Q1: Two things caught my eye in your bio. One was that you studied Music Business in Nashville at Belmont University, and the other was a 7-month stint on Celebrity Cruises’ that you said you did to cure your performance anxiety. Were both worth it, and how have they shaped your career?

Noah Vonne: They were both definitely worth it and shaped me in very different ways. I knew getting into the music world- there would definitely be so many wrong turns/decisions I could make. And even if the bad things came up, I’d be prepared if I knew a lil more. So, Belmont felt worth it because I was able to intern with companies that interested me, grow with those around me, and understand how the music business itself felt to me. I wouldn’t exactly say the cruise ship ‘cured’ my stage anxiety. My anxiety was rather kind of put into perspective and allowed me to understand it deeper. I had to face it three times a day, basically every day. So I learned how to face it stronger. We had to learn a massive set so quickly- I couldn’t dive into the one song, the one performance of a song (or even 6 songs), to practice over and over, to try to perfect it. I had to give up my perfectionism while performing- not realizing that by doing that it would allow me so much freedom on stage, and ultimately lead to a better performance. 

Q2:  Tell us about the new music you are working on and when you plan to release it.

Noah Vonne: I actually just finished up the latest single, “I Call B.S.” set to release September 29, 2023! It’s definitely the most rock song I will have put out so far- but I plan to continue down that path for the foreseeable future, and I am so stoked for y’all to hear this one! Co-written with me and my buddies Tate Sablatura and Gray Schweers- and we really made a cool one this time!

Q3: This next tour is an interesting co-headline pairing with psychedelic rockers Bluphoria. Have you worked with them before?

Noah Vonne: I haven’t worked with them before, no! Although I really enjoy their music and I’ve heard nothing but good things about them! Plus, we’ve been chatting a bit because we’re sharing a van and I really dig them as people. I think the pairing feels really good- and is going to potentially surprise people. 

Q4: The tour is pretty extensive, and I hope to see it at The Spot on Kirk when you come to my hometown of Roanoke, VA. Are there any cities or venues that you are particularly looking forward to?

Noah Vonne: The Spot on Kirk is going to be awesome – and my first time in Roanoke! Hope to see you there! There are quite a few venues I am excited about this time around. New cities are always so exciting to me! I am definitely pumped to play The Peppermint Club in my home base of Los Angeles, but also the Subterranean in Chicago has been a venue I’ve been wanting to play for a minute now. Houston’s White Oak Music Hall is going to be an incredible one as well! It has been a minute since I have played back in Nashville too- and the East Room rocks- so I am looking forward to that one as well.

We ask every artist who does a “6 Questions With these next two questions.

Q5: When you’re on the road, do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Noah Vonne: I don’t have too many “must-have” items, but I do normally want a shot of bourbon before I go on- so I normally ask for some bourbon!

My routine or habit is typically to go into the green room and hand-write my band’s set for everyone that night. For whatever reason- it makes the whole set feel special when it’s done in the green room with some paper and a Sharpie.

Q6: Tell us something about yourself that your fans might be surprised to know.

I’ll probably stick around and chat forever with you if you spark up a good conversation.

See Noah Vonne’s full Fall tour and sign up to follow her on Bandsintown.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a Berklee College Of Music professor.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Noah Vonne
https://www.noahvonne.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY

33 & West LLC
Address: 309 East 8th Street, Suite 603
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Direct Phone: 213-395-0933

Russell Brantley russell@33andwest.com

MANAGEMENT

MediaRow LLC

Steve Gray steve@mediarow.com

PUBLICITY

Michael J. Media Group
Address: 1404 Autumn Knoll Drive
Hermitage, TN 37076
Phone: 615-885-3652

Mike Farley mike@michaeljmedia.com

LABEL

Gray Vonne Records

The post 6 Questions With Noah Vonne appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

SHAWN JAMES: For this latest edition of ‘6 Questions With…”  I caught up with soulful indie singer-songwriter Shawn James while he was prepping for his  27-date fall tour, which kicks off September 19 in Seattle.  Onstage, James can be wonderfully unpredictable as he runs through a gamut of genres, styles, and songs – both his own and some popularized by others.

Q1: You don’t seem afraid to shift moods and even genres with your music much to the delight of your fans. What can we expect on your next record?

SHAWN JAMES: The next record I put out is going to be a concept EP based around the tale of a gunslingin’ outlaw in the Wild West.

It’s going to have elements of classic Western films and soundtracks similar to Ennio Morricone but twisted up with what I do in my way as well. I’m very excited about this one and approaching the record from a bigger story spread across the songs kinda perspective.

Q2: How do you balance your musical diversity in your live shows? Do you segment your styles in a formal setlist or see where your muse and audience take you?

SHAWN JAMES: I do a little bit of all that really. We craft a setlist, and it’s like an emotional roller coaster… hahaha. So yes, on every tour we plan out the sets and timing of the night but in the moment, we will also make changes if we feel something different from the audience or the energy of the room. I’ve found that being able to pivot is essential in being authentic and genuine in live performance.

