Hard Rock/ Brutal Pop group Oh Romeo! has joined The 10th IMAs.  Check out their interview here!

HOMEBASE:  Orlando, FL

GENRE:  Brutal Pop/ Hard Rock/ Happy Hardcore

CATERGORY ENTERED:  Pop/Rock Song

SONG SUBMITTED:  “Two Words….Got It?”

LABEL:  Takeover Records/High Risk Productions

WHAT’S THE OH ROMEO! STORY?

We all basically dedicated our lives to touring and went from there.

WHAT ARE THE GENRES THAT BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

We like to consider ourselves a “brutal pop” band.

YOU’VE ONLY BEEN A BAND SINCE 2006 AND ARE PLAYING SOME LARGE SHOWS WITH SOME BIG NAME ACTS.  WHAT STEPS TOOK YOU TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW?  WHAT ARE SOME ACTS YOU’VE SHARED THE STAGE WITH?

Well, we basically just didn’t turn down any shows.  We’ve shared the stage with bands like Def Tones, As I Lay Dying, Yellowcard, Flyleaf, Scary Kids Scaring Kids, June, Maylene and the sons of disaster, Escape the Fate, Loren Drive, National Product, Silverstein and, Oscar Award Winners, 36 Mafia!

I NOTICED YOU HAD YOUR GUITARIST’S NAME LISTED AS “???” ON YOUR MYSPACE PROFILE, DOES THAT MEAN YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A NEW MUSICIAN?

We have our eye on someone <3

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE.

Music you can throwdown to, catchy, sing-a-long, feel good songs.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS RELEASE?

Oh, Definitely! The fans supported us by buying our t-shirts, coming to the shows and telling their friends about Oh Romeo!; They even started street teams on MySpace – globally!  We couldn’t ask for better fans.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SUBMIT THIS SONG TO THE IMAS?

2 reasons:

1.  This song has a lot of passion and meaning behind it; and

2.  It’s our fans’ favorite, so we gotta roll with them on this.

HOW DOES THE DESIGN OF YOUR ALBUM AND MERCH VISUALLY SUPPORT YOUR MUSIC?  DO YOU HAVE A THEME?

The theme is that it’s all about the music.  The album artwork is something that people will understand when they listen to the entire EP, so that can be pretty appealing.

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR MUSIC VIDEO THAT IS IN THE WORKS.  CAN YOU GIVE ANY HINTS AS TO WHAT IT WILL BE ABOUT?

I can tell you we shot a video but the rest is going to have to be a surprise.

WHAT ELSE DO YOU HAVE PLANNED IN THE FUTURE?

We are touring around Florida right now. Then, in October we plan on going on a Midwest tour, followed by an East Coast tour with Hey Mike.

WHAT’S THE WILDEST THING A FAN HAS EVER DONE FOR YOU?

The wildest thing a fan has ever done for us was let us stay at their house (which was a pretty bold move on their part, haha).

WHAT’S YOUR MOST EXCITING TOUR STORY?

It would have to be when we parked our tour van in front of the Def Tones bus and I got to talk to the fellas. Then they watched our set from the side lines.

WHAT ARE YOUR GUILTY PLEASURES ON THE ROAD?

It’s mutual: Taco Bell!

WHAT IS ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE FANS?

Animo feat. Kenai by Genio y Baby Johnny, Peter Paul and Mary and Ace of Base.

NAME SOME ARTISTS YOU ARE CHAMPIONING?

Versus the Ocean and all of our other fellow Takeover band brothers, Casellas in Miami, and As the Sky Awaits.

HOW CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU?  WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?

Our EP, This is Why We’re Here, is available anywhere that you can download music (i.e. iTunes, eMusic, Napster, Rhapsody, Amazon, etc…) .

Fans can visit our MySpace @

www.myspace.com/ohromeoband

Or follow us on twitter @

www.twitter.com/OhRomeo

Or e-mail us directly @

They can also check us out @

www.purevolume.com/OhRomeoBand

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

Acoustic Pop Rock Artist Sean Waterman has entered The 10^th IMAs.  Check out his interview here!

CATERGORY ENTERED: EP, Love Song, Album Art

SONGS SUBMITTED: “Armageddon” & “Enough”

EP SUBMITTED:  Locomotive Hearts EP

ALBUM ART SUBMITTED:  Locomotive Hearts EP Cover Art

GENRE:  Acoustic/ Rock/ Pop

LABEL:  Self-Released

LOCATION:  Atlanta, GA

WHAT GENRES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

I would say indie rock and/or acoustic.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO FIRST START MAKING MUSIC?

When I was in the 4^th grade and a flyer came home from a music school in Brooklyn where I lived at the time.  I started taking guitar lessons and wanted to quit after a few weeks because my hands kept hurting. My mom wouldn’t let me quit because she had already paid for the lessons.

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE IN 140 CHARACTERS OR LESS.

I would say it’s a collection of songs about how connected we all are to each other.

WERE THERE ANY HAPPY ACCIDENTS IN THE STUDIO OR DID YOU RECORD IT JUST AS YOU PLANNED?

We (myself & co-producer/album engineer Chad McCune) had an idea of what we wanted the end product to sound like.  We knew what instrumentation we wanted so we just tried to get the feel just right.  In the end, it worked out better than I had planned.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SUBMIT “ARMAGEDDON” & “ENOUGH” TO THE IMAS?

I felt like those songs best fit into a category.  It was easier for me to classify “Armageddon” as a love song than to classify the other songs on the album.

THESE SONGS WERE SUBMITTED TO THE LOVE SONG CATEGORY, WHO ARE THEY ABOUT? CAN YOU TELL US THE STORY BEHIND THEM?

A buddy of mine was going to propose to his girlfriend so he asked me to be there and play a song as song he proposed.  I didn’t really have a song that fit so I wrote “Armageddon”.  I was nervous about the song at first but since she said “yes” I figured it was a keeper.

I’m pretty sure I wrote “Enough” in the shower so there’s just no telling what that’s about.

Sean Waterman live at the Hard Rock Cafe

YOU SUBMITTED YOUR EP COVER ART. HOW DOES THE DESIGN OF YOUR COVER ART VISUALLY SUPPORT YOUR MUSIC?

