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.
Sturle Dagsland
www.sonicbids.com/SturleDagsland
luXury bob
www.sonicbids.com/luXurybob
Julie Clark Shubert
www.sonicbids.com/JulieClarkShubert
Skope: What does being in A2W December 2011 mean to you?
Julie Clark Shubert: I think I can truly say what I have said ever since I received myFender Strat for my 50th birthday (bucket list) and my first songtumbled out of me…. REALLY? I think it’s just wonderful that mymusic has an audience and that they are having as much fun listeningto my music as I am making it. It’s like the first time I playedwith drums, or played an F chord, or a bar chord, or recorded a CD,or sang into a Mic, or made a video. How cool is it to discoverafter 50 years of living that I can do things I never even dared todream that I could do?? And now I’ve been picked to be in A2WDecember. Who knew???
Skope: What are you most looking forward to accomplishing withyour music for 2012?
Julie Clark Shubert: There is so much I want to accomplish in 2012 including getting mymusic out there, performing more, marketing my new CD, and becominga guest on The Ellen Show. Last year I released my CD, made 2professional videos, one where I actually dance on the wing of anairplane. I heard my song played on the radio and watched a clip ofmy video on TV.” I rhymed the word estrogen and had a 21 year oldguy call my music “dope”!! He even asked if he could open for mesomeday. I am so excited about the upcoming year, who knew there wasa demographic of women from 40-70 just waiting to buy my music. Ifnext year is any thing like last year, the surprises and theopportunities have just begun. I say bring it on!
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album,tour, single etc?
Julie Clark Shubert: Currently I’m promoting my studio album “From the Inside Out”. Ihave two singles from that CD that are causing a stir and getting alot of play; “I Make the Coffee”. Women love the lyrics — “I knowyou work hard, but so do I; you see the shoes on the floor but youwalk on by”. They relate to it. And it ha been a great surprise howmany guys love the song. The video features me dancing with alaundry basket. The second single, “The Change” is basically atrain wreck and finishes after a long pause like all good rock androll menopause songs do, with a crazy guitar /keyboard frenzy ending and a primal scream.
Skope: What is your favorite Christmas tune that you want to do acover for?
Julie Clark Shubert: My favorite Christmas song of all time is “Silent night.”
Skope: What kind of mood & environment do you like to create new music?
Julie Clark Shubert: I don’t write songs. I just hear music and words in my head. Theylike to tumble out of me when ever they feel like it. Then I get toscramble around chase the melody, writing down the lyrics as fast asthey flow. I never know what the song will be about until I get itall down on paper (usually after about 45 minutes) and record it onmy RadioShack portable recorder. Then I listen to it for the firsttime and that’s really the first time I get to hear the words Iwrote. I’m always amazed when people listen to my songs and claim,“That song was written for me.” Music is magic and it never ceasesto amaze me.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Julie Clark Shubert: I just Googled myself the other day; six solid pages of links showedup. It wasn’t all that long ago that I figured out how to e-mail oreven knew what Google was. Seriously, me, Julie Clark Shubert, onthe web!?! It makes us all chuckle. Actually learning how to playthe electric guitar at 50 pales in comparison to figuring out how tonavigate Facebook. The best place to find me is on my rockingwebsite (I got a lot of help) http://www.allthingsjulie.com. From there you can find all you ever wanted to know about me and more!
BrokenRail
www.sonicbids.com/BrokenRail
Skope: What does being in A2W December 2011 mean to you?
Blake: On behalf of the band I can honestly say it means a lot. There are so many bands (great ones at that) all trying to get their music out there and it’s great when people like you aid in the process. Thanks!
Skope: What are you most look forward to accomplishing with your music for 2012?
Blake: Definitely a major debut album followed by a national tour. Landed AlterBridge/Reverse The Fallen producer Elvis Baskette for our first full length album and finalizing the heavy funding to go ahead with the project. Hoping to set up a killer tour behind it as well!
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Blake: Our new EP from Framing Hanley’s producer called “Never The Same”. It turned out great and is aiding us greatly in obtaining the funding needed for our album.
