Jessica Meuse Talks about Life after American Idol: Artist Spotlight

15-Feb-2018 By Robert Loustaunau

Photo Courtesy of the artist — Photo Credit: Jessica Meuse

It can be difficult to build up clout as an independent artist, but it sure does help when you’ve got your own hashtag and a squad of fans dropping it on the daily. Ever since Jessica Meuse made it to the Top4 Spot on American Idol’s 13th season, her faithful fan base, #MuseMafia, have been tirelessly repping for the country-singer. If you’re like me, that’s probably where you first heard this soulful singer with that infectious southern twang.

I’ll either be a broke musician or a successful one.

I just want to make my music.

Since her time on Idol, Miss Meuse has signed with Warrior Records, released a music video for “Love Her Better,” and taken up a tour across the country. Despite her hectic performance schedule, the Idol finalist spared some time to talk with youbloom about her roots as a country singer and what new stuff she has been cooking up.

Jessica Meuse on Touring

Talking Points: Living on the road, Playing the Maltese Islands, and getting pampered on American Idol.

On her Roots

Talking Points: Stage-side meltdowns…they happen, and Bringing your real self into your music despite the haters.

The Writing Process

Talking Points: Finding inspiration for music in daily life

Jessica Meuse – “Love Her Better” Official Music Video Recorded on The Maltese.

Best Show Ever Played & Youbloom

Talking Points: Playing the Viper Room in LA, Shout out to the Muse Mafia, youbloom, and the Unfortunate lack of Irish pubs in Texas.

Going Forward and Giving Advice

Talking Points: 2018 Album release, Recording at Capitol Records, and what a Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks’ baby would sound like (Spoiler, it’s Jess).

You can keep track of what Jessica Meuse is up to by following her on twitter @JessMeuse, instagram, or her official website. There’s a possibility she will be back playing with youbloomDublin or youbloomLA Music Festival & Summit and same for you. For any bands or artists interested in expanding their musical family, meeting and learning from industry leaders, and playing some of the hottest venues in Dublin, make sure to Apply to Play for youbloomDublin. Hurry, the application deadline is February 19th, 2018! And keep an eye out for Jessica’s debut album that is to be released in 2018 or join the #MuseMafia. You know you want to.

Robert Loustaunau is a content writer for youbloom and is a member of the social media team there. He is an avid music maker and listener. He enjoys the simple things in life: coffee, a good book, and quality time with his lovely girlfriend.

Dreaming of Jupiter drop Breezy new Beats

08-Feb-2018 By Robert Loustaunau

Electro art-pop ensemble, Dreaming of Jupiter blends together disparate jazz harmonies with slick sound production in their new single, “Let Me Down.” The effect is an expansive and airy atmosphere.

While the band has become synonymous with the chill vibes of soul-pop, the crisp mode mixture and Zoe Gough’s hushed rap-break makes “Let Me Down,” a refreshing addition to Dreaming of Jupiter’s already eclectic sound.

youbloom was honored to have the trio bring their innovative style to youbloomDublin 2017 Music Festival and “Let Me Down” will make an awesome addition to the bands continually morphing discography.

BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #9 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival.

01-Oct-2016 By Shannon Duvall

Sometimes all it takes is a little list. There’s a big world out there full of choices and for an ambitious musician it can be hard to know which direction to steer in. That’s where a BEFORE I DIE list comes in.

Narrow things down. Weed out distractions. Focus on the three things that will make your time on this mortal coil the best it can possibly be. Then go.

The youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival is in full swing, with scores of the finest independent artists around hitting stages all around the city of angels with one thing in mind: to share the music they love with you. They’re on this journey because they know, deep down, that this music train ain’t stopping; they’re in it for the long haul; they’re married to rock ‘n’ roll...you get the picture. But where the path will lead is different for every single artist up there tonight, and five of them were kind to provide us with some truly great answers when we asked: Hey buddy, what do you want to do before you die?

Huxley Rittman:

1 | Be featured on a hip hop banger

2 | Play a show somewhere stupid like underwater or in space or while freefalling from a great height

3 | Play a show in which I actually don’t screw up

An act we’re pleased to welcome back to the youbloom stage, Rittman is an artist who brings fresh footfall to the well-hiked trails of acoustic storytelling, making it more about the listener than about himself, which is dignified and refreshing. Like a relaxed, neofolk Dylan; instantly persuasive and warmly addictive. For fans of: Nick Drake, Hudson Taylor, Mark Kozelek

Nasty, Dirty and Nasty:

1 | Become a touring artist full time.

2 | Be featured on a song with Nas.

3 | Perform the 5 fingers of death on the Sway in the Morning show.

Eclectic, exploratory hip-hop that pulls no punches. The chemistry between Dirty and Nasty is colossal; together they capably tackle a range of different compositions, from sexy grooves to party anthems and rhymes to make you stop and think. This is an act that’s going places, and you really want to be there to see their live show before they blow up. For fans of: Black Milk, J Dilla, Digable Planets

Jonny Cat, frontman & guitar, Coo Coo Birds:

1 | Write an Opera.

2 | Score a great film.