Q3: Besides the US, you regularly tour Brazil and the UK. Why do those two countries and do the live audiences in all three differ?

We also tour extensively throughout Europe as well. Why? Because they want us there!  They appreciate what we do and support by coming out to the shows and making incredible live experiences for us as well.

I’ll go anywhere that we find there’s an audience wanting us. We have plans to further expand into new countries and territories as time goes on as well.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Shawn James
https://www.shawnjamesmusic.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY

33 & West LLC
Address: 309 East 8th Street, Suite 603
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Direct Phone: 213-395-0933

Russell Brantley russell@33andwest.com

Veritas Management

Michelle Mavrides VeritasMusicMgmt@gmail.com

PUBLICITY

Michael J. Media Group
Address: 1404 Autumn Knoll Drive
Hermitage, TN 37076
Phone: 615-885-3652

Mike Farley mike@michaeljmedia.com

The post Six Questions With Indie Singer-Songwriter Shawn James appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Q1: Your new album “Stampede” is produced by Ray Benson of Asleep At The Wheel and features Raul Malo, Jim Lauderdale, Marty Stuart, and Buddy Miller. How did that come about, and how did it feel to record with so many Nashville legends?

We were introduced to Ray by a mutual friend, and when Ray asked what we needed and how he could help us, that friend suggested he produce our next album. We were delighted that Ray agreed, and the logistics all came together so well for that to happen! We’ve played opening slots for Raul, Marty, and Jim in the past (and were guests on the Buddy & Jim Show), so we reached out and asked if they’d be willing to join us on some songs. All of these legends were incredibly gracious in sharing their time and talents with us. They are all huge influences in our music, so to have them on Stampede was truly an honor – and they are a ton of fun to work with too!

Q2: Your music has been described as a mix of old-school country and honky-tonk.  Which artists have influenced your music?

Certainly, all of our special guests! You can also hear influences from Chuck Mead and BR5-49, Dwight Yoakam, Buck Owens, Nick Lowe, Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, and many others.

Q3: The band has been on the road quite a lot over the last year. Has being on the road changed, and are audiences different than before the pandemic shutdown?

I think we’re certainly more aware and conscientious about staying healthy, both for ourselves and others, but for the most part, things are pretty much back to “normal” for us. We are grateful!

Q4: You are in the middle of a very extensive US tour that continues throughout the Spring. Are there any venues or cities that you’re particularly looking forward to?

We had the great honor of making our Grand Ole Opry debut in February, which was an absolute dream come true, and finished that tour run with a showcase at SXSW! Looking ahead, we are excited to return to some old favorites (like Skinny Dennis in Brooklyn, NY, The Ark in Ann Arbor, MI, and many others) as well as hitting some new-to-us cities (Boston, MA, and Providence, RI). We’re still adding shows for the year too!

Q5: When you’re on the road, do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

We are a band that really likes to eat, and we especially enjoy trying local specialties as we’re traveling. Emily also likes to plan visits for us to important historical sites when time permits. We try to be pretty low maintenance, so we don’t have much in the way of dressing room must-haves! And we really like to sleep, so you won’t often find us out super late after playing. Haha.

Q6: Tell us something about the band or one of your members that your fans might be surprised to know.

While we absolutely love country music, we also have really diverse musical tastes and you never know what we’ll be listening to in the van when we’re on the road! Some fun, perhaps unexpected, favorites:

Ryan: everything from Tom Jones to Garbage

Emily: Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga

Brian: Metallica

Kevin: Motorhead

Mark: Sly & The Family Stone

Find the full Shootouts tour and follow them on Bandsintown.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

The Shootouts
https://www.shootoutsmusic.com

AGENCY

Odyssey Touring
Address: 215 Donelson Pike #148552
Nashville, TN 37214
Phone: 615-324-2501

Leland Huber lee@odyssey-touring.com

MANAGEMENT

shootoutsmusic@gmail.com

LABEL

Soundly Music
https://www.soundlymusic.com

PUBLICITY

All Eyes Media LLC
Address: PO Box 60539
Nashville, TN 37206

Jim Flammia jim@alleyesmedia.com

The post Six Questions With The Shootouts appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

We caught up with Miller for this latest in the Hypebot, Bandsintown, and CelebrityAccess “6 Questions With”  series just before he began a new leg in his extensive North American and European tour in support of “Deprecated,” his latest album on Rounder.

Q: Tell us about your musical influences. While listening to your newest album, I kept thinking this is a record that Towne Van Zandt might have made if he grew up in Appalachia. Am I anywhere in the ballpark?

