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youbloom artist spotlight: Simone Snaith

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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)

Self release your music like CommonUnion59

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self-release-your-music-commonunion59

What does it actually take to self release your music?

Well, lucky for us, one of our very own youbloom artists, CommonUnion59, released their second album, “Heartbeat Serenade” on February 11th of this year and were kind enough to share their experience with the youbloom community.

“The most important thing we learned is that the overall effort of putting an album out is probably half musical and half business. You have to come to terms with that fact when you plan your project,” Steve shared. And let’s face it; many musicians may be great at performing, but not so strong business-wise. That is why picking a solid team at the beginning of the project is vital to the quality of the finished album.

“It might help to think of yourself as kind of a general contractor who, when building a house, may do the carpentry but finds the plumber, the electrician, etc. because he just doesn’t have expertise (or the time) to do it all himself,” Steve said. Not only is it important to pick a qualified team of engineers, press agents, promoters, and musical contributors, it is also really important that you work well with these people and they understand your vision. “Go for quality over quantity and find the best studio you can afford.”

“We asked ourselves this simple question, how do the major labels do what they do?” Steve said. “First, they get the music created.” Steve advised to have as much of the music completed as possible when you get into the studio. This will save you time and money overall. On the same note, he suggested that you be flexible as well. There are always unforeseen surprises along the way, some of which may be beneficial to the outcome of your album, as CommonUnion59 experienced.

For example, Laura explained to us that the song, “Heartbeat Serenade” was one song that was unfinished when they got into the studio. They only had a few words written down as well as the basic melody. “We knew we wanted to have fun with it and give it a psychedelic vibe so it was almost like a side project that we kept coming back to as we recorded everything else.” Turns out, they loved what the song turned into so much, that it became the title track for the album.

Steve and Laura also learned the importance of being open to straying from the plan when they were recording their song, “It’s Alright.” Laura shared, “We did two versions… The first was a straight ahead rocking take which we liked a lot, but when we tried a more rock-a-billy feeling version, we really loved it, so it’s the one we ended up using. We hadn’t thought about doing that way in advance so it’s like a bit of unexpected studio magic that we embraced.” Though there may be some unforeseen hang-ups in the studio, there can also be some beautiful surprises along the way that might entirely transform the album.

After the music is created, Steve stressed the importance of making the final product relevant amongst the competition. One step in doing that is to have the music mastered after it is recorded and mixed. “It really does make a difference since you are being heard alongside so many other artists that do it too.”

Another step to meeting the competition is to gather reviews way before the release date. You want to have publicity growing for your album even before it is released. Sometimes doing this means hiring a publicity firm that has experience pushing albums to the people who need to hear them. Remember that there are tons of other musicians that will also be releasing albums the same month (and even the same day) as you.

The final step in matching your competition is to get airplay. The more you can be heard and in the more places, the better. “This part is not easy for sure since the majors have such a lock on most of radio, but it is still possible,” Steve shared. It is important to pull all of your resources and, once again, look into hiring someone that does this for a living. Also keep in mind non-traditional avenues of “airplay” such as social media, streaming radio, or YouTube to expose your audience to the new album.

It is also worthwhile to stress the importance of staying current with what is happening in the industry as well as being open to learning on a continual basis. One way that Steve and Laura did this was by attending youbloom@LA in November of last year. They shared with us that a lot of their experience at youbloom@LA helped them in their process with their album.

“If you’re anything like us, you’re writing songs, rehearsing, doing the business stuff, but you’re pretty much working in your own everyday environment. youbloom helps create a good sense of the big industry picture. To us, it seemed more about focus, inspiration, and motivation, reminding us that everything we do is important, good or bad. We take something positive from the lessons learned and keep moving forward.”

We hope that you find the experience of CommonUnion59 beneficial in your own album recording/releasing. Remember, it is important to plan from the beginning and get all of your pieces in place. “But, be relaxed and have fun with it too so that you love what you did later on,” Steve said. Recording an album is serious business, but let’s not forget that in order for the album to be a success, you must love the finished project. Steve adds, “It’s also important to play live as much as possible, it helps you remember why you’re doing it in the first place, and good things always happen along the way.”

