Jenny's Vision Project Q&A

Your name: 

Kristianzhe.

Where are you from? 

Norway.

Name of band: 

Jenny's Vision Project.

Who else is in your band? 

From the beginning "We" are referred to my brother, my sister and myself. After that it has expanded a lot. We have musicians and vocalists joined worldwide and only picks the best of the best. Quality over quantity.

How would you describe yourselves? 

Jennys Vision is not tied to a specific genre, but plays music as we like. Mixing up genres we love. We think our music is unique and that it fits every crowd out there.

Who are your main influences musically? 

ToTo, Richard Page, Sigvart Dagsland, Pages, U2.

What do you hope to achieve in music? 

To get our music heard worldwide for a big audience. Both on scenes and radio.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why? 

The highlight must be when we was "Soundclouder Of The Day" two times in a row. Soundcloud is the biggest audio site on internet, with soon 10million followers only on Facebook alone. We was featured on their Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter account for nearly a week, and did get massive exposure. The plays, listeners, fans rushed into us. Got around 20k plays during two days. Can't get better exposure than that.

And what’s the moment you want to forget? 

I will not forget the song we created for a fan that had cancer. I was told he was crying of joy when he listened to it. I did know his musical preferences, so we nailed that one. We also made a second song in that sequel, but we released it the same day he was brought into the hospital for the last time, never to wake up again. So he did never get the chance listening to that song.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why? 

Touch Of Light for sure. It is the fundament in our music project. Catchy pop/rock song with a high quality professional female vocalist. It is a song about never giving up, no matter how dark life can be sometimes.

Where can we listen to it?

https://soundcloud.com/kristianzhe/touch-of-light

Where can we find out more about your music? 

We have two main bases on internet: https://soundcloud.com/kristianzhe and our homesite: http://jennysmusicproject.com/ Our twitter account is: https://twitter.com/kristianzhe 

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask? 

I would like to say that vocalists and musicians all over the world are welcome to join us in our musical journey. Just send us a email thru our website (contact scheme). I would also like to thank Soundcloud for the massive exposure we had thru the site. It is beyond belief! Thanks.

Chris Stringer Q&A

Your name:

Chris Stringer.

Where are you from?

I'm from a town called Swansea, in South Wales (I think they're doing OK in the football at the moment).

Who else is in your band?

No one! It's just little old me. Although my producer and good friend, Gerwyn Davies (who plays under the name Gilded Bones), is providing extra guitar instrumentation on my EP, and I'm roping some friends in for bass/drums/keys. I'm hoping to do a full band set up for live shows in the future, though.

How would you describe yourself?

I guess the most accurate genre is 'alternative country', although it could be acoustic, indie, alt-folk… I try not to get too tied down with genres, because people tend to have an expectation which then cages you in. 

Who are your main influences musically?

My biggest influence is a band called Liberty 37 (NOT the white-supremacist band. There are two). The singer was my English teacher, and I taught myself to sing/play guitar by singing along to/working out the songs. I'm a huge fan of Craig Finn (The Hold Steady) lyrically. Guy Garvey (Elbow) has the perfect voice as well as perfect lyrics, and Colin Hay is a big influence as a songwriter. Another massive, massive influence for me is Luke Concannon (Nizlopi) - lyrically, vocally and just as a human being; I'm convinced that he's actually the nicest guy on the planet.  

What do you hope to achieve in music?

The greatest achievement for me would obviously be able to do this for a living. But to have enough of an impact or for people to connect with my music so that I could do shows where they come specifically to see me? That would be the most amazing thing. I had one guy and his girlfriend find & add me on Facebook after one of my shows, and he asked me about one of the songs specifically because they 'really connected with it' - that's the most humbling and incredible feeling.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Getting to play with Luke Concannon and Nizlopi, on separate dates. Being able to support such huge influences of mine was a real honour. At Luke's solo show, he and I got to play and sing together - I nearly wet myself with excitement. 

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

I'm fortunate enough to not have any bad memories. Any muck-ups on stage and whatnot, they're all part of it and if they don't teach you how to grow at least they provide you with a good story to tell! Although I once supported The Blanks (Ted's band from 'Scrubs') and a few songs into my set I realised I'd forgotten my capo. That was pretty infuriating!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I'd say either 'The Bridge' or 'Sinking Ships'. They're both good indicators of the style of music I play, and I think they are also a good representation of me as a songwriter and vocalist… I hope, at least! 

