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Daniel Shulman
Garbage // Run-DMC // Halloween Jack
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Table of Contents Page 3-4 DiVerse Official
Page 11-13 Mioshe Trayel
Page 26-28 Saving Throw
Page 6-8 Tara: The Queen of the South
Page 15-20 Daniel Shulman
Page 30-32 Memorie Janae of Grey Madderz
Page 9-10 Kédence
Garbage, Run DMC, and Halloween Jack
Page 22-24 Armando
Page 33-34 NUKE
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DiVerse Official Far Gone Vol. 1
Reggae’s hidden secret has now been revealed! Making island music with a positive message and a feel good vibe. Look out for DiVerse Official! We caught up with the talented, DiVerse Official in the beautiful land of Hawaii.
When did you first get into music? As a child I’ve always had a passion for feel good music which led me to writing lyrics, free styling in high school, and learning to perfect my craft as a music artist. My music career began in 2017, when I started traveling the world with business partner, Young Invent. Which landed me in Hawaii where my island reggae music took off. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? My family inspired me to pursue my career as well as many supporters, believers and investors. My inspiration comes from music artist such as Kamani Marley, Fiji, Common Kings, Damien Marley and many more. How has your music evolved since you first began performing? I first started off in Hip-Hop and R&B, later I found my calling in island reggae music. I felt more connected and it came more naturally. I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us? Opening up for Kymani Marley in New Orleans was one of the most memorable moments. The audience was amazing, the vibes were right, and Kymani Marley was very humble.
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If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I would have to say PASSION. Passion to succeed and provide for my family. And island music and what it pertains to. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas? I stick to the name DiVerse Official by providing a different sound and vibe for each song I create. What has been your biggest challenge as a singer-songwriter/musician? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? Breaking out of the local scene I over came the challenge by traveling the world with “House Of Legends.” Which landed me a record deal in Honolulu, Hawaii. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? Definitely agree, sacrificing family time that can never be replaced. How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? The internet has been very beneficial for the fact you can promote and network on world wide level. Have you done or plan on doing any Live-stream Concerts? If you have, how has the response been from your fans? No I have not done any live stream concerts, but I can not wait to get back to performing for my fans. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? Talents scouts should be looking for true talent. Not because you have money. Tell us about your new Album? My new LP just dropped, Far Gone Vol.1 out of Honolulu, Hawaii. The album consists of 13 songs of feel good island reggae music. There is something for everyone on this album to enjoy and vibe out to. What is the best advice you have received? Learn the music business and stand out from the crowd. What’s next for you? Far Gone Vol. 2 is in the works and in the mean time… Billboards, Grammy’s, and taking over the radio stations world wide.
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How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? You can follow @diverseofficial on all social media and music platforms (Spotify, iTunes, Pandora, Apple Music, Instagram, Facebook, Amazon Music, YouTube and many more).
PrettyLu
I’m PrettyLu born in Terrell Tx, and raised in the heart of South Dallas. I’ve been modeling almost 6 years to be exact. Started in Buffalo, NY in 2015 when I got my first yes from one of the biggest modeling agencies known around the world. Wilhelmina Modeling Agency in Rochester NY! I knew I had it in me. I just didn’t know I had it in me! I went to audition with no experience whatsoever. When I received that callback I knew my journey was about to begin. But wait, I could not afford what they were asking me to pay upfront. It was too much money and I was also fairly a new mom. What happened? A guy by the name of Steven Bales took me under his wing and started to teach me the in and outs of this model world. Not only was he a teacher to me, he captured my first pictures in front of the camera. Steven was a big help to me when it came to modeling. Thanks to him I got a chance to rip the runway at the 2015 Buffalo Fashion Show and was honored to walk for Samantha Black who was on Project Runway Season 5! It was incredible and I loved every moment. Modeling isn’t an easy job to do. It takes time and hard work to pull this off. After I was in the 2015 Buffalo Fashion Show I began to do more shows. I was even spotted at a gas station and was asked on the spot to be in a hair show. Onyx and Pearls Hair Show, in which I walked in, from the gas station, and ended up walking for 4 different designers/hair stylists! I know right?! After I was being noticed a lot in the Buffalo area I started to do more shows and then one stand at the bus stop led me to being in my very first music video. Ay Benji saw me at the bus stop and told me he was going to put me in his first music video. And he did! You can check out the video on YouTube “Private Room by “AyBenji”. After my journey in Buffalo I then took on Atlanta, Ga where I met some of the most amazing people. From being on the set of Love and Hip Hop, to being in A list celebrity videos such as YFN Lucci, to being in celebrity runway shows such as Ego Maserati, and featured in one of the most popular web series Atlanta Avenue Season 47. And you can also check me out on YouTube in that episode. I lived in Atlanta for a year and moved back home to show my city I am the IT girl when it comes to this model world. I rip runways, I bring visions to life on set, I act and I’m getting my feet wet with the rapping. No, I’m not a rapper I’m just a model rapping, ya dig! I’m what you call an A Lister. Someone who can do it all and is the jack of all trades. I’m your girl. My new single “Okay” and music video will be out soon. I’m 100% sure this is something you guys would want to stay tuned in. In the meantime subscribe to my YouTube channel “My World PrettyLu” and check out some of my work. I’ve worked with local artists and out-of-state artists. You can also follow me on Instagram at PrettyLu_08. Join this Pretty wave I promise you won’t be disappointed! Check out some of my work on social media below. Also don’t forget to like, share, follow, subscribe & leave a comment if you would like. YouTube: My World PrettyLu // Instagram: PrettyLu_08 // SnapChat: Prettylu08
IG: @nikkih_bookings FB: www.facebook.com/nikkihbookings
Tara
The Queen of the South Tara is a female vocalist, who resides in Mobile, Alabama. She became interested in the entertainment industry at a very early age. Tara has made cameo appearances on local television commercials and sitcoms. She had the opportunity to play a major role in various stage productions and she has opened for other well known artists such as Lenny Williams, Confunkshun, Lacee, Tucka, Mose Stovall, Big Ro Williams, Jeff Floyd, and Stony Murphy to name a few. Tara’s musical inspirations include Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Lauren Hill, Sade, Tony Braxton, Anita Baker, Lalah Hathaway, Tina Marie, Maze, and many more. The Queens’s music is infused with contemporary R&B, Classic Soul, and Neo-soul. Tara is the recipient of the 2017 Pensacola Music Awards Hot New Artist and Best Recording Artist. Tara was nominated to receive several awards at the 2018 Jackson Music Awards. She has also been nominated to receive an award at the Texas Southern Soul Music Awards. Tell us a little bit about yourself? I grew up as an only child in Mobile, Alabama and I am a divorced mother of an amazing son. I am an adventurous and results-driven person, who is passionate about music arts and serving my community. Which artist inspired you the most growing up? The Jackson’s inspired and ignited my interest in performing arts. At age five, my neighbors and I would have a fullblown Jackson’s concert in the backyard with a drummer and vocals. The drummer and I later performed in a cover band together. Those were the good old days. How did you get into Southern Soul Music? It was never my intention to become a Southern Soul Artist. My inspiration came from a friend, who was and still is a producer. He saw my talent before I did. He insisted that I go into the studio I did not feel that I was ready. I wanted to gain experience singing with cover bands. On one faithful day, I decided to stop singing in a cover band and recorded my first single and the rest was history!
