DNA. Are there any sister or sibling acts you look up to? There are so many sibling acts, which is awesome. We look up to the careers of many sibling acts like First Aid Kit and the twins in Brandi Carlile’s band. One of our favorite bands is The Barr Brothers. Is there a particular type of guitar/banjo/ instrument you’re drawn to, either in a general sense or at this moment? We are so lucky to have these two guys out of Bend, Oregon be such generous fans and such skilled luthiers. They started a guitar-making company called Cannon Acoustic, and they have hooked us up with a handful of beautiful custom instruments. They made Katelyn’s parlor guitar that she plays at every show now. They made me a custom banjo and a tenor guitar that I tune like a banjo. I’m very attached to my trusty ol’ Goodtime Banjo from Deering, mostly because it’s so lightweight, and it has a warm, folky tone versus a bluegrass twang. What are you ladies listening to right now? Lots! We have delved into the massive amounts of music Spotify has to offer. Katelyn has compiled a 350-song playlist of all the songs that she digs from her “Discover Weekly” playlist that Spotify makes for you, or just of the songs that she hears out in the world. Many of the bands we can’t remember, but the bands that we are big fans of are The Barr Brothers, Chris Staples, Gregory Alan Isakov, Laura Veirs, Lucius, Hiss Golden Messenger, Paul Simon, Fruition, Rayland Baxter, Annalisa Tornfelt, Bjork, Bonobo, Emancipator, Ariana Grande, Janet Jackson, Michael Jackson - so many!
INTERVIEWS
Any wild or weird tour stories you can share? Well, there have been many travel hiccups, but one that was a particularly close call, was about nine years ago in our first tour van, “Sherpa” the Dodge Caravan. We were driving her down to Park City to play a bar during the Sundance Film Festival. It was somewhere in Montana where she started to die. We happened to be by a repair shop, so we sputtered our way there. The mechanic told us what was wrong, but we couldn’t afford to fix it or wait for the part, so he told us how to rig it to make it down to Utah by wiggling some wire near the battery whenever it started to sputter. So, we wiggled that wire all the way down for, like, six hours, and she completely died about fifty miles from Park City. We called a tow truck, and when it arrived, the driver said he would buy it off of us and haul it away. So, we took the offer, got all our stuff and gear out of the Sherpa, and waited at a gas station for a friend to come get us as we watched our trusty steed get hauled away for good. Our friend showed up in an SUV already full of stuff, so we somehow piled all our stuff on top of ourselves and drove the rest of the way to the bar and showed up just in time for sound check! Any twin shenanigans you’ve played on your bandmates or fans? There is a sweet tradition that we have with our dear fan named Calvin, an older man from northern California who comes to all our shows in the area. Each show, we take two pictures with him, one of the three of us from the front and one of the three of us from the back. After each show, he makes himself a new t-shirt with the pictures printed on the front and back. He wears that shirt in each photo, so it’s now an infinity shirt of a photo of us all with him wearing a shirt with a photo of us, of a photo of us...and so on. There are about nine tiny “us’s” on the shirt now, front and back. It’s so sweet, and it brings us all such joy! Alive or dead, who are your dream collaborations? Who would you love to play with? I would have loved to sing with the Beatles, to be
I would love to have a conversation with David Byrne because I think he is a genius when it comes to performance. able to be a part of their amazing harmonies would have been a dream. We also have dreams of being backup singers. We love adding to people’s songs and choiring out! We’d love to hop on a tour with any of our favorite bands of the moment. Who would you love to have a conversation with, musical or otherwise? I would love to have a conversation with David Byrne because I think he is a genius when it comes to performance. Also, John Lennon would really be inspiring to talk to about making music that is for change and empowering people to be peaceful, which is something we need again. What would you tell your younger selves who are just starting out in a band or as musicians? Remember this feeling - the feeling of excitement and joy of playing for a group people of any size who may or may not be listening to you. [The feeling] of traveling around with your good friends and doing what you want. Keep it about the joy, not the numbers of money or likes, or followers, or debt. Remember that music is important for feeling good, and that’s the point. Don’t get your hopes up, and don’t take things personally. Don’t let it go to your head. Keep your feet on the ground and keep doing you.
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INTERVIEWS
The Command Sisters talk music, sisterhood, and the power of guitars in their sound By Kristen Fisher
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harlotte and Sarah Command are “commanding” a great deal of attention lately as the sister duo The Command Sisters. The Toronto based duo began their musical journey in the small town of Alberta playing acoustic instruments in the county genre. Over the years, they felt something was lacking and changed their course following their gut and relocating to Toronto to follow a more electronic, energetic style of music. This new sound can be heard in their debut pop single “Low Profile” which was released in the fall of 2017.
The sisters were recipients of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, have performed at the She Rocks Awards at NAMM, and have been named one of Canada’s Walk of Fame Emerging Artists, to name a few of the duo’s achievements. We caught up with the sisters to learn more about their use of guitars to fuel a powerful pop song, sisterhood, the guitars they play, and what’s next on their horizon for The Command Sisters. What was the inspiration behind your single “Low Profile” and the songwriting process? Charlotte: The creation for “Low Profile” was a very interesting process for me. I actually wrote this song about a vivid dream I had, where I was in a tumultuous relationship with someone who was full of secrets and wouldn’t open up to me. Keywords like, ‘Low Profile’ and ‘Lifestyle’ came when I woke up, and I knew there was something special I needed to do with it. It didn’t take me long to find a melody and
Pictured LtoR: Charlotte and Sarah Photo by Merick Williams
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finish it the next day; the lyrics spun their own web, and everything just went from there. When it comes to being sisters, do you both feel that the bond helps you become more creative while writing? Charlotte: Sarah and I, not just being ‘close’ but also being sisters, I believe, is a big factor in the creative process of our songwriting. Having a career together has taught us a lot about loyalty; being business partners while also being family and learning how the two can co-exist. Because we’re family, we’re able to be super honest and open with each other when we song write, so there’s no nervousness or holding back. Songwriting is all about transparency with the other person, which we obviously have as sisters, so it definitely becomes an advantage when collaborating. We recently saw that you have partnered with Press It; how did this partnership benefit the band when it came to filming the music video? Charlotte: For us, the visuals are just as important as the music. It is a space where we can feel very creative, where we can create a “Command Sisters” world on set. We have a million movies
INTERVIEWS and music videos planned in our heads that go to our new music. So, it was very special to complete the first one with the help of Press It. They let us collaborate and brought our ideas to life even bigger than we imagined. The video was pretty wild for us. I can’t say much, but pink Marshall Stacks and a tattoo artist was included! We can’t wait to do something crazier next time. Has the band always been the Command Sisters, or did you both ever venture towards other groups or solo projects beforehand? Charlotte: We’ve always both just been the Command Sisters. Our career is currently a little busy, so I don’t think we’d have the time to commit to other bands. We always joke though about starting a Hall and Oates tribute band on the side! As far as both of your backgrounds in music, when did you both start playing guitar? Charlotte: I started guitar when I was 12, which really paved the way for my passion for songwriting. Sarah started guitar around the same time, well, she was around nine, and absolutely HATED it because it was painful and far too big for her. So, she picked up a mandolin instead, which was more her size, and loved it! When she saw me getting good at the guitar, however, healthy competition kicked in, and she wanted to give it another try! She picked up the guitar so instantly and naturally and MUCH quicker than me, immediately figuring out how to solo on her own and has never looked back. I’ve seen on social media that you’ve unfortunately been a victim of bullying? How did you both find ways to combat this unfortunate ordeal? Sarah: Yes, I dropped out of high school in grade 11 due to a severe case of bullying that put my safety at risk. It is a time in my life that I don’t like to look back on very often. It took me a few years to recover, which I think
from the ‘80s and ‘90s. I wanted to create something that was pensive and moody lyrically, but, sonically, sounded fun and hooky and upbeat. Also, that bass sound, too.
We are excited to announce that our debut album will be out soon, with a series of crazy vids and shows to follow shortly after.
shows the real impact that bullying can have on a person. I still have my days. Thus far, I have chosen to not speak on it much, with the fear that it will come off as a publicity stunt. But I really do want to start using my voice in any little way that I can. I hope, if anything, our music can be an example of someone overcoming hate and instead do what they truly love to do. A lot of the songs from our upcoming album have the message of being bold, independent, and ultimately being yourself. I don’t think I could sing those words so close to my heart if I hadn’t been through what I have been through. There is a positive to (almost) every situation. As musicians, what fellow artists played an inspiration for creating “Low Profile”? Charlotte: The Weeknd was a HUGE inspiration for this one, (i.e., “Can’t Feel My Face”) and a lot of funky stuff
Endorsed by Martin Strings, how do you feel about the playability and tone? For both of you, what is your acoustic guitar of choice? Charlotte: Martin Guitar has been our acoustic since day one. Our sponsorship actually came years after, surprisingly. We were performing at the main stage at the NAMM Show in California, and Chris Martin had seen us while grabbing a taco. We are dedicated Martin players, both with their strings and instruments. Once you play one, you’ll know. There’s nothing like a Martin tone when you’re writing a song. When it comes to electric guitar standards, how do you feel an electric guitar sound fuels a pop song? And I’ll also ask the same question about your electric guitar of choice. Sarah: Our new music is filled with electric guitar sounds. From distortion to funk rhythm. Electric guitars can give any pop track that extra funk and rock ‘n’ roll edge, which is why we love using it in our music so much. Our electric of choice is our S2 Starla from PRS Guitars. Like our Martin, it is effortless to play. Super light, which helps us rock out on stage. And the tone is fabulous. Did I mention it looks incredible with every suit I own? Probably one of the most stylish guitars I’ve seen. #Sold What’s next for the Command Sisters and when can fans expect the news? Video release? Touring? We are excited to announce that our debut album will be out soon, with a series of crazy vids and shows to follow shortly after. We will also be launching a special merch/clothing line in the near future, entitled “COMMAND.”
