You might remember that I have a song about a particularly unpleasant experience with the police, and that TINO had the kindness to feature on it. The story behind writing "Anecdote" is right over here, on a previous blog entry.
This is one of my five singles that have been removed from the world's most popular streaming services. It makes its triumphant return tomorrow, February 22nd. Would you be so kind as to give it a listen tomorrow wherever you stream music?
Yes, I realize it has been a few months since my last blog. Part of that is general life business. Part of that is struggling with being in a dark place that I've written about before. Let's agree to call it a brief hiatus, and I'll make an effort to get back to regular updates.
Hey, here's some news! You might be aware that I released a new single on 20th July. Well, I decided to shoot a music video for it. Now, this is not a skill set that I have. How did I go about making a music video in nearly complete DIY fashion?
First, I looked for information. I found every Internet source that I could find about "how to make a music video". I consulted fellow musicians who had experience in producing and releasing their own videos. I took the information I learned and set about preparing in advance how best to execute the project.
One of the things I learned is that before you decide to shoot a video, you need to decide WHERE to shoot the video. For a song called "Wapakoneta" that specifically mentions Auglaize County in the lyrics, I figured that as much of the video as possible should be filmed in that city and that county. Here are some photos from location scouting:
I'd really like to have draped by bass over Neil Armstrong there and taken a photo, but I think that might have landed us in some trouble with the local authorities.
My wife and I had different ideas about how to go about doing the video, so in the spirit of cooperation and compromise, we co-directed. We plotted all of the scenes in advance on a shot sheet, and matched each of them up to specific segments of the song. On the days where Misty was the director, I stayed out of the decision-making process. On one of those days, I didn't even attend the shoot. On the days where I was the director, well, I tried to keep her out of the decision making process. A dear friend of ours (shout out to Cara Shay) filmed everything on an iPhone of some sort. Since I do not have video editing skills, I hired a professional to take care of that. Other than fuel and time, the editing was the only expense.
The video for "Wapakoneta" makes its debut next Monday 27th September via a Facebook Premiere... well, if I can figure that out. I posted it by accident, then immediately deleted it. I'll do a YouTube Premiere on Tuesday 28th September. See, the nice thing about a premiere is that we all get to watch the video together and have an online chat about it at the same time. While we're all waiting for next Monday, I'll upload brief snippets so you can have an advance look and maybe also a behind the scenes peek at the process.
Baby Molly comes to us from Toronto, in the province of Ontario, in the nation of Canada. I met him back in 2017 in Nashville at CD Baby's DIY Musician Conference, and we had interesting and useful conversations... and this happened again in Nashville in 2018... and again in Austin in 2019... and then the pandemic crushed conferences, music and otherwise.
Baby Molly plays guitar, among other musical talents... but you know what? Let's learn all of that in the interview after the picture... and let the record show that I left the Canadian spelling of some words as-is.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
Baby Molly is just a typical millennial. Reminiscent of Beck, Say Anything, Front Bottoms or Green Day, I just make fun pop/rock music about the downfall of society and the paradox of being alive. We can't afford to live but we don't want to die either. With my tongue FIRMLY in cheek, it's just music to rock out to, make life a little more fun and a little less pointless.
I don't have an "elevator pitch" really so I hope that makes sense. "LISTEN TO MY MUSIC PLEASE SO I CAN EAT!!!! Or Don't I guess?" is what I wish it could be.
2. You've had an official change in artist name since Belladonna, your last album release. Does this change come with a new approach to making music? If so, can you talk about that in detail?
It does! Molitor is my middle name (Named after 1993 World Series MVP Paul Molitor, no joke) but I always found myself correcting pronunciation, explaining the name to confused faces, etc. So even though I no longer go by a REAL mononym, this music is 100% more me. I had been performing under the name Molitor since I was 17 years old when all the cares of the world, pressures of being cool/hip/stylish/attractive mattered so much. Even though I was being original and creative and enjoyed my music, it always felt like hard work. A stretch to fit into trends, remain cool. I wanted to be the hot, clever, sunglass & leather-jacket wearing frontman. The Julian Casablancas, Pete Doherty, etc. But that's not me! At least not anymore (I did kind of have that vibe when I was younger). So now I just write lyrics as honest as they come: literal journal/diary-style lyrics. Earlier in my life, I'd try to find clever ways to say things - I had cool lyrics like "Your effervescent efflorescence Belladonna brings me to tears". Now, I have a song where the title and chorus are just literally "I'm broke. I want to be happy but I need some damn money". I think it not only works out because I'm really excited, proud, happy with my new music for the first time in a while (I think 2014's #lonelypeople_Music EP by Molitor was the last time I felt this way) but it just flows out of me. I can grab a guitar and a song will come out that feels like Baby Molly. It doesn't need weeks of production, re-writing, editing, and borderline alcoholism to get it to be moody, cool and sad enough for a Molitor release. It's just me. I developed a little bit of a character around it so that it's still marketable in the 21st century, but you can't survive without doing that really. But the character is more me than my old character even, sarcastic, witty, sad but hopeful. My angst has dissipated and I wanted a clean slate to reflect that.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
The first one I vividly remember is A Lesson in Romantics by Mayday Parade. I bought it in a mall in New Brunswick, Canada when I was living with a family there on this, like, exchange program thing through the YMCA. I spent some time there and then their child spent some time with my family in Niagara Falls. I remember it so well, it was pre-Covid and record stores used to have headphones hanging up at the end of each aisle where you could listen to some CDs before you bought them. (Note from Mike: I miss this era of music store goodness.) I just picked this one because it had a cool cover and it really changed my life forever. I listened to 4 or 5 songs in the store because I didn't want to take the headphones off. Then, because I was on this exchange trip, my parents had given me a little spending money for food and emergencies but I ended up spending like 60% of it on this CD. It remains one of my favourite albums to this day and is probably the direct lineage to how I write songs. Super emo, but still fun and well-crafted, plus dual lead singers and overlapping vocals has been a mainstay in my songwriting; nobody did two lead singers as well as Mayday Parade on this album, to me.
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
Concert? One sec, let me search the dictionary for that term.... Oh, yes! I remember those. It was one of those things where multiple people were indoors and enjoying the music that they love together. According to my memory, the last one I saw was in November 2019 when I was living in LA. I got to see Max Bemis of my favourite band Say Anything perform a stripped down solo show with just an electric guitar. It was amazing. Everyone knew every word and it wasn't a full band show so it was more intimate than any other Say Anything show. It was great, the crowd was singing so loud that you could just barely hear Max over the crowd throughout. His wife and kids were there too and because it's such a small venue, when his wife Sherri was singing with him on stage, you could see their kids peeking out from the green room and waving at them. It was adorable. I miss concerts, but if it's the last one I ever see, that's one of the best I've been to.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
Max Bemis/Say Anything and Mayday Parade as mentioned above are huge. I take notes from so many artists that it's really hard to say. There's a fairly obscure band called The Veils that have a song called "Begin Again" - that is probably my favourite song of all time. The originality and boundaries pushed by Childish Gambino and all of his music are always a guiding light. The Killers, Kanye West, The National, Taylor Swift, The Front Bottoms. Green Day was my favourite band growing up and I knew every word to every one of their albums so undoubtedly people would probably find a bit of them in my songwriting.
6. I totally took this question from someone who interviewed me previously. You can't control the way other people hear your music, but if you could make someone aware of a specific thing that sets your songs apart, what would that be?
This. Is. A. Tough. Question. I don't want anyone to be aware of a specific thing but I think songs speak differently to people depending on their mood, personality, the weather, their surroundings, what they ate that day, etc. SO my only wish if I could ask one thing of each listener it would be to actually listen. There are a lot of very talented musicians and artists that make background music for studying, reading, elevators, etc. I am not one of those artists. I am arguably the LEAST subtle artist that has ever lived so if I could ask something of a listener it would be to actually listen. If you love it, that's amazing, if you hate it that's great too. I appreciate that you took 3 minutes of your life, time is the most valuable thing in the world and I am endlessly grateful that you gave me a shot with some of yours.
7. Your podcast DUET OR DON'T is about to be introduced to the world. What's the premise?
DUET OR DON'T! The game show/just for fun show where each week I have a brand new songwriter, artist or musician on and after having a very brief chat about our lives and how we're feeling, we write and record a brand new song, from scratch, live on the podcast for anyone to listen to. There is a time limit, of course, no one wants to listen to a 3-week long podcast. But the rule is that we need to come up with a brand new song and present it, warts and all, after the timer is up. Then, together we decide, is it good or bad? Do we love it or hate it? DUET or DON'T?
