So here we are on a gorgeous Friday morning and I am feeling ready for the weekend. I am so excited to get to my guest this week, Shiva but before that lets do some news. One day after Jay Z’s streaming service Tidal celebrated its one-year anniversary, the rapper-turned-businessman is taking legal action against the company that sold it to him. “It became clear after taking control of Tidal and conducting our own audit that the number of subscribers was actually well below the 540,000 reported to us by the prior owners,” the company said in an emailed statement. I thought they would do better due dilligence. In other news, NMPA and Spotify announced a landmark agreement allowing independent and major publishers to claim and receive royalties for certain compositions used on Spotify in the United States where ownership information was previously unknown. In addition to identifying the rightful recipients of Spotify royalties, the agreement establishes a large bonus compensation fund that is a substantial percentage of what is currently being held by Spotify for unmatched royalties, and creates a better path forward for finding the owners of publishing rights who should receive streaming royalties. So now lets get to my guest today, Shiva, who I not only enjoy his music but his overall life attitude & outlook. He describes his sound as, heart to heart adult contemporary/swooning love metal’ solo artist combining the strength and passion of Elvis with the far reaching lyrical flair of Hendrix, and delivering it with Metalica like influencing! rock with heartfelt passion. Shiva joins us today to speak on his new album ‘Chief’, how he prefers you listen to his music, how he got his alias Shiva, and so much more.
Stoli: So where are we talking from today and how was quarter 1 of 2016?
Shiva: I’m here in Quincy, Illinois. And I’m looking to the future with high hopes on many different plans and planes. There’s more joyfulness with me this year. My music is now with three different guitar soundings. Instead of fairly much only the hard grind sound I only have on ‘CHIEF’. But that i think is because I most want to brand myself as having a song to sing than an instrumental sound. I do have now more variety for future albums, which I have acquired in me this year. Working on new CD’s songs has taken up my thoughts more than the fact it takes some time usually to get a career going in the music world, what my agent Eugene Foley is much better at than me, for sure. Fun stuff instead wading through marketing and the PR of it that I’m only new at, being at the crossroads of changing from practicing musician to professional musician. I am though now working on making the 2nd quarter having some positive results and keeping positive thought for ‘maybe’ even more. :)
Stoli: Offer us insight into your progression from a musical hobby to something you have invested your blood, sweat, and tears into?
Shiva: Growing up it was only an occasional thing, but when I took a mock law school exam, and easily passed, i did an about face, and instead went to thinking only on my own. A couple of painting company starts didn’t go anywhere in my view. So I just ‘quit’ trying and almost immediately went to writing down my inner thoughts after sleeping. That quickly became writing songs from those thinkings. I became a flute player after writing music for them. Then to piano playing at the University of Washington right near where I was living. Then to guitar for the more versatility it ‘can’ produce. After serious desires to be with hotter weather I moved to near Lake Tahoe (Carson City) where I had relatives. And I really liked the nude beaches at Tahoe where I could view the beautiful nudity of girls sometimes there. But the lack of rain got to me after a decade or so, so I moved to Quincy, Illinois where there is hot weather and rain also. After a bunch of exercise, I found I could play much better than before. I then dedicated half my time (a few weeks exercise, then a few weeks music) for a couple of years until I felt I had enough spirit with it to play competitively on a professional level. Its took a few years or so to put that spirit into the actual sound, and that manifested a year or so ago.
Stoli: How did you decide you wanted to go solo and where did the musical alias Shiva come from?
Shiva: Back in Carson City I was about to start a band. Had a drummer and bass player, but then the bass guy said you can’t play the whole thing. Something in me just rebelled against that. I let the project go away, because well. my songs are proof of why I think and thought that was the better idea. Bringing back the balance! A person ‘can’ do what beast does too. Bands being also beasts, I think. I’m an anthropomorphic minded person also.
Actually I ran across a book about Shiva in storage of a chicken coupe I converted for a living space that I rented one summer in Seattle (it was in a ‘friends’ backyard). I one day years later saw that name in light on my chest. I have also, more than once, had physical changes to my masculine force that is much associated with Shiva. So when my music was getting kind of close to be being on an acceptable level, I legally changed it to that. I kind of also believe in not being other than who you most think you are. Its the Christian calling! :)
Stoli: Your new album ‘Chief’ is out now. How long did you take to write and record the album?
