Junior's Cave Online Magazine Editors' Blogs
http://blogs.juniorscave.com
Junior's Cave Online Magazine Editors' Blogs
Juan Riedinger
JC Interview Exclusive
(Celebrity Interview with Filmmaker/Actor)
(February 2010 Edition)
Juan Riedinger
Juan Riedinger
Photo by Bryan Nykon
Published: February 02, 2010 10:26 PM EST
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
(Juniorscave.com)
Young Filmmaker/Actor Juan Riedinger is making a big splash in the Entertainment Industry. The talented Filmmaker/Actor has been performing in some of Hollywood's hottest Indie films and clearly shows that he is on a right path to greatness. In ...
<< MORE >>Derek Long
Celebrity Interview with Actor Derek Long
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine recently had a wonderful opportunity to speak with an amazing award-winning film, television, voice-over and stage actor based out of Los Angeles, California. Derek Long has successfully starred and performed in many outstanding Indie projects that showcase the actor’s enormous talent. In this spotlight with the actor, Derek expounds on his life as an actor and why he enjoys performing. Here is what formulated. ... << MORE >>
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine recently had a wonderful opportunity to speak with an amazing award-winning film, television, voice-over and stage actor based out of Los Angeles, California. Derek Long has successfully starred and performed in many outstanding Indie projects that showcase the actor’s enormous talent. In this spotlight with the actor, Derek expounds on his life as an actor and why he enjoys performing. Here is what formulated. ... << MORE >>
State of Undress
Music Interview with State of Undress
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Authentic and genuine music is something you will get from this next band. Our Webzine spoke to State of Undress about their amazing sound and why the band says that their music can not be placed in a category. Want to learn more? Keep reading… Enjoy!
Isaac: What's the name ... << MORE >>
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Authentic and genuine music is something you will get from this next band. Our Webzine spoke to State of Undress about their amazing sound and why the band says that their music can not be placed in a category. Want to learn more? Keep reading… Enjoy!
Isaac: What's the name ... << MORE >>
Death Valley Pornstar
Music Interview with Death Valley Pornstar
February 2010 Spotlight
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine recently interviewed a kick ass band that really is going to take Indie/Alternative music to a whole new level. The female-fronted band has created an awesome sound that mixes different styles of music that fans will find enjoyable to listen to. We spoke to the members of the band about their music, their lowpoints and highpoints, and their musical influences. Here is what formulated.
Isaac: I just listened to your song, "It's Not Me, It's You". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
*[Jezebel]** That's personally my favorite song we play; it's so much fun live. "It's Not Me, It's You" came from a dear friend of mine who discovered his evil (and now ex-) wife was a cheating whorebag. I tend to write songs about the things my friends are going through...apparently they have much more interesting lives than I -- "Butterfly" was written about another very close friend of mine who's been through a lot of shit over the years. I felt like there wasn't a song out there that described her mindset, so I wrote one for her. The new album felt like a theatrical piece on the whole. It was really cool to know that we had a string of songs that kind of told a story as you went, and we really set out to make an EP that wasn't just this or just that. It had to be a sampler platter for the band's sound.*
*[Jimi] The "Diabla" EP tells a story but we don't want to give it away to people.
[Gio] We want people to really listen to the music and figure it out for themselves.*
Isaac: Who were your influences?
*[Jimi]** We have a very eclectic group of influences. From Foo Fighters to Lady Gaga, Primus to The Beatles, Porcupine Tree to Pink, Kyuss to Queen and everything in between. I guess what you can hear most in our music would be maybe The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age, a little Eagles of Death Metal. Stuff like that.*
*[Jezebel]** Yeah, it's like Freddie Mercury up and joined The Rolling Stones, started smoking pot with John Lennon, fucked Pat Benetar, Joan Jett and Pink at the same time, and then murdered Heidi Montag. And then baked some cupcakes and made sweet love to a golden jumpsuit.*
*[Gio] As an aside, the most immediate influences of mine are my instructors Gerson Reyes and Nick Amoroso. *
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
*[Jimi] **One highlight was playing the Whisky-a-Go-Go, definitely. To see your name up on that most famous of marquees and play on the same stage so many famous bands have played on before us was such a rush.** We had a great turn out and a great set. After words, we got a hotel room in downtown LA and partied with friends, family and fans until t
he Sun came up! I'm proud to say I was one of only two people left standing when that sun came up!
[Adrien] It was a very "Rock Star" night.
[Jimi] and we learned Adrien snores like a monster in a wind tunnel.
[Jezebel] **A low point was definitely playing at this place called Bernie's Sports Bar in Fullerton. I usually don't rag on hole-in-the-wall bars, because a lot of them end up being great little gems to play at... but man, that place was a shithole in every sense of the word. We pulled up and there was, I kid you not, a dead fucking cat in front of the club. It had been out in the hot sun all day, decomposing. The smell was horrendous. And then we're walking in and I'm last in line and the bouncer says, "Whoa there,little lady" or some bullshit and tells me to pay the cover. I told him I was in the band and he didn't believe me; he was sure I was a groupie or whatever. He actually told me that he was going to watch us play and if he didn't see me singing he'd come collect the cover. Inside was just as bad as outside: the stage was a tiny triangle with some busted fluorescent lighting over it, and there was warm beer ONLY. No liquor -- shit, even the WATER didn't have ice in it. It tasted like they scooped it out of a toilet. **
[Jimi] Speaking of the toilet, the last two songs in our set were overshadowed by the smell of the bar's toilet backing up.
[Gio] **Imagine walking into the bathroom and knowing what the person that was in there before you had for lunch just by the smell. Now add some pee and vomit to that smell, and throw in the drunken homeless guy who hasn't bathed for months unless you call peeing or vomiting on ones' self bathing.It was worse than all that.**
[Adrien] The band, our fans...everyone ran out of the club the second our set was finished.
**[Jimi] I think we can all agree another High Point was recording the EP with Dan Kramer @ Citrus City Sound, Dan has a great ear.
[Jezebel] Tracking then hearing our songs refined and polished and going through that process was simply an amazing experience. Some of my harmonies were killer hard to do and Dan could be a task master but we ended up with a solid representation of who we are right now.*
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
*[Jimi]** We were raised by a pack of rabid wolverines early on then **once we hit puberty we were** left for dead on a desert island to fend for ourselves. The natives of the island mistook us for gods, and as a tribute, shared with us the musical instruments that had washed up on shore some years earlier. After learning the natives’ strange ways and sacrificing more then our fair share of virgins, we were rescued by a passing merchant marine ship. The mariners thought for sure Jezebel was a siren of the sea and we were her "sea imps" because of the strange music we were playing. Long story short we were dumped off at San Diego Harbor here in California and the rest is history.*
*[Jezebel] We hope that clears up any confusion about our background
*
Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
*[Jimi] The music scene is kind of disjointed here in Southern California, at least so far in our experience. It's hard to find one place here with a great community of musicians who support each other. Not to say there are no great bands here because there are (Hydrovibe comes to mind). We're just all spread out and don't really network with one another like we should. I hope to see that change or find a "music scene" but right now we're looking for one, lol.*
*[Adrien] **Bookies, clubs and bars seem to be more interested in how many customers you can bring than them putting quality "of the like" bands together in one showcasing. Truth is, they make all the profits and many establishments don't do their own advertising. With that said, the music scene is very mixed. It's quite common that you have one or two bands that aren't pleasing to ones musical pallet and people actually leave. Only to miss out on a really good band that you would really enjoy. Not always thecase but, more often than not.*
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
*[Adrien] I pretty much listen to Internet radio exclusively. It's more fine tuned for the individual and a lot less commercials.** I also definitely think the Internet helps music more than it hinders it. If we relied solely on the music industry to provide us with music that they think we should like, I don't think many of us would like music very much. In-fact I think the Internet is the stand alone platform for any new music. It's open source, the people decide what they like and the numbers prove what'spopular.**
[Jimi] Yeah, I totally agree with Adrien. Between social networking sites, podcasts, blogs and Internet radio, bands like us have an unprecedented platform for been seen and heard. For the first time in the music industry, an artist actually has the ability to get heard by thousands, even millions of people with out the help of a major label. If your music is good enough, you might even make a living from it on your own!*
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
*[Jezebel] **A fantasy band? Jeez. Probably Dave Grohl drumming (the man is a God), Les Claypool on bass, Josh Homme on guitar/producing and Lady Gaga on songwriting/vocals (not to mention myself singing backup vocals as needed!)*
***[Gio] **Guitar would be Steve Vai, to me he is the biggest baddest guitar player in the world. On Bass, it would have to be Victor Wooten he is just the best. Vocals would be David Townsend, I love his vocals on Steve Vai's Sex and Religion album. I also would love to have Keys and the only choice there is Jordan Rudess, a God on Keys. As for Drums, that's easy, ME! But because I would freeze in a room with those guys, I would quickly be replaced by Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree, this guys has chops, style,and his drumming is rock solid!*
*[Adrien] Les Claypool on bass, Tom Morelo on guitar, Dave Grohl on drums & Roger Waters on Vocals.
[Jimi] It's already happened, Them Crooked Vultures has Josh Homme on Guitar and Vocals, Dave Grohl on Drums and John Paul Jones on Bass, all Rock Gods! What more could I ask for? Their album is amazing and I can honestly say they were the best band I've ever seen live and I've seen a lot of bands.
[Jimi] Oh wait I can be in the band?...
[Adrien] No!!
[Jimi] But Gio and Jezebel said...fine, never mind.
*Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
*[Jezebel] Our EP "Burn, Diabla, Burn!" is out right now, hard copies of the EP are available at our shows -- you get it signed by us if you come out and support the band (and our cover art is sooooo sick).
[Gio] Our CD is also available for download @ itunes and cdbady*.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/larceny/id340736913?i=340736956&ign-mpt=uo=6
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/DeathValleyPornstar
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
*[Jimi] www.deathvalleypornstar.com is the place to go. We have links to everything from Twitter and Facebook to our merchandise and music as well has a media page with pictures, music & videos.
[Jezebel] **You can also preview our entire EP there, and if you join our site (it's free) you have access to a butt load free downloads!*
Isaac: Message to your fans?
*[Jezebel]** Be good people, give our music to everyone you know, and don't stop sexing each other. Our fans are dirty and delicious like that.*
February 2010 Spotlight
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine recently interviewed a kick ass band that really is going to take Indie/Alternative music to a whole new level. The female-fronted band has created an awesome sound that mixes different styles of music that fans will find enjoyable to listen to. We spoke to the members of the band about their music, their lowpoints and highpoints, and their musical influences. Here is what formulated.
Isaac: I just listened to your song, "It's Not Me, It's You". What was the inspiration for making this song and your new album?
*[Jezebel]** That's personally my favorite song we play; it's so much fun live. "It's Not Me, It's You" came from a dear friend of mine who discovered his evil (and now ex-) wife was a cheating whorebag. I tend to write songs about the things my friends are going through...apparently they have much more interesting lives than I -- "Butterfly" was written about another very close friend of mine who's been through a lot of shit over the years. I felt like there wasn't a song out there that described her mindset, so I wrote one for her. The new album felt like a theatrical piece on the whole. It was really cool to know that we had a string of songs that kind of told a story as you went, and we really set out to make an EP that wasn't just this or just that. It had to be a sampler platter for the band's sound.*
*[Jimi] The "Diabla" EP tells a story but we don't want to give it away to people.
[Gio] We want people to really listen to the music and figure it out for themselves.*
Isaac: Who were your influences?
*[Jimi]** We have a very eclectic group of influences. From Foo Fighters to Lady Gaga, Primus to The Beatles, Porcupine Tree to Pink, Kyuss to Queen and everything in between. I guess what you can hear most in our music would be maybe The Dead Weather, The Black Keys, Queens of the Stone Age, a little Eagles of Death Metal. Stuff like that.*
*[Jezebel]** Yeah, it's like Freddie Mercury up and joined The Rolling Stones, started smoking pot with John Lennon, fucked Pat Benetar, Joan Jett and Pink at the same time, and then murdered Heidi Montag. And then baked some cupcakes and made sweet love to a golden jumpsuit.*
*[Gio] As an aside, the most immediate influences of mine are my instructors Gerson Reyes and Nick Amoroso. *
Isaac: What do you consider to have been the highlight(s) and lowpoint(s) of your career to date?
*[Jimi] **One highlight was playing the Whisky-a-Go-Go, definitely. To see your name up on that most famous of marquees and play on the same stage so many famous bands have played on before us was such a rush.** We had a great turn out and a great set. After words, we got a hotel room in downtown LA and partied with friends, family and fans until t
he Sun came up! I'm proud to say I was one of only two people left standing when that sun came up!
[Adrien] It was a very "Rock Star" night.
[Jimi] and we learned Adrien snores like a monster in a wind tunnel.
[Jezebel] **A low point was definitely playing at this place called Bernie's Sports Bar in Fullerton. I usually don't rag on hole-in-the-wall bars, because a lot of them end up being great little gems to play at... but man, that place was a shithole in every sense of the word. We pulled up and there was, I kid you not, a dead fucking cat in front of the club. It had been out in the hot sun all day, decomposing. The smell was horrendous. And then we're walking in and I'm last in line and the bouncer says, "Whoa there,little lady" or some bullshit and tells me to pay the cover. I told him I was in the band and he didn't believe me; he was sure I was a groupie or whatever. He actually told me that he was going to watch us play and if he didn't see me singing he'd come collect the cover. Inside was just as bad as outside: the stage was a tiny triangle with some busted fluorescent lighting over it, and there was warm beer ONLY. No liquor -- shit, even the WATER didn't have ice in it. It tasted like they scooped it out of a toilet. **
[Jimi] Speaking of the toilet, the last two songs in our set were overshadowed by the smell of the bar's toilet backing up.
[Gio] **Imagine walking into the bathroom and knowing what the person that was in there before you had for lunch just by the smell. Now add some pee and vomit to that smell, and throw in the drunken homeless guy who hasn't bathed for months unless you call peeing or vomiting on ones' self bathing.It was worse than all that.**
[Adrien] The band, our fans...everyone ran out of the club the second our set was finished.
**[Jimi] I think we can all agree another High Point was recording the EP with Dan Kramer @ Citrus City Sound, Dan has a great ear.
[Jezebel] Tracking then hearing our songs refined and polished and going through that process was simply an amazing experience. Some of my harmonies were killer hard to do and Dan could be a task master but we ended up with a solid representation of who we are right now.*
Isaac: Brief history about your background plus the style of music you play.
*[Jimi]** We were raised by a pack of rabid wolverines early on then **once we hit puberty we were** left for dead on a desert island to fend for ourselves. The natives of the island mistook us for gods, and as a tribute, shared with us the musical instruments that had washed up on shore some years earlier. After learning the natives’ strange ways and sacrificing more then our fair share of virgins, we were rescued by a passing merchant marine ship. The mariners thought for sure Jezebel was a siren of the sea and we were her "sea imps" because of the strange music we were playing. Long story short we were dumped off at San Diego Harbor here in California and the rest is history.*
*[Jezebel] We hope that clears up any confusion about our background
* Isaac: How easy is it to gets gigs for you as an artist? What is the live music scene like in your area?
*[Jimi] The music scene is kind of disjointed here in Southern California, at least so far in our experience. It's hard to find one place here with a great community of musicians who support each other. Not to say there are no great bands here because there are (Hydrovibe comes to mind). We're just all spread out and don't really network with one another like we should. I hope to see that change or find a "music scene" but right now we're looking for one, lol.*
*[Adrien] **Bookies, clubs and bars seem to be more interested in how many customers you can bring than them putting quality "of the like" bands together in one showcasing. Truth is, they make all the profits and many establishments don't do their own advertising. With that said, the music scene is very mixed. It's quite common that you have one or two bands that aren't pleasing to ones musical pallet and people actually leave. Only to miss out on a really good band that you would really enjoy. Not always thecase but, more often than not.*
Isaac: What do you think of the state of Indie music at the moment? Do you listen to radio much at all? Has the Internet helped music grow or hindered it in your opinion?
*[Adrien] I pretty much listen to Internet radio exclusively. It's more fine tuned for the individual and a lot less commercials.** I also definitely think the Internet helps music more than it hinders it. If we relied solely on the music industry to provide us with music that they think we should like, I don't think many of us would like music very much. In-fact I think the Internet is the stand alone platform for any new music. It's open source, the people decide what they like and the numbers prove what'spopular.**
[Jimi] Yeah, I totally agree with Adrien. Between social networking sites, podcasts, blogs and Internet radio, bands like us have an unprecedented platform for been seen and heard. For the first time in the music industry, an artist actually has the ability to get heard by thousands, even millions of people with out the help of a major label. If your music is good enough, you might even make a living from it on your own!*
Isaac: If you could create a fantasy band - what would be the line-up and why?
*[Jezebel] **A fantasy band? Jeez. Probably Dave Grohl drumming (the man is a God), Les Claypool on bass, Josh Homme on guitar/producing and Lady Gaga on songwriting/vocals (not to mention myself singing backup vocals as needed!)
* ***[Gio] **Guitar would be Steve Vai, to me he is the biggest baddest guitar player in the world. On Bass, it would have to be Victor Wooten he is just the best. Vocals would be David Townsend, I love his vocals on Steve Vai's Sex and Religion album. I also would love to have Keys and the only choice there is Jordan Rudess, a God on Keys. As for Drums, that's easy, ME! But because I would freeze in a room with those guys, I would quickly be replaced by Gavin Harrison from Porcupine Tree, this guys has chops, style,and his drumming is rock solid!*
*[Adrien] Les Claypool on bass, Tom Morelo on guitar, Dave Grohl on drums & Roger Waters on Vocals.
[Jimi] It's already happened, Them Crooked Vultures has Josh Homme on Guitar and Vocals, Dave Grohl on Drums and John Paul Jones on Bass, all Rock Gods! What more could I ask for? Their album is amazing and I can honestly say they were the best band I've ever seen live and I've seen a lot of bands.
[Jimi] Oh wait I can be in the band?...
[Adrien] No!!
[Jimi] But Gio and Jezebel said...fine, never mind.
*Isaac: What CD's do you currently have available and where can they be purchased from?
*[Jezebel] Our EP "Burn, Diabla, Burn!" is out right now, hard copies of the EP are available at our shows -- you get it signed by us if you come out and support the band (and our cover art is sooooo sick).
[Gio] Our CD is also available for download @ itunes and cdbady*.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/larceny/id340736913?i=340736956&ign-mpt=uo=6
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/DeathValleyPornstar
Isaac: Where can fans access your music, videos, blogs, and anything else about you online?
*[Jimi] www.deathvalleypornstar.com is the place to go. We have links to everything from Twitter and Facebook to our merchandise and music as well has a media page with pictures, music & videos.
[Jezebel] **You can also preview our entire EP there, and if you join our site (it's free) you have access to a butt load free downloads!*
Isaac: Message to your fans?