The name of the album is “Locomotive Hearts” and I knew that I wanted the cover art to be a sketch of some sort.  I came up with this concept of a heart pulling a train and I tried to draw it.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT?

A lot of people helped with this project.  “Locomotive Hearts” was a group effort in a lot of ways.

WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR AUDIENCE?

College kids, middle-aged kids, younger kids.  I’d like to think my music appeals to a broad range of people.  I’m finding the college crowd responds real well.

DO YOU COLLECT ANYTHING? IF SO WHAT?

I collect CD booklets.  For some reason I like reading liner notes so on my wall there’s tons of CD booklets with thumbtacks in them.

IS THERE A SONG YOU WISH YOU HAD WRITTEN?

“That’s the Way”  by Led Zeppelin

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?

Music inspires me.  A lot of times when I‘m writing new songs now its just something that comes from messing around on the guitar.  I try to just let it flow from there.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…

Something I’m still trying to figure out!

WHERE CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU? WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?

Amazon, iTunes, eMusic, Napster, MySpace, Twitter, Facebook (RootMusic Page), Pure Volume, AltSounds, OurStage, Last.fm, Jango, Bebo, Hi5, Maxmouth, Amie Street, ArtistData, YouTube, ReverbNation, Muzlink, Soundcloud, iLike

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

Melancholic Pop act Naked Hearts have joined The 10^th IMAs.  Check out their interview here!

CATERGORY ENTERED: Pop/Rock Song

SONGS SUBMITTED: “Like I do” & “Call Me”

GENRE:  Melancholic Pop/ Rock/ Grunge

LABEL:  Self-Released

HOMEBASE:  Brooklyn, NY

HOW DID YOU TWO BEGIN PLAYING TOGETHER?

Noah came on tour with me while I was doing my solo project and we immediately gelled musically. We toured for about 3 weeks and by the end of the tour we had a a few songs that we had written together. It was the first time either of us were able to write with someone else and it was a thrill. 

We did have a 3rd member who played drums with us when we started playing live. But we felt that the 3 piece actually ended up taking away from the dynamic we had when writing the songs and making the demos. We wanted to keep it a 2-piece.

NAKED HEARTS IS A PROVOCATIVE BAND NAME, HOW DID YOU ARRIVE AT THAT FOR A BAND NAME?

One of the first few songs we wrote together was called Naked Hearts. When we talked about what to call the (at this point side project) band, we were driving down the coast of California and Noah said, “What about Naked Hearts?” and just like that it made sense. It embodied what both of us felt was at the core of our connection and how we could communicate that to the world.

WHAT GENRES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?

People have described us as Melancholic Pop, there is definitely some Rock and Grunge influence as well.

AMY YOU PLAY GUITAR AND SING VOCALS, NOAH YOU PLAY BASS, DRUMS, AND SING VOCALS ON RECORDINGS.  HOW DOES YOUR LIVE SETUP WORK?

Live I play electric guitar and sing, Noah plays drums and sings. We use an electronic sync for the bass. The bass is pre-recorded (Noah’s actual playing or synth-bass) and it plays along with us.

DO YOU FEEL THERE IS AN ADVANTAGE TO HAVING BOTH FEMALE AND MALE VOICES IN A BAND?

We like the dynamic of having the male/female vocals – lots of bands we are influenced by have that as well and we really like the idea – Blonde Redhead, Sonic Youth, PIxies for example… For me it keeps things fresh and offers different perspectives to a certain space. Also I feel that the two sexes can give energy in a different way. We kind of slip back and forth between both, some of my guitar parts feel masculine or tough and sometimes Noah’s vocals can be sweet and sensitive. On the flip side I can be singing a part that’s very ‘pretty’ and Noah will bang out some aggressive energy on the drums. It’s fun to play around with different ways of expressing yourself with someone else. You kind of play off of each other. Offstage I find to be somewhat the same. 

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS?  DO YOU USE ANY UNUSUAL WRITING TECHNIQUES OR STRUCTURES?

The writing process is ever evolving ever changing. We both write songs independent of each other and we write songs together. We are always both involved with the songs by the time we finish them. It’s pretty obvious to both of us when something is working or isn’t and we help each other to get there. I guess an unusual thing we do is to immediately record the song on the 4-track once we’ve finished it. It seems to really solidify a song’s presence once it’s recorded on tape. It makes us feel more sure about it.

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE.

Mass Hysteria embodies a range of emotions and interpretations of life. The subjects and inspirations range from songs about inner struggles to songs that just make you want to freak out and party.

DID YOU USE ANY UNUSUAL EFFECTS OR INSTRUMENTS?

We used our own 8-track for the Prelude on the album slowing down the tape by hand. We used Juno 60 on a few of the songs, which was eye opening. They are so cool because you can create your own sound out of them. We also used a Rhodes, which is always beautiful. We used a Memory Man for some of the guitar parts. I guess all of these are not so unusual, but for us they were. We also recorded all of the drums and guitars live.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SUBMIT “LIKE I DO” & “CALL ME” TO THE IMAS?

We chose to submit ‘Like I Do’ because we both sing and we feel it’s one of our songs that successfully expresses Naked Hearts. We chose to submit ‘Call Me’ because it’s Noah’s favorite song and other people seem to respond to it as well.

Naked Hearts’ Music Video for “Call Me”

ARE ANY OF YOUR LYRICS ABOUT EACH OTHER?

Not all, but some. We will leave it up to the listener to decipher. 

DID YOUR FANS HELP FUND THIS RELEASE?

Inevitabley the fans helped fund the release. We had released our EP These Knees about a year before and we toured a bunch before recording Mass Hysteria so all of that helped. Plus the producer/enginneer of Mass Hysteria, Matt Boynton, saw us play live and asked us to record with him – so that helped a lot too. We didn’t do a Kickstarter or anything like that, though one of our friends’ bands just raised $5000 that way.

WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR AUDIENCE?

Our audience is very widespread from what we can tell. We hope this continues. We don’t have a specific crowd we’re trying to appeal to. We would like as many different people as possible to get into it. We did an all-ages West Coast tour last summer and that was super fun. We love the way the younger people are so quick to invest in the music and start dancing. 

WHAT MAKES YOUR FANS UNIQUE?

What makes our fans unique is that they are willing to take a chance. They are willing to open up their minds and hearts to us. 

