youbloom HEADROOM: Featured Artists from the Dublin 2015 Music Festival #1

By

Artists and band members from the upcoming youbloom Dublin 2015 Music Festival let us poke around inside the creaky corners of their musical minds and share a little of what makes them do what they do. We’re proud to have over 50 incredible, unsigned acts on this year’s bill, so it seems only proper to get to know as many as we can before getting our blessed cotton socks rocked off for three days. So I must probingly request:

Tell us the story of the first experience you can remember having with music:

 

MutantLondon4

“The earliest experience I can remember is learning to play the recorder at school, around age 7 or 8. It was a squeaky, slow journey, but one that led directly on to picking up a saxophone for the first time & falling in love.” – Edwin Pope, saxophone, Mutant Vinyl


Mesmerizing, kinetic one-man electronic act Mutant Vinyl will be playing Sweeney’s Basement stage on Friday 12/6, at 1.30am. Hotly-tipped and irresistible, the live shows have attracted tons of praise – even from Sir Paul McCartney himself! Don’t miss this one.

 

 

 

image1

“…I was about 3 years old, I walked into my parents sitting room…they just got a new VCR and some video tapes, (and) one of the video tapes was Now That’s What I Call Music. The first video on the tape was Kylie Minogue, “I Should Be So Lucky”. (It was) the only one I wanted to watch. My parents ended up losing the tape (read: throwing it in a skip) because they heard it so many times and went mad. (They) ended up getting me a Walkman.” – Ahren-B

Sligo-reared and soulful, Ahren-B pushes boundaries both topical and musical with his unique Irish hip-hop. His is a masterful sound, deftly navigating the choppy waters of hip-hop crossover with lyrical clarity and carefully considered – never too pushy – rock layers. He plays Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Friday 12/6, at 9pm.

 

 

“When I was a kid, I was in a choir but I got fired. Then when I was in the school band I was moved from xlyephone (sic) to triangle; can’t believe I still can’t spell it (xylophone, I mean; not triangle!) Once I broke into my brother Jimmy’s room to mess with his drums. But still, in spite of all the Led Zeppelin posters, my first record was “Long Haired Lover From Liverpool” (by Jimmy Osmond). Then, one Christmas I remember asking my dad for “Never Mind The Bollocks” by the Sex Pistols, but I couldn’t bring myself to say “bollocks” to him. Somehow it arrived on Christmas morning, though, and my life was complete… for a while.” – Clodagh Rooney, Reverend JM’s Panic Worship

“The answer to that could be very rude, and I’m sorry that I don’t have a very juicy answer. My mother had a record that her boyfriend had given her. It was a bunch of Franciscan monks singing in a choir, recorded in a big cathedral or something like that. She used to put it on when I was going to sleep at night and I could hear it from the record player in the living room. It was a truly beautiful thing to listen to when you were finishing your day, even as a little kid. When I got older I replaced it with Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue”. Not the same, but similar.” – JM Burr, Reverend JM’s Panic Worship

One of the best things about music in Dublin is that since the city is so small, bands from wildly differing genres often find themselves drawing influence from all the other unexpected sounds around them. Reverend JM’s Panic Worship is one of the best examples of this uniquely Irish “genre-less” sound. Dark, playful melodies wind out of an assembly of unexpected instruments, played with intimate know-how. A second-to-none act, they play the Mercantile Stage on Friday, 12/6, at 9.30pm.

 

ShelitaBurke-Goofy

 

 

“The gospel music I heard in church – at the time it was the only I music I listened to. When I was 7 years old, my older sister Melissa heard me singing off-key to one of the songs, so she took pity on me and decided to teach me how to sing. Through her training I eventually became the lead singer in the choir. It wasn’t until later that I branched out and was exposed to different genres of music. During a trip to Ocean Shores, Washington, my uncle gave me my first CD player. I was 11 years old and it was the first time I got to choose the music I listened to. I would go to the thrift store in downtown Seattle that had $1 used CDs and buy 20 random ones at a time and listen to one album after another. Some were amazing and some of them I didn’t like so much but that’s how I got exposed to artists like Joni Mitchell, Lauren Hill and Nick Drake. This has influenced my songwriting today.” – Shelita Burke, singer/songwriter

Seattle native Shelita Burke is something of a perplexity, raw of voice and precocious, charmingly facebook-shy; a warrior of the ideas kind. We can’t wait to welcome her to Ireland and be transfixed. She’ll take to Sweeney’s Upstairs stage on Sunday, 14/6, at 8.40pm.