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INTERVIEWS Pictured LtoR: Keiko, Ella, bo-Pah, Mimi Photo by Lauren Stockton Photography
The Sledge Grits Band:
Sisterhood is Forever
By Michael Dowdell
“Sisterhood is Forever” appears on the home page of the Sledge Grits’ website, so we knew they would be a perfect fit for our Sister Acts Edition. We were first introduced to this sister quartet many years ago at the NAMM show in Southern California. Made up of four sisters who have a passion for music, their songs are beautiful and inspiring; these girls take pride in the music they create. Sledge Grits is oldest sister Keiko, lead guitarist and songwriter, who describes herself as “pseudo band leader.” Next in line is Ella at 21 on bass and background vocals, followed by Mimi at 18 years old as the lead vocalist but also lends support as a background guitarist and pianist. Youngest sister bo-Pah rounds out the group as the drummer at 16 years old. The sisters have two singles they have released and also are active in the entertainment industry including spots in commercials and upcoming documentaries. Managing all aspects of their career, it was interesting to learn more about these young girls, what “sisterhood” means to them, and what’s next
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You are all so unique and bring your own talent and skills to the group. Tell us the story behind the name. Yes, Sledge Grits is a very interesting band name, but we wanted to have something interesting and unique when we were coming up with it! Sledge is our last name and grits is actually an acronym for “Girls Raised in the Sun.” It’s a little hard to remember, but it’s personal to us! So, since we are all sisters, we took that and added it to our name, and Sledge Grits was born. On the home page of your website, you have the saying “SISTERHOOD IS FOREVER.” Tell us what that means to all of you. One of the things that make our band
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so special is that we are all sisters and no matter what we go through or what problems we’re having, we’re always going to be here for each other. It’s always been one of our most deep-set philosophies. People will always come and go, but what we have – the bond between us is the most important thing. We all are so close and mean so much to each other. Our parents always instilled in us the importance of family. But honestly, sisterhood doesn’t just have to be between blood. As women, we all need to support and lift each other up. What indeed makes you all so unique is the creative and inspiring lyrics in your songs. We know that Keiko is the lead songwriter, but do you all have input on what message you want to display in your songs? And where do you draw the inspiration for your lyrics? Ella: Keiko has always been such an amazing and creative mind. Her mind just works in lyrical form. She can have
INTERVIEWS one small experience and be able to pull a beautiful song from it. She’ll write about experiences that one of us have individually, too. So, there are different songs that have different personal meaning for each of us. I can’t write my way out of a wet paper bag! So, I don’t contribute much in that way, but we all contribute to the music. Mimi is actually a really good writer, too, and I hope to see some of her songs in the band soon, too! With Keiko writing the lyrics, how do you all collaborate on the music? Keiko will bring a song to us with the lyrics and guitar already done. She usually has a vibe she’s going for in mind already, so she’ll explain her vision to us, and then we all just start jamming together and figure out what works. It’s all very organic. Is “pop rock” a main genre that influenced each of you, or do you all have a different taste when listening to music? Ella: We all have very different favorite types of music. I, for example, love a really strange wide array of music that ranges from country to classical to hard rock. Mimi loves soft alternative, jazz, and pop. bo-Pah loves alternative, and Keiko pretty much listens to everything. But our band influences have been pop-rock artists for a long time. Your family has been very supportive of your musical journey given the fact that they added guitar lessons to your homeschool schedule. Share with us a little about your background in music and how each of you ended up with the instruments you are currently playing. Our parents were always really supportive of our interests growing up. It was actually their idea to get us into music to begin with because we were kind of going through a rough patch as a family and they wanted us to have something positive to get our minds off of things. Our family has always
loved listening to music and music was always playing around the house growing up, so it was kind of a natural direction for us. We all started in guitar classes that were free through our homeschool. Ella never connected to the guitar, so she moved to the bass. And bo-Pah was always banging on things, so my parents recommended drums, so that she could get some of her energy out. And then one day Mimi just discovered that she had this incredible voice. It all kind of fell together perfectly. When and how did the band form? We always played together, so actually starting a real band just felt right. In about 2008 is when we actually decided that we wanted to do the band as a career. Of course, we were all really young then, so we didn’t have much direction and vision. But it’s really grown since then. We moved to SoCal with the express purpose of furthering our career. That was in 2011. We first met you many years ago at the NAMM Show at the Daisy Rock Guitars booth as one of their artists. Pink hearts and sparkle guitars! They do an excellent job at inspiring young girls like yourselves to play guitar. You have all grown so much since then. Did being a Daisy Rock artist help introduce you to the music industry? Daisy Rock was very instrumental in honing our focus and encouraging us to continue. I think the first time we really felt like a real band was when we got our first endorsement, which was from Daisy Rock. They facilitated our first trip to Los Angeles and gave us instruments to play on when we couldn’t have afforded them on our own. Daisy Rock has always been one of our biggest supporters. We’re very grateful. Besides music, bo-Pah appeared in some advertising campaigns for Target and Apple Music, McDonald’s, Kohls and more, and Ella is rocking some color on the Splat hair dye
packaging. I also hear there was filming of reality tv show and a documentary in the works. Tell us more about these projects! Ella: We love the entertainment industry, and we want to be a part of every part of it that we can. bo-Pah is really into acting and has been in a lot of commercials. She’s very natural at acting. The Splat shoot was my first modeling gig and it was really fun. bo-Pah is also being followed for a documentary about female drummers, and the band has been followed for a bit for a documentary about us! We’re very excited! Your last single “Forever” was released last year and you’ve written some new material lately. Will an album be forthcoming? And when and what can fans expect? We hope to put out some music as soon as we can! We’re still pretty independently facilitating every aspect of our career and putting out music is expensive! But we’re hoping to release more music this year! Can you please give us a rundown of the band’s gear? Ella: I play a Schecter Diamond Series Custom-4 Bass, and am endorsed by Orange Amplifiers and Mister Cables Keiko: I play a Schechter PT standard guitar and have a random array of pedals, mostly BOSS pedals. The DS-1 Distortion is my go-to pedal. As far as amps, for home rehearsals, I use the Orange Crush 20 amp, and for shows, I use the AD30. And for strings, I use Ernie Ball regular slinky strings and Elixir light coated acoustic guitar strings. bo-Pah: My gear consists of: PDP 5 drum piece set with a custom painted kit gifted to me by Eric Moore (Suicidal Tendencies, bel Biv Devoe), a Custom 10-inch serenity snare, mostly Zion cymbals, Promark sticks 5A, and Remo heads.
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INTERVIEWS
The GFM Band:
Defining “Beautycore” for the Women Movement in the Metal World By Tara Low
F
unny how great developing talent makes its way to GGM, and maybe this could be categorized under the heading “Divine Intervention.” The Christian “Beautycore” sister trio Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh (or simply GFM) based in Jacksonville, Florida (as was Lynyrd Skynyrd) featuring sisters CJ, Maggie, and LuLu English is no exception. These young sisters were mentioned to one of GGM’s contributors by none other than his cable guy, and after he checked them out, he went straight to our editing team; and now we are excited to share with you what we learned in a great interview with this very cool band, GFM!
Photo by Cameron Nunez Makeup by Lisa Carreiro
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Gold, Frankincense & Myrrh is described as a “beautycore” band. Tell us more about GFM and beautycore. We came up with the term beautycore in 2016. People were always asking what genre of music GFM was, and we would tell them metal or metalcore, but we didn’t feel that we completely matched up with the “definition” of metalcore. Obviously, we aren’t your average metalcore band because there are only three members of GFM, and we are all girls who are 19 and younger. We started using beautycore as a joke between the three of us, but a bunch of bands we were playing with actually liked it, so we started running with it. Now it stands as the title of the women movement we are trying to bring to the metal world.