*[Jezebel]** Be good people, give our music to everyone you know, and don't stop sexing each other. Our fans are dirty and delicious like that.*
Commissary
Music Interview with Commissary
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Commissary (Live Performance)
Photo by Krista Petelle
Christian Hip-Hop artist Commissary is taking the popular genre into new heights and casting his own spiritual spin on it. The artist is also reaching out to thousands of Christians through his music. What makes this artist a special gem is his devotion to our Lord, his passion to bring Christian music to the masses, and his love to entertain others. Here is what developed.
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Commissary: To my knowledge, my family has little to no musical history. But my first memory of music, that I recall, dates back to around 1990-91 when I was only a small child living in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. My older brother, Thoris, had an enormous cassette tape collection of Hip Hop and R&B. He owned music from Bobby Brown, Oaktown 3-5-7, and countless other artists. We shared a room at the time and I always remember being around as he listened to his tapes or to the radio. I was also a big fan of MC Hammer. Do you remember the short lived animated television show that he had? Haha, it was hilarious. His catchy music, colorful clothing, and unique dance moves instantly amazed me. It was during this time when my older brother took me to see him live in concert at the Von Braun Civic Center along with Heavy D and Boyz II Men. That was an amazing event! And as the years progressed, my brother continued to expose to me to mainly Hip-Hop and R&B and as I grew older, I began to watch music videos, listen to the radio, and purchase music on my own.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up a mic in the first place?
Commissary: The love of the art form had been inside of me since childhood, so I guess it was only natural. And once I had realized that everybody is either an aspiring rapper, actor, or model, I conformed and wanted to rap as well, haha. But honestly, just the influence of the Hip-Hop culture itself drew me to want to express myself through emceeing. For so long, I had seen it done but for the first time ever, I wanted to be the one conveying the message so I decided to give lyric writing a shot back in the year 2000.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Commissary: I had absolutely no idea. My intention was just to try it for the sake of, but once I realized how therapeutic writing was, I kept on doing it. Growing up, I was forced to suppress a lot of inner emotions and was never truly allowed to freely express myself, and once God opened up a door for me to do so, I basically ran with it.
Commissary (Album Cover)
Photo by Claude Studios
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Commissary: There are a lot of extremely talented performers out there, but I would have to go with Smokey Robinson and/or Stevie Wonder. I’m a big fan of older music and not only that, but these guys are living legends and it would be an honor to work with them. I would no doubt be crushed under the weight of their wisdom. But if the right opportunity presented itself and if my beliefs or integrity weren’t in danger of being compromised, then I would definitely consider working with either Smokey or Stevie.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Commissary: Oh man, where do I begin? I really like Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Frankie Lymon, James Brown, Michael Jackson, you know, the ones who paved the way for today’s artists. Today’s artists are wonderful at their craft, but if it had not been for these guys, they wouldn’t have even stood in a chance in the first place. It’s so easy to be an artist in the digital age, that’s why a lot of people are pursuing it. But back then, when it was just you in a recording booth with no Pro Tools, no Auto Tune, none of the fancy technological advancements of today’s world, you see what true talent is. And not to mention, these guys had to record full songs in one take because the record labels back then didn’t like to invest large amounts of money on recording equipment/materials. Isn’t that ridiculous? It’s just berserk every time I think about it. But presently, I enjoy Reach Records, His Glory Alone, Flame, Rhyme Council, shai linne, k-Drama, Hillsong, and Kari Jobe just to name a few.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Commissary: Honestly man, my ultimate goal is to point my listeners to Jesus Christ. A lot of people in my genre come into this thing with that heart and with that mentality, but somewhere along the way, something goes wrong. I’m by no means a preacher or a teacher, but I know the impression that I want to leave on my listeners and that is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only way to God the Father and you must accept Him and repent from your sins to flee the Father’s wrath to come. Call me close minded, but I’m convinced that that’s the truth and what better way to share that to the masses than through the very music that God, the one who my music is about in the first place, has allowed me to make.
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
Commissary: I didn’t see this at first, but the longer I’ve been around; I realized that it’s politics. It has always been about who you know and not what you know, and honestly, I think that things will remain this way. We just have to accept it for what it is and keep persevering and pursuing despite what others try to do.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Commissary: Honestly, I wouldn’t. Everything isn’t really all what it is cracked up to be and I would let aspiring artists know that. I’m sort of unofficially working with a young dude right now. He’s only fifteen years old and I try to constantly tell him that he should only be doing this for the love of it and not to attain a certain level or status.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you have been given to by others in the music industry.
Commissary: To be true to myself and to never imitate anyone else. That’s the key to longevity, just being yourself and not a carbon copy of the hottest thing at the moment.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Commissary: Christian Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop no matter what you place in front of it, but since I’m a Christian, I feel the need to say Christian because I want to show people that I’m set apart from the rest and the music that I make is not the norm.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
Commissary: It would have to be my song “I See You” from my debut album “Secure Attachment”. The entire project itself shows a lot of progression from my EP “The Inception” which I put out back in August of 2006. I felt like I tackled social issues but not only for the sake of just making a song about them to make the listeners aware, but I gave a solution.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Commissary: You can check out my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/commissary or my EPK at www.sonicbids.com/commissary. If you like what you hear, you can make your way on over to www.createspace.com/1741437 and order “Secure Attachment” for $10.00.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Commissary: I’d like to thank Porscha Jones and the Nu Millenium Records staff for playing a vital role in the assistance of releasing my debut project. I’d also like to thank Pastors Tone Bruno and Michael Phillips for helping me become the man that I need to be. Also, much love to my Orlando crew Royal, Germs, Will, Des, Jamaal, Logik, SincereOne, Young Evangelist, and my family His Glory Alone from Tampa.
Isaac: Any last words?
Commissary: Thanks so much for this opportunity Isaac. We need more opportunities like this for independent artists out there. If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns about what I said, hit me up on my MySpace.
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Photo by Krista Petelle
Christian Hip-Hop artist Commissary is taking the popular genre into new heights and casting his own spiritual spin on it. The artist is also reaching out to thousands of Christians through his music. What makes this artist a special gem is his devotion to our Lord, his passion to bring Christian music to the masses, and his love to entertain others. Here is what developed.
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Commissary: To my knowledge, my family has little to no musical history. But my first memory of music, that I recall, dates back to around 1990-91 when I was only a small child living in my hometown of Huntsville, Alabama. My older brother, Thoris, had an enormous cassette tape collection of Hip Hop and R&B. He owned music from Bobby Brown, Oaktown 3-5-7, and countless other artists. We shared a room at the time and I always remember being around as he listened to his tapes or to the radio. I was also a big fan of MC Hammer. Do you remember the short lived animated television show that he had? Haha, it was hilarious. His catchy music, colorful clothing, and unique dance moves instantly amazed me. It was during this time when my older brother took me to see him live in concert at the Von Braun Civic Center along with Heavy D and Boyz II Men. That was an amazing event! And as the years progressed, my brother continued to expose to me to mainly Hip-Hop and R&B and as I grew older, I began to watch music videos, listen to the radio, and purchase music on my own.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up a mic in the first place?
Commissary: The love of the art form had been inside of me since childhood, so I guess it was only natural. And once I had realized that everybody is either an aspiring rapper, actor, or model, I conformed and wanted to rap as well, haha. But honestly, just the influence of the Hip-Hop culture itself drew me to want to express myself through emceeing. For so long, I had seen it done but for the first time ever, I wanted to be the one conveying the message so I decided to give lyric writing a shot back in the year 2000.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Commissary: I had absolutely no idea. My intention was just to try it for the sake of, but once I realized how therapeutic writing was, I kept on doing it. Growing up, I was forced to suppress a lot of inner emotions and was never truly allowed to freely express myself, and once God opened up a door for me to do so, I basically ran with it.
Photo by Claude Studios
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Commissary: There are a lot of extremely talented performers out there, but I would have to go with Smokey Robinson and/or Stevie Wonder. I’m a big fan of older music and not only that, but these guys are living legends and it would be an honor to work with them. I would no doubt be crushed under the weight of their wisdom. But if the right opportunity presented itself and if my beliefs or integrity weren’t in danger of being compromised, then I would definitely consider working with either Smokey or Stevie.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Commissary: Oh man, where do I begin? I really like Jackie Wilson, Elvis Presley, Frankie Lymon, James Brown, Michael Jackson, you know, the ones who paved the way for today’s artists. Today’s artists are wonderful at their craft, but if it had not been for these guys, they wouldn’t have even stood in a chance in the first place. It’s so easy to be an artist in the digital age, that’s why a lot of people are pursuing it. But back then, when it was just you in a recording booth with no Pro Tools, no Auto Tune, none of the fancy technological advancements of today’s world, you see what true talent is. And not to mention, these guys had to record full songs in one take because the record labels back then didn’t like to invest large amounts of money on recording equipment/materials. Isn’t that ridiculous? It’s just berserk every time I think about it. But presently, I enjoy Reach Records, His Glory Alone, Flame, Rhyme Council, shai linne, k-Drama, Hillsong, and Kari Jobe just to name a few.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Commissary: Honestly man, my ultimate goal is to point my listeners to Jesus Christ. A lot of people in my genre come into this thing with that heart and with that mentality, but somewhere along the way, something goes wrong. I’m by no means a preacher or a teacher, but I know the impression that I want to leave on my listeners and that is that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the only way to God the Father and you must accept Him and repent from your sins to flee the Father’s wrath to come. Call me close minded, but I’m convinced that that’s the truth and what better way to share that to the masses than through the very music that God, the one who my music is about in the first place, has allowed me to make.
