Tag: americana

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards

Getting to know the 2016 LA Music Critic Award winners – Brian Whelan

We are having such a blast interviewing the winners of the LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2016.  Today’s feature is on Brian Whelan, former sideman for Dwight Yoakum and the winner of Best Country/Americana album for Sugarland.  Thanks to Melissa Dragich-Cordero of MAD Ink PR for the nomination.

Sit back, enjoy the interview and learn things about one of Americana’s new generation of amazing artists.

IVB:  How long have you been performing?

BW:  Basically my whole life.  When I was in kindergarten I first got up on stage at an Assembly.  I convinced them to let me do three songs with a Karaoke machine.  I got the music bug early on and just wanted to be on stage.   I first learned piano at the age of 8, followed by electric bass and electric guitar in my early teens, as well as singing all along.  I consider my as my main instrument.   When I was working with Dwight, I learned pedal steel, mandolin and accordion, but don’t consider myself an expert on those instruments.  These days I prefer to play piano and guitar.

IVB:   Who are your influences?

BW:  My first influences were the stars of 50’s rock and roll, like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Buddy Holly, and Eddie Cochran.  As I grew up, I was influenced by the British Invasion bands and then country and bluegrass during my 20’s.  Since I attended high school in the 90’s, I also love the bands from that era.

IVB:  What made you decide to DIY?

BW:  Watching Dwight perform was such an inspiring experience that I decided to quit the band and do my own stuff.   I found it hard to juggle being a side man with being my own front man.   I finally realized that at one time Dwight had to do the same thing to get started, so I went out and did it too.

Working with Melissa (my publicist) has been a blast.   I love that she represents so many great guitarists, like  John Fogerty, Joe Satriani, and Jeff Beck, to name a few.  It is so cool to be a part of her team.

IVB:  Are you seeking to be a mainstream artist?

BW:  The short answer is yes, but probably not.   I think most indie artists want it but think that it would be too much trouble to have someone else dictating where your career is heading.  I want to be able to do what I want without limit and make enough money doing it to be able to live comfortably.  Studio work, side man work and the like have helped pay the bills lately, but I still want to be able to tour more on my own without losing control (of my career) by being a mainstream artist.

IVB:  What are your future plans?

BW:  The big news is that I’m heading out during the month of September on tour.  I’m planning 15-20 shows during the month.  I’ll be visiting places I’ve been a few times before, plus a few new places including AmericanaFest 16, where 200-250 acts are scheduled to perform.  It seems like most of the acts are relatively new, but there are some more experienced legacy acts performing, including Dwight, Rodney Crowell, John Prine, Shawn Colvin & Steve Earle and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  Another one of Melissa’s clients, Alice Wallace is performing.  Not sure why Rod Melancon (also Melissa’s client) isn’t.  He would be a great addition.

I do want to do a tour through Seattle, Montana and the Northwest.  I played Salt Lake City last year – the audience was great, very polite and attentive to the music.  It was a special show.

IVB:  Any good stories from touring/recording/performing?

BW:  Once I was the voice of an actor in an episode of Mad Men.  The cast was at a show for a Lenny Bruce like comedian, which was followed by a Bob Dylan like singer.  I was his voice.

I do have quite a few stories from the road, but most of them can’t be published.  My favorite one is getting to play piano for Chuck Berry at a casino show on April Fool’s Day.  My friend was playing the drums for him, and got me the gig.  I thought it was a joke because I never heard from the Casino or from Chuck’s band, but it was real and it happened, fulfilling a childhood dream.

IVB:  How can your fans keep up with you?

BW:  Well, the best places are my website and Facebook pages.  I also have Twitter and Instagram accounts.  Although I don’t yet have a YouTube channel, some of my performance videos have been posted by other people.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards

Getting to know the 2016 LA Music Critic Award winners – Alice Wallace

Photo courtesy of Jeff Fasano Photography

Welcome back to our continuing series on the winners of the LA Music Critic Awards for the first half of 2016.  Today we are featuring an interview with an artist who is rapidly rising to the top of her genre and was also a previous winner in 2015, Alice Wallace.  Wallace won the award for Best Video (Official) Female for “I Just Don’t Care Anymore” as well as for Best Country/Americana Artist, which she also won in 2015.