Shiva: That’s kind of a hard question to answer. I wrote the lyrics and music decades ago. So I have practiced the songs much. To actually get the music going in me enough for recording took months. Recording it took two efforts (over a couple months). After the first effort I decided it wasn’t the sound I really wanted. Too aloof I thought. So I rerecorded it more up front than before. Only one afternoon actually each both were. Two sessions in the studio only. I know these songs, with love and joy! :)
Stoli: I love your song “Love Tender.” What inspired you to write it and how did the lyrics merge with the instrumentals?
Shiva: That’s really great Stoli! Thanks! :)
I think I was inspired by the desire to make sure as much as possible in me to getting rewarded for the efforts it takes to get my music out. As in practicing them for months or maybe even more. And also securing that with life things and flows. I believe also that maybe impersonally I could see that since it wasn’t going to be overnight, I could shoot for a higher level of thought for reward then. And that’s what the song addresses.
I write the music (most all of those songs i did) to match the lyrics that i hear my heart and mind singing. Sometimes I write music with a melody flow in mind and only half fit them to the lyrics. But that’s songs that have a very catchy rhythm. The songs of ‘CHIEF’ are almost all of a message of love, love of life, and love of living. That’s what I want to encounter and what I want to be branded as of ‘causal force’ for! Its what I’m taking my chances on and hoping only that that is what wins for me!
Stoli: How would you prefer the public listens to the album, CD, MP3, streaming?
Shiva: I do believe that the CD itself gives the best listening experience! A theater sound system would do it the best justice. The whole album gives a cohesive flow also. So listening through all of it is a unique experience in itself too! The MP3 should be also put into a dock and listened in the air also. It also very accommodating to having itself in the background. You’ll still be able to do whatever you need to do. I don’t want to get in the way of people making the money that they can spend on my music! That certainly doesn’t make any sense. And that was on my mind when I recorded. It’s easy to listen to while also really getting ‘down’ music!
Stoli: When you are not making music what other passions do you have?
Shiva: I have several other passions beside music and whenever possible, making love. Number one is horse back riding! Another way of having magic in a person’s life! They are just fantastic to get going with gusto! (We (me and my horse) ran a 13.7 barrel race first time in timed competition) I want to go to FEI like riding (‘Eventing’) now. And want to take that to another level in the future too.
I like also, believe it or not, gardening. Apple trees, and especially flowers. Lots and lots of colorful and white flowers. Cosmos purity and marigolds right now. My music didn’t get to the level it is now until I started growing the cosmos purity. In fact, before they came up out of the ground, my music went to another level. Can’t easily forget that! It was so exact in happening. Good girl Mother Nature really spoke to me with that.
I also want to make a musical movie based on this album ‘CHIEF’. I’ve written the script for it already. A sexy romantic fantasy, a very little somewhat futuristic but very much down to earth too. And also musical scripts for the next 2 albums I want to put out. A continuing on from the first one.
Stoli: What is coming up for Shiva and where you @ online?
Shiva: I have much material for the future. Each set of songs (albums) has a different love slant theme running through them. Lots to do there still. And even more material I need to write music for. As far as online goes, I’m still an infant in that dept.. My website is zueskrishnashiva.com I’ll get the purchase buttons fixed here soon. Right now in the process of getting some TV ads for the coming weeks locally. Using my website as sales location. Got to wait and see how things go for that. Hopefully enough to proliferate it. Stay tuned at my website!
I tweet some at twitter.com/zuesshiva Beware of letting children view there because I like to tweet sometimes what most would call pornographic. Especially spread eagle. { Well I’m minded there.} Love tail! (My next to last song on ‘CHIEF’.) I might change because some guy went to the top of the iTunes charts in the UK by none stop posting his iTunes page link. So I might do that too.
I had to fight some force or hackers posting another lessor version of my songs immediately after my downloads, which made my songs at first only sound totally scratchy. But after a few months that fell off my songs. My CDBaby page is up and running for ‘CHIEF’ at CDBaby.com/cd/shivaenterprises. The headphone track is pretty hot so beware of headphone use without sound control. I prefer in the air and, of coarse, turned almost all the way up! Soon, if not already, the music of ‘CHIEF’ will be available on iTunes and 23 other different streaming and download services. Its on my website too.
Hope everyone, as down under music critic Tanya Tabone said “.. everyone should step up and give Shiva’s music a listen.” Its only for your benefit too………
Its been nice talking to you all. Thanks Stoli for the really great questions. “ROCK ON!”
Official Web site
http;//www.ZuesKrishnaShiva.com
Link to the Songs:
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/shivaenterprises
Social Media
@zuesshiva
