Meet Carrie Lane, Musician

Carrie Lane is a musician who is excited to launch a 2016 tour with her new band, Honey Thief, a project that reflects her love for country music. The band is releasing their debut EP, Bad Idea, this month. Learn more about Carrie and Honey Thief by visiting www.carrielanemusic.com.

1. Where did you grow up, and what music did you grow up listening to?

I grew up in Montclair, NJ a suburb just out side of New York City. I grew up listening to a lot of the music that my parents liked when they were young. I remember my brothers calling the music "oldie moldies," but I never understood why they were making fun of it because I loved the music from the 60s and 70s that my parents played.

2. Honey Thief seems to bring together some pretty diverse musical influences. How do you describe your sound to people who haven't heard the band yet?

I guess the answer to that is that there is no true way to describe the musical style we have doing on; it's very unique. That is something that I definitely wanted going into this process. I wanted to be able to say that our music draws from so many different styles. If you say, "oh, I sound like Taylor Swift," well, what's fun about that? That person can go listen to a Taylor Swift song, and they probably already have. If you can describe your music by just comparing to one or two things, I don't think you're making music that is progressive or that is your own. In this business it is so important to keep trying new things and stay ahead of the curve.

3. What was your process like in writing the material for your EP, Bad Idea?

My producer James Strazza and I wrote each song a little differently. Nothing that he writes or that we write together ever starts the same way. A song might be influenced by a line or a concept lyrically and then music is written to it or vice-versa. We kind of just let what happen, happen. That is what kept the writing process so organic and, ultimately, gave the music such a unique sound.

4. What are your plans for the coming months in terms of touring and possibly recording more material?

We are going to be on tour in the NorthEast for March and April and then will have more tour dates announced in about a month or so. You can check out the official tour dates at www.honeythiefmusic.com! We are definitely going to keep writing while I'm on the road and continue to create new content throughout the year as well.

5. Is there anything else you'd like readers to know about Bad Idea?

Bad Idea is a very personal EP for me. Every song comes from a really authentic place in my life, and I think that is why listeners will be able to identify with it. I encourage everyone to take a listen and let me know what you think--I love interacting online with my fans especially on my Twitter and Instagram @HoneyThiefXX, so please give it a listen and let me know what you think! xo

Thanks, Carrie!

Meet King, Lead Vocalist and Guitarist of Happiness to Life

King is the lead vocalist and guitarist with Happiness to Life, a Florida-based band which has just completed its first indie pop/rock studio album. King grew up in New York and moved to Lakeland, Florida in 2000, where he studied to become a nationally certified massage therapist. Look for Happiness to Life's album on Amazon and Google Play in October!

1. Would you tell us a little bit about your new band, Happiness to Life?

I just finished our first studio album. I am grateful to have formed my new band, and at this point in time, the band consists of: myself as lead vocalist and lead guitar, a bass player, a drummer, a keyboardist, and a rhythm guitar player. All the musicians in the band are hired members at this moment. We are rehearsing the songs a couple times weekly in preparation before we hit the road.

2. How did the band form?

Originally the band was formed with one person: me. Gradually I started to hire the band members.

3. When it comes to writing songs, what's your process like?

For me, there is no exact formula. A lyric or a melody might pop into my head, and I can use that as a starting point for a song, or I can sit down and concentrate only on writing lyrics or writing the musical structure.

4. How do you balance your music career with your work as a massage therapist?

I took a long break from music. I dedicated a lot of time to my therapy work, and I achieved my objectives. Now my main focus is strictly on my music. On my days off, every now and then, I can do a little therapy work.

5. Why do you feel that you are drawn to creating music with positive, uplifting messages?

As I enter into a higher state of consciousness, I begin to realize that my word is my life, and my feeling is my life because I choose to create them. I can send my word or my feeling to any part of the universe. It will travel, and it will stretch out, and then my word or my feeling will come back to me. Why? Because I am the creator, and this is a very simple universal law whether we are conscious or ignorant of it. So therefore, I decide if I have to say something, I would rather say something that is constructive, positive, and uplifting .

Thanks, King!

Meet Psy'Aviah, Electronic Music Artists

Psy'Aviah was founded in 2003 by producer and composer Yves Schelpe, later joined by vocalist Emélie Nicolaï, and guitarist Kristof De Clerck. Since 2011, the band consists of Yves, Emélie and Ben Van de Cruys. Known as open-minded electronic music artists, Antwerp-based Psy'Aviah want to challenge the world to think about "Our Common Future." Check out their music video for Our Common Future on YouTube. The track debuted in February of 2014.

How will we live together, and how we will care for each other? "Our Common Future" explores these questions and mixes dub, pop, and triphop, with a special warm sound from the lush synthesizer of Yves (Psy'Aviah) and the smooth and emotional vocals by special guest Kyoko Baertsoen.

You can listen to and purchase Psy'Aviah's music on Spotify, iTunes, and BandCamp.

Our interview below is with Yves.