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
Commissary: I didn’t see this at first, but the longer I’ve been around; I realized that it’s politics. It has always been about who you know and not what you know, and honestly, I think that things will remain this way. We just have to accept it for what it is and keep persevering and pursuing despite what others try to do.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Commissary: Honestly, I wouldn’t. Everything isn’t really all what it is cracked up to be and I would let aspiring artists know that. I’m sort of unofficially working with a young dude right now. He’s only fifteen years old and I try to constantly tell him that he should only be doing this for the love of it and not to attain a certain level or status.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you have been given to by others in the music industry.
Commissary: To be true to myself and to never imitate anyone else. That’s the key to longevity, just being yourself and not a carbon copy of the hottest thing at the moment.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Commissary: Christian Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop is Hip-Hop no matter what you place in front of it, but since I’m a Christian, I feel the need to say Christian because I want to show people that I’m set apart from the rest and the music that I make is not the norm.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
Commissary: It would have to be my song “I See You” from my debut album “Secure Attachment”. The entire project itself shows a lot of progression from my EP “The Inception” which I put out back in August of 2006. I felt like I tackled social issues but not only for the sake of just making a song about them to make the listeners aware, but I gave a solution.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Commissary: You can check out my MySpace page at www.myspace.com/commissary or my EPK at www.sonicbids.com/commissary. If you like what you hear, you can make your way on over to www.createspace.com/1741437 and order “Secure Attachment” for $10.00.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Commissary: I’d like to thank Porscha Jones and the Nu Millenium Records staff for playing a vital role in the assistance of releasing my debut project. I’d also like to thank Pastors Tone Bruno and Michael Phillips for helping me become the man that I need to be. Also, much love to my Orlando crew Royal, Germs, Will, Des, Jamaal, Logik, SincereOne, Young Evangelist, and my family His Glory Alone from Tampa.
Isaac: Any last words?
Commissary: Thanks so much for this opportunity Isaac. We need more opportunities like this for independent artists out there. If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns about what I said, hit me up on my MySpace.
David Leinweber
Music Interview with David Leinweber
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Meet Folk and Rock Singer/Songwriter David Leinweber who candidly speaks to our Webzine about his incredible history with music, his major influences in the music industry, and his role today in the music industry. Here is our online meeting that readers of this Webzine will find fascinating. Enjoy!
Online Bio:
David Leinweber has played in a wide variety of venues and musical styles, ranging from rock, to blues, to folk, to gospel. He has been featured as the "Flatpicking Professor" Dr. Leinweber at the Scottish Bluegrass Association Festival in Perth, Scotland and has also performed widely at regional acoustic music festivals in the South.
He has shared the stage with many fine musicians. His influences include Dylan, Neil Young, The Dead, Clapton, Norman Blake and Doc Watson.
Leinweber has taught piano and guitar for 25 years. He has extensive experience as a studio musician, as a songwriter, and as an arranger. In addition to his solo efforts, he has performed on many records, demos, and CDs by other artists. His music has been featured on radio and in many concerts throughout the Atlanta area.
Interview:
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
David: I come from a very musical family. My maternal grandfather was a fine pianist and played most Sundays for the Methodist Church where he was a lifelong member. He also taught most of the kids in his area piano lessons. Even though he died in the seventies, I still run into people who learned piano from my Grandfather whenever I visit my Mom. My uncle is Clark Bedford, a really excellent pianist and organist and his brother, my other uncle, is a fine saxophone player up in the Thumb of Michigan who’s played in a popular dance band since the late forties. My Mom’s also a fine pianist and she teaches piano and plays a lot for area Churches.
Isaac: Wow!
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
David: I had piano lessons as a kid so by the time I was a teenager I was able to play the piano for Church, festivals, and the like. I still play the piano a lot and have been able to serve Churches with it. I’ve also made a decent side income from playing piano for weddings, restaurants, etc. I teach piano lessons and enjoy that.
The guitar came along when I was 12 years old, which I now realize was a life-changing, marker-moment event. My folks gave me a Harmony guitar for my birthday – one of those old warhorse guitars like you can hardly buy anymore. I was a full-size dreadnaught shape and it did stay in tune so you could really play it. On the other hand, it had a pretty high action – like a lot of inexpensive guitars used to have back in those days before they started using computers and lasers to measure and cut guitar-necks like they do today. The tone was pretty harsh and un-resonant. But man, did I play old guitar a lot. I wore it out, literally. By the time I was a senior in high-school and got a better guitar that Harmony’s old fret-board was completely grooved from my fingers, and the finish had been totally worn off the back of the neck, especially down around the first five frets – not to mention all the dings and chips in the top and sides!!!
There’s a picture of me on my web-site playing that old Harmony guitar and in a strange sort of way, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see that Harmony as my favorite guitar – even though I really love my Martin HD-28, which is an absolutely flawless flat-top. When I was around nineteen, I left the old Harmony guitar at a friend’s house and his little brother trashed the thing. I was kind of upset, but hey, that’s what you get for being careless, right. Anyway, I’d like to have it back sometimes, just for sentimental reasons, but it’s long-gone.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
David: Well, I wish I could say I thought that far ahead when I was a teenager!!! I wasn’t like these kids I see today who have their whole lives planned out by the time they are twelve. On the other hand, I really loved music and when I started to get into Rock & Roll around the age of 15 or 16, boy did things change. Yes, at that point, I really wanted to be a Rock & Roll guitar player. I also really loved the Singer-Songwriter stuff – and I always will – but during the teen years I really went for the heavy rock that was popular on FM radio back in those days—anything from Mott the Hoople and Deep Purple to Detroit rockers like Seger, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and The Rockets. I wanted to play in a kick-ass band so bad I could taste it. I wasn’t really a poser either, just into the image. I spent a lot of lonely hours with my guitar learning songs, chords, and, later, lead chops. I’ve never really quit playing since those days, even these many years later. So I guess in a way I got my wish, sort of, lol.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
David: Wow, that’s a hard one in a way. I guess my most significant “Idol” or role-model for guitar has always been Eric Clapton – the consummate guitarist. I like just about everything he’s ever done, though the stuff he’s done since the mid-eighties or so represents another era of his music I relate to less. But the stuff he did from the Yardbirds on through his solo albums – 461 Ocean BLVD, No Reason to Cry, Backless, Slowhand – those are such great albums, and they influenced me so heavily. And, of course, there is Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, easily one of the greatest albums ever in terms of guitar-playing, as well as being a great collection of songs and rock jams in general – Tell the Truth, Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad, Key to the Highway, I Looked Away --- well, the whole album is just great. To this day, I can play virtually all those songs from those early Clapton records, if asked. I love them so much. So of all the artists who I’d love to jam with if given the opportunity, I’d guess it would mean the most to me to have the chance to play with Eric Clapton.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
David: Well, there are so many – major acoustic influences include Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Seals and Crofts, the Eagles, and so many more. In terms of electric guitar, again there are so many; I’m a huge Stones fan, and love the rhythm guitar of Keith Richards. Jimmy Page was an absolute wizard both in terms of the technical aspects of his playing, but even more so in the creative and cool things he did with the guitar and his songwriting. I’m a huge Allman Brothers Band fan – love Duane and Dickey Betts. I’m also an old Detroit boy, so I love the straight-up Rock that came out of that city in the sixties and seventies. I love the way the Detroit guitarists – especially Drew Abbot (Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band) and Jim McCarty (Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and the Rockets) – used to tear up those old classic, Chuck Berry Rock & Roll riffs. They really made the stock rock licks their own, with great bar-band arrangements and high-energy, very raw live performances.
In terms of acoustic music, I love the simple guitar-gems penned by Cat Stevens, back before he was Yusef Islam. I’ve always loved Gordon Lightfoot, and I respect him now more than ever. I enjoy Country and Bluegrass, when it is smart and thoughtful, which isn’t always. Ironically, I grew up saying I didn’t like Country, even though there was obviously a lot of country influence in acts I loved, like Neil Young, CSNY, the Eagles, Dylan, the Band, and many others. In my early twenties, I started listening to Doc Watson some and over the years I’ve learned to flatpick. In fact, to the extent I’m known for my guitar-playing, I would say it’s helped that I’ve done a lot of good Bluegrass gigs as a flatpicker. I love Bluegrass, but if you’re not careful it can get boring, redundant and every song sounds the same – just like Blues, Jazz or Baroque, for that matter. But Doc Watson is one of the best Folk and Bluegrass artists ever. A lot of guitarists tend to focus on technique and theory, overlooking the importance of having a great and interesting repertoire of cool songs – songs that tell stories or songs that need to be remembered for posterity. Doc Watson is not only one of the finest flat-top players ever, but, as important, he’s a great song-stylist and preserver of our musical heritage.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
David: Well, I’d certainly like the business end to continue to improve. I can’t complain, but I’d definitely like to take my music to the proverbial “next level” in terms of the business end of things, if you get my drift. I’ve learned that the business end of music is closely related to the music itself. Most aspects of playing music are beyond your control. No matter how hard you try, you can’t control whether or not somebody books you for a gig, or doesn’t want to pay you what you think you should get, or anything else. You can’t control how many people show up to see you play, which is always a factor in the business end of music. You can’t control whether people like you or not. You can’t control if the people who book you don’t know doodley squat about good music, or are jerks. You can’t control whether your stuff gets selected for this media endeavor or that one. The only thing you can really control is the music itself. Your music is the one thing that nobody can really take away from you. That’s the irony of it all. The only thing you can really control is how well you play, and how well-prepared you are for a gig. And at the end of the day, the best thing that you can do for the business end of things is to have great music, because music is the only thing you can really control. You have to keep working on the business end of things, but keep the focus on music, trusting that fate, karma or whatever will finally.