How a music conference can help your music career

By

How a music conference can help your music career

So you heard a music conference is coming to town, did you?
If you’re into music at all, you’re probably curious, and considering bopping along to see what all the fuss is about. The words might seem familiar, but it might not be clear what really goes on at a conference for the music industry; who and what they’re for.

A music conference might sound like an intimidating experience; it’s chock full of big names, weighty topics, and technical talks. But it’s a forum which offers real insight into the world of music employment and all of the fascinating elements found within.

So who is it for?
Anyone with an involvement in, interest in, or healthy curiosity about how the music business works. The industry has changed dramatically over the years, never more so than in the last 10 years, yet music progresses on unimpeded; a truly unstoppable part of our human culture.  With all of the different panels, talks, and masterful guests, the insights at any music conference stand to be outstandingly valuable.

What happens?
A guest usually books a ticket, allowing him access to the limited number of spots in whichever venue is hosting the conference.

The ticket allows a guest exclusive access to the speakers, members of the press, industry professionals, headhunters and scouts, and many more movers and shakers in the sphere of music.

The program will outline the times and topics for each slot, and the guest should then look for as many or as few of these as he or she is interested in attending. Refreshment breaks provide time to pause, and chat with other attendees. Hilarious interviews, insightful anecdotes, and group participation are all par for the music conference course.

Is it really boring?
What? No! If you’re interested in music, the day will fly by before you know it. There really is so much to learn, and when you get lots of music people together in one place, the buzz in the air is straight-up infectious! There’s no telling what could happen, really. Interviews with bands you like or artists who make you scratch your head in amazement; finding out what really happens behind the scenes; the chance to get hands-on and try out new technologies and advancements; rubbing elbows with the greats; it can all happen at a conference.

Do I have to know a lot to understand what’s going on?
Absolutely, categorically: no way. While knowing a little about the music industry might give you direction of interest, one of the coolest things about a conference is the wealth of unexpected and useful knowledge you’ll come away with. Since it’s an ever-evolving scene, there’s always something new to learn, wherever you are on the scale of knowledge, so sit back and enjoy.

What do I stand to gain from attending?
New experiences, new friends, new things to talk about at dinner, new ways to connect with just about anyone, new ideas and inspirations, new directions and informed career choices; it’s all up to you. The better question to ask yourself is what you stand to miss out on by neglecting the opportunity.

The next time one comes to your city, do yourself a favor and book in for the learning curve of a lifetime.  And if you’re in and around Dublin on June 12-14 you should check out youbloom’s very own premier music fest.  With over 60 bands and a full conference it’s an awesome opportunity you can’t miss!  For more information click here and don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

youbloom artist spotlight: The Vigils

By

The Vigils Los Angeles band
Even for a Tuesday night, the bar is desolate, with the exception of a few patrons standing quietly around, drinks in hand. From the door, you can hear a medley of random notes echoing from a far room in the back of the bar, seemingly unnoticed by the bystanders. Upon entering the back room, the band can be seen warming up, a jumble of instruments, cords, bodies, and notes.

Stepping from the shadows is a tall figure with dark sunglasses. After a few short words to the nearly empty room, the randomized notes coordinate to become one incredible sound. As if being commanded to attention, people literally come out of the woodwork—tiny side tables tucked into the walls—and crowd the small space.