HAVE YOU EVER HUNG OUT WITH ONE OF YOUR MUSICAL HEROES?  WHAT’S THE STORY?

I hung out with Arto Lindsay in NYC once. It was really nerve wracking because I had obsessively listened to his records for a while. I happened to know the engineer who was recording his record and he invited me to the session. The incredible guitarist Marc Ribot was recording on his record that day. It was complete improvisation and I remember after one of the takes all of us, Arto, Marc Ribot and I looked at each other and just started laughing it was so good!

WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE PLANS?

We are writing new songs and planning to tour a bunch more. We recently came off an Southeast “Beach Tour” with 2 of our friends’ bands She Keeps Bees and This Frontier Needs Heroes. It was really fun being able to tour with 2 amazing bands and play together every night. We felt like a collective. We plan to do more tours like this. 

FINISH THIS SENTENCE:  THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…

unpredictable.

HOW CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU?  WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?

Fans can follow us through our
WEBSITE www.thenakedhearts.com or
MYSPACE myspace.com/thenakedhearts or
TWITTER twitter.com/thenakedhearts or
FACEBOOK http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Naked-Hearts/47988971372

You can buy Mass Hysteria and These Knees mp3s on
ITUNES or EMUSIC
VINYL These Knees EP from INSOUND.
Or get anything (including Tshirts) directly through us >> BIG CARTEL nakedhearts.bigcartel.com

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

8^th IMA New Age Song Nominees and Vox Pop Recipients Martyrs of Sound have joined The 10^th Independent Music Awards.

Check out their interview here!

LOCATION:  Salem, OR

GENRE:  Easy Listening/ Pop/ Grunge/ Adult Contemporary

CATERGORY ENTERED: Adult Contemporary Album

ALBUM SUBMITTED: Songs for Loving & Dying

LABEL:  Chaka Groove

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BAND NAME?
Sara: We were looking for something that expressed our spiritual
interests, but didn’t want to be tied into any particular religion.

Steve: While on a road trip with the kids we bounced names around for 8
hours.  I made it a contest and offered $50 to whoever came up with a
useable name.  When Sara’s 12 year old said “Martyrs of Sound” it
resonated for a number of reasons.  The original meaning of “martyr” was
witness. We often feel like we are just watching the artistic process
unfold around us, witnessing the creation of new sounds. So the name fit.
Contenders?  We went through several hundred names during that drive. We
were almost The Monks of Om.

HOW DID YOU BEGIN PLAYING TOGETHER?
Steve: By accident! I would play guitar at night and Sara asked if there
were any words. The answer was “yes, Sanskrit mantras.”  She encouraged me
to record the music. We thought Sara would do the vocals as a scratch
track for an example to who ever I found to sing on the final version. To
our surprise we loved how she sounded and went forward from there.

Sara: It’s something that energetically works between us—we just know how
to do this together.

YOU WON THE 8TH IMA VOX POP FOR NEW AGE SONG, WITH YOUR SONG “ANANDA.”  IS
THERE ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE FANS THAT VOTED FOR YOU?
Steve: Yes, thank you! Really…thank you! It really inspired us to keep
going. We all have so many things competing for our time and attention and
it meant so much that people made it a priority to support us in this.

WHAT LANGUAGE IS THAT SONG IN?  ESSENTIALLY WHAT MESSAGE ARE THE LYRICS
SENDING?
Steve: It is known as “The Song of Bliss.”  The words to “Ananda” are from
a 16th century Punjabi poem. Sikhs sing a traditional arrangement of it at
the end of all their religious events. In modern parlance the message
would be “It’s all good!”

Sara: I like to say “If you are not blissed out you’re not paying attention!”

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SUBMIT YOUR ALBUM “SONGS FOR LOVING & DYING” TO THE
IMAS?
Steve: We submitted to the IMAs because we believe in our project and the
power of the IMAs to propel our music to a bigger audience. From this
point on we will always enter our new releases to the IMAs.  For
promotional value it’s a no-brainer! Just the act of submitting is very
inspiring and exciting… and as we have experienced first hand, anything
can happen!

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE.
Sara: Our latest album is very different than our first two. Most of the
songs have English lyrics and they’re structured like contemporary
pop/rock songs. Even though they’re spiritual, New Age didn’t quite fit
any more. These are songs you could hear on top 40 radio, at least in
terms of structure and instrumentation.

Steve: Every album we’ve done has a purpose or intention. With “Mantra
Chill” we wanted to make an effective, powerful sound therapy tool to
induce relaxation. The feedback was amazing! It is being used to soothe
anxious kids and help insomniacs get to sleep. We didn’t know about the
IMAs with that CD  but next year we will again enter the New Age category
with Mantra Chill 2!
We entered “Ananda” from our second CD, “Uncoiled” to the 8th IMAs solely
due to the fact that Peter Gabriel was a judge. When we were recording it
I said I wanted was to produce a new-age, world music song that Peter
Gabriel would hear and he would like it. We didn’t know how that would
come to pass, but that was our goal.  So, when I saw the promo on Sonic
Bids listing him as a judge I thought, “Well, I asked for it, so here’s
our chance.”
Our new CD “Songs for Loving and Dying” was our attempt to produce classic
3-5 minute pop/rock that can be played on the radio. We wanted to create
catchy tunes that also stayed true to our basic spiritual vibe. As to why
we entered it as Adult Contemporary rather than new-age was influenced by
KINK-FM in Portland, a major player in AC radio.  They aired our music and
also put us on their “Locals Only” music compilation CD.

DID YOU USE ANY UNUSUAL WRITING TECHNIQUES OR STRUCTURES?
Steve: We like to write on the couch with the kids running around
screaming. If we hear them humming the tunes over the next few days we
know we’re on to something. Sara is a professional writer so she draws
upon the skills of her craft to keep the verbiage flowing but we both also
write from the intuitive voice and allow the work to be “channeled” and
let it come out without judging it.

Sara: Ha ha, yes. And we don’t read music at all. So we use our own little
codes or ways of remembering things.

DID YOU USE ANY UNUSUAL EFFECTS?
Steve: A bit. Our engineer and co-producer Jason Carter has worked with
Danger Mouse and has a lot of clever ideas for adding effects without
making it sound over produced.