I first met Wallace when she attended a show I had booked at The Derby in Los Feliz a few years back.  It was nice to reconnect and talk with her about her career and future plans during our interview.  Sit back, enjoy and learn things about one of the top rising stars in Americana music.

IVB:   How long have you been performing?

AW:  My family was very much musically inclined.  When I was five, our family got a video camera, so I started learning songs so I could perform on camera.  It’s always been easy for me to pick up songs and share them with other people.  It wasn’t until I was 16 that I picked up the guitar and started writing songs.  Within six months, I was signing up for talent shows and have been performing ever since.  I remember playing a Borders Book show when I was still in high school.  I didn’t do musical theater, but I was in the band, and learned music theory there.  I wasn’t really confident in my vocal abilities, and never took any voice lessons.  I’ve learned mostly by observing others perform, which helped me to develop my own style.

IVB:  Who are your influences?

AW:  I’ve always said that I grew up with Gram Parsons and Emilylou Harris, since my parents always listened to them and we sang along.  Through the years I was also influenced heavily by 1990’s singer-songwriters like Jewel and Alanis Morrisette, as well as country, blues and Americana artists like Bonnie Raitt, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, and Patsy Cline, all of which were really strong female voices.  I’ve always been drawn to the voices.  Oh, and Patti Griffin – I love her style.  I try to learn as much as I can about these types of women.

IVB:  What made you decide to DIY?

AW:  In my early days, I released a couple of albums, but it was difficult to do it on my own.  Then I got lucky and was signed to California Country Records about a year ago.  California Country is an artist owned label, founded by Calico the Band members Manda Mosher and Kirsten Proffit.  I had previously opened for them.  While attending the California Roots Festival, I was approached by Kirsten, who told me that they liked my stuff and wanted to sign me to their new label.  I was so happy because a label run by artists brings a lot to the table.  They had great connections already, and they provided great help in all facets of the process.  I am very proud of the finished product, which we released last October.  They connected me to their publicist, Melissa Dragich-Cordero of MadInk PR, as well as to a radio promoter who got my music out on the airwaves.  We even hit #83 on the charts.

I love being an indie artist, and with California Country, I got the best of both worlds – indie and mainstream.  I got to stay indie while having a group of fellow musicians on a label that gave me the support and connections I needed to take my music to the masses.  California Country is really more of a partnership than an artist/label relationship.  I have always been scared of a label taking and owning my music.  Now I have a label that lets me do what I love to do and supports me in the process.

IVB:  Well that pretty much answers our next question.  Are you seeking to be a mainstream artist?

AW:  Not really – I would love the recognition that comes from being mainstream, but strongly want to do what I do without losing my identity.  I think the Americana genre itself is becoming mainstream in its own way and indie artists are at the front of the pack.  As long as I can make the kind of music I want, pay my bills and get to perform, I’m happy.

IVB:  What are your future plans?

AW:  I want to keep touring and making music.  Don’t really have any long term plans at the moment.  I’m spending my time booking tours and performing.  I think the best way to be successful is to keep putting my music in front of people.  I’m writing new songs for my next project, whenever that may happen.

I’ve now been a full-time musician for three years, and it’s getting better all the time.  Doors are continually opening and it’s getting easier every day.  I am always making connections and going forward, allowing each day to present new opportunities.  I think I’ll just gonna ride this wave and see where it goes.

Next week I’m playing some local shows with my friend Brian Ashley Jones from Nashville.  He hosted me when I was there, and I’m returning the favor.  He got me a chance to perform at the world famous Bluebird Café.

In September, I am heading to Nashville for the Americana festival, followed by a trip to Austin for the Southwest Folk Alliance Conference the next week.

IVB:  Any good stories from touring/recording/performing?

AW:  One of my best stories is contained in my song “Luck, Texas.”  I’ll always remember the time we were playing a show in Oklahoma, and it sounded like bombs were going off over our heads.  I was amazed that the audience seemed unconcerned.  I asked them what was going on, and they told me it was just a hail storm.  Oh, and by the way there’s a tornado about a mile away.  Another time I was touring through Texas and my car air conditioner broke and I had to endure that Texas heat.

IVB:  How can your fans keep up with you?