Where can we listen to it?

You can check out 'The Bridge' here:

https://soundcloud.com/chris_stringer/the-bridge-demo

Where can we find out more about your music?

Oh, I'm everywhere!

www.ChrisStringerMusic.co.nr

Facebook.com/ChrisStringerMusic

Twitter.com/Chris_Stringer

Youtube.com/ChrisStringerMusic

Reverbnation.com/ChrisStringer

Soundcloud.com/Chris_Stringer

Lizzar.com/ChrisStringer

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

I have an EP on the way, entitled 'Sinking Ships' which should be out this Summer. Come say hi on the Twitters and the Facebooks, or you can sign up to my mailing list through my site. I also have my own radio show on Friday nights, 7-9pm (GMT) on OystermouthRadio.com.  You can check it out at Facebook.com/ShotgunRadioSW .

einsteininapatentoffice Q&A

Your name:

Jackson.

Location:

The internet.

Band name:

einsteininapatentoffice.

How would you describe yourself:

Cerebral irrationality.

Who are your main influences musically?

Flying Lotus, Impressionism, Bonobo, Jai Paul, Kurt Rosenwinkel, surrealism, rock music. I have multiple projects though so the influences change depending on which project I'm working with (I have a deep respect for psychedelia for example). I'm also a trained jazz guitarist (you can hear my playing on the track "Nadir"), so that influences the harmonies I tend to choose when producing.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

Create art that interests me. It used to be monetary gain, but I've since quit a few projects that involved money for personal reasons. There is a lot of extremely well made, yet extremely boring and generic music out there, which is fine, but not what interests me any more.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

I would like to focus on the future rather than the past.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

See above.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

My style of production typically changes drastically because I'm constantly learning music production and artistic perspective, so what I released last year often sounds completely dissimilar to what I will release this year. For example, I used to be overly concerned with arrangement (as a lot of musicians are and probably should be) but lately I've been moving towards an "improvised production" style, whereby I'm grabbing sounds by intuition rather than as the arrangement calls for them, which is often jarring to the listener as well as other musicians I work with. When monetary compensation is the goal of a project, you typically can't get away with doing things like that. I'm lucky enough to not be concerned with it anymore and can focus on pushing envelopes. I digress, "Nadir" is maybe the prettiest piece of music released under this pseudonym, but probably not the best representative of the project as a whole.

Where can we listen to it? 

https://soundcloud.com/eiapo/nadir

Where can we find out more about your music?

facebook.com/EIAPO   

twitter.com/EIAPO  

soundcloud.com/EIAPO

Zoax release video for Jekyll Meets Hyde

LONDON five-piece ZOAX have unveiled the new video for Jekyll Meets Hyde, ahead of their UK tour with Feed The Rhino.

The band is the new project of Joe Copcutt - bassist for super-group Axewound and formerly of Rise To Remain.

They start their tour with Feed The Rhino in Brighton on May 1st and also take in Bath, Oxford, Nottingham, Carlisle, Leicester, Peterborough and Folkestone.

Zoax released their debut EP XIII earlier this year to critical acclaim.

To find out more about the band find them on Twitter, Tumblr or YouTube.

Balamb Garden Q&A

Your name:
Magnus Dagon.

Where are you from?
We are from Madrid, Spain.

Name of band:

Balamb Garden.

Who else is in your band?

Balamb Garden is composed mainly of Alfonso de Lucas and me, Magnus Dagon. Sometimes we are helped by other musicians. In the early stages of the band we were three, because a common friend of Alfonso and mine, Pilar Barba, was the female singer.

How would you describe yourselves?

An experimental band that works in studio and love electronic music but not only works with synths. We love guitars (both electric and acoustic), sax, harmonica... Because of my experience as a fantasy writer in Spain, we also care a lot about the lyrics, and try to talk about unusual topics in the world of music.

Who are your main influences musically?

I completely love Hooverphonic and Garbage, and also the music from videogames and animes. Alfonso is a big fan of Lacrimosa and Mike Oldfield, and we both adore Depeche Mode. I would also say that Muse is the kind of band we try to be similar.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

This is difficult to answer. We love what we do, but here in Spain is almost impossible to live being an artist (of any kind), and it's even worse if you sing in English instead of Spanish. We would like, more than anything, recognition for all the hard work. And personally, I would like that people everywhere would know about our videoclips, because the director has put a lot of effort in them and I'd like that this could be appreciated in a way or another.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

When our music was selected to be heard in shops of the country. Of course we are an indie band and we don't sound in big stores, but this was a great step for us.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

The day we released a cover of Losing My Religion because fans demanded it. It was so different from our style... our songs have a very dark pitch and my voice is similar of Dave Gahan's, and recording this was just... well, it's better to forget it.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

The Ghost. No doubt about it. It represents what I said about mixing rock with electronic, I love the lyrics and the vocals are among my favourites as well as the guitar solo, and it was also our first videoclip, recorded in my own house because there wasn't another place where to do it.

