Indie4Life

Interview with Terry Holder - Alt Country Singer Songwriter

Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. Tell us how you got started in this industry.

I've been writing songs and performing for about 10 years now.  But I've had a love for music my whole life and grew up playing the piano by ear. In my early years I taught my self to play guitar and played in a band or two.  But then met a boy, fell in love and had some babies, 3 to be exact! I pretty much focused on my family. I never considered doing anything else with music again as my life was very full! You never know what is just around the corner.

Several years ago I was listening to an interview with a singer/songwriter who had said "you don't just wake up one day and start writing music" but in fact that is exactly how it happened for me.  I had never written music until 2000.  In 1999 my mother passed away unexpectedly, she was young, and our youngest daughter left for college around the same time and I was left with a huge hole in my heart and in my life. I grieved and was depressed and then one morning I woke up, grabbed by guitar and much to my surprise my tears had been replaced with words that came flowing out.  Through these life changing experiences I was given the gift of writing music.  Sometimes it's still hard for me to believe this is who I am and what I'm doing.  The first record I recorded was initially going to be just for my children and me but we ordered a 1000 copies and my husband started freaking out and suggested I start playing out publicly.  Then of course I started freaking out.  I hadn't sang in front of people for a long time but as it turns out people from all over the world have connected with my music and I am so amazed and grateful.

Doesn't your husband play with you...I, mean, musically speaking...of course.

Yes, I play as a duo with my husband Jerry Holder.  We couldn't have picked better stage names right? Terry and Jerry.  Sometime we joke that I changed my last name so he changed his first name.   

...so, how would you classify your music?

This is a hard one for me.  I find it difficult to say my songs fit into just one genre.  If I had to choose one genre it would be Americana Folk Pop with a dose of Alt country. If I could classify it out of normal genre terms, I'd say honest, heartfelt and gutsy.  

My inspiration comes from my life experiences.  From my inner voice which is inspired by my children, my husband, friends and from what I see in the world around us.  Several of my songs were inspired by my grand daughter Jade. 

My last song is called Fortune Teller, A friend of mine encouraged me to write out a list of all the things I wanted to do and the things that I had already done in my life time. So I did.  Then I stuffed it in a drawer.  A few months ago I wrote this song inspired by that list. The song, "Fortune Teller," is a conversation between me and a fortune teller.  It will be posted on the web in November 2009.

Do you have any new stuff going on? 

I just released my third and new CD "Ticket to the Moment."  National Radio Promotion is starting in October 2009. We are performing in our home state of Washington and the western US. Oregon, Idaho, CA etc. We are planning a extensive tour in the fall of 2010.

I'm writing new songs and will be working on putting together a video this year.  Every time a song is performed live you can find new things that work and those that don't. My songs that we perform live continue to evolve. 

I usually tour as a duo and perform at house concerts, festivals and listening room venues. We've been from San Diego, CA to Fairbanks, AK and Hawaii too.  I really love performing at house concerts and listening rooms where  People specifically come to hear live music.  It's so intimate!  It can also be somewhat intimidating, you never know what you're going to get.   

How can people learn more about you?

www.terryholder.com 
 www.myspace.com/terryholder

Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other musicians who are just getting started?

Keep going, keep writing, and stay true to who you are! The music business is like being on a roller coaster. There are definite HIGHS and LOWS. Its hard work but it can also be gratifying. It's an amazing feeling when you connect with other people you don't even know through a song you wrote! If you can find the balance, network with the right people you can do it all.  But make no mistake, it’s a lot of hard work especially if you are an independent.

Is there anything else that you'd like to share with the fans? 

Thank you so much for listening to my songs and buying my music. With out you (the fans) I wouldn't be here. Keep checking my website www.terryholder.com for new songs!

e-mail from Steven Jackson

note from Phil Peretz...
I periodically get e-mails from musicians introducing themselves to me. Sometimes they are pretty boring. This one is great. Enjoy!

My name is Steven Jackson, this is my performing name and the name I was born with. 

It's rather plain but I can't think of anything else, and there are quite a few Jacksons out there, so I suppose one more won't make a difference...I hope Michael doesn't mind too much.

