![Glam rock comes to life with the help of the fantastic foursome from the Los Angeles-based band, Young Beautiful in a Hurry (YBH). If the name enough doesn’t make you kick start your day thinking Carpe Diem! then the genre-mixing sounds of this pop/rock group certainly will. YBH formed in 2011 under the wing of accomplished songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, Brendan McCreary. Other band members include Bryan Taylor on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Chris Norton on keyboards.
Self described as “rock, pop - in that order” YBH is not just about feel-good music. Addictively listenable, YBH’s sound is easily compared to that of a modern day Queen: infectious, life-changing and with a little bit of innovative quirk thrown in.
And if we were to just gather the facts here, their songs have been featured on everything and anything, including 90210, Battlestar Galactica, and The Walking Dead, to name a few.
Today we chat with Brendan, the mastermind behind the group as he tells us about his songwriting inspirations and what’s in store for this popular band, including their new EP!
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‘Young Beautiful in a Hurry’ is such a unique name for a band - tell us about it.
I think it means a lot of things to different people, but for me, it’s about ambition and forward motion. It’s about overcoming adversity. It’s about being true to yourself.
Young Beautiful in a Hurry is actually a figure of speech my mother still says to this day. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve heard her proudly declaring this to the universe time and time again. So that notion, Young Beautiful in a Hurry, sort of fused itself into my worldview. As a band name it’s been really fantastic.
How did the band come together in 2011?
Well, myself and drummer, Bryan, have been playing together since 2005/2006. Bryan is easily one of the most versatile and musical drummers I’ve ever worked with. He’s got the chops and control of Vinnie Colaiuta and Paul Mabury, but when he wants or needs to, he can unleash like John Bonham or Keith Moon.
In November of 2011, I fronted a Freddie Mercury tribute band and met our bassist Pete through that. Pete was formerly the bassist in Zappa Plays Zappa and occasionally tours with Dethklok. I was blown away when he offered his skills to YBH.
After that we’ve had a revolving door of amazing musicians that play with us. Chris Norton on keys (Zappa Plays Zappa), sometimes my brother Bear McCreary sits in (composer of Walking Dead, Battlestar Galactica), Raya Yarbough on vocals and backing vocals, Paul Cartwright on mandolin and or fiddle. Depending on the show we’re putting on, we’ll introduce and highlight different musicians to showcase our music whether it’s a large rock show or an intimate acoustic show.
Which genre would you categorize your music under and why?
Rock/Pop - in that order. In today’s musical landscape, the number of genre and sub-genre classifications is intimidating. The thing that is quite liberating about YBH, is it sort of defies genre, certainly in the niche variety. We really aim to appeal to a wide audience; from soulful pop crooners like “I Got Love”, to the rock and roll bombast of “Stuck on the Girl” (from our forthcoming release), these songs are extremely diverse, but all YBH. So rock/pop it is!
Where do you draw inspiration from while writing a song and what’s the creative process that the band follows while making music?
In general, I find inspiration is like fickle lovers. They’ve got you in ecstasy some days, and other days you can’t get them on the phone. As a result, my songwriting can be frenetic.
Some days I’ll write, produce and record a song over the weekend. Other times a song will take literally years to finish. Sometimes my inspiration comes in a free-flowing, blank canvas, and I just throw notes on the page and wonderful things happen, while other times the scalpel, protractor, and scientific method are my tools.
In any case, as a songwriter I pull inspiration from everywhere. People I meet, conversations I’ve had, past times, future times, various lovers and friends, the list goes on and on.
With the band, most often, I’ll put together a functional demo of a tune and bring it in, and we’ll hash it out from there. However, more and more these days I may just bring an acoustic guitar and vocal to Pete and Bryan and we work it out together from there. The songs never stop growing.
Tell us bout your new EP that is coming out soon.
Our new EP is a collection of hard hitting triple-threat rock songs that will have you jumping out of your chair. There are seven tunes in total, and they range from epic stadium bangers, to emotionally introspective ballads. I can’t wait to get these tunes out into the world. They really showcase how the band has grown and changed since we started. There are tunes on this record that are unlike anything anyone has heard before. Minds will be blown. Plus we’re recording more over the summer!
What can your fans expect from you in 2013?
They can expect a whole bevy of new material surfacing for the first time, from our new record, and our new singles, to new songs being played at the shows.