Skope: What is your favotrite Christmas tune that you want to do a cover for?
Blake: Hmmmm. I really like Christmas music so this is a tough one. Always thought about doing a Christmas album. Maybe “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree” though if I had to choose.
Skope: What kind of mood & environment do you like to create new music?
Blake: I love it quiet and late night. Possible storming and in the dark. At least that’s when the best ideas come about, especially lyrically. Once I have a feel for the song, the environment usually doesn’t matter.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Blake: The band is currently in the process of moving to Atlanta with a new lineup. Writing hard for our album and touring behind our brand new EP. After taking some much needed time off we’re back to booking heavily again and excited about rocking the scene again! You can find us online at our homepage www.BrokenRailBand.com at Facebook.com/BrokenRail and Twitter.com/BrokenRail. You can follow my personal twitter @BrokenRailVox . Thanks and hope to see you all soon!!
iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/brokenrail/id347879260?ign-mpt=uo%3D4
NORIA
www.sonicbids.com/noria
Acidjac
www.sonicbids.com/AcidJAC
Erisa Rei
www.sonicbids.com/ErisaReiMusic
Skope: What does being in A2W December 2011 mean to you?
Erisa Rei: Being an indie artist, having opportunities to get my music out to a new audience is always greatly appreciated. For me, I appreciate Skope’s willingness to help indie artists do what they love to- create music and have more people listen to it.
Skope: What are you most look forward to accomplishing with your music for 2012?
Erisa Rei: I’m looking forward to the release of my new full-length roots-rock/Americana album called “Black Ball” on January 3. I’ve been working hard for the past year on getting it done, especially the last 6 months. I’m looking at hopefully getting some radio play for “Black Ball.” I’m also looking forward to travelling and gigging. Overall in 2012, I’m wanting to broaden my fan base and get my music out there for more people to hear. I’ve felt kind of stuck in the same place for awhile musically and I’m pretty sure that “Black Ball” is going to blow me out of it.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Erisa Rei: I’m promoting “Black Ball” my soon-to-be released roots-rock/Americana album the most, in all forms- radio, release and tour. I’m going all-out this time around.
Skope: What is your favotrite Christmas tune that you want to do a cover for?
Erisa Rei: Someday I’d like to record live a really organic, rootsy, acoustic Christmas album with lots of drums. I love drums and percussion. The song that I really want to do is “O Holy Night”, as it’s my favorite Christmas song. But I’d like to do “The Little Drummer Boy” with all of the percussion and drums I’m wanting to incorporate, not only because I like it, but because that’s my dad’s favorite Christmas song.
Skope: What kind of mood do & environment do you like to create new music?
Erisa Rei: My house isn’t the quietest place to write music in, but I make do with what I have out of necessity. My best writing is done when I get a “feeling” that it’s time to write a new song. It’s usually when I’ve been ruminating about a particular subject and suddenly I’ll think of a phrase that culminates the whole idea that I have on my mind. Usually I write a little bit of it and then keep coming back to it and working it over until it feels like it’s done. If I could have my preference though, I would take a weekend, or even a week, and go to the beach or up in the mountains ALONE or with another songwriting friend and write in peace and quiet. I’d probably drive to the location too, instead of flying, because road-tripping slows me down and allows me to really understand where I am emotionally and mentally, instead of being so busy all the time.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Erisa Rei: Like I’ve mentioned, I have my new roots-rock/Americana album, “Black Ball” coming out on January 3. It’s a great, solid project, well-produced and unique. I don’t like to fit any of the regular templates that a lot of artists fit in and I definitely don’t. “Black Ball” portrays that part of me on many levels- lyrically, vocally and stylistically.
You can find most of my info on my web-site: http://www.erisareimusic.com. I also have a Facebook page, a Twitter page and a Reverbnation account that I check daily. I have a myspace page, but I don’t get on very often.
http://www.erisareimusic.com
http://www.facebook.com/erisareimusic
http://www.twitter.com/erisarei
http://www.reverbnation.com/erisarei
http://www.myspace.com/erisarei
Cactus Peach
www.sonicbids.com/CactusPeachHoney
Skope: What does being in A2W December 2011 mean to you?
