Tag: new single

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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

In a time of darkness, Sonja Midtune encourages you to be ‘My Light’

Sonja Midtune is that rare, ultra-intuitive singer/songwriter and storyteller who can take the deeply intimate emotions of a close friend and translate them into a timeless universal love song.  What started as a commission for a friend turned into so much more.  A friend asked Midtune to write a song that she could give to her husband for Christmas.  Midtune accepted the challenge, wrote and recorded the song, and even sang it to the couple as they slow danced to the music.

Born and raised in Minnetonka (only 15 minutes from Prince’s digs in Paisley Park), she grew up harmonizing to Queen songs in her car seat at age 2 before becoming involved in musical theatre.   She toured Japan as a member of the cast of the Dr. Seuss musical The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins at the age of eight.  Midtune began writing songs in in high school.  When she wasn’t involved in a musical, she spent her time portraying Robert Plant as the lead singer in a Led Zeppelin tribute band.  She earned her degree in Music Theory and Composition at St. Olaf College as the only candidate to specialize in voice.  She went on to complete the program at the European American Music Alliance (EAMA), a Paris based, Julliard affiliated educational program.

“With ‘The Light’, I’m really excited to finally have found a sound that perfectly represents me and showcases my voice,” explains Midtune.  “It truly encapsulates the solo music I have been working on for the past five years . . . there’s definitely more to me as an artist, so as I release more singles this year in that style, I will also be working on a whole new sound that reflects the ‘band’ side of me . . . No matter what style I’m writing in, for me, everything comes down to live performing.  I love nothing more than a loud mic and an acoustic space where I can get carried away with the lyrics.”

“My Light” was co-produced by Midtune and engineer Mike Lizzaraga at Ground Up Studios.  The single was just released last Friday and is the first of several new singles she plans to roll out in 2019.

The song was recorded in one take with vocals and guitar, after which Midtune, with the assistance of Lizzaraga and engineer Kai Nakamura, added drums, guitar and cello (beautifully played by Jean Paul Barjon) around the core track.  This process allowed Midtune to capture in the studio the exact vibe she had created when she performed it live.

The song is about a real, everlasting kind of love with someone who is the fuel to his or her partner’s flame.   Midtune personalized it to her own life with a whimsical video featuring raw home movie footage of her walking along a deserted beach – the moments presumably being captured by a romantic interest of her own.

The cinematography in the video is simply beautiful.  It shows the full emotional impact of the song, creating a romantic masterpiece.  Even if you don’t currently have that special person in your life, you can relate to the emotion of loving somebody, and feel that joy again and again with each viewing.

Midtune has collaborated extensively with  Brittney Bouchard, and the songwriting team has either won or placed high in numerous songwriting competitions.   She has also had success with placements in film, including last year’s documentary The Way North, which follows Midtune and her family as they traveled to Norway to uncover their heritage and their grandfather’s past.

“’My Light’ is different from any other song I have ever written,” says Midtune.  “My friend is a literary genius, a philosophy major, and wrote me an essay about her love for her husband.  I absorbed her words and let them be my inspiration.  What I love most about the song is that there are words that I would never have used, like ‘more than enough’, because I have a different vocabulary than her.  They are also more spiritual than I am, and my lyrics reflect that.  The tricky part was making sure the song also completely resonated with me, and that it was ‘catchy’ and grooved enough that I would want to sing it to an audience.”

“On a deeper level, I think it perfectly reflects who I am as a songwriter,” she says.  “I was able to make this beautiful song out of someone’s story and make it my own.  I thought the task might me daunting, but it ended up being a blast from start to finish. I will be teaching songwriting at Cal Poly Pomona University starting this fall semester and I’m excited to share ‘My Light’ as an example of what you can do with someone else’s story.”

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Kanisha K returns with a Nashville mix of her single ‘Oh Damn Yeah’

Kanisha K is no stranger to Indie Voice Blog.  We have featured her twice before – in 2015 for her Christmas song, and this past February for “Bet on Me,” which was also nominated for best single (female) in the LA Music Critic Awards.  We love what this young lady has accomplished, and her future potential as an indie artist.

 “I love being able to do what I love and to inspire people who think that their dreams can’t come true.  All of this is hard for me to believe sometimes, but I think everything boils down to focusing on your passion and working hard.  I’m excited about the way music travels,” explains Kanisha when describing her vision.  The Holland, Michigan native has embraced hit music from the past as well as the current music scene, forging a combination that allows her creative style to shine.

A couple of years ago she released her song “Oh Damn Yeah” to Top 40 and CHR Radio.  The song was written and produced by uber producer Joe Vulpis (Lady Gaga, Lindsay Lohan, Richie Blackmore, Jennifer Love Hewitt) and mastered by Tom Coyne (Adele, Beyonce, Sam Smith, Taylor Swift, Pink, Ariana Grande) and recorded at Vulpis’ studio in Nashville.  It seems only fitting that two years later, she is re-releasing it as a country mix.

“Working with Joe Vulpis and bringing his songs to life through the recording process was an enormous honor for me.  I really fell in love with “Oh Damn Yeah” and “Never Stopped Loving You” and worked hard to preserve the integrity of both the music and the lyrics. I think we have some hits here.”

 

The song takes all the elements of today’s country pop scene and mixes them with this amazingly written song, keeping all the elements that made the original version such a hit while making the song attractive to another genre.  It is truly ready for extended air play on a multitude of radio formats, as well as being a killer song for placement in television and film.