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Who would be your dream artist to collaborate with? Explain. There are several artists that I would love to have the opportunity to collaborate with. My dream artist would be Anthony Hamilton. His voice is very sensual, soulful, and smooth. Our style of singing is similar. I feel that a collaboration with him would bring out the best in me. What’s something you learned early on in your career that made you a better artist? During the earlier stages of my career, I learned to embrace my style, my brand, and my technique. I also learned to stay in my lane and trust the process. What God has for me, is for me. What does Southern Soul mean to you? Explain. Southern Soul derives from a compilation of various events, ranging from slavery to the civil rights movement. At each point of progression, there is a story to be told about each experience. Southern Soul also has gospel and soul roots. Our ancestors spoke of hope during difficult times and they relied on praising the Lord with a song when things were tough. As we gained more independence, the style of music evolved. This change brought Jazz, Blues, Rap, R&B, and More! In my opinion, Southern Souls means to embrace our greatness and continue to uplift and heal our world through unity and song. Music is a universal language. Let’s embrace it. What’s an important cause or issue you support? I support equality. We were all created by God in his likeness. No one is any better than the other and we must respect each other accordingly. What’s a subject you’ve always wanted to write? A song or sing about? I have been fortunate to be able to write about all of the content that I felt passionate about. When I write lyrics, I write about things that are relatable. I write about the good times and the struggles. If you could cover any song what would it be? “Baby Be Mine” by Mikki Howard If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be? If I could change one thing about the music industry, it would be the support system. If we could unite together for the greater good, we can accomplish great things. A common phrase in the music industry is, “ You must suffer for your art”. Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? Suffering is an understatement, whether it is being rejected by labels or harsh comments about your music or your brand. Social media plays a significant part in getting your music heard and presented to a larger audience. It is also difficult to get your music heard by labels as most of them do not accept unsolicited music. Therefore, It is never a smooth ride for the artist. I agree that we as artists do suffer when so much passion and time are invested into our art and it goes unrecognized; or not have been given an opportunity to be heard. Being the optimistic person that I am, I see every challenge as a gift and I would not change a thing. It’s called character building. How Do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? There are pros and cons to this question I will start with the cons. The internet allows illegal downloads of music; this has a negative impact on the music industry because the artists of the illegally downloaded content are not properly recognized. Therefore, the monetary benefits are negatively impacted. On the other hand, there are pros. The way people listen to music has evolved. Whereas we listened to music from our local radio stations, we also have the flexibility to listen to radio stations worldwide via internet streaming and apps. This flexibility provides us the opportunity to listen to various genres of music.
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What makes the southern soul so different compared to regular soul music? Southern Soul is different from the regular soul because it resonates from an emotional experience or expression as opposed to an innocent or sweet expression. For example, there is a distinct difference between “Betcha by Golly Wow” by the Stylistics and my song “Pop That Tootsie”. The Stylistics are singing about being madly in love or perhaps innocence of love and my song talks about going to the club, dancing, and letting my hair down. In Southern Soul music, we try to offer a balance of both. Do you think there’s a double standard in the industry, or in entertainment in general? While I support all artists in the industry, it appears that women must work harder than males. We do not get the same support as our counterparts. Who are some of your musical inspirations? And why? The Jackson’s, Anthony Hamilton, Tina Marie, Anita Baker, Mikki Howard, Alexander O’Neal, Lalah Hathaway, Toni Braxton, Beyonce, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Tina Turner, Whitney Houston, Jill Scott, Alexander O’Neal, The Isley Brothers, The O’Jays, Earth, Wind and Fire, and many more! All of these artists bring a unique style and energy to their music. They have created music that feels good to the soul . Do you have social media or a website: My website is: taraqueenofthesouth.com
Kédence
Pop Influenced We caught up with Pop sensation, Kédence.
When did you first get into music? I first got into music at a very young age, about 3 years old. My mom is a singer-songwriter so I always loved listening to her sing and write so it was music 24/7 in our house. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? How has your music evolved since you first began creating music? My mom. She is a very talented singer-songwriter. I went through a shy phase in middle school bed part of high school but I knew I wanted to do music so I learned how to do production with Pro Tools and started collaborating with my mom and after I got more comfortable with production it was a natural progression getting out of that shy singing phase and then I started doing vocals on some of her songs. My music has evolved quite a bit since I first started. I have learned a lot and my techniques and skills have improved with everything that I have learned from production to being very creative and achieving unique qualities vocally. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I would say joy, because music has always brought me joy and happiness. It is so exhilarating and fun to create something, it makes you feel like you’re on another level.
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Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas? What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? Something that I think makes me unique as a performing artist is my adaptability to change as well as my willingness to always try to do something new and different as well as my persistence. One of biggest challenges in the beginning was performing in front of others , I am extremely comfortable in the studio but I used to be shy when it came to shows. I have definitely been able to overcome this and I put myself out there to get more gigs and shows to conquer that challenge and now it’s one of my favorite things to do it’s very raw and intimate and you can connect with fans in a deeper level. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? I do and I don’t; I that’s suffered for my art form many different experiences that have been a great inspiration for a lot of works that my mother and I have worked on that I’m sure many artists can relate to. At that same time though I have have had so many amazing and positive experiences that have helped me create works. How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? I think that the internet has actually made the music business a bit easier to tap into with being able to distribute your own music, do marketing and merch, find gigs, sync opportunities and collaborators which can help you get noticed by not only fans but heavy hitters in the industry as well. Have you done or plan on doing any Live-stream Concerts? If you have, how has the response been from your fans? I have not yet. It is definitely something I want to explore! If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? If I could change anything about the music industry, it would be for more levels of venue opportunities for independent artists. I think that would be awesome to tap into that space because it’s great exposure to tour or perform with a bigger artist and you get to tap into a potentially larger fan base. What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why? Whitney Houston’s Greatest Hits, Mariah Carey’s self titled 1990 album, Tears For Fears – Songs From The Big Chair Galantis – The Aviary, and Harry Styles- Fine Line.