INTERVIEWS When did the three of you decide to form a Christian metal band and how did you decide on the name GFM? Since we are all sisters, we grew up playing music together, but didn’t officially start GFM until 2011. We were a cover band then, and we were playing some shows. Then in 2014, we started to write original music and began touring as original GFM. We are a faith-based band, and GFM stands for Gold Frankincense & Myrrh. Our mom suggested using Gold Frankincense & Myrrh because those were the gifts given to Jesus at His birth, and we were three gifts given to her. Are your parents’ musicians? How did you get involved in music? Our parents actually do not play any instruments, and they don’t sing. Because they are not musicians, they wanted us to be involved in music in some way, just to give us a broader perspective of life. They told us we had to take music lessons when we turned five, and if we absolutely hated it, we could quit after two years. We all ended up falling in love with music, and the rest is history. What bands have had a major influence on your music? There are way too many to name, but a few bands that have really influenced us as musicians are I Prevail, A Day to Remember, and Wage War. CJ, you’re the oldest and play guitar. How long have you been playing and what inspired you to learn guitar? I’ve been playing for one year. Honestly, Taylor Swift’s first country album really inspired me to play guitar because she was a young woman playing guitar and singing and making her mark in the music industry. Next up is Maggie on bass. Did seeing your sister play an instrument encourage you to want to play? It actually didn’t. We all started music lessons around the same time because we are so close in age. We all were
supposed to start with piano, but I was the only one who continued with it; everyone else branched off to their own instruments. It wasn’t until Lu had started to play drums that I picked up the bass. I was still playing piano, and our dad pushed me to learn the bass so that we could start a band. I was afraid I wasn’t going to be any good at it and that it would be too hard to learn, but within a month, I couldn’t see myself playing anything else. And, finally, Lulu rounding out the trio, I guess drums would be the natural instrument to add to the family’s arsenal of gear. I picked the drums when I was four and a half; I didn’t even want to try to play the piano. I had a passion to play the drums before the idea of starting a band even came around. After I had been playing for about a year, our dad encouraged us to start the band. Maggie started playing bass, and GFM was created. Let’s talk about your music. Although metal can sound very heavy and dark, you want to send a positive message to youth. Tell us more about your music and your message. We always want to be able to promote a positive message through our music, whether that be serving as a beacon of hope or just relating with people in their troubles. We want our listeners to know that they’re not alone in their struggles, and yeah, sometimes life sucks, but you are strong enough to get through it. We are a faith-based band, so we will always promote our relationships with Christ as well, seeing as that is the only reason we’ve been able to remain in a healthy mindset and get through our issues. We’re not going to force that down our listeners’ throats, but that’s also something that we will never shy away from. You’ve released two albums with the last one titled Identity Crisis. Share with us one song off of that album that
speaks to you and what message you would like to share with our readers. Identity Crisis didn’t have a “title track,” but the song that acts in that way is “Graveyard of Identities.” It talks about how easy it is to morph into a different person when you are around different people. There are a lot of insecurities that come with the constant morphing of yourself, and you very quickly start to lose who you really are. Those are some of the loneliest times of your life because nobody knows who you truly are; not even yourself. We want to bring awareness through “Graveyard of Identities.” The struggles listed above are often silent, and you can’t get help without reaching out, so we started our “I Will Not Be Silenced” campaign. We encourage our listeners to reach out and get help; to not be silent if they are dealing with anxiety, depression, self-harm, or even suicide. We urge them to not morph into somebody that will make others happy. It’s okay to not be okay, and we will always be there for our listeners, even if no one else is. Your faith is obviously very important to all of you as evidenced by the band name and through your music. How does it help guide you all both personally and in your musical career? As we stated earlier, the only reason that we are all still here is because of our relationship with Jesus Christ. We’ve all gone through times while growing up where we didn’t “feel okay,” where without that constant relationship with Jesus, we could’ve gone into a downward spiral mentally. There have also been so many times where God has physically protected us, whether it’s through van breakdowns, sicknesses or injuries while performing, or drives where no one has slept. We also credit all of our success to Jesus Christ because there is no way we could get our opportunities without Him. Being so young, where do you draw your inspiration from for your music and what part do each of you play in
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INTERVIEWS the songwriting process? All of our songs are inspired by how we are feeling or anything we are struggling with. There are stories of self-deterioration but also stories of self-recovery. Other songs are inspired by stuff that is going on in the lives of people who are close to us, and there are even some songs that were inspired by our listeners’ stories. When it comes to songwriting, we don’t have a specific system that we use. We all bring different ideas to the table whether it is with lyrics or melody. Since your last album was released in 2016, do you have plans on releasing any new material soon? There is new music in the works, but we are not at liberty to talk about a release date yet. We are super excited about the new songs, and we can’t wait for our fans to hear them. Tour Vlogs on your YouTube channel are clips from some of your travels while touring. Do you have a crazy tour story to share? On our California tour in 2017, we were just entering Lafayette, LA on I-10 when our trailer came off the hitch of our van. Luckily, we had chains connecting the trailer to our van, but this meant we were dragging the trailer behind us, while the trailer jack was scraping the asphalt. We could see sparks shooting behind us as we were driving and had to maneuver through multiple lanes of rush hour traffic to pull off on the side of the road. We made it safely to the side of the road and luckily were able to lift the trailer back onto the hitch. The entire faceplate for the trailer jack was burnt away, and there was a burn trail on the road behind us. We were blessed to have some friends nearby who looked at our trailer and let us stay the night. What does sisterhood mean to you? It means having a special bond with your sisters that creates music in and of itself. This allows the creativity to flow between the three of us and to
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create a sound that is like nothing in the marketplace. It means always having someone to share life with, to share music with, to share the struggles of life on the road with, and someone to celebrate all the successes with. GFM has quite a few shows lined up in the next few months and then will be heading to Germany for the CVJM Loud and Proud Festival. Will this be your first time overseas? Yes, and we are totally stoked to begin our international music life. We can’t wait to finally meet our fans from all over the world. Any pre-show rituals? We have a silly warm-up dance that we do to loosen up our muscles because our show is so energetic. We also always pray right before we go on stage. If you had the opportunity to collaborate with any artist or band, who would it be and why? There’s three of us in the band, so there will be three answers. CJ would love to collaborate with Jenna McDougall of Tonight Alive. She finds her inspiring and her vocal range is amazing. Lu would want to collaborate with Denis Stoff. She feels that he is an amazing screamer. Maggie would want to collaborate with Telle Smith of The Word Alive. She is inspired by his lyrical writing and his vocal delivery, both in clean and unclean vocals. Can you give us a rundown of your stage gear? We are sponsored by Orange Amplifiers, so both CJ and Maggie use their amps. LuLu is endorsed by SJC Drums, so she plays a custom designed SJC kit. We are endorsed by 64 Audio, so all of our in-ear monitors are made by 64 Audio. All of our equipment sits in our endorsed Gator Cases. CJ plays with endorsed Sinister Guitar Picks, as well as Schecter, ESP, and Charvel Guitars. Maggie plays an Ibanez and an Ernie Ball Music Man bass. All of our mics are Shure mics.
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When it comes to songwriting, we don’t have a specific system that we use. We all bring different ideas to the table whether it is with lyrics or melody.
INTERVIEWS
June Millington Photo by Marita Madeloni
Fanny’s June and Jean Millington: the Ultimate Bass and Guitar Sisterhood
B
By Caroline Pizzo
efore the Bangles, the Runaways, and even Heart, there was Fanny. In 1969, they were the first all-girl rock group to release an album on a major label. The groundbreaking lineup challenged conventions about what women in music could accomplish. They plugged in and let it roll with melodic, harmony-rich tunes and catchy hooks. Songs “You’re the One” and “Special Care” have a rare heart-and-soul that still holds up today.
a determination more than the average kid pursuing a hobby. “We needed to do it,” she said in between running her music foundation and visiting her sister (who is recovering from a stroke).
Originally from the Philippines, the Millington sisters moved to Sacramento, California, in 1961 where they would make their mark like other female musical pioneers the Persuaders, Goldie
From playing ukuleles (in their home of Manila) then acoustic guitars and eventually electric, they went on to release five albums. Career highlights include touring with big name acts such as the Kinks, Humble Pie, Deep
and the Gingerbreads, and the Pleasure Seekers. When guitarist June Millington first started jamming with her younger sister (bassist Jean), she possessed
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INTERVIEWS
Purple, and Procol Harum. They even impressed lifelong fan David Bowie and collaborated with Barbra Streisand.
The girls are now dropping by with their parents for a site visit before camps, so my days are getting even more interesting.