“So get out there! Work hard, but have fun! We’d love to hear about your experiences as well!

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.

CommonUnion59:
Steve McKenzie and Laura Malasig make up the singing/songwriting duo of CommonUnion59, blending blues, folk, and alternative country to create music that many say is reminiscent of the 60s. They weave introspective lyrics of love and life through powerful melodies, creating an emotional experience that gives the illusion that the music and the voice are one fluid sound. Listen to some of their music.

Your next Hozier moment: check out PORTS

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Ports-youbloom

The “Blurred Lines” copyright case between Marvin Gaye’s family and Robin Thicke continued this week. Ironic that it’s centred around the pop hit “Blurred Lines” as the defence tried to induce a smoke and mirrors approach to their side of “Hey, hey, hey” story. The row centres over Thicke’s alleged stealing from Gaye’s track “Got To Give It Up”. It’s all good girls, chewing gum for the brain and $16 million dollars worth of “Feel but not infringement” accord to Thicke. “Blurred Lines” caused offence and controversy over the lyrics, but stayed at the top of the Billboard charts for three months. So clearly, somebody likes it.

The whole episode leads me to think… Mainstream music. Who does want it?

Saturated with overrated Kanyes, Taylors, Mileys and Pharrells. Low in fibre, high in sweeteners. Produced by the mindless, consumed by the masses. Musically replicated nodding dogs moulded by a warped mercenary system that’ s dominated by big labels, bland radio, deluded talent shows and engorged awards ceremonies. Stay on the standard FM band and that’s all you’ll get. But…. there is hope.

If you tweak the dial, go up the indie scale, step out of your musical comfort zone you may find a BBC Radio app. When you do, you’ll uncover a universe of eclectic musical diversity spanning multiple genres and generations. It’s on this frequency that you may encounter your next Hozier moment. That moment in time when the world stops for a second. When a voice, a lyric or a sentiment seizes your subconscious. Cerys Matthews on BBC Radio 6 regularly provides such musical moments. Best known for her indie pop heritage in 90’s band Catatonia, she is a faithful advocate of the band in Whelan’s tonight.

PORTS, formerly known as Little Bear are a foursome from Derry, Northern Ireland. They came onto Cerys’s radar having appeared twice on “Other Voices” music series in 2014. She was so impressed, she included them in her live broadcast from the RTE studios in April last year called “From Dublin With Love.” PORTS came in and did a set that included “The Devil Is A Songbird,” which is tonight’s opener.

It starts with a lonesome melody whistled through the reverb feedback from two mobile phones. Softly framing insightful lyrics, a lingering luxurious arrangement with a delicate yet desolate sound scape. It’s a thing of beauty. “The devil’s a songbird picking at my heart/ Her face was black/ Her dress hung like a painting on the wall” writes frontman Steven McCool. His writing style is visual, carefully weaving the words through the music. Attributing his key influence to Dylan Thomas, McCool’s poetry is engaging before it even meets the music.

“The song reflects the delicate nature of of the trouble in a relationship” Stephen told me. “When you see past the ugliness that can sometimes arise, you realise the songbird is actually a beautiful thing. You just need to look at it differently.”

Stephen seeks to create a cinematic connection with his writing, taking the listener on a journey through the songs. He wants his words to paint so many pictures. And that they certainly do.

Moving onto Night Dries Like Ink is a song about his brother leaving for Australia, the grief of the departure, the essence of loss. It’s another fragile decadent beauty. A swollen sound scape with oceanic tones throughout, sombre and dark. McCool’s language, “Night dries in/Like ink against a glowing sea/Brother I swim, part of you is part of me/ Fixed to the land motionless I call to thee/ Blessed by the leaves and the autumn skies surrounding me.” Perfect poignancy for this sparkling set list. I’d Let You Win follows, carrying the delicate jewel of regret and wistful yearning layered with lush guitars, shimmering in Richard Hawley style.