Sara: Yes, our most unusual effect is Jason Carter. He is a brilliant co
creator, and we are so grateful that we are able to work with him.

Steve: We call him the 3rd Martyr.

WHERE THERE ANY HAPPY ACCIDENTS IN THE STUDIO OR DID EVERYTHING GO AS
PLANNED?
Steve: Our whole collaboration is a happy accident! But our approach is to
plan the best we can and then roll with it. Our Ska-infused cover of “Dear
Prudence” came at the end of a late night rehearsal, it started as a joke
and turned out to be a favorite in concert and also on the radio!

Sara: Well, it was a happy accident that we discovered I could sing!

WHAT IS YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM?
Steve: “I Am.”  It was inspired by something that happened when I was 5 or
6 years old. Nowadays I would call it a spiritual experience but then I
just thought “Wow!” Hearing this song takes me back to that amazing time
and place. But I also love “Be My Rumi” because Sara’s play on words is so
amazingly brilliant.

Sara: “New Soul.” It’s catchy, and it’s got a great double meaning. Also,
I it is very autobiographical so it means a lot to me.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS RELEASE?
Sara: All our CD sales go in to our pool toward the next CD.

YOU SEEM TO MENTION VERY INFLUENTIAL SPIRITUAL FIGURES SUCH AS RAM DAS AND
JESUS IN YOUR SONGS.  WHAT ARE YOU BELIEFS ON RELIGION AND SPIRITUALITY?
Steve: We both were raised with strong religious/spiritual influences but
neither of us really practice a formal religion per se, I guess we’re
“Now-ists.” We are into the here and now, very exciting stuff.  I
converted to Sikhism as a teenager in large part to Ram Das’ book “Be Here
Now.” Everyone has ideas on religion and spiritually but one day we find
out for sure, eh?

Sara: Well, I am an intuitive (psychic) and had a very interesting
spiritual awakening in 2008. I’m passionate about the interlink between
intuition and spirituality.

Michael Jackson and “The Doc” Steve Koc, 1984 Detroit, MI

THERE IS AN ALMOST SURREAL PICTURE OF STEVE AND MICHEAL JACKSON ON YOUR
MYSPACE.  CAN YOU TELL US THE STORY?
Sara: Well, it’s a real picture. (laughs)

Steve: The whole tale is a book in itself.  But long story short, back
when I was a practicing Sikh I caught the attention of Michael who took me
on tour to provide chiropractic and healing services for him and his
family.  One day Michael grabbed his brother Jermaine and said “Take a
picture of me and The Doc.” He knew that that picture would benefit me one
day and he wanted me to have it. He was generous and thoughtful like that.
Seeing him work, his professionalism combined with sincere innocence that
set the standard for me. From my first day of recording my own music I
always ask, “What would Michael do?” whenever we are faced with a
challenge in the studio.

SARA, I UNDERSTAND YOU ARE AN AUTHOR AS WELL, PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR
BOOKS.
Sara: I’m an author and an intuitive. I have two books out so far: Writing the
Divine, and Your Psychic Child. A third book on intuition is forthcoming.
All are with Llewellyn. I work with people as an intuitive counselor, and
I also do intuitive training. For more info,folks can visit.
www.sarawiseman.com or www.yourpsychicchild.com

WHAT ARE 3 KEY INGREDIENTS TO AN INCREDIBLE SHOW?
Steve: 1. Be prepared. 2. Relax, it will be over soon. And most important,
3. Enjoy every moment no matter what the circumstances.

Sara: Great energy. Big love. And rehearsing.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE?
Steve: When I heard that someone played our first CD, “Mantra Chill” for
her dying mother who proceeded to curl up like a baby and relax for the
first time since being in hospice care.  Does it get any better?

WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR AUDIENCE?
Steve: All ages, all persuasions, people who love life and good vibes.

WHAT IS ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE FANS?
Steve: The kids singing Christmas standards that I recorded at home. Very
traditional and “normal.”

Sara: I like Broken Bells right now, which probably isn’t a surprise.

Steve: Right now I’m really enjoying “Calling All Dawns” by Christopher
Tin, a young Chinese composer, educated in England, living in LA. The
opening track is the Soweto Gospel Choir singing the Lord’s Prayer in
Swahili backed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Talk about world
music!

IS THERE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO SAY TO FANS AND BANDS SUBMITTING ALONG SIDE
YOU THIS YEAR?
Steve: Let’s keep having fun with this!

Sara: Just do your work. Create  what you like. Let the chips fall where
they fall… it’s still fun and interesting. What more can you ask for?

FINISH THIS SENTENCE:  THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…
Steve: …a wild ride. Thankfully for us the struggle has always been
matched with results. Just when the business of music starts to get to us
we get a boost, like a random email from someone who appreciates what we
are doing.

Sara: Is the music industry really that tough? We’ve created three CDs in
three years, and decided that we didn’t want to believe the horror
stories.

WHERE CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU?  WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?
Sara: our site is www.martyrsofsound.com.  And FaceBook is a good place to
stay current with us. We also sell our music through many popular venues
like CDBaby, Amazon, iTunes, and Spirit Voyage.

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

Eclectic Hard Rock Group Pink Noise has joined the 10th IMAs.  Check out their interview here!

HOMEBASE:  Brooklyn, NY/ Tel Aviv, Israel

GENRE:  Hard Rock/ Indie/ Eclectic

SUBMITTING ARTISTS:  Pink Noise

CATERGORY ENTERED:  Indie/ Alternative/ Hard Rock

SONGS SUBMITTED:  “Nothing You Can Say” & “What Would Happen If Someone Finds Out?”

ALBUM: What Would Happen If Someone Finds Out?

LABEL:  Self-Released

HOW DID PINK NOISE BEGIN PLAYING TOGETHER?

All four of us have been very close friends for a long time, Sharron and Yuval Lion met while serving together in the Israeli Air Force Orchestra, which is probably the second best way to get through the Israeli obligatory army service, the first is going temporarily insane and being declared unfit for service, which is what my brother Itamar Ziegler and myself chose to do. After his army service Yuval headed to Boston to Study at Berkley and Sharron joined Itamar and me in New York where we lived in an eight-musician commune for over a year, Yuval moved to New York soon after. All four of us crossed paths in various projects long before Pink Noise was formed; the band was just the next natural step.

WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND YOUR NAME?  WHERE THERE ANY OTHER NAMES YOU WERE THINKING OF?

Pink is Sharron’s third favorite color. We were “Sharron and the family stone” back in the 70s.

YOU ARE LISTED AS HAVING 2 HOME BASES (ONE IN BROOKLYN, NY, AND ONE IN TEL AVIV, ISRAEL) CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW BEING AN INTERNATIONAL BAND HAS HELPED YOU? HURT YOU?

Our home base is, actually, Brooklyn. But, roots are roots and playing in Israel does feel like home. I guess it can only help, having two places that you can call home.

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE.

‘Here is Happiness’ is a 6 track prequel to WWHISFO? It’s 30% Dave Sitek 60% Pink Noise, and 10% Secret Sauce, it’s impulsive, loud and gritty.

YOU HAVE A UNIQUE APPROACH TO MELODY, WHAT STYLES OF MUSIC DO YOU PULL FROM?

Pretty much everything we can get our hands on: from experimental noise-rock to world folk music. Our sound has more to do with our approach to songwriting than anything else.

WHAT IS YOUR WRITING PROCESS?  WHAT UNUSUAL WRITING TECHNIQUES, IF ANY, DO YOU USE?

We are a very rhythm-oriented band, a groove-band-gone-bad. Our songs are a collection of interchanging patterns that complete one another rather than chords and melodies. The vocals are usually the last piece in this puzzle. We almost always write them well after the song is fully arranged.

WHAT ARTISTS HAVE INFLUENCED YOU?

Radiohead, Blonde redhead, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth, the Wu Tang Clan (which, like us, are not to be fucked with).

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SUBMIT YOUR SONG “NOTHING YOU CAN SAY” TO THE IMAS?

‘Nothing you can say’ is a good cross-section of our sound: it is played at an odd time signature, spans from loud to quiet, has a slight pop sensibility, and has lyrics that are pretty politically charged, which, although not the focal point of our music, is not something we shy away from.

Pink Noise Live at Vibromonk Studios, Directed by: Geoffray Barbier

WHAT UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTAL EFFECTS DO YOU USE?

On stage I use 4 delay and 5 distortion pedals, my MF-104Z Analog Delay effect loop is going through a hand-built nameless fuzz and it’s my go-to space-ambience-what-is-that effect. Both Itamar’s and my pedal chain ends with a “Lion”, a great pedal built by our friend John Schumann, it makes everything sound better and it is constantly on.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM YOUR NEXT ALBUM, “WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF SOMEONE FINDS OUT?”

WWHISFO is everything a live Pink Noise show is – Super Sized; at the studio we were like kids in a candy shop. We got the basic tracks down and then just layered stuff on top: Nigerian logs, AM radio, xylophone, pump organ, synths and samplers and of course, the amazing brass talent of Stuart Bogie (Sway Machinery).

HOW DO YOU FEEL WORKING WITH DAVE SITEK (TV ON THE RADIO, YEAH YEAH YEAHS) ON YOUR NEXT RELEASE AFFECTS YOUR SOUND?

Working with Dave was great. There’s a great collaborative vibe in his studio, anything could be done, and nothing is off-limits. The sound is very much Pink Noise at the core but Dave definitely opened the floodgates.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT?

Our good friend and “fan” Nicky Mao of Up Died Sound introduced our music to Dave, which got the ball rolling. Soon thereafter, Chrysalis Music got into the picture and funded the album. Also, having a loyal Brooklyn fan base has allowed us to experiment with our sets – contributing to the final sound of the album.

HAVE YOU EVER HUNG OUT WITH ONE OF YOUR MUSICAL HEROES?  WHAT WAS THE STORY?

We had a chance to play with a lot of great musicians in New York but I would say the highlight was opening for Thourston Moore of Sonic youth as well as opening for TV on the Radio in a benefit for our favorite local bar Zebulon.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE:  THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…

remove “is” insert question mark.

HOW CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU?  WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?

The best place to find out about the band is through our website (www.pinknoiseny.com) or on Facebook.

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

New Wave/ Dance Rock act The Perfects have joined the IMAs.  Check out their interview here:

SUBMITTING ARTISTS:  The Perfects

HOMEBASE:  Baltimore, MD

GENRE:  New Wave/ Indie/ Dance Rock

CATERGORY ENTERED:  Pop/Rock Song

SONG SUBMITTED:  “Girls That Dance”

ALBUM: New Life

LABEL:  FU Records

HOW DID THE PERFECTS BEGIN?
The Perfects started after a dormant period of non creativity where I personally needed a mental break from the direction I was going in musically. After a couple of years the fire came back and The Perfects took root.

WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND YOUR BAND NAME?  WHERE THERE ANY CONTENDERS?
There were a bunch of band names I had written down and that one stood out. I did a google search and found no one else using the name. Obtained the dot.com and got a trademark on it.

WHAT GENRES WOULD YOU SAY BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC?
New Wave Indie Dance Rock with an Electro twist

DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST RELEASE.
Hook centric new wave electro rock ear candy for the 21st century!

HOW DO YOU FEEL YOUR MUSIC BLENDS NEW AND OLD?
I grew up listening to bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode and Duran Duran so certainly that influence has played a role in the sound of The Perfects. However it’s a matter of taking those influences to create our own sound with a 21st century twist.

WHAT’S THE MOST UNUSUAL EFFECT YOU’VE USED?
There is always experimenting with different effects when it comes to guitars and bass on my end. I am a huge fan of reverbs and distortions. I’d say there is not one particular effect that comes to mind and most of that wizardry in the end takes place in the studio when we collaborate with Nic Hard our producer.

WHAT, IF ANY, UNUSUAL SONG STRUCTURES OR WRITING TECHNIQUES DO YOU USE?
Nothing out of the ordinary. The songs usually contain a basic structure rooted in a pop formula. I am personally a fan of a  verse/chorus arrangement since the meat of the music from The Perfects is pop centered with a strong hook sensibility incorporated. If there is not a hook in the song it does not get used. I am also not a fan of throwing filler onto an album.

DID FANS HELP YOU FUND THIS PROJECT?
The fans certainly help absolutely, in addition to being self funded. A combination of fans and a lot of hard work in the day to day.

