Tag: future women in entertainment

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Women in Entertainment

Leni Black opens up her heart to let us know how she feels

Leni Black is an emerging Nashville-based singer/songwriter with a no-holds-barred songwriting style that has sprung up from such diverse inspirations as the Grateful Dead, Carole King and Carly Simon.   Even her stage name came from another inspiration – her grandfather, Leonard Epstein, who was a singer/songwriter in NYC that sounded like Frank Sinatra.  She combined his stage name “Lenny” along with her grandmother’s maiden name.

“How I Feel” is a song about the desperate feeling of not being able to say how to feel in the moment.  It came out of a chance writing session with three rookie Nashville songwriters,” explains Black.

“Israel (McFarland) and I met by chance through another Nashville songwriter who suggested we all get in a room and write together. An hour into the session the song was nearly finished. I came in with a melody for the chorus, and as soon as Israel hopped on the piano and sang “your eyes are the problem” I knew we were going to work well together. We both love pulling on heartstrings and being as emotional as possible. Greyson Campbell, who was the link between us, always kept us in check with where the song was headed as we could get off track pretty easily talking about our own experiences hiding feelings.
“I didn’t realize Israel was also a talented musician and producer.  We did a couple of takes of the song in his room and I came back the next couple of nights for background vocals, a couple of weeks later the song was finished.  We are both new to Nashville and passionate about writing, now with a couple more songs in the works.  What I love about working with Israel is that he also uses his own experiences and pours his heart into a song.  Whenever we write it is always an emotional hour or so.  The only good cries I had this year were with him in the room with a piano.”
McFarland is an up-and-coming singer/songwriter and producer with a growing portfolio of original songs and a passion for creating great music.   He explains, “This production really gave me the chance to stretch my creativity.  While it was influenced by our indie-pop roots, the main focus was creating something that felt new and authentic to the artist.”

Spotify – HOW i FEEL

Black likes to say that she doesn’t write a lot of love songs – but she’s written a ton of breakup songs.  That’s because when she’s in the throes of a relationship, riding the wave of joy and expectation, shes too in the moment to write reflectively about it.  Yet she has plenty of time post-breakup, when she’s engulfed in tearful emotions and in need of catharsis, to write her heart out.  Now that she’s going after her long-delayed dream of making music for a living, she’s got an incredible stockpile of emotional outpourings that she hopes will connect with everyone who has ever gone through these same types of experiences – which is pretty much everyone.

The Maryland native is the first to admit that she “kind of let life take me wherever I wanted throughout my 20’s.  I’m basically a runaway bride who doesn’t know what eggs she likes” – a reference to a hilarious scene in the 1999 film where Richard Gere accuses Julia Roberts of not having a mind of her own because her tastes change with every new guy she meets.

“I stayed inside weekend after weekend crying and writing, singing and playing music to heal from all the heartbreak I kept going through,” Leni says.  “I probably slipped into some sort of depression without many of my friends knowing.  I’m generally a very happy, easygoing and sarcastic person.  I don’t normally express my emotions verbally.  Songwriting has given me that outlet and I’ve been doing it since I got my first journal.  It’s always been a form of expression for me that I have kept to myself.”

We think this young lady has a whole heap of potential and we are thoroughly impressed with her new song, which debuted last Friday, February 26.  She reminds us of early Taylor Swift, and we can easily see Black on the radio for an extended period of time.  We can’t wait to see what comes next and we will be rooting for her success.

 

 

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Artists Worth Checking Out indie music Reviews Women in Entertainment

Rachel Arianna brings hope and awareness in the message of ‘We Become’

photo courtesy of Catherine Fiehn.

Rachel Arianna is not your typical teenager.  At the tender age of 15, she is already a gifted songwriter and performer as well as the founder of the “Words Can Soar” anti-bullying campaign.  This young lady from the New York City area  has worked tirelessly as a mental health, suicide prevention and anti-bullying youth activist and her mission is to raise awareness through music, the arts & activism.