We’re pretty backlogged in content, and we’re planning on rolling it out over the course of the year and into 2014. We’ve also got 5 music videos in pre-production which I am dying to start filming, and we just finished up our second video for “Don’t Stop Me Now”, which we will be unveiling in April! So there’s a whole lot of YBH going around.
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We can’t wait to check out the new EP! In the mean time, stay connected to YBH online and don’t forget to make a wish for them on Tunezy!
Visit YBH online here
Like YBH on Facebook
Tweet YBH on Twitter
Watch YBH on YouTube
Follow YBH on Instagram](http://25.media.tumblr.com/e264a52aaaca29fc337e74b16f4baf38/tumblr_mk258ed7c21roupd2o1_r1_500.jpg)
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Glam rock comes to life with the help of the fantastic foursome from the Los Angeles-based band, Young Beautiful in a Hurry (YBH). If the name enough doesn’t make you kick start your day thinking Carpe Diem! then the genre-mixing sounds of this pop/rock group certainly will. YBH formed in 2011 under the wing of accomplished songwriter, guitarist, and vocalist, Brendan McCreary. Other band members include Bryan Taylor on drums, Pete Griffin on bass and Chris Norton on keyboards.
Self described as “rock, pop - in that order” YBH is not just about feel-good music. Addictively listenable, YBH’s sound is easily compared to that of a modern day Queen: infectious, life-changing and with a little bit of innovative quirk thrown in.
And if we were to just gather the facts here, their songs have been featured on everything and anything, including 90210, Battlestar Galactica, and The Walking Dead, to name a few.
Today we chat with Brendan, the mastermind behind the group as he tells us about his songwriting inspirations and what’s in store for this popular band, including their new EP!
![What does it really take to get noticed by industry experts and recording stars like Bif Naked and Jully Black? Well, a fiery personality, catchy melodies and a guitar doesn’t hurt. Meet Ivy James. She’s only 16-years old, but Ivy already possesses a songwriting talent and a musical maturity well beyond her years. With lyrics like “I didn’t need my second chance so I threw it away” from ‘Your Escape (Nate’s Song)’ and “it’s so pointless wishing on burnt out stars” from ‘Thunder’, it’s pretty clear - Ivy’s foray into the music world is not temporary. Armed with just her guitar, Ivy recorded and released her self-titled debut EP in June 2012 filled with six self-written heart-twisting acoustic melodies. In October 2012, Ivy won Best Young Songwriter at the Toronto Independent Music awards and ironic enough - wasn’t even able attend the awards show because she was under 19.
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While you can hear a pop-rock influence attributable to her musical inspirations, Avril Lavigne and Marianas Trench, Ivy’s work is unique, notably for her distinct vocals and riveting, vulnerable lyrics, which comes as no surprise as she’s previously described performing as “screaming your secrets on stage.” What’s next? Well she was selected to play at the 2013 Canadian Music Week and actually just performed last night, on March 20!We had a brief chat with the rising starlet as she prepped for the CMW festival.
What was the defining moment in your life that helped you decide that you wanted to pursue music as a career?I think I’ve always had this thought in the back of my head which said, “hey, it would be really cool if I could write songs and sing them for people.” I never thought it would get this far. My defining moment was probably when a girl I had never met came up to me and showed me she had my songs on her iPod. That was when I realized music was no longer a hobby and that I really wanted to take this as far as I could.
You were named “Best Young Songwriter” at the Toronto Independent Music Awards in 2012. Where do you draw your inspiration from when writing a song?I get inspiration from a lot of things, usually from whatever’s happening in my life at the moment. It’s an amazing outlet. If I’m upset or angry, instead of bottling things up, I can just write a song and get it off my chest. I would say 99% of my songs are about things I’ve gone through and how I’ve dealt with them. You’ve been involved with several local charities. Tell us about the organizations you support and why you chose to be involved.I love charity shows! I’ve been lucky enough to be able to work with great charities like CYAN, Big Brothers, Rotary Cheshire Homes and the Canadian Helen Keller Centre. It’s extremely important to me to help people in any way I can, even if that’s just by playing my music to help people have a good time. I’ve been involved with these charities for years and have met so many amazing people along the way. I have a special personal connection with every charity that I choose to work with.What do you hope to achieve in 2013?I just recorded a bunch of new songs. In 2013, I hope I can keep writing, keep playing and release more music. I am so excited for my show at Canadian Music Week tonight!* * *Visit Ivy online hereLike Ivy on FacebookTweet Ivy on TwitterWatch Ivy on YouTube
Don’t forget to make a wish for Ivy on Tunezy!Photo Credit: Trent Sluiter, Fedora Media](http://25.media.tumblr.com/d86a60354b870aad2f576fdfc0b22dad/tumblr_mj8ghkOzj21roupd2o1_500.jpg)
What does it really take to get noticed by industry experts and recording stars like Bif Naked and Jully Black? Well, a fiery personality, catchy melodies and a guitar doesn’t hurt. Meet Ivy James. She’s only 16-years old, but Ivy already possesses a songwriting talent and a musical maturity well beyond her years.