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There are so many more but I really like how different these artists styles are and what they each have to bring vocally, with their delivery , production styles and emotions . What is the best advice you have received? The best advice I’ve received is never give up. If you love doing something abs it makes you happy , be persistent and never stop trying. Tell us about your current project. Are you working on new music? An EP or Album? My current project is a singles project. Each one is a different genre and each one has a unique message that relates to everything we have all been through with the most recent events we have all experienced globally. What’s next for you? Please explain. What’s next for me is getting more show opportunities as restrictions let up, diving into getting sync opportunity and of course making lots of new music and collaborating with other talented artists! How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Instagram: @justkedence YouTube: https://youtube.com/c/SongCulture Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0IHDDOWcWGEtDVjqXc3mYT?si=OUJ0Y_Z3QyafMUwM-nIoAQ Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/k%C3%A9dence/1209427910
Mioshe Trayel Inspirational Artist
Mioshe Trayel is an inspirational Singer-Songwriter, and Producer from Hampton, Virginia. It was just the age of four when she began composing, writing, and singing her own songs. Mioshe was invited to sing her songs in church, family gatherings, plays, and even at school. She began to take on music business in 2013. Today, she is CEO of her own label, “Ambience Productions” and launched her first radio tour for her album “Love Again”, and recently released a new single entitled, “Over”. Mioshe is dedicated to sharing her gift and love for music all across the world!! When did you first get into music? Please explain. I started music at the age of four. I began singing music in church, which led to school functions, plays, concerts, and eventually it grew into a solo career. What genre of music do you perform and why? The type of music I perform is inspirational gospel. I grew up listening to gospel, although my music isn’t the typical traditional kind.
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And why did you choose that style of music? I chose this path of music to stay close to my roots. I also like to inspire others and provide that spiritual awareness of themselves which can help lead them to finding their identity in Christ. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? My mother did a great job rearing me up into using the gifts that God gave me. She made sure I would practice on my keyboard and she would teach me how to harmonize and project my voice, She also taught me stage presence and how not to be shy. She said, “if you were focused on God when you sing, you wouldn’t worry about what people thought of you!” Well, I thank God for mama. She had a point. How has your music evolved since you first began performing/songwriting? Please explain. My music has definitely evolved since I first began. Over the years, I’ve learned to embrace my flaws, learn from my mistakes and stay in my own lane. Lord knows it’s better when we learn to appreciate our own capabilities and not try to be or sound like someone else. I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us? Oh yes! I have had a few blessed opportunities to share the stage with a few icons in gospel. I have sung behind gospel recording artist Deitrick Haddon back in my hometown Hampton Virginia, where he held a mothers day concert. I was also blessed to sing behind the incomparable Le’Andria Johnson of Sunday’s best. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other, drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I choose to stay true to what I feel is my calling and part of my destiny. I am driven by being transparent about my own struggles in life and using them to encourage others. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as an artist in an industry overflowing with new talent and ideas? The ingredient that makes me special and unique as an artist in the music industry is my resilience and confidence in what I can do and what I bring to the table. I am a creative! I enjoy producing music that is relative, speaks to the listener, and draws them in. I create music that speaks to the soul! What has been your biggest challenge as a perforing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? My biggest challenge as an artist would be maintaining my own sense of independence. When I created my own label, NuAmbience Productions LLC, I made a promise that I would never compromise myself or my abilities for others to accept me as what I am, a singer, songwriter, and producer, who doesn’t need support from a major label!
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A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? There is a scripture from the good book that comes to mind. Romans 5:3 says we glory in tribulation also knowing that tribulation worketh patience , patience, experience, and experience, hope. So basically suffering produces character and causes you to toughen your skin a lil’ bit! These challenges are vital to our growth and help us become better people. They are worth sharing to the world, so people can see and know who you are and what you are.
How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? The internet can be beneficial depending on how it’s used. It makes music available on a global platform. It makes everything so accessible! The internet can also be a beast. When it comes to music, everything is so saturated, which makes it hard for an artist to stand out. The internet is a powerful tool, however, engaging with the listeners and fans is the best part that holds everything together. If you could change anything about the music industry. What would it be? If I could change anything about the music industry, I would change how the industry makes it hard from an artist to make a long-lasting impression. I think people’s attention spans have become so short. They want something new and different, but are so accustomed to what they are used to hearing, that they don’t accept something they aren’t familiar with. What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why? 5 albums would have to be 5 artists for me. In the gospel world, my life was shaped by CeCe Winans, Yolanda Adams, and oh my favorite artist of all time is Lecrae. Aside from gospel, I was inspired by Whitney Houston and Lauryn Hill. I could listen to ANY album of these artists ANY day! Tell us about your current project. Please explain. My current project released is a single entitled, “Over”. This single has taken my music to higher heights in the gospel industry. I released the song on July 4th of 2020 during the pandemic, blm protests and presidential debates. This song talks about how we have many things going on around us that we can complain about, but it reminds the listener to keep the focus on the better things, like the privilege of life. Giving thanks to God through our storms keeps us grounded and may lead to finding more productive things to do with our time, because life is short. This song made top 5 (number 4) on internet gospel radio charts, monitored by Nielson. This was a major accomplishment for me and connected me with many great radio personalities across the United States, also allowing me to receive award nominations. The purpose behind the song became something I had to hold myself to, believing and not giving up on myself. What is the best advice you have received? The best advice I have received is, “Don’t wait for someone to hold the door. Push it through and walk into whatever it is you want to do!” I try to remind myself of this and live by it everyday. How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Fans can have access to my music anywhere music is sold online whether Youtube Music, iTunes, Spotify, Pandora, you name it. Once you type in my name, my song should appear. I have had another album released entitled, “Love again”. It was my humble beginning, but it is no longer available online. The best way to keep in touch is through my website, www.mioshetrayel.com. You can also book me for events and find a few jingles there that I have made for radio. Oh yeah, I enjoy making music for radio, commercials and film, by the way. Where are you from city,state, town, country? I am originally from Hampton, Virginia. Born in the USA! There is so much hidden and undiscovered talent back home where I am from. When I get a chance, I want to shine a light on these talented individuals. Do you have social media? Yes, I have social media. I am available on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I am in the rebuilding phase for a couple of the sites, but they are active! Just type in my name Mioshe Trayel and it should pop up! This is a great way to see what’s new and going on with me.
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Daniel Shulman Garbage // Run-D.M.C. Halloween Jack
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(L to R): Halloween Jack: Gilby Clark, Daniel Shulman, Steve Stevens, and Stephen Perkins.