Sol Luongo steps off the stage on the first strum of her guitar, not to return until the set is over. As if a spirit takes over her body, she mesmerizingly moves to the music while not missing a note. Daniel Cieplinski’s shades can’t hide his charismatic personality and he enchants the crowd with his suave demeanor and cool vocals. Jessy Bender adds a sometimes optimistic, sometimes sultry moodiness to the music with her saxophone and Skeeter Joplin holds all of the instruments together with the drums.

You can see the music pulse through the musicians’ bodies as well as the crowd watching. The music is at times dark and mysterious and other times upbeat and vibrant. At all times, it is rocking—a combination of classic rock, blues, and punk with a foreign, but comforting smoothness—blending so well it is challenging to tell one genre from the other. The music lures you in, seduces you, rocks you.

You would assume by watching them play that their sole life focus is on creating and performing music; however this is a luxury that is not gifted to all musicians. Like many other musicians in the Los Angeles area, The Vigils must juggle outside activities and responsibilities to support their passion. In other words: it’s challenging. But, if the love of the art of music is great enough, it will outweigh any sacrifices and obstacles in the way, as we can see with The Vigils.

the-vigils-youbloom-artists

The Vigils’ guitarist, Sol, is originally from Uruguay, Sol began playing bass when she was 13 years old and joined her first band at around 14. Her journey with music bounced her between a handful of different bands and locations over the years. In 2005, she finally landed in Los Angeles where she continued playing music with a variety of different bands.

In addition to practicing and performing with the Vigils, Sol manages a bar in Highland Park called “La Cuevita.” She is physically there six days a week, but mentally there seven. She plans the events, the cocktail menus, scheduling, etc. Some nights she goes into work at 3pm and doesn’t get home until 5am. She also does some freelance animation and illustration in her “spare time.”

A Washington DC native, Danny grew musically by singing in underground punk/hardcore bands in the metro area. Even as a young kid, Danny was dressing up like Mick Jones of The Clash and strumming on a tennis racket or singing along to The Cramps in front of a flashing strobe light in his room—his dream already coming into focus.

Daniel is a manager/driver at a high-rent residential facility for schizophrenic and other mentally ill adults in Van Nuys. He works varied hours throughout the week, sometimes waking up for work, hair still wet from a shower he took a few hours earlier when he got home from a show.

Jessy grew up in Columbia, Missouri listening to Bowie, the Stones, The Clash and 80’s new wave. She moved to LA to be in the film industry, in which she successfully entered, but she always held onto her childhood dream of being in a band. She is currently part of a 2 to 3 person team that mics and records the dialogue and sound for TV, movies, and commercials. This profession has random hours and can take her from Malibu to West Covina and from 12pm to 2am on any given day. Often, she has to get up at 6am after playing a midnight show the night before.

Skeeter grew up with guns, drums, and rock and roll in the backwoods of Oregon. Skeeter’s heroes were musicians, two of which were, and still are, John Coltrane and Patti Smith. In 2005, he moved to Los Angeles and landed in the heart of Hollywood where he currently lives with his girlfriend. Skeeter goes everywhere by train, including to his jobs at Amoeba Records and La Cuevita.

With all of their other responsibilities, you have to question why these artists do it. “It’s pure meditation… letting go and becoming music and letting your earth weight and expectations go,” Sol explains, “It’s the closest thing to heaven. An electric pulse of life.” Danny adds, “Performing is as good as it gets, a physical and emotional exorcism of sorts.” “Performing takes me to another place… Each song has a unique message in it… After a show, I feel I’ve been through an awesome journey,” Jessy describes.

These feelings seem similar to those that fans experience at a show. The feeling at a show, when the music comes together and forms a living presence in the room that can be felt, so much so that it physically touches you; it moves you. It is this same presence that moves the artist, that seduces them enough to sacrifice their time, money, and at times sanity and keeps them coming back for more… thankfully for us.

So perhaps this is an ode to the artist, a thank you of sorts for the sacrifice, the dedication and the struggle it takes to channel that presence so others can share in the soul-healing experience of music. As Sol put it so well, “Being in the moment only happens when you can rock out with your truthful soul.” And we are constantly looking forward to our next spiritual experience. Rock on.