With lyrics like “I didn’t need my second chance so I threw it away” from ‘Your Escape (Nate’s Song)’ and “it’s so pointless wishing on burnt out stars” from ‘Thunder’, it’s pretty clear - Ivy’s foray into the music world is not temporary. Armed with just her guitar, Ivy recorded and released her self-titled debut EP in June 2012 filled with six self-written heart-twisting acoustic melodies. In October 2012, Ivy won Best Young Songwriter at the Toronto Independent Music awards and ironic enough - wasn’t even able attend the awards show because she was under 19.
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![Grab your boots and a glass of red. The urban cowgirl has arrived. Meet Jacelyn Holmes - singer, songwriter, guitarist and energizer bunny. With her bewitching eyes and seductive smile, it’s easy to see why this lovely lady started off her career as an actress. Lucky for us, she soon switched gears to the musical side of things and well, just listen to this.
Unlike an ordinary country crooner, Jacelyn blends her smooth, cooing vocals with a bit of jazz, pop and rock to create a new fusion of genres and alternative country sound that is distinctly hers and hers alone. Jacelyn was made for this, and if her natural passion doesn’t win you over, then her bubbly, beaming personality sure will.
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Jacelyn’s debut EP ‘As Is’ was released November 2010 to widespread acclaim, and oh hey - she’s picked up myriad of regional music awards too - no big deal. This past December, Jacelyn released her holiday single, ‘Waiting for Christmas’ to positive acclaim, heavy radio airplay and went on tour with the award-winning band, The Sugar Devils.This songstress may be an Ontario-native, but she’s a world traveler and has performed all over the globe, including headlining a Starbucks acoustic tour and showcasing at Canadian Music Week. Jacelyn’s on her way to country stardom and we’re tagging along for the ride with our boots in tow.How did your debut EP ‘As Is’ come together and how did it feel to receive immediate recognition when your songs ‘Growin’ Up’ and ‘Speechless’ were featured in the 2011 movie Sophie?I am fairly new at expressing myself creatively through singing and songwriting. My first project, ‘As Is’, felt very organic and I listened to my intuition when it came to manifesting the sound I heard in my head. It was an amazing opportunity to work with my friends who happened to be incredible musicians and wanted to help me on my musical journey.
When my first single ‘Growin’ Up’ was picked to be the theme song for the feature film “Sophie” I was absolutely shocked! Truly, I was so thrilled to be a part of a movie in a way that I have never ever been before. The movie then took another one of my songs, ‘Speechless’ to use in the movie and I was officially on Cloud 9 at that point.What was it like transitioning from an entertainer and actress to a musician?It felt natural. Although I miss acting now, I knew I had to focus my attention on growing within the musical community if I wanted to be taken seriously. Performing on stage, behind the camera or with a band is all the same language to me - being present and vulnerable. Although, some people may be happy to hear that I am getting back into acting in 2014!
Your single ‘Growin’ Up’ has been called “a thoughtful exploration of love and loss in the battlefield of relationships”. What was your inspiration for this song?This song was inspired by a past relationship, one that dragged on longer than it should have because I felt comfortable. Often many girls do this - they mistake comfort for love. I knew there were many red flags in our relationship, like verbal bullying, but I chose to ignore them because I was afraid of losing the person I thought I was going to marry.