Isaac: Indeed!!
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
David: Oh boy, more painful truth time, eh??? Well, I think the live-music scene is not what it was. When I was in my early twenties, there were tons of places that had live-music, many of them small clubs, and many had music seven -nights a week, with full bands. But for whatever reason, I would say that there just isn’t as much live-music anymore. A lot of places now have Trivia, Karaoke – all at the expense of having live music. A lot of music also happens now in little “coffeehouses,” which can be very cool but are usually small-scale gigs, at best. It’s better somewhat if you are an acoustic act. Thank goodness I’ve got a nice acoustic act—The Silverbirds -- and can handle smaller gigs where, a) we are cheaper to the club owner and b) we are flexible to the space where we are playing. I’d hate to be a drummer.
Another painful truth? Oh boy. I think physical appearance and image is more important that I used to think it was in my more idealistic youth. MTV made appearance especially important, though the classic rock bands of my pre-MTV youth usually looked as cool as they played. In my darker moments, I have thought that if I had had a 28 inch waist I could have been a famous rock guitarist. But that didn’t happen, lol.
Probably the most important obstacle I’ve faced is finding good players to play music with. I’ve played with so many people of varying levels of ability. By the way, great players don’t all have to be virtuosos. You might find great entertainers, or good musical players who don’t necessarily have a lot of flash and trash, but who play with dynamics, a good ear, and know how to mix into a unit. Good players need to play in tune, they need to know a lot of songs in different styles and keys, and they need to add, not detract, from the overall sound. Oh, and for the most part, everybody you play with should be able to sing well and carry a harmony-note.
On a related note, it’s important that the people you play music with are responsible and available, as well as being good musicians. Musicians do have to be available, however. If you want steady work, you have to have a group that is around when the gigs come up. If you can put together a decent pick-up band for an occasional special gig, that’s OK to a point, but sooner or later you need a steady and reliable band so that booking agents, if nobody else, know what they are getting when they call. You can’t really build a good reputation with a pick-up band that changes players all the time. A pick-up band will also never really develop an A-grade repertoire or nicely-honed arrangements.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
David: I’m a little too countercultural for the mainstream, but here’s what I think: I believe in the parable of the talents, as taught by Christ in the Gospels. That is, we should develop the talents God gives us, to the best of our ability. I think a lot of young people, rightly nervous about professional and career goals, should remember Christ’s humble admonition to develop our talents. Life holds no guarantees. At the end of the day, developing your individual talents is the only thing you can really control. If you have the potential to be a good musician who can really play, then God wants you to develop that talent. And you know what? You are more “practical” developing a God-given talent like music than you are than going to college and spending tens of thousands of dollars majoring in something somebody else tells you is practical, or just finding something you can pass in order to graduate. You’d be better off as a bar-tender or truck-driver. Seriously!!
So my advice is to find your talents and develop them. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Develop your talent!!! That’s what you can control, and that’s what you won’t regret down the road. That’s true for music, and it’s probably true for everything else in life.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
David: Finish your songs. For many years, I was one of those guys who had had several decent original songs I could play. But for every original song of mine I could play from beginning to end, I had ten more “ideas” for songs that I never seemed to finish. Some of these “ideas” were years old. So finish your songs!!! Force yourself. Some finished songs will turn out better than others, but you need to finish your songs to build a catalog of originals. The gems will stand out, over time.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
David: Wow, another question where I could go on and on. I like most guitar-based forms of music – Rock, Blues, Country, and Bluegrass, to name the major genres. I guess the label that would be most encompassing and appropriate would be “Folk-Rock,” since it kind of encapsulates all the different things I like. I love Bluegrass and Acoustic music, I love Rock, I love Folk, I love the Blues, and I love well-written songs, as in the Singer-Songwriter genre. So Folk-Rock seems the vaguest moniker but therefore perhaps the most applicable.
I also love Traditional Hymns, but I guess that’s another story.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
David: Another tough question in terms of narrowing it down. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs were like a guitar-playing Bible for me, and I guess it’s probably still my favorite album, among the many other recordings I dearly cherish. For acoustic music, I would cite the following records as not only being recordings I wore out, but also recordings that heavily influenced me: James Taylor’s Greatest Hits, Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens, and Gord’s Gold, by Gordon Lightfoot.
For my own stuff, I guess my new disc Silverbird would be a favorite, since it was the first disc I did of all original songs. I’ve even more excited about the upcoming Silverbird II disc, later in 2010.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
David: Check out my web-site at www.davidleinweber.com. There are some downloads on there. I’m also on iTunes and other digital downloading sites, especially two of my folk CDs, and two recordings of Traditional Hymns I did. As I said, my newest project Silverbird is something I’m excited about since it’s a move more towards original songs than the earlier folk and traditional recordings I was doing. The Silverbird disc is available when I perform and I’m also working to get-it on-line. The Silverbird song Thursday Ride is available for download on my web-site, as is Mitch Ryder Revisited. Both these songs are about growing up in the Detroit area, my musical roots, as well as getting on a bit. If you would like the disc, you can order a physical disc via my web-site e-mail at david@davidleinweberl.com.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
David: Well, of course I’d like to thank my parents. My mom used to grade student essays waiting in the car (she was a High School English teacher) while I was taking my piano lessons. Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad for your love and support, too.
Also, I’d like to thank Mrs. Mildred Benson of Union Lake, Michigan. She was my piano teacher. She was one of the best piano teachers in the state of Michigan, as far as I’m concerned. As well as being a very fine pianist who could not only do the classical music, she also played great boogies and “schmaltz” style piano. She was a stickler for music theory. She emphasized scales and chords, along with developing a repertoire of songs. It’s stuck with me over the years. Her lessons helped me in all things musical, not just the piano alone. She was wonderful. Really great.
There are so many others -- musicians I’ve met along the way, some whose names I never knew or can’t recall – I’ve learned from all of them.
Isaac: Any last words?
David: Who knows what the future has in store? Focus on the music; it’s the only thing you can really control. Hopefully the other elements will follow. I’m going to continue to work on writing songs.
Come to our shows.
Oh, and God bless everybody.
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Meet Folk and Rock Singer/Songwriter David Leinweber who candidly speaks to our Webzine about his incredible history with music, his major influences in the music industry, and his role today in the music industry. Here is our online meeting that readers of this Webzine will find fascinating. Enjoy!
Online Bio:
David Leinweber has played in a wide variety of venues and musical styles, ranging from rock, to blues, to folk, to gospel. He has been featured as the "Flatpicking Professor" Dr. Leinweber at the Scottish Bluegrass Association Festival in Perth, Scotland and has also performed widely at regional acoustic music festivals in the South.
He has shared the stage with many fine musicians. His influences include Dylan, Neil Young, The Dead, Clapton, Norman Blake and Doc Watson.
Leinweber has taught piano and guitar for 25 years. He has extensive experience as a studio musician, as a songwriter, and as an arranger. In addition to his solo efforts, he has performed on many records, demos, and CDs by other artists. His music has been featured on radio and in many concerts throughout the Atlanta area.
Interview:
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
David: I come from a very musical family. My maternal grandfather was a fine pianist and played most Sundays for the Methodist Church where he was a lifelong member. He also taught most of the kids in his area piano lessons. Even though he died in the seventies, I still run into people who learned piano from my Grandfather whenever I visit my Mom. My uncle is Clark Bedford, a really excellent pianist and organist and his brother, my other uncle, is a fine saxophone player up in the Thumb of Michigan who’s played in a popular dance band since the late forties. My Mom’s also a fine pianist and she teaches piano and plays a lot for area Churches.
Isaac: Wow!
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
David: I had piano lessons as a kid so by the time I was a teenager I was able to play the piano for Church, festivals, and the like. I still play the piano a lot and have been able to serve Churches with it. I’ve also made a decent side income from playing piano for weddings, restaurants, etc. I teach piano lessons and enjoy that.
The guitar came along when I was 12 years old, which I now realize was a life-changing, marker-moment event. My folks gave me a Harmony guitar for my birthday – one of those old warhorse guitars like you can hardly buy anymore. I was a full-size dreadnaught shape and it did stay in tune so you could really play it. On the other hand, it had a pretty high action – like a lot of inexpensive guitars used to have back in those days before they started using computers and lasers to measure and cut guitar-necks like they do today. The tone was pretty harsh and un-resonant. But man, did I play old guitar a lot. I wore it out, literally. By the time I was a senior in high-school and got a better guitar that Harmony’s old fret-board was completely grooved from my fingers, and the finish had been totally worn off the back of the neck, especially down around the first five frets – not to mention all the dings and chips in the top and sides!!!