Where can we listen to it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kWY7De-Hy8

Where can we find out more about your music?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balambgardenband
Twitter: @BGardenMusic
Official site: www.balambgardenmusic.blogspot.com
Bandcamp: www.balambgarden.bandcamp.com

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

'Do you believe your music is the best thing you have ever created?' Yes, we do. I've written several fantasy books, I like them a lot and I have get paid for them, but music is for me something at the next level. I don't live off music, but music has made my life happier in almost every possible way.

KingPin Wilson Q&A

Your name: 

Peter-John Wilson.

Where are you from? 

Barrie, ON, Canada.

Artist name: 

PJ ”KingPin” Wilson.

How would you describe yourself?

I’d describe myself as a throwback artist with stylings of the Motown era. I believe that music/songs should have an impactful message. I believe that listeners should be able to identify with and relate to the situations being conveyed by the artist through the song. I believe in connecting with my audience and my fans in a real way, and I’d also hope to impact their lives in a real and positive way also.

Who are your main influences musically?

My main influences are first – my mom and dad, because they loved that old school Motown music as well as that Caribbean style feel good Calypso music (they were born in Trinidad and Tobago and came to Canada in the mid 60s). After them, I’d definitely have to say Boyz II Men, The Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye to mention a few. Simply the Motown era of RnB and the 90’s era of RnB. Those eras impacted me the most and are eras I still look back on with joy.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

I hope to establish a brand of music that revitalizes soul music. Real voices! Real instruments! Songs with a message of positivity, and tunes of happiness that people can identify with. This is one of the reasons I was named KingPin – I’m the KingPin of Soul and I’m bringing that sound back one way or another.

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

The highlight of my career thus far was completing my most recent six-track EP entitled Rise of the KingPin. Writing these songs established my sound and my style as an artist. I also got the opportunity to work with the very talented Kuya Productions. Finally having a body of work that is at the level of all major recording artists is a huge accomplishment because you need to have good songs. That is a MUST, everything else can come after. You can look great, dress great, and say the right things, but if you don’t have good solid quality songs – I just wouldn’t feel right about it.

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There aren’t any moments that I want to forget, because I believe we learn from those situations that didn’t go our way. So I’d change the question slightly by saying the moment I wish turned out differently. The moments that really sting have been the ones where radio stations here in Canada say the music sounds great, it’s radio ready, but our policy is we don’t break unknown artists or they ask where are you charting, or you don’t have enough YouTube hits, Twitter followers, Facebook Likes etc. Yet radio stations in Europe and online stations in the UK and the States will gladly play my music.  So it hurts because I love my country and I want to share my music here. I still hold out hope that things can change in that regard.

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

I would pick the song “Sinners” because I love the message in that song and I feel that it captures that soulful Motown Vibe that I want to be known for, along with a message that (again) I feel that people can relate to.

Where can we listen to it? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpNlxlRTOHk

Where can we find out more about your music?

Website- http://www.pjwilson.com

Twitter- https://twitter.com/PJKINGPIN

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/PJ-Kingpin-Wilson/12606530418

SoundCloud- https://soundcloud.com/pj-kingpin-wilson

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

I just like making positive, fun and upbeat music about real situations that people go through. I’d like to put Canada on the map for RnB and soul music, let the world know we have more then just Rockers, pop stars and rappers here. Thank you for this opportunity to share a bit about myself. 

Call It Off Q&A

Your name:

Lesley Klaverdijk.

Where are you from?

Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

Name of band:

Call It Off!

Who else is in your band?

Maurice Bolier - Guitar and vox

Adrian Delange - Guitar and vox

Sergei Christian - Drums

And I play bass!

How would you describe yourselves?

We're basically trying to get that feel back that pop-punk bands used to have back in the day.. Three chords, summervibes and relatable lyrics!

Who are your main influences musically?

Bayside, Alkaline Trio, Blink 182.