NOT ONLY DO YOU WRITE YOUR OWN MUSIC, YOU ALSO REMIX.  WHAT ARTISTS HAVE YOU REMIXED FOR?

The Perfects have remixed MSI in the past, in addition to a couple of non solicited remixes. One for NIN and the other for Katy Perry’s song “Hot and Cold”.

WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS THE FUTURE OF REMIXES?

Remixes will always have a future because there will continue to be a desire for people to hear a different take on a song. We are already experiencing individuals who now have access to things like garageband and such and have never made music but are jumping into the remix field because of the ease of the software available. I think that is a positive.

WHAT’S THE WILDEST THING A FAN HAS EVER DONE FOR YOU?

Oh dear, not sure if that’s something that is appropriate to mention lol…… I plead the 5th!

WHAT IS YOUR CRAZIEST SHOW/TOUR STORY?
Not really anything crazy (yet) but I remember one gig where the guys from Orgy/Julian K showed up at a small show we did in Philly where they were playing across town. That was nice surprise at the time.

WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR AUDIENCE?
Hopefully no one, usually they are dancing

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE FANS?
Elton John. Billy Joel, Frank Sinatra and Nick Drake.

WHAT INSPIRES YOU?
Everything. Life in general. People and our relationships. Most of my inspiration is from my own personal experience, other times it comes from friends and family.

WHAT IS IN THE WORKS FOR THE FUTURE?

Currently the band is working on new material with Nic Hard and release of a new single titled Girls That Dance. There are also remixes of our songs coming out from Grammy award winning producer Chris Vrenna, DJ Richard Vission and DJ Jen Lasher.

We are playing on some great bills too — upcoming shows with Lords Of Acid, Ghostland Observatory, Electric Six and Recoil which is Alan Wilder formally of Depeche Mode. We also have a UK tour in the works which I am very excited about since it will be our first time across the pond!

FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…
an adventure of patience and hard work.

HOW CAN FANS FOLLOW YOU?  WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE?

The best place would be the main website which has links to all our social network sites and iTunes page, so www.theperfects.com

If you are a submitting artist to The 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

Hip Hop/Soul act Scholarman has joined the 10th IMAs.  Check out his interview here!

SUBMITTING ARTIST:  ScholarMan

CATERGORY ENTERED:  Short Form Music Video

SONG SUBMITTED:  “Hopes and Dreams” b/w “So Origi-NOW”

ALBUM:  Free Spirit of a Troubled Soul

GENRE:  Hip Hop/ Rap/ Soul

LABEL:  Soganic Music

LOCATION: Bowie, MD

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR FANS?

My fans are eclectic, eccentric and love soulful music.

WHAT IS YOUR MUSIC VIDEO “HOPES AND DREAMS” B/W “SO ORIGI-NOW” ABOUT?  WHAT ROLE DID YOUR DIRECTOR MARQUES GREEN PLAY IN SCULPTING YOUR VISION?

“Hopes & Dreams” is a song about my joys, pains and growth in the hip-hop industry. The purpose of this song is to show how I embrace my struggle and hunger in being an artist and producer. Marques, the director, played a key role in helping my vision become a reality. I presented him with the concept and rough edges, he smoothed those edges out and we made the video happen.

YOU BEGAN CREATING MUSIC IN YOUR TEENS, WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO PURCHASE THAT FIRST RADIO SHACK MIXER AND BEGIN RHYMING?  WHAT INSPIRES YOU NOW?

I started created hip-hop music purely out of the joy of doing it in the beginning and that’s one of the main reasons why I still do it now. The only difference is there is a market and audience for my brand of hip-hop, so because of that it’s also a commodity. My inspiration comes from my life experiences in general – just about anything I see, witness, hear or do I incorporate in my music.

WHO IS THE LADY FEATURED IN THE VIDEO?  IS SHE SYMBOLIC OF ANYTHING?
The lady in the video is Karmia Berry, an actress in New York. In the song I speak about hip-hop as if she were an actual female so in the video I wanted a young lady to be that on screen depiction, so we asked Karmia to do it. The idea was to show how hip-hop and I met – how it was a bit awkward at first but as we allowed ourselves to become a bit vulnerable to each other we started to build a connection.

YOU HAVE RECORDED QUITE A NUMBER OF ALBUMS, INCLUDING BOTH SOLO AND COLLABORATIVE ALBUMS.  WHICH RECEIVED THE BEST RESPONSE FROM YOUR FANS?  WHICH MEANS THE MOST TO YOU AND WHY?

My Candy Medicine release in 2007 I believe generated the best response because before it came out I was unheard of to probably more than half my fans. I believe the sound of that album took a lot of folks back to the time when they first fell in love with hip-hop. Every album means a lot to me because I give my 100% in all of them and each album is a reflection of my personal life during the period in which it came out.

I REALLY ENJOY YOUR BACKGROUND TRACKS.  WHAT DO YOU USE FOR THEM, SAMPLED MUSIC OR ORIGINAL TRACKS?  IF YOU SAMPLE TRACKS, WHERE DO YOU SAMPLE FROM?

I use samples and I also create original music. When I sample, I try to use rare chops from various genres. On “Hopes & Dreams” I used the Isley Brothers because I simply enjoyed the melody when I heard it. Normally I stay away from artists that producers commonly sample but I couldn’t resist on this track.

AFTER LISTENING TO YOUR LYRICS AND WATCHING YOUR VIDEO, YOU ARE APPEAR TO BE A VERY HOPEFUL AND SOCIALLY CONSCIENCE PERSON.  WHAT CAUSES DO YOU SUPPORT?

I have always been a somewhat discreet humanitarian. I’ve always sympathized with the homeless so any chance I get if I am able I donate to them – whether it’s in the streets or thru a charity. Over the recent years I have done my part to support the Hurricane Katrina victims, the Haiti victims and the flood victims in Tennessee. I simply try to do my part, how I was raised and encourage my fans and supporters to do the same.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE:  THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS…

..not what it used to be. Artists are now in control.

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE FANS?

Richard Pryor, Paul Mooney, Dave Chapelle – when my ears need a rest I listen to some comedy from the best that have done it.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?  WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND YOUR ALBUM?

On my official website, www.scholarman and my music is available on iTunes and on the websites of all major music retailers.