8. What's next for Baby Molly?
BABY MOLLY PRESENTS: I MISS MY FRIENDS - AN EP FOR THE AGES, OUT FEBRUARY 19, 2021.
*********
Right up there at the top of the post, I link to the Baby Molly web presence, but here's that link again. The new podcast will launch shortly, and the first guest songwriter might be someone you know. (They call that "a tease" in the radio industry, kids.) Here's the Baby Molly YouTube Channel. You can also shake a rattle with Baby Molly on social media via Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.
Way back in April 2020, I began an interview series here on the blog. I call it "Amplified" because my intent is to make the voices of artists louder. We musician types desperately wish to be heard, and although I don't exactly have a mammoth readership, I figured I'd try to get some additional ears to the work of folks I respect. After all, I'd love for someone to do that for me, and am grateful for every single listener. Here's a brief summary of a very diverse group of people who agreed to participate this year:
Lauren Light - pop/soul singer/songwriter, podcaster, owner of a licensing company
Nina Pelligra - a capella looper artist, songwriter, engineer
Sarah Rudy - guitarist, songwriter
Dirty Doc - guitarist, songwriter
Shannon Söderlund - bassist, guitarist, songwriter
TINO - rapper, songwriter, performer
Greg Owens - guitarist, singer/songwriter
Treneti - vocalist, bassist, songwriter, producer
Megan Fiely - abstract artist, recovering musician
OriSoaring - multi-instrumentalist classically trained on saxophone, songwriter
If you missed any of these, I encourage you to revisit the interviews at the links. Listen to the music, look at the artwork, connect with the artists on social media.
OriSoaring is a fascinating individual from Houston with clear passion for musical expression. I very much enjoyed these interview answers, and I think you will, too.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
My name is OriSoaring. I'm a multi-instrumentalist who creates songs in multiple genres. I'm heavily influenced by all styles of music, from jazz, alternative rock, neo-soul, to classical, to 80s synth-pop. I'm a classically trained saxophonist, who also plays bass, guitar and keyboards. I write and record all my own music. Also I love playing/recording with other bands and musicians.
2. We met pre-pandemic, at a music conference in Austin, Texas. How did attending the conference benefit you and your music career?
The DIY Musician conference gave me three things. It gave me perspective, community and inspiration. I am better to understand WHAT I want to do with my music. I loved learning about different ways I plan to be involved in music. For me, the challenge can be having enough information to make a good decision. The conference provided me with the information I needed to be able to start formulating a goal and working towards it. Being around such an INCREDIBLY diverse group of musicians and people who work in the industry felt amazing. Sometimes, it can be a bummer creating music in what feels like a vacuum. Currently, I live in Houston and have not been able to catch a groove with the musical community here. But that's ok, conferences like this keep me going and inspired to keep creating.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
TLC - OOOooooo On the TLC Tip!
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
The last concert I saw was the Incubus - Make Yourself 20th Anniversary Tour
It was really incredible and really packed.
This is the album that really broke into the mainstream. They were super jazzy and funky before that. I've listened to that album for many years, so it was really cool to see them live. Except, we were all 20 years older. It made me wish I saw them back in the day- but whatever. It was still a great show.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
Oh wow! An artists' influence on me is in flux based on where I am in life. For instance, I have been a Red Hot Chili Pepper for a long time. Watching and listening to Flea play bass inspired me to pick up and learn bass at 16. I would watch him for hours on VHS tapes I recorded from MTV and VH1. So, Flea just being Flea has had an enormous influence on my music and minimalist, intentional sound. Scooter from a Jacksonville Florida band called Cold has influenced my songwriting monumentally. I've put out the music to my songs, and there are words to many of them. I just haven't really figured out how I want to approach adding the lyrics. Part of me would like for a listener to READ the lyrics while listening to the song. I think that would be an interesting way to allow a listener to take a more active role in experiencing the song.
Other huge influences are:
The Gorillaz (The way they use sounds to create so many different universes is incredible to me.)
Rick Rubin (Again, I love that he creates bangers in every genre) and
Erykah Badu (Baudizm was the first time I FELT anything when listening to music. This was the first time I really heard and truly understood the connection between music. Music- this collection of sounds that I was drawn to and loved, but didn't quite understand how it all formed together. With words- another system of expression that I was drawn to (I've always been a huge reader, I loved to write stories, journal) etc. and was understanding the power and functions of language more and more each day. I was nine years old by the way.
It's hard to call out specific artists, because I feel like I'm leaving so many out. Mr. Tanner, my 6th grade music teacher went above and beyond to make sure I had a saxophone in my hands and could play music. He was a huge influence too!
6. Has the current pandemic had impact on the music you make? If so, what impact?
I'm making more. I'm playing more. I'm listening more.
The listening is a big thing, for a while I was deep in a jazz/chillhop groove. Since the pandemic, I've ventured out and learned about some new artists- and discovered older ones. I've been riding hard with jazz from Ethiopia from the early 70s lately and learning about more recent Alt Rock bands.
I've also had the space and time to write and record more music. I've learned some great things in Logic X Pro as well, that's made a huge difference in my recordings. It seems as tho going into the office was leaving me more drained than I ever realized.
7. If you could choose for a listener to learn one thing about you from listening to your songs, what would that be?
She most likely considered putting a saxophone solo in this song.
Honestly, I would hope a listener sees that I'm truly all over the place when it comes to being open to creating music and experiencing life. My music can be super fun and get you ready to go running or dance. It can also be very meditative and speak directly to a specific subject or time. I don't limit myself to any genre and I approach life similarly. I'm like, bring it on! All of it. I'm here for all of it.
8. How do you intend to keep growing as a songwriter and musician?
This is a lifelong journey for me. I wrote my first song at 13, before I really knew how far I'd go with music. Since then, a lot of life has happened -and with that, a lot of growing. As a musician and songwriter, I continue to seek out opportunities like the DIY Musicians Conference to advance my idea of what I could be doing with my music, and HOW I can go about that. For instance, I learned about composing for film scores, getting my music licensed, and in the hands of the right people. That's something I have been interested in for years, but just didn't know how to go about finding that path. Now that I know, I have shifted my focus more into creating songs that are extremely and concisely expressive. In writing with such specific purpose, I've had to grow as a musician and songwriter theory wise, proficiency wise, and also from a storytelling aspect. When I do have lyrics, I use them to compliment the overall song. The music is the main expression...the words are verbal anchors if you will.
Before, I would write the song first, then add lyrics to the music. I still like using that technique, but with more structured 'verse-chorus'verse' songs. Again, in order to correctly convey some ideas...I had to stop and truly study song structure, phrasing, etc...more growing as a musician. Of course, sometimes I chuck the rules and create my own thing...but LEARNING those aspects of musicianship has helped me tremendously. Those are some more recent examples. I'm excited to learn more.
***
Why not take a few minutes and listen to OriSoaring's music? You can find it at her Soundcloud page. You can also find OriSoaring on Instagram.
I mispronounced Treneti Brown's first name until I was corrected. Here's how you pronounce it: Tre NET i, with the stress on the second syllable. Everyone got that? Good.
Treneti plays bass, and those who know me well know that I have lots of love for fellow purveyors of the bottom end. She released an album called Psalms of Saturn earlier this year. It is soulful and moving and soothing, with some jazz influences. You can find it on all of your standard streaming services, but since Bandcamp Friday is happening this week on September 4th, why not visit Treneti's Bandcamp page?
Interview after the photo:
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre
I am a vocalist, bassist, songwriter and producer. My music sits in the space between genres, it has felt best for me calling it Avant Garde Soul.
2. It's always nice to talk to a fellow bass player. Can you tell me about the instrument you most use for performing and recording?
Yes! I love that you play bass too. For performance I use a 6-string Schecter with flat wound gold strings. The flat wound strings are the key to my sound. It allows me space to play with the frets and bend notes without it sounding tingy or rough. For the recording of the album I use 3 different bass guitars, My OG acoustic electric bass, I call her Caress, was played on Sway, Bamboo and RA. This was very sentimental since I wrote those songs on that bass.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Wowzer that's a tuff one, I think it was a cassette actually and it was Aayliah.
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
The last memorable show I saw was Lauren Hill.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
Bjork, Low Leaf for sure seeing Low Leaf live really helped me see there was space for my voice and my message in the music industry. I also am very inspired by Radiohead and Bob Marley.