Stop Worrying and Love the Bass Guitar

By

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bass Guitar

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bass GuitarStepping off stage after a monster set of modal jazz I notice the fans and how they flocked. The sax, keys, and drummer are usually the first to be approached. The singer just as often. I, the bass player, seem to be able to navigate the crowd completely anonymously, not a single person inquiring about my destination. It’s rare to gain great public acclaim as a bass player, that’s just not our role.

The lead guitar player? Sure. The trumpet soloist? Absolutely. Bass? Ideally, you only notice it when it’s being played poorly. Otherwise it serves a function in music that is completely supportive. An odd mix of introvert and extrovert that personifies “support” in the best of ways. I believe that the core elements of music and the instruments that play them have something in common in their organizational and social cultures in relation to other instruments. Said plainly, the musician’s personality can and often does echo their instrument’s emotional role in music.

The role of the bass as a function of music is to support the melody, harmony, and rhythm of a piece. Any instrument performing the bass role has a musical duty to both lead and follow the other musical elements to keep them all in concert. The bass has implied harmony and obvious rhythm to its part and it is usually thought of as the second melody.

This is a great musical example of the potential dynamics of an individual’s role in a team. In the first few years of my bass playing I wanted to play fast and use complicated techniques to be really impressive on my instrument. During college I noticed that every other young bass player was trying to do the same thing as me and none of us were getting any gigs!

The guys who were getting gigs were simple, solid as a rock, supportive players. They were members of their teams and naturally assumed a type of leadership role that exists somewhere between being fully in charge and just being a silent partner for approval. Thinking about you’re role in whatever team you’re in, how are you supporting that relationship and how do you keep everyone on track in whatever project you’re working on?

The bass player in a band does a couple of key things that have become stereotypes over the years. They keep the drummer on track. This means the bassist has to agree with the drummer about the tempo and feel of a song and then work to maintain those musical elements. By providing the bass line, the bassist gives the whole band the core harmonic information. The key of the song and the chord progression. This helps the singer identify their pitch and keep soloists on track by giving them a reference to the form of the song.

At the end of the night, after I’ve packed up my bass and I’m ready to head home, I’m happy that I get to continue my role as a supporting musician. I never really wanted to be the stand-out, I’d rather just help everyone be the best they can be. It’s a great way to be in charge without needing credit for it. It’s that great mix between introvert and extrovert and I’ve come to develop respect for the supporting roles over time. I learned to stop worrying. I learned to love the bass guitar. I learned to love being a part of a team. And I’d love to talk to you after my set, but if you don’t want to, that’s fine too.

youbloom artist spotlight: Simone Snaith

By

Simone-Snaith-musician-writerAt youbloomLA 2014, hundreds of artists and fans turned out to share in a common passion, music. Because of this, an amazing opportunity to meet people and to network was created. One of the attendees we met was Simone Snaith, musician and author. We had an opportunity to sit with Simone after the event and learn more about her music and writing careers.

Are you from LA or did you move here to be near the music scene?

I grew up in SoCal and have lived in several areas here, but I’m originally from Louisiana. I moved to CA with my family in 1988 because my mom wanted to be near the beach and mountains, and to have broader job opportunities. We moved to Norwalk first and then we moved to Culver City and later Redondo Beach. I moved into the Hollywood area from Redondo Beach around 2005 to work at a small indie label.

Can you tell us a little more about your music history?

In school, I was always in whatever choirs or choruses were available, but I never learned an instrument and I didn’t really try to write songs until college. Both of my parents are musicians who played in bands in Louisiana when I was a kid, so I was always around music. Now, I play guitar. I started learning after college – about 2002 – but I’ve only played seriously for about a year.