Like band Heart and more recent group Kittie, Fanny’s sisterhood was the nucleus for the band. Their unity was as natural as playing music. “I think the bond between us was pretty much non-verbal,” said Millington. “We just jumped in the water, so to speak – into the music – and never looked back. Because our suffering was so intense from racism – both in Manila and Sacramento and onwards, as you can guess – we understood something almost immediately: This was our lifeline.” Early musical experiences centered around home and family. “At first it was internal – singing with ukuleles; pretty early on, by age 12, we already had it down from songs on the radio, and had been doing it for a few years, especially at family gatherings and dinners, Filipino-style. Quickly, after [moving to] California, it also became external after we got noticed at school and elsewhere.” While not many teenage girls were playing electric, Millington certainly stood out. In 1964, her dad purchased her first guitar at a pawnshop: a Sears guitar and amp combo. Later, she switched to a Vox amp (mirroring her favorite band, the Beatles) and a Gretsch Countryman. Today, she follows her passion for music at the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA), a nonprofit foundation supporting girls and women in music with classes and internships. “Music was our second language,” recalls Millington. “In fact, I teach that as part of my daily courses at our rock ‘n roll girls camps: ‘Music as a Second Language,’ which is useful; for starters, it gives the girls parity and control.”
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But when June and Jean started, there were not many female role models in rock music. The sisters had to become the role models. At first, they kicked around with surf and garage bands on the West Coast before forming their own band, the Svelts. “We gravitated to hanging out with a boyfriend of Jean’s who had a surf band,” recalls Millington. “During their breaks, we [played] Motown and Beatles songs with two other girls on acoustic guitars, then played somewhat electric, using their equipment (by that time a drummer had joined us), and then we all auditioned for the same gig. We got it! From then on, we had to get our own equipment. We were unstoppable, no matter how many changes.” From there they played the L.A. scene and garnered interest from a music producer, eventually signing a deal with Reprise Records and hitting the road. The grooving title track from their second album, “Charity Ball,” went to #40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. GGM: What was one of the best moments for you playing music with your sister or in your career in general...a favorite show? June: I think it would have to be when we realized we were experiencing a shift in perception, in the audiences that is, and that happened within a year after the Svelts started playing sometime in 1965, early ‘66. No matter how much they sneered, we kept getting better, and that mattered. Heck, when they couldn’t help themselves and rushed to the dance floor; believe me, that was a rush for us. Success! We just kept surging forward... When we were just trying to pay the rent before the first album was released, we had done gigs at a lesbian bar in L.A. on Melrose called Bacchanal’s, and
INTERVIEWS
we had a similarly transcendent time. People love good music, a good beat, and to dance, no matter what. I love it when we all leave our bodies together. GGM: You were born in the Philippines and then moved to California (your dad was in the military). Did you travel back to the Philippines at all? June: We were born and raised in Manila. I only returned once, when I turned 60 (April 2008). A student I had met here – who had been going to Smith but had continued to UP (University of the Philippines), where one of my aunts had taught, actually, after the war – set me up to play at a lesbian bar, with some local acts opening for me. That was a blast! GGM: Did you ever perform in the Philippines during your early success? June: The biggest question to me was, “Why didn’t Fanny play the Philippines??” (their feelings were hurt). As a Filipina-American, I understood that! The only thing I could come up with was, the Beatles thought they were going to be killed there – I think management and booking tried to avoid that, although, of course, I don’t think it would’ve been a problem on that level at all! GGM: What were the audiences like at some of your early shows? June: Many times, teen audiences, both boys and girls alike, would be rooted to the floor in front of us: stunned, absorbed. That was also a measure of success. And that was before we got to Hollywood! But we needed that contract with Reprise and those recordings. In that way, we live on, no matter what.
After Fanny disbanded in the 1970s, June went on to make several solo albums. She also worked as a producer and collaborated with singer-songwriters Cris Williamson and Holly Near. Her in-depth autobiography, “Land of a Thousand Bridges: Island Girl in a Rock & Roll World,” covers her life and musical career and is available at http://www.ima.org/ millingtonautobiography.html. Nowadays, the band is once again creating music. A reunited lineup called Fanny Walked the Earth includes the Millingtons and former band members Brie Darling, Alice de Buhr, and Patti Quatro (sister of Suzi). Their new album, released in March of 2018, also titled Fanny Walked the Earth, features several guest musicians from the Go-Go’s, the Runaways, and the Bangles. The Millington duo still has a solid connection: “I actually just joined Jean in California today (her birthday’s May 25),” said June. “She’s working hard with all the rehab and not complaining one bit. We laugh a lot. She is moving forward.” June Millington made her mark as a guitar player with her Les Paul Goldtop, among others, and her smooth style. Today she is a true role model and helping to change the future of women in music one note at a time. As we wrap up the interview, she was getting into her work at IMA. “The girls are now dropping by with their parents for a site visit before camps, so my days are getting even more interesting.”
Promo for “Play Like a Girl” by Patti Millington
Fanny’s landmark albums: Fanny 1970 Reprise Producer: Richard Perry Charity Ball 1971 Reprise Producer: Richard Perry Fanny Hill 1972 Reprise Producer: Richard Perry Mothers Pride 1973 Reprise Producer: Todd Rundgren Fanny – First Time in a Long Time 2002 Rhino Handmade Producer: Rhino Handmade Fanny Walked the Earth By Fanny Walked the Earth 2018 Blue Élan Records
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PLAYER SERIES STRATOCASTER IN SAGE GREEN METALLIC
GEAR: REVIEWS
Martin 000-15M Streetmaster Acoustic Guitar By Ted Low I just picked up Martin’s 000-15M StreetMaster Acoustic Guitar, a 14fret, long scale (25.4”) acoustic that really packs a punch! Right out of the case, this lightweight solid mahogany, OM shaped body guitar has the pleasant, natural aroma of mahogany, projects sound evenly, and sustains beautifully. I enjoyed the warm, beautiful tones from this guitar. Aesthetically, the satin has a worn and weathered appeal, and with no pickguard, one can get the full appreciation of the beautiful wood from which this guitar was built. No frills, just a pure vintage look that is simple, yet stunning. To add to the vintage appeal are Golden Age Nickel open geared tuners. Comfort and playability are excellent with its soft edges around the body of the guitar alleviating pain that sometimes occurs under your arms when being creased by the sharp edges of typical acoustics. It sits comfortably in your lap, or it’s easy to hold with a strap while standing to perform due to the lightweight construction and body size. The action on this model is a bit high for me, but that could easily be adjusted from the accessible truss rod located just inside the sound hole. It is a wonderful instrument to play and enjoy the crisp sounds it produces. This guitar is all “Martin,” crafted in its Nazareth, PA plant, constructed of high quality-materials, with a natural vintage look, it is a beautiful instrument to behold. The price point is reachable to a broader target market than the very high-end Martins, and at $1,799.00 it is an excellent buy for a U.S. made Martin. This guitar comes with a Martin gig bag. Any acoustic player would be thrilled to have this beauty among their collection.
$1,799.00 martinguitar.com
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GEAR: REVIEWS
PRS John Mayer Silver Sky Electric Guitar By Guitar Gabby PRS HAS DONE IT AGAIN!! If you haven’t already heard, PRS and John Mayer have collaborated to give us a new John Mayer model guitar. The PRS John Mayer Silver Sky is a blend between vintage and that classic PRS creamy, sophisticated look and tone we have all come to love. One of my favorite guitars in my collection is a PRS. I remember when I first picked up a PRS, I just knew I wanted to have that one day. I was blessed to be given an SE Åkerfeldt on my birthday four years ago, and I was beyond ecstatic to finally own one of these premier guitars. Fast-forward to 2018, and we have the perfect blend of a classy aesthetic and vintage rock ‘n’ roll. I had the absolute honor to demo this guitar recently on the weekend of the PRS Experience 2018 showcase. The moment I opened the Silver Sky case, I was in complete awe to see the body and shape with the trademarked PRS birds flowing down the maple neck of this beauty. I immediately plugged it in with sheer excitement, because I knew I was not going to be disappointed. I played the chords of my song “Hold On A Little Less Tighter” and was immediately impressed by the smooth flow and sound of the neck and 635JM pickups. I switched to some rock distortion and was excited to hear the flexibility of the guitar. I do, however, think that this guitar was made to be played a little more clean than distorted. The steel tremolo provides ample opportunity for any John Mayer-inspired musician to sway the listener’s ear with its easy and smooth neck, making it easy and pleasing to bend those strings at will. This guitar is two thumbs up for me! I have been a fan of PRS guitars for some time, and I am fully looking forward to the next project they give us.