Wow! That’s very kind… Townes’ songs have definitely been a guidepost in my life – I’ve always loved how they feel so untethered to any particular place like they came from somewhere far outside of him. I can’t honestly call myself Appalachian, though. I was born in Maryland; I spent most of my life in an area of West Virginia that’s more of a highway stop than a mountain town or city. But I have a deep and abiding love for Appalachia and West Virginia. It feels more like home than anywhere else I’ve been, and for its relative under (or mis-) representation, there are quite a few wonderful people and artists there working to make a difference. 

Q: You recorded this Rounder album in Nashville with producer Justin Francis (Leon Bridges, Kacey Musgraves).  How was that experience?

Justin is an absolute pro as both an engineer and a producer, and he was so engaged and helpful in getting those songs together and working with me through that whole process, coming up with ideas and knowing when to put the brakes on. He co-produced it with our old buddy (and a bandmate of mine from our WV days), Adam Meisterhans, who also played guitar all over the record. Those two have been dear friends of mine for many years; it was a longtime goal to do a record with them, and we did it with the band I had been fortunate enough to play with for a couple of years at that point. 

A good producer helps you get out of your own way, I think. It was just easy with those two. Justin also selected Sound Emporium as the studio, which was a blast to work in for a few days. 

Q: You’ve been on the road most of 2022. What was it like being on stage after being off the road for a year? Are the fans reacting any differently “post-pandemic”?

It was very strange at first. Still is, in a way. It really put a bizarre perspective on performing in general, where the idea is to try to get a bunch of people together and share a common experience.  For a little while, it all felt so trivial in the heaviness of the moment, and I was asking myself if I seriously wanted to continue doing it, when maybe I could be more valuable serving something else instead of playing my weird little songs for folks.

But since getting back on the road, people have been so incredibly kind, and playing with the band started getting really fun again, and I talk to folks who seem very grateful just to be able to go see live music again when I don’t think any of us even knew if we’d ever be able to. I’m grateful, too; I don’t take it for granted like I used to, and I try to live in the moment and enjoy it more. If anything, that long and uncertain time off taught me that if it all got taken away again, well, that’d be okay, too, I think.

Q: Is there any particular venue or city that you’re playing in the next few months that you’re particularly looking forward to?

We have a run out to Colorado in January, which seems like a crazy time of year to go out there, but I’m pretty psyched to get back to some of those towns and to see some new ones. We get to do the Cervante’s anniversary party with Fruition and a bunch more very cool bands, so that’s something I’m looking forward to. 

Also in March, I’m headed to Europe and UK for a little over a month with Chloe Edmonstone (my partner, who also plays fiddle in the band) and our old pal J.P. Harris, a tour which has been in the works for a couple of years now, doing some more intimate shows. I haven’t done any international travel in close to 5 years…

Fortuitously, we begin in Ireland and end in Spain, two of my very favorite places on Earth.

Q: When you’re on the road, do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

As we get older, the creature comforts become more valuable… the whole band loves Topo Chico, so any time that shows up in the green room, we’re pretty stoked. I try to keep a daily running routine, something I started a few years back, and that’s really taken the edge off the travel quite a bit. I used to do it with booze, often to great excess, but I don’t think I could go back to drinking until 4 AM every night and waking up past check-out time again… even if I wanted to, haha.

Q: Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

I’m a huge fan of science fiction, especially older stuff that I think still holds up. Dig the heady stuff, mystical stuff, philosophical stuff, dystopian stuff… 

It has brought me a lot of joy and comfort (and sometimes abject terror) over the years. Also, inspiration, in its own way. Asimov, Herbert, Bradbury, Octavia Butler, etc., are some favorites. “Parable of the Sower” is one of the most impactful and vital books I’ve ever read. I also love OG Star Trek & the Next Generation!

Find all of John R. Miller’s upcoming tour dates and sign up to learn about new ones on Bandsintown.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, President of the Skyline Artists Agency, and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

John R. Miller
https://jrmillermusic.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY

Wasserman Music
Address: 222 Second Avenue South, Suite 1600
Nashville, TN 37201
Phone: 615-251-4400
Phone: 44-20-7017-2500

Keith Levy KLevy@teamwass.com
Olly Hodgson olly.hodgson@teamwass.com

MANAGEMENT

WhizzBang Booking and Management
Huntiington, WV

Ian Thornton ithornton@whizzbangbam.com

LABEL

Rounder Records
Address: 1209 Pine Street, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37203

PUBLICITY

Rounder Records
Address: 1209 Pine Street, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37203

Regina Joskow RJoskow@rounder.com

The post Six Questions With John R. Miller appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Q: When your bandmates Keith and Greg passed away, fans thought that was the end of ELP. But you’ve found a unique and respectful way to bring it back to life. Can you share what you have planned?

Carl Palmer: We explore holograms, met with companies, and saw some of those shows like Frank Zappa. In the end, it did not feel right and was not something I believe Keith or Greg would have wanted. 