But as every artist knows, every story has a beginning and Kanisha’s begins at home.  At a very young age, the singer was introduced to a wide array of music from her supportive parents.  She credits her musical influences as Etta James, Alicia Keys and Aretha Franklin.

From singing and playing piano at age four to joining a band and playing the sax and guitar in sixth grade, Kanisha knew that vocal lessons would be the next step in her musical education.  Beginning those lessons in eighth grade she went on to join her High School choir the next year and also became involved in local community
theater. Her participation in an award-winning choir ultimately took her into the studio with Robyn Robins from The Silver Bullet Band and eventually headed to Los Angeles where she recorded two songs at the legendary Capitol Records studios.

Kanisha enjoys speaking about her love of animals and is proud to live in a family that has a total of six pets – two dogs, two cats, one bird and a rabbit.  She has recently gotten involved working with the HSUS (Humane Society of the U.S.) and the Keep Michigan Wolves Protected organization and plans for much more work with pet and charity foundations in the future.

We can hardly wait to see what’s next for Kanisha.  She has garnered our full attention.  Don’t forget to follow her on Spotify, and listen there as well.

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Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

The Real Hooks’ latest single ‘Damn You’ is a musical treat

Artwork by Odandiee

There have been no shortage of bands composed of family members, but in the case of The Real Hooks, the band’s chemistry and talent are obvious even without the familial connection.  Led by their charismatic brother Kyle, who provides lead vocals and guitar, the Real Hooks also feature his brother Nick on vocals, his sisters Maggie on keys and vocals and Raleigh on drums and vocals, with Dad Nicky rounding out the lineup on bass.

Hailing from Pensacola, the band began back in 2009 with Dad and Kyle writing all of the group’s material.  since then, they have begun branching out and co-writing with other artists, including Peter Zizzo (Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez), Dream Theatre drummer Mike Mangini, Rob McCurdy and Chris Petrosino from the production house Noise Club, and Max Wagner.  They also collaborated with Jo Jo Gator (New Kids on the Block), Jared Cotter (Jay Sean and Kyle Kelso (Parachute).

For their latest single, “Damn You,” which debuted last Friday, they hooked up with hit songwriter Mark Spiro, whose total sales on tracks with the likes of Cheap Trick, John Waite, Heart, Luis Miguel, Lila McCann, REO Speedwagon, Lita Ford, Anne Murray and others have topped 100 million units.

“Damn You” is an upbeat, radio-friendly tune that is the perfect song for summer fun.  It has a sound like The Lumineers hooked up with Mumford & Sons on a pop song, and will have you singing the chorus in no time flat.  It gets the blood flowing and makes your feet want to dance across the floor, kinda like the feeling when the streaming morning sunlight hits your eyelids and wakes you up from a beautiful dream.  This song belongs on the radio and should be an easy placement in a myriad of television shows and movies.  Thanks to odandiee for the amazing artwork.

Kyle attributes The Real Hooks’ incredible success at winning over crowds of all ages to the unique personalities each member of the band brings to the moment.  “I’m the quiet one who simply enjoys seeing girls happy and instilling a sense of confidence in them – but that’s just the start,” he says.  “Nick’s the wild man, Raleigh is the brainiac and Maggie’s got her own offbeat style.  We think of her as the soul of the group.  Even though I’m the lead singer, my favorite moment during our shows is seeing the crowd react when Maggie and Raleigh sing their spotlight song ‘So Long Sammy.’   It almost brings me to tears every time.  Something special happens when we get onstage.  We give it all we’ve got, sing songs that lift people up and make everyone feel at home.”

We think you’ll be delighted to add The Real Hooks to your summer (or even year-round) musical playlist.  Check out their website for more info, or follow them on Twitter, SoundCloud and YouTube.

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Britroyal encourages us to ‘Change’ with their latest single

Just when you thought the British Invasion was over, along comes an indie group on a mission.  Composed of twin brothers Kais and Mazin Oliver, BritRoyal is taking the US and the world by storm.

They first came to light when they recorded their first EP with renowned Grammy-winning producer Mikal Blue (Colbie Cailat, Jason Reeves, FiveforFighting, Jason Mraz, OneRepublic, Carrie Underwood) and J.R Richards (Dishwalla), both of who shared in the songwriting.  That EP opened the doors for them to tour across the Continent and exposed their music to the masses.

In late 2015, they partnered with PledgeMusic to raise funds for their first full length album, London, which was released in February 2016.  The album has spawned several singles, including “Tears,” which was just featured on BBC, as well as “Count on Me” and “Love’s Burning Out,” which have been featured in Macy’s stores across the US.

“Change (Dream Mix)” is the latest offering from the album to be released as a single, and it is one of the most powerful songs we have had the privilege of reviewing.

The chorus tells us “It’s never too late to change your life,” while the song tells us in terms easily relatable, that we have the power to rise above our otherwise routine life and be something better.  The song is reminiscent of those provided by other great British bands like Spandau Ballet’s “True” and Tears for Fears’ “Everybody Wants to Rule the World.”  The simple piano accompaniment is the perfect backdrop, allowing the listener to focus on the words, which easily reach deep within and take root in the heart of the receiver.

The song is instantly memorable and the catchy chorus will run in your mind and become a mantra for social awareness and change.  BritRoyal practices what they preach, and are an active participant in the fight against cancer through the Cancer Research Campaign.

To find out more about this amazing group, check out their website, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to their YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify channels.  You can purchase London on iTunes.