Justin Fancy is a homegrown east coast Canadian musician whose love for guitar was passed down to him from many influences including a beloved uncle at the tender age of 13.
Born and raised in Conception Bay South, Justin’s roots are firmly planted in the rocky Newfoundland soil with family hailing from Notre Dame Bay, specifically Change Islands and Fogo Island.
His passion to perform was cultivated during his summers spent in Lewisporte with family and friends, where his whimsical, musically inclined extended family would gather around him and his guitar and sing for hours.
Although he could play you just about any tune due to his phonological memory, Justin’s major musical influences lay primary in country and western musical genres, where the likes of Merle Haggard, George Jones, The Eagles, and Alan Jackson have inspired his personal songwriting.
His genuine demeanor and musical talents landed him a spot in Canadian Idol’s top 200 in 2008 and traveled to Toronto to compete with Canada’s best. This was a defining moment in his music career, which catapulted him to earnestly pursue a career in music.
Later that year, he started entertaining and singing all over Newfoundland and became a desirable man in George Street pubs and around the city.
When he landed a contract to perform on the Marine Atlantic Ferry in 2010, he met Gord Cormier, a music industry veteran who was kind enough to take Justin under his wing. He is forever grateful for the valuable insight and mentorship Gord has provided him over the years. That same year, Justin got his first taste of radio play with the release of his rendition of “Colleen Malone,” which still receives airtime today.
As an innate collaborator, Justin has been an integral part of several musical groups. After Canadian Idol, himself and 3 other contestants joined to form Caught in the Act, which toured Newfoundland for 2 years before pursuing individual careers.
Justin also had traditional Newfoundland and Irish roots and in 2014, himself and a good friend, John Dale, formed Eastern Passage, which released a debut album that same year. Their album was nominated for the Celtic/Traditional Album of the Year by MusicNL in 2015. Justin wrote one of the featured singles, “The Tide”, which is still played on the radio today. He also engineered and produced this album with bandmate, Steve Oakley.
His latest venture focuses on recording his first solo country album, which will include all original music and compositions. This project will highlight his lived experiences and feature songs he has written over the years.
All in all, Justin has had a longstanding, vested interest in the music industry. He is a well-connected and well-rounded individual who has turned his passion for singing and playing into an established career. His journey has been marked by music makers and storytellers who share his commitment to his craft.
His young daughter, Kayleigh, is an endless source of support and motivation, as well as inspiration to his music.
Tarzanaland is an American country duo consisting of vocalist Kelly Kidd (from Houston, Texas) and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Gallmeier (from New York).
The young band emerged in Los Angeles late 2015 after several years of starting their careers in honky-tonks (the Podunk Poets) and on the dance floor (Mot & Krid).
Both had met several years before when Kidd had asked Gallmeier to drum in a new project. He agreed and together they went on to sign a songwriting/production deal with Grammy-winning producer Glen Ballard.
Kidd is most known for fronting and touring with the traditional country band The Podunk Poets all over the U.S. and making appearances at country music festivals including STAGECOACH.
Gallmeier’s unique songwriting/production releases have landed him on several European charts.
Combining Kidd’s and Gallmeier’s unique musical experiences, their music has been tagged as a pop country – transitioning from the traditional country feel to their own hybrid modern sound and lyrical focus about cutting loose, forgiveness, political satire and personal evolution.
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Tell us your name, country of birth and childhood experience.
Vocalist Kelly Kidd is from Houston, Texas and multi-instrumentalist Thomas Gallmeier was born in New York and grew up in Germany. We both discovered our passion for music at an early age, singing and playing drums.
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Tell us how you discover country music.
Kelly’s mom was an event planner in Houston and would run oilmen and convention folks thru tourist attractions. One of the places was Gilley’s. So Kidd, as a small child, came to know and meet many legendary country music acts such as Tammy Wynette & George Jones. It was here, Kelly became mesmerized by the songs and show business stylings of classic country. Clint Black would become a family friend and sang at his mother’s wedding.
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Brief us your experience creating your first song.
Well, we both had different experiences individually; however, writing our first song together naturally came about, after having worked together in different bands and in the studio on various sessions. The first Tarzanaland song we created was ‘Saving Grace.’
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List the name of the artists that have influenced you.
Currently, Glen Campbell’s vocal stylings mixed with classic fun party songwriters like Johnny Paycheck. Country artists that have been famous for putting on a great show, from Buck Owens to even today’s Florida Georgia Line. Those are the types of acts that inspire us to celebrate a county lifestyle.
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Discuss the difference between the old school songs and new school songs.
There wouldn’t be new without the old. We can appreciate the journey of country music from its roots – The difference being the production style. We believe it comes down to how you want to dance. The craving for a lot of folks currently is a pop country crossover. It lends its self to big grooves and heavy beats that can create some line dancing heaven. There’s no better way to flirt with someone than to have them step down!
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Discuss the evolution in the sound of country music.
Well, it all started in the churches – The hymns, the heart and soul of storytelling. Along with the evolution of pop culture, country music found itself going through its own trial and error. Sometimes the music itself got lost to trends or the fashion of the moment.
At the end of it all, it’s the country lifestyle that keeps its fans together. We can’t keep comparing the old country to new. After all, in the pop world, nobody is talking about why Justin Bieber can’t be more like Sinatra. It’s a different world but again similar in lifestyle – Songs of sex, love, women, and partying. They sing about the same things but technology changed the production of the songwriting but not necessarily the lyrics.
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List the name of your favourite artists and state your reason.
George Jones – storyteller
Kasey Musgraves – risk taker
Morgan Wallen – fresh
Tammy Wynette – vocal goddess
Garth Brooks – showman
Loretta Lynn – a trailblazer
Buck Owens – classic
Lo Cash – brings the party…
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Explain what you understand by country music to the best of your knowledge.
It is music that comes from the heart and relates to people everywhere, from coast to coast and from small towns to big cities.
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Discuss country music in details.
True country music speaks to the heart of a community of folks who share a common ground.
The best songs are ones that folks can relate to – A breakup, faith, family, lifestyle, work, loss.
What better way to communicate a message than through music. Country music fans will always let you know whether or not you understand them.
They can elevate you to the next level in seconds.
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List the name of country music greatest producers and state your reason.
Billy Sherrill – that classic country sound we love. Stand By Your Man – the best.
Owen Bradly – that Nashville sound – Revolutionizing country as they use to know it.
Allen Reynolds – Garth Brooks magic!
Al De Lory – Glen Campbell’s Wichita Limeman – glorious.
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List the name of country music greatest songwriters and state your reason.
Dolly Parton – pitch-perfect top lines and stories
George Jones – set the bar
Merle Haggard – California trailblazer
Glen Campbell, Dierks Bentley, Garth Brooks, Chris Stapleton too many to name…
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List the name of country music greatest artists and state your reason.
Johnny Cash – rebel
Loretta Lynn – rebel
Tammy Wynette – Queen
George Jones – King
Dolly Parton – an iconic performer
Garth Brooks – brings us all together…
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Discuss the changes that can benefit country music.
A movement to celebrate more female artists in a male-driven industry – We have friends at Rebelle Road Production leading that charge out of L.A. We believe in that mission.
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Tell us how you compose or write lyrics.
We let the melody dictate the emotion of the lyrics – Always.
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Tell us how you make the beat.
We prefer calling it songwriting. We usually start with a melody idea or chord progression that triggers an emotion or memory of an experience. Then get a groove that supports the idea and the rest will fall into place.
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Brief us your recording experience in the studio.
We have gone full circle, from being artists or session musicians that showed up to be recorded, working with producers and engineers to producing and engineering our own sessions these days.
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Tell us how you get involved in country music.
Be a fan first. The rest will present itself.
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Tell us your gain and loss as an artist.
The gain is to express yourself and share your journey through life with an audience. For that you might give up some financial stability, your life will certainly less predictable.
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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist.
It may sound trivial however it is true, never give up. And always play and write from the heart.
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Discuss the music industry.
It has completely changed over the past ten years or so. It’s all DIY now. Social media rules and Spotify is King. Playlist or no list!
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State your future goal.