6. If you could change one thing about the music industry, what would it be?
I'd destroy the record labels and CEO's who have investments in the prison system and are creating artists to be puppets, preaching and glorifying diminishing behavioral patterns to our brown and black youth, causing them to make decisions that land them in prison cells. Which is allow these insidious companies to make money on both ends of the deal. Its evil, mental and physical enslavement. I'd like to destroy them. Like literally dematerialize them and everything they have ever created.
7. You started as a professional dancer. (I read your bio.) I can kind of understand the appeal of bass with that background, given that its main function is in the rhythm section. When did you start learning how to play, and when did you start writing your own songs?
I really quantum shifted into music. You are absolutely correct, I grew a very strong love for bass as a dancer, to me the bass is the secret sauce controlling the whole mood and groove of the entire song. (Mike adds: Yes. Yes, it is.) I loved the instrument so much as a dancer that I got the bass clef tattooed on my arm. I have always surrounded myself with high level musicians but I never saw myself as one. When I was 27 I started feeling a deep urge to create music. It became undeniable, I talk about this journey in the Book Psalms of Saturn that accompanies this debut album. A friend of mine who is a bassist saw my tattoo one day when we were at this jam I used to host in LA called Cosmic Soup, it was a place for musicians and dancers to come together and improvise while sipping yummy kava kava root. He asked me if I played kind of assuming I did since I had the tattoo. When I told him no and that I didn't know what my instrument was yet he looked surprised. Soon after, he invited me to his house to try playing his bass. It was love at first thump. I played for hours and then I went and got my own as soon as possible. I started receiving lyrics and simple melodies when I was 24 but I didn't actually start writing songs until I got my bass. The songs came through me intuitively and taught me how to play the instrument as they came through. Spending time in the woods was also a great teacher. I mimicked the patterns in the plants to create bass lines and listened to the plants in meditative states to learn how to sing. Everything happened really fast for me. It's like deep down inside I was already a musician and I just needed to say yes, remember some things and step into it for my career to activate.
8. What is your songwriting process like these days?
These days I have been leaning more into my sound through adding some electronic music production to my palette, creating my own beat labyrinths is giving me even more freedom with my voice than I could have imagined. Having access to adjusting the textures of each tone in my compositions is allowing me space to pull in more of the cosmic melodies I hear in my head. I am enjoying really sinking into exploration right now and seeing where these new sounds take me. Lyrically, I keep my voice memo app handy I receive more lyrics than I can use. They come through all the time. I bath everyday and turn my phone on airplane mode and record with the app while I sing the lyrics I receive in the tub. I call it bath church! lol
***
This is Treneti's official website. That's a good place to start to learn more about her. You can also find Treneti on Facebook and Instagram.
What?
The album title is Anxious Inventions & Fictions, which is a lyric taken from the piano ballad "Insomnia". The album art looks something like this:
Megan Fiely, "Insomnia", 24" X 24", acrylic on canvas, 2020.
This album exists in two versions.
First, there is a ten song digital version. Do you remember my crowdfunding campaign in order to press vinyl from earlier this year? That did not get funded, so the ten song digital version is what the album would have been on vinyl. In order to duplicate the vinyl experience, after the fifth song finishes playing, press pause on your device, get up and walk around the room for thirty seconds to simulate flipping the record over, and then continue.
Second, there is a twelve song deluxe version on compact disc. This contains two additional songs, an alternate mix of the opening track "Your Anthem", and a different track order, for a custom listening experience. The CD also comes with a twelve page booklet, containing lyrics, liner notes, and art. For both versions, the album is sequenced carefully, and the listener is meant to listen to all of the songs in order.
Who?
Mike Bankhead. That's the name/logo on the cover. I wrote and arranged the songs for the most part. I say "for the most part", because TINO wrote lyrics and is featured on one song (you might remember a blog post about him), and Greg Owens co-wrote another song (you might remember a blog post about him as well). Also, two songs feature string arrangements by the outrageously talented Blair Breitreiter. But wait, there is more...
Here is a list of the wonderful folks who lent their time and talents to this album:
Eli Alban
Dustin Booher
Blair Breitreiter
Thad Brittain
Chris Corn
Ken Hall
Valentino Halton
Patrick Himes
Brian Hoeflich
Chad Middleton
Kent Montgomery
David Payne
Nathan Peters
Tim Pritchard
Tod Weidner
Heather York
This album sounds good, mostly because of this list of humans. For those of you who are not familiar with independent music in Dayton, you'll just have to trust me when I say that some of the finest musicians in our area are represented here.
Also, a tip of the hat to Megan Fiely for the beautiful painting, and to Spencer Williams for the photography, layout, and design.
When?
There are some different answers to this question. Let's start with making the album. Tracking and mixing took place between February 2019 and February 2020. That's a year of hard work, not just my own efforts, but also the people listed above, and specifically Patrick Himes as the recording and mixing engineer and David Payne as assistant engineer.
You can order this album on September 4th. That happens to be Bandcamp Friday, when Bandcamp forgoes their customary cut of artist sales. That means that all of the funds spent on Anxious Inventions & Fictions on that specific date go to me, and contribute to my ability to continue making art for you to enjoy. If perchance you don't know where to find me on Bandcamp, here's the link for you to bookmark:
https://mikebankhead.bandcamp.com/
The official release date for this album is September 12th. That is the day that you will be able to listen to it on the Bandcamp page I just mentioned. That's also the day for which a safe, socially distanced, outdoors release celebration is planned.
For those of you who only listen to music via streaming services, you will find Anxious Inventions & Fictions available there on September 15th.
Where?
The album was recorded and mixed at Reel Love Recording Company in Dayton, Ohio. Blair handled some additional recording of string arrangements at Bohemian Trash Studios in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The album was mastered at True East Mastering in Nashville, Tennessee.
The socially distanced release celebration will happen at Yellow Cab Tavern on 4th Street in downtown Dayton. Please note that the owners and staff at Yellow Cab care deeply about the health of our community, and require all visitors to wear a mask. If you do not wear a mask, they will kindly ask you to leave. Yellow Cab also has social distancing guidelines in place. If you wish to know more about the precautions they are taking and how you can cooperate, please give them a call.
Why?
There are those who think that music doesn't need a reason, because "l'art pour l'art", right? I haven't thought about that particular worldview all that much. I certainly have my reasons for making art.
Songwriting is how I deal with stress and anxiety and depression. Songwriting helps me to work through all sorts of emotional turmoil, and the catharsis that it provides is probably a net benefit to my mental health. Songwriting is a way for me to say what I want or need to say, especially when nobody is listening. Not all of those songs get recorded as demos at home, and even fewer of them make it all the way to the studio... but some of them do, and this is what happens when they do.
I still believe in the idea of the album as an art form. That's not popular these days, as music is seen as a resource, a commodity, a value-less product, both by the companies who use it to make profit, and by the vast majority of music listeners. I don't make pop music, so of course, I'm not making music for these people. I make music first of all for me, because it's something I'm driven to do... and all of you other musicians out there, I see you nodding along. Of course, I wish to share my art... well, the subset of it that I get around to thinking is of enough quality to warrant sharing... but if I write something I don't personally like, you won't be hearing it. I won't write in a genre or in a certain way because it's popular, because I'm trying to get rich, or because I think it's what someone wants to hear. You'll only be getting authenticity from me, thank you very much.
The above said, music is also a means of communication. Thoughts, feelings, ideas, the concrete, the abstract, and just about everyone wishes to be heard, yes? Maybe music is kind of a cry for help? Tell you what, as soon as I get a therapist, I'll be sure to discuss this with them.
You know, ever since I was a teenager, if I see that particular word all on it's own, I can't help but sing it. I mean, I sing it inside my own head where nobody is listening, but it has to be sung. How, you said you never would leave me alone....
So, how did this happen? Lots of hard work. I'm not exactly a gifted musician or songwriter, but I work at it, and I have some perfectionist tendencies, which means lots of editing and re-writing. A great deal of singing practice. A great deal of singing the same parts over and over again, until Patrick would tell me that it's no longer pitchy. All sorts of patience from Patrick Himes and the musicians who agreed to play for me. Even more patience from my wife when I would be in the studio for long hours and obsess over details in mixes at home.
How? Time. Pain. Self-Doubt. Frustration. Tears. Stress. Study. Thought. Experimentation. Explanation. Sleeplessness.
Anxious Inventions & Fictions is my best work. That's what I think, anyway. I hope you think so, too.
You might remember that last week's blog was about co-writing "Won't Love You Anymore" with the gentleman pictured below. I figure that this would be a good time for us to all get to know him a bit better. Interview after the picture:
photo by Jon Estes
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
I’m a singer/songwriter that writes and performs songs about, and for people who feel like they’ve been left behind by the world or someone they loved.