I have been writing songs for many many years, even as a child I had music playing inside my head, so I figure it's there for a reason.

Most of the time a tune comes into my head so I just figure out what I hear on my guitar, usually the words come at the same time.

I have been performing live for many years also...it gives me a great deal of satisfaction when an audience likes my music...it connects with them, it is a very special feeling. 

Usually I perform alone, I like the vulnerability of it just being me and my guitar, if I screw up I can't hide behind anything, I think it makes you play better but mostly this is my music, I have lived it all my life. There is a special connection, it is very initmate, it isn't about volume, it is about reaching out from one space to another.

The music I write I would classify as being Adult-Contemporary, but I would also describe it as being Lyrical and atmospheric.

One of my songs expresses this "Up above my head there is blue sky, below my feet there is dark, somewhere in the middle there is me, lost in thought". I think this captures it perfectly.

I think my music comes from life's experiences which are invaluable. Some one describe me as being an 'old fart' but I'm not.

I am aware that the journey in front of me is far shorter than the journey I have travelled, but I am loving every minute of it and every song is a journey in itself. A little piece of Immortality.

The last song I wrote (a few days ago) is called 'Reflections'. It is a song about how as children we saw life as an unending ocean that stretched before us and disappeared over the horizon, yet when we grow older and people around us pass on, we realize that that ocean is finite and does have an ending.

My music can be found on many Internet sites, one of them is this one http://www.somojo.net/Steven_Jackson/  there you can listen to some of my music and read the lyrics too which say far more about me than these lines here.

To other musicians I would always say be true to yourself, find your own path in this business and find the sound that you like.

It may take many years to do so but the journey is certainly worth it.

I am loving every minute of it.

God bless......SJ

JIMMY WAYNE RELEASES NEW SINGLE TO RADIO THROUGH AIRPLAY DIRECT

JIMMY WAYNE’S DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES INFLUENCE RUNS DEEP: Jimmy Wayne is poised to hit the radio charts next week with his new single, a cover of the Daryl Hall & John Oates classic "Sara Smile", the song that originally got Jimmy his record deal and turned him on to countless other Daryl Hall & John Oates classics.  The

song’s original writers and performers (who just happen to be the most successful duo in Rock history), make a guest appearance on the track.

"Hall and Oates had a huge impact on me as an artist. I love ‘I Can't Go For That’ (#1; 1980).  Its rock foundation of a bass line has an amazing mansion of a song built upon it!," exclaims Jimmy.  " When I first began studying voice, 

 dissected Daryl’s vocal performance along with John's harmonies on this amazing song.  I was inspired and changed for life!"  

Jimmy continues: "Another favorite is ‘She's Gone’ (#7; 1976).  It takes my imagination back to the early 70s to a street in Philadelphia.  I see steam rising from the rims of sewer caps, a taxi, a red blinking signal. It’s a hazy morning and a bit chilly.  Then the voices of Daryl and John sing in unison ‘a worn out tooth brush hanging in the stand.’ 

The lesson of continuing to develop ones sound is something Jimmy hopes fans will see evident on his upcoming Valory release (set to be in stores November 24th), with tracks produced by both Dann Huff and Mark Bright.

Juliet Gough -- New single: Rays Around the Sun

Ng Intermusic / Bonnier Amigo

Juliet Gough’s single "Rays Around the Sun", from her debut album of the same name, is released for the first time in Britain. The single stayed in massive rotation for almost a year on Danish national radio, and is now spearheading her forage into England where Juliet has family roots.

The album "Rays Around the Sun" is produced by two seasoned veterans considered at the forefront of their respective genres in Denmark: gospel legend, Marie Carmen Koppel and the renowned blues organist Dan Hemmer. Together with Juliet’s spirited voice, the sound brings together the warmth of Midwestern Americana with the serene melancholy of the Scandinavian highlands, combining the exalted celebration of gospel with the soulful longing of blues.

