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Thursday, June 16, 2011

Billy the Kid



About: Billy the Kid

From comparative isolation growing up in Vancouver, Canada – the second largest country in the world – to being embraced by a global community of friends, Billy the Kid has done it all through her dedication to music and plain hard graft.

The independent spirit has long been a driving factor in Billy the Kid’s long road to her proudest recorded moment, her fourth album as Billy the Kid, Horseshoes & Hand Grenades. Whether touring in energetic punk band Billy and the Lost Boys, or playing on her own through circumstance (her band not showing up) or choice (not wanting to give up), Billy used her time wisely. “I guess that’s the thing about being in the trenches and being independent for a whole lifetime. I pretty much resigned myself to the fact that if I was lucky, I would get to play music on my two week vacation from whatever job I had. The times when music is all I do is still so unbelievable to me.”

Starting “around the time that I started writing songs instead of essays and going to shows instead of class”, Billy has assembled bands and played shows as often as possible. 2008 saw the release of her first solo record The Lost Cause. This was followed by 2010’s Ours, 2012’s Stars, Exploding – recorded with Billy’s dream producer, Ryan Adams’ Cardinals bandmate Jamie Candiloro and 2013’s Perspective – which Billy produced and played everything on. All were crafted with the aid of money garnered from crowd sourcing campaigns. Fans have also helped her tour Europe, become her penpal for a year in exchange for album funding, and even helped her get home when stranded in London with no money after a promise of a tour fell through. With no flight back home and no way of working she decided to launch a pre-order campaign for a children’s book and with all of the interest she garnered from this, Billy managed to save enough money for a flight home.

It’s this innovative thinking and dedication to her talents that have not only kept fans on board, but enabled her to keep everything on track, even during the toughest times. The most recent example being the month-long European tour with Chuck Ragan and Northcote in June 2014, which was almost entirely paid for with 10 days worth of incredible, unique paintings which were sold to the highest bidders – all while convalescing from a serious ankle injury.

But the key thing in all of these campaigns was always to make sure fans felt they’d got their money’s worth, meaning lots of hard work mixed with a little fun. “Before any of these things ever happened I always got really worried that people would feel ripped off and demand their money back. What actually ended up happening was that I made some very important friendships that will stay with me for the rest of my life,” says Billy.

After three records made DIY, Billy considered abandoning the idea of making music regularly. But a chance meeting with Frank Turner in Toronto led, after a few months, to a whirlwind recording session in London, England, with Frank at the helm. In only 10 days, the combined work ethic and tight, tour-refined playing of Billy, Frank, and Sleeping Souls drummer Nigel Powell made for a relatively smooth process, and a record tingling with adrenaline.

“The best advice anyone in music ever gave me was that anytime things felt normal and natural, they always worked out. Any time things were supposed to be a big deal and really super important, they never really worked out. I kept thinking of that when we were making Horseshoes & Hand Grenades because everything just seemed so normal and happened so fast. I really wasn’t worried about anything because we were just three people in a room making songs. That’s really all I’ve ever wanted to do or tried to do.”
“I definitely took Frank’s lead as far as how to approach the recording process.

Eventually it became apparent that we were a pretty good team but he came up with the concept of recording ‘live off the floor’ which I think contributed a lot to the finished product. He was hoping for something with some dirt under its nails, a little more raw than some of my earlier albums. I think we accomplished that as well as some stuff we weren’t expecting. I just think it sounds badass.”

It is badass. Billy’s voice is immediately introduced on album opener ‘Phone Bills’, while Nigel’s ricocheting drums hesitate, roll and jump ahead of her, then everything collides in synchronicity. From then on it’s unmistakably Billy’s show as the extra personnel merely bolster her sleepless melodies and seasoned acoustic playing, both enriched with many miles of travel and tangled, long-distance bonds with close friends.

When playing the role of storyteller away from the autobiographical, she’s just as effective. The Quarry’s sublime picking leads into evocative lines about fleeing an unnamed town, the stumbling drums playing the part of unknown pursuers’ rapidly gaining footsteps. Meanwhile, ‘This Sure As Hell Ain’t My Life’ is a duet with Frank Turner that tells of a couple’s disconnection. ‘Lord Let Me’ recalls her Irish grandmother and English grandfather in a riotous song which reflects the difficulty her elders must’ve faced in Ireland.

Billy’s former isolation hasn’t done any harm though, and she proves it with strident confidence on solo run-throughs of’ Thoroughfare’ and the heartbreaking ‘Chelsea Rose’. Her studio buddies are there to lend a hand elsewhere with spontaneous gang vocals, or a little mandolin spring.

“I don’t know what it’s going to mean as far as what comes next,” Billy muse, “but I definitely feel like it is the culmination of each album of mine that came before it: the punk rock band, the early solo albums, the stuff I produced and played every instrument on. It was a fine moment to end up in a studio with someone like Frank Turner and half feel like I knew what I was doing.”