2. It seems like "Five Years From 21" was written when you were 26 years old. You're older than that now. How do you feel your life has changed since then?
Quite drastically really. When I wrote that song, I was feeling really depressed and defeated. I was 26, working a retail job that I hated with coworkers that were mostly teenagers. I wasn’t playing a ton of music. I just wasn’t pursuing it at the time. I was lost.
Fast forward to now: I’ve got a great “day job” that is flexible enough for me to still focus on music but also affords me an income to live comfortably. I’m married and couldn’t be happier! I’ve never been more confident in my music and my ability to connect with fans than I am right now. I’m feelin’ pretty damn good! ha
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
It probably would’ve been either Gish or Siamese Dream by the Smashing Pumpkins. I got the “Bullet With Butterfly Wings” single for Christmas when I was nine and fell in love with the band. One of my siblings already had Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness so I set out to buy the rest of their discography.
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
The last concert I saw was in October of last year. Just typing that is really depressing! It was Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit at the Ryman here in Nashville. I’ve seen Isbell a handful of times but this may have been my favorite show of his. Our seats were great! We were pretty close (although there’s really not a bad seat at the Ryman). I drank significantly less than I have at past shows which led to less having to get up and get a drink or go to the restroom. Haha That was kinda a revelation! Maybe I don’t need to down 10 beers at a show! The band was fantastic as always. It was just a really great experience.
5. I happen to know you love The Smashing Pumpkins, like I do. Let's get granular here... give me three of your favorite Smashing Pumpkins songs, and tell me specifically why you love them.
"Bullet With Butterfly Wings" – It’s not a song I listen to regularly now but it had a profound effect on me as a child. I remember getting the single for Christmas as well as a boom box. I sat in my room and played that song over and over. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it but something about that music just really spoke to me. I immediately vowed to be a rock star and got my first guitar on my tenth birthday six months later.
"Geek U.S.A." – Between that crazy guitar solo and Chamberlain’s incredible drumming this is just a straight up bad ass rock song! There’s tons of energy complete with a super quiet down part that then gets loud which is so wonderfully typical of the Pumpkins. It’s perfect.
"Blissed and Gone" – This an outtake from Adore. There’s several different versions, but I couldn’t find the original one that I heard anywhere. I think I probably illegally downloaded it on Napster or Kazaa (sorry ☹). It’s one of the saddest songs I’ve ever heard and that’s probably why I like it. It’s just super sad. Ha
6. You are the first person I have co-written with, and the experience was so positive for me that now I have a music project built around co-writing with a friend. How has our collaboration influenced you?
Our collaboration wasn’t the first time I’d co-written with somebody, but it was the first time I was actually happy with the final product! Ha The experience has encouraged me to want to co-write more. It was also cool that we were able to do it remotely. I was kinda surprised we were able to make that work, but we did!
7. If you had the power, what would you change about the music industry?
It’d be easy to say, “I wish it was like the good ole days when people actually paid for music.” However, the major labels were in power back then, and folks like me and you wouldn’t stand a chance. In the digital age, we have more power. As an artist, I guess I’m kinda okay with how it is. As a consumer, I really hate paying extra for TicketMaster fees! Is TicketMaster really necessary?!?
8. How do you intend to keep growing as a songwriter and artist?
When I was younger, I often wrote about my own life. It was very self-absorbed. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started putting myself in other people’s shoes and writing from their point of view. I want to keep on doing that. Getting better at it. Meeting new people with different struggles and shining a light on that with my music. I also started learning how to play harmonica and I really want to step up my guitar game next. Basically, I just want to keep getting better at every aspect of my music.
***
Why not go visit Greg's website? You can also find him on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. I'm not going to ask you to send Greg messages and emails to bug him about when he's going to get around to recording "Won't Love You Anymore" himself, but I'm not going to NOT ask you to do that, either. Or something.
You can listen to my recording of "Won't Love You Anymore" on all digital streaming services tomorrow, 11th August. Would you do me the kindness of clicking here to pre-save on Spotify, or here on Apple Music?
when the stars fall out of the sky
and the moon breaks up with the tide
when the sun goes nova with a deafening roar
that's when I won't love you anymore
Those lyrics were around for awhile. I managed to put a catchy melody and a simple chord progression with them. That combination made a chorus. This is how a song starts....
And sometimes the song starts and then stops. I wrote a verse, didn't like it, and discarded it. I wrote another verse that wasn't any better and discarded it. I would put the song down for weeks at a time, work on other things musically, and come back to it. At no point was I able to write a verse that I thought was good enough to go with a decent chorus. If you are wondering whether that was frustrating, I assure you that it was. On the good days, the songs kind of write themselves, they just kind of fall out of you and things make sense... at least, that's what many songwriters will tell you. It rarely happens for me that way, I usually have to put plenty of work in to write a song, but if I keep working at it, eventually I am able to finish. This one wasn't like that. It wasn't happening. Sure I could have picked any of the many pieces I discarded just to call the thing "finished", but I have some perfectionist tendencies, and I didn't wan to settle for mediocre when the potential was there for something better.
See that paragraph above? Way too much "I". There was a point when that had to become "we". Enter Greg Owens.
I met the handsome, bearded Mister Owens at a music conference in Nashville. He agreed to have a listen to those lyrics I posted above, as well as the music I had, and try to come up with a verse for it. Now, if you clicked on the link to his website that I added above and listened to any of his songs, you will notice that we do not write in the same genre . That said, we both very much love Smashing Pumpkins, so we have some similar influences. When Greg got back to me with a verse, it was... well, perfect.
Mostly perfect. Musically, it was exactly what the song needed. It complemented the chorus I had written very well, and the chord progression made perfect sense. Lyrically, it was ok, but I thought we needed to do better. WE. Between a couple of Skype conversations and lots of back-and-forth emails, ideas came up, were debated, were traded, were refined. Greg asked whether we needed a bridge. I thought we did. Greg wrote a bridge. Eventually, we had a finished product.
The finished product is called "Won't Love You Anymore". It is so much better for having been a collaboration. This experience taught me that letting go of your pride and asking for help can be a good thing. Songs are usually so personal to songwriters, but sometimes the best thing to do is open yourself up to another person's creativity and talent. I am proud of the song that we wrote together. You'll be able to hear it soon.
An interview with a musician in back-to-back weeks! What's with this craziness? Glad you asked. The song that TINO and I collaborated on is available tomorrow, Tuesday 14th July, on all streaming services. I figured this would be a good time for all of us to get to know him better. First, and you might have already guessed this, but "TINO" is a nickname and stage name. His "government name" is Valentino Halton. (I need to remind myself of this, as I misprinted his last name as "Hamilton" in the liner notes for the compact disc version of Anxious Inventions & Fictions. He's chill though, so he has forgiven me.)
TINO recently released an EP called Past Due. It's solid, you should definitely check it out. You'll probably enjoy the groove on the track "95 Tribe", which is about the baseball club in TINO's hometown of Cleveland. (He's a Dayton fella now, but is originally from Cleveland.) I happen to personally enjoy this track very much, partially because of the excellent groove and lyrics, but also because I remember the World Series that year quite fondly, it being my senior year in high school, and my favorite team being involved. My favorite team is the National League club, by the way. Just to remind everyone, the World Series lasted six games that year. In Game Six, there was only one run scored. This was it. Do you remember how that game ended? I do, but let's refresh everyone's memory. This is the last out. TINO managed not to mention Carlos Baerga in "95 Tribe", but it's ok. My personal favorite from the EP is "Gov't", which also has a fantastic groove.
Strangely enough, all of the previous interview subjects in this series are women, so I'm breaking new ground with this one. Interview with this gifted gentleman after the photo.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
I’m a high energy performer who is at home over uptempo production. My music ranges from deeply personal to ubiquitous in theme. There’s something for everyone, but not in a generic and vague way.
2. I remember meeting you because first, I saw you perform with Sidekick Complex, and second, I would see you at the indie rock shows, and that's my genre. Then I checked out a couple of your solo sets. At some point if/when we can all go to shows again, I imagine there are folks who go to the rock shows who also enjoy hip hop, but don't know much about that music community in our town. Maybe it works the other way as well. How do you think we can cross-promote so the music community has fewer silos?