Cactus Peach: We’re excited when anyone takes interest in our band! Thanks Skope Magazine!
Skope: What are you most look forward to accomplishing with your music for 2012?
Cactus Peach: We had been gigging the same material for a while and recently wrote an entire new set of 9 songs. This new batch of sounds & songs is a lot more fun and interesting to us. We’ve haven’t been this happy as a band in a really long time, so our next record is really exciting to us…. I think were most looking forward to putting our new set onto a CD and being able to share it with our friends and family who can’t come out to our shows in Austin.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Cactus Peach: We’ve been trying to “bury” a.k.a. say goodbye to our debut LP Eat, while also getting people excited for our upcoming single, titled, & the Cosmic Cowboys.
Skope: What is your favotrite Christmas tune that you want to do a cover for?
Cactus Peach: Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms
Skope: What kind of mood do & environment do you like to create new music?
Cactus Peach: A large, well lit room with all the dudes of Cactus Peach surrounding. A “chillaxed” mood, without a doubt. We call the house our music space is in “the Moontower house”. Austin has all of these old over-head street lighting towers around the city that were erected when a spree of murders occurred way back when. They’re called Moontowers and one of them is in the Michael’s front yard. There are two Michaels in our band, Michael Bain and Michael Frels, and they both live in the house under the Moontower. Michael Bain was kind enough to have Cactus Peach practices in his huge awesome chapel-like room located in the Moontower house.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Cactus Peach: We’re still working on finishing up our single & the Cosmic Cowboys and hope to be starting to record our unnamed LP in a few months. Follow us on Twitter, “like” us on Facebook, Download us *FREE* at Bandcamp and Check out @ www.cactuspeach.com ! It’s a clickable painting right now, but we’re hoping to have it fully up and running in the next month! Thank y’all!
Jenny Mayhem
www.sonicbids.com/jennymayhem
Skope: What does being an A2W December 2011 mean to you?
Jenny Mayhem: Someone new is listening! That’s always exciting.
Skope: What are you most looking forward to accomplishing with your music for 2012?
Jenny Mayhem: This year I got to connect with projects like the Bicycle City film, which will document how donations of second-hand bicycles have helped transform a small town in Nicaragua. One of my songs was also used in the Ball of Light documentary, which follows the life of a contemporary photographer in Adelaide. These little steps have been really fulfilling and I would love to connect with similar projects in 2012. They tie in with my own goals of gaining a wider audience for my music. It’s a new and interesting process in the age of digital media!
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single, etc?
Jenny Mayhem: I just worked with director Ace Billet on a music video for ‘Wide Open,’ which is a song from my most recent EP. The video will online this January, so that’s the most current thing I’m excited about.
Skope: What is your favorite Christmas tune that you want to do a cover for?
Jenny Mayhem: Not sure if this applies anymore!
Skope: What kind of mood and environment do you like to crafts new music?
Jenny Mayhem: I’m writing this while looking over the West Coast of Barbados, from the house where I grew up. This is one of the most inspiring places I’ve known.
Skope: What is coming up for you and where you at online?
Jenny Mayhem: I’m really excited to share a new project in the works. It’s some very high-energy music with some very talented new bandmates in Toronto. Still in progress! Until that’s out, you can always connect with my solo self at www.jennymayhem.ca.
Gabriel
www.sonicbids.com/Gabriel6
Skope: What are you most look forward to accomplishing with your music for 2012?
Gabriel: looking to finish my cd
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Gabriel: all of the above but really to finish up my cd
Skope: What is your favotrite Christmas tune that you want to do a cover for?
Gabriel: I PRAY ON X-MASS by Harry connick Jr
Skope: What kind of mood do & environment do you like to create new music?
Gabriel: i like to turn off all the lites and lite a few candles
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Gabriel: now i am recoding my cd and just played the Apollo in NY u can find my demo music on my space and add me as a friend on facebook which is Gabriel Blu and on my space just Gabriel