Dan Shulman’s journeyman career as a session musician has taken him from rap to alternative rock and beyond—he cut his teeth playing bass on classic Run-D.M.C. records before becoming a long-time contributor to Garbage in the nineties. I sat down to talk with him about the newest adventure for his project Halloween Jack. Edmund Barker: I’m a big Garbage fan…they have a new record? Dan. Shulman: It’s gonna be coming out this year…the stuff that I heard and played on sounded really good. Definitely been a fan of their more recent records, and this one sounds good too. EB: Onto Halloween Jack. So you’ve put out a tribute to the late Sylvain Sylvain of New York Dolls, recently passed away. Now I’ve spoken to other musicians like Will Crewdson who really took inspiration from the bands of that milieu, like T Rex and Slade, for some British examples. What do you think it is about that early glam rock age in the seventies that makes it so enduring? DS: Certainly, for me personally, it was coming of age as a kid in the seventies, and I was a shy kid—so seeing these bands like Slade, like the Dolls, like Kiss, Bowie, and Alice Cooper expressing themselves in such an outrageous way… it was just insanely exciting for me, as a young musician. I was thinking, that’s what I wanna do, I can communicate like that. There seemed to be a danger and a freedom in it I was super attracted to. EB: Especially the stage performance element? DS: All of those things combined. I remember I heard Perry Farrell [of Jane’s Addiction] say one time that he likes bands that are just basically for the ears, that’s fine, but that when he does something, he wants to do it for the eyes and the ears, and I’ve always felt that way too. That if I do a rock and roll show, I want it to be entertaining in as many ways as possible. EB: So it’s the fun of inhabiting a character and escaping yourself. DS: Without a doubt. Well, I think that’s true to some extent no matter what, whether you’re a glam rock musician or not, there is something artificial, inherently, about getting on this platform with lights and jumping up and down. So it just depends on how far you wanna take it. I’m sort of drawn to the darker elements, like Alice Cooper and Gene Simmons from Kiss, who sort of took the dark side of Black Sabbath and made it a little more glamorous. And the New York Dolls, as sort of bright and shiny and feminine as they were, felt dangerous to me too, and still feel dangerous to me when I listen to them.
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EB: And they were sort of associated with proto-punk, right? DS: Absolutely. I do think there’s a direct line from The Stooges to them to The Ramones and the Sex Pistols. They were a phenomenally exciting band, and I actually got to see them play when they reformed in 2005! They played at
a Spin Magazine party at South by Southwest, and there were all these new bands on the bill. And to me, personally, they were way more exciting; because a lot of the new bands were just sort of dressing like they were working at the gas station, staring at their feet…and the Dolls were just glamorous, and exciting, and shiny and loud. Bummed I didn’t get to see them back in the day, but I was a bit too young to handle the Dolls back then! EB: So in Halloween Jack, you’re paired up with Stephen Perkins from Jane’s Addiction and Gilby Clark from Guns N’ Roses…did you ever see yourself putting together a super group, or did it just come about more organically? DS: It was more organic; I wanted to play with musicians I liked. I’ve known those guys for a while, there was a band that started in the eighties I was in called Double D Nose, and Gilby was our sound guy before he got the GNR gig, so I’ve known him for a long time. And Steve Perkins ended up playing percussion for that band, so I’ve known him for a long time. All of us, including Eric Dover from my group, all used to play at this glam club called Club Makeup in Hollywood, which was the first Saturday of the month at El Rey Theater. It was all seventies glam stuff, with a house band and people who would sit in…there was sort of a Priscilla, Queen of the Desert over-the-top vibe, and it was super fun. I was home and not touring and I thought, if I was, what would I wanna do? I’d want to play all my favorite glam stuff from the seventies, so Perkins was the first person I called, and he was totally in. I suggested Gilby, and he was on board with that, so he was in, and then he brought in Eric Dover to sing. When we did this tribute video to the Dolls, the video “Trash” more recently, unfortunately, Eric Dover was missing in action. The fortunate side was that Gilby reached out to Steve Stevens, who was actually named by Sylvain Sylvain back in the eighties—I used to love seeing him play with Billy Idol. He came in and recorded guitar and did the video, which was super exciting. Thank God Eric Dover is still alive, he’s resurfaced, and we’re gonna do, on Valentine’s Day, a video of The Stooges’ Search and Destroy. EB: Looking forward to it. Well, once again, I’m a big fan of your work with Garbage—so much so I’ve been trying to write a horror novel called “Only Happy When It Rains”, because that’s such a brilliant title! DS: Love it! Well, when you get it done, send it my way, and I’ll share it with the rest of the guys. EB: Thanks! EB: Also on the topic of your band—I was reading there was someone you wanted in your group you couldn’t have because he was stuck in Japan at the time? DS: That was Eric. To be honest, I don’t know exactly what happened, but the story I heard is that he was on tour with his band Sex Fist, and that they were on the bullet train and he fell asleep…everyone else got off but he didn’t. So he ended up in some remote village busking for the rice farmers and hooking up with some girl there. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but that’s what I heard, and all I know is we couldn’t get in touch with him. EB: Sounds like a pretty exciting story if true! Accidentally becoming a hermit. DS: Exactly. Well, you never know what to expect from Eric. He is a phenomenal singer and guitar player, and he definitely brings the rock and roll spirit. So if you hang out with him, unexpected things are gonna happen! EB: On that note of touring stories—and going back to your history with Garbage—you’ve been touring with them on and off going back to their early days, so it sounds like you’ve seen some pretty incredible global venues like Fuji Rock Festival and Glastonbury and Australian festivals. Going off that, what was your favorite large spot in another part of the world to play? DS: Hmm, that’s a good question. The Mount Fuji Fest would not be my number one choice, only because we played during the day and it was like 10,000 degrees. Although it was a lot of people, like almost 100,000 people, so that was fun. And there were a lot of cool people on the bill like Beck and Elvis Costello, and it was cool seeing them. I think my favorite was…there’s two, maybe. One was, we headlined the Reading Festival in the UK. That was massive, because I’d been hearing about the Reading Festival forever, and we had played it previously, as one of the earlier acts in the day, Garbage
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so to be able to headline that was pretty mind-boggling, so that was incredibly fun. And then, we played a festival called Roskilde, which I wanna say was in Denmark. And I enjoyed that, in part, because that was a huge audience— like 90,000 or something. I enjoyed it because it was just such a weird bill! The Deftones opened up, then Bob Dylan played—before us somehow, I don’t know Bob Dylan plays BEFORE us instead of after, but it was Bob Dylan—and I’ve seen him a few times, sometimes he’s great and sometimes he’s not. That night he was absolutely on fire, he was so good and the bad was so good. It was amazing to get to watch that. Then we played and that was a lot of fun, and then after us was this band called DAD, which stands for Disneyland After Dark. They had maybe a minor hit in the States, but I had basically never heard of them. In Denmark, they were absolutely massive, and the crowd went completely ballistic for them. And they had kind of like a Spinal Tap-y, heavy metal vibe. The drum riser was like fifty feet tall with this giant big bass drum, and they had a huge thirty-foot skull behind them. EB: Tongue-in-cheek? DS: I don’t think it was tongue-in-cheek for them, it was just totally over-the-top, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I don’t know if I was enjoying the music so much as the whole spectacle of it, it was incredible, and the audience loved them. So that was a weird bill, I definitely enjoyed playing that. EB: Yeah, it is odd how you’ve got the old metal bands and throwbacks that are so much bigger in Scandinavia and Japan, than America. DS: Without a doubt. Speaking of Australia, that was fun—there’s some stuff like Big Day Out in Australia, where it’s a festival but it’s a multi-city festival. So that’s always fun to play, because the cities are so far apart in Australia you can’t play back-to-back nights, which means you get more time off to just sorta hang out and have fun. I always did enjoy that. EB: What’s it like, touring across Australia? You bus through the outback? DS: That’s the thing about Australia, you can’t do it on a bus, you have to fly. So that’s why they space the shows out, you do a show in a city and hang out for a while and you fly to the next one and hang out a bit there.