I think it’s as easy as “Hey, I like your music. Want to play this show with me?” That’s how I got my first shows and I construct a lot of bills I put together in a similar fashion. I try to attract fans that enjoy a wide spectrum of music and not just one genre so variety is welcome.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Mobb Deep, Infamy. I bought it to score a movie I made in high school
4. What is your creative process like?
For me it always starts with a beat. I hear something, fall in love, and I start writing. It could be production someone sends me, a song I heard on the radio, or even a moment during another artists live performance. I don’t use everything I write. 50% of what I do will never see the light of day or I’m not good enough yet to flush the idea out.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
Michael Jackson for his showmanship, Prince for his musicianship, Lauryn Hill for her spirit, Amy Winehouse for her ability to channel her pain, Kanye/OutKast for re-popularizing music that wasn’t gangster rap, and Drake for his ability to sum up a lot of these qualities in one hip hop artist.
6. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
I would hope a focus would be placed back on full bodies of work instead of collections of singles. I miss the cohesive journey music used to be about.
7, How do you intend to keep growing as an artist?
As long as I’m willing to admit there is still room for improvement in my art and I don’t get content with where I’m at I don’t believe I can stop growing as an artist.
8, I know you've done a ton of studio work over the last couple of years. If you don't want to give too much away here, that's fine, but what can we expect from TINO in the near future?
The pandemic has afforded me the opportunity to tweak and refine my next work as well as slate some releases before it. I will say my next full length will be the best version of my work to date.
***
Personally, I strongly believe in the album as an art form, and am disappointed at the general listening habits of folks today. I agree with TINO on this 100%. Having TINO in the studio for "Anecdote" was a very educational experience for me, as he has a skill set that I do not have, and I was able to learn from his preparation and his approach. The man is serious about his craft, and it shows in his results. I linked to his website above, but you can also find TINO on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please check out "Anecdote" tomorrow on Spotify, YouTube, iTunes, Deezer, or wherever you stream music, and also please check out TINO's work on these platforms.
You ever listen to an album and immediately love it? That's not something that happens all that often with me, I usually take a few listens to warm up to something. Brevity is an exception. I loved this one right away... the lyrics, the melodies, the nineties rock sound that reminded me of my youth. Brevity is still in regular rotation for me, and that has been the case ever since it showed up in April. The people responsible for this album are Punch The Sun, from New York. The person responsible for writing the songs is fellow bass player and lead singer Shannon Söderlund, shown at the bottom right of this photo:
Shannon has songs. So many songs. Good ones. Great ones. She keeps making more. Remember that songwriting challenge that I previously wrote about where you write five songs in five days? Shannon is part of this same group of songwriters with me, and the songs that she writes for these are so good that I generally question what in the world I am doing.
Ok, you've heard enough from me. Let's amplify Shannon's voice.
***
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
My elevator pitch, eh? I grew up singing and playing in a family band, so music has always been - quite literally - my life. After us kids grew up and the family outfit wasn't playing as often, I tried out a bunch of different musical areas (Wind Ensemble, Jazz vocals) until I found my home among what I listened to in high school: Alt Rock.
2. You joined Wheatus for a European tour. (For my readers who don't know that band, they are a New York rock band who had a hit single in 2000 that was on radio and in movies.) How'd you get that gig? Can you talk about your experience touring Europe and playing music?
As happens so often in this industry, it was mostly a circumstantial thing. About 2 years ago, I shared a bill with an artist (Gabrielle Sterbenz) who was in need of a singing bassist. And she saw me playing bass and singing in my own band, right after her set! So we got together and I played with her band several times in the following months. Then last year, she needed someone to head out on tour with her, as she was supporting Wheatus. Obviously, I said yes.
Touring Europe and Great Britain was really fantastic. I basically grew up touring with my family, so even though I hadn't done it in years it felt very much like hopping back on a bike, y'know? I love all the parts of a touring production: moving equipment, setting up, soundcheck, finding food in a new city, the show, sleeping in an unfamiliar place (though we had the bus to go back to, which was lovely), meeting new people every day, traveling with the same dozen people for weeks on end. It's one of my favorite things in the world. And I feel so blessed and honored that I got to do it with a truly special group of people.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Hmmm... either Norah Jones' Come Away With Me or Fiona Apple's Extraordinary Machine. I might've gotten them together? I listened to a LOT of my brother and sister's music in high school until they left to go to college and I had to fill my own silences. Those two albums, along with Hot Hot Heat's Elevator, where basically the soundtrack to my senior year in high school.
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
If I'm honest I don't even remember the artist's name; it was a show my friends were excited about, so I tagged along. The music was fantastic - kind of experimental prog-jazz - and I remember there was a female bassist, whose left hand I was staring at literally all night.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
Fiona Apple is a big one. Cake is another. Weezer, definitely. Most of all though, it probably was my parents and the Christian Rock we played (oh yes, it was a missionary family band). I definitely see that 90s-worship-music as defining a lot of the music I write. I think music is about connection and relationships. And in my mind, songs should be catchy and sing-along-able, which is almost certainly a holdover from worship music. I definitely sing more about existential dread these days instead of Jesus, but hey.
6. At the moment, COVID-19 has you stuck in Liverpool. I imagine there are worse places to be socially distant. How are you managing being that far away from home for so long? [Note from Mike: This interview was done in May, Shannon is back on this side of the Atlantic now.]
In a weird way, Liverpool feels very much like home. I'm here with someone I love dearly and consider family. I think it would be much, much harder if that were not the case. But there's plenty about this town that feels familiar - all the flora here is like, exactly what my mom has in her garden in the PNW (that's Pacific Northwest, for those of you who are unfamiliar). And videochatting, both over Marco Polo (hi, Shiree and Danielle!) and in realtime has been life-saving. Being able to stay connected with friends and family has been huge.
7, If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
This... I have complicated feelings about this. Many of the problems I have with this industry have to do with money, and the people on top who want too much of it. It's much the way I feel about our society.
That being said, I think there are a lot of things that musicians (especially ones starting out) complain about that come from a basic misunderstanding of how businesses operate. Money is obviously a necessity for society to function and businesses to run. And there are a lot of ways in which the industry is surprisingly functional, especially when it comes to touring and live gigs. It's hard, but I understand why it's hard. And this has ALWAYS been a hard industry. So... *shrugs shoulders*
8, Brevity probably didn't get the big marketing push that it deserved, due to the pandemic. Assuming the situation improves, will you all re-visit promotion for that album and perhaps tour? Also, what's next for Punch the Sun and for you personally?
I definitely want to tour on Brevity! Once the pandemic is over, that's a route (#tourpun) that we will certainly pursue. I can see us perhaps making some music videos down the road (omigosh ANOTHER #tourpun) to highlight some songs on the album. Ultimately, though, I'm really glad it's out in the world for people to listen to and think, "wow, that's what Punch The Sun sounds like!"
Next up, though, is more music - of course. I'm already working with Campbell (our drummer) on some new songs. We're just in the demo stage, since we're on opposite sides of the Atlantic, but we're deep in the writing process again, which feels fantastic. Music forever!
***
I linked to both the website for Punch The Sun and to Brevity up in the first paragraph. You can also find Punch The Sun on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
This is what Merriam-Webster says about the word anecdote: "a usually short narrative of an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident"
Let me tell you a short narrative of a biographical incident that is not amusing in any way.
A few years ago my wife and I were coming home from a brief trip to New York. We ended up flying into Detroit, then renting a car to drive home. As we were headed South on I-75, we were stopped by the Michigan State Police. I was not in violation of any traffic laws. You should know where this is going. This armed person yelled and screamed at us, succeeded in intimidating my wife by saying we would be charged with "a felony" (which was complete nonsense), and was generally abusive. I ended up handcuffed, illegally searched, and screamed at even when I complied with instructions. After sitting for awhile in his vehicle, and upon him discovering that I am not, in fact, a criminal, he tried to get me to say that I understood why he had to stop me and cuff me and search me. I didn't want any such discussion on his recording, so I remained silent. Once he ran out of reasons to detain us any longer, he let us go. No apology. I asked Misty to get the entire interaction on video from the moment the lights and sirens went on, but she didn't do so. I thought that armed person was going to shoot me and then excuse it with lies... I was armed, I was on drugs, I tried to take his taser, he feared for his life, I threatened him... as they do, they kill and lie about why they kill. I tried to explain to Misty afterward that if he shoots me, it's her word against his, and nobody will believe her, so she needs to have these interactions on video to have a basis for a lawsuit. At any rate, I am convinced that if she wasn't also in the car, I wouldn't be here today.
