Featured Artist, Isaac Hayden

Welcome Featured Artist

Isaac Hayden



"Once you’ve seen Isaac Hayden perform live, you’ll understand immediately that he is doing what he loves to do. Full of passion, pain, love, hope, and years of toiling away amidst the undercurrent of indie artists, Isaac’s music grasps at the heart-strings of a generation that has chosen to find a new path, a new way to live… "

Photo by Laura Godwin

I would really love to give a better introduction of my dear friend Isaac Hayden than that, but this pretty much says it perfectly. I was lucky enough to befriend Isaac back in Feb. while he was up in Yosemite for a show. A long time mutual friend, Noah Waldron of Capsicum Pro Audio & Visual, had been telling me for ages that I needed to hear Isaac's music. Well, I finally did, and I understood why.

Watching Isaac perform live is such a treat. His songs tell story's that take you to a place you know that you've been once too.  My personal favorite is "Old Headlights", and "Wyoming" reminds me of the way I feel about the place I live and love. I loved watching him delve into the Blues and taking that soulful voice of his and rubbing some serious funk on it. He has a real charisma on stage that keeps you captivated.

Isaac is one of the most honest and genuine people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. When he laughs here in this interview, I hear his wonderful and contagious laugh. He is modest, and unbelievably gracious to his fans. Qualities that I hope never disappear with the fame that is soon coming.

So, pull up Isaac's website here: http://www.isaachayden.com/ in another window, and enjoy his beautiful music while getting to know this wonderful man.


Thanks for stopping in.


1. Who are you, where are you from, how old are you? Tell us about yourself.


My name is Isaac Hayden and I’m a musician from Jackson Hole, Wyoming. I’ve been playing music for the last ten years and I recently turned 30!!! People tell me I look 25 though. Baby face.

Photo by Laura Godwin

2. What genre of music do you consider your work to be?

It’s a blend of acoustic singer-songwriter stuff mixed with some blues and soul and folk-pop.

3. Who are your major influences?

The first music I can remember hearing and finding a connection with was the Red Hot Chili Peppers, ha ha. Me and my 9 year old best friend Nate snuck into his big brothers room and popped the Blood Sugar album into the tape deck. We stumbled on this song called ‘Apache Rose Peacock’ and listened to it about 50 times straight - It wasn’t a profound song, but it had a killer groove and this one line, “Oh good brother, just when I thought that I had seen it all… my eyes popped out my dick got hard and I dropped my jaw…” For whatever reason, we found that line immensely hysterical and laughed for hours. That was the first time I remember being affected by music.

Photo by Laura Godwin

Later on I fell in love with Stevie Wonder, Harry Chapin, Cat Stevens, Jeff Buckley, Martin Sexton, Joni Mitchell, and so many others. Harry Chapin’s tune, ‘A Better Place to Be,” is still one of my favorites… I remember feeling transported inside that song like I was living the actual experience. Listening to these artists is what made me fall in love with music.

4. Do you play with a band or do you prefer to play solo? If so, what band do you play with?

I’ve played with a band before, and have some great musician friends in Wyoming I collaborate with when home. When I moved to Nashville I met AlMichael Rodgers. He plays cajon (a box looking percussion instrument), and we started messing around a lot and he even performed on my latest live album.

More recently, I’ve been lucky to have my friend Jared Kneale play cajon with me. Jared has a unique cajon, made in Australia. It allows him to use all of his limbs for controlling a different percussion instrument. It’s really great because he’s able to create a fuller sound with a lot less. He’s been helping me structure the songs so they will make more sense in a band format, which is something we’re working toward right now. So, I generally play solo, or as a duo with Jared or AlMichael, and hopefully someday we will be able to turn it into a full band sound.

5. Besides anyone mentioned above, what other musicians do you enjoy playing with?

I really just enjoy playing music with anyone who enjoys playing music. There’s something transcendent and incredible about bringing musicians who are dedicated to their craft together, because it is an opportunity to share and connect on a common ground where there is no wrong or right, to learn something new and participate in a new form of expression.

Photo by Kali Collado

6. When and how did you decide to become a professional musician?

Ha, well, I think it’s something that I’m continually deciding every day. When I first started playing music it was simply because I enjoyed it. I didn’t know anything about the business or the hardships or challenges, the road that leads to becoming a ‘professional’ musician. When I realized that I loved music enough to make it my life I began, and continue, the slow process of educating myself on the ins and outs of how to do just that.

Photo by Laura Godwin

Unfortunately, there are no clear paths to making a successful career in music. However, because there are no set paths, there is more room for entrepreneurial creativity, which in theory is something I should be good at, being in the creative field. But I’m not! What I’ve learned is that I can’t work the business side, be creative and write songs, perform live, record albums, travel, and stay on top of all that is necessary… by myself. Part of my decision to become a professional musician has been to build a team of people who share a common belief in the music, and who bring other assets to the process, so that I can continue learning in the areas I work best in.

