Review:
I came across this album because my really good friend's husband, Mat, is the bass player in this band (and he helped produce the album as well!!). I wasn't sure what to expect from this local group that I had never heard before.
I AM ADDICTED TO THIS ALBUM! I seriously have been listening to it ever since I bought it. I especially like Arm's Length and Twice. So good. I really love the sound, smooth and jazzy but also fun and upbeat. It's very catchy. Take a listen:
The Dream Sequence EP is available for purchase Here.
Interview:
Q: How long has this EP been in the works and what kind of things did you have to do to see it through?
A:
I've been writing songs since I was 8 years old (can't say when they
started getting decent, haha). I didn't really commit to making an
album, though, until 2011, when I was in a rock band. The oldest song on
my album, "I Wanna Be Wrong" was started in July 2011 with my co-writer
Michael Hollingshaus (lovely, empathetic lady). So I guess you could
say it's been in the works since then. I didn't actually receive the
money for my album until March 2013, which is my birth month, so it was
almost like God's birthday present to me: "Here, go follow your dreams."
In order to obtain the money, I joined this savings program designed
especially for poor folk. They matched my dollars 3:1 (every dollar I
put in was matched with three). This took about two years. At the end of
the program, you could invest the money in one of three things:
education, a home, or a small business. When the time came, I opted for
the last one, and used the money to create my album. I had to write a
business plan, which had to be approved by a committee, then open a
business account, and many other hoops to jump through. I got help
writing the business plan from Ann Marie Thompson over at the Women's
Business Center at the Salt Lake Chamber. A wonderful non-profit
organization. They provide many free services for entrepreneurs,
especially women. They really help you navigate things and have
connections to many resources and resourceful people. I recommend
checking them out. Anywho, the process of writing my business plan took
about two and a half months, but was really helpful. I was worried Ann
Marie would laugh in my face and tell me to pick a different industry
because, as I've been told many times by those who don't understand the
motivation behind making music, "music is so impractical." But she
didn't. She approached the whole thing with such an enthusiastic,
hopeful attitude. It was great working with someone who really believed
ANYTHING was possible.
Q: What were some inspirations for the songs?
A:
Both "Cupcake" and "Lead Me On" were songs that came to me in a dream. I
was taking a nap and I happened to dream the song and then force myself
to wake up just enough so I could write down what I could remember.
It's an odd thing being half asleep and trying to get your body to
function without totally waking up so you can keep remembering what came
to you in a dream. At the time, my husband was recently back from his
third deployment and whatever was going on in my waking world was
causing me strong enough feelings that they were expressing themselves
in my dreams in musical ways. "Arm's Length" was inspired by a moment I
had with my husband in early 2013 where he just melted my heart. I
didn't write down the specific experience, but I remembered the feeling.
I remembered not knowing that I had walls that I needed to take down,
but unwittingly, he said or did something that brought them down. I
stepped back feeling so amazed and grateful in that moment that my
husband could do that. The experience kept popping up in my mind and
eventually music started to come with it. I got down what I could and
then brought it to my co-writer, Michael to help give it more shape and
structure.
Q:What music/artists/songs have inspired you as a musician?
A:
I've been inspired by so much. Currently, I'm inspired by artists that
embrace their quirky selves and don't try to fit into any one mold.
That's how I've been for as long as I can remember: never wanting to be
pinned down into being someone other than me. So artists like Cee Lo
Green, P!nk, and Zooey Deschanel. When I was younger I was a big Whitney
Houston fan, especially "The Body Guard" soundtrack. I loved Mariah
Carey as well. I became more familiar with Barbra Streisand when I
entered college and one of my voice teachers assigned me one of her
songs. We discovered that most of her songs seem to fit really well in
my voice. I've also listened to a LOT of classical music (Stravinsky,
Massanet, Rachmaninov, etc.), and Big Band and Jazz (Miles Davis, Glenn
Miller, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, etc.).
Q: What are your future plans as a musician?
A:
I plan to make as much music as I can for as long as possible: on the
stage, in the studio, on TV, and in movies — everything I can get my
hands on or make myself. Having a career that mixes the careers of Danny
Elfman, Zooey Deschanel and Barbra Streisand would be awesome! I want
to collaborate and work with as many people as possible. Performing at
an awards show like the Grammy's or the Oscars, would be such a dream
come true. Presently, the plan is to promote my EP and further grow my
fan base, so those other things can be made possible. I just love the
way music can make you feel. It can lift you up and give words to your
feelings. There's nothing that connects people quite the way music does.
It's a beautiful thing.
Giveaway:
I like this album so much that I have put together a giveaway for you all!! Good luck!
You may not be able to enter the raffle from 'mobile view.' If this is the case, scroll down to the very bottom and switch to 'view web version' OR click the button that allows you to view the site from your browser if accessing through FB.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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