1. How did you first get into electronic music?

When I was 16, I first started creating electronic music. While everyone else was playing guitar, drum kits, and bass, I saw the opportunity to work alone and form my own band.

Back then I was heavily influenced by Praga Khan, Underworld, Moby, and a lot of trance music (Svensson & Gielen, PUSH, etc.). Especially the album "Mutant Funk" of Praga Khan sparked me to write my own music, since that album showed me how genres & other influences could be incorporated into a song. To this day it's still a big influence, and it has shaped the band's tagline: "open-minded electronic music with heart and soul," which truly describes what we do. We're not afraid of trying out new genres, directions, or styles. From reggae to triphop to hiphop to ebm to ambient and more... It all has a special place and influence in the music of Psy'Aviah.

2. What are some of the challenges of writing music which addresses important topics like diversity and respect?

The most challenging part of writing such lyrics is to make them relevant for everyone. I try to tackle this by describing the world how I observe it, or questioning a subject, but not necessarily giving an opinion in the lyrics. It's up to the listeners to make the thought experiment for themselves. With the song "Our Common Future," for instance, the line "Survival of the fittest, or survival for us all?" is a good example of questioning the situation we're in this world. And, by then, in the chorus using the lines "We are all in the same boat here, we are all on the same planet," I try to make it relevant for everyone.

Another song of ours that comes to mind is "Keep Hope Alive," which deals about euthanasia. The lyrics never give out an explicit opinion, but again ask a question: "Who are we to decide to keep Hope alive?".

3. What inspired you to collaborate with Kyoko Baertsoen, and what was the process like?

I've been a long time fan of the triphop band "Lunascape." which was co-founded by Kyoko. I first heard her singing in 2001 with the Lunascape song "Sequoia" on a Belgian late night show called "De Laatste Show." I was instantly in love with the band. Kyoko has a very distinctive voice, very warm, emotional and a bit mysterious. I found it could be a perfect fit for this song and went searching on the internet about how to contact her to work together (thank god for Facebook ;-)).

The process is how I usually work with all vocalists. I sent an instrumental demo, and a demo with my own voice on it "singing" the lyrics. The vocalists then take that back and make it their own, recording it at their studio and send me back the vocals. It's a process that's very efficient and allows us to work on our own rhythms. But in general I love collaborating with different vocalists. Without being disrespectful here, those voices are like instruments for me in a track. For a while "Psy'Aviah" had a main vocalist, which was interesting as we had a more "band"-like structure and could perform live a lot. But I felt the need to go out and experiment with new and other voices again.

4. In making the video for "Our Common Future," what did you want to express?

As the lyrics try to make you reflect on the current socio-cultural and ecological state of our world, I thought it would make sense to "zoom out" and see the totality of our earth. What better way than to use the NASA Space Program footage for that. We then literally look at our planet from a distance and can contemplate its future and our future, while admiring the beautiful images shot by the telescopes and cameras of the space programs. Furthermore, it was a great way, visually, to incorporate Kyoko in the music video as she's singing the vocals through consoles, monitors, and screens.

5. What are some of your plans for the year to come, and what's the best way for fans to keep up with your work?

This very moment I'm working on a new "Psy'Aviah" album, where I'll return to my "roots," which means inviting people and collaborating with them on tracks. Most of the tracks are written and recorded, and I hope to finish the production somewhere in May 2014. The album will feature guests such as Mari Kattman, Lis van den Akker, Lisa Nascimento, and again Kyoko Baertsoen. We're also working on having a very cool remix line-up for the limited edition!

Updates, behind the scenes clips, and contests are posted on our Twitter, Facebook and YouTube accounts. So those are the best to stay in touch with us: facebook.com/psyaviah - @psy_aviah - youtube.com/psyaviah.

Thanks, Yves!

Meet Sarantos, Musician

Sarantos is releasing his first solo artist music album on November 18th 2014. A new song will be released on the 1st Tuesday of every month. Sarantos' music has received rave reviews so far and he relishes this chance to pursue his life long dream. He is donating 33% of any music-related sales to charity.

Sarantos' website is called Melogia which in Greek means "with words." He also shares music on SoundCloud and YouTube. And follow him online on Facebook and Twitter. For a sample of his music, check out the video below.

1. How did you first get interested in writing and performing music?

I loved music and my whole family encouraged it from early on. We listened to music a lot, and I started writing lyrics around 4th grade. I loved how I could write about myself or empathize and put myself in other people's shoes and write a song about it. I have undergone several personal challenges in the last few years, but my dad's passing away in 2010 after a long hard-fought battle with lung cancer really put me over the edge. I had also dealt with some health issues like asthma and allergies, which severely affected my singing style. After mourning my father's death for a long time, I woke up one day and decided that the timing was finally right. This was always my lifelong dream, and I was tired of doing nothing about it and watching life pass me by. My main inspiration, however, is to raise money for charity. 33% of any music related sales are going straight to charity!