7. Can you tell us about the instruments you play? How did you decide to play these instruments and what do you love about them?

I play an acoustic Taylor 614-CE series guitar. It was actually a “loaned gift” from my first producer, Mr. Kent Nelson. It was a beautiful looking and sounding guitar, and at the time, the nicest instrument I’d ever played. It’s been with me since I began playing music in any type of professional manner, so I have a deep connection with it; that, along with its wonderfully consistent tone and intonation, is why I still love it. It’s not very pretty anymore though. ☺

Photo by Kali Collado

8. What are your favorite and least favorite venues to play? Why? Do you play covers?

I love any venue that allows the listener(s) to connect with the music and provides the chance to find something they want to take with them after the show is over (like a cd. Ha ha, just kidding…. but not really ) Anywhere this happens is a great venue. I play cover songs when I’m hired to entertain a bar room or house party, but my goal is always to create and play my original music.

9. What are your favorite songs to play?

I love playing any song that connects with a person. If it connects on some level, and holds a person throughout, then I love to play that song. It’s a process though; trial and error, and sometimes it takes a song a long time to develop. It may be finished, but usually it takes time for a song to find its place. When it eventually settles it’s an excellent feeling.

Photo by Laura Godwin

10. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think these topics will change over time?

I write my songs, and also co-write with other people. Most of the topics are a realistic or abstract retelling of a personal experience. I think the themes and topics are forever changing in direct relation to how I change as a human. Right now I’m really set on changing the tone of my songs so they can carry a little more relevance in today’s world. I love writing love songs, or songs about something that happened a long time ago, but it starts to feel empty when it’s all I write about. I’m really focused on trying to write songs that are applicable to right now, today.

11. How would you define the word “success?”

To me, success is doing something you believe in because you hope that it will inspire positive change or growth in yourself and the people you come in contact with.

Photo by Laura Godwin

12. Where do you find your inspiration? Who or what inspires you?

Inspiration is elusive at best. I don’t know how or where to find it. It seems to come and go as it wishes, without much thought as to who needs or wants it. All I’ve learned about inspiration is to try and develop the tools I use to interact with it, so that when it comes, I have a greater palette to draw from in that moment. It’s an incredibly indefinable phenomenon that manifests when it’s ready; so I find it by waiting patiently, in excited anticipation.

13. Could you briefly describe the music making process?

It’s strange, because often the music making process is coupled with that elusive inspiration which refuses to be bound by any process. So for me it’s like an interpretive dance or something, ha ha. That sounds funny, but it’s true. As ideas come, I work with them and try and develop them into something that flows with the original idea. It might be a melody or a guitar riff or words, but whatever it is, I explore it and try and make it contribute to the foundational idea. There’s no real beginning or end to the process, it just continues until I reach the place where the creation feels complete and the idea feels sound, or in some cases, until I’ve backed myself into a corner and need to just start over.

14. How has your music evolved since you first began playing music?

A friend of mine here in Nashville, who is a wealth of knowledge on poetic and philosophical writings, shared a short excerpt with me by John Gardner, called “On becoming a novelist.” It was painful to listen to, because it points directly at the manifested ego of a young creative mind, but also forgiving, in pointing out that this manifestation is an unavoidable act of growth. I’m boiling it down, but the essential point is that a young creative mind begins the quest in belief that it has something more important to say than anything which has been said. The creative predecessors to this young mind are viewed as miss-lead, even wrong, and with need of correction.

As time goes by and the young creative mind enters into maturity, it no longer views itself as having the answer to said question, but rather, a voice in the chorus of all who are addressing the question. It becomes a part of the body, instead of falsely believing itself to be the whole body.

I think this is often a sub-conscious dilemma in all people who want to say something unique with their life, because any new idea must have the unfounded confidence to get off the ground, because you are the only person turning the wheel. Once your wheel is turning though, you begin to see that you are just a part of the greater machine, which is humbling… and reinvigorating, to know you’re not alone, and to know you’re a part of something vastly bigger than yourself.

I really wanted to share this, though I don’t know what it has to do with the question, ha ha. I guess what I’m saying is, as I’ve passed through phases of creative growth and maturity, hopefully the music has, too.

15. What has been your biggest challenge as a musician? Have you been able to overcome that challenge? If so, how?

My greatest challenge as a musician has been overcoming my own self-doubt. What I’ve learned is that we are all unique, with our own perspective on the world, and it’s ok to share that perspective. If I remain open to my own uniqueness and allow other people to operate in theirs, it seems like the pangs of self-doubt become less relevant. It’s a moment to moment, day to day process.