Arianna is releasing her latest single, “We Become” on all media platforms today.  The song is not just about accepting who you are, but also about accepting the little mistakes that we make because “today is now, but we always have the future.”  The song will also be featured in the Lyme Light Journey documentary featuring Brooke Procida Ritchie (Studio P.C.I.)

The song is a powerful anthem of hope that needs to be shared with the world.  It is well-written and crafted in such a way that it should appeal to music lovers of all ages.  The message comes through loud and clear with a call to action that must be answered.

The single was recorded at Shorefire Recording Studios in Long Branch, New Jersey, was produced and co-written by two-time Grammy winner Marc Swersky (Hillary Duff, Joe Cocker) and was engineered by Joseph DeMaio (Bon Jovi).

When she was 10 years old, Arianna started her “Words Can Soar” anti-bullying initiative after learning that a teen in her hometown had committed suicide.  She expanded her program to reach many more venues and individuals as she witnessed the impact that bullying takes on suicide and mental illness.  She is also in favor of gun control after learning that they have become one of the leading causes of suicide in teens.

Arianna realized that healing begins through communication and that young adults need to talk to each other and hear each other’s stories.   With a desire to empower others, she began her mission to create change through the arts.  Using her poetry, she collaborated with songwriters Marc Swersky and Brielle Brown to write “We Become,” her second single with them, as a vehicle to inspire the communication young adults so desperately need and to make sure they know that no one is alone.

Rachel has been performing for 11 years and has appeared in national commercials, television, movies, and off-Broadway, while her voice has been used for voice-overs.  In 2017, she was presented with the State Honoree Award for Community Service for Middle Schoolers through the Prudential Spirit Awards, and was a two-time recipient of gold medals from the Presidential Awards.  She  has been invited to leadership conferences, won the Clarence F. Heimann Award and the Halaby Award, as well as the LA Music Critic Award for Rising Star in 2018 and for Fan Favorite in 2017.

Arianna hopes to use her music to spread messages of kindness so that no one else will lose their lives to the horrible epidemics of bullying, suicide, mental health or guns.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Women in Entertainment

Lexie Rose makes ‘wrong’ feel right

Photo courtesy of Sarvey T. Rector

We just discovered this amazing young artist, and felt it was the perfect time to introduce to you a future member of the Women in Entertainment family we started covering a few years ago.

Lexie Rose is a young lady with a killer voice.  She made her live debut at the tender age of 13.   Now 17 and on  the verge of releasing her debut EP, she has released an amazing first single, which we predict will be a huge hit on radio stations nationwide.

“Wrong” is a stand-out Americana/pop masterpiece featuring the sweet voice of Rose singing some hard-hitting lyrics that belie her young age.  The song is upbeat and radio ready, and makes this reviewer look forward to the opportunity to see her perform it live.  Her music evokes comparison to Fiona Apple and Martina McBride, with a little Lana Del Rey thrown in for good measure.  The melody is memorable and the chorus of “I was wrong, I was wrong, I was wrong,” will have everyone relating to the song.

“Listeners can find what they want in them,” she says.  “Like a lot of young songwriters, I’ve been on an extended circuit these past few years co-writing with many others,” Rose says. “The songs I want to sing are those I write about myself, reflecting my own life experiences and worldview. I always want my work to be personal yet universal, and relatable to anyone.”

https://soundcloud.com/lexierosesongs

Rose has become something of a favorite on the LA club scene, which she entered four years ago.  She regularly plays such hip joints as The Hotel Café, Genghis Cohen, the Hi Hat and The Troubadour, and recently performed at The Peppermint Club.  In addition to her solo and band shows, she also plays keyboards and acoustic guitar in her brother’s alt-rock band, Night Talks.  She is exactly what this industry needs, an artist that is staying true to her style and her soul, with her heartfelt lyrics.

“I love the time I spend songwriting,” she says, “but there’s nothing more enjoyable for me than playing live and feeding off the audience’s energy in those moments when they truly connect with my songs.  It’s also a mind blowing experience to be in the studio and be part of the process as a song that started in a raw, simple form comes to life as a full blown production.  After writing and recording material for so long, I’m really excited about finally having the opportunity to officially release my music and share it with a wider audience than ever before.”