The lads deliver a stylish, dramatic version of Moby’s Why Does My Heart? part of a recent BBC recording. Oversized, exaggerated with massive effect, it’s as good if not better than the original. There’s a song from their highly anticipated new album called In Summer next. Magnificent, sunshine, Summer scape sound. A faint whiff of Groove Armada, huge cymbals, uplifting hooks. If feels like PORTS just stole the sunset and put it in a song. The band have been travelling with The Prima Quartet, I can only imagine how utterly stunning the combination must be. They’ve been playing Killer, reworked and rearranged with the quartet. It’s on the new album apparently. Bring it on. Final offerings of the night were Letters. Ghostly vocal echoes, a folky feel and charming percussion on a rising pace that evolves into extended serious riffs from Ryan. Closing with The Few And Far Between PORTS end their set much to the disappointment of the crowd.

PORTS will give you your next Hozier moment. The Devil Is A Songbird will wind it’s way into your universe. It won’t be on Bland FM or on samey samey MTV. It will blaze a trail through the hungover haze of plastic fantastic pre-manufactured pop. It will shine like a rebel diamond cut out of the sun.(Brandon Flowers phrase, thanks BF) Be ready for it. You can get your hands on Anicent Wave right now. The album has been two years in the making but it will be here very soon. These guys have worked hard to retain their artistic integrity. They’ve politely refused a couple of contracts, declined offers to make their work more “Radio 1 friendly.” This album is their baby. Very soon it will be woven in your soul. (That’s Imagine Dragons by the way). Check out PORTS Band on Facebook for more info.

Here’s a look at the Other Voices performance:

Why is there so much copying in music?

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Sam-Smith

“That song sounds familiar” – why is there so much copying in music?

When I put a song together there often comes a point where I think, “Wait a minute, haven’t I heard this tune before?”
For any musician with integrity this is a tough moment. No one wants to be accused of ripping off someone else’s work, and yet music fans will go gaga for a song that reminds them of something else they once loved. It’s a fine line between aping someone else’s work and yet delivering something that is both original and comfortably familiar.

This phenomenon is not unique among the arts but there is something special about music. Let’s explore further.

Musicians routinely get away with mimicry. Painters who copy are strongly criticised for their imitation, or even accused of the crime of forgery. Novelists who plagiarise are shunned and pilloried for bringing disgrace upon their profession.

The world of music has not been without its scandals. The Sam Smith smash hit ‘Stay with Me’ bears such a strong resemblance to the 1980’s Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers smash hit ‘Won’t Back Down’ that he was very publicly called upon to explain himself. And yet, with a gentlemen’s agreement (and some royalty credits), Sam and his pleasant little song have gone on to win a Grammy. Lance Armstrong must be feeling very sorry for himself.

Even the loftiest legends of the music world have had their controversies. Bob Dylan quite clearly built his career by pinching lyrics from earlier artists, and rock gods Led Zeppelin have been called out on the similarity of ‘Stairway to Heaven’ to a tune sung by a band that they toured with in the 1960s.

Most of these accusations have substance. Yet, after a little bit of legal jockeying and some minor bad publicity, they all seem to wriggle free with their reputations untarnished.

So why should musicians be treated more leniently than visual artists or writers?
Perhaps it’s just math. Given the fact that the chromatic scale has only 12 notes, and a few basic rhythms, there is a natural limit to the number of ways you can cut the cake.

Lyrics offer more opportunity for variation, and yet songwriters seem naturally drawn to a familiar bag of words. Love, baby, girl, boy, night and day crop up again and again in popular music.

It seems that novelty is not what your average music lover is after. Consider the chorus – it’s all about repetition. Most people like music in a limited range of flavours and will proudly tell you which genre they are (and are not) in to.

And then there are the musicians. Unlike the solitude-seeking painter or writer, locked in their atelier, musicians are much more social creatures. They love to share and collaborate. Early blues artists notoriously borrowed each-others riffs and lyrics without giving it a second thought. Popular musicians do much the same today with remixes, sampling and guest appearances on each others songs (keeping copyright lawyers in business).