16. What are your goals and dreams, and where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I’m working hard at bringing my dreams into the realm of achievable goals. My goal tomorrow is the same goal I have for ten years from now; to be playing music to more people than I am right now, writing songs that are more applicable to the world we live in, and to be a better, more educated man with more to say, and less to worry about. I’d also like to be living in Fiji in ten years, surfing and writing music on the beach… at least a few months out of the year. ☺

17. What advice do you have for people who want to become professional musicians?

A few pieces of advice some friends shared with me come to mind. First, no one will ever care about your music more than you do. Secondly, sometimes it takes a while for people to ‘hear’ you, for them to connect with you, for what you’re saying and what people want/need to hear to reach common ground. So, be patient.

It’s really important to love music... Be prepared to have nothing; nothing but your instrument and your belief in what you’re doing. If you’ve got that, then work hard at being persistent, and never give up. I think the world needs more people who follow their heart instead of the societal norm of comfortableness and security. So come on let’s play some music motha fu$%as!

18. Where can you be found?

Anywhere they serve a decent pale ale and have some good live music… Or, on iTunes, isaachayden.com, facebook.com/isaachayden, twitter.com/isaachayden. Either way, please stop by and say hi!!!

19. Any last words?

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and please continue to search out music that is not made readily available to you. The music that falls randomly into your lap from a friend, or the music you pass on that no one has heard, is how we keep real music going. Keep passing it along, and keep searching it out. Don’t let the corporate conglomerates re-configure your mind to make you think Miley Cyrus is actually what you want to hear... even if it is. Party in the USA bitches!! Do some research, find the music that hits you because you know the person making it has experienced something you can relate to. And above all, all, all else… never, ever, ever, ever, let the government illegalize beer again. ☺

Ever.

Cheers

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I truly hope that you have enjoyed getting to know Isaac as much as I have.  I hope you will share this Post, leave a comment, and introduce yourself.

Thank you!

Featured Artist, Rumspringa

Welcome Featured Artist,

Rumspringa

Rumspringa (n) : an Amish rite of passage; the practice of releasing teenagers to explore the outside world, its sins and pleasures.

      This week's Featured Band is Rumpsringa, an LA based band that I found on Pandora. I love discovering new bands, and was pleased to discover Rumspringa. There take on modern rock, blended quietly with Blues and old school rock-n-roll caught my ears. Rumsprigna aims to awaken the inner fire of its listeners. A sound that gives a nod to their predecessors in the early days of Rock-n-Roll, when Rock was taboo. According to front-man Joey Stevens "We declared ourselves to be on our own version of Rumspringa. To step away from all the self-serving surface of the mainstream music culture, and to get back to the heart of discovering the soul of rock through the roots of its creation."


1. What is the name of your band? What is the origin of that name? Have you changed the band's name before?

Joey named the band Rumspringa. It never had a previous name. I think the term is associated most with the Amish but I’m pretty sure other religious sects also use the word. I guess the literal translation means to “run around;” which would be appropriate for the time period when adolescents of said communities are allowed to temporarily indulge in previously unacceptable activities (wearing tie dye thongs and hitting the crack bong) before choosing to remain part of or leave that community.

2. Who are you? 

 Ricardo, 25, bass guitar; Andrew, 32, drums; Cecilia, 22, guitar; Joey, 24, guitar.

3. What genre of music do you consider your work to be?

Simply, we should probably say rock. When we have been asked to define the sound of the band, and when other people have been asked to, it has been consistently difficult. The song “Sway” probably best represents the band’s sound. I’ve heard and read it described as hypnotic/bluesy/danceable. The band used to be a two piece. Even back then Joey alone was pulling from a wide range of influences including blues, psychedelic rock, and hip-hop. With Cecilia, Andrew, and me all writing also (though it’s mostly Joey), the sound has evolved slightly. I would say the most distinctive part of our style is the finger picking that Joey and Cecilia do. There’s no strumming, palm muting, or Pete Townshend windmills. It sounds more fluid and intricate. That long answer probably didn’t help at all.

4. Who are your major influences?

I’m going to try to speak for everyone and name influences that we have in common: weirdo art bands like the Dirty Projectors and Captain Beefheart; psychedelic rock and garage/proto-punk bands like the 13th Floor Elevators, the Stooges, and Richard Hell; some blues- mostly on Joey’s end- Howlin’ Wolf and R.L. Burnside. But if we’re together listening to music it will most likely be something like Tuvan throat singing or Gregorian chants.

5. How long have you all known each other? How did you meet?

I believe Joey met Andrew through Manny Nieto who produced the “Sway” album. Andrew was in another band Thinking Aloud and they had recorded with Manny. Cecilia and Joey met through Rumspringa’s old manager who happened to be Cecilia’s friend. Last, I met Joey through a mutual friend that I often make music with. The funny thing is that the first time the four of us got together Cecilia and I realized we went to grammar school together. So, some of us have known each other for about a year while for some of us its more like 12 years!(?)