My manager, Bruce Pilato, reminded me of two great shows we did at The Royal Albert Hall in 1992 that were filmed. ELP had just reunited, and we were in our prime, performance-wise. We had multiple cameras on both Keith and Greg and all the audio on separate tracks because we did a live album. The idea was: “Why not bring them back in all their live performance glory on three huge video walls, and I could play live on stage with them?”  

So, that is what we did. We did 5 months of re-editing the video and taking me out of all the shots- so Keith and Greg are on the screens, and I am live on stage, and my two band members from my band will also join in on some songs.  We will also do some ELP songs and other material with just my band, supplemented by archival footage of ELP. It is a real multi-media experience. 

We approached the families of Keith and Greg and brought them in to participate in the tour. No one has done a full concert like this before, only a few songs like Paul McCartney just did with his duet with John Lennon on his last tour.

Q: Is the anticipation of, in essence, performing again with two great musicians that you worked with for almost 50 years more exciting or more emotional for you?

Carl Palmer: When I first started rehearsing with videos, I actually got very emotional. I realized how much I loved being in ELP and how I missed this band. I am just happy that our music can live on in a concert setting that features all three of us together again.

Q: ELP has a lot of big hits and fan favorites. Which songs can we expect to hear?

Carl Palmer: I don’t want to spoil it for the fans- but all the big hits and fan favorites are in the show, from “Lucky Man” to  “Welcome Back My Friends, Karn Evil 9” and a healthy mix of both progressive rock and the acoustic gems that

Greg used to contribute to the band. 

We held back some of the Royal Albert Hall material so I can change the show in the future. But between what you will see on the screens and hear firsthand, it will be astounding.

Q: Ten dates have been announced in the US.  Will there be more?

We have plans to do an extensive US tour in April/ May 2023 and then go to Europe, Japan, and maybe South America. It will hinge on this first run of shows. So if it is embraced by the fans, we will carry on for at least a little while.

Q: When you’re on the road, do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Well, I have to stay fit to play drums the way I do. It’s a very physical job. So, I like to exercise regularly, and I keep active by searching for real estate opportunities and working on my collection of artwork, which I started doing about 7 years ago. 

As far as my dressing room, I am a vegan, so I need to keep my diet in line

with that, but one of the things on my rider is always fresh falafels. Love them.

Q: Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

I came from a musical family. When I was 14, I was playing under-aged in supper clubs in the UK in what we called “dance bands.”  It was an orchestra that played the standards, similar to what you would see on The Lawrence Welk Show.  

Three years later, I was at the top of the US Charts with THE CRAZY WORLD OF ARTHUR BROWN.  How’s that for a transition?

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Return Of Emerson Lake & Palmer
https://www.emersonlakepalmer.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY (except Europe)

Skyline Artists Agency
Address: 40 Lewis Hill Road
Bethlehem, NH 03574
Phone: 866-531-2172

Bruce Houghton bruce@skylineonline.com

MANAGEMENT

Pilato Entertainment, Marketing & Media LLC
Address: 482 Bay Meadows Drive
Webster NY 14580
Phone: 585- 454-2756

Bruce Pilato brucetune@aol.com

LABEL

BMG
Address: 5670 Wilshire Blvd Suite 1400
Los Angeles, CA 90036

PUBLICITY

Chipster PR & Consulting Inc.
Address: 2820 Audubon Village Drive Box 305
Audubon, PA 19403

Chip Ruggieri chip@chipsterpr.com

The post Six Questions With Carl Palmer appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Q1: Your sound feels smartly planned but with a heavy dose of fun. For example, your new track, “Vanilla,” begins with a retro distorted bass riff sitting atop a thumping beat. Then the song builds from there, but with some strategic musical pauses. Is that the kind of playful build that fans can expect at shows on your current US tour, or does winning over a live audience require different pacing?

‘Smartly planned but with a heavy dose of fun’ could be a very good way to describe this band. I think for us, we view the US in the same way we viewed the UK when we were first starting out there. Anything is a bonus, and everything is an adventure. It is what we make it. Fans on our current US tour can expect us to bring all the energy we have to every show, and we look forward to saying hello to everybody afterward, too!

Q2: You’ve played in the US and Canada before. Is this your most extensive tour here yet?

We’ve actually never been to Canada before this. So we’re very excited about our first shows there. As for the US, we are revisiting some places we played in March (New York, Philadelphia, Chicago, Austin, and Los Angeles) as well as visiting some exciting new places! This is by far our most extensive US tour – and our first tour on a sleeper bus which will be an experience of some sort!

Q3 Are there any cities or venues on this tour that you’re particularly looking forward to… or dreading?

There are definitely no cities or venues that we are dreading… We definitely see all of the shows as opportunities that we’re lucky to have! The US is so vast and fascinating to us that we’re actually looking forward to going everywhere as tourists! The history and sheer magnitude of the US is something that we find amazing. We had a great time in Austin, TX for SXSW earlier this year so we will give Austin a special mention, although LA doesn’t hurt either…

Q4: Are US live audiences different from the UK live audiences?