Juliet puts a twist on the singer/songwriter tradition, making music that’s easily accessible, catchy and could easily be mistaken for pop songs at first exposure, yet reveals astounding depth at repeated listening. The album is full of love songs that seem traditional at first sight, but for a handful of mysterious symbolic references that leaves you wondering whether the lover referenced throughout the album is indeed a human being - or some other entity, maybe celestial in nature.

After successfully promoting her album in Denmark Juliet returns to Britain where her family also has strong musical roots. Her great grandmother, Adelaine Rose, played piano for silent film, and her grandfather was an avid jazz musician.  She has already played a series of intimate concerts in smaller venues to get a feel for and acclimatize her to the English audience, and is now getting ready to launch a full tour.

Apart from the track "Rays around the sun" the single contains 2 extra tracks- all of the tracks are briefly described in the attachment.

http://www.julietgough.com 

Rays around the sun: A classic singer songwriter production, it showcases Juliet’s pristine voice, contrasting its naïve timbre with her profound lyrics. The track is upbeat, energetic and has a classic, gritty rock sound accompanying Juliet on the melodic verses and a catchy hook that kept the single in heavy rotation for a year on Danish national radio! Yet in-depth listening reveal lyrical sentiments not usually found in mainstream pop: Not afraid to stand by her spirituality, Juliet openly sings about her yearning for humanity to transcend the veils of ignorance, let go of ego and "flow forever free" into the sweetest of mysteries. Exploring the liberating qualities of freedom and love, such lofty feelings doesn’t cause her to lose her grounding though -- the text anchors solidly in the human experience, broken yet openhearted, and surprisingly never compromises the great melody and popular appeal.

Knight of the wands is an ode to a lionhearted lonely rider, a long lost love who seems to pervade existence to such an extent that we can’t help but to question his nature. Musically it draws from a variety of sources, Juliet’s soft-spoken voice serenading in a southwestern drawl over an Indian composition of Tablas and a guitar filtered to match the twang of sitars. Sprinkled with delicate Fender Rhodes harmonics, it freely references The Beatles psychedelic period and convincingly takes the sound into the 21st century,

Sweet Angel-Blue Juliet’s Scandinavian influence shines through in the production with its detached and melancholic delivery, slightly introspective lyrics and pristine atmospherics reminiscent of vast open landscapes. Lyrically it explores the emotional and spiritual qualities of the element of water, as always with Juliet in the guise of a love song, although much more direct in its analogies than the other tracks with its mention of angels and praise. As such it continues the strong tradition of vivid and passionate poets of the Sufi tradition as Rumi and Hafiz, evident from the frequent metaphoric use of rain and the healing abilities ascribed to it.

Interview with Indie Musician, John Batadorf

How long have you been making music and how did you get started? 
I have been recording professionally since 1971 when I recorded my first album on Atlantic Records, "Off The Shelf" by Batdorf and Rodney. I was surrounded by a musical family and actually performed with my father in nightclubs from the age of five. Right now I am performing as a solo but occasionally go out and perform with Mark Rodney, James Lee Stanley and Michael McLean all of whom I have recorded a project or two with in the past.

I know that you consider yourself to be an Acoustic Singer-Songwriter, but if you had to describe yourself using non-typical genre classifications, how would you describe your material?
 That's easy...I consider my style of music, West Coast Acoustic Folk Rock!

Who is your inspiration? 
Although I was playing guitar and piano at a very young age, I was first truly inspired to be a recording artist when I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan. I later moved to the west coast from Ohio at 15 and was inspired acoustically by the Buffalo Springfield the Byrds and later, CSN and Poco etc. and I knew the path I was headed down.

Interview with Tracy of Tracy Newman and the Reinforcements

Hi Tracy, thanks for taking my call this morning, I appreciate your time.

So...tell us a little about the band, The Reinforcements.
The band is Lorie Doswell, who has her own CD out, called "Dream Drivin'." and Gene Lippmann, a harmony junkie and terrific guitar player. I used to be a TV writer, but quit that about 5 years ago to return to music full time.  I was playing at a small club alone, and Lorie and Gene were sitting in the audience... not together.  They both started harmonizing in the chorus of my song "Laraine."  It sounded so amazing, I invited them up on stage with me. 