6. When did you form your band? What inspired you to make music together?

Joey is the only original member. The rest of us plan to steal his writing style and then slowly phase him out of the band without any fans noticing.

7. Can you tell us about the instruments you play? How did you decide to play that particular instrument and what do you love about it?

Cardo- I believe some if not many amateur bassists (of which I would count myself) end up with their instrument because they are relegated to it down from the six string (logic?....“well….if you’re not good at six strings try four!”). During High School I realized how interesting the role of the bassist is and wanted to play it more. Together with the drummer you have to think about making an interesting part that complements the arrangement and other instruments without being distracting or overpowering. Sorry, I can’t really answer for the other members.

8. What are your favorite and least favorite venues to play and why?

We mostly play clubs/bars so naturally, we have a lot of fun at other types of venues. Playing the Long Beach Aquarium and colleges like the San Francisco Art Institute is a great change for us: we get to perform overlooking the bay in SF or surrounded by anemones and jellyfish.

9. What are your favorite songs to play, why? Do you play covers?

We haven’t played covers as a four piece. We typically enjoy performing the newest songs. Everyone in the band writes their own music and I think most creative people are always excited about the newest thing they’re working on. This is the most creative group of people I know.

10. Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs? Do you think this will change over time?

I would say Joey writes something like 60-70 % of the songs since he writes lyrics, plays lead guitar and sings. As far as I can tell the song subjects often include: surreal dream visions, premonitions of the impending apocalypse, relationships and considering one’s place in life. Usually it’s all those though. I think Joey’s matured just in the time that I’ve been in the band. I can tell he puts thought into and often revises songs/lyrics.

11. Where do you find your inspiration? Who or what inspires you?

Green grass, gnarly trees, the desert, the ocean, telephone poles, other music.

12. Could you briefly describe your music-making process?

The writing process is very collaborative. Typically Joey starts with a riff or chord change. We often will come up with several variations of the idea from there. We all feel free to comment on or suggest parts for each other. It’s entirely synergistic.

13. How has your music evolved since you first began playing music together?

 We haven’t been playing music together too long. I think we have settled into our roles and realize each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Cecilia is more confident. Joey growls more. Andrew is steady as always. I play a different bass line every time (because I’m that good or forget the part?).

14. How would you define the word “success”?

I am pretty sure all of us in the band agree that success would be to make a living playing music. Being able to support ourselves solely by doing what we love would be the best gift from life. I think we also agree that success doesn’t necessarily mean having a private jet….think Def Leopard. Andrew looks better with two arms if you ask me. And I’m sure Cece looks better than Aaliyah does right now.

15. What are your goals and dreams, where do you see yourselves in 10 years?

We will be on our private jet.

16. What advice do you have for people who want to form their own bands?

There’s two lessons I have learned from being in too many bands since High School. First, most people don’t self-scrutinize enough. Whether it be the style of playing, song arrangements etc, people tend to think they’re more brilliant than they are which gives us the amazing array of mediocre bands in the world. Second, if you want something done, do it yourself. Maybe this one should just be applied to life in general.

17. Where can you be found?

We’re on the Facebook, the Myspace, Cantora Records website and you can often find us walking around Alhambra and Echo Park.

18. Any last words?

April we have a residency the bootleg theater. We are recording two or three songs so the people that go can get something new. Also we will be recording a second record soon!

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      I hope you have enjoyed getting to know Rumspringa. Stop by any one of their Social Media pages, or Cantora Records to stay in touch with them. A special thanks to Ricardo for the Interview.

Thank you!

A Portrait of America Through the Eyes of a Photo Booth

A Portrait of America Through the Eyes of a Photo Booth

     My old friend Peter is the owner of Magnolia Photobooth and he and his friends are attempting something historical.  A Portrait of America Through the Eyes of a Photo Booth!  Check out the video, get involved, become a backer! 




They only have 18 days left, so get involved!  Visit http://kck.st/foA9qa to get started!

Thanx,

Featured Artist, Jon Swift

Welcome Featured Artist

Jon Swift

    I feel truly honored today to be bringing this Blog back with one of the most exciting musicians I have heard in a long time, singer/songwriter, Jon Swift. Jon plays his own kind of music. He doesn't limit himself to a genre, or get caught up in the idea of what he "should" be writing.

    Jon writes from the heart, and his songs are truly stories. They transport you to a place, as seen through Jon's eyes. For just a moment, you catch a glimpse of the world that inspires him. Jon's songs are real, beautiful and emotional and he isnt afraid to share the dark sides of the soul.

    I first heard Jon live at the Roost House. I sat in the audience, totally enthralled in the stories he wove with words and music. I can still picture the green sea and the boats from the bench that he writes about in "Ode to O'Rourke" and I can relate to the tortured soul of "...empty lighthouse".