At the moment, it feels very similar to the UK for us when we were starting out. There are a lot of really enthusiastic and supportive people, and as the crowds aren’t as big as the crowds in the UK just yet, we get the opportunity to speak to everybody, which is nice! We’ve already met some interesting folk on our last visit, and we’re looking forward to meeting more this time around.

Q5: When you’re on the road, do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

I think all of the lads are very trustworthy on the road, and everybody is always there, ready for the start of the show. As a result, we have a very relaxed environment before we hit the stage. Sometimes we have to perk ourselves up a bit! A speaker to play some music is a must for us. To get us in the mood for the shows!

Q6: Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

Francis and Tom are cousins.

Neil has a dog called ‘snoop’.

Our tour manager’s surname is ‘Pain’.

Simon’s middle name is ‘danger’.

Our manager plays Roger Daltrey in a tribute band to The Who.

Tom once wet his pants in an elevator in Glasgow, Scotland. This was only 2 years ago, on tour with the band.

In 2013, Joe witnessed, in the flesh, Meryl Streep fake an orgasm down a microphone in London.

Only one of these is a lie.

Find all Run Rum Club tour dates on Bandsintown here.

Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown, which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Red Rum Club
https://www.redrumclub.com

NORTH AMERICAN AGENCY

APA
Address: 10585 Santa Monica Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Phone: 310-888-4200

Mike Hayes mhayes@apa-agency.com

EUROPEAN AGENCY

International Talent Booking
Address: 6th Floor, 9 Kingsway
London, WC2B 6XF UK
Phone: 44-20-7637-6979

Steve Zapp steve@itb.co.uk

MANAGEMENT

Red Rum Club

George Wilson georgeredrumclub@gmail.com

LABEL

Modern Sky UK
London, UK

US PUBLICITY

Baby Robot Media
Atlanta, GA

Steve Albertson stevealbertson@babyrobotmedia.com

UKPUBLICITY

Maintain Perspective
UK

Rob Allen rob@maintainperspective.co.uk

The post 6 Questions With Red Rum Club appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

Q: Your most recent album “Play Loud” was a bit of a departure with the addition of producer Dave Sardy (Oasis, Wolfmother, Modest Mouse, LCD Soundsystem).  How did it feel to share control of your distinct and carefully crafted sound?

Chris Vos: It felt wonderful. We have always self-produced up until Play Loud. We were all ready to hear some new sounds, learn, and grow. We have been a band for ten years, so it felt like a good time to open ourselves up to working with an experienced producer. 

Dave brought a lot of perspective and a ton of knowledge with him. He also challenged us to push ourselves to new places. It was a very rewarding experience. In the end, it is still your record. So, no matter how much you evolve you have to believe in it. You have to love every moment and be able to stand behind it. 

The whole recording experience with Dave was illuminating, a great time of learning and discovery. Having the opportunity to just think about the music and not the process of recording was freeing. It provided room for us to find new sounds and have a chance to focus just on the writing and the emotion of playing. 

Q: You did a few live streams during the pandemic. How was that experience and do you see continuing to do any now that live shows are returning?

Chris Vos: They were a fun way to get that emotion out and play some music. I enjoyed them very much given the fact that we couldn’t be on tour. Nothing replaces a live performance with an audience for me though. I want that moment of connection where the band and the audience all are moving as one. That uplifts me. 

I crave the live experience both as an artist and a fan of music. I love it very much and I never want to stop having those experiences in my life.

Q: The band has played quite a few live shows starting last fall. What was it like being on stage after being off the road for a year? Are the fans reacting any differently?

Chris Vos: I have always played by the mantra of play like it is one less show in your life, not one more. 

That motivates me and keeps the gratitude for the experience at a high level. Now, coming back, that feeling has been amplified even higher. The spring tour we just did was fantastic, almost dreamlike. People are so excited and ready to have that live experience again. Audiences are as engaged as I have ever seen them. When we are playing and I see people smiling and dancing, it fills me with both joy and love. 

I want to do my best, always. Music fans who give an artist their time are giving that artist a great gift.  I never want to waste that opportunity. I want to go as deep as I can and find something new in every performance. 

Q: The current tour includes Europe plus months of dates in the US. Are there any venues or cities that you’re particularly looking forward to?

Chris Vos: I am looking forward to them all. Anytime we go to Europe it is a great cultural and emotional learning experience. You see so much from which to draw inspiration. You also learn that music fans are, at their core, the same everywhere. I love that. I love the unifying power in a live show. I need it, and I think all people who love music probably do too. 