It would be wholly unjust not to ascribe the ultimate success of Billy’s fundraising efforts and the highest musical accomplishment so far to her, and the one thing she has clung to throughout her time on this planet.

“Work. Just always do the work. None of this stuff happens by accident and none of it would exist without some sort of effort. I always just tried to work as hard as I could, all the time.”

The results are astonishing. A hearty live presence that invites collaboration with tour mates and audience singalongs, songs to clasp to hearts, and a connection that extends beyond listener and artist but even to a network of like-minded musicians and friends.

“There’s this great community of musicians who are not only great at their craft but just the best people. I’ve never felt so welcomed and encouraged in their presence. It’s a real honour to be considered amongst friends when you’re playing shows with people whose albums you adore.”

As Billy’s new union with Xtra Mile, and a host of fresh listeners open to her honesty, unguarded nature, and deep-rooted musical palette is cemented, she remains humble, stalwart and eternally grateful.

Billy said it best in Xtra Mile’s first podcast: “I felt really lonely in (Canada) for a really long time and I always felt like maybe people didn’t get it. I was always touring in a car back and forth driving for 10 hours a day by myself and it wasn’t until I went overseas or playing in the US that I started to see ‘hey, I’m not that different! There are other people doing this and they’re as crazy as I am and they travel as far as I do!’”

Whether they can go as far as Billy can is still unproven, unlike the unrestrained ambition of this young Canadian songwriter.

CONTACT: Billy the Kid 

Friday, June 10, 2011

Wayside Drive



About: Wayside Drive

Wayside Drive is a United States indie group comprising singer and guitarist Jeremy Osborn; singer and bassist Natalie Osborn and drummer Kevin Robinson. Their sound draws on rock from every decade. They are based in Houston, Texas.

Their first full length studio album “The Red Room” was released in 2006. The band was featured on a tribute CD to Jandek titled “Down in a Mirror” along with such greats as Jeff Tweedy (founding member of the band Wilco), Eric Gaffney, and The Mountain Goats.







Wayside Drive – Official Website
http://www.waysidedrive.com/
Wayside Drive – ReverbNation
http://www.reverbnation.com/waysidedrive
Wayside Drive - MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/waysidedrive
Wayside Drive - Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/waysidedrive
Wayside Drive - Twitter
https://twitter.com/waysidedrive
Wayside Drive – World United Music
http://worldunitedmusic.blogspot.com/2011/06/wayside-drive.html
Videos!
Wayside Drive - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/WAYSIDEDRIVE
Buy Music!
Wayside Drive - iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/wayside-drive/id199983937
Wayside Drive - Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Wayside-Drive/e/B001LIGO14/ref=ntt_mus_dp_pel
Wayside Drive - Rhapsody
http://www.rhapsody.com/#album/Alb.12964748?&_suid=13686290755960393575350798053
Wayside Drive – CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/artist/WaysideDrive


 
 

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Isaac Hayden



About: Isaac Hayden

From a childhood on San Juan island in Washington State and in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Isaac's songs all promote a realness that touches on both where he comes from and what stirs the soul.

“Growing up on an island was incredible. Me and my buds would hang on the docks and catch shrimp, build tunnels and forts through the vines in the forest, or help my Mom pick blackberries for her famous jam. It was a magical place. When my family moved to Wyoming, it was a whole new kind of magic... wide open, and big.”

Isaac began learning guitar while attending a small liberal arts college in Spokane where he also played for the basketball team. It wasn't long before his academic education began to take a backseat to his musical one.

“A good friend in Wyoming had heard a couple of my songs, and he offered to record a demo for me, so I went and recorded six songs. That was my start in music. I started writing songs more proactively from that point on, and I started playing shows. It was an exciting time for me because no one I knew really thought of me as a musician, so there was a lot of 'What!? I didn’t know you could sing!'"

Isaac took some time to travel landing in several different cities including San Diego, and then Nashville, where he's lived the last five years.

“When I moved to Nashville, I went the Bluebird Cafe one night to see what the deal was. I listened to four songs by four different songwriters, the last of whom was Eric Paslay. He was awesome. I went home immediately after his song and started writing. It was going to take a lot of work for me to succeed. The level of songwriting in Nashville is truly remarkable.”

That hard work eventually started to pay off, landing Isaac opening spots for Keb Mo, Martin Sexton, Fitz and the Tantrums, Toni Joe White, Ricky Lee Jones, Chuck Prophet, Big Head Todd, Shelly Fairchild, and Sam & Ruby, among others. His live shows also started to garner a lot of attention around Nashville.

“I was fortunate to cross paths with a great Australian drummer, Jared Kneale. Jared was able to bring a certain style and rhythm to the music that took the songs to a whole other level, and it was cool to see people really respond to his influence.”