AW:  Of course I have a website and Facebook.  I have a Twitter account, but I really use Instagram more.  And don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Awards

Getting to know the 2016 LA Music Critic Award winners – Riddle & the Stars

Our next featured LA Music Critic Award winning artist is one I have personally known for about 15 years, well, two-thirds of them that is.  Beginning with having them in the competitive mix of both the Orange County Music Awards and later the SoCal Music Live Awards, the Fallen Stars have grown to become one of the best loved Americana bands, both in California and across America and Europe.  Their latest project, Riddle & the Stars, is a boutique band formed when Australian singer-songwriter Ben Riddle joined this Orange County, California based husband and wife duo, which is composed of Bobbo & Tracy Byrnes. They were the winners of the Best Americana/Country Band category.

Sit back and learn things about this amazing band.  Thanks to Bobbo for the enlightening interview.

IVB:  How long have you been performing?

RATS:   We met Riddle when we were touring in Germany back in late 2013.   Riddle was from Australia, and he came out to spend 17 days with us in California.  During that time, we wrote the entire first album, This is Happening, which debuted in 2014.  We used a couple of original songs we had previously written, and Riddle contributed a couple more to the mix.  We found that we were very productive in the short time we had together.  When it came time to record our second album, New Coastline, we did the entire collaboration through sessions on Skype and online, and released it in May 2016.

IVB:  Who are your influences?

RATS:  They are all over the map – Riddle introduced us to some Australian artists like Paul Kelly and Kurt Vile, while we introduced him to some of our favorites like Kathleen Edwards, Blue Rodeo, and the Stone Roses.  There really are too many to name.  We love listening to Stone Roses when we’re on tour.

IVB:  What made you decide to DIY?

RATS:  When we (the Fallen Stars) first started, we were always waiting for a label to come in and wow us, but we got tired of waiting for that to happen.   Ben was also an indie artist.  The funny thing is that while we were “waiting,” we ended up getting signed to a German label, which also signed me (Bobbo) as a solo artist.  They aren’t throwing heaps of money at us, but they are helping us book our tours and are managing our catalog.   Now when we go to Europe we have places to play and fans who know our music.    But at the heart of it all, we are so DIY that we did our own silk screening of our t-shirts in the kitchen between gigs.

IVB:  Are you seeking to be a mainstream artist?

RATS:  Isn’t everyone?   But in today’s new music business, other local bands aren’t our competition anymore.  We’re now competing with mainstream artists like Katy Perry and the like.  The playing field is more level, and everyone is “competing” with us for fans and website clicks.  This has created more of a worldwide audience.   In fact, we (the Fallen Stars) even had a song that ended up at #43 on the German charts.

IVB:  What are your future plans?

RATS:  We have a European tour coming up in October after my solo tour in September, where I’m playing 25 shows in 23 days.  Then I get two days off before Ben and Tracy come over and we start the tour for RATS.  Our future goal is to continue making great music, to travel the world, meet new people and enjoy some wine.

IVB:  Any good stories from touring/recording/performing?

RATS:  The world is becoming so small.  During one of our early visits to Germany, we did a house concert in Germany for about 25 people, including the mayor of the town.  The next time we came around, there were 75 people.  By the time we came back for the third time, the town had to build us a stage and we played forseveral hundred.  They even threw us a Fourth of July party, where everyone at the show sang the National Anthem to us.  I’m not the most patriotic person, but that gesture really brought me to tears.  We have also played to about 600 people in a 1,000 year old cathedral, as well as playing to 700 people in a tent at a festival.  Whenever we play in the small town of Achim, Germany, we end up on the front page of their newspaper.  This has always been our goal from the early days of OCMA.   It is what I dreamt about, but wasn’t exactly sure how we would get there.  Those early competitions were great springboards for us to get known outside of California.    It’s been a great ride.

IVB:  What about social media?

RATS:  Besides the website, we have a Facebook page.

IVB:  What, no Instagram or Twitter?

RATS:   Gonna set up an Instagram page right now!

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

Brian Whelan’s sophomore album Sugarland is pure sweetness

With instrumental abilities that made him a key member of Dwight Yoakam’s band, a voice reminiscent of Jackson Browne and a Top 10 lyrical streak that makes him seem like he’s been writing hook-laden hits for years – Brian Whelan is poised to attract a much wider audience with the release of his second solo album Sugarland.

A music major at the University of Southern California, Whelan can play almost anything that has keys or strings, including steel guitar, accordion and piano, and puts these skills to the test while playing many of them on his new release.