The above interaction completely ruined my day. It made me angry, but of course, when you're dealing with an armed racist, you can't afford to be angry. All of the adrenaline pours into your blood because you are in a true "fight or flight" situation, but either one of those options results in your execution. Later, you get the shakes. I'm a songwriter, and that's how I process emotions and such, so the skeleton of what would eventually become "Anecdote" started that very day, still on I-75, still driving toward home. It took awhile for me to edit and distill all of the above paragraph into a package that would fit neatly into a song, but it didn't feel complete.
Then I heard an interview that TINO did with Gem City Podcast. I think it was this episode. He told one of his personal experiences with "driving while black", and I thought to myself that his story and his skill set would be the perfect addition to this song. I reached out. He agreed to come rap on my song.
What we have now is a cross-genre collaboration called "Anecdote". We both tell short narratives of a specific biographical incident.
You'll be able to hear this song soon.
I met Doc a couple of years ago at a music conference. She has a signature look... a hat, a rat, and always a guitar. Her artist name is Dirty Metal Lefty, partially because of an innate southpaw status, which is something we have in common. (I mean, I do play bass like a right-handed person, but I eat, write, throw, golf, swing baseball bats, and shoot basketballs left-handed.) This is a very talented person who wields the guitar with all kinds of skill... this is the kind of wizardry that eludes me, as I find guitar strings to be too numerous and also way too tiny.
Here's my favorite song from the Neva' On Sundays album, "Ain't No Friend of Mine."
The last time I saw Doc, we sat in a hotel lobby down in Austin singing and playing Chris Cornell songs. Well, I didn't do the playing, and I did the singing rather poorly, but it was a great time. No, not that Chris Cornell song. No, not that one either. Yeah, and this is also not one of them. Here's one. Here's another. Here's a third, that almost makes me cry every time I hear it. Interview below the picture.
When I run these, I usually put my questions in bold... but Doc used some unique formatting in her response, and I think it's best to show you this interview the way she intended.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
Blues Inspired Indie-Alt Rock with Jazz and Metal undertones
Think "If Sade had a baby with Alice In Chains who was REEEALLY into CSN (Crosby, Stills, Nash) and Albert King"
2. How did you get started making music? How soon after you started learning to play did you start to write your own songs?
I guess from the moment I could make noise and bang on stuff. Music for me and a headache for others. LOL
If memory serves me proper, I was around 9 or 10 when I first sat down and intentionally tried to write a song; on a keyboard, surprisingly enough. The songs conjured from lyrics only were usually set to the melody of a song I already knew. #UnintentionalDerivativeCover
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Remember Columbia House music club with their "10 cassettes for 1¢"?
Alice In Chains - Dirt. And spoiler alert, those cassettes weren't really a penny. Boy did I learn that lesson the hard way. . .
[Mike adds: You and me both, sista.]
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
Mon., Mar. 9th - Michale Graves (ex-Misfits) w/ special guest JJ Speaks
Covid ruined everything after that (>_<)*
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
In addition to the elevator pitch in question 1:
Chris Cornell, Nina Simone, Fantastic Negrito, Deftones, Afro Celt Sound System, The Absence, Dave Brubeck, Screaming Jay Hawkins, Fleetwood Mac, Lamb of God, Nevermore
6. So, you're a guitarist. Most guitarists that I know tend to be really into their instruments, their pedals, and their rig. This is your opportunity to indulge in a lavish description of your favorite musical toys, if you would like to do so.
I LOVE gear but I don't have or use a ton of it. I don't want to "hide" behind too many effects. . . aaaand I don't like having to keep up with too much stuff. [LMAO!!!!!]
Boss Metal Zone pedal is my absolute jam for electric. It pairs well with most of my guitars and Vox tube amp; just kinda sucks that the price hasn't gone down in over 20 years. For Acoustic: I use a series of loopers, a Digitek Trio, a dope vocal dohickey from TC Helicon, and devices for backing track playback. On occasion, I'll also use a A/B box to split my guitar between two different amps with separate pedal setups. The concept adds more texture to my overall tone. It also affords the opportunity to alternate my set between full band sound and intimate feels.
7, How are you dealing with this pandemic from a music standpoint? Touring is out of your toolbox for the moment, has anything taken its place?
Maaaaan, Covid swooped in and snatched my gigs like an owl pouncing on an unsuspecting field mouse. [Mike interjects: This might be the greatest of all similes.] That was painful; financially of course but even more so on the emotional and mental front. I figured I try to use the "mandatory" down time to work on writing and finally getting around to cleaning my house. It's amazing how many pieces of life get neglected when you don't take enough time to tend to stuff. As for the music as a whole, live streaming has become the new trend but it does not and cannot replace actual live music IN PERSON.
There's a special, uncanny bond forged in the heat of the moment between musicians and their audience; a sort of energy exchange that breaks down barriers. I miss that. Genre aside, music, in general, is one of the only few things we [humans] can all agree upon. I don't think I've ever met anyone who doesn't enjoy music on some level.
8, It's cliché, but it's a good question to end with: What's next for you?
A resurgence of gigs, I hope. I miss connecting with people. In the meantime, I do plan to release a single or two or three. . .maybe a video to accompany them. No dates yet but new stuffs ARE indeed coming. I'll keep adjusting to our new normal as well supporting my mates and local small businesses around town. A friend and I have even paired together for a side project, busking around town and such. Busking is the next best step until we're able to navigate proper live gigs in the midst of this pandemic madness and social distancing.
Let me know when it's safe to pop in for a slot in your neck of the woods.
***
Dirty Metal Lefty has indeed stopped by our state on a previous tour, playing in Columbus. I had planned to go, and ended up not being able to do so, which still makes me sad. Here's hoping she stops by Dayton someday. I linked to her website above, but you can also find her on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Also, you know how Bandcamp has been waiving their fee on the first Friday of every month recently? Well, Friday July 3rd would be a good date to swing by the Dirty Metal Lefty Bandcamp page and buy some music.
Our interview subject this week recently released her first EP, called Sense of Self. Listen to it here. She does her own arranging, engineering, mixing, and production. She is based in Boston.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
I'm an a cappella looper artist. I perform solo vocal arrangements of covers and originals using a loop pedal.
2. Your song "Sense of Self" shows some vulnerability. How long did it take before you were comfortable singing out those feelings in public?
Honestly, I try not to think about it. When singing in front of an audience, I treat it like any cover I would sing. The song already exists, and my job is to perform it to the best of my ability. It's not about me, anyway. Each person projects their own feelings onto a song, or at least that's my goal - to have a song resonate with them personally.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Believe it or not, it was the soundtrack to the Broadway musical Next to Normal. It's my favorite musical. The sound is all in the rock genre, and it's about a family dealing with mental illness and loss.
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
My most recent concert was Ingrid Michelson at the House of Blues in Boston. I think my favorite moment was when she forgot the words to one of her songs. She just started laughing, and started the song over with the band, but then the whole place, band included, got the giggles so badly at that point, that they weren't even able to finish the song. She was like "Who forgets the lyrics to their own song??" But we've all been there. I love those moments of imperfection at a show.
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
As far as a cappella looping goes, I draw most of my inspiration from a jazz singer named Cyrille Aimée. I bought my looper because of her. The first song I learned on the looper was hers - "Nuit Blanche". My new album is more in the vein of singer-songwriters like Sarah Bareilles, Ingrid Michelson, and John Mayer. I have lots of experience in jazz, musical theater, classical, and popular music, so my influences are vast, but that's where I'm living musically at the moment.
6. Based on your background, when you write songs, I imagine your process is very different than most other songwriters. Would you be so kind as to describe how you approach songwriting?
I've been writing poetry since I was very young, about 10 or 11 years old, so the lyrics almost always come first. I recently learned that most people have an "inner monologue" of thoughts. I actually don't. It's more of a sensation than complete sentences in my head. Writing, talking, singing, and sketching come naturally when I'm simply trying to organize my thoughts. Then, use those ideas to write the lyrics in a more structured format. I edit so that the accents fall in the right place, and I break out a rhyming dictionary. Sometimes, I'll just write down a group of words that rhyme that I feel resonate with the emotion or mood, and I'll write an entire verse around those words. When I'm happy with that, I'll write it in musical notation so I don't forget it. From there, I can analyze the implied chord structure of the song and add those to make a lead sheet for myself. Sometimes I'll borrow chord substitutions from other songs that I like at the time.
7, You have some experience on the engineering side of the business as well. Can you tell me about how you got in to that, and about what you try to get done in the studio for your clients?