2. How do you get your ideas for songs, and what is your writing process like (from start to finish for a new piece)?



My process varies and I can do it any number of ways. I like to start with lyrics and envision an idea and melody and then put music to it. However, I have also just started with the music and then written the lyrics to it. I get ideas everywhere and every day. At the gym, listening to other music, listening to other people, reading books. Basically anywhere.

3. What made you decide to release one song per month leading up to your first solo album release in November 2014?



I personally think the music business is really struggling right now. I understand why people pirate music and want it for free. I understand as an artist why you would like to be paid 99 cents for a song you poured your heart and soul into. There is so much time and effort put into it, no matter how talented you are. The one thing I have also come to appreciate is how big the machine is. Labels pour a ton of money into artists, and they are a business. They have to make money somehow. I still like CDs and think they are nostalgic. But I know people don't wanna buy them that much anymore. The only way to combat this I can think of is to engage your audience, and if they like you and your message and your song, they might pay you 99 cents to download the HD version of your song. I also think trying to get more content out there for them like videos, interviews, pictures, anything you can, will help an artist in the long term.

Anyway, I am trying to revolutionize the industry. I want to stay in touch with my fans every day, not just once every few years when a new CD comes out. All my songs will be what I consider to be hits. There will not just be 1-2 good songs on the entire CD! I am going to release a new song on the 1st Tuesday of every month and a new music video on the 2nd Tuesday of every month for all of 2014. I interact with my fans via social media every day. On November 18th, the CD will finally be released with all 11 songs on it, along with all 11 music videos and a ton of interactive content--personal videos, interviews, just a ton of extras. Basically, my goal is to try and make it worthwhile and something my fans would really want to rush out and buy.

We'll see if it works.

4. For listeners who have not heard your music before, how would you describe it?



I think one of my contacts in LA who’s been in the biz a long time summed it up best - unique sound that is "an emotionally powerful vocal style masterfully united with music that is a fusion of classic 80s rock blended with modern soft rock and pop music!"

5. What are your plans in 2014 for getting your music out into the world--will you be giving concerts as well as sharing your music online?

I'd love to tour, but I need my music to get some traction first because of the considerable expense of hiring band members and especially the costs involved to tour with me around the US or the world. I can't do that unless I am pretty sure I have a lot of loyal fans who would buy tickets to a show to see me perform. But I'd love to do this hopefully soon. It is my dream!

I would like my fans to come from all walks of life and from all over the world. My main demographic and currently 65% of my fans are females aged 14-35, but I definitely have fans of all ages and plenty of male fans as well.

My main focus in 2014 will be social media. Social networks such as Facebook and Twitter have definitely affected the music industry by offering artists a way to expose themselves (not meant in a perverted way) and their profile. Artists can spread their musical talent instantly and communicate with their fans all over the world.

The popularity of Facebook and Twitter is worldwide. Virtually everyone is connected to these social sites making the best sites to promote your music.

Thanks, Sarantos!

Meet JSR, Independent Music Artist

JSR is an un-signed hip-hop and dance music artist from the Metro-Detroit area of Michigan. He produces all of his own music and writes his own lyrics. He prides himself on a music style that is unique and different from the Detroit norm. JSR is well-networked in the Detroit nightlife and party scene, as well as on the student campus scenes. He has worked with many other local artists, and just recently released his debut studio album. He recently opened up for the Ying Yang twins, and has received radio airplay numerous times on Detroit's 89x Radio Station, for which he was the "pick-of-the-week" from local talent.

Check out his first song, Bye Bye Mr. Nice Guy, on iTunes, and find more of his work on JSR's YouTube channel, as well as his Bandcamp page.

1. What's the story/inspiration behind your first single?

My inspiration behind Bye Bye Mr. Nice Guy is basically being tired of being pushed around. You go through this whole thing with rivals, non-believers, and love interests and after a while of being put down about what I wanna be, I just got upset and decided to retaliate in a way. Music just happens to be the best outlet when you're going through some things in life.

2. How would you describe the music scene in Detroit?

The scene in Detroit has a lot of talent. I'm proud to be in a pool of great artists. However, there doesn't seem to be a huge group of individuals or groups that's really trying to express a diverse feel. I love all types of music so I'm trying to convey that I can make what I like whether it be hip hop, trap, pop, or whatever else makes me happy.

3. What projects are you currently working on?

My current project I'm working on is my new album, Avid Dreams, which this new single is gonna be featured on. The title "Avid Dreams" derives from me constantly dreaming and wishing to live a certain flashy lifestyle. I wanna be the next big star out of my city and I strive to be that.

4. How would you categorize your music in terms of genres?

Music in terms of genres I guess you could classify me as hip hop because I'm a rapper at the end of the day, but one of my friends actually just told me that I should be put under hip hop/pop.

5. Who are some artists whose work has been influential to you as you develop your own music career?

I've been influenced by some of everybody, but I'd say some of the biggest would have to be Timbaland and Pharrell as far as producers seeing as I how I produce 95% of my own music. As far as artist I'm really inspired by Drake, Lupe Fiasco, Justin Timberlake, and Kanye West. I could go on and on but those guys probably keep the inspiration coming.

Thanks, JSR!