    After listening to his music and getting to know Jon through this interview, he is someone that I just want to sit down and hang out with, over a few good beers and a few good stories. Please take a moment to listen to Jon's music with the Amazon Widget to the right of this interview. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

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1. Who are you? Where are you from, how old are you? Tell us about yourself.

I was born in New York some 37 years ago, grew up in San Diego. Since then, I’ve indulged wayward tendencies but have spent most of my time in the western US.

My fascination with music began early when my father was still alive. He used to sing American folk songs with me, and in doing so instilled a particular kind of joy, or even ecstasy, associated with singing. Later, in the solitary years of my childhood, I took to sneaking in to my neighbor’s house to tinker on their piano. These experiences formed the foundations of my music, and I have continued since then in a similar vein, teaching myself to play instruments and accompanying those instruments with voice. Over the years I have become more narrowly focused on creating and producing songs. As I side effect, I’ve taught myself to play guitar, banjo, piano, ukulele, mandolin, harmonica, jaw harp, and a handful of other folky instruments with varying degrees of proficiency.
Throughout most of my adulthood music has been a constant, though clandestine process for me serving to balance and enhance my other endeavors in life. I have spent many years working through the mathematical details of the physical universe and have received multiple degrees from the University of California in physics and astrophysics. Equally important in shaping my character has been an ongoing relationship with the natural world. I have frequented the ocean since I was 2, and have kept up my skills as a surfer over the past 27 years. On land, I prefer wilderness, be it desert, forest, alpine, or chaparral.

Though I have never really fostered any particular aspirations with making music, circumstance has allowed me to dedicate the vast majority of my time to making music these days. It has been a welcomed gift, and I intend to use the time to do justice to the abstract inspirations that have propelled me through the wonderful turbulence of life.

2. What kind of music do you play?

The American west has a distinct feel, philosophy, and character that I’ve been steeped in. This inevitably shows up in my music, in a similar way that an accent shows up in speech. Yet I don’t play western music, or country, or Americana, or folk either, really. I don’t know what to call it. My girlfriend calls it “mod-west.”

As far as intent goes, much of my music comes from a place of overcoming—be it hardship, tumult, fear, myself, whatever. Things that I feel fortify the soul, those are the things I feel motivated to share. In that way, I think my music is similar to the American spirituals. However, I am not in allegiance with any particular religion. So, I guess, in the end, you could call my songs “mod-west secular spirituals.”

3. What does your Band name mean?

I play under my own name usually, as I typically find myself band-less. However, I have had the recent opportunity to play with a truly inspiring group of musicians based mostly in Ventura and Ojai, CA. We worked on a surf movie soundtrack together starting in early 2010 and we call ourselves the Melali Sessions Band named after the movie, Melali. It is a Balinese word that means to hang out, in the colloquial sense.

4. When did you decide to make the leap from hobby to Profession? Tell us about your first show.

It is unclear when I became a “professional musician.” Perhaps it was when a couple of my songs were used in a surf video back in 1996. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get paid for that, though. My first performances back in the mid 90s were open mic things; those were hardly professional. Hmm... that’s a tough question. I’ve been playing little shows forever it seems, and people have bought music rights from me for years. So I guess I’ve been “professional” for quite a while. Now that I’m thinking about it, the Roost House show this past summer struck me as being particularly professional. I was approached and treated professionally—rather than it being a favor, or a friend of a friend thing—the performance was professional, and I had a couple of professionals accompanying me. But when the leap to professionalism occurred, I couldn’t tell you; it’s been a gradual thing.

5. INSPIRATION. Anything, everything. What inspires you?

I feel like the natural world is the ultimate inspiration. Everything we create comes from the natural world. All our great ideas and advancements are inspired by, or even directly modeled after, the natural world. After all, we ourselves are the natural world. Our visions, ideas, desires, emotions, thoughts; they are all part of the natural world. So, for me, understanding relationship is the source of inspiration, and the vehicle for growth. By that I mean being able to handle the connectedness of our world, the connectedness of people, and of people with the rest of the natural world. It is a sort of alignment of thoughts and actions, not necessarily in an intellectual way although the intellect is certainly a part of that process. There is no inspirational “thing” for me that can be defined, or grasped, or bought. Inspiration is in our very nature, and it is the decisions we make on a moment-to-moment basis that place us in the flow of that inspiration or otherwise.

6. Explain your process a bit.

Trial and error.

7. What are your goals and dreams, where do you see yourself in 10 years?

I do have goals and aspirations, and I’m quite motivated. However, my goals are almost entirely abstract. They are things like discipline, joy, freedom. I pursue these things by dedicating myself to whichever path appears to lead in those directions rather than planning a long-term course of action and forcing myself through it. At the same time, I do not feel whimsical about the course of my life, and I stand by the commitments I set. It’s just that… well, 10 years is a long time and I can’t really say.