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(L to R): Halloween Jack: Daniel Shulman, Eric Dover, Stephen Perkins and Gilby Clark.
EB: So then it’s more leisurely with more time for sightseeing. DS: Definitely more time for sightseeing, and there is something that takes it out of you flying all the time…but there’s something that takes it out of you trying to sleep on a bus in the middle of the night every night too. So, it was different, but it was a nice break going to Australia and having time between shows. EB: Both buses and planes are hard to sleep on in their own ways. DS: Yeah, I usually didn’t even pretend I was gonna sleep on the planes. I would pretend I was gonna sleep on the bus, but both Butch Vig, drummer for Garbage, and I had pretty bad insomnia, so everyone else would be asleep, and we would be in the lounge watching Clint Eastwood movies and staying up all night. EB: On the opposite end of the spectrum, what’s one of the more odd and unpleasant stories you have from touring the world, like losing all your luggage or committing some kind of faux pas? DS: Well, I’d say the worst thing that happened was when we were playing in New York City, touring with The Smashing Pumpkins. Ever since I’d seen Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains the Same, I’d dreamed of playing Madison Square Garden. We were in New York City, we were supposed to play Madison Square Garden that night, and I was hanging at a friend’s house. Suddenly they come running in from the other room and go, “I just heard on the radio that one of the Pumpkins died.” I was like, “What are you talking about?” I call my tour manager, and he goes, “Yeah, the keyboardist they hired to go on tour with them overdosed last night.” Him and the drummer Jimmy overdosed—thank God Jimmy survived, but unfortunately the keyboardist did not. And he said, “I dunno what’s gonna happen.” So he called me back a few hours later and said yeah, rest of the tour’s canceled, we’re all going home. And that was just incredibly shocking and disturbing, it was a huge bummer. They did end up picking up the tour later, and we did end up touring with them again later, although we didn’t play the Garden that time. And then we were going to play the Garden with Alanis Morrissette, and then she decided, because it’s really expensive to play the Garden, to play Meadowlands instead. And then finally we did get to play the Garden with U2, which was really fun. But I’d say the worst thing that happened was the keyboardist from the Pumpkins overdosing and dying. That was really shocking and a huge bummer. They ended up kicking Jimmy, the drummer, out of the band when we toured with them again—Matt Walker was playing drums, and he ended up subbing in Garbage, I played with him in Garbage for a while when Butch got sick and had to stay home. It was good to get to know him, but I was bummed for Jimmy that he had that terrible experience and wasn’t able to continue playing with the band at that time. EB: That’s tragic. Another touring question I have is—well, first, I interviewed John Robb of The Membranes and he told me he once stayed overnight at an inn where the two owners dropped acid and got into a swordfight… DS: *laughs* EB: …and he had to just slink out in the morning. I was wondering, in your extensive touring with various bands, did you ever end up staying at a place where you just thought “this isn’t good, I gotta get outta here?” DS: I would say the most colorful stories were probably before I started playing with Garbage, when I played with more indie bands. That band that I told you about that Gilby Clark used to do sound for and Steven Perkins played percussion, Double D Nose, we did a tour across America with no money. So, we would play a show, and then announce from the stage, “Can we crash at anyone’s house tonight?” If we couldn’t, we would scrape together everything we got paid for the show to get the worst motel possible, and all cram into one room without them noticing somehow. But almost every time someone would say, “Yes, you can stay at my place.” One time we played this show—I wanna say it was in Cincinnati, but I don’t really remember—and there were only two people in the audience, these two girls. And after the show, we went to them and asked if we could stay at their place, and they said, “Absolutely not, but there’s this bar around the corner, go there and ask for Joetta, and she will definitely let you stay at her place.” So, went to this bar, asked for Joetta, and sure enough she was there, and sure enough she said yes. She played in a band, I don’t remember what it was called, but they all lived in their rehearsal space, which was just a few blocks from there. So, we went to her rehearsal place, and it was basically like an all-night party, and it was incredibly dirty and gross. I think we’re lucky that we got out of there un-diseased! I remember that one of our singers tried to pick up this girl, and she was like, “Yeah, let’s go in the other room.” So she walked him to the front door—he was not quite in his right mind after partying, and didn’t realize it
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(L to R): Halloween Jack: Daniel Shulman, Stephen Perkins, and Eric Dover.
was the front door—so he just walked out and then she locked him out! So he had to spend the night out on the street, and some other people tried to hook up with guys in the band; some did hook up, some didn’t want to hook up. It was definitely a pretty insane night. We ended up leaving with this small piece of artwork, which I’m not gonna say what it was, because it was phenomenally offensive and X-rated. But one of our singers insisted on having it in the van, and for the rest of the tour, the drummer always tried to hide it and get rid of it, but whatever show we were at, the singer would always find it and get it back on the van somehow. EB: Let’s just leave it to the reader’s imagination, leave it a mystery! DS: It’s better in your imagination, trust me. EB: What a great note to end on. Well, Dan, been wonderful talking to you, hope our paths cross again. DS: Thanks!