Meeting and making new fans. We are getting ready to go on tour and might be coming to a town near you, starting November 13th, 2019.
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Discuss the process involved in making this song.
No No Song, our latest release, is a cover song of Ringo Starr’s Hit from the ’70. We really loved the lyrics and wanted to create a new soundscape that would re-interpret the fun and sarcasm and make it a great live performance track – Moonshine, pot-smoking, country cocaine, what could possibly go wrong?
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Tell us how you come up with the title of the song and your artist name.
No No Song – just sticking to the original title.
Tarzanaland – our studio is in Tarzana, California Just steps away from the Edgar Burroughs estate. We thought why Sugarland when you can get wild in Tarzanaland.
Natalie Jean is an award-winning, multi-nominated singer/ songwriter performer. She is also a Voting Member in the Recording Academy (GRAMMYS).
Natalie Jean is a versatile performer and singer. She sings and writes many genres, such as Jazz Pop, R&B, Blues, and Dance.
She can also sing in French, Spanish, English, and Creole.
Natalie Jean is mostly influenced by artists such as Lena Horne, Celine Dion, Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Ella Fitzgerald.
She has performed at many venues in the MD/DC. She also has performed in LA, New York, Nashville, and North Carolina.
She also appeared on WPFW, a Jazz station in Washington DC.
She has been nominated over 70 times for her music and has won many awards. Most recently, Natalie Jean received 10 nominations in the 2018 Josie Music Awards, World Artist of The Year, Vocalist of The Year, Female Artist of The Year – Multi-genre, Best Music Video – for The Letting Go, Album of The Year – Haiti Mwen Renmenw, Jazz Blues Song of The Year – Haiti, Folk/Americana Song of The Year – The Letting Go, Pop Song of The Year, Alive. Best Musical Collaboration – The Letting Go, and Best Musical Collaboration – Moncler – with Darick Spears.
She has also received several nominations in the 2018 KICMA Awards, Entertainer of The Year, Female Vocalist, Vocal Duo with Levi Moore, Music Video of The Year – Natalie Jean and Levi Moore, and Radio Single of The Year – The Letting Go.
She won Female Artist of The Year – Multi-Genre and Folk/Americana Song of The Year for The Letting Go. The 2018 KICMA Awards, she won Entertainer of The Year. She is also nominated in the 2018 AMG Music Awards for Mainstream Artist. She was the Gold Medal Winner in the 2017 Global Music Awards for Female Pop Vocalist for her song “L’Amour a L’Infini.
In the 2017 American Songwriting Awards, her song “Red Room-The Remix” won in the Dance category. World Artist of The Year (Multiple Languages) winner in the 2017 Josie Music Awards, Bronze Medal Winner for her World Album “Haiti Mwen Renmenw” in the 2017 Global Music Awards, and Best World Song “La Pe” – in the Clouzine International Music Awards. Also, her song “Red Room – The Remix and Se Kanaval are a finalist in the 2017 UK Songwriting Contest. Her song Lan Nuit No Tounin Lougarou is a Semi-Finalist in the 2017 UK Songwriting Contest.
Most recently, her song “Smoking Ke Fan” was a finalist in the 2018 International Acoustic Music Awards, “The Letting Go” nominated in the 2018 Atlas Elite Entertainment Music Awards for best country song, and “The Letting Go” Best Americana Song in the 2018 Clouzine International Music Award and a Silver Medal in The Global Music Awards for Best Music Video and Country Song.
The Letting Go was nominated in the 2018 American Songwriting Awards. Best Music Video in the Berlin Flash Film Festival. She was also received third place in the OWMR Music Awards for Best World/Global Fusion Album and was nominated for People’s Choice.
She has released five albums and five music videos thus far. The first released in 2013 a pop/jazz album, called “Obsession,” second released in 2014, a Jazz album called “Natalie Jean,” and a French Pop/Dance album called “Lecons D’Amour,” released in 2015.
Her 4th album “Unafraid,” was released on July 8th, 2016. Her new album “Haiti Mwen Renmenw” was released on July 14th, 2017. Her latest single, “The Letting Go” a duet with Levi Moore, was released on February 14, 2018. “The Letting Go” has received many awards for the song and the music video, which you can find on her website.
She has recently released Christian Inspirational Song, “He Loves Me,” Holiday Single, “All I Want”, and “What Would Do for Love?”, “You Don’t Know Me”, “Lost & Found (co-write with Michael Peloso)”, and ‘No Control.”
Currently, she has six nominations in the 2019 KICMA Awards, (Songwriter of The Year, Radio Single of The Year (Lost & Found and You Don’t Know Me”), Song of The Year (What Would You Do for Love? and Lost & Found), and Female Vocalist of The Year). In the 2019 Josie Music Awards, thus far, she has 10 nominations (Multi-Genre Vocalist and Artist of The Year, Jazz Vocalist of The Year, Songwriter (Full Body of Work), Video of The Year – Female (Lost & Found), Best Musical Collaboration (No Control – with Trevor Sewell) R&B Soul – Say You’ll Be mine (written by Rebeka Rain and Mick Evans Pop Contemporary Song) – “Lost & Found” Natalie Jean (Michael Peloso and Natalie Jean songwriter), Entertainer of The Year (Multi-Genre), Music Video – Male – Michael Peloso (Featuring Natalie Jean), Stand Album Various Artists – Lantern Lane Music).
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Tell us how to refine a demo to a mastered song.
To refine a demo to a mastered song, you definitely want to make sure the sound levels are adjusted for radio airplay and that the song’s instrumentation is properly mixed.
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Discuss the processing involved in creating a song.
For me, I think of a theme for my song. From that point, I write the lyrics. Once the lyrics have been created, I come up with a melody. I give my ideas to my producer, Alexi Von Guggenberg, and we create beautiful music together.
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Elaborate on the themes of most of your songs.
Most of my themes have been about my own personal experience; love, heartbreak, depression, resilience, breakups, etc. But most recently, I have been writing about what is going on around the world.
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Tell us your greatest musical works up to date.
I would say that my most popular songs would be “Se Kanaval” (which is a Haitian Creole song) and “Red Room- Remix (Dance Song); both of these songs have charted on Broadjam.
The Letting Go (Americana Song) has won a ton of awards, and What Would You Do for Love? (Country/Americana song) won a Silver Medal for Female Vocalist and Social Impact in 2019 Global Music Awards. Also, it has been streamed over 50,000 times on Spotify.
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Tell us those behind your music process.
It would be me and my amazing music producer, Alexi Von Guggenberg.
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Tell us how you are handling the promotion of your music.
I self-promote and I also use sites like Music Submit, Play MPE, and CDX Traction.
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Tell us your future goals and how you aim to accomplish.
I am working on a couple of collaborations. I am releasing a Holiday song in Spanish on September 16th. I am also working on an album. The theme of the album will be on aspects of what is going on in the world. I want to be an effective player in life. I want to make music that makes people think. I want to make a difference. My end goal is to create a tour.
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Tell us what you think has changed in the music industry.
In my opinion, in certain genres, there is a lot more creativity. I think that some genres are being merged together, which can bring a wonderful new sound.
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Tell the greatest mistake to avoid while making a song.
I think the worst mistake a person can make, is to try to be someone they are not.
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Tell us how you boost your performance.
I meditate before I perform.
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Explain the structure of the song.
I usually have two verses, chorus, two verses, chorus, bridge, and then the chorus.
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State your musical skills.
I am a vocalist. I am learning to play the piano.
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Tell if you consider acting in a movie.
I would definitely consider acting in a movie.
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Tell us how you eliminate noise in your recordings.
You definitely need to have acoustic panels and check the room tone.
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List the name of artists you cherish most.
Nina Simone, Celine Dion, Ella Fitzgerald, and Freddie Mercury
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Tell us how you get inspiration.
My inspiration comes from my life or from something I have seen on television or my surroundings.
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Elaborate on the song.
My most recent song “What Would You Do for Love?’ is about immigration. I am not trying to change anyone’s mind. But I would like for people to place themselves in other people shoes to see what they would do in the name of love.
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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.
Natalie Jean is my birth name, which is French.