Before considering myself an engineer, I'm an arranger. I create arrangements of songs for live performance using sheet music. I was able to break down the different elements of a song to create memorable moments within a song. Recording and producing is just another way that I can do that.
I primarily work in a cappella, so I focus on vocal arrangement and production. Typically, the song is already arranged by the group, so my job with a musician in the studio is to get the best performance possible out of them. Notes and rhythms are second to the emotive energy you need behind a vocal. As a vocalist myself, I also have the pedagogical skills to coach singers on getting a stronger sound, or a completely different vocal technique. Everything I do after that is to honor that performance.
8, What is your biggest challenge when it comes to making music?
Creating the music isn't really challenging at all. I think the challenging part of being a musician is taking the thing that you created and sharing it with the world in a way that they're going to love. People don't realize how many grueling hours and meticulous planning go into an hour-long show or an album release. I love the marketing and management side of music, but it's very hard to do it for yourself. It feels very weird to put yourself out there and promote yourself. I wish there were two of me!
***
Did you notice that Nina actually writes in musical notation? I find that most impressive, and also very much enjoy the way she builds songs with only her voice. Why not visit her official website? You can also connect with Nina on Instagram or on her Facebook page.
Welcome to a new series on the blog! Amplified will consist of interviews, mostly with musicians. This is a place for me to share with all of you the voices of folks whose talent and art I respect, and maybe introduce you to some sounds you haven't previously heard.
Lauren Light is batting lead-off. (I miss baseball. SIGH.) I met Lauren at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in Nashville, way back in 2017. Lauren is a gifted songwriter, beautiful singer, talented performer, effervescent personality, coffee addict, all sorts of professional, hard worker, and savvy about the music business. She is insanely busy, but generous with her time, as she always manages to find time to discuss the music business with the likes of untalented folks like myself.
Click here to listen to her single "If I Could Only Love You". Interview appears below the photo.
1. Let's hear the elevator pitch for your skill set and genre.
Pop soul Singer-Songwriter, owner of Licensing company and Music business Podcast Host.
2. When did you start making music?
Singing since day one, writing songs since I was 6 (and those first songs were bad! hahaha) but actually performing would be senior year of high school.
3. What was the first album you can remember buying with your own money?
Backstreet Boys
4. Tell me about the last concert you saw.
Actually took my Mom to see her favorite artist for her birthday. So it was with Lauren Daigle and Johnny Swim. They were phenomenal!
5. What artists do you consider to be your biggest influences?
I would probably say female artists like Alanis Morisette and Kelly Clarkson
6. If you could change anything about the music industry, what would it be?
Rights and laws to protect Songwriters, but I see a change in the works!
7, How do you intend to keep growing as a musician and songwriter?
Always writing, and writing outside of my comfort zone! And never stop learning, I truly believe the industry changes so much so you have to keep studying what's new and different, and change with the times as they happen.
8, You host a podcast where you dispense valuable advice about the music business. What's one brief suggestion that you would like to see musicians in general apply immediately?
Believe in yourself! And Dream, BUT make sure you have actionable goals/tasks set in place to achieve your dreams!
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Lauren is dropping a new song just about every month these days. Follow her on your steaming platform of choice, or on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.
Making an album is a long journey. The time spent writing and re-writing, then re-writing again at home. The arranging, which often requires another re-write. The demos. The gathering in the studio to discuss and plan. Session after session after session with a whole bunch of really talented people. Take after take after take of singing, repeating the process if you're a little sharp or a little flat. The listening to studio bounces over and over and over and over. The mixing. That's my process and my journey at least. Many musicians probably have it easier. For me, it's a long journey, and it's hard work, and I wouldn't be able to do it without the help of a great many people.
I'd like to celebrate a little more than a year spent working on Anxious Inventions & Fictions by means of a photo blog entry.
Let's begin:
This is engineer extraordinaire Patrick Himes adjusting the boom for Eric Cassidy on June 2, 2019. Eric sang harmonies on "Bright Ideas". Ultimately, that song didn't make it to Anxious Inventions & Fictions, but it is out right now as a stand-alone single. Please click here to listen to it.
Here's Eric Cassidy again, this time holding an accordion. He played this on June 30, 2019, during the outro on "Pauline". You can hear this song on Defacing the Moon, as the songs from that album were chosen from these sessions.
This is Dustin Booher, with me on June 29,2019. He is a fellow Xenian, and we have known each other since we were five years old. He sang on "Sunday (That Pill)", which is on Defacing the Moon. He also lent outstanding vocals to "Never Let Go", which is the 4th song on Anxious Inventions & Fictions.
There is Dustin in the background... and here is Tim Pritchard on July 27, 2019, playing guitar. You can hear his fine work on "I Am a Number" and "Promise".
This is Jackie and Brandon, who are half of Westerly Station. I met them in Austin at the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference. (I wrote about that before.) Brandon is a fellow Ohioan, and we even grew up in the same county. It was quite convenient that they came from their Texas home to Ohio when I was in the studio, and they had the time to stop by. Brandon played mandolin on "Sunday (That Pill)", and it sounds great.
Hello there, Ken Hall. Normally, you can find him seated behind a piano, a task he performs in Shrug and Human Cannonball. I invited him to play a little trombone. You can hear Ken play for about a second and a half on "Your Anthem", which is the first track on Anxious Inventions & Fictions.
This handsome fella is Kent Montgomery. He is the lead guitarist from The New Old Fashioned. He was kind enough to play guitar on "Never Let Go", "Won't Love You Anymore", "Run To You", and "Wapakoneta". That last song didn't make the album, but I will release it at some point.
Here I am with Nathan Peters, who I've known over 20 years. You might recognize him as the lead singer and keyboardist from legendary Dayton band Captain of Industry. These days, he fronts Lioness. He was kind enough to come to the studio and play piano on "Goodbye". I wrote the song on piano, but I don't have the chops to give it the recorded performance that it deserves. Thanks to Nathan's work, it sounds so very good.
The most recent photo. January 23, 2020. As you can see from the wood floors and the walls, this photo was taken after the great Reel Love flood and subsequent remodel. (Scroll up to the first picture for the old school look of the main room in the studio.) This was my last day in the studio for work on the album. There was a mixing session after this, so the official end date was in February, but I didn't need to head down for that. Patrick's steady hand guided me through this process, as he has done so many times for so many other musicians. He has a fantastic ability to hear the song behind my low-quality home demos. I can tell him what I am trying to accomplish as far as the sound I hear in my head is concerned, and he can figure out how to get me there. This gentleman is a multi-instrumentalist, great singer, and true professional.
I hope you have enjoyed this brief photo journey through a year's worth of work. There are plenty of behind-the-scenes photos that I haven't even seen. I have 5 disposable cameras that came to the studio with me, and they are filled with photos. If you are curious as to what might be on them, they are available as one of the rewards on my Kickstarter campaign to crowdfund pressing Anxious Inventions & Fictions to vinyl. Why not head over to the campaign and help me press some vinyl?
This song is on my upcoming album, Anxious Inventions & Fictions. It is the result of a songwriting exercise meant to combat writer's block... but strangely enough, I wasn't actually suffering from writer's block when I wrote this song. Let's set the scene... come to Nashville with me, to the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference in the summer of 2018.
One of the most useful sessions I attended was conducted by Shane Adams. This gentleman is on the faculty at Berklee Online. I had seen him speak the previous year, and he is humorous and engaging, energetic and open, and clearly quite knowledgeable. This year, he was talking about a proven method of defeating writer's block. At the time I sat through this seminar, I wasn't suffering from writer's block... I wasn't really trying to write songs at the conference... but in order to get the most out of the session, if there is an audience participation exercise, you need to participate.
I don't want to explain all of the things that were covered here, but let's briefly say that the method consisted of a series of letters. No, not the twenty-six characters that make up the English alphabet, the method of communication before email, telephones, and telegraphs. When I was much younger, I used to write letters often. I would write to my friends both here in Ohio, in other parts of the United States, and overseas. I couldn't even tell you how many scores of letters I've probably written. That being the case, I took to this exercise rather well.
The phrase "she speaks in metaphor" came out of this exercise. Wanna see? Here it is:
At some point, I thought this would make an excellent song title. Once I decided that, I needed a musical approach. I decided to write this one on my bass instead of on the piano. Further, as the song title seemed to me at the time that it would lend itself to a rather complicated idea, I wanted to make the song simple, and I wanted the bass to carry it. For that reason, the verses consist of only one chord. A minor. That's it. The bass line that carries the verses is moving through several of the notes in the A minor scale. There is a bit more motion in the chorus parts as far as the harmony is concerned. That settled, I used the piano to help me pick out a melody. After I had a melody, then came the work to write lyrics to fit the melody and the theme.