We look forward to hearing what Rose and her producer, Max Allyn, have cooked up for her EP.  In the meantime, enjoy this first taste in her single, “Wrong.”  As the old song goes, “If loving you is wrong, I don’t want to be right.”  We await the release of her EP with baited breath.

To keep up with this dynamic artist, check out her Facebook and  web pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe to her Spotify and SoundCloud channels.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Interviews Women in Entertainment

Kaylee Keller wants to help her community with the release of her Christmas song

When we last visited with Kansas-born Kaylee Keller, she had just won the LA Music Critic Award for best lyric video for her collaboration with the Vinyljackers of her hit “Diamond.”

More recently, Keller released a duet with country singer Rusty Rierson of the Alabama classic hit, “Christmas in Your Arms.”  Check out the stream below.

Today we’re sitting down with Keller for another interview on what’s new in her career.  Grab a cup of coffee and learn new things about this amazing indie artist who, surprisingly, just turned 19 years old.

IVB:  What have you been doing since we last talked after your win for LA Music Critic best lyric video?

KK:  First, after I won, I was waiting to receive my Grammy.  But seriously, I have been in Nashville for the past three months working on my new EP.  I worked with some of the best songwriters in Nashville who have helped me craft my new six song EP, which I plan to release as a group of singles throughout 2017, and then release the collection near the end of 2017.  I loved working with my producer Nathan Meckel.  I’ve been thinking of calling the EP Ruby, as a spin-off to my first EP Diamond, so then you could look me up as the Gem Collection.  We want to test the waters with each single so that they will stay fresh.  I like to be a trendsetter and do my own thing as an independent artist.

IVB:  Tell us about your latest project “Christmas in your Arms.”

KK:  This one was a fun project.  Garden City, Kansas is my hometown and they approached me to see if I wanted to be part of their annual holiday compilation album, called Kozy Kansas Christmas.  It’s their fourth year of doing this CD and I was honored that they wanted me to do a song for the album.

The proceeds from the sale of the album go to fund local charities in Garden City.  They only print a limited amount of CDs, which makes them more valuable.

I’ve known Rusty Rierson for about three years after we met at a Joe Diffie concert.  I was doing the National Anthem, and Rusty was the opening act.  After I was approached by Garden City, I asked Rusty what song we should do.  He suggested that we do an Alabama song called “Christmas in Your Arms.”  My mom suggested we make it a duet.  Both of them proved to be great suggestions.  We had a blast turning the song into a duet.

The album is available on Garden City’s Facebook page and can be purchased there.  My single on the album is also available on iTunes.

The project is getting a lot of media attention, including The Ellen Show, as they begin planning for next year’s double CD.

IVB:  What’s next for Kaylee Keller?

KK:  I wanted my current EP, Diamond, to be country, but it turned out to be more of a pop project.  I’m using my new Christmas single to introduce me to the country pop community.  I’ve been called a mixture of Colbie Caillat meets country pop by local media.  The new project is much more country based albeit country pop, which is where my heart truly lies.  We are looking forward to bringing this side of me to my fans and to hopefully find new ones in the country pop genre.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Future women in entertainment: Hannah Madison Taylor

Hope you all survived Super Bowl Sunday.  Now that the big game is history, let’s turn our attention back to music.  Today’s spotlight falls on a young lady who is already attracting major attention.  Singer/songwriter and musician, Hannah Madison Taylor, grew up in a family with a rich musical heritage with ties back to Sergei Ivanovich  Taneyev and Tchaikovsky.
HMT, as she is known to her fans, began her musical training at the tender age of 5, and has now become an accomplished vocalist, guitarist, and violinist in multiple genres.
She began by writing songs for commercials, in addition to working in sessions with Trina Harmon, Marlow Rosado, and Tim Lauer.  She currently writes independently for several labels and publishers, including BMG Chrysalis, Universal Music Gr oup,and Atlantic Records, as well as writing music and singing for multiple film and television projects, including the theme song for VH-1’s Candidly Nicole.
She has also performed in film and television, beginning with a small featured role in Pitch Perfect.  Since then, she has worked on projects with Cedric the Entertainer, appeared in Kelly Clarkson’s “People Like Us” music video, as well as on Cowgirl Up Season 2, Common Law, a Nokia Lumia commercial, and the Gap 1969 Denim Campaign.
Hannah just finished her first EP 5 with Grammy-award winning producer, Mikal Blue, and can be seen performing at select venues in Los Angeles, Denver, Nashville, Dallas-Forth Worth, and Orlando.
The EP shows tremendous promise, with all three tracks written by HMT, including a co-write on the title track with LA superstar songwriter Athena Marie.

