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.
Conrad Clifton
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/conradclifton/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Conrad Clifton: I’ve been making music for about 16 years, since ’98. Music is pretty much my life – on one hand it’s like a dangerous addiction, lol, and on the other hand it’s like the deepest form of meditation. I feel like making music transports me to another plane of existence, and I’m just not here anymore.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Conrad Clifton: I can pretty much create whenever, but I’m usually most inspired after watching a live performance of another producer that I like. When I get into their show, it gives me an inspiration that goes further than just the music, it also translates to the crowd loving whatever’s happening. That get’s me hype.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Conrad Clifton: While I’m working on new material, I’m still promoting my album “Picture In Picture”. I got some really good response from the single “La Da Dee”, and I look forward to performing more of my original tunes in the near future.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
Conrad Clifton: Man, I’m on Soundcloud a lot! I like hearing new stuff that no one’s ever heard before, and sharing it with my followers. Other than that, Spotify is my go-to for online radio. It’s the best for discovering new music that you weren’t searching for, and creating stations based on songs/artists you already like.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Conrad Clifton: You should check out my single “La Da Dee” @ https://soundcloud.com/conradclifton/la-da-dee-hes-hopeless.
Also, there’s a pretty dope video in the works for “Blackliight”, so watch out for that!
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Conrad Clifton: I’m working on releasing a new EP by Spring/Summer. Also, I’ve been confirmed to play at NXNE in Toronto, this June – so if you’re in Canada, come check out the show!
Until then, find me @ www.conradclifton.com.
Matt Wade
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/mattwade/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Matt Wade: “Since I was 4 or 5 years old, starting on keys and then went to drums guitar and bass once I hit middle school/highschool.
Music gives me the opportunity to express myself and create, as well as reach people and make them happy through the songs and the performing. I really like having fun and creating with friends and other players and songwriters too, and am surrounded by lots of them constantly.”
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Matt Wade: “Usually, like with anything else…my work ethic and songwriting improve when I need a distraction. Whether it be from something wrong in a relationship, or a break up, or maybe something else I might be going through at the time, even sometimes what friends and people close to me are going through… That’s when I doit the most, and when I find it’s at its best…”
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Matt Wade: “I’m working on my third record at the moment, and have about 20 songs or so ready to record, then we’ll narrow it down and put the record out…
I’ve also been doing a lot of producing and songwriting for other people, and running my studio and small label, which I started about two years ago.”
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
Matt Wade: “I haven’t listened to the radio or surfed the internet for new music in a while, which is a shame. It’s mainly because I don’t identify with many things that are coming out these days, especially since I grew up on Motown, old school R&B, Soul music and Jazz and Blues. Not that there aren’t elements of that in some of todays music, but I’ve found that a vast majority I just don’t “get it” and when I don’t feel connected to an artist or a song, I can’t stomach it. I’d rather listen to Frank Sinatra over Bieber or Miley any day.”
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Matt Wade: “Most of the stuff you’ll find online or on iTunes now is still older junk… but I will be releasing some newer tracks and demos soon, and I believe there may be some already up on SoundCloud now… There are some pretty cool videos that fans have put up on youtube, which I actually welcome rather than discourage.”
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Matt Wade: “Aside from creating and releasing the album over the next few months, we will be doing a lot of traveling this year and playing around, and I will continue trying to grow this small label and studio on my own as well. You can find me on my website www.mattwademusic.com and on all them fancy mp3 downloadin’ sites. Maybe even the illegal ones.”
Asteria Lux
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/asterialux/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Genesis: I’ve been singing for longer than I can remember, but I’ve only in the last few years come into my voice. Working with Asteria Lux has brought some of the greatest joys in my life. Rehearsals and gigs are always such a wonderful escape when I’m working with these two idiots.
Courtney: I started piano and vocal lessons at age four, guitar at age five, and began songwriting when I was seven or eight. To me, music is a language, and there’s so much to learn and so many ways to communicate. I feel like I speak music almost as well as I speak English, so having music in my life is just as important as knowing how to talk and read and spell. I’m also really passionate about teaching, and I love the idea of passing my love for music along to future generations.
CJ: I started writing songs when I was eleven, and started playing guitar at thirteen. Music’s not only the greatest therapy there is, but when you work out your problems through a song you then have the chance to share that experience with other people who feel the same way, and let them know they’re not alone. I think the most sacred responsibility we have as music creators is to speak for those who have no voice. Also, I get to work with all my best friends doing what I love.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Genesis: When I’m driving alone in the car. When the radio’s off, my mind wanders and starts to think of song ideas, and it makes me excited to write and rehearse with the band.