If you are a submitting artist to the 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

Pop/ Rock act Arden has joined the 10th IMAs.  Check out their interview here!

SUBMITTING ARTISTS:  Arden

CATERGORY ENTERED:  Best Pop/ Rock Song

SONGS SUBMITTED:  “A Slow Spiral Geoffrey,” & “Grow!”

ALBUM: The Big Picture

GENRE:  Pop/ Rock

LABEL:  Unsigned

LOCATION: Baltimore, MD/ Washington, DC
WHAT IS THE STORY BEHIND ARDEN, HOW DID IT BEGIN?

Laurie: Arden was a project I started out of high school. It was something to do with my time at first. Over the years we went through many members to get where we are now.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR LATEST ALBUM, THE BIG PICTURE, IS IT ABOUT ANYTHING SPECIFIC? WHAT INSPIRED IT?

Laurie:  The album was really inspired by trying new things; not really fitting into one specific category. Basically, it’s just inspiring to be able to play what we like to play, and not really worrying about anyone else.

Kevin:  It’s about exactly that, the big picture….the way you have to see the forest for the trees; that sort of thing. It’s not always about “me me me,” you know?

WHERE WAS YOUR ALBUM RECORDED? IS IT SELF-PRODUCED?

Kevin:  We produced it and Lee (vocals/bass) handled the technical work with the recording along with help from some friends.

YOUR ALBUM ARTWORK IS FANTASTIC, DID SOMEBODY IN THE BAND DESIGN IT?  WHO IS THE LADY IN THE PICTURE?

Laurie: The album artwork was designed by Ben Brown Design. We basically just gave him free creative reign over the project, as he does a lot of our artwork.  We love the things he comes up with. See www.benbrowndesign.com

Kevin:  The lady I believe is Audrey Hepburn?

I NOTICED YOU ARE LISTED AS AN UNSIGNED BAND, DID YOU SELF-RELEASE YOUR ALBUM, OR DID YOU HAVE HELP FROM AN OUTSIDE SOURCE?

Laurie:  In the US, our album was self released, but we just paired up with a label called Walnut Tree Records in the UK that will just distribute our album out there to broaden our market.

Kevin:  100% DIY, self-financed and self-released.

YOUR SONGS “A SLOW SPIRAL GEOFFREY” & “GROW!” WERE SUBMITTED FOR BEST POP ROCK SONG, WHAT ARE THESE SONGS ABOUT? WHAT MAKES THEM SO SPECIAL TO YOU AND YOUR FANS?

Laurie:  The thing that is most special to me about these songs is the huge amount of support we get from our friends, who will sing along every lyric they know, and even ones they don’t know!

“A Slow Spiral Geoffrey” is a story that starts in the present, but rewinds to the past. It basically tells the story of a man                            who could never quite get his life together, and got by on the fact that it was always too late to make a life change.

Kevin:  I think “Grow!” is about the sort of sacrifices you have to make throughout your life. Parents give up their lives for their kids, we give up everything for love, and at the end of the day everyone dies and goes back into dirt. So we have to grow and shrug it off. That’s all basically.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS?

Laurie:  Success, to me, is about setting personal goals and accomplishing them.

Kevin:  Being happy.

WHAT IS IT THAT FUELS YOUR PASSION FOR MUSIC?

Laurie:  I’ve always loved playing music. It seems to be something that was flowing in my veins when I was born. My family, especially my mom is very musical.

Kevin:  The challenge of creating.

BEING A BAND WITH A CO-FRONTED MALE/FEMALE TEAM, HAVE YOU NOTICED ANY DIFFERENCES BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

Laurie:  It would be a lie to say there aren’t differences in the two; however, I think it is more acceptable today than maybe a couple of years ago to be a female in a band. Back then, I felt like I had to prove myself a little more.

Kevin:  We always send Laurie to talk to the business types about more difficult predicaments, because no one ever says no to a girl.

DO YOU HAVE ANY INTERESTING TOUR STORIES?

Laurie:  Back in December of 2006, our van broke down in Florida. We left it at a park-n-ride, called a junk yard to pick it up for free, borrowed an SUV, and drove home with our tails between our legs.

Another interesting story is when we tried to be nice and drive a young lady home from a show we played in Scranton, PA. Not only did we miss a sweet hot tub on a lake party, but we also ran out of gas, in a snow storm, miles away from an exit. We were barely on the shoulder right around a bend. Picture a big creepy black bus, on a pitch black night (no street lights), trying to hitch to a gas station, in a snow storm. I’m surprised someone stopped.

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE FANS?

Laurie:  Jamiroquai.

Kevin:  I can’t say, because for me none of it is surprising. It all lends itself to the way I see music.

WHERE CAN PEOPLE FIND OUT MORE ABOUT YOU?  WHERE CAN PEOPLE BUY YOUR ALBUM?

Laurie:  You can purchase our album through our website www.LoveArden.net, or on iTunes. You can also find us on facebook, www.facebook.com/ArdenMusic, and on myspace, www.myspace.com/Arden.

If you would like to hear more from Arden you can check out Arden’s next performance, tonight July 1^st, 2010 at the Inner Harbor outside Baltimore’s Hard Rock Cafe or follow them at www.LoveArden.net.

If you are a submitting artist to the 10th IMA program and would like to be featured in an Artist Spotlight please contact Tory:

THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
Nominee Spotlight- COVER SONGS

VOTE NOW FOR DAISY CHAPMAN IN THE 9th IMA VOX POP POLL.

ARTIST NAME: Daisy Chapman

WEB SITE: www.myspace.com/daisychapman

ARE YOU SIGNED OR SELF-RELEASED? Signed and distributed in Germany, self-released in the UK and USA.

NAME OF LABEL: Dandyland/Cargo Germany

HOMEBASE/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: UK

TRACK: “Umbrella” (Orig. by Rihanna)

ALBUM NOMINATED SONG IS ON: The Green Eyed

WHERE WAS THIS ALBUM RECORDED? Bristol, UK at Toybox Studios; where PJ Harvey, John Parish and Howe Gelb record.

WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE? All albums for download – iTunes, Amazon. For physical CDs – www.ohthewoe.comCD Baby.

WHICH GENRES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? I guess my music fits between the Anti-Folk and Singer-Songwriter genre. More guts than Acoustic – less Punk than Anti-Folk!