Q: When you’re on the road do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Chris Vos: Absolutely. As a singer, I will spend most of the day really focusing on hydrating, especially if I had a couple of celebratory post-show beverages the night before. Having a routine is very helpful to allow me to know where my voice is at on any given day. About 45 minutes before a performance, I start warming up my voice. I have a couple of songs I listen to and sing with once the vocal warm-up is done. This both motivates me spiritually and allows for me to physically get in tune with where my vocal range is that night. I also am careful to not eat a big meal within two hours of showtime. 

Before every performance begins, we gather together as a band and align our energy. Like a hands-in thing, you see any team do before a game. For me, once my right foot hits the stage I have left planet Earth, and all the worries of being on Earth are left behind. It is time to shine out and be an artist. That time on stage is sacred. It is something I have learned to protect by living in the moment during every second of the show. 

Q: Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

I grew up on a working family farm in Wisconsin. My dad, mom, and two brothers still all live in the area and work the farm. In grade school, I had four kids in my class, including me. Living in LA now is quite a change. I carry those lessons from back home with me every day. I love to work and work hard. 

I try to be kind, curious, and understanding. This life is a gift. I collect books about old tractors like people collect books about cars. I love tractors, you could make the argument that I love them too much. I dream about restoring old tractors like some people dream about restoring a classic car, house, or boat. 

Sadly, I don’t think the city of Los Angeles would dig me driving a vintage tractor from the 1940s down the street at 9 miles an hour top speed. Though with the grinding slowness of LA traffic, perhaps I could keep up. Maybe I’ll give it a try someday! Well, I can dream. 

Find all The Record Company tour dates and follow them on Bandsintown.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

The Record Company
https://therecordcompany.net

WORLDWIDE AGENCY

Wasserman Music
Phone: 310-407-0200

Ash Lewis alewis@teamwass.com

Lynn Cingari lcingari@teamwass.com

Jonathan Levine jlevine@teamwass.com

Olly Hodgson olly.hodgson@teamwass.com

MANAGEMENT

Vector Management
Address: 9350 Civic Center Drive
Beverly Hills, CA. 90210
Phone: 310-776-7620

Nicki Loranger nloranger@vectormgmt.com

LABEL

Concord Records
Address: 100 North Crescent Drive Garden Level
Beverly Hills, CA. 90210

PUBLICITY

Rounder Records (a division of Concord Records)
Address: 1209 Pine Street, Suite 100
Nashville, TN 37203

Regina Joskow RJoskow@rounder.com

The post 6 Questions With The Record Company appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

We caught up with the duo for this latest edition of the Hypebot, Bandsintown and CelebrityAccess 6 Questions With series just as they released new music and began a full band 35+ date cross country tour.

You just released a new single “Run Away” that’s part of an album project. Tell us about the track and when we can expect the full album.

Jocelyn: We’re both just so, so proud of this song. We went through a lot over the course of lockdown (just like everybody else did), and this song is the result of those challenges. It’s about holding onto hope in spite of everything – pushing forward, finding the light, and just escaping it all. 

This song is an upbeat, energetic reminder to ourselves to hope, and we hope it can be a reminder for you, too. We’re running away, and we want you to come with us. “Run Away” is the second single from our upcoming eighth studio album “Favorite Ghosts,” which you can expect out in May. It’s our favorite work ever, and we can’t wait for you all to hear it.

You did a series of live streams during the pandemic sitting on what I seem to remember was a very cool gold couch. How was that experience and do you see doing more now that live shows are returning?

Jocelyn: Yes, the couch! We love the couch haha. Going into 2020, we had a ton of momentum – we’d just been on NBC’s Today show, we had a full summer of dates booked, and we were wrapping up the new record. Things were going great… and then… well, that’s where the rimshot hits. 

I don’t need to tell you that 2020 absolutely sucked. All of the sudden, all the plans we had just completely disappeared. We really had to think about what our next move was going to be. It was pretty scary, to be honest. So we did one of the few things we could think of: we went online. 

We started livestreaming seven days a week, every single night at 7pm EST. We dubbed our streams “Couch Concerts” because that’s literally what they were – just the two of us, with our cats roaming around, in our basement, playing to our little phone lens every night and hoping someone was listening. 

And you know what? A lot of people WERE listening. In fact, a group of wonderful fans sprang up online – shoutout to our Arndtvark fam! – who absolutely got us through. And now that live music is coming back, we’ve actually been able to meet some of those people in person for the first time across the country, which has been amazing. It really seems like everything is starting to come full circle. 

We actually bring the couch with us on the road now and do a “Couch Concert on Location” in the middle of most of our live full-band sets. I don’t think we’ll ever stop livestreaming, either – it’s cool to add new tools to our music arsenal, you know? It’s also nice to come out of a situation like 2020 with some new skills that give us the opportunity to keep playing in lots of different ways. 

What is it like being back on stage after being off the road for so long during the pandemic? Are the fans reacting any differently?