$2,299.00 www.prsguitars.com
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GEAR: REVIEWS
Traveler CL-3EQ Acousticelectric Guitar By Steve McKinley
A perfect fit for beautiful tone…anywhere you go. When I think of Traveler guitars, what comes to mind is their brilliant signature compact headless design. So, when I first saw their CL-3E acoustic guitar with its blend of classic design, choice woods, and modern features, it was clear that their creations continue to shine. First, with its ¾ size, I hold it in closer to my body, so it’s more like a part of me. When I’m in “deep create state of mind” in writing or carefully going through a musical piece, I find myself in something of a hunched over, almost sitting fetal position, and with the CL-3E’s smaller size and lighter weight, it’s a perfect fit. ”Its crown jewel is how beautiful its tone shines.” Next, I am totally digging the upper beveled top so there’s no edge to rub against my forearm and the cutaway which allows for easy access to the high frets. It’s comfortable to play and I’m free to glide around the fretboard. Moving on to its good looks, the warmth of the spruce top with mahogany back and sides is stunning. The all wood binding adds a dark chocolate silhouette and the maple inlay at the 12th fret and on the face of the headstock are a twotone classy touch. The Traveler “T” logo is reminiscent of the vintage Travis Bean guitar headstocks and the high-quality gold tuners are an excellent choice. So, its attractive looks are a double thumbs up. As if all this isn’t enough, there’s more. The onboard electronics sound clean and clear and are so useful. With its tuner, headphone,
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GEAR: REVIEWS and Aux In jacks with Volume, EQ and phase, there’s everything you need right at your fingertips. It’s like the Traveler team sat down and thoroughly thought this one through. I used the tuner and headphone jack the most, but it’s super easy to plug in your jams to play along with and tweak the tone to your liking. So, I’m jazzed about the onboard electronics – gold star! “The more you play it, the more it becomes a part of you.’
neighboring drivers), waiting at the airport for a flight (of course, I take it with me), and late-night parking lot impromptu jams with friends, which are fun and let the mojo flow.
and is superbly musical when playing with others.
Aside from all its offerings, its crown jewel is how beautiful its tone shines. You bask in its sonic glory that when you hear it, you want to play and play and play. The neck feels so natural and your fingers vibe on the fretboard as your mind’s ear comes alive. With or without the headphones, time just melts away. It sings when playing solo
While words can only express so much, the best way I can sum it up is that the more you play the Traveler CL-3E acoustic guitar, the more it becomes a part of you.
As I’ve been “traveling” a lot with my CL-3E, I’ve found myself playing it at newly found times and places (pun most definitely intended). It’s been perfect when at a traffic standstill on I-285 (I get nods of approval from
“The warmth of the spruce top with mahogany back and sides is stunning.”
My hat’s off to Traveler for their ingenuity and their passion for delivering beautiful tone…anywhere you go. Gig bag included!
$399.00 www.travelerguitar.com
B&G Little Sister Crossroads Electric Guitar By Paige Harwood
The Little Sister Crossroads is a more affordable version of the Little Sister Private Build guitar from the Tel Aviv based guitar company, B&G Guitars. This small workshop focuses on creating quality guitars by making everything themselves. And that means everything! From mixing their own glue to casting their own brass hardware. All of this extra effort really makes their guitars shine. B&G
does a lot of research to make guitars that feel and sound like a piece of history. To make the Little Sister Crossroads more accessible to a broader market, they outsourced the manufacturing of this particular model to Asia, still adhering to their strict guidelines for high-quality materials and workmanship.
Pulling it out of the case, my first thought was “Oh, nice!” and there is a very good reason for that. The amount of thought and care that went into this instrument was well worth it. It is truly a gem and one of the most visually appealing guitars I have played in a long time. It comes in a cutaway and non-cutaway version, and it has two beautiful finishes to choose from.
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GEAR: REVIEWS It is undeniably beautiful from the African mahogany body to the solid brass hardware. My favorite thing about this guitar is how incredibly easy it is to play. It is a very light and a smaller-sized guitar. The one-piece African mahogany neck is full and very comfortable, and the action is low. Everything felt smooth, and I had no trouble at all sliding up and down the neck. The tone of the Little Sister lives up to its blues-based inspiration 100 percent, and it delivers the fat and throaty tones promised by B&G. Acoustically, it is fairly loud and nice to play even unplugged. I have a soft spot in my heart for non-solid-body guitars. I really appreciate the resonance here, both unplugged and plugged in.
I would also categorize it as a “plugand-play” instrument. I got a very nice sound out of it without much fuss. The resonance gives it a nice full and warm tone, and the clarity is really where the quality of craftsmanship shines through. It is clear that the design of this instrument was well thought out. When plugged into an amp, this guitar is also incredibly versatile. The switch on the body of the guitar takes the guitar from clean to twangy with a
very open sound when in the middle position. This guitar is very well suited for both strumming and fingerpicking. I’m very impressed with the wide variety of styles that this guitar would work well for. While it is not a great option for the budget-minded guitar shopper, B&G’s Little Sister Crossroads is definitely worth the $1,450 price tag. The craftsmanship and sound are hard to beat!
$1,450.00 www.bngguitars.com
Product Review:
Fender Paramount PM-TE Travel Standard Acoustic-Electric Guitar and Acoustic 100 Amp By Steve McKinley
A match made in acoustic heaven As the song goes, “Love and marriage… go together like a horse and carriage.” When I was asked to review Fender’s new Paramount PM-TE Travel Standard acoustic guitar and Acoustic 100 amp, I felt that they’re a match made in acoustic heaven! The Paramount PM-TE is a timeless beauty with its natural finish, checkerboard purfling and rosette, and Ovangkol fretboard and bridge. When you pick it up and hold it in your arms, it’s
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light and feels organic as the openpore finish is meant to be. “It sets the gold standard for travel guitars.”
45+ minute session (it’s a good sign when your guitar gear makes you forget time). “The collaboration of two masters.”
While billed as a travel guitar, it seems more of a parlor-sized acoustic. I say this as a compliment, because when played acoustically, its volume fills the room quite pleasantly but with undeniable presence and character. Notes bloom and chord ring, so my quick test drive with it turned into a
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As an acoustic, it has the solid Fender high quality, so it sets the gold standard for travel guitars, but the fact that it’s quite well equipped electronically makes the PM-TE even more of a winner. The Fender and Fishman designed preamp is the collaboration
GEAR: REVIEWS of two masters, which gives you the welcomed tuner, tone controls, and phase switch right at your fingertips. So, with its classic beauty, warm and full tone, and uber-useful features, it most certainly lives up to its Paramount moniker. Now it only gets better when you plug the PM-TE into the Fender Acoustic 100 amplifier. As a guitar amplifier connoisseur, I believe that you have to spend some quality time with an amplifier to be able to get to know it and it, you. First, my hat’s off to the insightful Fender engineers, because here they’ve come up with another design that is distinctly “Fender.” The two-tone Natural Blonde finish is a head-turner unto itself, but the integrated handle also acts as a top port to help fill the room with sound as if to display its function is in its form…bravo! Its two-channel solo performer set-up is well laid out, and, like the PM-TE, its features are useful, effective, and of a “pro grade” sound quality. It even has Bluetooth wireless streaming and universal voltage for international use, nice. “A shining star of an acoustic amp.” You can easily see how a performer can carry all they need in one trip (i.e., guitar, amp, microphone, and stand). With the PM-TE plugged into the Acoustic 100, the pair sounded as of a kindred spirit…the ying and the yang. Together, they sounded like two souls who have found each other and have become one. You play a chord and admire it. Notes sing and chord comes alive. It’s almost like a dream sequence
in a movie. As previously mentioned, when your guitar gear inspires you to create and play (and play), it gets a gold star. After running through some acoustic Zeppelin numbers on the PMTE (ex., “Going to California”), which sounded holier-than-thou, I took a break for lunch to come back for a second opinion. I plugged in my ’52 reissue Tele and my 60th anniversary Strat and put the Acoustic 100 through the paces. I could dial up a shimmering “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,” a retro “Stray Cat Strut,” and summoned a righteous “Ten Years Gone” as well as some other extended jams. After spending hours with the Acoustic 100, I’m confident to say that it performed beautifully. The funny thing is that, more than most amps, it retains a “woody” tone to it, but I’m convinced that’s what it’s supposed to do. Again, Fender, well done…very well done. “They’re a match made in acoustic heaven.” As long as I’m able to hang onto this Acoustic 100 for review, I keep it out, plugged in, and ready to flow. In wrapping it up, the Fender Paramount PM-TE Travel Standard is a delightful performer of an acoustic guitar that clearly stands on its own merits as a studio and stage performer, and the Acoustic 100 Amp is a shining star of an acoustic amp for its well-thought-out, versatile woody character. Me thinks I’ll go try it out again (and again) just to be sure.
Paramount PM-TE Travel Standard Acoustic Guitar - $699 Acoustic 100 Amp - $399 www.fender.com
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GEAR: REVIEWS
Yamaha REVSTAR RS720B Electric Guitar By Guitar Gabby
Recently, I had the pleasure of playing the REVSTAR RS720B from Yamaha. One thing I always look for in a guitar is its flexibility to play in different settings. My first interaction with this guitar was playing it in my home studio, where my Fender Ultimate Chorus and BOSS ME-50 setup were ready to jam with the REVSTAR. Right away, I felt the tone of this guitar fit my needs and immediate desires. From a solid body, Bigsby bridge, and mahogany 3-piece neck, this guitar immediately made me excited to play every song on my band’s touring setlist. When I play on tour, I switch between clean channels and heavy distortion with a little bit of delay. Having a guitar that naturally has a clean tone aids in the overall clean sound of your guitar’s performance, especially when switching to crunchy distorted sounds mid-song. The next test was to see if the guitar sounded just as good live and with a full band as it did alone and in my home studio. Right before my band left to headline Love Your Rebellion’s BabeFest in Fort Myers and St. Petersburg, Florida, I decided to take this guitar with me to rehearsal. To my pleasant surprise, it sounded AMAZING up against a full band. If you have ever seen my band, the TxLips, live, you know how loud we can be when we are rockin’ the stage. I was very excited to pack this guitar before getting on the airplane to Florida, because I just knew it would sound great on my band’s song “The Lost One.” This song lives in Drop D, so I often rely on a guitar with a nice bottom and neck humbucker that can give me that heaviness I look for. Overall, I 100 percent love this guitar. I give it a thumbs up and highly recommend it for anyone who plays almost any style of music, except metal. You won’t regret it!
Street price $899.00 www.usa.yamaha.com
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GEAR: REVIEWS
D’Addario Products By Ted Low D’Addario Planet Waves Auto Lock Strap $26.99 This woven strap is not only sturdy but handsome and smart. The autolocking mechanism at each end of the strap make popping your strap on any guitar (with strap buttons) a breeze. The spring-loaded lock is designed to set over the strap button allowing the player to simply press and the strap immediately locks into place. To release the strap, lift the grey ring at one end and it easily comes off the strap button. It is so easy that when I put it on, I was not sure I had actually locked the strap into place until I tugged and tugged at it and found it to be securely connected to the strap button. While locked in place, the lock has movement around the strap button allowing the strap to work flexibly with any movement of the guitar.
D’Addario String Height Gauge - PW-SHG-01 $9.99 For guitarists who demand perfection right down to string and pickup height levels, as well as many other critical measurements, D’Addario has a nifty little stainless steel gauge with all of the measurements marked in both US and Metric sizes. This little tool will fit easily into a shirt pocket or any other place with ease and without taking up much space at all.
D’Addario DIY Solderless Cable Kit 79.99 Here’s a solution for custom wiring your pedalboard and rack gear without soldering. The D’Addario DIY Solderless Cable Kit comes with 10’ of cable, ten mini-plugs, a cable cutter, and a screw driver for custom cuts and connection of cable wiring to the mini plugs. Once the cable is cut, you simply loosen the screw on the side of the mini-plug and insert the cable twisting until set. You then tighten the screw, and you’re good to go! The mini-plug design is for tight spaces between pedals and can be set for straight or right angle connections.
D’Addario Acoustic CINCH FIT $14.99 The CINCH FIT is a clamp designed to make fitting ordinary straps over endpins easier by use of a Cinch-style clamp. Once you loop the CINCH FIT chord around one end of your guitar strap, you simply pull the cinch clip apart setting over the endpin and draw it closed by pulling on the cord. The strap is now securely connected to the end pin. Once you have completed this strap on the other end pin, you are ready to put the connected strap around your neck and play your guitar! This particular device we tried was designed specifically for Taylor Guitars and may not be a good fit for other guitars, so be sure and check the specs for your particular guitar before purchasing.
www.daddario.com
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LESSONS/TIPS
Writing Songs:
Americana songwriter/ recording artist Nikki O’Neill shares useful insights and tips By Nikki O’Neill
Songwriting is a talent that I think is entirely different from being a gifted singer, live performer, or instrumentalist. Lots of singers and soloists can blow you away with their chops...for a while. But if they don’t have good songs, the audience will tune out. Artists who’ve learned that songwriting isn’t their forte will let others write for them. Some make sure to join a band that has a really good songwriter.
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Now, is ‘‘good’’ songwriting the same thing as ‘‘hit’’ songwriting? Not at all. There’s a time and a place for both. You’ll Put It to Good Use Can you learn to be a good songwriter? I think you can...to a certain degree. No songwriter starts off with a fully formed vision and artistic ‘‘voice.’’ But if songwriting doesn’t come easy to you, you can still develop
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an appreciation for the craft and an ability to recognize a great lyric, melody, hook, or chord progression when you hear it, even if you didn’t come up with it firsthand. This will make you a valuable collaborator, and it’s definitely worth your time and effort. You don’t need to take classes or buy books to learn songwriting. What you need is to engage your senses and become a great
LESSONS/TIPS it is. If you hear a melody that you love, find out why. Does the chord underneath do something special to that note? Why is the beat so cool? Why is that lyric line so amazing? Words That Sing If you want to write lyrics, read literature. Song lyrics. Newspaper headlines and the catchy copywriting texts in ads. Listen to people’s conversations. Some lyrics “sing” better than others. Become aware of meter, rhyme schemes, and rhyme types. You might not like mainstream music or talent shows on TV, but watch one show and notice how the lyrics are loaded with vowels. That’s because vowels allow singers to stretch out the words and show off their singing. Ending consonants like b, p, f, or t have the opposite effect: They cut the words short. If lyric writing isn’t your forte, team up with somebody who’s good at it. It’s amazing how much a lyric with vivid images, clever word choices, and good rhythm can improve your singing and emoting. As a composer, I’ve seen lyrics with so much flow and glow that they instantly made me hear melodies and chord changes. observer. And you really need to study the masters. Learn from Great Songwriters If you aren’t doing it already, now’s the time to listen intently – not just casually – to songwriters who have a reputation for being great. Everybody from Courtney Barnett to Stevie Wonder. Don’t just listen to your favorite artists in your preferred genre or songwriters from your own era. If you hear a chord progression that floors you, figure out what
It might take some searching to find a lyricist that you have a rapport with. In the meantime, learn about lyric writing so that you can make educated opinions and be a good collaborator. Maybe you’ll discover that you’re great with lyrics and that you love wordplay and coming up with fifty colorful alternatives to saying, “You’re the one”? Ways to Tell a Story Song structures (aka song forms) are ways to tell a story. It’s great
to be able to write songs with different structures. Some classic folk songs have multiple verses that each end with a short refrain (“Blowin’ in the Wind”). Many blues songs consist of three-line verses, where the first two lines have the same lyrics and melody but different chord changes (“See See Rider”). The AABA structure is classic. The A-section works like a verse, but it features the song’s title. The B-section works like a bridge; it provides variation by using a completely different melody and chord changes. That way, we get excited to hear the A-section again. Some famous AABA songs are “Yesterday” (The Beatles) and “Blitzkrieg Bop” (Ramones).
For many current pop songs, this is the go-to structure: Intro | verse | pre-chorus | chorus | verse | chorus | bridge | final chorus | outro
The intro sets up the song. Some songs don’t have intros at all; they’ll start with the vocals right away. The verses introduce the time, place, and characters. The pre-chorus (often nicknamed “the pre”) is a short section that builds the anticipation to hear the chorus. The chorus is the summary or punchline. It’s the part that everybody remembers and sings along to.
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LESSONS/TIPS
We already covered the purpose of a bridge, so let’s jump to the grand finale: You might hear the chorus once or twice more. The outro can be instrumental, or it might feature the singer adlibbing over the chorus lyrics. It can either fade out or land on a final chord. Do you need to follow these structures? They’ve worked for thousands of songs, and they do help the listeners follow along in your story. But rules are also meant to be broken. Basically, you should follow one guideline: Keep the energy going! If the song starts to sag somewhere and you’ve tried different things to no avail, skipping a section might solve the problem. If you said everything that needed to be said in just two sections, great. Not every song needs to be three-and-a-half minutes long. Working with Rhythm, Melody, Harmony Here are some approaches that I use for these three areas. Rhythm: Rhythm is the most powerful way to communicate with an audience. It’s a very primal thing. Looking at your song from a rhythmic perspective can make it much more interesting. Explore rhythmic variation in your melody, like staccato phrases in one section and legato in another. If you’re a guitarist, learn to play and combine different strum patterns. Strong rhythm patterns are catchy.
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The contrast between the two is genius.
The more you write, the less you’ll freak out about the dry spells.
Create rhythmic hooks that take us to the next line or section. Let the music stop on a key lyric line. Write a song with a drum machine. Melody: Can your melody stand on its own if you remove the beats and chords? If your melody doesn’t excite you, try creating larger leaps between some of the notes. The three most popular scales in Western music are major, minor, and minor pentatonic. Try exploring other scales. Lorde’s hit song “Royals” is based on the Mixolydian scale. Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit” gets its flamenco-like verse melody from a Phrygian scale, while the triumphant melody in the bridge is based on a major scale.
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Harmony: The more you learn about harmony (song keys, chord movement, and the tension and resolution effects of chords), the more you’ll be able to touch people’s hearts as a songwriter. If a song is in an uncomfortable key for a singer, make changes. Experienced songwriters who write for other singers are very aware of their vocal sweet spots. Learn how to hear and use I-IV-V chord progressions, because these are extremely common in so many styles of music (google this). Dealing with Writer’s Block »» There’s a time for wearing the “writer’s hat” or the “editor’s hat.” Resist the temptation to wear both when you’re creating. »» If you’ve had some success as a writer, you can get selfconscious as you attempt to write new songs (“I better have a blues tune on this album so that blues stations will play it”). Resist that thinking. Just create. An EP or album is a collection of songs. The song you feel “meh” about might be the perfect one to fit in between two others. The more you write, the less you’ll freak out about the dry spells. It’s like turning on a tap when it hasn’t been used in a while. Keep writing a bunch of awful songs and let the brown water out...it will clear eventually!