What do you hope to achieve in music?

We hope that we can play as many shows as possible, reach as many fans as we can and pretty much take over the world, in a not James Bond-villain way!

What has been the highlight of your career so far, and why?

Last March we were playing at our release-show in the Altstadt in Eindhoven, a place where I pretty much grew up watching local bands, and the place was packed front to back with people singing along and going nuts!

And what’s the moment you want to forget?

There aren't any I guess. Every moment I can spend with my bandmembers, who are also my best friends, is a moment I never want to forget. Even if we play shows in front of 5 people or 500, they're all totally worth it!

If you had to pick just one of your songs to represent your music, what would it be and why?

Oh jeez, that's a hard one..! I think I gotta go with Stuck With You (our last single as well). The high octane, high energy and sharp chords struck since the first time we played this song!

Where can we listen to it? 

http://whiterussianrecords.bandcamp.com/album/liars

Where can we find out more about your music?

http://www.callitoff.nl/

http://www.facebook.com/Callitoffnl

http://www.twitter.com/callitoffnl

http://www.instagram.com/callitoffnl

https://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/liars-ep/id830392413

https://itunes.apple.com/nl/album/lovers-ep/id701459797

Anything else you’d like to say about your band/music that I forgot to ask?

Go check out our label's bands at http://whiterussianrecords.bandcamp.com/ and show some love!

DAVIDS releases video for Iranians

CANADIAN electro outfit DAVIDS have released Iranians - the second single from the first EP 0613EP.

The track - like the first single - features the vocals of Mitch Bowden and you can check out the video above.

DAVIDS told RealSoundsOK: "The video took many months to complete. I promised last August - August made me a liar.

"It once again features attractive people, sometimes pixelated, sometimes blurry. You may find me in there, somewhere."

You can download DAVIDS' music at davidsdavids.bandcamp.com and visit facebook.com/DAVIDSmusicdotca or twitter.com/DAVIDSmusic_ca for more.

You can also check out the Q&A DAVIDS did with RealSoundsOK last June by clicking here.

Sidibe's Metaphysical EP out now

LA singer-songwriter Sidibe has her EP Metaphysical out now.

Her music blends elements of house, RnB and pop and she says her voice has been described as "angel eggs hatching in her mouth", which - I guess - is a good thing.

She told RealSoundsOK: "At 18, I was signed to Universal Republic but left after two years when I realized there was so much more I needed to learn. 

"I spent the next couple of years getting my shit together, working with incredible talents and exposing myself to as much music as possible. I sojourned to Senegal twice so I could connect with my family there and explore my African roots. This amazing journey led to my debut EP."

That EP is available now on iTunes, Amazon, BandCamp and other usual suspects, but you can have a listen below via SoundCloud.

For more information on Sidibe, visit soundcloud.com/sidibemusic or sidibe.bandcamp.com

50 acts added to Reading and Leeds Fesitval

THE cool bods behind Reading and Leeds Festivals have added a whopping 50 more acts to this year's line-up including the likes of Papa Roach, Young Guns, Tonight Alive, The Story So Far and The Horrors.

The August bank holiday event will be headlined by Queens of the Stone Age, Paramore, Arctic Monkeys and Blink 182 along with a supporting cast including Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, You Me At Six, Jake Bugg and many more.

Roach are part of a selection of bands completing the main stage bill along with Blood Red Shoes, Crossfaith, Dry The River, Pulled Apart By Horses, Gnarwolves, Young Guns, Tonight Alive and The Story So Far.

Over on the NME/Radio 1 Stage - headlined by Courteeners, Bombay Bicycle Club and Disclosure - Twin Atlantic have been added, along with Mallory Knox, Lonely The Brave, The Horrors, The Kooks and Twin Shadow.

Brody Dalle, Mongol Horde and Architects join Jimmy Eat World on the Lock Up Stage, while Band of Skulls, Palma Violets and Augustines have been announced as headliners of the Festival Republic Stage.

Also appearing across the weekend will be A Wilhelm Scream, Baby Godzilla, Bear Hands, Bipolar Sunshine, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Darlia, Dave Hause, Every Time I Die, Hudson Taylor, Marika Hackman, Mayday Parade, Meridian Dan, P Money, PUP, Slaves, The Districts, The Flatliners, The Front Bottoms, The Orwells, The Skints, The Wonder Years, Touché Amoré and Wovenwar.

For more information visit http://www.readingfestival.com/