Interestingly, I also have these recurring images—landscapes, primarily—and they have something to do with the future course of my life. When the time comes to make significant decisions, I often notice some new feature in the landscape that has always been there but I haven’t seen before. Sometimes I think I missed my calling as a painter or visual artist. Though I think all my paintings would have been of the same thing; kind of like Frida Kahlo. Only instead of her mono-brow, it would have been a seagull flying or something. At any rate, I hope to be seeing many beautiful things in 10 years.

8. Where can you be found?

Ojai, CA is your best bet. Or, if you mean “found” in the virtual sense, jonswiftmusic.com is a good place to start; and Jon Swift Music on facebook can keep you updated on things.

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jon-Swift-Music/442679465321
WEBSITE: http://www.jonswiftmusic.com/

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    Thank you for stopping by and joining me in getting to know Jon Swift. I hope you leave here with a new favorite artist. Please feel free to visit Jon at any of the places listed above. You can purchase his music directly on his website via PayPal.

    If you like what you hear, please share it and we would love if you left some comments below telling us what you think

Have a beautiful day!!

This Blog is BACK!!!

Hello everyone!

After a long, hard summer, this Blog is back in action! I have a new studio, new office (with a killer view!!), and the life Ive been dreaming about for a long time. Im also back with amazing NEW artists, inspirations and ideas. Im looking forward to sharing them all with you!

Be sure to stop in MONDAY to hear form the talented singer/songwriter Jon Swift! Jon has given us a heartfelt, real interview that will make you want to sit down and hang out with this down to earth musician.

THANK YOU all for continuing to support talented artists everywhere!

Introducing 4th St. Records and The Roost House.

Welcome

4th St. Records and Roost House

     This edition of my Featured Artist is a little different, and very near and dear to my heart. Today I am sharing with you all my very dear friend, Adam Zerbe and his labors of love, 4th St. Records and The Roost House.  I asked Adam to do an interview here for me not only because he is a friend and I want to support my friends in their ventures any way I can, but because what he is doing is truly important, and special to me.

     Recently, I had the privilege of visiting with my lovely friends Audrey, Adam and Nicole, and got to spend a wonderful, intimate afternoon with them. Watching them work, play, and enjoy each other. My favorite part was towards the end of our visit. My kids were reading in the corner, the rest of us were sitting at the big wooden table they use as their desk in front of the beautiful windows overlooking their back porch and yard. We all sat doing our own things. Me reading a magazine, Audrey reading a gardening book, Nicole working on her computer, Adam working on his. Conversation breezed back and forth occasionally between us. Adam and I talked about his website, Audrey and I chatted about the garden, and I was privileged to be part of some shop talk too about the Roost. What it showed me is the love this family has for each other and for what they are doing. Their environment is filled with peace and love, and it shows in everything that they do.

     Adam's Independent Record label, 4th St. Records, and live music venue The Roost House fill a void that has come to music. It seems to be ever increasingly difficult for talented musicians to find places to make their music, and as for live music venues, they are disappearing fast.

     The Roost House offers a not for profit, beautiful space to showcase these talented musicians, and for people to affordably come and enjoy them. This true labor of love is incredibly important to keeping music alive not only for ourselves, but for other generations.

     Join us on this journey to learn about what inspired such a leap of faith, and what 4th St. and The Roost House are all about.

4th St. Records

1. Who are you?

Adam Zerbe, 32, from Carmel,California. I am co-founder of 4th St. Records established in May of 2009. 4th St. Records is an independent record label based out of Carmel,CA. We provide independent artists with development, production assistance, and marketing. I am also co-founder and promoter for Roost House, established January 2010, a not for profit Carmel house concert venue which offers the experience of an intimate live sound experience between artist and listener. I also love to surf, hike, bike, ski and am a novice singer/songwriter.

2. Tell us a little about 4th St.

4th St. Records was established with co-founder Mike Dilks. We started the company in May of 2009 to provide a platform to launch the first album release from Carmel based singer/songwriter Walter Rose.
(You can find Walter Roses Featured Artists Interview on "Till death..." by clicking HERE)

3. Who is involved?

Independent artists and music fans

4. What are your goals for 4th St.?

To produce, engineer, and record music that we love; to achieve a recognized artist base; and to help artists grow and achieve their desired goals however big or small they may be.

5. Tell us about your artists. Who they are and what kind of music do they play?

Walter Rose is 4th St. Records’ first artist. He is an alt country singer/songwriter based in Carmel,CA. His roots spread from his birth place of Hawaii to the west coast of California. He has had two great reviews thus far for his first release (Italian rock magazine Buscadero; American Songwriter magazine https://www.americansongwriter.com/2010/04/under-the-radar-the-soft-anthem-re-visited/. ) Walter continues to write and will be working with 4th St. for his upcoming full length album.