Isaac and Jared’s intriguing live show and new set of songs caught the ear of Artist Revolution Records founder Sam Brooker, who signed Isaac to an artist development and publishing deal in 2013. Artist Revolution is also publisher of Florida Georgia Line’s Billboard record setting #1 song, “Cruise.” Sam and Isaac are currently finishing work on Isaac’s debut album, a collection of songs written over the last six years. The album includes cameos from some awesome local and national talent, like The McCrary Sisters, Jeremy Lister, Daniel Ellsworth, trumpeter Quentin Ware, Jimmy Wallace, Tyler Cain, Jerry Navarro, and Jared Kneale, who is now playing drums for Kacey Musgraves.

When asked what he loves most about playing live, Isaac says, "getting to the place where I'm able to perform with the same energy and emotion that I feel exists in the song." It's a testament to the value he puts on human emotion. And that's just what fans will hear in Isaac's music.


























Isaac Hayden – Official Website
Isaac Hayden - ReverbNation
Isaac Hayden - Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/isaac-hayden
Isaac Hayden - MySpace
Isaac Hayden - Facebook
Isaac Hayden - Twitter
Isaac Hayden – Official Blog
VIDEO
Isaac Hayden - YouTube
BUY MUSIC
Isaac Hayden - iTunes
Isaac Hayden – CD Baby
Isaac Hayden - Amazon
Isaac Hayden - eMusic

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Barnaby Bright



About: Barnaby Bright

"Barnaby bright, Barnaby bright, the longest day, the shortest night..."

Since the release of their first album, 'Wake the Hero' in 2009, Barnaby Bright has garnered high accolades for their songwriting and sound. Grand prize winners of the NY Song Circle competition, Barnaby Bright's music has also been featured on national television to soundtrack heavy moments on shows such as 'ER' and 'Days of our Lives.' Their follow up EP 'Gravity' was named one of the top 100 records of the year by Amazon.com, keeping good company with the likes of Adele and Bon Iver. They continue touring in support of their brand new full length record, "The Longest Day," gracing such notable venues as Lincoln Center and NPR's "Mountain Stage" in West Virgina, and sharing stages with the likes of the Lumineers and Norah Jones.

Nathan and Rebecca Bliss, the voices and the brains behind Barnaby Bright, are truly the modern day traveling troubadours, averaging roughly 200 shows and 40,000 miles traveled a year. You can find them on streets as far away as London or Amsterdam, and as remote as St. Paris, Ohio, toting their massive haul of instruments…multiple guitars, harmonium, banjo, ukulele, floorboard bass, thumb pianos and keyboards. Because of the great number of shows they've played in their world travels, as well as their unique instrumentation, powerful harmonies and thought-provoking, connective lyrics, this duo has mastered the original goal they set out to attain: to create a sacred, magical space for their audiences…a momentary escape from the outside world. Their songs deal with a diverse range of subjects as relatable as longing and love, and as dark as death and revenge. The resulting emotional journey Barnaby Bright takes you on during one of their shows is one you will never forget. Drawing inspiration from literature, human behavior, experiences shared with the fascinating people they've encountered on the road, as well as a hint of fantasy, Barnaby Bright is a classic vision of timeless indie folk rock in all its glory.

Nothing about the journey of this married duo has been accidental or without purpose...even the band name itself holds a myriad of meaning for them. The phrase "Barnaby Bright" is a medieval term for the summer solstice. In 17th century England, the longest day of the year was celebrated with a large festival to honor St. Barnabus, and all joined together in merry recitation of the limerick, "Barnaby Bright, Barnaby Bright, the longest day, the shortest night." Nathan and Becky were instantly drawn to the name not only for its historical context, but also because of the many metaphors it represented to them: light and dark, good and evil, and the idea that though this innate, dualistic struggle is present in all of us, on the longest day of the year, light prevails over dark...goodness wins.

This dichotomy of the human condition is represented time and again not only in their songs, but in themselves. With over a decade between them, and drastically different childhoods and life experiences, Nathan and Becky find in each other so much of what the other is lacking, both musically and personally. They have discovered that their vastly different backgrounds give them each a unique approach to the world, and to songwriting. Perhaps that is why listeners find such depth and range of emotions in the songs of Barnaby Bright.





