From the opening strains of “Americana,” where he adds the impressive fiddle of Gabe Wichter, to the final notes of “The Bottom,” where Wichter again shows his fiddling prowess, all ten tracks of Sugarland are sweet and give his listeners a taste of his musical greatness.  This is country rock at its best.

Other amazing musicians who add to the sound include Herb Pederson, Rami Jaffe, Keith Gattis, Greg Camp, and Ross Flournoy, as well as vocal help from Nicole Eva Emery, Phoebe Bridgers, Jonathan Clark, and Sarah Taylor.

Sugarland was co-produced by fellow Yoakamite and Whelan’s current drummer Mitch Marine, who are joined by Lee Pardini on bass, keys and vocals.  The resulting music places Whelan in the same crowd with John Fullbright, Sturgill Simpson, fellow Yoakamite Mike Stinson, and Jason Isbell.

Besides the incredible musicianship, which you would expect from Whelan, what sets Sugarland apart is the lyrics, revealing Whelan’s growth as a songwriter, arranger, and vocalist, as revealed in such highlights as “Americana,” “Sucker Punch,” “Go Dancing,” and “Number 1 Fan.”

The album is a natural extension of Whelan’s debut, Decider, and is much more radio friendly.  With the release of Sugarland, he should be well on his way to letting the rest of the world know that he and his music are the real deal.

We are proud to highly recommend Whelan’s Sugarland, which should be in the hands of every true music lover.  For more info about him, check out his website and Facebook pages, follow him on Twitter, and search for his music on YouTube.

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out Reviews

Rod Melancon’s new release will help the continued growth of Americana music

It has been said that one of the marks of a great artist is the ability to build on past works, rather that rebuild.  That is exactly what Rod Melancon has done with his latest EP, LA 14, recently released on indie label Blue Élan Records.

If you didn’t know that this EP had just been released, most listeners would think it was a contemporary of country greats like Merle Haggard or Johnny Cash.  Melancon’s songs have that timeless appeal of those greats and others.

Through the five songs on LA 14, Melancon reveals his Southern Louisiana roots through his lyrics and choice of music, a sound that is part blues, part country with just a touch of rock and roll – the perfect recipe for Americana music.

Thankfully, this EP is a preview of his forthcoming full length album which will be released later this year and produced by Brian Whelan, the former lead guitarist for Dwight Yoakum.

Of the five tracks, “The Lights of Carencro” is the most unique, with elements of rock usually found in the music of such artists as Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd.  The track stands out from the rest, which are more country than rock.

All of the songs tell amazing stories, and definitely leave the listener wanting to hear more from this gifted artist.  We highly recommend you check out Melancon and get on board before the world learns of his amazing talent.

For more information, check out his website and Facebook pages, follow him on Twitter, and subscribe to his YouTube channel.

Thank you to Melissa Dragich-Cordero of Mad Ink PR for providing the background materials and referring this wonderful EP to me for a review.

 

Categories
Artists Worth Checking Out

Alice Wallace’s first video release is smoking hot

Back on October 5, we published an article about this dynamic up and coming Americana musician and the release of her first album on California Country Records.  Since that time, Alice Wallace has won an LA Music Critic Award for Best Country/Americana and has released her first video, which debuted on The Boot.

According to Alice, “I Just Don’t Care Anymore” is a rocking, sassy anthem about taking charge of your life in spite of your circumstances.  “This is a song that came after the worst breakup I’ve ever had.  I wrote a lot of songs about that breakup, but I wrote this one knowing it would be the very last song I would write about it – because I just didn’t care anymore.  It’s probably my favorite track on the new record because it has punch, it has energy, and it conveys exactly what I wanted it to.”

This video is just further proof that Wallace has only scratched the surface of the amazing talent she possesses.  Already a die-hard road dog, Wallace played well over 200 live shows last year, travelling from one end of the country to the other.  It appears that she will be doing more of the same in 2016, including a trip to the UK in March, where she will be performing at the Country to Country Festival in London on March 13.  The Festival features such headliners as Dwight Yoakam, Chris Stapleton and Kacey Musgraves.

We have a feeling that Wallace will be a major star.  Check out the video and let us know what you think.