Chris: It’s been a huge blessing to get back onstage after so long. I don’t think any of us realized just how much live music meant to us until it was gone. And based on the way people have been reacting, it seems like everyone is feeling some of that thankfulness. We’ve never had audiences seem so happy and grateful at our shows. There’s some special magic in the connection we all make through live music, and it’s something I don’t think anyone will take for granted ever again.

You have a lot of dates booked across the country this Spring and Summer. Are there any venues or cities that you’re particularly looking forward to?

Chris: All of them! Live music is what we live for. We’re playing all over the place, from Maine to California, and we can’t wait to hit the road. We’ve got an entire album’s worth of new music to play for folks and tons of pent-up musical energy to unleash. 

I guess if you were to force us to pick one or two shows we’re really looking forward to, we’d probably say the Bourbon and Beyond music festival in Louisville, because, like, have you seen that lineup? We’re playing with Greta Van Fleet, Jack White, Alanis, Pearl Jam, Chris Stapleton, the Doobies, Kings of Leon, Brandi Carlile… I mean, it’s crazy. But really, we’re absolutely psyched for every single show. Check our tour calendar, and maybe we can see you on the road sometime!

When you’re on the road do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Jocelyn: I’m always a fan of hot tea with lemon and honey in the dressing room. I love most kinds of tea. I’m particularly partial to Harney & Sons Moroccan Mint. I try to be good about drinking as much water as I can when we’re on the road, just because, you know, water is the essence of life. 

As far as habits go, I always handwrite out setlists for the band every night. It’s just something I’ve always done, ever since Chris and I started performing together when we were in middle school. It helps to calm my nerves and get me focused on the task at hand: performing a kickass set. 

Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

Chris: Jocelyn and I are huge closet dork – we both went to college at Harvard. She studied English and I studied Computer Science. As if that weren’t enough to cement our nerdiness, we also play DnD and both really enjoy baking bread.

 An unrelated but also somewhat surprising fact about us is that we’re also both really into winter gravity sports! Jocelyn is a skier, and I’m a snowboarder. We don’t have quite as much time to hit the slopes as we used to with our touring schedule, but we actually used to work as ski and snowboard instructors at Gore Mountain in Upstate NY.

Find all the Jocelyn & Chris tour dates and follow them on Bandsintown.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Jocelyn & Chris
https://www.jocelynandchrismusic.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY

Skyline Artists Agency
Address: 45 Main Street Suite 417
Philadelphia, PA
Phone: 866-531-2172

Ben Rossman ben@skylineonline.com

MANAGEMENT

Bridge Road Entertainment
Address: 26 Vly Road
Albany, NY 12205
Phone: 866-887-2834

David Bourgeois artists@bridgeroadentertainment.com

Anna Bourgeois artists@bridgeroadentertainment.com

PUBLICITY

Shore Fire Media
Address: 32 Court Street, Suite 1600
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 718-522-7171

Rebecca Shapiro rshapiro@shorefire.com

The post 6 Questions With Jocelyn & Chris appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

We caught up with the pair already on the road for this latest installment of the Hypebot, Bandsintown and CelebrityAccess “6 Questions With” series. 

You recently released a new album that’s a bit of a departure for you. You’ve described it as your heavy metal record.  Tell us a bit more about the recording and how the new material will affect the live show.

Shovels & Rope: It was gonna be a more intense departure. We were gonna make a stripped-down record – in fact we did make that record. Then we kept staying home. Per heavy metal we were referring to the emotional tone of the record. There’s some grown ass subject matter afoot. And as we were afforded time we didn’t want or need, we escaped into the record between raising our kids and facing the grim reality on the TV we left on for some reason.

You did a couple of live streams early in the pandemic. How was that experience and do you see continuing to do any now that live shows are returning?

Shovels & Rope: We did a few things and felt good to know there was some ability to pivot in a crisis. There is a lot to making a high quality one of those suckers. We liked the hominess of them, but connecting that way on the regular was not gonna work for us.

The band has played quite a few live shows starting last fall. What was it like being on stage after being off the road for a year? Are the fans reacting any differently?

Shovels & Rope: It felt great to be on stage and we felt big gratitude for everyone who came. Reception felt good, people were happy to be out- This fall we put on a whole other kinda show- a sit down and listen type of affair, and we played small venues in some of our favorite towns.

The tour that you just started hits both the US and Europe. Are there any venues or cities that you’re particularly looking forward to?

Shovels & Rope: We are so happy to be working, every gig still has a little shiny comeback feel good vibe right now. We’re honestly just happy to be anywhere. Happy anyone is anywhere!

When you’re on the road do you have routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Shovels & Rope: No, not really.  A bathroom is nice.  If that bathroom’s got a door, even better. And if that door has a lock on it well then, we’re golden

Tell us something about you that your fans might be surprised to know.