And what about you -- what's your story?
 I write a lot of story songs.  My song "Waffle Boy," about an incident I observed at a Waffle House in Nashville, is definitely folk. But my song "Laraine," which is about my sister, Laraine Newman from the original cast of SNL, is not really folk in tone... it's more adult contemporary.  I find these categories really difficult.  My song "Night Blooming Jasmine" is like Hawaiian country or something.  That category is never offered.  

How did you get started?
I started playing guitar when I was about 14.  We lived in Beverly Hills and had a swimming pool.  I sat on the diving board and practiced strums and chords over and over. That was far enough away from the house so no one could hear me. 

FENDER FINED FOR HAZARDOUS WASTE VIOLATIONS

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency fined Fender Musical Instruments Corp. $78,861 for violating numerous federal hazardous waste requirements at their Southern California facilities. During a routine 2008 inspection, EPA investigators found that the musical instruments manufacturer had multiple hazardous waste violations at its plant located at 311 Cessna Circle in Corona, Calif. Fender generated corrosive and paint wastes, which contains solvents and/or metals such as chromium, as a result of the manufacturing activities performed. Fender has taken action to correct the violations. For more information on the U.S. EPA’s hazardous waste program visit www.epa.gov/epawaste/index.htm.

24TH ANNUAL MUSICIANS PICNIC CELEBRATES SOBRIETY

Over two decades ago, a group of sober musicians started a backyard barbecue jam session in celebration of sobriety. That casual get-together has since evolved into a full-blown annual event, which continues this year at Topanga Canyon (1440 N. Topanga Blvd.) near Los Angeles. World class and local musicians will perform on 2 stages. Past events have drawn upward of 75,000 people to see the likes of Eric Clapton, David Crosby, Slash, Bonnie Raitt and many more.  See www.MusiciansPicnic.org for more info including how to be a sponsor. Call the Hotline at 818-379-3383.

Music Industry Exec Bob Greenberg Dies

Bob Greenberg, 75, legendary music record executive passed away Friday, Sept. 11, in West Hills, CA, after suffering a stroke the day before.   Greenberg’s career in the music business spanned over 50 years and included posts at Warner Bros., Atlantic Records, Mirage Records and United Artists Records. He was also the respected President of the music trade Hitmaker's Magazine.  He is survived by his loving wife Anne, two sons Brett and Kirk, brother Jerry and daughters in-law Nancy and Austin. Services were held Tuesday, Sept.15, at Forest Lawn, 6300 Forest Lawn Drive, Hollywood Hills, CA. Donations can be made to the American Heart Association at 800-242-8721 or by visiting www.americanheart.org.

The Lullaby Album

"The Lullaby Album" Combines Musical Talents of
 Mother and Daughter Team in Stunning New Double CD

Carolyn Southworth and daughter Jennifer Thomas create unusually beautiful collection of timeless lullabies, tailored to both adults and children in newly released album  

SEATTLE, September 22, 2009 " Contemporary instrumentalists Carolyn Southworth and Jennifer Thomas present a new double CD "The Lullaby Album" featuring traditional, pop and original melodies for all ages. A mother-daughter collaboration, the newly released album taps talents of Grammy nominated Paul Speers and Emmy winning concert pianist Jace Vek for Solo Piano and Solo Piano with Orchestra tracks. 

"The Lullaby Album" is a second album release for both Southworth and Thomas, who have recorded their own individual albums, "At the End of the Day" and "Key of Sea", both released in 2007.

Inspired after the birth of Thomas’ first child who had difficulty falling asleep, this mother-daughter team joined forces to compose and record the album’s compelling collection of calming and peaceful music.  Tried and tested and on her new baby, Thomas and her mother arranged traditional and pop melodies as well as composed several new ones of their own. Each track is different in mood and style, bringing a wide variety to the album. With arrangements that include soft solo piano and Celtic flavored pieces to full symphonic cinematic sound-scapes, The Lullaby Album is sure to become a favorite among lullaby collections.