I joined my first band around 2001. In this band, we didn’t get along, so there was a lot of fighting and misery. In my later bands I struggled with keeping members that were committed to practicing or who weren’t too busy because they were in ten other bands. The first band was post-hardcore and I sang and wrote the vocals, and the later bands were actually the same folk/rock project with different line-ups because of the aforementioned losing of musicians. In those, I sang and wrote the songs. The first band went on two independent tours where we booked shows around the country and drove in a crappy van that broke down repeatedly. We mostly fought the whole time, but we did have some fun adventures.

What are some of the struggles you have had along the way?

It’s difficult to find a group of people that are reliable, that you get along with, and that play the right kind of music. That is more or less why I’m playing solo now. I was previously always the singer and songwriter, so I had to teach myself guitar to play alone, which is difficult for me because I have a work injury that caused me tendinitis. Playing solo also revived some stage fright that I shook off way back in my first band! But I get by and I’m proud of myself for carrying on solo.

What are your thoughts on breaking into the music scene in LA?

Obviously, the LA music scene is very crowded so it’s hard to get anyone to pay attention to your music. Also, it’s gotten better lately, but there are still a lot of venues that demand that you bring a ton of people. I think that making friends with other bands and booking shows is a big help, both in getting a bigger crowd at shows and also in making connections for finding things like band managers and photographers, etc.

What are some of the musical projects you are working on currently?

Turning Violet is my solo project and I play at venues such as La Cuevita, La Cita, Timewarp Records, and The Viper Room downstairs. This project is the result of no longer wanting to try to keep a band together, but just playing my songs by myself! I really enjoy the freedom of booking shows without worrying about schedule conflicts, and being the sole decision-maker. Right now, I’m focusing on playing gigs, but I will probably try to record down the road. I’d like to record a Turning Violet EP, but I’ll need help with that on the technical end and probably on guitar too!

I’m also a writer and am currently finishing up a new novel. I’ve been writing stories ever since I could use a pencil, and so I majored in Creative Writing in college, and mostly focused on writing short stories at first. Right after college, I wrote several screenplays but decided that screenwriting wasn’t my thing, so then I began to write novels.

Around 2007, I completed a young adult book and began submitting it to agents; I signed with Dystel & Goderich and have written 4 other novels since then, but none of them have been published, so I have started self-publishing and now have 3 of them available as ebooks: ‘From The Ashes’, ‘Through The Eyes’ (a young adult vampire series), and ‘The Indigo Stone’ (a fantasy novel). The first two are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iTunes, and the last is on Amazon. A physical paperback version of The Indigo Stone will be available in about a week on Amazon, and in a month or so in stores! I would love to be able to make my living as a writer and continue playing music as much as possible. That has been my lifelong dream.

What was your experience attending youbloomLA?

I went to two sessions at the conference, one about licensing music and one about marketing. I knew some of the information already but it was interesting to hear it from the perspective of people working with major artists, etc. The speakers seemed very knowledgeable and the other attendees had good questions. I think the host bands concept is a great idea to help the out-of-town acts make the most of their time while they attend the festival.

What advice do you have for aspiring artists that are trying to make it in the music industry?

As far as advice, I can reiterate that networking with other bands and booking shows together is helpful for getting decent size crowds and future show opportunities. I would also suggest making the most of social media, including buying the occasional Facebook ad, etc., to get your page more visibility, as well as just being active online. I think focusing on building a following is the best way to break through the hundreds of bands out there, to establish name recognition and have people hearing about you, looking you up, coming to shows.

We are looking forward to getting to know some other youbloom artists and music lovers at youbloomDublin Festival and Conference. Join us on June 12th/13th/14th so that you can create your own connections and we can get to know YOU! Read more about the Festival and Conference HERE (www.youbloom.com/dublin-2015/). Additional details and tickets available soon.

If you want to learn more about the youbloom community follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and check out our new youbloomTV channel on YouTube.

Please take a look at Simone’s work below:
www.simonesnaith.com
Facebook — Turning Violet (music)
Facebook — The Indigo Stone (books)

Live events your way.

Step into the fan-owned future of music.