Courtney: All my best ideas seem to come late in the evening, when I’m sitting home alone on the couch with a cup of tea. Something about that time of day just puts me in the right head space for writing music.
CJ: When I’m with Asteria Lux. A lot of our best songs just seem to come naturally from conversations we have while we’re rehearsing or just hanging out.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Currently, we’re promoting our new EP, Lovedrunk. We got the chance to work with some of the greatest musicians in the world in a truly top-notch studio, and the result is something we’re incredibly happy with.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
Genesis: Honestly, I don’t listen to that much music, but when I do, it’s usually the radio, on a classic rock station.
Courtney: I’m lucky to have lots of friends with great taste in music. I got a mix tape for Christmas from a friend, with a ton of cool stuff I’d never have heard otherwise. Besides that, I always have the XM Coffee House station playing in the car, and I’ve found a lot of cool songwriters that way.
CJ: Aside from my bandmates and friends, I mostly check out places like the front page of ReverbNation or Skopemag or see what’s trending on YouTube. I like to hear stuff I haven’t heard before because what we write today won’t see radio for one or two years, so listening to what’s on radio right now doesn’t do us a lot of good. On the other side of it, I also love listening to Courtney’s old vinyl collection to see what stands the test of time.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
We’ve got a video for our single/title track from the EP, Lovedrunk, on YouTube and our ReverbNation page. We shot it in the studio while we were recording the album, so it’s a cool documentation of that process.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Hopefully, lots of performing and writing and making more music. We are heading to Boston in February for the NACA National Conference, and we’re doing a small spring break tour on the Gulf Coast. We’re also playing some cool shows in and around Nashville. You can find us at our website, www.asterialux.com, as well as on Facebook and Twitter. We recently hit number one on the Nashville jazz charts on ReverbNation, and we’re very quickly working our way up the jazz charts both nationally and globally, so be sure to check us out there as well.
Spuyten Duyvil
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/spuytenduyvil/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Mark from SD here. I’ve been playing music since I was five. I got interested in making music of my own when I was 12 and I saw Devo play Jocko Homo on Saturday Night Live. Beth my wife and our lead singer) got started in musical theater. When we had a company in the 1990’s producing music, sfx and voice over for 16 bit video games, music was a way to make a living. Now that we are writing music and performing live as Spuyten Duyvil, it is much more personal. It’s a great way to connect with our community and to get to know people all over the Northeast. We also love having our daughter grow up in a house where music is always happening. It’s not an elitist thing that only special people get to do. It’s something that everyone can and should do.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
For me, it’s funny, but I can’t clear time just to write. It doesn’t happen. I need to be busy doing four or five different things at any given time and then it happens. We book and promote UrbanH2O, a concert series in downtown Yonkers. We are also planning to add a series of events promoting sustainable agriculture in the Hudson Vally that pair regional music, farm fresh food, and local wine, beer and spirits. That’s keeps me busy enough to be creatively productive.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Right now the focus is on our latest full length release “Temptation”. We had the #2 song on the International Folk DJ Chart and the #7 Album. We also cracked the top 20 on the Roots Music Report and the Top 30 on The Roots 66 Airplay chart. Too many numbers. I know, but we’re pretty excited about it. Reader can listen and grab a free download athttp://www.reverbnation.com/spuytenduyvil/songs
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
I get out to see a lot of music. I find myself much more interested in recorded music from artists that I have seen live. You can do a lot in the studio that is not totally honest. As the industry moves more and more towards live performance as the sustaining revenue model, I am much more interested in what an artists can do live, in front of a crowd. Their recorded music is more of a memento than anything else. These days, I listen to more spoken word like “The Moth” than recorded music.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Speaking of live performance, readers can get a sense of our show on our Youtube Channel. www.youtube.com/spuytenduyvilmusic There is some great footage from our CD release show at Rockwood Music Hall Stage II in NYC.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
We continue to tour the Northeast and push the boundaries to Maine, DC and as far west as Chicago. In winter, it’s mostly listening rooms and concert series. Once the summer hits, we’ll be back at many of our fave festivals and hitting a number of new venues that look really promising. We are working with a friend on re-envisioning a set of public domain songs like Hot Time in the Old Town, Barbara Allen (as a minor key pirate murder ballad) and Stewball that the band will record over the summer. Concurrently, Beth and I are writing new material for a CD of original music for 2015 and I continue to write more songs about the Dutch colonial period in NY that will find there way into a performance/CD with an educational component.
