“The journey of a thousand epic guitar solos begins with a single lick.”  So said someone, somewhere…probably.

Hijacked chinese proverb aside, there’s truth in this little sentiment. We all have to start somewhere. The little kid who bops along to his parents’ records would never turn into one of the future shredders or wailers of the world without that one terrifying, yet essential, first step.

Here at HEADROOM, we call it The Plunge.

Without it, bringing you the best in unsigned music from all over the world would be impossible. So we had five artists from the fast-approaching youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival tell us about their very first band. Because once you take The Plunge, there’s no turning back.

Quinn Archer (singer/songwriter): “There was a time when I had a very serious obsession with The Rocky Horror Picture Show, and it was during one of my renditions of “Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch-A-Touch Me” at school that a girl told me that she thought I had a good voice and asked if I would join her band. It was all girls. I don’t think we were too bad for a bunch of 13-year-olds (but I could be very wrong). The first song I ever sang with them for an audience was “Black Velvet” by Alannah Myles. I remember that the first moment singing in front of a room full of people was like nothing else.”

A singer with undeniable vocal power, seeming to combine elements of Adele with the dark tonality of Lana del Rey, and power production song composition; these are really well-written songs that have an air of introspection and a knack for communicating dark moods without being morbid or cheesy. As an artist, she’s already done loads, and it’s this undistracted reach to be better and better that will see her to the top. For fans of: Paloma Faith, Adele, Florence and the Machine

Jim Priest (singer, storyteller, man on a mission): “The Henchmen. We served a heady brew of spoken word and hair metal, concocted in various junk-strewn garages across suburban southern California. Perhaps the greatest band the world will never know.”

Hypnotic acoustic guitar meets wrong side of the tracks storytelling, leading us down a dark alley of spoken-word intrigue; it’s tangible, like a newspaper headline – we wonder where it all went wrong. Jagged harmonicas tear in, reminding us that we’re only listeners, but we’re involved, affected all the same. Jim Priest is not to be missed.  For fans of: Tom Waits, Loudoun Wainwright III, Sage Francis

Eric Rickey (vox/songwriter, Rabid Young): “I was in high school, probably 16 or 17. My grandmother bought me a Fender Squire electric guitar and little practice amp. I learned some open chords, then I discovered power chords and started learning every Nirvana song (a rite of passage for every young guitar player). My first band happened not long after that. I don’t even remember what we called ourselves, but it was pretty terrible, and probably sounded like a shabby Nirvana, since that’s all we knew how to play. We played a few gigs in our hometown for our friends, and once we even played a gig in a parking lot, using one of my grandpa’s hay trailers for a stage. I think the singer’s dad went out and bought us a PA to use for that; we had no idea what we were doing. I can’t imagine how it sounded. The crowning moment of that gig was our drummer putting on a bear mask and walking around the crowd playing a marching snare during one of the songs. It was bizarre, but I’m sure we thought it was hilarious, or cool – it was probably neither, LOL.”

Dreamy and wistful yet energetic and soulful electro-indie made in Vegas, baby. Expect to be filled with a nostalgia for a time and place you weren’t even part of. Impressive stuff when a band can do that. For fans of: Imagine Dragons (kind of), Grouplove, eighties guy/gal duos

Rob Nakai (guitar/kick drum/vox, Quietly Kept): “My first band was a trio of middle schoolers jamming out to pop-punk. I don’t even remember the name (if we had one), but the line-up changed each time before any of the three shows we played. It was all terrible. I don’t really count it as my first band.”

It must be that independent New Mexico streak running through the music like an unidentifiable fascination that keeps you hooked. Managing somehow to blend punk stylings with introspective acoustic americana and the clear, sweet vocals of pop, the duo behind Quietly Kept aren’t about to be put into a box and labeled; instead, they’re turning heads and winning fans everywhere they go. We can’t wait to have them in LA. For fans of: Blackbird Raum, Brook Pridemore, Lynched

Carlos (drums, Feli & the LemonShakers): “Oh boy! That was far from being good. It was a high school band and we played some cheesy Spanish covers. (We had) vocals, guitar and me on the drums. We never thought a bass was necessary because we thought you could barely hear the bass in any band…haha. How wise we were! So the sound was funny but the singer was cute, and that was what mattered in a high school band!”

They sound like sunshine and cocktails, and have no shortage of musical chops, with caressing vocals, dreamy pop guitar melodies, and infectious, hip shaking rhythms. Even the empty spaces have style. One to watch. For fans of: Goodbye Chanel, Bombay Bicycle Club, Blondie

People make a big deal of bucket lists these days.