LESSONS/TIPS
Want to sing better, reduce fatigue, and vocal strain?
Grab a straw! By Milena Thomas
One of the best-kept secrets in the vocal technique world that is gaining some recognition lately is that of the Straw Technique or Straw Phonation. If you ever experience vocal fatigue, strain for higher notes, or just want to improve your vocal skills, grab a straw (preferably a reusable one)! According to Dr. Ingo Titze, a worldrenowned voice scientist who identified and is popularizing the use of a straw in vocalization, it can help reduce strain and can train your vocal folds to produce sound correctly. There is a lot of science to back up his claims, but here are the main ways using a straw can improve your singing if used regularly: 1. Your vocal folds will stop working so hard to create sound. 2. Your vocal folds will take on a better, more efficient shape for easy singing. 3. You will learn how to use breath more efficiently.
to use. Dr. Titze recommends a narrow straw (a bit narrower than your regular drinking straw). The narrower the straw, the more benefit you will get from the exercises. Next, you simply place the straw between your lips and begin to make sound, almost like you are humming, only with a straw in your mouth. If this seems strange to you, don’t worry; you will get used to it. One tip is to imagine that your lips end at the end of the straw.
Let’s look at how to get the most out of using a straw to warm up your voice.
It is very important that all the air is coming out of the straw. Check to make sure no air is seeping out around the straw and that no air is coming out of your nose either. As you begin to make sound, you can pinch your nose shut, and there should be no interruption in the sound. You can also place your hand at the opening of the straw to feel the air flowing out of it.
How to do the Straw Technique First, you have to find the right straw
As you start to vocalize, you will want to notice your breath flow – is it steady
All of these things result in a much clearer and more powerful sound that is easier to produce – what singer doesn’t want that?
and even? To check, you can also get a tall cup that is half full of water and hum through the straw into the water. You want to get a very steady stream of bubbles coming through; if you get splashed in the face, you are blowing too much air at one time and creating big air bubbles. Aim for a steady flow as you “sing” through the straw. You will also notice this will automatically engage your core muscles very gently, which is great training for breath support. Once you get the hang of singing through the straw, I recommend put together a simple warm-up routine you can do any time. You can make it anywhere from 5-15 minutes long, and then move on to your regular warmups and singing, either for practice or performance. 5-Minute Straw Technique Warm-up »» 1 minute of sirens up and down, no particular pitches, just try to get a smooth sound from top to bottom »» 1 minute of emphasized siren sounds, imagine you are making sounds like engines revving, up and down your whole range »» 1-2 minutes of scales or vocalises »» 1-2 minutes of vocalizing using the melody from a piece of music you are working on When should I use the Straw Technique? To get the most benefit from the Straw Technique, you should try to do it once every day for at least 5 minutes to get started, but you can do it more often if you want. At a minimum, I recommend do a straw warm-up prior to every time you are going to practice or perform. Straw Phonation is also great for coolingdown after singing and for rehabilitation of a tired or strained voice. Of course, if you are experiencing frequent vocal strain or fatigue, it is important to work with a professional voice teacher or speech language pathologist familiar with singers to assess your technique.
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LESSONS/TIPS
Why it’s okay to be a rhythm guitarist By Marco DiSandro The first step to being a great rhythm guitarist is not purchasing a metronome. It’s not even learning chords or performing with other musicians. It’s admitting to yourself that it’s okay to play rhythm guitar. The glamour, attention, and title afforded to a lead guitarist would make any band member jealous, and the appeal would make any guitarist want to demand, “It’s lead or nothing!” Aside from the lead singer, the lead guitarist is overwhelmingly considered the most important member of the
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band – certainly the most pivotal instrumentalist in the group. However, such considerations are simply inaccurate and stem from a lack of understanding of band dynamics, how songs achieve their sound, and guitarplaying in general. Most music fans don’t think about the importance of rhythm guitar; the sound of one rhythm guitar can create a group’s sound, influence the music it makes, and even direct the lead guitarist. As a rhythm guitarist, you’re more marketable than you –
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and others – realize. You have skills and knowledge that can be applied to various aspects of the music community. You just don’t know it yet. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why it’s okay to stand in the background, strum some chords, and be satisfied with playing second guitar. The band needs you To be a rhythm guitarist, you have to have, well, rhythm of course. You and the bass and drums are working in tandem. You three are the backbone, if not the entirety, of the song you are playing.
LESSONS/TIPS The lead guitar is off on its own, doing its own thing, not explicitly contributing to the foundation of the song. The flashiness of a guitar solo is sensational and energizing, but it’s ephemeral to the point that it can be changed up in a variety of ways each time the song is performed. The lead has the luxury of improvising and being spontaneous with their guitar playing. A lead guitarist can accidentally drop a pick, go find a new one, and jump right back into the song, saying, “Oh, I meant to do that.” The rhythm, however, needs to remain steady and dependable, giving the song a systematic arrangement that listeners recognize and – hopefully – love. After all, the lead is simply adding its part to the song that the bass, drums, and rhythm guitar have already laid down. The improvisation of the lead guitar is based off of the arrangement and key established by the rhythm section, which makes you wonder – Who’s leading after all? Just know that if you play rhythm guitar, your role is key. Think about your favorite song that has a guitar solo. Consider what it would sound like with the solo removed. It may seem a little odd since you expect that void to be filled by the lead guitar, but the greatness of that song would still exist without a second guitar. Sure, songs with epic solos like “Freebird” are all about the tripleguitar attack, but the vast majority of songs can exist without the lead taking a solo. If you’re struggling with the idea of just being a rhythm guitarist, remember: The song, lead guitarist, and entire band need you – not the other way around.
Keep your options open By being a rhythm guitarist, you’ve got job security. With the ability to play rhythm, you can keep your options open as far as what band you join and what style you play. A strictly rhythm guitarist is flexible, in that he or she can play any genre and perform in any band. Aside from performing, songwriting is a trait often exhibited by rhythm guitarists. Whether you’ve tried songwriting or not, as a rhythm guitarist, you’re simply more adept at understanding more complex and intricate chord progressions and melodies. This understanding can come through in developing your song structure. Beginning with riffs and grooves based on chord progressions familiar to the rhythm role, you can more easily sketch out ideas for new melodies, as well as rearranging prior works. While anyone can write a song, the ability to write a good song isn’t a skill found in everybody. Just ask any member of an ‘80s cover band. Since quality songwriting is so hard to come by, being a rhythm guitarist will help you hone your songwriting skills and be in demand. Once you have rhythm guitar down, there’s no reason you can’t eventually move into the lead guitarist slot – if that’s what you truly want. Knowing backing rhythms, complete with beats, measures, intonations, and idiosyncrasies that come with playing rhythm, assures many rhythm guitarists have an easier time moving into the lead position, as opposed to switching from lead to rhythm. Overall, being a skilled and committed rhythm guitarist can help you write songs, maintain a regular performance schedule, and remain in demand.
Delve into side projects Similar to keeping your options open, as a rhythm guitarist, you can channel your knowledge and skills into other musical avenues and endeavors. Rhythm guitarists have a seemingly limitless knowledge of chords and rhythms and truly understand how to lock in and communicate with other players. They know how to provide a good foundation of patterns, beats, and tempos with which the rhythm section and vocalists work. This is why rhythm players make great guitar teachers. Despite what is already available on YouTube in regard to musical tutorials, there is a huge demand for guitar instructors of all proficiencies. If you have experience as a rhythm guitarist, you probably understand elements of music theory such as melody, pitch, duration, rhythm, and tempo that beginner to mid-level guitarists should learn. By teaching, you can diversify your musical endeavors, disseminate your knowledge to novices, and make a few extra bucks. Overall, though playing lead means getting the spotlight and fanfare, it also means surrendering a significant level of control over the structure of the music the band produces. If you play rhythm, however, you have more to do with the direction and shape of songs. Your knowledge of chord structures and patterns can help you develop workable songs, and your capabilities and intuition can constructively be passed on to others. Being recognized as the second guitar player in a music group is not a bad thing. Contrary to popular belief, it’s a great thing – for you, your band, and your music career.