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Tiffany Bynoe MY PLAYLIST
Tiffany Bynoe’s forthcoming EP “MY PLAYLIST” is a heartfelt and compelling, love driven and delightfully flavored classic. The multi-talented singer/songwriter loves great songs from every genre of music and artist she grew up listening to, Brilliantly showcasing a bridge to the romantic side of her artistry, Tiffany rolled her popular single “Free,” a re-imagining of the classic hit by and an homage to Deniece Williams. A seasoned performer by the time she was 14, Tiffany competed and won Amateur Night three times at the famed Apollo Theatre in NYC. After that, she was offered countless recording deals, but her mother required her to finish high school first. She graduated at 17 and obtained a major recording deal with Electra Records. Her hit “Give Him a Love You Can Feel” climbed the Billboard chart to #3 under the stage name Tene Williams. Talk show host Wendy Williams spun the track when she was a DJ at WBLS, and Tiffany’s career was moving under the guidance of music executive Ruben Rodrigues. This led to one of Tiffany’s big dreams come true, an appearance on “Soul Train,” hosted by Don Cornelius. She also appeared on BET’s Video Soul and many other major platform, in addition to performing concerts. The release of Tiffany’s Playlist features her comeback song “Free” its still making its way over to the R&B platform, hitting #34 on the smooth jazz charts, with over 2000.00 YouTube views. Tiffany declares that there are NO RULES, “just sing what’s in your Heart!! I want to share my Tiffany playlist of songs with the world Tiffany’s new release “Love Like Waterfalls” showcases her unique, sultry sound and range. The track features the incomparable jazz pianist Bob Baldwin
“Tiffany Bynoe is a hidden jewel and an urban legend. Her vocal work is uniquely smooth and THIS track proves it. Unlimited boatload of music forthcoming by Tiffany...buckle up!” - Bob Baldwin/NewUrbanJazz “I’ve had the pleasure of watching Tiffany grow as an artist and I’ve been privileged to see her mature and develop her vocal skills through the years. “Love Like Waterfalls” is just another testament to her amazing talent” - Howard Hewett
CROSS + MARKETING VISIBILIY
SOCIAL MEDIA
* BOOK’ Ugly Duckling No More
IG 65K Followers
* DREAMS IN A JAR’ T.V. Show
TW 27K Followers
* Skin Care Line Olive Tree
30K Followers
* Gabby’s Heart foundation
RADIO
FORTHCOMING EP
MY PLAYLIST COMING 2019
LINKS:
Press: https://www.soultracks.com/first-listen-tiffany-bynoe-love-like-waterfalls https://www.jwvibe.com/single-post/2018/10/21/TIFFANY-BYNOE-Love-Like-Waterfalls
* Love Like Waterfalls
https://youtu.be/QDc7L8TWtcY .
#3 Most Added Smooth Jazz
Site: www.tiffanybynoe.com Love Like Waterfalls: https://youtu.be/_y2otuOHxGw
Armando
Int’l Producer & Artist Armando is a Canadian born International recording Artist, singer-songwriter from Toronto. He has opened up for acts like “Offset from Migos, “Loud Luxury” and “DJ Pauly D” from MTV’s hit reality show Jersey Shore. His works have been featured on some of the biggest labels in the world, such as Sony Music France, Armada Music and Kontor Records out of Germany. Armando is quickly becoming known as the “Sunset Singer” with his enchanting emotionally driven top lines and euphoric olive oil voice. Tell us who is Armando? Armando is a loving, forward thinking, music making, Teddy Bear who loves to travel! What made you decide to go in the direction of music and producing? How do you approach the sensitive task of discussing changes and rearrangements with artists? I always had the music bug from early on in life, but it wasn’t until my sister bought me my first acoustic guitar on my 18th birthday that I began writing and singing. As for the music approach, I discuss possible structure, melody, and composition arrangements based on the type of song I’m going for, or the type of song that is being brought to me via a producer or other artist. My approach is simple and I make sure to let whoever i’m working with know that I don’t have all the answers and music making doesn’t come with a manual, but it does come down to feeling the music/ song, instead of hearing it, you need to feel it first! What is the one thing every song must have for it to be solid? The song has to have a feeling and a catchy melody! People feel the music before they hear it in my opinion.
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Who is the best music producer working in the industry today? My boy Assaf aka Avira! This guy is legit in a position to be the next sound in the Dance, Electronic Music scene and is already signed to Armada and dropping some next level records.
Tell us about the creative side to producing the single called “Who Stole Your Smile”? A friend of mine’s mother had passed away and she posted a picture on instagram with a very sad face with no smile a few weeks after her passing, and I sincerely commented “who stole your smile”. I was having my morning coffee, went into my piano room, picked up my acoustic guitar and the song literally wrote itself. This happened maybe once or twice to me in my career. What is the first thing you listen for when listening to a new recording? I listen to the beat and instrumental melody because they will already speak to you. I listen to see if I feel something first, and if I do, I begin experimenting with the melodies that come to me or I try to find. 9/10 it’s usually my first melody that is the one I end up going with. Other times I already have the melody or hook idea’s in my head. What is the biggest budget you’ve worked with? The “EL Paradiso” Music video with DJ Antoine and my boy Jimmi The Dealer. We were flown out to the Swiss Alps (St. Moritz) and I was actually flown from Italy to St. Moritz in a Helicopter because we had a show in Italy the night before the music video (Myself & DJ Antoine). Hublot sponsored the “EL Paradiso” music video and I’m sure it was a 30,000 to 40,000 euro production, you just gotta check it out, it’s a movie. What skills have you learned that will help you in your singing career? I’m still trying to figure that out, lol. I don’t really take singing lessons, even though my sister is a singing teacher and an amazing Soprano (Soprano Scarlato). What made you decide to pursue a career in entertainment? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. When I was playing pro hockey in Europe, I would always find myself reaching out to the local DJ’s in the clubs and slipping them my songs on a USB stick. I was always natural on that hustle and creative music wave on my down time. It is what made me happy and what I was naturally drawn to. I was always writing and humming melodies. What kind of singer would you classify yourself as? Emotionally Driven, singer with a distinct, clean, strong style, with a distinct olive oil voice. You know it’s me singing when you hear my song, especially my dance EDM songs like “Symphony” & “Strangers in Sunlight (Kidmyn Remixes). What has been the best performance of your career, so far? My personal best performance was in the Fall of 2019 at the Opera House in Toronto where I performed my unreleased song “Got Away”. My most memorable one was in Germany in the summer of 2019, performing in front of 10,000 people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BMWBgtt1hw8
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How do you cope with being away from home for long periods of time? I haven’t had the privilege of experiencing that yet. I’ve always come and gone when I needed to. What advice can you give to upcoming producers? No means yes and never stop your hustle. Learn from the lows, and be patient with things, but at the same time keep on top of them. Hit up 20 to 50 new people a day to build your network. Do you have a website? www.armandomusic.com Follow Armando on social media at: Facebook https://www.facebook.com/musicarmando Instagram https://www.instagram.com/armandoscarlatojr/ Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/4JSChvgYDHRIC9CbaxReS9?si=YcrNv759SZeMMjurQB_d7A YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDjyCqL2QpV2sMyF_7wdWeg?app=desktop
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www.rsvpcigars.com
Saving Throw
Mix of Indie-Emo-Punk We caught up with Saving Throw, a genre mixing punk band out of the UK.