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO COVER THIS SONG AND WHY THIS INTERPRETATION? In 2007, I arranged a coffee house tour of coastal California. I traveled completely on my own, and thought it would be a good idea to woo the USA audiences with a cover song by one of their own, especially as the song mentions British weather. A nice break in my melancholy set.

WHY DID YOU SELECT THIS TRACK TO SUBMIT TO THE IMAs? I’ve had a really good reaction to this song every time I’ve played it, so I thought it might be a good one to get internationally recognized. I’m amazed and very proud it’s made it this far.

HOW DO YOU MAKE A COVER TUNE TRULY YOURS? I really enjoy breaking songs down and building them up again. Umbrella had the bones of a really pretty tune once you’ve stripped out the R+B riffs. The chord structure and lyrics made for a really sentimental song, and writing a string quartet arrangement gave it depth and poignancy.

NAME YOUR FAVE COVER TUNES: Beck’s cover of “Everybody’s Gotta Learn Sometime” embodies an intelligent interpretation of a popular dance tune. I also find it amazing that few people realize that Sinead O’Connor covered “Nothing Compares To You.” It was originally written by Prince for The Family. The fact that the cover is more popular than The Family’s original is both a testimony to O’Connor and to Prince for writing such a great song that was open to interpretation by another artist.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT? No. The Green Eyed was a self-run project, but the fans help by supporting the product once it’s out there.

WHO IS SITTING IN YOUR AUDIENCE? Fans of PJ Harvey and Regina Spektor. My lyrics are quite dark, so I don’t tend to appeal to the young college audience so much, which is ironic seeing as the “Umbrella” cover has been so popular in my demographic.

WHAT MAKES YOUR FANS UNIQUE? They are very loyal – returning to gig after gig. I notice they also listen not just to the music but the whole package – lyrics and a musical arrangement, which are two elements I really labour over.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO PLAY? The Folk House in my hometown of Bristol. I launched the album there with the string quartet that played on the album. It resembles a school hall until you deck it with fairy lights and roll out the grand piano. Another favourite is Objekt 5 in Halle, Germany. It’s a huge atrium space that’s always been well attended and I hope to return to for a third time in 2010.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE? The launch of my album The Green Eyed – a huge night I put on myself. I was overwhelmed with the attendance and the sales of the album that night. The media attention was incredibly flattering, too. This and being nominated for the IMAs!

WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR 2010? I’ll be heading back to Germany in February to tour for a couple of weeks, preceded by some UK dates. Hopefully some more shows with the quartet. A massive Europe tour with my other band, Crippled Black Phoenix, and some festival dates in the summer…maybe even an award under my belt, too!

FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS… In trouble, I fear. When more and more artists are self-releasing and independent labels are cropping up all over the place, is there even an ‘industry’ to speak of for artists like myself?

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? Not having to work in that damned restaurant in order to pay my bills.

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR FANS? Rihanna, “Umbrella” – totally unlike everything else on there!

NAME SOME ARTISTS YOU ARE CHAMPIONING: Rykarda Parasol, CA USA. Crippled Black Phoenix, UK. The John E Vistic Experience, UK.

THE INDEPENDENT MUSIC AWARDS
Winner Spotlight- NEW AGE ALBUM

VOTE NOW FOR ROCKY FRETZ IN THE 9th IMA VOX POP POLL.
- New Age Album

ARTIST NAME: Rocky Fretz

WEB SITE: www.rockyfretz.com

ARE YOU SIGNED OR SELF-RELEASED? Self-Released.

HOMEBASE/COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: USA

ALBUM NOMINATED: The Path Ahead…and Steps Then Taken.

WHERE WAS ALBUM RECORDED? Imaginary Road Studios, in Windham County Vermont, by Will Ackerman; mixed and mastered by Corin Nelsen.

WHICH GENRES BEST DESCRIBE YOUR MUSIC? New Acoustic or New Age.

IS THERE A THEME TO THE ALBUM? All acoustic music with no sequences, or loops etc…

WHAT/ IF ANY UNUSUAL INSTRUMENTS, SONG STRUCTURE/WRITING TECHNIQUE, RECORDING METHOD DID YOU USE? Aside from a couple of percussion instruments, the instrumentation is pretty straight-forward. The only electric instruments on the record are the bass guitars (which, btw, are played by Michael Manring, T-Bone Wolk, Dan Greenspan and Patrick O’Leary).

One interesting technique I used in two of the pieces is to put my thumb between my first finger and middle finger in my right hand and play a typical 1,2,3,4,5 fingering. By doing so, the notes played are reversed, which makes for an interesting pattern. See “Kim’s Song.”

WHERE IS YOUR MUSIC AVAILABLE? Via email (), Amazon.com, iTunes and CDBaby.

DID FANS HELP FUND THIS PROJECT? In a way, yes. It was funded through the sale of performance tickets and CD sales.

DESCRIBE YOUR AUDIENCE: Ages 25 and up with an emphasis on 35-65 year-old piano and meditative music lovers.

WHAT MAKES YOUR FANS UNIQUE? It’s mostly an older crowd who still buy CDs more than downloads, and who love live music.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE PLACES TO PLAY? Community theaters, venues with 300-800 seats, outdoor concerts in beautiful places, and Europe.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR MOST MEMORABLE ACHIEVEMENT TO DATE? The 2009 Grammy Nomination submission, this finalist position in the IMAs, and more than 5,000 performances in 25 years.

WHAT’S IN THE WORKS FOR 2010? A new CD, a Christmas 2010 tour, another Grammy nom try, a radio promotion for the new CD and as many live gigs as I can book.

FINISH THIS SENTENCE: THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS… changing so very fast. As a gigging composer, I look forward to the challenge of growing my network, coordinating and bringing together other musicians of like mind, and taking advantage of the changes as they continue to manifest.

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS? To be gigging and selling CDs at 75 years-old.

WHAT’S ON YOUR IPOD THAT WOULD SURPRISE YOUR FANS? “Green Grass and High Tides” by the Outlaws.

NAME SOME ARTISTS YOU ARE CHAMPIONING: Will Ackerman, Kori Linae Carothers, Lawrence Blatt, Frank Smith, Adam Werner, Jeff Oster, Michael Manring, and Eugene Freisen.