The title of the song “What Would You Do for Love? – asks the listener, what are they are willing to sacrifice for a loved one.
Versatile Haitian American Singer/Songwriter Natalie Jean
Releases New Country Single “What Would You Do For Love?
Natalie Jean is a very rare kind of vocalist – Winning recognition across the most diverse of musical genres and quite comfortable performing in English, French, and Creole.
What Would You Do For Love? Wins a Silver Medal in the 2019 Global Music Awards in the category of Social Impact and Female Vocalist!
Natalie Jean is excited to announce the much-anticipated release of her Country single, titled, “What Would You Do For Love? Produced by Alexi Von Guggenberg, is readily available for purchase nationwide at the iTunes Store, Amazon.com, Google Play, and various digital online stores.
“What You Do For Love?” is a close to perfection as it gets-not a note is wasted, not a verse senseless, overlong or discordant; each bar is crafted, skilfully put together by an artist and production crew, who know something about their work, which regrettably seems rare these days.
The lyrics are meaningful, poignant, and urgent; the song displays a powerful sense of social awareness as Natalie Jean understands that emotion, without subsequent action, is as tenuous as vapor.
Coming from New England, Erin Gibney puts a new and refreshing spin on country music.
She has been performing since she was 11 years old and came to Nashville in September 2016 to record the beginning 2 songs in her first album.
After falling in love with the city, she decided to move to Nashville this year to be closer to the studio and producer helping to make her music possible.
Along with singing live around Nashville, Gibney worked hard on her debut album, BOLD, which was released on April 12th, 2018.
Gibney has had the incredible honour of working alongside well-known and respected Nashville musicians under the guidance of her producer, Buddy Hyatt, for this album.
These Grammy and CMA winning musicians include Brent Mason, Bobby Terry, Zach Allen, Wayne Killius, Duncan Mullins, Scott Sanders, Hale White, and Buddy Hyatt himself.
Gibney now is excited to introduce her newest single, July.
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Tell us what your fans are saying about your music.
My fans have called my latest music, “beautiful and poetic.” Words like these are such incredible compliments to receive and I am so thankful for everyone’s positive feedback.
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Tell us the factors you consider in choosing a song as your favourite.
Lyrics are a huge factor when choosing a song as my favourite. I love hearing an artist’s story put to music.
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Tell us the names of producers you will collaborate with if you have the chance.
I currently love working with my producer, Buddy Hyatt, in Nashville. I would love to also work with people like Jay Joyce, Maren Morris, and Chris Stapleton.
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Tell us the names of the songwriters you will collaborate with if you have the chance.
I would love to work and write with Shane McAnally and Josh Osborne.
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Tell us your favourite TV show and state your reason.
‘Friends’ is by far my favourite television show because it always keeps me in a good mood and laughing.
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Tell us your best mood to create a song.
I think I am most creative when I’m confused or conflicted. I always find the answers to my problems when I’m forming them into a song.
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Tell us your interpretation of fame or success.
I think fame and success are very different things. Fame is when people know your name, but success is when you leave a lasting, positive impact on those people.
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Tell us the names of artists you will collaborate with if you have the chance.
I would love to collaborate with Bruce Springsteen, Kelsea Ballerini, Maren Morris, Gavin DeGraw, Keith Urban, and Carrie Underwood.
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Tell us about your experience performing on stage for the first time or recording in the studio for the first time.
The first time I ever recorded in a recording studio was a life-changing moment for me. I was 17 and recording my first ever single. I remember hearing my music come alive over my headphones and I was overcome with joy and awe. The experience has motivated me to keep creating music for people to enjoy.
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Tell us how you approach songwriting.
I approach songwriting like I would if I was writing a story about my life. I put my experiences onto paper and organize them to fit a melody.
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Tell us your opinion on blending genres or experimenting with sound.
I love the idea of blending genres and experimenting with sound. Artists should feel free to create music even if it doesn’t fit their current genre.
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Tell us how you deal with rejection.
I see rejection as an opportunity to grow. Taking people’s constructive criticism is the only way to grow as a writer and person.
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Elaborate on what compels you to sing.
I sing because music is a way to unite people. I think to be a part of something that influential is really beautiful.
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Tell us the comparison between digital recording and analog recording.
Digital recordings are great because they can be archived forever on a computer or device. Analog is a great option because you’re receiving your music in its physical form.
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Tell us how you record your vocals.
I record my vocals in the studio.
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Tell us the software you used mostly for recording.
I use ProTools when recording for the most part.
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Discuss the selling of CDs and selling of digital files through digital stores.
The selling of CDs and digital files both have their benefits. Selling CDs gives the artist a reasonable profit while selling digital files reaches a larger audience.
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Elaborate on the song.
‘July’ is a song about finding love in the heat of the summer. It is soft, sweet, and melodic as the music takes the listener through a story of falling in love.
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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.
My name is Erin Gibney, my given name, and my song, “July,” is my new summer single.
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Share your press release and review with us.
Country Singer/ Songwriter, Erin Gibney Announces New Summer Single, June 28th, 2019Nashville, Tennessee
Following the release of her March single, King of Hearts, Erin Gibney puts out a refreshing song about young love (out 6/28/19).
The lyrics run through a story of falling in love in the heat of summer, a theme much different from Gibney’s past music.
While the singer usually writes of heartbreak, lyrics in her new single, July, are uniquely lighter. She sings, “I thought ‘this is forever, you and me together…’” and “he sleeps so purely in the light of a summer morning.”
Erin Gibney is a country singer/songwriter from New England who moved to Nashville in 2017. Upon her move, Gibney attended Belmont University as a Music Business major and worked on her debut EP, Bold.
She has auditioned for television shows such as NBC The Voice, American Idol, and America’s Got Talent.
Gibney’s love for performing drove her to sing in places like Douglas Corner and Puckett’s Grocery and Restaurant.
‘July’ is a song about finding a selfless and unconditional love. She takes the listener through a story of her infatuation with a boy, using words like, “God, I’m so in love.”
Rune Nyby and Per Øyvind Mathisen is Down South Pepper band.
DSP band hails from the northernmost part of Norway, a little Lappish village called Kvalsund that is just as far north as Wainwright, Alaska.
We have Sámi blood running in our veins, and grew up with the sound of the Sámi music yoik under the midnight sun. But even up in Kvalsund, we found cassette tapes with Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, we loved it.
When we were around 12 years old we started learning playing guitar, and very soon we started making our own songs. A couple of friends joined us, and we started our first band when we were 14 years old.
We made our own music and played at local parties and events. We loved to make music and perform and meet people that were out to enjoy a good time and nice music.
Then at a point, we took a break from making music, it would last for more than twenty years. This lasted until Rune bought a digital 8 track recorder and started testing it out. We were both thrilled by the possibilities such a recorder gave when it comes to songwriting and exchanging of ideas. Soon Per bought his own recorder and the music making was back on track again.
So now we are making our own kind of outlaw country music, with lyrics about anything that comes to our attention that we would like to comment from our distant point of view. Most of our songs tell a humorous story with a deeper underlying meaning.
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Share your press release and reviews with us.
Down South Pepper band have a new single release these days. The single is Every Time We Meet, an outlaw country/ Americana song about long-lasting friendship. This is a heartfelt, catchy, melodious and unplugged song.
All instruments are acoustic and unplugged, and the vocals are rough and emotional.
This song is distributed to country radio stations all over the world and is also available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, TIDAL, Amazon and all other streaming services out there.
Radio Host Dixie McCorkell about Every Time We Meet: “WOW, that’s GORGEOUS!”
Swedish Radio DJ Åke Stentoft: “Very competent music. Vocals and instrumentation are perfect.”
Nordic Music Review about Down South Pepper band: “… it’s told in such a great way, and the jaunty musical accompaniments are impossible not to like, irrespective of your normal musical tastes.”
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List the names of those that have supported you so far in your music career and use this opportunity to thank them.
It means the entire world to us that our families are supporting us in our musical journey and have faith in what we are doing. We would also like to thank the phenomenal musician Lars Rune Rebbestad for his contribution to this, and other songs we have recorded, he really gives our music a finishing touch that lifts our songs to a higher level.