http://spuytenduyvilmusic.com
http://facebook.com/spuytenduyvilmusic
http://youtube.com/spuytenduyvilmusic
http://reverbnation.com/rpk/spuytenduyvil
http://twitter.com/spuyduy
And our concert series: http://urbanh2o.org
Jessica Prouty
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/jessicaprouty/
Guajira
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/guajira/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
We both started in our teen years and went on studying music in college and university. We are in our mid-thirties now and make a living out of teaching and performing. More and more, I feel like music is not what I do, it’s who I am. Everyday you can learn something new. There will always be a technique, a style, a concept or even something about yourself that you can learn form music.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Inspiration can come at any time, anywhere. Sometimes while playing music, but most of the time I am inspired a melody, a vibe or even a complete song from a life experience. On our new album, there is a song called Ramapumkin that came from Luc — my band partner — telling me about this dream he had had the previous night. Ghettoblaster is another good example. It came to my mind while driving on a beautiful sunny day. The knack of it is always to remember the tune until I get my hands on my guitar and figure out how to play it. Then we work the arrangement as a band.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Guajira will always be about playing music the purest way possible. It doesn’t matter if it’s on an album or in a show. Our main goal is always to play organic music with a lot of energy. There are no overdubs, loops or synthetic sounds. We want people to feel the fun we have playing together. This is what our new album coming out on March 18th is all about. Two guys sitting in a room, having fun with textures and sounds from all around the world.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
I’m very curious and always looking for something great and new. I use every tool that I can find to discover music. First, my friends and people around me, then social media and YouTube… I sometimes read about musicians in a magazine and follow that up with a web search or a visit to their personal website. FM radio is good for jazz and world music also.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Hollywood Harmony, the first song of our new album Masala is on Soundcloud right now. We have also started posting a series of videos on our YouTube page and will keep doing so in the weeks leading to our launch.
http://soundcloud.com/guajiraband/01-hollywood-harmony
http://www.youtube.com/user/GuajiraBand
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
There’s the album launch party for Masala on March 18th. Then we have shows coming up in Spring and Summer in Canada. All the details are published at www.GuajiraBand.com . Yet, we are already writing new pieces and working on 4th album…
SoundSmith
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/soundsmith/
Bill $aber
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/billsaber/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Bill $aber: I have been making music for almost a year now. What I love about having music apart of my life is the fact that you can find a song for every mood/vibe. Life is all about vibes, I’ve had a “successful” vibe every since I’ve started.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Bill $aber: I saw in a interview in which Childish Gambino was getting interviewed, he said that he writes his best when he first wakes up. And the reason he gave was because that when he is closer to his dream state. I would say that’s about accurate for me as well. But same thing it’s all about the vibes, and depending on that the vibe will not only inspire me but leak through the pen and my voice.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Bill $aber: My debut project “King Of Lion$” is on my website billsaber.com, as well as datpiff and HNHH. Right now I am waiting for Son Real to come to town, I will be opening for him this month on the 22nd.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
Bill $aber: right now I am being a student of the game and listening to old hip hop. Mainly Big L, Pac, and The Almighty Wu. As far as new artist I just leave my ears open and when I hear something I like I research the person, a lot, but I am also trying to make it myself. New Artists I listen to include Vic Mensa, Chance the Rapper, and Kevin Gates.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Bill $aber: yes indeed. You guys should listen to the whole “King of Lion$” But the same way I find new music is how I want new comers to my brand to figure out what they like. I am not going to force my favorite song from the project on anyone. Be free, and individual. Think for yourself. I do pray that if you find anything you like that you will share. That’s how we grow. Billsaber.com
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
Bill $aber: For me, my main focus was on landing shows. But you know what they say “what you’re looking for comes when you stop looking.” So I stop being so eager about it, and prayed more. And now I have some shows coming up. I might participate in the Funk Volume contest, or the teambackpack, I’m not sure. All I know is whatever I do I am going to give my all.