Gabriel Gandzjuk is a folk crooner from Monterey,CA. We are currently working on his first full length album. His smooth vocal delivery adds to his great lyrical tales. We are looking forward to continued work with Gabriel and his future releases. His album will be released in the fall of 2010.

Mark Roth is a Carmel Valley,CA, singer/songwriter and guitarist. He has recently returned to Carmel Valley after being in the Los Angeles music scene. His bands Monterey and Freight Train included studio work with Chris Robinson and Mark Ford of the Black Crowes. We are looking forward to working with Mark, showcasing both his songwriting skills and his ability to collaborate with other artists.

Cave Country is a folk/americana/roots/country band based out of Los Angeles,CA. They have independently released their first full length album with producer Beau Raymond and recently completed a west coast tour. We are helping them promote this debut album and plan to collaborate on their second album release. The band members consist of Jim Reynolds (lead vocals/rhythm guitar), Evan apRoberts (lead guitars/vocals), John Thompson(drums), and Jason Boles (bass/mandolin).

Our artist catalogue continues to grow and we are excited about the future!!

6. Do you have a preference for the kind of music you record at 4th St.?

Our intention is to capture the feeling associated with heartfelt song writing. We will not over produce artist’s work, but rather help them take the proper steps in order to create their desired sound. These artists will cover a range of genres.

7. What music is important to you? What has inspired you, changed your life, and what do you sing in the shower or while driving in the car?

Music that is important to me is music which evokes emotion, speaks of realities in one’s life, inspires action, makes me think, and creates mood. I love roots reggae of the 70’s, Mississippi Delta blues of the south, roots country of America, and many of today’s independent artists.

I have been inspired by people, nature, my family, friends and the actions brought forth from all that is. I have been inspired by my conscience, loves, perceptions, dreams and decisions. My life has truly changed when I was able to realize the individual I am, accept it and move forward. I have come to find that change occurs most from within.

I am a freestyle singer by nature. I will just take a melody that dwells within and set it free with some free form lyrics. Mostly my lyrical delivery consists of reference to nature, women, and self belief. I don’t find myself singing in the car but you’ll never drive with me and not hear some tunes. Recently I have been listening to Evan apRobert’s album “Under the Ghost”, Lucinda Williams’ album “West”, Vetiver’s album “To Find Me Gone”, and the band Sparrows Gate’s newest EP.

8. Is there someone with whom you would love to work?

I would love to work with sound engineer Chris Spilfogel. He is a close friend and inspiration. I also look forward to working with engineer/producer Beau Raymond. He has worked on projects ranging from Devendra Banhart, Mark Olson of the Jayhawks and Evan apRoberts.

9. Where can you be found?

I can be found in Carmel,CA working at my desk, strumming my guitar, catching waves, and making progress on building a recording studio here in Carmel!! Email me at adam@4thstrecords.com
Also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/fourthstreet

Roost House

1. What is Roost House?

Roost House is a house concert venue located in Carmel,CA. All door donations go to artist and sound engineer. Roost House is a listening room for up to 70 seated folks where artist and audience share a sound experience free of distractions. We have our own house PA system suited to compliment the acoustical space which makes Roost House one of a kind!

2. Who is involved in Roost House?

Roost House has a variety of community members who have shown their support to help this vision become reality. Audrey Morris, I & Nicole Carlson make up the in house hosts. Local contractor and family friend Dan Malone donated time to lead the effort in building the performance stage. Local audio professional Anthony Nocita volunteered his advice to educate us on our acoustical space and the proper sound equipment to install. Local musician and live sound engineer Rick Chelew has become a mentor to Roost House and helped to spread the word to his community of friends. Then there is the ever growing fan base of Roost House.

Audrey's Story

**Before I go any further with the interview, I have to interject here with Audrey's Story.  I asked Audrey (Adam's Mom) specifically to answer this question for me:  "Audrey, you've got to be the coolest Mom in the world for letting Adam do this at your house! Tell us your side of how this all came to be."  She is wonderful, and she not only answered the question, but gave us the whole story!  My heart was very happy after I read this, so here for you, is Audrey's Story.**

This is the story of what inspired Roost House and Adam’s label, 4th St. Records.