So that’s all great, yet I still get a bit nervous when I realise my own newly created song contains a riff or lyrics that reminds me vaguely of a tune that I have heard before. Once the similarity dawns on me, I find myself trying to modify it to make it sound much less like the original – often diluting the character of my song.
Luckily, at this stage of my nascent music career I only get a few thousand hits at most for my songs, so I doubt I’ll be appearing on the radar of any major record labels legal team any time soon. If I start getting snotty letters from those pesky copyright lawyers I’ll take that as a sign that I’ve finally made it big.

Bring it on!

Save the right to perform: #saveirishbusking

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Keywest busking on Grafton Street
Keywest busking on Grafton Street

Dublin is famous for it’s busking tradition. Tourists love it, locals appreciate it .

Busking provides a free platform for bands and artists carving their craft of performance.

The list of famous buskers on Grafton Street includes names like Bono, Kodaline, Passenger, Sinead O’ Connor, Paddy Casey, Damien Rice, Rodrigo y Gabriela, The Riptide Movement, Keywest and Mundy. Aside from just singers, Dublin city streets and open spaces are populated by dancers, jugglers, acrobats, poets and comedians. From St. Stephen’s Green through Temple Bar to Henry Street, numerous artists and groups perform daily enhancing the artistic ambience of the city.

However, there is a dark cloud looming over the expression of art within the city. The dark cloud consists of protest from residents of Temple Bar who don’t want anyone playing after 11pm, (even at the weekends) anywhere near their homes. Apparently business owners have complained about buskers being too loud outside their shops, which to be fair might be the case if it’s one guy with a crappy accordion squeezing out the same dirges all day. And several councillors who seem to think that busking is still back in the 60’s with one guitar, one voice and a golden plec.

As streetscapes become more populated, busier and noisier so the humble busker has had to compete by using amplifiers. Amps however are the devils hearing aid, according to the mysterious minority protesters. The anti-amp brigade wanted a complete ban on amps throughout the city. Especially residents of Temple Bar who don’t want them within three metres of their homes. It’s ok by the way for the sirens, traffic, disco bars and general city centre noise, but not for two guys singing Wonderwall at 1am on a Saturday night.

Keywest are a Dublin based band who have built a massive fan base, due to years of successful busking on Dublin’s streets. They have mounted their own campaign to draw attention to the ridiculous nature of the new by-laws. Here’s the letter they submitted to Dublin City Council.

Dear Councillors,
My name is Andy Kavanagh & I’m a member of Keywest. Lets talk about Street Performing. It is no longer just busking. No longer just a Banjo and a rebel song. It’s a varied and vibrant artistic community.

Before I start I want to be clear as I think we’ve begun on the wrong foot. I believe in control on street performance. On more than one occasion I’ve met with assistant city manager Brendan Kenny and the Lord mayor Christy Burke and discussed my position. I even had a part to play in bringing these regulations to the table. Now it’s time to make them reasonable and workable.

Seems rational right? Well according to Councillor Mannix Flynn, “the amplifier in street performance and busking is like a virus. It kills creativity and wards off other artistic individuals.”

WOW It’s this attitude in people that had Galileo in fear of his life.

If I’m interpreting this correctly, banging an acoustic guitar loudly and wailing Oasis songs out at the top of ones voice is real talent and therefore preferable to an acoustic guitar plucked expertly in the stylings of the incredibly talented and now world famous Dublin buskers Rodrigo y Gabriela! Surely not.

A old banjo player wailing rebel songs is more desirable to the public majority over the soft sweet voices and plucked guitars of buskers turned superstars Ed Sheeran and Passenger.You’d have bagpipe over a Violin that is beautifully enhanced by backing music. No longer can the people of Dublin or the Tourists that visit us enjoy a magician that performs a captivating show, a circus act that delights with its mastery of acrobatics or a Dance act demonstrating perfect synchronicity and skill.