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Narrate your experience while recording in the studio or while touring.
Recording new songs is always a lot of fun. There are always so many choices and paths to choose from, that will all lead us in different directions on the song.
Shall the song be with acoustic guitars or do we need a more solid wall of sound behind the vocals, shall we have the country twang sound, or will it work better with a bluesy guitar sound? Then it is bassline, shall it just support the rhythm or does the bass need its own voice? Who will be the best fit on bass for this song? And then, piano, organ, jaw harp, and other instruments…Which one shall we choose? And how shall the lead vocal and the backing vocals harmonies be, do we need single backing harmony lines in the verses? How do we get the refrain to be outstanding? To arrange and record a song can be a complex task, but sometimes it comes to us just like that.
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Discuss your songwriting.
When we write a song it is often starting with a vague idea about which phenomena or situation we want to write about. It could be that one or we saw a TV program about a corrupt mayor and thought that this is something we want to comment on, and our way to comment will be to write a song.
Other times the song can just come to us when we’re sitting with our guitars and jamming. Suddenly a feeling, a riff or a chord progression is born and can develop into a whole song.
The writing of a song can take us from one day up to several years.
Sometimes a song can be put away for a long time, and then just like that come back one day as a complete song.
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Elaborate on your future projects.
We have a lot of projects going on; one of them is to make a vinyl album. We like the format of LP’s and we like the sound of the vinyl on the record player. The analog sound on vinyl is different from the digital sound that is used today, and the analog vinyl sound is perfect for our kind of music.
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Tell us what you are doing to increase your fan base.
Today fans can be everywhere, all over the world, and we are still able to communicate directly with them. Everything we want to say or tell goes through Facebook or Twitter and the fans get updated there and then.
The downside with this development is that one can easily drown in the flow of information that comes from every direction constantly.
If you don’t have any interesting news to tell for a few days, the Facebook algorithms are passing you down the fans’ feed and you will soon be forgotten.
So, it’s very important to be active and put a lot of effort into communicating with the fans.
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Tell us that point in time you wanted to give up on your music career.
There will always be a time when there is no inspiration and no progress in the songwriting and guitar playing. But then it is just to let the songwriting and creative guitar playing be for a few weeks and things will feel better again.
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Go into detail on how you make your instrumentation or melody.
We always start with the rhythm guitar along with the vocal melody, that is the core of the melody and all the other instruments will build upon that.
Bass will play the root of the chords and give the song its pulse, the drums keep the steady beat and complement solos and underline shifts in the song.
The solo guitar, steel guitar, dobro, and other solo instruments role is to spice up the song and contribute to the melody overall feeling.
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Tell us your complete understanding of music licensing.
Music licensing and copyright laws give us ownership of our music.
This means that we decide if we want to sell the rights to use our music.
We have some of our music in music libraries, and they will on our behalf sell the rights to use the songs in marketing, commercials or films.
If you make highly commercial music that sounds like a Billboard artist, you can probably make good money on music licensing for commercials, TV, and film.
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State your favourite genre of music.
We listen to all kinds of music, but we like outlaw country a lot, artists like Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, and Johnny Cash.
The rough, organic and unpolished outlaw music hits us straight in the heart and makes this our definite favourite.
We are not too fond of polished overproduced pop-country tunes with auto-tune and “wall of sound” mastering.
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Tell us the theme of most of your songs.
We always try to write about things that we are interested in. It can be corruption, unfairness in the society, people that have to work too hard to get their ends to meet, people that are captured and lured by trends and all kind of other things that come to our attention. You might say that our songs often are comments on life as we observe it.
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Elaborate on this song.
Our new song ‘Every Time We meet’ is a song about long-lasting friendship and how important that is – The kind of friendship that is an important part of your roots and identity, and how that can bring you back in time and give you new energy.
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Discuss digital distribution and streaming.
Digital distribution and streaming is a good thing. It brings the artist directly home to the fans without any delays and with very few distribution problems.
In the old days, you had to print a lot of CD’s and send them around the world that was very costly and slow distribution.
Today it goes quick, but on the other hand, there are so many artists and songs out there and it is getting very hard to stand out in the crowd.
When a listener can choose from thousands of new songs every day, and also the playlist curators mostly choose the artists with a big marketing budget, it’s hard to get the songs moving on Apple music, Amazon and Spotify.
The best we can do is just making good songs and let the fans know about them.
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Tell us numerous ways that artists can boost their revenue.
As an artist, you have to get your songs out on the radio, on TV, on curated playlists on Spotify and Apple music and you have to be visible to the fans by doing shows and concerts.
If you get a song on commercial radio you get income, if you get on YouTube hit you can earn some money and if your Spotify numbers exceed 100 million you get a few bucks from it.
We guess that playing your music live on stage is the main strategy for revenue, but the digital channels may help a bit too.
In the future, new business models for digital distribution might be better for the common artist, so it is good to be there and be active so you are a part of it when it starts generating more money.
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Tell us your opinion on self-training and enrolling in an educational institution to study music.
We are mostly self-educated, by listening to others and trying to figure out how they play and then use this in our own music.
But Per has also completed a university program in music theory and practical guitar techniques.
Both are very useful, it’s good to learn by trying and failing, but it is also very useful to learn about the theory and systems that it all builds upon.
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Go on at length on what it takes to write a hit song.
That’s tough. But we guess that it is a plus if the listener can recognize the patterns and that pattern is repeated in a certain way.
But to find the right patterns that are likable for a lot of people, that is not easy and it is only very few who manage to do so. But it helps too to have a solid marketing budget if you want to make a song to a hit because you will need a lot of airplay.
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State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
Our name is Down South Pepper band, a name that should reflect the kind of music we are making – Relaxed, unpolished and biting hot tasty music.
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State the title of the song and the meaning.
The song title ‘Every Time We Meet’ is taken from the lyrics. It underscores the main idea of the song, that is to meet a good old friend brings back old times and good feelings from back then.
Tell us your name, country of birth and childhood experience.
Randy Jack, born in Michigan in the United States and is an American Country Music singer/songwriter, Nashville recording artist, 2019 NACMAI Male Horizon Entertainer of the year and the ‘2019 The NACMAI Male Rising Star Vocalist of the year.’
At the tender age of four, my family was encouraging me to sing, especially my grandma Minder and my aunt Patricia.
My grandma would take me to afternoon jamborees and convince the band to let me sing. My aunt would teach me songs and sing with me on family trips.
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Tell us how you discover country music.
Every time I got into a family vehicle no matter who was driving, Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Hank Snow, Marty Robbins would all be on the car radio.
I recall summers playing in the back yard with my siblings while LP’s of Johnny Cash, Ray Price, Hank Snow, and many more would be streaming through the window screens all day long. I’m sure nobody at the time realized that I was absorbing country music and that this would lead to my writing and releasing what will be my fifth country album by the end of September.
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Brief us your experience creating your first song.
The first song that I wrote was written about twenty years ago then just put away for years. Last year I decided to record it in Nashville and see what the finished song would sound like. Well, the production was great! “Cross My Heart And Hope To Cry” will be released on “When April Comes Around” which is my next album to be released September 29, 2019. My current album has two of my originals on it: ‘She’s Up For Everything’ and ‘The Straits Of Mackinaw.’
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List the name of the artists that have influenced you.
Artists who have influenced me would be Alan Jackson, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Billy “Crash” Craddock, and Brooks & Dunn.
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Discuss the difference between the old school songs and new school songs.
The difference between new school and old school country is simple.
Presently, I know I’ll ruffle some feathers here but I believe the CMA is trying a little too hard to draw a younger crowd into country music from the Rap, Rock, and Pop genres by playing that type of music and calling it country.
Old school country music is a distinct sound with steel guitar, fiddle, and good harmony.
Harlan Howard said “a good country song is three chords and the truth.” in other words keep it simple.
Look at how many young fans Alan Jackson, George Strait, Brad Paisley, Travis Tritt, Blake Shelton, and numerous other artists have who stay traditional even if they expand a little. The traditional country draws young people on its own.
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Discuss the evolution in the sound of country music.