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LESSONS/TIPS
By Paige Harwood Rhythm is not the most glamorous thing to practice, but it is essential to playing any piece of music. It is one of the major foundations of music itself. Whether you are the lead, rhythm, or bass guitarist, a strong understanding of the fundaments of rhythm is necessary. Without a solid rhythmic structure, even the best piece of music will fall apart, and just like any other skill, it takes dedication and practice to master. Rhythms can become incredibly complicated, but they are all based on two basic concepts: keeping the beat and dividing the beat. Keeping the Beat To have basic rhythm, you must first learn to keep the beat. This is best done with the help of a metronome. You can find metronomes at any music store or download an app. This tool clicks out a steady beat to help you practice playing in time. The goal of the metronome is to help you learn to count a steady rhythm in your head, and it should not be used as a crutch! The ability to keep a steady beat is absolutely essential when you play music in a group. If even one member of a band is playing at a slightly different tempo, the whole piece of music will sound disjointed. Once
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you can keep a steady beat, it is time to divide that beat into different rhythms. Dividing the Beat The most basic rhythm anyone should learn first is 4/4 time. In 4/4, a quarter note equals one beat, and there are four quarter notes in a measure. When you turn on your metronome and play when it clicks, you are playing a quarter note. Start counting 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 in your head along with that click. Turn off the metronome and keep the counting steady. This technique is how you can develop your rhythmic skills.
Half of a quarter note is an eighth note. Turn on the metronome again and keep 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 on the beat, but add an “and” in between – or “off” the beat. 1 – and – 2 – and – 3 – and – 4 – and. You are now counting a series of eighth notes.
Half of an eighth note is a sixteenth note. Similarly, if you turn on your metronome and keep your 1 – 2 – 3 – 4 on the beat, you can now add “e and a” in between. The “and” of “e and a” is
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where your eighth note would be, but we are now dividing each beat into four. 1 – e – and – a – 2 – e – and – a – 3 – e – and – a – 4 – e – and – a. That is a series of sixteenth notes.
Creating Rhythms Quarter notes, eighth notes, and sixteenth notes are combined in a variety of ways to create incredibly diverse sets of rhythms you can use in your music for both melody lines and rhythmic harmonies. It is amazing how far a very basic knowledge of the concepts of rhythm can take you creatively. If rhythm is not your strong suit, I suggest taking a strumming pattern you enjoy playing on your guitar and thinking about how you would count it. For example, when I strum in a pattern of Down – Down – Up, it is often in the rhythmic pattern of one quarter note and two eighth notes:
Keep practicing these patterns, until rhythm becomes natural for you.
Daisy Rock Bangles Signature Model Play the same guitar that Vicki Peterson of the Bangles plays!
The Bangles Signature Model is a tribute to the legendary allfemale band that’s rocked generations of music fans all over the world! The Bangles formed in Los Angeles in 1981 with founding members - sisters Vicki and Debbi Peterson, along with Susanna Hoffs - and are most known for hits “Walk Like an Egyptian,” “Manic Monday,” “Hazy Shade of Winter,” and their 1989 #1 single “Eternal Flame.” “The Bangles designed and released their own signature Daisy Rock guitar in 2008.” Tish Ciravolo
• Tune-o-matic bridge with trapeze tailpiece rounds out the vintage look. Founded in 2000, Daisy Rock Girl Guitars is the original girl guitar company dedicated to successfully supplying and marketing professional quality guitars for females of all ages. Daisy Rock Girl Guitars’ ongoing mission is to do whatever it takes to help girls play guitar and enjoy music.
“We’ve got a signature model of a Daisy Rock which we’ve had the chance to make our very own – it’s a really awesome guitar. We want to get young girls into playing the guitar because we need more female rockers.” Vicki Peterson • Daisy Rock’s exclusive “Slim & Narrow” neck design makes it easier for girls with smaller hands to play the guitar. • Semi-hollow, lightweight construction makes the guitar easier to manage and more comfortable to play. • Vintage mini humbuckers crank out a wonderfully jangly, scrappy tone. • Feminine touches, including star fret markers and the lotus symbol on the 12th fret and headstock, give this axe its unique personality. • Grover tuners help ensure rock-solid tuning.
For more info, visit DaisyRock.com
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Music Releases
RELEASES 10 String Symphony Generation Frustration July 13, 2018
The Ophelias
Meg Myers
Almost July 13, 2018
Take Me To The Disco July 20, 2018
Amy Shark Love Monsters July 13, 2018
Covet
Lori McKenna
Effloresce July 13, 2018
The Tree July 20, 2018
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Music Releases Mitski Be The Cowboy August 17, 2018
Yvette Landry & The Jukes featuring Roddie Romero
Carrie Underwood
Louisiana Lovin’ July 27, 2018
Cry Pretty September 14, 2018
Alexa Milo “Mute” September 2018
Lauren Balthrop
Catherine McGrath
This Time Around September 21, 2018
Talk of This Town July 27, 2018
Roscoe & Etta Roscoe & Etta September 7, 2018
Halestorm Vicious July 27, 2018
The Joy Formidable AARTH September 28, 2018
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Every month, we select a guitarist from social media that has tagged themselves with #guitargirlmag to be featured on our website and here in our magazine. So, head on over to Instagram and tag yourself.
You may be next!
Madeleine Anderson
ABOUT ME: I am the 15 years old, and I love much as I as s art e theatrical and fin time mostly in school love music. I spend my y lar activities. I love to pla and with extra -curricu ppy ha , ch un br s, use concert at fundraising events, ho hour, and festivals. She inspired by Dodie Clark. MY INSPIRATION: I am d I love raw with her music, an is very expressive and s. ng so r he in ent sounds how she explores differ g, my two MY GEAR: My GiGY Ba the deep Martin Guitars (I love rs), and ita gu ir sounds of the c. my Shure mi
MIND GAME AND TRIVIA
Word Search Puzzle Word List: BEAUTYCORE BOSWELL SISTERS CMA FEST COMMAND SISTERS FANNY FENDER FIRST AID KIT GFM BAND HAIM HEART LARKIN POE LUCY ANGEL MARTIN GUITAR MONALISA TWINS RHYTHM GUITAR RISING APPALACHIA SHONEN KNIFE SHOOK TWINS SISTERHOOD SLEDGE GRITS SOUTHERN HALO TAILGATE FEST TARA TALK TEGAN AND SARA THE BANGLES THE SHAGGS THE WARNING TWINS VON GREY YAMAHA
1. Fender introduced a new series of electric guitars and basses to replace their Standard Series. What was the name of that series? 2. Name this month’s #GuitarGirl. 3. The straw technique is an exercise for singers developed by _________? 4. Martin Guitar’s new D-16EPD model was inspired by what artist and features what painting? 5. Name the luthier who made the acoustic guitars for Klara Söderberg of First Aid Kit? 6. The Warning had their single “Free Falling” featured on what video game? 7. Fanny, the all-female group from the early ‘70s, released their latest album in what year under what name? 8. We featured quite a few sister acts in this edition. How many were twins? 9. TailGate Fest will be held in September in what city? 10. Guild has introduced some new 12 string guitars. What are those models and what colors will be available? Mind Game and Trivia answers found on last page.
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Adult Coloring It’s said that coloring can help reduce stress, so grab some color pencils, along with your guitar and notepad, and de-stress‌
SISTERHOOD IS FOREVER
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Book Reviews
What We’re Reading NOW! By Tara Low
Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll Ann & Nancy Wilson By Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson and Charles Cross Becoming a rock star is a terrific dream, but one that only very few ever realize. For those who achieve success, many end up at the wrong end of unscrupulous agents or abusing drugs and alcohol which ruin their lives. But this real-life story of two very close sisters, who lived an all-American life growing up in the ‘60s, idolizing the Beatles, and learning to play music from their inspiration, is a story that is not only remarkable, but quite uplifting. After all these years, Ann Wilson, the leading force of the rock band Heart, later joined by her sister, Nancy Wilson, persevered and sustained success over some 30 years! The story in Kicking & Dreaming: A Story of Heart, Soul and Rock & Roll, the biographical account of Heart and the Wilson sisters, covers their early life in a very close family who referred to themselves as the “Big Five” including Ann, Nancy, their Mother, Father, and older sister Lynn, and chronicles the artistic development, success, disappointments, and ultimate triumph of Heart. My hope and feeling is the sisters will work through their current issues because after all, they have heart!
Taylor Swift - Guitar Chord Songbook - 2nd Edition Hal Leonard $16.99 Taylor Swift compiles chord and lyric charts for 40 of her well known hit songs. The book, TaylorSwift - Guitar Chord Songbook - 2nd Edition is filled with 132 pages of song lyrics with guitar chord diagrams and symbols covering 40 Taylor Swift songs. If you have loved Taylor Swift’s music over the years, and if you enjoy strumming your acoustic, then this book will give you a lot of pleasurable hours performing your rendition of Taylor Swift’s biggest hits.
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SIGNING OFF…
WORD SEARCH Answers:
Trivia Answers: 1) Players Series 2) Madeleine Anderson 3) Dr. Ingo Titze 4) D-16EPD Poker Dogs is inspired by Americana art from artist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge, this playful guitar features a 1903 painting called A Friend in Need 5) David Sundberg 6) Rock Band 7) Fanny Walked The Earth in 2018 8) Two 9) Los Angeles 10) Starfire IV ST-12 in Aspen Green and Cherry Red
WHAT’S NEXT September 2018 Our 5th issue, don’t miss it!
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