The Top 100 Desserts You Have To Eat In Your Lifetime…You Haven’t Lived Until You’ve Knitted These 8000 Items…Don’t Leave This Mortal Coil Before You Do These 72 Things With Snails.

Really. It can all get a bit…distracting.

Except when it comes to the things you’re truly passionate about. Then it feels like there aren’t possibly enough ways – in our mockingly short allowance of years from the cradle to the grave – to express your passion adequately and leave behind a record of a life lived well, a hell of a ride, and a worthy pursuit for those who will follow.

So we make little mental notes and lists of things we want to do with our arts, our sports, our quests…to remind ourselves there’s still A LOT to see and do. And then we compare notes, to see how our aspirations stack up.

We asked five artists who will be playing the youbloomLA 2015 Music Festival to tell us what they won’t be happy until they’ve accomplished from the only standpoint that matters: music.

Felice LaZae

1| Write a song with Fiona Apple.

2| Tour abroad.

3| Perform at The Grammys.

Joining the ranks of powerhouse music industry women – the kind who know exactly what weapons they wield in the form of vocal might, presence, and prowess – comes Felice LaZae, a blaze of a thing; confident, sharp as nails, and already racing her way to the top. Which is right where she belongs. For fans of: The Black Keys, Betty Davis, Imelda May, Tarantino movies

Menlo Black (vox/raps/guitar/piano, Crvscxnt Moon)

1| I want to travel the world and see the way people of different cultures and backgrounds respond to my music. I want to experience new cultures and I would be honored to have any of my songs included in another world culture, even if only for a short time.

2| Another music goal would be to earn the respect of producers and technicians who practice at the professional level. I want to create a sound (both in the studio and live) so sonically unique that I inspire a plugin that becomes a standard on every DAW and is taught to new technicians for years to come.

3| Finally, I want to share my faith and personal passions through my music in a way that is both relatable and true to myself. I want to say at the end of my career that I did it my way and didn’t compromise my values for money or fame. I want to keep and maintain my integrity as an artist and as a man.

Whip smart and acerbic, yet feel-good and uplifting, this is a group with cunning musical abilities and a tangible desire to venture beyond the well-tread environs of intellectual hip-hop. Crvscxnt Moon blend soul and gospel into a refreshing helping of music with something to discuss. Miss them to your detriment. For fans of: J. Cole, Blackalicious, Mr. Lif

Carlos (drums, Feli and the Lemonshakers)

1| To play in the main European and American summer festivals with my indie tropical band Feli and the Lemonshakers. Playing at youbloomLA 2015 shows that I’m on the right track!

2| Be a studio drummer in LA and in Madrid (Spain).

3| For Feli and the Lemonshakers (to become a) very well-known band worldwide!

They sound like sunshine and cocktails, and have no shortage of musical chops, with caressing vocals, dreamy pop guitar melodies, and infectious, hip shaking rhythms. Even the empty spaces have style. One to watch. For fans of: Goodbye Chanel, Bombay Bicycle Club, Blondie

Calah Mae (vox/tambourine, Quietly Kept)

1| One of my biggest goals would be to write a song that really gets to people; something that resonates with them. Last time we were in Santa Monica, we played “Failure Overture” at a little coffee shop, and this guy came up to us and told us that the song was exactly what he needed to hear in that moment, that it really touched him. That meant the world to me.

2|  Another goal would be to play to a really huge crowd  just to touch a lot of ears. A lot! Like… a thousand people. That would be so cool.

3| (My) last goal would probably be to collaborate/tour/play with a group or artist that I really love and respect. It would be so awesome to be on stage with the girls from First Aid Kit or Waxahatchee. They’re my current faves.

It must be that independent New Mexico streak running through the music like an unidentifiable fascination that keeps you hooked. Managing somehow to blend punk stylings with introspective acoustic americana and the clear, sweet vocals of pop, the duo behind Quietly Kept aren’t about to be put into a box and labeled; instead, they’re turning heads and winning fans everywhere they go. We can’t wait to have them in LA. For fans of: Blackbird Raum, Brook Pridemore, Lynched

y

Maddie & Peter (Polaris Rose) Our initial response was to talk about touring overseas, and although going triple platinum, selling out Wembly (Stadium), and rubbing elbows with the greats sounds AMAZING, the more we thought about it, we just have one real goal:  to inspire and empower others like our favorite artists did for us.  Because at the end of the day, sometimes all we have left is the music we love.

Instantly friendly and infectious, with precise vocal harmonies, and an uncanny understanding of what makes a hook do its best work. (Seriously, how did you write those??) At times epic, other times unexpected, the group have alt-pop sensibility coming out of their ears, and they gel so well it’s hard to imagine they’ve only been on the scene two years. For fans of: 90’s stuff, Elvis Costello, The Black Keys