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Katie Garibaldi, troubadour to the Golden Gates

Merry Christmas – Indie Voice to pleased to present the final Women in Entertainment profile for 2015, shining the spotlight on San Francisco own’s Katie Garibaldi, singer-songwriter extraordinaire, label owner and the unofficial troubadour to the Golden Gate city.  She also recently obtained an endorsement deal with Breedlove Stringed Instruments, who worked with her to build a new custom Master Class guitar.

Garibaldi, who has been compared to the likes of Sheryl Crow, Brandi Carlile, Ani DiFranco, Fiona Apple, Jewel and Taylor Swift, continues to play regularly in her San Francisco Bay Area home base  at such premier music clubs as Hotel Utah, The Little Fox, Cafe Du Nord, and Neck Of The Woods.  She has also toured nationally, including frequent stops in Nashville where she has performed at Music City’s (world-famous) Bluebird Cafe.

Garibaldi is also an innovative entrepreneur and the owner of her own label, Living Dream Music.  She has acquired a devoted fan base, due in no small part to her incredibly engaging live shows and the personal connection she has developed with her listeners through her music.  Regardless of whether she is performing by herself or with a band, Garibaldi shares her emotions with her audience through melodic and catchy songs and soulfully expressive vocals, creating a distinct sound that is both pop and country with a tinge of Americana.

A prolific writer, she recently released her seventh full-length album, Follow Your Heart, which was recorded at John Vanderslice’s Tiny Telephone Recording Studios in San Francisco and engineered by Ian Pellicci.  The album features some of Garibaldi’s most personal songs, many of which are inspired by her recent marriage, reflecting back to her simple yet powerful message of the importance of having the conviction to follow one’s heart.  The album also includes performances by several notable musicians, including the Magik*Magik Orchestra.

Follow Your Heart is the first full-length release of all new compositions since her award winning Next Ride Out album in 2009.   During those six years, she has continued to tour the country, building her brand DIY-style with help from her friends in Nashville and elsewhere, and has garnered critical acclaim from both press and peers.

Guitar Player magazine called her “a gifted songwriter with a gorgeous voice,” while Music Connection magazine wrote “Garibaldi is blessed with a sweet and pure soprano, and we hear a sincerity in this artist that is real.”   Music Connection also included Garibaldi on their annual list of the Top 100 Live Unsigned Artists, while her peers in Songsalive! voted her the Songwriter of the Year award.  Garibaldi is an active voting member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) and the current Emerging Artist Of The Year winner from the Indie Music Channel 2015 Awards.   Most recently, Bay Area music blog The Deli Magazine named Garibaldi the San Francisco Artist Of The Month for September 2015.

What inspires Garibaldi?  “My relationship with my husband inspires me a lot, as I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of writing love songs that are inspired by him. Also, I get really inspired to write when I’m touring, seeing different cities and just soaking up all of the various adventures that come with traveling and new experiences. I always seem to come back home with an itch to write something new. And in general, my family and my faith have always inspired me to be myself, do what I love, and follow my dreams, which keeps me motivated as a person, as well as an artist and songwriter.”

Where does she see herself in the future?  “Regarding the near future, I’m working on wrapping up my new EP, which I’m very excited about and planning to release it sometime in the early part of 2016. The EP consists of five new songs that I recorded in Nashville with some extremely talented musicians. These songs are a bit of a departure from my usual song topics, where I focus more on self-discovery and faith. They’re also a bit different sonically speaking from my last album, being more stripped down in production and feature a lot of intricate string arrangements. I can’t wait for people to hear them! It’s the latest piece of my heart and soul. I’ll be promoting and touring with the new release next year, and also plan to release a new music video for one of the songs leading up to the release, which I’ll be working on soon. As far as long term plans, I hope to keep living my dreams, making and sharing music, and growing my business as an artist/songwriter to encompass larger opportunities in this industry. ”

To find out more about this artist, check out  her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

 

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Kirsten Proffit, premier musician, songwriter and producer

Normally the first Monday of the month would be dedicated to introducing you to a future Women in Entertainment member.  Unfortunately this month, I was unable to obtain the information needed for my selected honoree, so we will continue with our regular series.  Next up to be spotlighted is the other half of California Country records, the undeniably talented Kirsten Proffit, a premier musician, songwriter and producer, and one-third of the hugely incredible Calico the band.

