Dimestore Halo was an album filled with the passion, fury, sadness and triumph of life, inspired by Neumark’s own coming-of-age story and the loss of her father to cancer in 2005.
Her record release party was held at a Italian restaurant on Santa Monica Boulevard that had originally been the location for the studio where the Doors made L.A. Woman, their final album with Jim Morrison. For Neumark, the location was perfect, as she epitomizes the true L.A. Woman – unafraid to stand up for her beliefs and driven to share her talents with the masses.
As a result of the critical acclaim for the album, Neumark was signed to Europe’s Hyena Records, which released Dimestore Halo in late 2008. This led to Neumark being asked to support two tours for chart-topping indie rocker Beth Hart (“LA Song”) in 2009.
Lonesome Day Records also signed Neumark and released the album in June 2010 in the United States. Neumark and her band supported the album during a tour of the southwest, including a stop at the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, Texas before returning to Los Angeles.
Despite advice to the contrary, Neumark chose to “come out.” As a result, she won over a new fan base which respected her for her honesty and spunk. She married Dr. Holly Lucille, a renowned expert on women’s health issues, who also plays bass in Neumark’s acoustic band and has toured extensively with her, when she’s not busy doing television talk shows herself.
What inspires Neumark? “I have been most inspired by a quote from fellow indie artist Joss Whedon: ‘Don’t just be yourself – be all of yourself. Don’t just live; be that other thing connect to death. Be life.'”
Neumark’s music also caught the attention of key music supervisors in Hollywood, leading to the placement of her song “Uncharted Water” in the indie film Steam, starring Ruby Dee and Ally Sheedy, as well as placement of the title track “Dimestore Halo” by ABC.
Since then, Neumark has released an EP, No More, in 2013, and has just finished her sophomore full length album, Giving Trees, which will be released in early 2016.
What are Neumark’s plans for the future? “I recorded my upcoming album (Giving Trees) over the course of 7 months with the help of incredibly talented and generous people. Being able to take my time and remain present throughout the recording process added a magical element that allowed a sparkly kind of joyful creativity to pervade. I took with me one of the most impactful lessons of my life: when there is no joy in your art, there is no art. Always make room for the joy.”
To find out more about this amazing artist, check out her Facebook page, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.