A Hundred Years
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/ahundredyears/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
I started writing songs when I bought my first acoustic guitar about 8 years ago. The best part of having music in my life is the reliability to tap into a huge amount of recorded artists. There is a mystery to discovering someones art that instantly links you to a band indefinitely. I am lucky enough to have time to play and write music. It’s so therapeutic to rock the stress of modern life away with my guitar and notebook.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
Perhaps after spinning a side of one of my vinyl records. It’s a great way to channel into the moods that you are feeling. The rest of the work we leave up to the bong I suppose.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
I am excited about touring western Canada this summer. It will be great to hit the road and play our new album to people for the first time.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
I guess I am fortunate to have a great group of savvy friends that do a lot of the hard work finding music for me. Sometimes I’ll go scour the record store shelves and look for bands that might be interesting. Then I go scope them out on Youtube when I get home. Late night Wikipedia binges are great too.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Check out our Youtube channel to see some of our latest live performances.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
We’ve recently got our friend Tyrell on the drums. We’ve taken our best elements and started writing some off the heaviest stoner riffs you’ve ever heard north of the badlands. Thousands of fans in Brazil and Canada are hearing our new songs on social media sites. You can get all the scoop at our new website at www.a-hundredyears.com
Memoir
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/memoir2/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
Each of us has been in love with music from a very young age. Zed started playing piano at 6, and spent his childhood and college years learning to play over 20 some instruments and I’m sure that will just keep growing as we travel the world. Remy and I grew up in a household filled with music. Our mother used to clean houses and she would take me to work, with her and set me up with coloring books and a boom box so we could listen to her favorite Motown stars. Remy and I were also, both, “talent show kids;” I mean, every chance we had to get up on stage and sing a Whitney or Mariah song or, for Remy, blow the Barry Sax, we took. Music is healing and when I look back on my life and see how I’ve grown musically, poetically, I can see how music has helped me to recognize my pains and weaknesses and get beyond them to that higher well-being and sense joy. Writing and playing music for a living is blessing and a dream come true, but not something that came easily for us. We therefore, appreciate this time, in our lives, to just be artists!
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
I love writing songs in my car, driving around town. A lot of our record, though, was written right in our home studio; everyone still in their sweat pants and just chillin.
We keep it casual in Cali!
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
The Album and upcoming tours. We release Memoir’s first full length album April 29th and it has been in the making for 3 and 1/2 years, so we are excited to “exit the cave” and come out and play! We’ve been out more, seen a ton of great bands do their thing and feel ready for that national tour. The dates and details for the tour will be up on the website in the coming weeks. The album itself, is definitely my “favorite child” and I am excited and proud of all our work. Our goal was to create something clearly and definitively “us,” and to create something epic and lasting. Forever music!
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
ReverbNation, Pandora, Itunes and yes the radio and Sirius. This is a recent thing for us, however, because we tend to go into hiding when working on records and don’t consume much of the outside world, in general while in that process.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Our singles to date are “Los Angeles,” “Who I Am,” “Look Away,” and now “Minimum Wage (The Heist).” We have released two videos and will be working on a third soon. The videos you can check out now are on youtube “Los Angeles” and “Look Away”
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
We are busy mixing, packaging and promoting this record (April 29th release date) and then our full focus will be on finalizing our US tour and a third video. We will also be releasing a single a month for the next few months leading up into our summer/fall tour ending in NY at the CMJ festival.
Elk and Boar
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/elkandboar/
Shantell Ogden
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/shantellogden/
Mark Brathwaite
https://www.sonicbids.com/band/markcbrathwaite/
Skope: How long have you been making music and what do you love about having music in your life?
I’ve been playing piano since I was 4. That’s the earliest time I can remember making music — I picked up electric guitar at age 13, and started playing in bands. Music is the number one outlet for self-expression for me!! It helps me to connect with people, through art I understand more about myself and the world around me.
Skope: When are you most inspired to create music?
I find if a session is chill and relaxed I’m more inspired to write and record music. Alternatively, if there’s the pressure to reach a deadline that pushes me to finish a piece. Ideally though I like the freedom to record and do re-takes / mixing at my own pace.
Skope: What are you currently promoting the most via an album, tour, single etc?
Right now we’re pushing the single Sunrise which can be heard here:
http://markcbrathwaite.bandcamp.com/track/sunrise
The scheduled release for this song is April 10 on Tunecore. Our primary focus is on content and promotion. The goal is to finish my upcoming album “Phoenix” and release it for summer 2014 with a tour to follow this same year.
Skope: Where do you turn to hear and discover music, social media, Pandora, FM radio, etc?
Since I’m networking on Twitter and Soundcloud a lot of my new music discovery happens on those websites. If I’m in the car Sirius XM Radio is pretty good for promoting new artists on certain stations.
Skope: Do you have any new Youtube videos or Soundcloud singles posted online we should hear?
Yes!! The official music video for my single “Rain” is cool https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3dMAFbFFOE it features actress / model Margarita Giliadov; had such a good time making it.
I’d also recommend the “Sunrise” Remix by Jessica Cho who is an incredible EDM producer and one half of the DJ duo CHOBO with Benjamin Boles: https://soundcloud.com/markbrathwaite/sunrise-remix-by-jessica-cho
That remix will also be available for purchase April 10.
Skope: What is coming up for you & where you at online?
My primarily focus currently is on creating more online content and networking. The #1 hub for my social media, live shows, and booking is http://www.markbrathwaite.com. I will be hitting Montreal in the summer for a show, also keep your eye out for some dates in Toronto in the near future!