There’s a picture of me on my web-site playing that old Harmony guitar and in a strange sort of way, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve come to see that Harmony as my favorite guitar – even though I really love my Martin HD-28, which is an absolutely flawless flat-top. When I was around nineteen, I left the old Harmony guitar at a friend’s house and his little brother trashed the thing. I was kind of upset, but hey, that’s what you get for being careless, right. Anyway, I’d like to have it back sometimes, just for sentimental reasons, but it’s long-gone.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
David: Well, I wish I could say I thought that far ahead when I was a teenager!!! I wasn’t like these kids I see today who have their whole lives planned out by the time they are twelve. On the other hand, I really loved music and when I started to get into Rock & Roll around the age of 15 or 16, boy did things change. Yes, at that point, I really wanted to be a Rock & Roll guitar player. I also really loved the Singer-Songwriter stuff – and I always will – but during the teen years I really went for the heavy rock that was popular on FM radio back in those days—anything from Mott the Hoople and Deep Purple to Detroit rockers like Seger, Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and The Rockets. I wanted to play in a kick-ass band so bad I could taste it. I wasn’t really a poser either, just into the image. I spent a lot of lonely hours with my guitar learning songs, chords, and, later, lead chops. I’ve never really quit playing since those days, even these many years later. So I guess in a way I got my wish, sort of, lol.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
David: Wow, that’s a hard one in a way. I guess my most significant “Idol” or role-model for guitar has always been Eric Clapton – the consummate guitarist. I like just about everything he’s ever done, though the stuff he’s done since the mid-eighties or so represents another era of his music I relate to less. But the stuff he did from the Yardbirds on through his solo albums – 461 Ocean BLVD, No Reason to Cry, Backless, Slowhand – those are such great albums, and they influenced me so heavily. And, of course, there is Derek and the Dominos Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, easily one of the greatest albums ever in terms of guitar-playing, as well as being a great collection of songs and rock jams in general – Tell the Truth, Why Does Love Got to Be So Sad, Key to the Highway, I Looked Away --- well, the whole album is just great. To this day, I can play virtually all those songs from those early Clapton records, if asked. I love them so much. So of all the artists who I’d love to jam with if given the opportunity, I’d guess it would mean the most to me to have the chance to play with Eric Clapton.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
David: Well, there are so many – major acoustic influences include Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Croce, Seals and Crofts, the Eagles, and so many more. In terms of electric guitar, again there are so many; I’m a huge Stones fan, and love the rhythm guitar of Keith Richards. Jimmy Page was an absolute wizard both in terms of the technical aspects of his playing, but even more so in the creative and cool things he did with the guitar and his songwriting. I’m a huge Allman Brothers Band fan – love Duane and Dickey Betts. I’m also an old Detroit boy, so I love the straight-up Rock that came out of that city in the sixties and seventies. I love the way the Detroit guitarists – especially Drew Abbot (Bob Seger’s Silver Bullet Band) and Jim McCarty (Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels, and the Rockets) – used to tear up those old classic, Chuck Berry Rock & Roll riffs. They really made the stock rock licks their own, with great bar-band arrangements and high-energy, very raw live performances.
In terms of acoustic music, I love the simple guitar-gems penned by Cat Stevens, back before he was Yusef Islam. I’ve always loved Gordon Lightfoot, and I respect him now more than ever. I enjoy Country and Bluegrass, when it is smart and thoughtful, which isn’t always. Ironically, I grew up saying I didn’t like Country, even though there was obviously a lot of country influence in acts I loved, like Neil Young, CSNY, the Eagles, Dylan, the Band, and many others. In my early twenties, I started listening to Doc Watson some and over the years I’ve learned to flatpick. In fact, to the extent I’m known for my guitar-playing, I would say it’s helped that I’ve done a lot of good Bluegrass gigs as a flatpicker. I love Bluegrass, but if you’re not careful it can get boring, redundant and every song sounds the same – just like Blues, Jazz or Baroque, for that matter. But Doc Watson is one of the best Folk and Bluegrass artists ever. A lot of guitarists tend to focus on technique and theory, overlooking the importance of having a great and interesting repertoire of cool songs – songs that tell stories or songs that need to be remembered for posterity. Doc Watson is not only one of the finest flat-top players ever, but, as important, he’s a great song-stylist and preserver of our musical heritage.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
David: Well, I’d certainly like the business end to continue to improve. I can’t complain, but I’d definitely like to take my music to the proverbial “next level” in terms of the business end of things, if you get my drift. I’ve learned that the business end of music is closely related to the music itself. Most aspects of playing music are beyond your control. No matter how hard you try, you can’t control whether or not somebody books you for a gig, or doesn’t want to pay you what you think you should get, or anything else. You can’t control how many people show up to see you play, which is always a factor in the business end of music. You can’t control whether people like you or not. You can’t control if the people who book you don’t know doodley squat about good music, or are jerks. You can’t control whether your stuff gets selected for this media endeavor or that one. The only thing you can really control is the music itself. Your music is the one thing that nobody can really take away from you. That’s the irony of it all. The only thing you can really control is how well you play, and how well-prepared you are for a gig. And at the end of the day, the best thing that you can do for the business end of things is to have great music, because music is the only thing you can really control. You have to keep working on the business end of things, but keep the focus on music, trusting that fate, karma or whatever will finally.
Isaac: Indeed!!
Isaac: What has been some of the obstacles it has taken to get this far in your career?
David: Oh boy, more painful truth time, eh??? Well, I think the live-music scene is not what it was. When I was in my early twenties, there were tons of places that had live-music, many of them small clubs, and many had music seven -nights a week, with full bands. But for whatever reason, I would say that there just isn’t as much live-music anymore. A lot of places now have Trivia, Karaoke – all at the expense of having live music. A lot of music also happens now in little “coffeehouses,” which can be very cool but are usually small-scale gigs, at best. It’s better somewhat if you are an acoustic act. Thank goodness I’ve got a nice acoustic act—The Silverbirds -- and can handle smaller gigs where, a) we are cheaper to the club owner and b) we are flexible to the space where we are playing. I’d hate to be a drummer.
Another painful truth? Oh boy. I think physical appearance and image is more important that I used to think it was in my more idealistic youth. MTV made appearance especially important, though the classic rock bands of my pre-MTV youth usually looked as cool as they played. In my darker moments, I have thought that if I had had a 28 inch waist I could have been a famous rock guitarist. But that didn’t happen, lol.
Probably the most important obstacle I’ve faced is finding good players to play music with. I’ve played with so many people of varying levels of ability. By the way, great players don’t all have to be virtuosos. You might find great entertainers, or good musical players who don’t necessarily have a lot of flash and trash, but who play with dynamics, a good ear, and know how to mix into a unit. Good players need to play in tune, they need to know a lot of songs in different styles and keys, and they need to add, not detract, from the overall sound. Oh, and for the most part, everybody you play with should be able to sing well and carry a harmony-note.
On a related note, it’s important that the people you play music with are responsible and available, as well as being good musicians. Musicians do have to be available, however. If you want steady work, you have to have a group that is around when the gigs come up. If you can put together a decent pick-up band for an occasional special gig, that’s OK to a point, but sooner or later you need a steady and reliable band so that booking agents, if nobody else, know what they are getting when they call. You can’t really build a good reputation with a pick-up band that changes players all the time. A pick-up band will also never really develop an A-grade repertoire or nicely-honed arrangements.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
David: I’m a little too countercultural for the mainstream, but here’s what I think: I believe in the parable of the talents, as taught by Christ in the Gospels. That is, we should develop the talents God gives us, to the best of our ability. I think a lot of young people, rightly nervous about professional and career goals, should remember Christ’s humble admonition to develop our talents. Life holds no guarantees. At the end of the day, developing your individual talents is the only thing you can really control. If you have the potential to be a good musician who can really play, then God wants you to develop that talent. And you know what? You are more “practical” developing a God-given talent like music than you are than going to college and spending tens of thousands of dollars majoring in something somebody else tells you is practical, or just finding something you can pass in order to graduate. You’d be better off as a bar-tender or truck-driver. Seriously!!
So my advice is to find your talents and develop them. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? Develop your talent!!! That’s what you can control, and that’s what you won’t regret down the road. That’s true for music, and it’s probably true for everything else in life.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
David: Finish your songs. For many years, I was one of those guys who had had several decent original songs I could play. But for every original song of mine I could play from beginning to end, I had ten more “ideas” for songs that I never seemed to finish. Some of these “ideas” were years old. So finish your songs!!! Force yourself. Some finished songs will turn out better than others, but you need to finish your songs to build a catalog of originals. The gems will stand out, over time.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
David: Wow, another question where I could go on and on. I like most guitar-based forms of music – Rock, Blues, Country, and Bluegrass, to name the major genres. I guess the label that would be most encompassing and appropriate would be “Folk-Rock,” since it kind of encapsulates all the different things I like. I love Bluegrass and Acoustic music, I love Rock, I love Folk, I love the Blues, and I love well-written songs, as in the Singer-Songwriter genre. So Folk-Rock seems the vaguest moniker but therefore perhaps the most applicable.
I also love Traditional Hymns, but I guess that’s another story.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
David: Another tough question in terms of narrowing it down. Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs were like a guitar-playing Bible for me, and I guess it’s probably still my favorite album, among the many other recordings I dearly cherish. For acoustic music, I would cite the following records as not only being recordings I wore out, but also recordings that heavily influenced me: James Taylor’s Greatest Hits, Teaser and the Firecat by Cat Stevens, and Gord’s Gold, by Gordon Lightfoot.
For my own stuff, I guess my new disc Silverbird would be a favorite, since it was the first disc I did of all original songs. I’ve even more excited about the upcoming Silverbird II disc, later in 2010.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
David: Check out my web-site at www.davidleinweber.com. There are some downloads on there. I’m also on iTunes and other digital downloading sites, especially two of my folk CDs, and two recordings of Traditional Hymns I did. As I said, my newest project Silverbird is something I’m excited about since it’s a move more towards original songs than the earlier folk and traditional recordings I was doing. The Silverbird disc is available when I perform and I’m also working to get-it on-line. The Silverbird song Thursday Ride is available for download on my web-site, as is Mitch Ryder Revisited. Both these songs are about growing up in the Detroit area, my musical roots, as well as getting on a bit. If you would like the disc, you can order a physical disc via my web-site e-mail at david@davidleinweberl.com.