The evolution in the sound of country music today is that most fast songs are harder like in rock and roll, traditionally they’ve been a honky-tonk sound with fiddle steel and walking bass, or a boogie beat. This is again is a movement to lure a younger crowd and certainly, it’s working but the sound of country music today would not be recognized by the likes of Farron Young, Hank Williams, Ray Price and so on.
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List the name of your favourite artists and state your reason.
My favourite artists are George Strait because he stays traditional, hit after #1 hit, and Alan Jackson for the same reason, and Brad Paisley…Blake Shelton; because whatever they record stays traditional or does not stray far from traditional. I respect those guys.
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Discuss country music in details.
Country music is a story that might be about trucks, mama, trains, drinking or fishing, etc. but it’s a music with a soul that everyone can relate to because no matter what you’ve dealt with in your life there’s a country song about it I guarantee you!
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List the name of country music greatest producers and state your reason.
I have used three producers on my five projects. Billy Herzig, Chip Martin, and Stacy Hogan – I don’t know who in Nashville are the greatest producers but these are 3 very good ones.
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List the name of country music greatest songwriters and state your reason.
Country music’s greatest songwriters….of course, the great Harlan Howard all the number one hits he’s had , I think you have to put Taylor Swift in the mix because the way she paints a picture in a song that is so natural, one of my personal favourites and someone whom I’m a big fan of is Brice Long. I think he is a great writer and his songs think outside the box hit after hit with imagination and creativity. Brice also collaborates with many other great songwriters. And the great Merle Haggard! I think Merle needs no references for his music.
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List the name of country music greatest artists and state your reason.
Country’s greatest artist #1 George Strait! Just count the hits and find anyone in country music who doesn’t listen to George. Patsy Cline: because her smooth voice and her unique style have never been duplicated no matter who has tried. George Jones: because nobody sang like…
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Discuss the changes in country music.
The change in country music today is that it’s adapted a country/rock/pop/rap feel.
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Tell us how you compose or write lyrics.
When I write lyrics, for me the hook is where it starts. Sometimes I take the hook and write the song backward leading up to the hook.
Example “The Straits Of Mackinaw” hook “You’re in my arms in the straits of Mackinaw.” I then work on a line before the hook and another before that line until I have a place to begin. Once the chorus is written I write verses, then normally rewrite the song multiple times and often change directions multiple times before settling in on the finished product.
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Tell us how you make the beat.
The beat of the song for me comes from within me. When I write a song I begin to feel the mood and the beat/tempo of the song and as I read my lyrics. Once I establish that I stay true to the tempo for the rest of the song.
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Brief us your recording experience in the studio.
My recording experiences in Nashville were all great ones. I’m hands-on with my music but I let my producers take my creation and put their skills and experience to work bringing my idea to life.
Music comes from your soul so nobody can know what is in there other than you so you have to be hands-on as far as the direction of a song. When my producers make suggestions or tell something doesn’t work I can’t recall any time I didn’t take their advice.
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Tell us how you get involved in country music.
I’ve performed country music all my life. I went through a rock and roll phase but came right back to country music. It was a natural progression based on the music my family exposed me to.
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Tell us your gain and loss as an artist.
My gains as an artist have been all the great opportunities country music has given me, the great new friends I’ve made all over the world. The losses would be traveling, playing in honky-tonks till 2 AM as well as the hardships caused to the family.
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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist.
Move to Nashville, be in the middle of everything possible and record, and write and get out to the clubs and events to meet people, play for free if you have to in order to be heard and most of all don’t give up your dream.
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Discuss the music industry.
The music industry as a whole suffers from streaming sites where people can hear your music without buying it. The minute amount of money you get from these sites is not anywhere near what you get from purchase sites.
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State your future goal.
My future goals are to perform as often as possible and to do well at this year’s NACMAI in Pigeon Forge Tennessee in March. I have a concert scheduled at Michigan. The last one of the year my home state this September 28th. My 5th album “When April Comes Around” is coming out September 29th. Look for a song called “My Hero First” which is already getting great reviews.
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Discuss the process involved in making this song.
I was playing the guitar one afternoon and heard this guitar lick in my mind, sexy, soft, belly rubbing guitar lick. I started playing with it and then began writing down words this started at 1 AM and was finished by 6 AM.
After about 16 rewrites “She’s Up For Everything” was ready to copyright.
During the writing of this song, I tried to imagine explaining a relationship to someone who couldn’t possibly understand its substance… This helped me write the lyrics.
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Tell us everything we need to know about the song.
The song is romantic and emotional. To quote Alan Jackson “I’m just the singer of simple songs” and that’s the way I write – Simple and with as much feeling and passion as possible.
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Tell us how you come up with your artist name and the title of the song.
Randy Jack was easy to come up with as my stage name because it’s really my name, the title of the song was the hook and this is one of the songs I wrote writing backward from the hook to finish the verse once I did that the rest of the song came much easier.
The first track to be taken from the new album, ‘Turn Off The News (Build A Garden),’ the band’s first album since their self‐titled Fantasy Records 2017 debut, arriving at a pivotal career moment.
Relentless touring, high‐profile television appearances (Colbert, Conan, debuts on the Grand Ole Opry & PBS’ Austin City Limits), continued work together with Neil Young & Lukas’s internationally recognised song-writing, production & acting work alongside Bradley Cooper & Lady Gaga in the smash film ‘A Star Is Born’, which saw Lukas win a BAFTA Award for Original Music for his work on the film.
The new album features guest appearances by Kesha, Margo Price, Sheryl Crow, Lucius, Shooter Jennings, Willie Nelson + Neil Young. Lukas comes to the UK & Europe in June/July.
Singer, songwriter, and guitarist Lukas Nelson began his career at a young age touring with his father, country music icon Willie Nelson.
After relocating from Paia, Hawaii in 2007 to attend college in Los Angeles, Nelson met drummer Anthony LoGerfo at a Neil Young concert. The two musicians began playing together, and by the end of 2008, they’d enlisted bassist Merlyn Kelly and percussionist Tato Melgar to form Promise of the Real.
They quickly released a live EP called Live Beginnings to sell at their gigs.
They were touring heavily by early 2009, including stints opening for Willie Nelson and B.B. King.
Employing a mix of blues, reggae, roots, and straight-up American rock, they issued their first studio recording, the Brando’s Paradise Sessions EP, which included artwork by Lukas’ younger brother Micah Nelson. Micah’s artwork, especially the peace sign logo from this EP, would become closely associated with all of the band’s imagery and he soon began joining the band on-stage, painting during their live sets.
Prior to the release of their self-titled debut LP, Kelly left the band and, after a couple of stand-in bassists, was replaced by Corey McCormick.
The album further expanded on their diverse, multi-genre sound and included a guest vocal appearance by Willie Nelson on the song “Sound of Your Memory.”
Like Lukas’ well-traveled father, the band seemed most comfortable on the road, playing over 200 shows in 2011, including major festival stops and television appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Late Show with David Letterman.
Their second LP, Wasted, was released in 2012 and the band continued its heavy touring schedule, headlining its own shows and supporting John Fogerty for a stretch.
In early 2015, it was announced that Lukas, Micah, and Promise of the Real would be backing up Neil Young on his next album. The politically charged collaborative album was called The Monsanto Years and arrived in June of that year, and was documented on the 2016 live album Earth.
Just prior to the summer release of Earth, the Promise of the Real put out its third album, Something Real. That album was followed swiftly in August 2017 with Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real.
New Zealand lyrics and songs that find calm in a rude world dealing with issues of life and love with thoughtfulness, depth and soul for mellow, easy listening and emotional undertones. – The spiritual philosophy of relationships with self and society.
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Tell us how you build up the tune for this song.
The tune comes from how the words are arranged. There is an inherent rhythm in the lyric of the song. The melody naturally progresses from this rhythm and the mood that is wanted to express these words. As a lyricist, I wrote the words so that a song can be naturally produced.
The next step is to give the producer Supreme Tracks a lyric file, a vocal scratch of my own song rendition and a reference track.
The reference track for this song is Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”.
This is a mellow and amiable easy country reference track with harmonica.
So the excellent musicians that perform this rendition of “I Can Tell” belong to the Supreme Tracks team and are anonymous to me.