“Brash yet sweet, powered by love, passion, pain, and loss, Kirsten Proffit’s songs connect with listeners on a level far deeper than most of today’s singer-songwriters,” says her official bio, and believe me, it’s not hyperbole!  I have known her for quite a few years, and she has impressed me with her professionalism, her talents and her drive during the entire time.

I was first introduced to her when I was working with the Orange County Music Awards (OCMA), heading up the live acoustic performance competition.  With a sound that is a combination of the songwriting talent of Joni Mitchell and the musical abilities of Sheryl Crow, she wowed the Gypsy Den audience and impressed the judges panel and walked away with a win in the “Best Female Artist” category.

The judges were not the only ones impressed by this rising star, as she also impressed producer Bruce Witkin (Vanessa Paradis, Johnny Depp), who worked with Proffit on her debut album, Lucky Girl, an album that delves into the often turbulent world of relationships.  It resulted in two singles, “Something I Can’t Be” and “Redemption Day,” both of which received their fair share of radio airplay across the country.

Not only did Proffit’s music impress radio’s program directors and fans, it also began to move music supervisors, who placed her music in such shows as Friday Night Lights, Dawson’s Creek, Smallville and The Osbournes, and included them on the DVD soundtracks of Felicity and Party of Five.  This in turn led to a placement in Jiminy Glick in Lalawood, a movie featuring legendary Saturday Night Live comedian and director Martin Short, who used three of Proffit’s songs, including the movie’s theme song.

Setting aside the obvious skills exhibited in her recorded music, what truly sets Proffit apart from her contemporaries is her ability to craft amazing live performances, which came in handy when she appeared on such nationally syndicated radio shows as  “The Dick and Skibba Show” and the “Frosty, Heidi & Frank” show (broadcast from LA’s 97.1 KLSK).   Using songs from Lucky Girl, Proffit won the station’s “Should I Stay or Should I Go” competition, resulting in her selection to perform at their songs Birthday Bash Concert.

What inspires her?  “I am totally inspired by honesty in songwriting and performances. Anything that is true is great to me and I try not to get hung up on what is cool or trendy.  I want to make people feel something when they hear my songs.  A song is a great opportunity to say something – – good, bad or otherwise – – and really make a point,” she said. “I just want to make my point in the coolest, most musical way possible.”

Prior to hooking up with Manda Mosher to form Calico the band, Proffit shared the stage with several high-profile artists, including Duncan Sheik, Paula Cole, and the Steve Miller Band, and was chosen by Fender for an endorsement deal, which led to her performance on their stage at the 2013 NAMM Show.

Where does Proffit go from here?  “I am planning on continuing with Calico the band, finishing our upcoming record and putting it out in spring.  I am also continuing to produce other artist’s records with my partner Steve Berns and putting out records via California Country Records, the label that Manda Mosher and I started.  We will see how it goes, but it looks like there might be a California Country compilation in our future – – there are some great Americana artists on this side of the country and we would love to put something together that represents what is happening on the west coast right now.”

For more information about this amazing artist, check out her website and Facebook pages, follow her on Twitter and subscribe to her YouTube channel.

Categories
Women in Entertainment

Women in entertainment: Manda Mosher, California country personified

It is quite an honor to present this week’s featured Women in Entertainment artist, Manda Mosher, accomplished solo artist and member of CALICO the band, new mother and the true personification of the California country sound.

A sixth generation Californian and Angeleno. Mosher’s family first came to the City of Angels in the late 1800’s before establishing a chicken farm in the Valley in 1911.  She grew up in a musical family that lived in the little town of La Crescenta, a sleepy and secluded community located at the foot of the mountains just north of Pasadena and east of Los Angeles.

She picked up her grandfather’s Gibson ukulele at the age of five.  With her father playing flamenco guitar and her mother singing, music was truly an integral part of her daily family life.  Mosher learned her father’s flamenco tunes from memory and quickly developed an ear for and interest in music.  She spent much of her youth studying her parent’s musical library, reading Neil Young liner notes, all the while keeping her ear to the stereo speakers, listening to the likes of Bob Dylan, The Doors, The Beatles and Leo Kottke.   As a result, writing and singing became a more natural form of communication than talking.  “I found I would leave encounters thinking ‘I wish I would have said…’ and this would give me the impetus to sit down and compile my thoughts along with images and poetry and set it to song. This was and still is my most powerful form of communication,” Manda explains.