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
David: Well, of course I’d like to thank my parents. My mom used to grade student essays waiting in the car (she was a High School English teacher) while I was taking my piano lessons. Thanks Mom. Thanks Dad for your love and support, too.
Also, I’d like to thank Mrs. Mildred Benson of Union Lake, Michigan. She was my piano teacher. She was one of the best piano teachers in the state of Michigan, as far as I’m concerned. As well as being a very fine pianist who could not only do the classical music, she also played great boogies and “schmaltz” style piano. She was a stickler for music theory. She emphasized scales and chords, along with developing a repertoire of songs. It’s stuck with me over the years. Her lessons helped me in all things musical, not just the piano alone. She was wonderful. Really great.
There are so many others -- musicians I’ve met along the way, some whose names I never knew or can’t recall – I’ve learned from all of them.
Isaac: Any last words?
David: Who knows what the future has in store? Focus on the music; it’s the only thing you can really control. Hopefully the other elements will follow. I’m going to continue to work on writing songs.
Come to our shows.
Oh, and God bless everybody.
Shaken
Music Interview with Shaken
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine is enjoying the spiritual message that Shaken is giving to their fan especially showing others that the band has a strong faith, love, and devotion to our Lord. This is the driving force behind the band’s passion to minister to others through their music. One of the biggest appeals is that Shaken takes Heavy Metal/Hard Rock to a new spiritual level without losing the hard edge of ... << MORE >>
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our Webzine is enjoying the spiritual message that Shaken is giving to their fan especially showing others that the band has a strong faith, love, and devotion to our Lord. This is the driving force behind the band’s passion to minister to others through their music. One of the biggest appeals is that Shaken takes Heavy Metal/Hard Rock to a new spiritual level without losing the hard edge of ... << MORE >>
Bud Buckley
Music Interview with Bud Buckley
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
Photo by Dick Stevens
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Bud Buckley is one of those rare treats that you do not want to miss out on within the music industry. He sings with passion and soul that clearly shows why he is meant to make music. The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter is also a masterful guitarist and many of his skillful playing can be heard throughout his music. In this recent spotlight with our Webzine, Bud speaks candidly about his music. Here is what developed.
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Bud: I often dread this question because the truth is there are too many influences to mention. I’d have to leave people out. I’m a product of everything that has passed in front of me. That being said, even while in the womb, the radio was always playing and it was everything from big band to modern jazz to earlier rock and even show music. I steadfastly avoided church music and opera, however. Which is only a shame in that most of my friends who grew up in Southern Baptist churches…learned to harmonize during those marathons Sunday services. But, it probably wouldn’t have worked for me because I have a natural tendency to rebel against any kind of organized belief system. My father and sister played piano and violin. My Mom worked hard to learn piano on her own. My older brother pretended to play piano to make us laugh. My younger brother was a natural and became quite an accomplished jazz bass player.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
Bud: The example of my family made me want to play but the nuns and my tendency to be more of a daydreamer than a disciplined learner, held me up for many years. The nuns told me I was too stupid to learn piano and couldn’t sing and I obediently believed them. I was forced to overcome these obstacles by the necessity to have a classroom tool when I became a teacher. I didn’t know much about teaching and needed a gimmick. So I bought a hock shop Gibson and an easy Beatles book and taught myself out of the need for survival. The kids loved it way better than when I tried to teach math or spelling.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Bud: When I hit my teenage years all I could think of was attracting girls, earning enough to buy cars and playing the radio. Learning an instrument was even harder work than that so it had to wait. After all, I still believed in my stupidity. I didn’t think about turning pro until I was near the end of my teaching career.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Bud: I absolutely adore working with Helen Avakian, my producer who can span any genre. Same is true with the rest of my studio band. They have helped me put together two great CDs. If I were to branch out it, I would need to find somebody to give me a groove I haven’t played around with much yet on my own. Truth is…I like going solo because it is less complicated than trying to schedule rehearsals and dealing with competing egos. Helen and I have come to a very workable accommodation, though, built on openness and trust. If I found another person like her, I’d certainly have a go. But just listen to her back up vocals and guitar on my CDs and you’ll see what I mean.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Bud: Ah, here we go with the threat of leaving somebody out again. Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Dylan, John Melencamp, Tom Petty, Paul Simon--those are the names I’m often associated with. I’m waiting to see what Pandora comes up with. Neil Young and Jackson Browne are two old favs of mine as is Bruce Springsteen. I like John Mayer a lot as a writer and singer. I never had a need to match any dude’s licks on the guitar, though. I just express myself the way I do. I’m still evolving there. I like Damien Rice a lot as an emotional singer/songwriter. Rob Thomas has a voice I really enjoy. I’m gonna stop there because I’ve already left out too many.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Bud: I’m open to small regional tours with the occasional big festival thrown in. That’s why you see me doing Musikfest up in Bethlehem, PA with a lot of little concerts in the northeast built around that. I’m doing the Orion Indie Music Fest to kick off the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January. I’ll be doing three gigs there. Then I’m doing a showcase at the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA in February. If anything develops out of those things, fine but I’m not a fan of cold weather. That’s why I moved out of New York to be in southwest Florida. My ultimate goal is to sell some music to sync with movies and TV. I’m listed in a lot of agencies for that but it’s maddening that people who pick that stuff wants you to sound like everybody else who is already hot. They seem happy with doing the same damn thing over and over and over. My favorite review of me is by Chris Propfe of Muse’s Muse who said, “Bud Buckley plays music I want to hear on the radio which is why I don’t listen to the radio.”
Isaac: What have been some of the obstacles to getting this far in your career?
Bud: Really, the biggest was the lack of belief in myself when I was young. That still haunts me from time to time. Now it’s a case of having started so late in life to go pro, I’m competing with a younger crowd for attention. Too many people don’t buy music, they steal it. Many older people don’t seem to be open to anything that doesn’t sound like what they were listening to when their radios broke in 1972. People like to latch on to what’s already popular. So artists like me need to just keep creating and hope to catch the right kind of attention. It takes inordinate amounts of time to play the web that way. I’m hip to what I have to do; I’d just have to give up sleeping eating and being married to get it done very soon. So I keep looking for what I think might be my best shot.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Bud: If they are willing to do what I just described, yes. I’ve seen so many talented young people invest their entire lives in trying to reach stardom only to be left without a career or any other skills they can market at an advanced age. My younger brother is a tragic prime example. He passed away recently. So I think it’s absolutely essential to have a day job that could take you into retirement comfortably. To ignore that is a serious mistake.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
Bud: Besides “Don’t Quit Your Day Job?” Be passionate, be different but be you, work your ass off, don’t wait to get discovered, find your niche, network. Sing in the right key for your voice. I know that’s eight, right? I’ve never been accused of being smart.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Bud: Acoustic rock but I can get a little folky, a little country and even a little Bosa. I don’t like to stay in the same playground on the same swing set. As a very young child, I wandered all over Philly and later South Jersey on my own. I didn’t wander into places that were not safe and I’m the same with music. I like to sample different things but I’m not gonna feel safe in metal, jazz, hip hop, gospel, old timey folk, blue grass or the most stereotypical kind of country, show tunes or opera. My feeling is that people who like those genres aren’t gonna want to listen to me messin’ with them.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
Bud: I don’t pick favorites very comfortably. It’s an old teacher thing. My songs are my kids. I like all my work or I wouldn’t play it. If I fall out of love with it, and there are a few of those, I stop performing it. I might not even put it up for adoption.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Bud: I’m all over the place. My main site is http://budbuckley.com,
You can get two of my CD's for $10 if you join my fan site at Reverbnation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/budbuckley?add_email=true
My promo video is www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkSFn8niDk
You can hear my entire CD at http://itsabouttime.com
My electronic press kit (EPK) is http://sonicbids.com/budbuckley
My CDs and downloads are at CDBaby.com/budbuckley
I’m also found at Amazon.com
I’m on too many web radio stations to mention and of course I’m on iTunes,
Rhapsody and all those download sites.
Google me and there are pages and pages of ME ME ME
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Bud: My wife, Cathy Lewis, is the soul of everything I do. Without her there is no inspiration or even movement away from the snack bar. She is the center of my life. I’ve already mentioned Helen Avakian, dear friend and mentor. I need to point out the influence of Davis Turner, an astounding musician who plays mostly the Amelia Island and that North Florida, South Georgia scene. He was the first to insist that I could play out and generously gave me the stage at his gigs on Amelia many years ago. I have many close family and friends who have given me their love and encouragement. I have written about or am writing about all of them. They all show up in my songs in one form or another. I’m still close to many students I taught in public school years ago. One in particular, Kathy Feeney, is a co-writer of mine and a frequent muse. And Jenny Elliott has communicated with me every day since she was about 12. Makes me realize my day job was important. And again, I get to the point where there are just too many people to mention. I have dear friends that are like family and I have family who are dear friends. It’s a lucky man who can’t name them all on one page.
Isaac: Any last words?
Bud: Teaching and music have both taught me that in any crowd, somebody will love you and somebody won’t. I’ve learned not to take myself too seriously. I have no regrets--only some hard learning experience. I used to be afraid of dying. Now I understand that you live on this particular plane as long as somebody remembers your smile and the sound of your laugh or your song. So I don’t feel like I’ll ever be gone.