This needed to be a rock song. Ok, not just rock. RAWK. To that end, I recruited one of the finest bass players in Dayton, Chirs Corn. (He has other talents as well.) He used to play in a very loud, chaotic, experimental, post-punk outfit called My Latex Brain... and in this band, he would surround himself and his bass with what seemed like a hundred different pedals, and make the bass sound like a legion of guitars. That's the sound I wanted on this song. I also recruited Thad Brittain for more high frequency guitar work. For the percussion end, I asked Brian Hoeflich to do his best Jimmy Chamberlain impersonation, and he obliged.
I am extremely pleased with the result. If my Kickstarter campaign is successful and we get vinyl pressed, you'll be able to find it as the first song on Side Two of the album. I can't wait for you to hear it.
February 17th, 2019. That was the first day of tracking for my second solo full-length album. A quick aside... it's awfully strange to call it a "solo" album, as I certainly couldn't have gotten it done without a great deal of help. Patrick Himes, the engineer/producer. Brian Hoeflich, professional drummer extraordinaire. The other guitarists, vocalists, pianists, violinists, etc who are on the album: Eli Alban, Dustin Booher, Blair Breitreiter, Thad Brittain, Chris Corn, Ken Hall, Kent Montgomery, David Payne, Nathan Peters, Tim Pritchard, TINO, Tod Weidner, Heather York. That's an awful lot of help for a "solo" album.
(I digress again. This doesn't count the folks who helped out on songs that didn't make the album, but that I still plan on releasing. I'll be thanking them all by name in the future, you can take it to the proverbial bank.)
Where was I? Oh yes. February 17th,2019. Notice how in that first paragraph, I wrote the words "gotten it done"? Yes, February 5, 2020 was the last mixing session. The album is tracked. The album is mixed. A release date is in the future. It is without a doubt my best work to date. Wanna know what it's called?
Anxious Inventions & Fictions
That's a lyric from one of the songs. Would you like to hear it on vinyl? I would surely LOVE to press it to vinyl.
It turns out that you, yes you, can help to get this album pressed to vinyl. I am launching a Kickstarter campaign to offset the expense of pressing vinyl. It essentially functions as a pre-order... if you are interested in hearing my new album on vinyl, by all means, select a campaign reward that includes your very own copy of Anxious Inventions & Fictions. There are a few different rewards that include the physical record. For one of the rewards, I'll list your name in the liner notes expressing my deep gratitude for all the world to see. I have five disposable cameras (remember those?) full of exclusive behind-the-scenes photos of the recording process... I haven't even seen these photos... those are possible rewards as well.
What if you don't have a turntable, but still want to help? Well, one of the rewards is for a digital download of the album. What if you just want to wait until the album is on Spotify or Pandora or Apple Music or YouTube? Well, if you would like to support the effort of getting the album pressed to vinyl for other folks out of the kindness of your heart, there is a donation level for that. Every little bit helps, you know.
Kickstarter is an all-or-nothing crowdfunding platform. If we reach the funding goal, then I'll be able to get Anxious Inventions & Fictions pressed to vinyl. If we do not reach the funding goal, nobody will be charged for any of the pre-orders, and the album will not be pressed to vinyl.
If you didn't already click on the link above to go to the Kickstarter campaign, why not click it here to visit my pre-launch page? The campaign goes live on Wednesday, March 25. Please share with all of your music-loving friends. Let's press some records!!!
MOIRA is Aaron Hardy, Alicia Grodecki, and Patrick Hague, if you list them alphabetically by first name. These are three musicians whose relative youth belies their experience. Punk, metal, pop, extensive touring... these are the things you'll find as you look into their past. All of that experience combines to produce art that is greater than the sum of its parts.
Inventive rhythms from Patrick behind the drum kit, including the occasional drum pad being triggered. Thick synth and sturdy bass lines from Aaron, on the audience's right. More synth, Rhodes, and vocals that oscillate between delicate and strong from Alicia, over there on the left. Songs that are carefully constructed and given time and space to develop, to breathe, to surround you.
MOIRA is one of my favorite artists around these parts right now, and the only thing I would ask of them is to get us more records. Please.
Their first EP, Asleep/Repeat/Awake, came out in 2015. They have a brand new release that just came out a couple of weeks ago.
You can catch them playing shows around Dayton, and also around the Midwest. If you haven't gotten a chance to see them yet, and wonder what they are like live, well, I recommend their excellent performance at the Paste Magazine studios in New York. Watch it here.
I've been working hard in the studio, supported by Patrick Himes and a rotating cast of other Dayton musicians. I've already mentioned that I have a split album coming out on Local Music Day. I have five songs on that compact disc. That left 20 songs.
20 is a lot of songs. From that group, I've decided not to do any tracking at the moment on 3 of them. I either want to give more consideration to the arrangement (looking at you, "Podiacide") or try to improve the lyrics (this means you, "Let's Go"), or perhaps even do a complete re-write (this could be you, "Rock Show"). Ok. 20 minus 3 is 17.
This is the group of songs from which I will attempt to put together an album that will take you, the potential listener, on an adventure. Some of them are finished... mixed and everything. Some of them have drums and bass tracked, but need the rest of the instruments. Just three of them are still waiting on me to record a bassline.
I won't pretend to know when I'll have this ready for release... but it certainly won't be this year. More updates to come.
Straight talk, a few days before this conference, I really didn't want to go. I was tired. Mentally and emotionally tired. However, I already made the plans, and had already taken vacation days from my corporate job, so yeah, I went.
This year's DIY Musician Conference sponsored by CD Baby was held in Austin, Texas. The dates were 16 to 18 August. This was my third conference, and by far the hottest... because it is crazy hot in Texas in August.
I won't go on a lengthy description of the delicious brisket I had there, as that's another blog post. I won't talk about the migas breakfast tacos, either. I had a very interesting cultural experience watching people sing Russian karaoke, but maybe we'll save that for another blog post as well. Let's keep this one focused on music stuff.
When I say "music stuff", I mean the work. Writing music and lyrics is work of course, but that's enjoyable work. Recording is work, but that's also enjoyable work. There is a great deal of other business stuff that has to be done when you're an independent artist though... these are the things I was there to learn, and these are the things that make a very long to-do list for me going forward.
A nice benefit of this conference is being surrounded by a bunch of other musicians from all over the world. Many genres. Many languages. Different points in their careers. Making those personal connections is something that helps me get through the weekend without being wilted by social anxiety (as opposed to just being wilted by the Texas heat). Now, I met dozens of interesting people over the weekend, and had many interesting conversations... but let me tell you about two specific people whose company I enjoyed.
First, Jessica. She sat next to me during the first session on Friday morning. That first day is tough, especially if you're like me and you don't like crowds. In this case, my neighbor was even more anxious than me possibly, as this was her first conference. It turns out that Jessica is a pianist from Los Angeles. I would describe her as very much like a shorter version of Fiona Apple... well, that was until I looked up Fiona Apple's height, and they're probably about the same stature-wise. At any rate, think piano-based pop music with interesting lyrics, and a beautiful voice. Jessica performs as Bellorage. You can listen to her music here.
We were treated to a Bellorage performance at the post-show music shindig. It was great. That part at 3:19 of "Terribly Lovely" gave me goosebumps when I saw it live.
Ok, so a second story about a person. At the conference, they have these tables set up to help all of us anxious musicians to break the ice and start conversations. There is a line of tables that each has a sign based on a region... Austin, New York, Midwest, South, West, Europe, Canada, etc. There is another line of tables broken up by music genre... hip hop, country, edm, pop, rock, etc. So, I head to the rock table. When I mention that I am from Dayton, Ohio, someone points to this other fella and says "he's from Dayton as well"... the other fella had "Austin" on his badge, so I was skeptical. Turns out he is from Dayton, but moved to Austin for his music career a couple of year ago. Since we're from the same area, I figured I'd tell him specifically that I grew up in Xenia. He says "dude, I'm from Yellow Springs". Yes, we're both from the same county, and don't meet until a music conference in Austin.
His name is Brandon, and he's in Westerly Station. What's more, he and his wife happened to be in Ohio last week, where they went on WYSO to talk about their music with Juliet on Wednesday night, then they stopped by Reel Love Recording Company on Thursday to do some tracking with me. You'll be hearing some sweet mandolin that Brandon played before the end of the fall.
In summary, an enjoyable conference, despite the work. I hope to attend again next year.