When did you first get into music? Dom: My mum played nothing but Queen, Abba and classical music for the first 12 years of my life, and that’s great and all, but eventually I got bored and started making punk music instead. Isaac: My uncles got me a small toy drum kit as a gift around age 6. I’d ‘play along’ to my Grandfather as he played jazzy tunes on his upright piano. Matt: When I was about 3 years old I got really into the Spice Girls and it all just spiralled from there. What genre of music do you perform and why did you choose that style of music? A mix of Indie, Emo and Punk music, we all listen to a lot of different genres and those are among our favourites. It lets us make lots of noise whilst also writing sad existential lyrics (which are obviously the easiest to write because everything sucks). Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music? Dom: My mum’s a musician and my grandad was a recording engineer, so music was kinda always around in my family, but I started making music seriously when I got into artists like Into It. Over It. and Pinegrove whilst studying at uni, seeing how the indie grassroots scene can spit out great music made me want to get stuck in. Isaac: I wouldn’t really say I have a career in music, as it’s pretty much just for pure enjoyment at the moment. However, with a few more interviews, that may change. My uncles and grandad inspired me as a child, as they are all musicians. Oh, and Dave Grohl, of course. Matt: It all came from the Spice Girls really, I’m still pursuing my dream of becoming Baby Spice.
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How has your music evolved since you first began performing/songwriting? For our first EP we mostly wrote the songs individually and then presented them to the rest of the band. We’d all make our own little tweaks and slight changes but would typically stick closely to what was originally brought to the table. Now we have our first EP out we’re trying to write more collaboratively and have everyone present for the songwriting process. I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us? Superglu are one of our favourite bands that we’ve played with, they’re all super nice and showed us a lot about how to really perform to the crowd. They stood right at the front for our set and got the party going, which pretty much no other band does, we’re really grateful to have shared the stage with them. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other, drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? Everything we do is driven by anger, we’re all very emotionally unstable individuals. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as an artist in an industry overflowing with new talent and ideas? Please explain. Matt: I guess we try and be as genuine as possible with our music and lyrics. There’s no precedent of us being rockstars, we’re just a bunch of pals having fun. We try to make our music that’s reflective of that. Isaac: Something that we think makes our music sound the way it does is that we aren’t too precious about our individual input and ideas. We all appreciate that we have different approaches and contributions to make. Dominic: There’s so much awesome music being made these days that I’m not really sure we can call ourselves special just yet, but I don’t think that’s necessarily bad, we’re just stoked to be in the same boat as so many great bands and artists. What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? Getting people to turn up to our shows. It is a challenge we’ve yet to overcome. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? No, some people clearly do suffer for art and that’s a whole separate question, but we don’t think it’s a crucial part of the process. We’re an emo band that likes being happy, and sometimes sad, and sometimes angry, mostly angry, but we wouldn’t say we’ve suffered for our music.
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How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? Please explain. It simultaneously made it a lot better and a lot worse. The internet has connected us and made it so everyone can make and has access to music, there’s more music available now than ever (which is great!). From a business perspective though, streaming services and torrenting have made it harder to make money from music; meaning a band has to rely on merch and live shows if they want to make a profit. If you could change anything about the music industry. What would it be? Have streaming services actually pay their artists fairly. Pubs/bars paying bands regardless of talent and revenue made on the night. A world where the arts are financially backed by society would be pretty great, especially when we all love to consume it. What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why? Dom: Before These Mighty Skies - Le Soldat Pony, Ocean Eyes - Owl City, You’re Gonna Miss It All - Modern Baseball, Standards - Into It. Over It., Pink Moon - Nick Drake Isaac: Nirvana - Nevermind, Busted, Tame Impala - Currents, a compilation CD of Indie Anthems my mum bought for me, Toska - Ode To The Author Matt: I only need three: Spice, Spice World, and Forever by the Spice Girls. The other two are irrelevant. Tell us about your current project. Please explain. We’ve all been pretty slammed with life for the last 12 months or so (just like the rest of the world), so we’re not actively working on anything specific, but we’ve got songs on the brain and wanna work on some video stuff too, and we’re considering starting to think about beginning the first steps of writing our next untitled project, coming circa 2030. What is the best advice you have received? Build a following in your local scene first before worrying about anything else, advice given by Ben from Superglu! How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? We have an EP out everywhere right now! It’s called How Do Microphone, it’s on Spotify, Bandcamp, Itunes, and soon to be in your heart. Where are you from city, state, town, country? We’re from Brighton, UK. The place to be, babey. Do you have social media? You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Our handle is @savingthrowuk, come say hi!
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Memorie Janae Pro Vocalist + Coach
We caught up with professional vocalist and vocal coach, Memorie Janae of Grey Madderz.
When did you first get into music? Please explain. I first got into music in the first grade when I sang You Light Up My Life as a solo in front of my whole school. I was instantly hooked, even at that young age I knew it was magical. And it’s safe to say that music got into me at that moment. Growing up, I sang in choirs, performed in musicals and studied musical theatre in college. I loved it. Every part of it. I loved performing, singing, preparing, rehearsals, all of it. Later on I had the opportunity to join a band and fell in love with a whole different type of performance. How has your music evolved since you first began creating music? I wasn’t a big risk taker in the early years. I let fear dictate what I would try. I stayed in a safe zone. Musicals were safe, singing only what I could do comfortably was safe. My music has changed because I’m willing to take risks. I’m willing to put myself out there no matter what to try a new song that may challenge me. To take criticism so I can grow. Willing to learn new techniques. These things are important as a musician. If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? Joy. For sure. Everyone experiences music differently and for different occasions. Every time I am invited to be part of someone else’s experience it is JOY to me. From a wedding to a funeral to worship, it’s all people sharing emotion driven by love. When I get to help expand that love with a song then I am covered in Joy that gives me more understanding than I could get anywhere else.