This changes the focus of artistry/creativity to the foundation of a great song – the lyric. Well-crafted lyrics inspire and generate music that works.
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Tell us the best means of becoming a famous artist and selling more records.
No idea really – I just started in 2016 and am constantly learning every step of the way. Not really interested in being famous but I do need income to keep bringing new material into the industry. I am currently advertising my website where anyone can listen for free or donate to different songs each week.
Any income I can generate with my songs flows right through to the musicians at Supreme Tracks as well when I get a new song produced so it is a marvellous recognition and encouragement of real talent.
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Tell us how fans are reacting to your music.
‘I Can Tell’ is playing on Radio Airplay and new fans are popping up regularly – one comment was “I love it! Catchy.”
I have been running ad campaigns on Facebook this year with excellent feedback and an increasing number of return visits to the website.
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Explain how to deal with fear.
No stage – no problem.
When I started in 2016 I put lyric videos of vocal scratches of my renditions of songs and this was incredibly scary for me to do because I am not a performing singer.
It was an excellent way to overcome the barrier of fear of exposure to the public of very personal issues and expression.
It paved the way to the next step of presenting my stuff to producers for better quality demos. This increased my confidence in my lyrics.
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Tell us your point of view on the quality of production of today’s songs to old songs and point out what you think has changed.
It depends on the genre and the purpose of the music. Many concerts and performances are a whole package deal that people enjoy for the atmosphere and lots of reasons apart from the music. Radio-friendly songs fill in a different environment and offer a different example.
Music is such a personal language I can only judge the production of songs that suit me. My taste runs to songs I can sing to and has music that resonates with my own emotions. So need melody and meaning that I haven’t found a lot of in today’s music. This just adds to my motivation to present my own stuff.
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Tell us an interesting experience in your music career that is significant.
In the short time that I’ve been in the music scene, I started in 2016; I have had conversations with three separate publishing and recording outfits interested in my music. This in itself is incredible. But what is interesting is that so far I have had no offer that fits my role as a lyricist/songwriter. The assumption is that the song is from a performing/recording artist. The significance is that brands that I have come across are about promoting personas rather than the actual music.
I feel that this discourages diversity and real talent because material success then depends on a mass marketing machine irrespective of whether the music is any good. It should be about the song because a good song is a song that connects and involves the listener in a very personal way.
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Tell us how you come across the lyrics of this song.
I was driving home from having radiation for cancer and I had to keep stopping on the way in a text conversation that roughly turned into the first few lines of this song.
It made me think about how important communication is to how we cope and to how we come to understand ourselves.
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Tell us your best means of expressing yourself.
The written word is my comfort zone and I love to sing.
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Tell us your opinion on using music to deliberate on issues affecting people like corruption, immoralities, politics and religion.
I have songs on most of these issues. These issues are extremely important and should be discussed and exposed.
Music is such a universal language of connection that it is the ideal medium to encourage people to think deeply about these issues.
Music can balance rational thought with primal feeling. This balance is vital when deliberating this type of issues.
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Discuss how you plan to create a piece of timeless music that your fans can cherish forever.
Carry on doing what I am doing in the faith that it is the best way to be me. Everything has its time.
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List the names of individuals you can point out as legends and state your reasons.
I don’t have such a list. My appreciation has always been about the song itself and the music. My tastes spread across many genres and many individuals. I remember the songs and music that touched me in a deep and meaningful way.
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Tell us your viewpoint on discriminating.
To discriminate is to separate out according to particular qualities. In this definition, discrimination is neutral.
So to be discriminating can be a positive attitude. For example, to define behaviour as moral or immoral is to discriminate. It is a form of judgement that can be helpful. After all, it is better to be moral than immoral.
The problem is when discriminating is used negatively, usually from an attitude of arrogance.
Discrimination in today’s climate has become harmful to good judgement. This type of discrimination goes against the patience and tolerance we desperately need for peace.
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Tell us your favourite book and state your reason.
Like legends, I don’t really do favourites. I have read broadly and widely across many categories. I find I end up reading what is appropriate to my needs at the time.
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Tell us what triggers your creativity.
Daydreaming about life and living, people and nature, and how it all fits together.
Sometimes it is a memory or maybe someone will say something or I see something happen that I can empathise with or I feel confused about will start a daydream.
My skills are improving with practice and so I find myself responding more to other issues.
My latest, “Colour of Rain”, is about the horrendous crimes of sexual abuse against our children that I wrote after watching a TV documentary about Michael Jackson and boys.
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Tell us how you generate musical ideas for your composition.
When I sing the song I already have a melody that is my personal expression.
If the song is good enough for production, as I sing I have a background dialogue with me and myself about what kind of instruments would express the mood of the song and what other types of rhythm might work.
If a singer comes to mind then this is a starting point for looking for a reference track.
I tend to look at older music to bring into the present in the hope of blending the old with the new.
Maybe the result might be timeless. For “I Can Tell” the reference track was Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon” because of the mood and harmonica.
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Tell us your greatest song and state your reason.
Yeah – this is like legend and favourite. Each song has been important to me at the time it was created. I can only hope that others are touched too.
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Tell us how you compose your song.
Once the words are there and the main point or meaning is clear in my mind it is a natural progression to make sure the words can be sung with an engaging melody.
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Elaborate on the song.
Comes a point when the song needs to speak for itself and give the listener room to engage. A listener could engage on 3 levels – a fun singalong, how it is good to talk or go a bit deeper.
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Elaborate on your artist name and the title of the album.
Athamirra comes from “at the mirror”. What is important to us is often a reflection of who we are or what state we are in at the time. So Athamirra Music wants to honour our connections in a meaningful way.
‘I Can Tell’ is presented as a single. My website has a list playing over a number of weeks that I intend to compile into an album on a customized USB at some stage. ‘I Can Tell’ would be in an album yet to come.
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Share your press release and review with us.
I Can Tell
Press Release
Anyone who has been alone or lonely – which is everybody at some time or another – can relate to this song.
‘I Can Tell’ speaks to those difficult, out of control and hard to understand situations.
It shows how communication and expression release the tensions that keep us stuck in a helpless loop.
This music is a mellow, easy and intimate dance with confident emotion.
A great singalong to remind us that understanding ourselves and others in tough times gives us the confidence to get through better than ever.
I wrote my first song in 1983 while I was an MBA student at the Wharton School.
The second song I ever wrote received airplay on a major Boston area radio station and was favourably reviewed in The Beat Magazine covering the local Boston music scene.
I thought the music business was going to be a snap! A few years later, I moved from Massachusetts to Los Angeles to study songwriting at the Grove School of Music.
Eventually, I decided that my best bet would be writing songs for licensing to other artists and for film and TV projects.
I started out targeting the country music market and later expanded into pop/dance/R&B.
For about 2 decades, I made the commute from my home in Los Angeles to Nashville, TN to co-write with Nashville writers and to pitch songs to the industry.
For many years, I served as the Los Angeles Regional Coordinator for the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), the world’s largest songwriter trade organization.
I signed several deals with small publishers and had some near-misses on major publishing deals. I had many song placements with independent artists and I had songs on hold with major labels for major artists, but the big break has so far eluded me.
In 2017, I recorded and released my debut album as an artist, “This One’s For You”. The album has received critical acclaim.
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Describe yourself as an artist.
As an artist, I write whatever moves me at the moment. I like writing both light-hearted, fun songs and songs that are deeply emotional. I give myself the freedom to write in any musical style that suits the song.
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Tell us the genre of your music.
I write and sing an eclectic variety of music from country to alternative rock. If I am forced to classify myself into a genre, the closest would be Adult Alternative.
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Tell us the story behind your song.
“If Love Had a Butt” was co-written with Nashville writer and producer Chip Martin. Chip has been a regular co-writer over many years.
In Nashville, it’s typical to write songs starting from a title. This title was Chip’s idea and he pitched it to me because he knows I enjoy writing silly songs. Of course, I loved the idea.
We wrote it in one 3-hour writing session. When I got home later, I noticed some things that could be improved, so I did a rewrite and sent it to Chip, who then recorded it.
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Tell us the problems you are facing as an artist.