After high school, Mosher decided she needed a more serious place to study music, so she relocated to the east coast to attend the renowned Berklee School of Music in Boston.  While there she honed her talents of playing guitar and piano, learned music theory as well as reading and writing music.   She returned to Los Angeles after graduation, but learned that touring could also provide a good escape from Los Angeles when she needed it.  ‘The best part of touring is getting out to realize how big the world is while making new connections with people you may never have met otherwise.  Being on the road naturally puts miles between you and everything at home, bringing with it a new freedom that allows you to break your everyday routine and just live in the moment.”

Mosher signed with Red Parlor Records in 2008, after winning the Los Angeles Music Award for best Female Singer/Songwriter of the Year in 2005.  Her first album, Everything you Need was produced by the great Guy Erez (Gipsy Kings, Ziggy Marley, Alan Parsons), and allowed Mosher to perform on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson, as well as opening for, and singing with, Jackson Browne.  “These were childhood dreams come true for me.”   She followed these feats with a critically-acclaimed EP City of Clowns in 2010, leading to another Los Angeles Music Award for National Touring Act.

The title track was written about Mosher’s relationship with Los Angeles, which she describes as a love/hate sort of affair, as depicted in the song.  Mosher admits she has often thought of leaving Los Angeles, but it is her family that has kept her here.  “I’ve always felt sadness for this town.  I’ve watched all these people come and go, taking what they can, getting famous, getting rich, with little regard for the community and the people that call it home.  On the other hand the opportunities are endless here.”

In 2013, Mosher combined her talents with Kirsten Proffit and Jaime Wyatt to form CALICO the band.  Right off the bat, the group started touring and performed more than 200 shows, leading to their selection as the Los Angeles Music Awards’ National Touring Artist of the Year.  Wyatt left the band to pursue a solo career and was replaced by Aubrey Richmond, a world-class fiddler and the perfect complement to the band.   Their first album, Rancho California was released in September 2014 on their own California Country label, and won Americana Album of the year for the Los Angeles Music Awards, as well as winning LA Music Critic’s award for Best Country Album.  They have continued their hectic touring schedule, which included a stop at the 2014 Stagecoach Festival in Indio, California, where they were joined onstage by special Foo Fighter guests, Chris Shiflett & Rami Jaffee, as well as the 2015 Americana Music Festival in Nashville, Tennessee.

“We’re very connected to a community of artists and venues that are flying the Americana flag,” said Mosher, “deeply influenced by the old scenes from the Palomino days, the Bakersfield Country sound from Buck Owens carried on by Dwight Yoakam, the sound of Gram Parsons’ music, Joshua Tree and more.”  “We’re here to tell people that Americana music is very much alive,” said Proffit, “and California is a viable source for this style.  We’re passionate about carrying on the tradition by incorporating these influences, but through a new lens, and always with respect.”

But what inspires Mosher?  “Inspiration is an elusive thing to control . . . I often think thoughts that are the strongest push themselves to the forefront drowning out other thoughts forcing themselves to be expressed and written about in song. When an inspired song is coming it’s important to stop what you’re doing and allow it to arrive . . . the timelessness of a song trumps most any other activity that may happen in a day. Anything from spending time with a favorite guitar to a quiet setting can allow the space for inspiration to peak through.”  

Mosher’s music has been featured on the Emmy Award-winning Venice The Series, while the music of CALICO the band can be heard on  ABC’s hit series Nashville and NBC’s The Night Shift.

What are Mosher’s future plans?  “What keeps me going is the need to always create something new that is evolved beyond what I’ve been involved with in the past, be it striving to reach new levels of quality in recording or performing in venues that bring a new challenge.  We’re working on our second CALICO the band album which we hope to have completed by the end of the year and we plan to continue on with our touring adventures.”
You can learn more about this amazing artist and her band by checking out their websites and Facebook (solo and Calico) pages, following them on Twitter (solo and Calico) and subscribing to their YouTube (solo and Calico) channels.
Categories
Reviews

Alice Wallace is making “Memories, Music & Pride” with her latest release

Alice Wallace is set to debut her latest album, Memories, Music & Pride when she brings her SoCal Americana music to one of Hollywood’s premier venues, The Hotel Cafe’ on Friday, October 9.
Already recognized by the Orange County Music Awards (OCMA) with nominations for best country/americana and best live band, Wallace’s latest release should cement this rising star’s place as one of the best Americana performers in America, right next to Lucinda Williams, Patty Griffin and Honeyhoney.
Co-produced by Kirsten Proffit of CALICO the Band and Steve Berns (who produced CALICO’s debut album), and released on California Country Records, a label created by Proffit and her CALICO co-founder Manda Mosher, Memories, Music & Pride is the perfect marriage between the classic and future sounds of Americana music.  In addition to co-producing the album, Proffit and CALICO bandmate Aubrey Richmond also provide backing vocals on the album.