See Bud's Promo Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkSFn8niDk
Click here to listen to Bud's entire new CD http://ItsAboutTimeCD.com
Click here to join Bud's Fan Club and be eligible for frequent freebies!.
http://www.reverbnation.com/budbuckley?add_email=true
Bud's Electronic Press Kit: http://www.sonicbids.com/BudBuckley
Bud's Web Site http://budbuckley.com
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By: Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Bud Buckley is one of those rare treats that you do not want to miss out on within the music industry. He sings with passion and soul that clearly shows why he is meant to make music. The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter is also a masterful guitarist and many of his skillful playing can be heard throughout his music. In this recent spotlight with our Webzine, Bud speaks candidly about his music. Here is what developed.
Isaac: We'd love to know about your inspirations growing up. I hear so many influences in your music. How old were you when you first discovered music? Is there any kind of musical history in your family?
Bud: I often dread this question because the truth is there are too many influences to mention. I’d have to leave people out. I’m a product of everything that has passed in front of me. That being said, even while in the womb, the radio was always playing and it was everything from big band to modern jazz to earlier rock and even show music. I steadfastly avoided church music and opera, however. Which is only a shame in that most of my friends who grew up in Southern Baptist churches…learned to harmonize during those marathons Sunday services. But, it probably wouldn’t have worked for me because I have a natural tendency to rebel against any kind of organized belief system. My father and sister played piano and violin. My Mom worked hard to learn piano on her own. My older brother pretended to play piano to make us laugh. My younger brother was a natural and became quite an accomplished jazz bass player.
Isaac: What drew you to pick up an instrument in the first place?
Bud: The example of my family made me want to play but the nuns and my tendency to be more of a daydreamer than a disciplined learner, held me up for many years. The nuns told me I was too stupid to learn piano and couldn’t sing and I obediently believed them. I was forced to overcome these obstacles by the necessity to have a classroom tool when I became a teacher. I didn’t know much about teaching and needed a gimmick. So I bought a hock shop Gibson and an easy Beatles book and taught myself out of the need for survival. The kids loved it way better than when I tried to teach math or spelling.
Isaac: As you hit your teenage years, did you know that this was what you would be doing for the rest of your life?
Bud: When I hit my teenage years all I could think of was attracting girls, earning enough to buy cars and playing the radio. Learning an instrument was even harder work than that so it had to wait. After all, I still believed in my stupidity. I didn’t think about turning pro until I was near the end of my teaching career.
Isaac: Is there a performer in any genre of pop culture that you would like to work with?
Bud: I absolutely adore working with Helen Avakian, my producer who can span any genre. Same is true with the rest of my studio band. They have helped me put together two great CDs. If I were to branch out it, I would need to find somebody to give me a groove I haven’t played around with much yet on my own. Truth is…I like going solo because it is less complicated than trying to schedule rehearsals and dealing with competing egos. Helen and I have come to a very workable accommodation, though, built on openness and trust. If I found another person like her, I’d certainly have a go. But just listen to her back up vocals and guitar on my CDs and you’ll see what I mean.
Isaac: Who are some musicians that you really like, present or past?
Bud: Ah, here we go with the threat of leaving somebody out again. Buddy Holly, The Beatles, Dylan, John Melencamp, Tom Petty, Paul Simon--those are the names I’m often associated with. I’m waiting to see what Pandora comes up with. Neil Young and Jackson Browne are two old favs of mine as is Bruce Springsteen. I like John Mayer a lot as a writer and singer. I never had a need to match any dude’s licks on the guitar, though. I just express myself the way I do. I’m still evolving there. I like Damien Rice a lot as an emotional singer/songwriter. Rob Thomas has a voice I really enjoy. I’m gonna stop there because I’ve already left out too many.
Isaac: What is your ultimate goal with your music career?
Bud: I’m open to small regional tours with the occasional big festival thrown in. That’s why you see me doing Musikfest up in Bethlehem, PA with a lot of little concerts in the northeast built around that. I’m doing the Orion Indie Music Fest to kick off the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah in January. I’ll be doing three gigs there. Then I’m doing a showcase at the Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA in February. If anything develops out of those things, fine but I’m not a fan of cold weather. That’s why I moved out of New York to be in southwest Florida. My ultimate goal is to sell some music to sync with movies and TV. I’m listed in a lot of agencies for that but it’s maddening that people who pick that stuff wants you to sound like everybody else who is already hot. They seem happy with doing the same damn thing over and over and over. My favorite review of me is by Chris Propfe of Muse’s Muse who said, “Bud Buckley plays music I want to hear on the radio which is why I don’t listen to the radio.”
Isaac: What have been some of the obstacles to getting this far in your career?
Bud: Really, the biggest was the lack of belief in myself when I was young. That still haunts me from time to time. Now it’s a case of having started so late in life to go pro, I’m competing with a younger crowd for attention. Too many people don’t buy music, they steal it. Many older people don’t seem to be open to anything that doesn’t sound like what they were listening to when their radios broke in 1972. People like to latch on to what’s already popular. So artists like me need to just keep creating and hope to catch the right kind of attention. It takes inordinate amounts of time to play the web that way. I’m hip to what I have to do; I’d just have to give up sleeping eating and being married to get it done very soon. So I keep looking for what I think might be my best shot.
Isaac: Would you recommend this "field" to others who are aspiring to be musicians like you?
Bud: If they are willing to do what I just described, yes. I’ve seen so many talented young people invest their entire lives in trying to reach stardom only to be left without a career or any other skills they can market at an advanced age. My younger brother is a tragic prime example. He passed away recently. So I think it’s absolutely essential to have a day job that could take you into retirement comfortably. To ignore that is a serious mistake.
Isaac: Describe one piece of advice you've have been given to by others in the music industry.
Bud: Besides “Don’t Quit Your Day Job?” Be passionate, be different but be you, work your ass off, don’t wait to get discovered, find your niche, network. Sing in the right key for your voice. I know that’s eight, right? I’ve never been accused of being smart.
Isaac: What genre of music do you consider most of your music?
Bud: Acoustic rock but I can get a little folky, a little country and even a little Bosa. I don’t like to stay in the same playground on the same swing set. As a very young child, I wandered all over Philly and later South Jersey on my own. I didn’t wander into places that were not safe and I’m the same with music. I like to sample different things but I’m not gonna feel safe in metal, jazz, hip hop, gospel, old timey folk, blue grass or the most stereotypical kind of country, show tunes or opera. My feeling is that people who like those genres aren’t gonna want to listen to me messin’ with them.
Isaac: What has been your favorite piece of work?
Bud: I don’t pick favorites very comfortably. It’s an old teacher thing. My songs are my kids. I like all my work or I wouldn’t play it. If I fall out of love with it, and there are a few of those, I stop performing it. I might not even put it up for adoption.
Isaac: How can fans-to-be gain access to your music? Do you have a website with sample songs or a demo CD?
Bud: I’m all over the place. My main site is http://budbuckley.com,
You can get two of my CD's for $10 if you join my fan site at Reverbnation:
http://www.reverbnation.com/budbuckley?add_email=true
My promo video is www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkSFn8niDk
You can hear my entire CD at http://itsabouttime.com
My electronic press kit (EPK) is http://sonicbids.com/budbuckley
My CDs and downloads are at CDBaby.com/budbuckley
I’m also found at Amazon.com
I’m on too many web radio stations to mention and of course I’m on iTunes,
Rhapsody and all those download sites.
Google me and there are pages and pages of ME ME ME
Isaac: Is there anyone you’d like to acknowledge for offering financial or emotional support?
Bud: My wife, Cathy Lewis, is the soul of everything I do. Without her there is no inspiration or even movement away from the snack bar. She is the center of my life. I’ve already mentioned Helen Avakian, dear friend and mentor. I need to point out the influence of Davis Turner, an astounding musician who plays mostly the Amelia Island and that North Florida, South Georgia scene. He was the first to insist that I could play out and generously gave me the stage at his gigs on Amelia many years ago. I have many close family and friends who have given me their love and encouragement. I have written about or am writing about all of them. They all show up in my songs in one form or another. I’m still close to many students I taught in public school years ago. One in particular, Kathy Feeney, is a co-writer of mine and a frequent muse. And Jenny Elliott has communicated with me every day since she was about 12. Makes me realize my day job was important. And again, I get to the point where there are just too many people to mention. I have dear friends that are like family and I have family who are dear friends. It’s a lucky man who can’t name them all on one page.
Isaac: Any last words?
Bud: Teaching and music have both taught me that in any crowd, somebody will love you and somebody won’t. I’ve learned not to take myself too seriously. I have no regrets--only some hard learning experience. I used to be afraid of dying. Now I understand that you live on this particular plane as long as somebody remembers your smile and the sound of your laugh or your song. So I don’t feel like I’ll ever be gone.
See Bud's Promo Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVkSFn8niDk
Click here to listen to Bud's entire new CD http://ItsAboutTimeCD.com
Click here to join Bud's Fan Club and be eligible for frequent freebies!.
http://www.reverbnation.com/budbuckley?add_email=true
Bud's Electronic Press Kit: http://www.sonicbids.com/BudBuckley
Bud's Web Site http://budbuckley.com
Malnack
Music Interview with Malnack
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our next interview brings us to the indie band Malnack who is making some wonderful music that this Webzine thinks music fans will enjoy. When I spoke to Brent Malnack of Malnack, the musician opened up about his band and what music fans can expect from them. Here is what developed. c Isaac: I just listened to ... << MORE >>
Music Now Artist/Band Spotlight Weekly Series
By Isaac Davis Jr., BGS, MBA
Our next interview brings us to the indie band Malnack who is making some wonderful music that this Webzine thinks music fans will enjoy. When I spoke to Brent Malnack of Malnack, the musician opened up about his band and what music fans can expect from them. Here is what developed. c Isaac: I just listened to ... << MORE >>
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