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Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as a performing artist in an industry overflowing with new faces and ideas? I believe that every artist adds something special to the industry. Perhaps a special ingredient for me is that I want their experience as an audience member to be magical. Therefore I put a lot of work in my practices so that the performance is top notch. I work hard to tell the story of a song and to bring the audience on a storytelling journey with me. What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? My biggest challenge is that I’m not in my twenties any more. Some would say I don’t fit in because I am not young enough. I try to overcome this stigma by continuing to learn new songs and new technologies. I’m also convinced that music does not have an age. It is enjoyed by all people, of all nations and all age brackets. It does not only belong to the young. I keep myself fit and healthy to keep my energy up. I don’t drink or smoke or partake of substances that will impair my instrument. This keeps me young. :) A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? Well, I suppose it’s true there are many songs that have been born out of suffering. While I don’t necessarily many songs are made not from pain, but from joy, but I do believe all art has to come from pain, but I do believe that the pain helps us to relate to our audience better. It helps us connect and lift others more genuinely. However, How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? Wow, there’s not a piece of the music industry that the internet has not touched. It’s a beautiful and marvelous thing, really. There are so many audiences we can reach now. So much to share with each other as fellow musicians. For sure it has changed how musicians get paid and many people have not been pleased with that. But If we are flexible and allow ourselves to learn new things this should not be too much of a deterrent. Have you done or plan on doing any Live-stream Concerts? If you have, how has the response been from your fans? I have not done a Live-stream concert, yet. This is one of those things I would like to take a stab at. I really prefer live audiences, it’s better energy, but I can’t knock something I haven’t tried. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be? The thing I would change, if I had a magic wand, is that women wouldn’t be made to feel so objectified. There’s so much pressure to look good physically on stage. And I’m not just talking about being thin. I’m also referring to sexuality, age, being more concerned for our outfits than for the craft. Sometimes I wish I could just go on stage and sing w/ no make up, no hair style, wearing jeans and a t-shirt. What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today? And why? Some of my favorite albums growing up were Abba Greatest Hits, Karen Carpenter The Singles, Madonna Like A Prayer, Heart, The B52’s Cosmic Thing, U2 Joshua Tree, John Denver Greatest Hits. And so much more! I am a sucker for a good melody, and these artists’ songs have the best melodies! I can sing these songs over and over and never get bored. They are story tellers and have helped me to become a better storyteller as a performer. What is the best advice you have received? To take risks. Do not be afraid to just join in and not wait to be invited. I would not be where I am today if I wasn’t willing to say Yes to things that may have been scary. Tell us about your current project. Are you working on new music? An EP or Album? My current project is to get myself and the band back out playing again. Covid-19 mandates have really shut down so much for musicians. We are playing out more now and working on getting the calendar filled again. I’m also working on publishing an album of lullaby’s. Photo by @kadilamarr
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What’s next for you? Please explain. I’ve begun coaching. I really want to help other singers become powerful and confident singers. There’s so much misinformation out there about singing. It is difficult for a singer to know how to build stamina correctly when your only source is Youtube videos. I’ve studied a lot and I DO IT. I use my voice every day. I’m a coach that is in the trenches with them, using all the techniques together. How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Please find me on FB: @memories2melodies and IG: MemorieJanaeMusic. Grey Madderz is a party rock band out of Denver. We play danceable covers from the 70’s up to present. We always try to make every party we are invited to the best experience for all. We’ve been together for 10 years and they are awesome! Memorie Dudley, Eric Tetz, Ted Kuroiwa, Michael Unruh, Mark McNary. Check out Grey Madderz: FB & IG @greymadderz
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NUKE
Up & Coming Artist When did you first get into music? I first started making music in late 2015 . One of my best friends called Rushad Ahmed introduced me to the software where i make music. What genre of music do you perform and why? I make most of my songs in my own sound which is basically a mix of Rock and EDM. This is because the sound represents the songs that I grew up listening to and my musical roots. However I always like to experiment with new stuff. And why did you choose that style of music? I chose to make music in my own sound because it is what makes me different from the others and at the same time it allows me to be who I truly am as a person and as an artist. Who or What inspired you to pursue a career in music? There are a lot of bands and artists that have inspired me. For example Nirvana inspired me to “come as I am”. Queen inspired me to become better on the stage and so on. There are some artists like Elton John, The 1975, Skrillex, Avicii, Martin Garrix, Zubeen Garg and Papon Mahanta who have also inspired me a lot. How has your music evolved since you first began performing/songwriting? When I first started making music I made songs which were quite crude and it was all fun. But, after some time, things really changed as I took my passion more seriously. I found my own style and I’ve never looked back. I’m sure you have shared the stage with a lot of talented artists/celebrities along the way. Would you share 1 or 2 of your favorite stories with us? I’m more of a solo act, so I haven’t shared the stage with a lot of artists but I have a good one. My favorite story is about a gig that I performed when i was in high school. As I took the stage, I received a lot of negative feedback by some seniors. By the end of the show, almost all of the people including them were applauding me and clicking photos with me.
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If you were forced to choose only one, which emotion, more than any other, drives you to stay in this tough business? Is it joy, anger, desire, passion or pride and why? I am driven by a lot of emotions, but passion has played a really huge part. Apart from that, there are some others like pain, anger, and loneliness. Which ingredient do you think makes you special and unique as an artist in an industry overflowing with new talent and ideas? The secret sauce behind every artist’s success is I guess originality. Although everyone’s a clout junkie these days being original is really important. What has been your biggest challenge as a performing artist? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how? The biggest challenge that I have ever faced is the fear of of not having enough people as an audience. I overcame that when I learnt that its not the numbers but the amount of time and support that your fans put in. It’s all that counts, whether you have thousands of fans or just 2. A common phrase in the industry is, “you must suffer for your art.” Do you agree with this statement? If so, how have you suffered for your art? It is not necessary to suffer in my opinion. Greatness is hidden in everyday ways of life. On a personal note however I have lost people to death I have had my heart broken and so on. My songwriting and music has been impacted a lot in a creative way. But the whole suffering thing depends and not really necessary. How do you feel the internet has impacted the music business? It has really helped the indie artists a lot. Back in the 90s it took a lot of money to make and put your song out. But, now all you need is pirated software and social media. If you could change anything about the music industry. What would it be? First things first, I’d like to give the people songs that are more meaningful than the usual bitch, drugs and money. You know the music industry has really turned to shit in the last decade. Freedom of expression is important, but is now being used just to fuel mediocrity. Everything feels the same, don’t you think? What are the 5 albums that have helped make you the person you are today ? And why? The five albums that helped make me the person I am are: 1. Nevermind by Nirvana, 2. Dirt by Alice in Chains, 3. Facelift by Alice in Chains, 4. A Night At the Opera by Queen, 5. Maya by Zubeen Garg The albums Nevermind, Dirt and Facelift helped me a lot during my hard times. At the same time, the Queen album uplifted my spirits along with a hint of nostalgia by the Maya album. Tell us about your current project. My current music project is about lost love. Its about a lover and all the things that he does and did in hope to overcome the pain of his one sided but true love. What is the best advice you have received? The best advice that I ever got was to believe in myself and never give up. How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Just a sec, here are the links: Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UC77691MmyMe_lpO6toI8fvw Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1dQ8JD7pafT33vxqkNTJtM?si=dUuqaS7xQ9eBDZpFGD03mQ Where are you from city, state, town, country? I am from the Dibrugarh district of Assam, India.
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Do you have social media? Instagram: https://instagram.com/hi_nuke?igshid=1xkwzf6xyxojd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/justnuke/
Bailey Elora Facebook: @baileyeloramusic | Instagram: @baileyelora | YouTube: Bailey Elora Photo by @joshpshanks