According to Wallace, “This record is more cohesive, as far as style is concerned,” she says. “I like blues, I like folk, I like country. This one still touches on all of those. But with this album I feel like I was trying to bridge the gap between my influences in old-time country with newer artists like Sturgill Simpson and Jason Isbell, whose albums have opened my eyes to what modern country can be.”  Wallace’s previous releases include 2011’s Sweet Madness and 2013’s A Thousand Miles From Home.

 All of the 11 tracks on the CD are originals, with the exception of Wallace’s cover of the classic 1935 Patsy Montana hit “I Want to be a Cowboy’s Sweetheart.”  Montana was the first major female country and western solo singing star, and Wallace, who took up yodeling after hearing Jewel talk about the old country singing style on her early records, had to reach back to the style of such earlier yodeling recording artists as Montana, Jimmie Rodgers, and Slim Whitman for her interpretation of the tune.  “I’ve never done anything in the style of Patsy Montana, and I was trying to make it true to the original in a way.”
Every track is stunning, with Wallace’s amazing vocals bringing life to her thought-provoking lyrics and melodies.  Everything you like about Americana music is there – the emotions, the vocal range and the steel guitar combine to create songs that are instantly memorable and reach deep inside the listener to connect on a deeper level than most music being produced today.
Two songs that stand out are “Leave” and “If I Didn’t Win.”  You can literally feel the pain and the joy in these songs, with universal themes of loneliness, love and struggle.  Not only are they great songs to listen to, but they are also the perfect soundtrack for dancing.

Among the amazing musicians that play on the record are jazz-schooled guitarist Tom Bremer, who has worked with Wallace for the past five years; drummer Josh Huppert, another longtime band mate; multi-instrumentalist Jeremy Long, now the pedal steel player in Sam Outlaw’s touring group; and bassist Robert Bowman. Special guests on the album include Ted Russell Kamp, a well-known Los Angeles solo artist who plays with Shooter Jennings’ band and is a frequent guest player with CALICO, who contributes upright bass on the track “Leave.”

Wallace, who was born in Los Angeles and raised in St. Cloud, Florida, began playing guitar at the age of 10 but didn’t truly devote her time to music until she was 15.  Over the years, she absorbed a variety of influences, from her parents’  favorites like Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris to ‘80s and ‘90s country performers like Dwight Yoakam, Patty Loveless, and Mary Chapin
Carpenter and singer-songwriters like Jewel, Alanis Morisette and Sarah McLachlan.
It was these songwriters that brought Wallace back to music:  “That’s why I picked up the guitar again and made a more serious attempt at playing and writing songs – I was so inspired by hearing female artists on the radio.”
Wallace and her family left Florida in 2008 and relocated to Fullerton, California.  By 2013, Wallace was doing music full-time, traveling across the country on the strength of her first two albums, and gathering material for what became Memories, Music & Pride.
It should come as no surprise that “A Traveling Song” (Track 8) was inspired by some of those chance companions on the American byways.  “I’ve spent the last two years getting used to traveling – usually by myself,” Wallace says.  “It’s definitely been a personal learning experience, dealing with being alone a lot, and the songs reflect that.”  In addition, some of the album’s most intimate songs – like “Rough Around the Edges” and “Ohio Boy” – are drawn from relationships that developed on the road.   Wallace continues, “Traveling full-time does not lend itself well to romantic relationships; the few that I’ve had have been temporary, and usually they end badly.  They make for good songwriting material, but I definitely look back and say, ‘All right, Alice, you should have seen that coming.’”
For more on this amazing artist, check out her website and Facebook page, follow her on Twitter and Instagram, and subscribe to her YouTube channel.  And if you’re lucky enough to be in Los Angeles, don’t miss her release show at the Hotel Cafe’ on October 9.