Barnaby Bright – Official Website
http://www.barnabybright.com/
Barnaby Bright - Reverbnation
http://www.reverbnation.com/barnabybright
Barnaby Bright - MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/barnabybright
Barnaby Bright - Twitter
https://twitter.com/barnabybright
Barnaby Bright - Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Barnaby-Bright/56924339781
Barnaby Bright - Tumblr
http://barnabybright.tumblr.com/
Barnaby Bright – World United Music
http://worldunitedmusic.blogspot.com/2011/06/barnaby-bright.html
Videos!
Barnaby Bright - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/barnabybrightmusic
Buy Music!
Barnaby Bright - iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/barnaby-bright/id304952896
Barnaby Bright - Bandcamp
http://barnabybright.bandcamp.com/
Barnaby Bright – CD Baby
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/barnabybright
Barnaby Bright - Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/Barnaby-Bright/e/B006IXU4IG/digital/ref=ntt_mp3_rdr?_encoding=UTF8&sn=d
Barnaby Bright - Rhapsody
http://www.rhapsody.com/#artist/barnaby-bright/albums?&_suid=1368094162884020907040478342576

Monday, June 6, 2011

Afterlife


ComScore

About: Afterlife

Afterlife are a Hard Rock band from Glasgow, Scotland formed in early 2011. The band came together during down time from other projects and the drive to stay musically creative. It wasn't long before Afterlife became the primary focus for all of the members.

In July 2012, Afterlife independently released their debut E.P. 'ALPHA', which featured six tracks including; 'Afterlife', 'Never Fade' and
'Don't Come Cryin' To Me', all of which received UK and European radio play.

The band have since performed live supporting Swedish Rockers Bona‑fide, Nashville Pussy, the UK's own Terrorvision, Rock N' Roll royalty Thin Lizzy and more recently Scar The Martyr. Afterlife have also made a number of festival appearances including Scottish festival Les-Fest (2013), the Cambridge Rock Festival (2013), Hard Rock Hell (2012) and in March of 2014 opened the main stage at Hammerfest.

The debut album OMEGA was recorded during the summer of 2013 at a secluded studio overlooking Loch Fyne in Scotland and features 11 all new tracks including; 'What Do We Die For', 'Way Back Home', 'Energy, and 'Lost'. In September 2013 a music video for the song 'Lost' was released, which was ‑filmed during this recording session.

In the tail end of 2013, Afterlife signed a multi-album deal with Off Yer Recordings and OMEGA was released worldwide on the 2nd December 2013.

With the release of OMEGA, Afterlife have every intention of performing live throughout the UK and beyond.







 










 

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Freedom or Death



About: Freedom or Death

“It’s the way I want to live my life. Having the freedom to make my own decisions and not adhere to the rules of others. To make art for my own well being, not for acceptance from the masses…To listen to what my heart beats to, not to slave for another’s. Give me the FREEDOM to make a life I choose - or hand me my DEATH.”

In the 1820's during the Greek War of Independence "Freedom or Death" became the war cry for the people of Greece. Their passion, belief and desires were so strong, that they accepted no substitute. The Toronto based duo adopted that name, as it’s their mantra when it comes to their music. “We want to have the freedom to make the music and the artistic choices that we want. If we can’t have that freedom, we’d rather not put anything out, which is the death of our art” says Fernandez, one half of the production and songwriting unit. Freedom Or Death’s sound is based in everything, acoustic folk, electronica, traditional rock, hip-hop rhythms yet always rooted in lyrics with substance. “We didn’t want to get caged into any kind of pigeonhole,” Sway says. “That’s our freedom, to make the music however it comes out. We have two different sensibilities to making music that clash, but it’s how we actually reconcile them that’s interesting.”

With the release of their self titled EP, they’re creating and making music their way. The two of them met while working at a major record label and have a solid understanding of how the music industry works. “We know what sold, we know how to make it, but we decided not to make it. We created an artist record”, Sway says. Within three months of writing they had come up with an album’s worth of material and in true fashion, Freedom Or Death assumed all creative control; every song was written, produced, recorded and performed by the duo.

With a strong and steady creative process, stopping is the last point on Freedom Or Death’s agenda, they plan on touring, as well as another EP in the near future. As long as the band’s ideals of their art come first and commerce taking a back seat hold true, they will continue to make the music they want to make for as long as they desire.



















Freedom or Death – Official Website
http://www.freedomordeathmusic.com/
Freedom or Death - Reverbnation
http://www.reverbnation.com/freedomordeath
Freedom or Death - Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/#freedomordeath2010
Freedom or Death - MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/freedomordeathmusic
Freedom or Death - Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/freedomordeathmusic
Freedom or Death - Twitter
https://twitter.com/FRDMRDTH
Freedom or Death – World United Music
http://worldunitedmusic.blogspot.com/2011/06/freedom-or-death.html
Videos!
Freedom or Death - YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/Freedomordeathmusic
Buy Music!
Freedom or Death - Bandcamp
http://freedomordeath.bandcamp.com/
Freedom or Death - iTunes
https://itunes.apple.com/ca/artist/freedom-or-death/id378141508
Freedom or Death - eMusic
http://www.emusic.com/artist/freedom-or-death/13180764/
Freedom or Death - Amazon
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B003SLJ64E?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Freedom%20Or%20Death&index=digital-music&search-type=ss