When pitching myself as an artist, the first question they always ask is “What is your genre?” Or sometimes they ask, “What artists do you sound like?” These are hard questions for me to answer because I don’t fit neatly into a genre, and I don’t sound like any other popular artist.
Another issue is finding gigs. Every venue wants me to guarantee that I’ll draw a certain number of people. As a new artist, I’ve yet to build enough of a following to guarantee the numbers they’re looking for.
And, of course, money – Recording studios and musicians are expensive. Promotion can also be very expensive.
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Discuss the recording and production of the song.
My first album was produced and recorded by Los Angeles musician and songwriter Kevin Fisher.
Kevin is one of the greatest songwriters I’ve ever been exposed to. He’s also a talented producer who I felt would be perfect to capture my sound.
I recorded all my vocals and some of the guitar parts at home and sent Kevin the recordings. He came up with the arrangements on the spot in collaboration with me in the studio.
I’ve been recording my new material at home. It’s a challenge because I don’t play lead guitar, bass, or keyboards, but so far, I’ve managed to find a way to come up with stuff I like. The hardest part is mixing. I’ve been studying the mixing process.
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List the names of blogs, radio or television stations that have supported you so far.
I’ve received excellent press from Indie Band Guru, Screaming Match Productions, MusicNotes, Dancing About Architecture, and Oddnuggets.com. I’ve received airplay with Rio Bravo Radio, WFM New York, and Pose Productions internet radio.
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Elaborate on your music career, experience, and future goals.
For most of my career, I was a pure songwriter, writing songs for others to record. When I started, the place most open to this was the Nashville, TN country market.
My first love was for rock music, but I did listen to a fair amount of country, so this was a good fit for my talents and interests. Living in Los Angeles, I eventually expanded into pop/dance/R&B.
As time went on, I developed the desire and the confidence to begin recording my own material as an artist. I like the freedom of self-expression I get from this. I’ve been very happy with the reception I’ve received from blogs and radio stations and from audiences at my live performances.
I’m looking to expand my fan base and find new opportunities to get my music out there.
My goal is for my music to make a positive emotional impact with enough people that I can earn a livelihood from it. And there’s always that dream of a Grammy!
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Brief us what inspires you to write, compose and sing.
It varies. The best times are when inspiration comes over me in the form of a song idea or even better, a specific emotion or message that I want to express.
Other times, I sit down to write simply because I’ve made a writing appointment with myself or a collaborator. Collaboration is virtually essential when writing songs for the commercial pop or country market. I’ve been doing a lot less of that and a lot more solo writing since I began working as an artist, where my songs are more personal.
I love performing. When I play live, it’s me connecting with an audience in the most direct way possible. It’s the ultimate in musical self-expression.
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Brief us the top-secret behind making a hit song.
The overriding factor in writing a hit is to create something that makes listeners feel an emotion. It can be happiness, sadness, or any other feeling that people commonly experience. It has to connect in a way that makes people want to listen to your music again and again. Everything else you can learn about songwriting is a set of tools to help you achieve this.
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Tell the advice you will give to an upcoming artist.
Learn as much as you can about the craft of songwriting, performing, and the music business. Don’t ever start to think you know more than the successful professionals in the business.
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Discuss at length your music careers, albums, songs, tours, recognition or awards you might have received.
As I mentioned earlier, I wrote my first song as a Wharton MBA student. It was my final semester, and everyone was caught up in the frenzy of the job search. My heart wasn’t in it, and I created a song satirizing the whole process. Everyone I played it for loved it, which encouraged me to continue writing.
Although I did find a very good corporate job, my heart wasn’t in that, either. What I really cared about was songwriting, so I left the corporate world and the East Coast to study songwriting at the Grove School of Music in Los Angeles, CA.
I wrote hundreds of songs as an “outside writer” looking for song placements with major and independent artists.
I became a student of songwriting craft, learning as much as I could from successful hit songwriters and attending seminars they taught. That work began to pay off, as publishers began taking copies of my songs and meeting with me.
I was honoured to be told by a well-known executive that I was “la creme de la creme” of Nashville songwriters. I had the good fortune of co-writing songs with several #1 hit songwriters. I chose to put one of those songs, “You’re a Diamond”, on my album.
Dozens of my songs have been placed with independent artists and in Films and TV. Several reached the Top 10 on the European Country Music Association Airplay Charts. My song “Wait’ll I Get My Hands On You” made it to #1.
In 2008, I received a Presidential invitation to the White House because of my song, “Pfc. Ross A. McGinnis”, honouring a war hero who gave his life to save his friends. The song was performed at the US Army reception following the soldier’s posthumous Medal Of Honor ceremony.
This song led to an interview by The Pittsburgh Tribune. The interview was published on the newspaper’s front page.
Earlier in my career, I received an Honourable Mention award in the international Music Bridge competition. The grand prize for that contest was a trip to Europe for a weeklong songwriting camp to co-write with major hit songwriters and recording artists.
I was also a Top Three Finalist in the Songwriter Universe contest. I’ve been featured in American Songwriter Magazine and Recording Magazine.
As a new artist, I’ve been playing out at open mics both for the fun of it and to gain exposure. It’s starting to pay off, and I’ve been invited to showcase at QTX’s Nightclub in Newark, NJ and at Rubulad in Brooklyn, NY within the past 2 months. I’ve been asked back for another showcase at QXT on June 27.
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Tell us how you write your lyrics, compose, sing and record in the studio.
Most of my songs have started by coming up with an unusual or interesting title and going from there. This is typical in Nashville.
Writing for me as an artist has been a little bit different. Most often, I start with a particular emotion or message I want to convey. Figure out the title is my usual next step. I usually write the lyric before the melody, although it’s not unusual for me to come up with melody ideas as I write the words.
The recording is tough. I typically create the rhythm guitar part first. Then, I’ll do the bass. Since I don’t actually play bass or own a bass guitar, I use technology to help me out. I’ll use the guitar to play single notes on the lower strings. Then, I’ll use Melodyne software to convert that part into a MIDI file that I can use to play bass samples. I can also use a MIDI editor to make corrections and improvements to what I originally played.
I do the same thing with keyboard parts, playing chords on the guitar and converting them to MIDI. This usually requires heavy MIDI editing to create movement within the chords and make it sound more like a keyboard player.
I use Addictive Drums or EZdrummer software to create drum tracks, which I can also change with a MIDI editor. Occasionally, I’ll use the MIDI editor to create the entire drum track without using any drum software.
And, of course, there’s the vocal, which takes longer than one might expect. I get obsessive about trying to make it perfect, although I rarely if ever achieve it. The most important thing is to make sure the emotion comes across.
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Name your favourite artists for collaboration.
There are several writers in Nashville and Los Angeles that I have collaborated with on an ongoing basis. Most of them are non-performing writers, so their names won’t be familiar. One of them is a very talented independent country writer/artist named Olivia West, who you can find on YouTube.
I wouldn’t go crazy. I might sell my New Jersey home and move to an equivalent place in New York City. I’d hire a housecleaner.
I don’t think I’d bother with a new car. I don’t need an ostentatious lifestyle. I might do some traveling. I’d spend the most money on my music, recording and promoting myself.
I’d give some to my family members and to charity. I’d invest the rest so I’d be set for life.
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Discuss music promotion and how you are boosting your fan base.
I have an online distributor that gets my music out to all the major platforms like iTunes/Apple Music, Amazon, Spotify, etc.
The distributor also promotes my music. I pitch myself online to music blogs and send out updates to my mailing list and social media.
And I play out as much as I can. I sell physical CDs at my performances and give out business cards so people can find me and buy my stuff online.
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Tell us how you manage other activities with your music career.
I’m nearing retirement age, and I’m no longer working a day job. My kids have recently gone off to college. That gives me a lot of flexibility with my time.
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State your artist’s name and elaborate on it.
I go by Seth Hilary Jackson. It’s my full name as written on my birth certificate.
When I was a kid, I was proud of my middle name until some kids started laughing at me and telling me I have a girl’s name.