     Roost House is a truly collaborative enterprise between Adam and myself. We work well together and have musical tastes in common. We have a good adult relationship, though of course the parent/offspring relationship is never gone.
     My late husband and Adam’s father, Carl Zerbe, and I discovered this property in 1975. It had a 650 sq. ft. shack and an acre of mostly flat, rich land. Before we moved here, we had hosted a Sunday afternoon volleyball game for 8 years in a secluded old dwelling deep in Hatton Canyon. When we had to move, one of our hopes was to find another place in which we could continue that tradition. We also wanted soil, a desire which stemmed from our farm country roots - Carl’s in Indiana and mine in New Jersey and Connecticut. By the way, the name Roost House comes from a family dairy farm in Connecticut. In 1933 my grandparents began using the farm’s hen house for summer guests. They named it “The Roost.”
     Adam and his brother Lindley lived here from their birth in 1978. When we began to outgrow the 650 sq. ft., Carl and I decided in 1980 to build an “addition”, all 2000 sq. ft. of it. Our friend and architect, Penny Goldcamp, created a plan which included full span trusses that allowed for an open floor plan. We didn’t know if we would expose the trusses or cover them with sheetrock, so we stepped up the lumber grade a bit in the manufacturing process to give us the option. As the crane set them in place, they looked beautiful, like bows against the blue sky. The decision was made. Little did we know that they would prove to be acoustically magnificent as well. The construction took us eight years and was a labor of love and hands on creativity.
I come from several generations of relatives who were involved with music. My mother was a singer, my sister played violin, I the piano (and clarinet and bassoon in school bands) and we all sang in church choir. My brother loved to listen to his transistor radio held up to his ear. Though my exposure to live music was mostly in the classical realm, my mother’s chorus performed once with Duke Ellington, and my father played the Kingston Trio and Harry Belafonte on our “hifi” stereo. Carl and I met in 1972 and had individually been fans of the music of the ‘60s, however we found a common passion for old blues music and that is what Adam and Lindley grew up with after we bought a box at the Monterey Bay Blues Festival the year it was founded in 1986 www.montereyblues.com.
In 1986 Carl met Phil Emerson, guitarist and vintage guitar expert, formerly of South Seas Guitars in downtown Monterey and now of Phil’s Guitars in Seattle. Phil and Carl formed a passion for collecting and trading in vintage guitars. After Carl was forced to retire in 1992, he became a serious student of the blues – the music, the history, the players, the guitars’ stories, and he created a website Kokomomusic.com. Through Phil we met many musicians who were invited to our home to play Carl’s collection. A comment we heard over and over from the musicians was “The sound in here is great! We should do a ‘Live at Zerbe’s’ recording!”
Carl passed suddenly in 2005. Though it took several years to recover, I was ready again in 2009 to consider sharing this space, originally built to accommodate groups of people. I was ready to fill the house with the music of players and those who appreciate music. I wouldn’t, and couldn’t, have ventured into this chapter without Adam’s encouragement, enthusiasm, people skills, vision and very fine musical ear.

Roost House Continued:

3. Is there a particular genre of music that you prefer to showcase?

In booking artists and bands we choose those we like and who are appropriate to the acoustics of our venue as well as the size of the room. Folk, blues, bluegrass, jazz , folk-rock, country, and a capella all suit Roost House well. Acoustical instruments including guitar, upright bass, and piano, along with vocal harmonies sound incredible in this space.

4. Who has played The Roost?

Hawaiian Slack key & slide guitarist Ken Emerson, Wyoming based duo Anne & Pete Sibley, singer/songwriter Chris Webster with guitarist Nina Gerber, Ryan Scott & Christina Courtin from NY, blues guitarist and harmonica player Stevie Gurr, alt country singer/songwriter Walter Rose, Los Angeles based country/folk-rock band Cave Country, singer/songwriter Zebedee Zaitz, Austin folk/blues artist Jarrod Dickenson with upright bassist Rick Chelew, singer/songwriter Sandy Greenfield with Adam Rothschild, singer/songwriter Mark Roth, Los Angeles based singer/songwriter pianist Mark Renk, Santa Barbara singer/songwriter Khasy Modisette, and the mixed genre band Honeymoon.

5. What are your goals with Roost House? Where would you like to see The Roost in a few years?

We intend to stay committed to our value of a sound experience and move forward with capturing these experiences with live recordings. We will collaborate with artists who would like to record their performance and help distribute the recordings to a worldwide audience. In two years we will have recorded and released some live performances and be known on a national level.

6. Who would be your dream performer to play at Roost House?

There are a few performers we would love to have here: Taj Mahal, Dave Alvin, Phil Emerson, `Tim Bluhm, Eric Bibb, Neal Casal, Jackie Greene, Nico Georis, Rushad Eggleston, Palo Colorado, JJ Cale…just to begin the list…

7. If I'm interested in playing at The Roost, what do I need to do?

To contact us for booking please take a look at http://www.roosthouse.com/ and then email roosthouse@gmail.com with your EPK.

8. How can I find out about up-coming shows and projects?

For upcoming shows please the concert calendar at www.roosthouse.com and find us on facebook.com/roosthouse.

9. Where can I find you?

You can find Roost House in Carmel, CA, on the worldwide web and on a variety of artist’s upcoming gigs list!

Official Website:  http://www.roosthouse.com
Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/roosthouse

Thank you for stopping in!