3 | Tour three times a year in Europe and Asia.

Welcome to your new favourite garage band. Coo Coo Birds bring the fuzz and crunch with all the references to sex, drugs and rock’n’roll essential to doing justice to this timelessly rebellious musical style. They’re groovy, they’ve got swagger, and they write really great rock’n’roll tunes. You’ll love ‘em live. For fans of: The Stooges, The Black Keys, Jay Reatard

Case Bargé:

1 | Make a positive change with my music, rather it be in a listener’s personal life or in the overall music scene in general.

2 | Go on a world tour and have every show sell out.

3 | I would love for the creative collective I’m a part of to be a staple and known for our influential and positive efforts to better not only the music community but the entire world as a whole.

Like a dark dream shot through with sharp-as-a-knife clarity, Bargé’s music blends ambient tones and synthy, electronic landscape sounds with rhymes so deftly spat you get the sense they must be red hot. It’s top class hip hop with more than enough food for thought for a feast. For fans of: Tyler, the Creator, Ab-Soul, ScHoolboy Q

Grover Anderson:

1 | I would kill for one of my songs to become so ubiquitous that everyone rolled their eyes when it’s played, even if that meant someone else played it. Like, I want to feel like Ketch Secor from Old Crow Medicine Show does when Darius Rucker’s version of Wagon Wheel comes on.

2 | I’d also like to play in one of those overstuffed tribute performances that they do every year at the Grammys, like when Growl & Springsteen & Costello & Little Steven did that Clash Tribute.

3 | I’d like to tour with Garth Brooks. In my book, he’s the best live singer-songwriter that you can see, and I want to learn everything I can from him.

Wistful and clever, the wonderfully proficient Grover Anderson weaves together songs that mix youthful whimsy with heartfelt daydreams, delivering them to eager ears with a stripped-back, pure and well-considered expression. From the acoustic gems to rockier grooves, It’s the perfect road trip music, and it’s sure to be a killer live. For fans of: Paddy Casey, Josh Ritter, Ryan Adams

What three things would you put on your BEFORE I DIE list? We’re, uh, dying to know. 😉

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BEFORE I DIE: youbloom | HEADROOM #6 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival

21-Sep-2016 By Shannon Duvall

Ready, aim, fire. Attempting to accomplish anything in this life requires focus, determination, and persistence, but when it comes to the really big stuff? Hopes and dreams kind of stuff? Well, that’s when it pays to know what you want out of your time here on the planet. And there’s no better way to figure it out than to sit down and make yourself a little list entitled BEFORE I DIE.

We gave six featured artists from a little upcoming west coast party called youbloomLA 2016 (you might have heard of it) three blank spaces and asked them to fill them in with the three most important accomplishments they hope to one day claim as their own as musicians in this crazy business – before they croak, of course.

Chris Meck, Chris Meck and The Guilty Birds:

1 | I want to get back to Europe.

2 | A better van and a decent hotel at the end of the night.

3 | Make better records, and more people to hear them.

With a distinctive growl and guitar blues driven by swelling organs and sweet backup vocals, Chris Meck and the Guilty Birds is a group doing serious justice to the soulful road-worn blues rock that so many people love. Every detail on 2016’s It’s 4am Somewhere album has been meticulously seen to, and the result is uplifting, nostalgic, and note perfect. For fans of: The Black Keys, Tom Waits, Jeff Healey

The Magnettes:

We want to…

1 | Top the Billboard chart.

2 | Play stadiums.

3 | and, you know, end patriarchy.

The very sultry Magnettes serve up slick, smart electro pop shot through with dark and alluring images, raw and beautiful feats of vocal acrobatics, and a confident hold on the music. It makes for extremely pleasurable listening – for daydreamers and nightcrawlers alike. For fans of: Purity Ring, Active Child, MNDR

Jon Goodhue, vox, 3 By Design:

1 | Travel the world playing music.

2 | Share the stage with some of my musical influences.

3 | Be successful enough to sustain myself with a comfortable life financially.

Big soulful vocals meet crunching guitars, punchy drums, and an arena-ready energy in a band that seem – even at first listen – to be larger than life. Production on tracks from this year’s release Enemy build on the band’s evolution as serious musicians. Think cranking rock radio on an epic road trip. For fans of: HIM, Alter Bridge, Finger Eleven

Alex Ayala-Guzman, Lezayr:

1 | Be produced and collaborate with Dave Grohl. That’s a big one. I respect him as a musician and I feel like he would be great to work with.

2 | Play a big music festival. It could be any of them, however the Mexican Vive Latino would be a really big stepping stone personally. I want to be able to hear people singing along to my songs.

3 | I’d like to win a Grammy. I know it may sound like a big goal but I am working hard to get there.

An incredible and unexpected mix of Spanish language anthems and ballads and punk-infused indie rock tracks that will have you up on your feet and rocking out before you know what’s hit you. A true crossover act, they serve up catchy hooks and impressive vocals, all while appealing to fans across language, culture, and genre lines. Fantastic. For fans of: Une, 5 Seconds of Summer, My Chemical Romance

Dirty, Dirty and Nasty:

1 | Create a Broadway production style show for an album (like The Yeezus tour).