And the expert Street Performers that travel the world every year can no longer consider Ireland a place to show off their skills.
All of the above mentioned acts require amps. Amps allow talented people to reach out to audiences. You may have a problem with Keywest but what did all of those talented people do. You have insinuated we don’t respect business’s. That’s simply not true.
We leave business cards in every store so they can text if they feel our volume control or crowd control is not up to scratch. We pop in after the first set to check if everything is ok.
We have never ignored a request to lower the volume or move on. Never!
We ask our crowds to stand at the halfway point on the street and we finish sets after 4 songs to disperse the crowd. We do 4- 5 sets lasting two hours in total. We don’t repeat songs even once in a day and we don’t play in the same place more than twice a week or ever at night. What more do you want ? We have written statements from managers in over 30 stores on Grafton Street supporting Keywest in particular.
No Mannix the real enemy here is a lack of talent and lack of respect, not amplifiers.
You’ve referenced going back to the days of Bono and Glen Hansard busking without amps. That is a day gone by I’m afraid just like Morse code and telegrams. The reality is very different. With no amps you will have a swarm of oasis songs, accordions, brass instruments, bongos and bagpipes.
There was a time people travelled in horse and carts until the birth of the car and upon it’s groundbreaking arrival it presented a whole new set of problems but in the interest of human progress we adapt and create new systems to integrate the newer more modern ideas. We don’t just abandon what we don’t yet understand and go backwards.
You may not like Keywest but many Irish people do.

We are now 52,000 people strong on Facebook because of busking. Ireland’s new arrivals on Aer Lingus and Arab Emirates flights are pointed in our direction through a landing tourist information video. Youtube views of Keywest performing on Grafton street amount to over 10 million views. Most importantly the voting Dublin public decided we were “Dublins Best Street Performers 2014” with 60% of the vote.
Like many buskers we’ve done our fair share to promote Irish tourism.

I’ve performed all over the world. The rules vary but by and large they are aiming at the same thing. Dublin is Ireland’s capital city and I believe we should be trying to come in line and break new ground on the international standard. I’m addressing you as a very proud Dubliner. I live on Ormond Quay opposite Temple Bar and I enjoy all the city has to offer. I am not at all hesitant when I say, to me, Dublin is the perfect blend of everything and one of the greatest cities in the world to call home.

I am organising this campaign to bring light onto a topic that has been shrouded in darkness when it comes to the Irish public. Keywest are no longer a regular sight on Dublin streets but as busking has now given me a voice I intend to use it to save the free spirit that makes Dublin so great. This campaign is not in the interest of self preservation it is on principle.
I believe in respecting everyone. I believe we can implement controls that improve the quality of buskers and the quality of life for business and residents. I believe in compromise. A ban on amps is not a compromise. A decibel level of 80 decibels is exceeded by just talking on Grafton St so I don’t believe that is fair either.

I’d rather not expend my efforts in a campaign against councillors but on a campaign with councillors that enhances living in or visiting this fair city.

Andy Kavanagh,
Proud Dubliner and Street Performer

In spite of Andy’s spirited and impressive campaign against the impending bye laws, earlier this week Dublin City Council voted to ban all busking after 11pm. A complete ban on busking outside the GPO and in O’Connell Street (wonder if that counts for choirs raising money for charities at Christmas?), no busking on Temple Bar Square, a limit of 80 decibels (street noise level) and a lower level of 75 decibels in Temple Bar. Buskers have to pay for a permit of €30 to busk or €90 extra if you have an amp. The Keywest campaigners haven’t given up yet. They’re determined to #SaveIrishBusking:

 

Glen Hansard, legendary Dublin busker and Oscar winner said: “As a busker, one thing that does not work is self-consciousness. A busker needs to be working. A busker needs to shed all ego and get down to work. Play your songs, play them well, earn your money, and don’t get in people’s way.”

Surely we as a community cannot let the interests of a few over sensitive ears in a prime city centre location undermine the very fabric of our artistic society. Watch, post, retweet and contribute to #saveirishbusking.

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