For a long time afterward, I kept the name to myself. Eventually, I started becoming proud of it once again and decided to use it as my stage name. I like the uniqueness. If you Google “Seth Jackson”, you’ll get hundreds of hits. If you Google, “Seth Hilary Jackson”, I’m the only one.
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State the title of the song and the meaning.
The title “If Love Had a Butt” is just a funny title for a fun song. Audiences always love the song, and everyone remembers it.
Other songs titles on my album have much deeper emotional significance. For example, “Fear” is about struggling with anxiety. I’ve learned from performing the song that lots of people relate to this.
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State the title of the album and the reason for choosing the title.
The album is called “This One’s For You” after one of the included songs.
After spending many years writing songs for the commercial market, I sat down one day to write one specifically for my wife and her alone. For once, I wasn’t thinking about commerciality when I wrote it, and I had no intention of playing it for anyone but her – Thus the title. But when she heard it, she told me it was a hit and I should record it. So I did. And I used it as the title song to dedicate the whole album to her.
Nathan Seeckts is a powerful singer-songwriter who effortlessly fuses the sounds of Americana, folk, country, and blues delivered with a commanding voice that is equal parts gravel and passion.
His songs feature intricate, heartfelt storytelling that echoes loudly and honestly from personal experience.
Taking inspiration from the songbooks of artists including Bruce Springsteen, Jason Isbell, Lucero, and Steve Earle, his songs could find him comfortably at home in any bar from Melbourne to Memphis.
Seeckts has been writing, recording and performing as a solo artist since 2010, self-producing and releasing three EPs during this time.
Each pressing of these EPs has long since sold out, but are still available online.
Since the start of 2017, he has been hosting a weekly Americana-based radio program on community radio station 94.7 The Pulse calledLast Night In Town. Through the program he has been able to promote, support and share the amazing work of his peers within the Australian alt-country community, broadcasting over 85 shows so far.
Honing his sound through bars and stages across Australia and North America, and with appearances at Queenscliff Music Festival, Tamworth Country Music Festival and Melbourne’s Poison City Weekender under his belt, Seeckts has also supported many fine Australian artists including The Teskey Brothers, Archie Roach, You Am I, Tex Perkins, Cash Savage and Raised By Eagles, and international luminaries including Joe Pug, Big Country, Courtney Marie Andrews, and Deer Tick.
TheHeart Of The City, recorded by Roger Bergodaz (James Ellis & The Jealous Guys, Raised By Eagles, Freya Josephine Hollick) at Union Street Studios, was successfully crowdfunded by Seeckts using a Pozible campaign in just three days.
Seeckts smashed past his first target to almost double his initial goal by the end of the 30 days, allowing him to press the album on vinyl. The production of his debut album was able to blossom and bloom thanks to the strong support of his grassroots supporters.
Trying to capture the energy and passion of his live shows, a majority of the album was recorded live in only two days, with a backing band consisting of Sean McDonnell on electric guitar/slide, Matt Dietrich on bass and Mark McLeod on drums and percussion.
The versions of the songs Houselights and Moonlight Creekwhich can be heard on The Heart Of The Cityare the first takes of each song.
The remaining overdubs, including additional instrumentation and vocals, were later added to the album by Seeckts and also from the following guest musicians. Golden Guitar nominee Gretta Ziller (backing vocals on Thunder and Rain, SirensandI’m Your Queen), Nathan Barrett (backing vocals on Thunder and Rainand Old Blood), Kat Chish from The Ramshackle Army (violin on Moonlight Creek and I’m Your Queen) and Rory Millar from The Mojo Corner (harmonica on Whiskey Drunkand All Night, Hold Tight).
TheHeart Of The City features all the qualities that make Nathan Seeckts a standout artist in the Australian Americana scene; his ability to craft engaging stories of love and loss, his combination of alt-country and folk, and his commanding and indelible voice – equal parts gravel and passion.
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Discuss your recording experience with your producer.
Working with Roger Bergodaz at Union Street here in Melbourne was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had as a musician. He allowed me time and support to develop the songs and the overall sound he helped me to capture is exactly how I wanted the record to sound.
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Discuss what comes first and last while creating a song.
It really depends on the song, sometimes it’s the lyrics, sometimes it’s the chords.
For me, mostly I try to find a melody to match the chord progressions and start improvising lyrics to bring the melody out. From there I build upon what I’ve captured in the demo I make as I do this.
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Tell us the piece of advice you will give to a new artist.
Hard work and hustle – If you’re willing to put in the work on the back end and you’ve got songs that you really believe in, you’ll be fine. Also, play for the people who are there in the room, not the ones who didn’t turn up.
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Tell us how you deal with rejection.
Over the years I’ve learned to develop a thick skin, that’s really all you can do. Remember and thank the venues and radio stations that support you along the way and find a way to work with them again. Not everyone is going to be a fan of your work, so you appreciate those who are.
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Tell us what you are doing to impact the people around you.
I always try to create stories in my songs that people around me can relate to. If it gives people some joy or the chance to reflect upon their own lives then I’ve been successful.
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Tell us the music that makes you happy.
Whenever I need a pick me up, I go straight to the Stax catalog. Soul music and that Memphis sound can turn pretty much any day around for me.
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Tell us how you feel when you sing and your fans sing along to your song.
Over the years I’ve been blown away whenever I look out and see people singing along to my songs. There’s a stack of great parts on this new record that I hope will inspire more folks to sing along at the shows.
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Tell us the goals you aim to achieve when creating a song.
My goal has always been really straightforward, to create solid, engaging stories for people to believe in and connect to. At the heart of each song of mine is sincerity. I think that’s one of the reasons why people are connecting to this new record so much.
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State your approach to writing.
Years ago a friend of mine introduced me to the works of Pat Pattison, a professor at Berklee College of Music who teaches songwriters how to use sense memory and object writing to create better songs. I try to use his writing techniques to keep my brain trained and ready to write on the fly.
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Tell us how you plan to develop a unique music style.
I honestly don’t think there’s anything uniquely special about what I do. There are plenty of dudes with beards and funny hats playing Americana these days, so if I can create songs with good hooks and relatable stories then that’s all that I can do.
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Tell us how to record a song.
For this album we live tracked all the songs at Union Street Studio in Melbourne over the course of a couple of days, to try and capture the raw energy on the live shows.
From there, the band and I built on what we had to try and create a solid collection of ten tracks.
Having such talented friends that could come in and add harmony parts or extra instruments on some of the tracks was amazing!
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Tell us if you are collaborating with other songwriters or you write alone.
I tend to write alone, but co-writing is something I’m definitely keen to try out at least once or a couple of times. The challenge is getting on the same wavelength I guess.
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Discuss your experience with fans.
I ran a Pozible crowdfunding campaign to help get the record made and my fans were amazing. People that I hadn’t heard from in years came out to show their support which blew me away. The people who come to my shows and genuinely love what I do are the best. Whenever I look out and see them singing along it always puts a huge smile on my face.
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State your experience with booking gigs and shows.
Being from a regional area, booking shows has always been a challenge, but this year I’ve been a bit more methodical in my approach to how I book tours and shows, planning things well in advance and working alongside venues, bookers and artists who I’ve developed strong relationships with over time.
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Tell us if you consider a song placement in TV or Film.
Hell yeah, I would! One day I want to write a song that’s used in the closing credits to a film. That’s my aim!
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Elaborate on the song.
Heading into the studio, Old Blood was one of the last songs I’d finished. In the rehearsals leading up to the recording, we really struggled to make it land. I knew there was a great song in there, but for some reason, the lyrics and the music just weren’t sitting well together.
When I went to record the vocal track for it, it still wasn’t quite right. It didn’t have the same believability or honesty as the other songs on the album.
So I went home with a rough mix of the band’s tracks and totally rewrote the lyrics and vocal melody to the song from scratch within two days.
I went back up to Union Street later that week and everything just came together and I found the song I knew was in there all along.
Lyrically, it’s a cautionary tale. I’ve always said there’s a fine line between pride and arrogance and that sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference.
That’s what the protagonist in this song fails to learn until it’s too late.
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Elaborate on the title of the album.
The Heart Of The City for me relates to the people and the stories and lives that they live. Each one of the songs on the album contains a story that could take place in any city across the world.