2 | Have at least one or two sold-out performances in both Europe and Japan.

3 | Create band merch collaborations with some of my favorite streetwear groups.

Simone Simon, Turning Violet:

1 | To be a locally well-known and respected band that draws a consistent crowd would be a lot of fun.

2 | To be signed by a well-respected indie label would be cool.

3 | To occasionally go on short tours with other bands that are our friends would also be great.

Unmistakable indie pop perfection, with sizzling beats, jangling guitars and impeccable harmonies, Turning Violet bring a lot to the table. Songs are carefully arranged, smartly crafted, and perfectly produced; they’re a DIY wonder you simply have to see live. For fans of: Marina and the Diamonds, Gabrielle Aplin, Lisa Hannigan

So what’s on your BEFORE I DIE list? Let us know in the comments below.

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MY FIRST TIME: youbloom | HEADROOM #3 with Featured Artists from the youbloomLA 2016 Music Summit and Festival

24-Aug-2016 By Shannon Duvall

MY FIRST TIME is youbloom | HEADROOM‘s look into the variously-colored pasts of featured youbloom Music Festival artists, asking them to break out the veritable top secret diary of rock n roll history and tell us what they can remember about their very first band experiences.

From the kiddie-rock virtuosos and those who sweet-talked their way into Glastonbury (?!?) to the one-chord wonders who kinda hate us for asking…it’s all about the springboard – even if for some it’s a little rusty these days.

Take a look.

Charlotte Fontaine, The Fontaines: ‘The Fontaines is the first band I’ve ever been in! We’ve gone from cringe-worthy-why-didn’t-our-parents-tell-us-we-sucked to figuring out our sound and enjoying ourselves. It’s a constant evolution.’

The Fontaines are geniuses. Having managed somehow to fuse together the best pop beats and vocal hooks from the 60s with the fuzz and crunch of indie rock, the musical result is a crash, bang and wallop of a song set that is at once sultry and incomprehensibly ferocious. Like a caged beast, as all the best rock should be. For fans of: The Kinks, Imelda May, Kitty, Daisy & Lewis

Hillary, Man Made Time: ‘I’ve been in different vocal groups before but this is the first band I’ve been in and it’s the best.’

Alex, Man Made Time: ‘When I was 16 I was in a metal band called To Dust. We only played one show. I was so nervous that I only invited one friend.’

Minimal and synth-driven, soft yet fierce, Man Made Time make music for the intelligent electronic lover. With polished vocals smoothed over an undercurrent of pulsing beats and finger snaps, dreamy melodies and a soulfulness that belies their contemporary edge, they’re the perfect band to listen to when you’re feeling like something that little bit…better than the rest. For fans of: Ciara, Angus and Julia Stone, Lauren Aquilina

Ang P: ‘I’ve actually just started experimenting with a band honestly. We feel like it’s the next step that we need to take to appeal to a bigger audience. The difficult thing is finding the artists willing to really put the work in though. It’s hard to find someone willing to see the bigger picture and the goal. A team can’t move unless the proper pieces are in place. A car is the example I always use. You can’t move without tires. People don’t wanna be tires, they want to be the shiny paint. Well the car doesn’t move without tires. So we’re still searching for the correct pieces but that’s the beauty of the grind. The challenge. It builds character.’

Jersey-born, Olympia, Washington-based Ang P is an emcee and hip hop artist with a firm foothold in the authentic, gritty side of his genre, writing and executing his music with a fearless lack of pretense that is damned refreshing in this increasingly lifeless, no-flies-on-me age. Instantly relatable, with clever lyrical and stylistic choices, his grooves get your head nodding, and before you know it, you’ve learned a thing or two. For fans of: Aesop Rock, Buck 65, Sims

Eve Williams, singer-songwriter & keys: ‘It was in the house music competition at school (we had houses as in Gryffindor, Slytherin etc. Mine was called Spencer ). We killed Let It Be. When I say we killed it, it really was stone dead but we won anyway.’

Recalling the great lady vocalists of decades past, Eve Williams is a woman armed with a beautiful, powerful voice capable of carrying entire albums with its frank, expressive, engaging timbre. Hypnotic and soulful, we can’t wait to see her live. For fans of: Rickie Lee Jones, Laura Nyro, Rachael Yamagata

Ruth Mc Cartney, backing vox, Great White Lies: ‘I guess my first foray into proper music was with a choir. For a small, community choir we managed to blag our way to some amazing gigs, playing Glastonbury and Electric Picnic in Ireland and singing with some great performers. We have had our dodgy moments too in fairness but it’s still going from strength to strength with new members all the time and an ever expanding repertoire and a history of great gigs to match.’

Great to have them back and even greater to see them play live, Great White Lies blend jazz, 60s soul, and singer-songwriter styles so seamlessly it’s hard to tell what genre you’re helplessly bobbing your head to. Addictively groovy, captivating and skillful tunes. A true surprise. For fans of: Natalie Merchant, Stevie Wonder, Minnie Riperton

Were you once a miniature Michael Jackson or Madonna in the making? Share your story with us in the comments below: