Welcome to another amazing month of music from the incredible musicians that make up the Sonicbids.com community. We have chose a select group of amazing musicians that will be speaking directly to the Skope readers. As always we encourage readers to dig deeper and check out their EPK’s.
Spiro Agnew
www.sonicbids.com/SpiroAgnew
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
Spiro Agnew: Often times it seems the music community is in many ways overwhelmed with sound. Amidst all the competition, it can be difficult for an artist to rise above the collective noise of everyone trying to be heard. Blogs and publications like Skope’s A2W have a unique ability to offer a megaphone to up and coming artists and help them transcend this shouting match. In fusing these disparate styles as we have done we feel are trying to make interesting music and exposure on A2W will give us access to a new audience with which we can share our sound.
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
Spiro Agnew: Unlikely. We’re working on new material but I often find holiday music grating.
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
Spiro Agnew: Self-promotion and marketing is a never ending battle. We are our own PR company so at least half of our time is spent promoting and all that jazz. We’re in this game for keeps so, as frustrating as it may be to have to take away from the playing aspect, the payoff is worth it.
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
Spiro Agnew: I take inspiration from a variety of different areas. Much of the time I use songwriting to work out anxieties about this or that. I’ve begun writing a lot of new material so the last time I got to writing, actually, was yesterday.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
Spiro Agnew: I’d say the album that had the biggest influence on me musically was London Calling. When I finally really heard that album it absolutely changed my musical outlook and direction.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you?
Spiro Agnew: Well, while working on the next release we’re also enthusiastically promoting our debut album OH What Model Citizens We Be. We’re playing regularly around San Francisco and have a few tour dates on the calender as well We’re also looking into a big spring tour. People can keep up to date on the status of that, and any number of other things we’re up to, on our website here: www.whatmodelcitizens.com
Blackhart and Strangelove
www.sonicbids.com/BlackhartandStrangelove
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
B & S: Mainly looking for publicity.
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
B & S: Not really holiday music, but we do have a CD scheduled for release in the new year.
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
B & S: Have been putting quite a bit into promoting without much success.
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
B & S: I dream most of my lyrics, so I really have to wait until I wake up with a tune and lyrics in my head. Can’t really force it, but I do have a few unfinished songs on the go at the moment.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
B & S: The Velvet Underground & Nico, Nick Cave’s – Murder Ballads.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you? B&S: We have a myspace page and our own website.
www.myspace.com/blackhartandstrangelove
www.blackhartstrangelove.com
B & S: We’ve just returned from playing in the USA, so we intend to stay home for a while and finish the CD, which will be entitled “standing near you in the dark”. We have a residency in the local area and some gigs coming up in the Southwest.
Eva Aine
www.sonicbids.com/EvaAine
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
Eva Aine: I wanted to make good use of technology, thanks to the development of the internet, and opportunities!
My dream is to be a worldwide professional singer one day. Currently, I am living in Tokyo, Japan, but I wish to send out my music to as many people as possible worldwide. I believe that A2W is one of the great opportunities, so I applied for it. And, I am so grateful right now to be featured on it.
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
Eva Aine: I wrote a hymn tune called “Thank You, Lord” and recorded it last week. I uploaded it to my Myspace website, so please visit and listen to it. And, I am planning to sing Christmas songs at my concerts, so hopefully I will upload some of those movies through YouTube/Sonicbids.
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
Eva Aine: I put a lot of emphasis on promoting & marketing my music. My dream is to be a professional singer, so I want to take every single chance that might increase my exposure.
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
Eva Aine: Yesterday! I am inspired to write new lyrics or music all the time by everything: a little chat with others; everything I see/hear including the nature, sound in the city, good music, movies, books, new places I travel; beautiful and strong people who work hard, or who follow their dreams no matter what; and even sad feelings or anger. They all lead me to write a song.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
Eva Aine: Off the Wall (Album) by Michael Jackson: I grew up with his music as many did. I’m totally into his magic.
Hymns by Lena Maria: I saw her singing hymns when she performed at my high school and was so moved that I decided to take classical voice lesson from my devoted music teacher.
Dangerously in Love by Beyonce: I saw her Grammy performance and was stunned. It definitively changed me to really put my every effort to my music. I truly admire her way of working, performing, being humble, her vocal techniques and endless efforts.
Okinawa no Kaze (Wind of Okinawa) by Rimi Natsukawa (Japanese Singer from Okinawa): I started studying Southern Japanese music under her influence.
I see my music as music that crosses over boundaries of different genres of music such as classical music, jazz, soul, hip hop, R&B, rock, blues and traditional music. Because I grew up in two countries, the US and Japan, I have lived, mixing and adopting anything that’s good. That is my way of living. So, I like mixing different genres of music like a “melting pot” when creating my own music.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you?
Eva Aine: My song “Yes, U Are Worth The Best” will be featured in the Empire State Mixtape Vol.3 this December – http://empirestatemixtapes.com/
It will also be included in the Women of this World, a compilation CD, which will also be released by DNB Production this December.
My songs are aired on the several internet radio stations including INDIE104-iRadio LA, Midnight Special Blues Radio, Local MusiCafe, ATLANTA MOVEMENT RADIO, Neon Productions Radio and Radio Crystal Blue.
I am scheduled to be featured in Digivegas indie podcast Vol.174.
http://digivegas.blogspot.com/
I am also scheduled to be interviewed by Streetz Radio and Royalty Magazine.
I am performing in Tokyo regularly. And, I hope to perform in the US and other countries in the near future.
My album “My Way To Happiness” is available through the iTunes store.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/my-way-to-happiness/id393486412
Please check my updates through Twitter, which I just started, and myspace.
http://twitter.com/EvaAine
http://www.myspace.com/evaaine
Thank you very much for reading this article. It would be wonderful if any of you find this or my music to be interesting. Wishing you all the best! Last but not least, thank you very much to the Skope Magazine and Sonicbids for this wonderful opportunity.
Acafool
www.sonicbids.com/Acafool
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
Acafool: As an independent artist I am always looking for avenues to share my music and with it my story, where I have come from and where I plan to go. There is more to this business then simply turning out music, If your not actively promoting the music you cant expect things to happen. Skope Mags A2W feature is a great way to gain attention from those people looking for artists on the rise.
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
Acafool: I don’t have any plans to put out any new holiday music this year, but have in the past. I’ve currently got a song called “Happy Holidays” that has been getting lots of airplay on SUCKFREE RADIO. I actually produced, wrote, engineered and recorded this song on Thanksgiving day a couple years back as a gift to all my fans. I documented this on video and it can be viewed here: Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiWQtSvTCyM & Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiX_-Xzp-kI
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
Acafool: Ever since I started my music career, my team and I have always put GREAT emphasis on how we will market and promote my singles. With my song “HATABLOCKAS” we used the shades as a marketing tool, Condoms and T-Shirts for my single “SHE’s BAD” and with my current single “Do Ya Own Thang” we’ve been posting up random videos of people dancing to the song and should have a viral video ready for the Official Single Launch of the record. So there’s A LOT of emphasis on Promoting and Marketing my music.
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
Acafool: My inspiration for writing new music is mainly my life experiences. I make it a point to include in my records things I have been through in my life, both good and bad, that my listeners can relate to. I actually wrote 3 verses for a 3 new songs 2 days ago.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
Acafool: I don’t have band or musician that has changed my approach to how write or see my music. However, there are several artists & Bands, Train, Michael Franti, Jason Mraz, John Legend, Rick Ross, Pink, Outkast, Eminem, that inspire new ideas for songs. My music is a mix of what I was brought up on. If you listen to my music it takes you through a variety of emotions. Some will make you want to dance and get loose, others will inspire and make you think.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you?
Acafool: I am currently promoting my new single”Do Ya Own Thang” which is the first of many new records to be released in the coming months. I’m also continuously working on on more song placement for film and television (Had my record “Ride” featured in the latest “Fast & Furious” movie) in addition to producing more records for myself and other artist. Readers can learn more about me and my music a www.facebook.com/acafoolmusic, www.myspace.com/acafoolinc, www.twitter.com/acafool and my website www.acafool.net (currently under construction).
Much respect and appreciation to Skope Magazine for this opportunity.
Juwana
www.sonicbids.com/Juwana
Darren Dowler
www.sonicbids.com/DarrenDowler
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
Darren Dowler: I am trying to get my “New Direction” to the world.
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
Darren Dowler: I have created a new Christmas CD, with four songs by me, and ONE by my 5 year old, precious daughter.
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
Darren Dowler: Playing, marketing and promoting are “ONE” in today’s music business. If you don’t nurture all three elements surrounding your seed, the plant will die, let alone grow.
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
Darren Dowler: Life and her experiences inspire me to write music constantly. The last song I wrote was about a week ago.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
Darren Dowler: Elvis Presley’s work inspired me as a youth, Stevie Ray Vaughn as a young twentier, and Michael Bolton, Celine, James Hohrner, Blend, and the great FOSTER as an adult.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you?
Darren Dowler: I am performing with Paul Revere and the Raiders as their replacement singer, have my music and likeness featured in the upcoming film, “ROCK AND ROLL THE MOVIE,” am considering recording with an Oklahoma based label and have a book out called “THE WAR OF ANGELS,” published by Author House Publishing. I want “MY” voice and music heard by the world.
Mes Quins
www.sonicbids.com/MesQuins
Kim Jarrett
www.sonicbids.com/KimJarrett
Skope: What made you want to be featured on A2W?
Kim Jarrett: I love the chance to connect with music lovers, and the more ways people can find me, the better!
Skope: Will you be putting out any holiday music this year?
Kim Jarrett: Not this year, but perhaps next. Keep updated at kimjarrett.com
Skope: How much emphasis do you put into not only playing but promoting & marketing your music?
Kim Jarrett: It’s pretty much an even split of my time these days. I love the online tools that exist now. It’s made it easier for me to promote independently. It’s fast, and affordable. And fun!
Skope: What inspires you to write new music and when was the last time?
Kim Jarrett: An hour ago I started writing something. I have notebooks full of pieces of verse, or bit of chorus. It’s usually a melody that I’ll hear popping out of chord changes on guitar, or piano that inspires the general song. Sometimes, just a drum beat can do it, too. Or a great film, or book. I also enjoy co-writing with some of my local songwriter friends, which I try to do once a month. We generally work from a place of non-inspiration and complete the basic song in a few hours. It’s totally different than how I write alone, which involves a ton of writing, and then even more editing.
Skope: What song or album by another band/musician that changed you & how you see your own music?
Kim Jarrett: Wow. Now that’s quite a question… I’m not sure how to answer that, except to say that everything I listen to sort of changes me in a way. For me, focusing on my side-person roles of backing vocalist and drums/percussion, has influenced the music I’m writing now. I have a wider perspective.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where can readers learn more about you?
Kim Jarrett: Right now, I’m putting together a third release that is piano-based, as opposed to my others, which are guitar-based. I’m also working on some other live and recording projects as a drummer, and background vocalist. This spring and summer, I’m planning to do some touring too. I keep my website updated regularly, and if you sign up for my newsletter, you’ll also receive some free music! It’s all at kimjarrett.com. I’ll hope you’ll come visit me!
SugrHi
www.sonicbids.com/SugrHi
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