Shovels & Rope: A lot of times people are surprised to learn that we are a 2 piece band, and that we make all of our records ourselves at home.  Sometimes we’ll see a promotional blurb talking about how this or that show will be “just the two of them this time” when in reality It’s always been just the 2 of us.  We talked about adding members at one point but we had kids instead.  Ha.  Some might see it as limiting (being a 2 piece) but we honestly feel like  approaching the live show this way feels more free because we’re not bound by a lot of the normal constructs.

Find all Shovel & Rope tour dates on Bandsintown here.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Shovels & Rope
https://shovelsandrope.com

WORLDWIDE AGENCY (except UK & Europe)

High Road Touring
Address: 45 Main Street Suite 417
Brooklyn, NY 11201
Phone: 415-332-9292

Brian Jonas brian@highroadtouring.com

UK & EUROPE AGENCY

ATC Live
Address: 166-168 Camden Street
London, NW1 9PT United Kingdom
Phone: 44-20-7580-7773

Colin Keenan colin@atc-live.com

MANAGEMENT

Dogwood Artist Management

Paul Bannister paul@dogwoodmgmt.com

LABEL

Dualtone Music Group
Address: 203 North 11th Street , Suite B
Nashville, TN 37206

PUBLICITY

All Eyes Media LLC
Address: PO Box 60539
Nashville, TN 37206

Jim Flammia jim@alleyesmedia.com

The post 6 Questions With Shovels & Rope appeared first on CelebrityAccess.

We caught up with them for this latest edition on the Bandsintown, Hypebot, and CelebrityAccess collaborative series 6 Questions With just as they release their seventh album and head out on the road to support it.

Q: You’ve built an impressive career through relentless touring and by doing things on your own and in your own way. But for your seventh album Leylines, you chose to work with legendary producer Joe Henry.  What prompted the shift and how did it affect the final album?  

Rising Appalachia: We wanted to try something new and have an ear like Joe’s on our work so that we could focus more on the music and less on the production.  Many of our folk heroes had worked with Joe and he came highly recommended, so we went for it and formed a beautiful relationship in the studio with Leylines. 

Q: You did a couple of live streams during the pandemic. How was that experience and do you see continuing to do any now that live shows are returning? 

Rising Appalachia: We did one livestream last year and just filmed our second one live from New Orleans at Preservation Hall.  We chose to do only high-quality livestreams, thus taking the less is more approach when so much had entered the online format.  Mostly because we found ourselves writing and internalizing our art more during the pandemic and enjoyed the time inward and off stage. Our livestreams were both full productions and joyful experiences, something we loved to be able to offer folks around the world since we can’t travel as much these days. 

Q: You played some live shows this Summer and Fall. What was that like after being off the road for a year? 

Rising Appalachia: We chose to play only a select few live shows this year, which felt like the right move.  Not to disappear entirely, to keep the pulse going, but not to overload our schedule in a time that the world was reeling and demanding us all to move quite differently.  We have always done our best to respond to the times, striking a balance between pushing our art and letting it glide a bit.  

Being off the road was divine, honestly. It can get exhausting. But the shows we played fully reminded us why we do this work.  It’s a dynamic interplay between audience and musician, something that cannot be replaced by screens.  Live music will live long in our lives.

Q: You’re about to start a string of US dates including the wonderfully named Gem & Jam Festival in Tuscon.  Have you played that festival before and are there any shows that you’re particularly looking forward to this tour? 

Rising Appalachia: It’s going to be our first time at Gem and Jam and we are looking forward to being in the desert for sure, such a spectacular region of our country.  We are also playing the National Hispanic Cultural Center in Albuquerque, which we greatly admire and look forward to. 

When you’re on the road do you have any routines, habits, or “must-have” items in the dressing room?

Rising Appalachia: We walk tons. At every chance we can get, we stroll and stretch and move our bodies in new spaces we travel to.  We try to learn a little about what grows in the regions we visit, what foods are in season where we might procure the freshest foods.  Meditation in the mornings.  Workouts after sound checks. Anything we can do to add some routine to an otherwise non-routine career!

Tell us something about yourselves that fans would be surprised to know.

Rising Appalachia: We were both avid lovers of poetry before song crafting. We both love the way the poets use language in unapologetically strange ways. We both keep pages and pages of poems that never become songs.

See all of Rising Appalachia’s tour dates and follow them on Bandsintown.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

Rising Appalachia
http://www.risingappalachia.com

NORTH AMERICAN AGENCY

Mint Talent Group
Address: PO Box 18092
Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 312-260-0857

Cassie Siegel cassie@minttalentgroup.com

EUROPEAN AGENCY

State of Bliss
Address: Geschwister Scholl str. 26
Potsdam, Germany

Tori Baba tori@musicsob.com

MANAGEMENT

State of the Art DTLA
Los Angeles, CA

Nick Bobetsky nick@sotadtla.com
Ruby Anton ruby@sotadtla.com

PUBLICITY

IVPR
Nashville, TN

Maria Ivey maria@ivpr.com

The post 6 Questions With Rising Appalachia appeared first on CelebrityAccess.