What inspires HMT?  “I think the one thing I musically draw inspiration from the most is people and their stories. When someone opens up and starts telling you about a crumbling relationship or an insanely crazy and all night party – that’s what it’s all about. When I write a song, I don’t want to just tell my own stories, I want to tell someone else’s, too.  In that way, we’re all connected.”

What are HMT’s future plans?  “When I look at my future overall, I would love a 60 year career that patterns itself after one of my biggest icons – Carole King.  She’s done it all – artist, songwriter, actress and author, and she’s still relevant today.  In the near future,  I am looking forward to signing with a label or publisher and going on tour.”

To find out more about this future superstar, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

 

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Women in Entertainment

Future women in entertainment: Katie Costello, new world advocate

Happy new year!  We wanted to start off 2016 with a future Women in Entertainment feature on a young artist who has already achieved much in her career, Katie Costello, singer, songwriter, label maker and new world advocate.

Costello began writing songs in her bedroom on a digital piano at age 13, and soon thereafter began performing them at various clubs in Los Angeles, where this writer first heard her.  Although not yet out of high school, she was becoming disillusioned by the homogeneity and insulated nature of Southern California’s suburban world.   Consequently, when she turned 18, Costello moved to New York City’s Lower East Side to seek diversity, inspiration, and fulfillment of her dream of making art and music in the creative heart of the Big Apple.

Costello dropped her first full length album, Kaleidoscope Machine, at the age of 17, leading to her “discovery” by legendary DJ Nic Harcourt of the trendsetting public radio station KCRW.  Harcourt had featured her on his show “Today’s Top Tune,” and had this to say about our future superstar:  “It’s good to know what one wants to be when one grows up.  At 17, Hermosa Beach resident Katie Costello is making her path clear.”

Upon moving to New York, Costello decided against going to college so that she could  pursue her art and music full-time.   She has performed, composed, produced, and collaborated on many records, including her own discography, comprised of two full-length albums (Kaleidoscope Machine, Lamplight) and five EPs (The City In Me, Follow Your Every Beat, Impossible Things, Universal Spread of Compassionate Wisdom, Rebel Pop Singer Songwriter); as well as numerous singles, including her latest, “New World.”  Her artistry has continued to evolve with every new release, while always staying true to her mantra:  classic songwriting, authentic musicality featuring piano and guitar, raw emotion, and honest lyrics.

When she’s not songwriting, recording, and performing, she’s practicing yoga and meditation at Bodhisattva Yoga in Park Slope, Brooklyn, which keeps her looking, feeling, and creating at her best.  She credits the studio’s founder, Vivekan, as a constant source of inspiration and motivation behind her music.  In fact, she and Vivekan founded REBEL POP Records, which now serves as the home for Costello’s musical catalog.

Her music has been featured in various television shows, including Private Practice, Pretty Little Liars, Switched at Birth, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill, 90210, Home and Away, and Rookie Blue, as well as on such films as Bgrooklyn Brothers Beat the Best, Craigslist Joe, Never and others.  In addition, Costello is a
contributing songwriter on many other artists’ projects.  Her music has also been featured in such prominent publications as Vogue, Teen Vogue, Marie Claire, BlackBook, Paste and Billboard, to name a few.

You can find a review of her current release, Rebel Pop Songwriter, by clicking here.  For more information about this future superstar, check out her website and her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and definitely subscribe to her YouTube channel.