When you find the strength to take a healthy risk, it really opens your eyes and you realize you were so wrong! Often, writing songs is a way to work through all areas of my life and if a common theme keeps appearing in my writing sessions, I know I need to do something about it.You have been working with the youth organization TAP (Turn Around Projects). Tell us more about the organization and your involvement with them.Turn Around Projects is amazing! My close friend Tiffany Stull is the co-founder of this organization. She also has a full time job and has a newborn baby. I feel so privileged to be called upon to assist in different ways. I perform to raise money for projects and programs, and I traveled to Jamaica this past summer and worked with disenfranchised youth in music and theatre. In Canada, the youth are so blessed to have the freedom to express themselves in many shapes and forms, without judgment and often with encouragement. This is not the case in Jamaica. The barriers that stand in the way of these defenseless children would leave even adults in North America crippled, but somehow they push on. This is why it is imperative we open our hearts, minds, talents and wallets to giving back, not just to our own communities, but internationally as well. Otherwise, we fail each other. The kids in Jamaica are now my brothers and sisters and I will never stop loving them and encouraging them to follow their dreams. Funny enough, I reached out because I wanted to help and offer change, and in turn they changed me more than I could have ever known.
What are your goals for this year and what can your fans look forward to in 2013?As well as writing and performing in Canada, I am thrilled that I will be traveling and performing in a lot of other countries. This year, I am also launching a special company called “OurSong”, which takes the stories of those getting married, engaged or celebrating an anniversary and wish to have their own song. OurSong will be a personal project of mine where I will be writing all the songs for these lucky couples!Also, we hope to track another single on country radio stations this summer since our Christmas single, “Waiting For Christmas” was received well by listeners across Canada.* * *Visit Jacelyn online hereLike Jacelyn on FacebookTweet Jacelyn on TwitterWatch Jacelyn on YouTube
Make a wish for Jacelyn on Tunezy, and she might just fulfill it!Photo Credits: Lindsay Altoft](http://24.media.tumblr.com/3535456e0544a6971f4e6faabf482935/tumblr_mixcu0tWmQ1roupd2o1_500.jpg)
Grab your boots and a glass of red. The urban cowgirl has arrived. Meet Jacelyn Holmes - singer, songwriter, guitarist and energizer bunny. With her bewitching eyes and seductive smile, it’s easy to see why this lovely lady started off her career as an actress. Lucky for us, she soon switched gears to the musical side of things and well, just listen to this.
Unlike an ordinary country crooner, Jacelyn blends her smooth, cooing vocals with a bit of jazz, pop and rock to create a new fusion of genres and alternative country sound that is distinctly hers and hers alone. Jacelyn was made for this, and if her natural passion doesn’t win you over, then her bubbly, beaming personality sure will.
In mid November last year, Tunezy changed focus away from a social record label towards providing amazing fan experiences with artists around the world. We’ve been in the trenches with artists ever since, delivering unique experiences to their loving fans. Today, we’re happy to introduce a new feature, called “Wishlists”, that let us make fan experiences even better.
Wishlists let fans make requests for experiences from their favourite artists. Users can do this from an artist’s profile or via Twitter, by simply tagging their wish with “@artist_handle” and “#fanwish”. Once a wish is created, fans add important information to their wishes like what cities, dates, and types of communication are convenient. This critical information is then passed on to the artist who can choose to work these experiences into their busy schedules. If a wish can be fulfilled, the wishing fans will be notified by Tunezy. Making a wish isn’t a contract, it’s just a way for fans to share their dream experiences, with the awesome possibility that it could come true.
We built Wishlists because we observed that lots of fans were using comments to make their dreams heard on an artist’s Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube. The problem was that the artist didn’t know what to do with those requests; they wanted to engage with their fans, but without a platform to get the right information from fans and actually carry out those experiences, they hit a road block. With Wishlists, Tunezy now let’s artists get experience requests from their fans and seamlessly lets them turn it into an awesome, customized experience. It’s a win-win, and we love those.
Alongside this change, we’ve also removed music and Notes from the site. We know these are big changes, but they will let us spend our resources on delivering what matters most to our users. We removed music because users already have so many great options to listen and discover, and they already know which artists they like. Our goal is to give those fans a place to request and get fan experiences from those artists. With Notes, we were just not happy with how we were delivering value to users for earning them, so until we make them more meaningful to collect, they will be discontinued from Tunezy.
Check it out and let us know what you think. As always, we crave your feedback, so don’t be shy!
A personal thank you: To Darren Fung, Rahil Sondhi, Soheil Alavi, Neha Singh, and Monika Patel for working hard over the past couple months to deliver a great feature to our users.
![We have a new face in town - welcome to Chi, our new Director of Business Development. His experiences span from big companies to start ups, and will be bringing on board some wicked new talent to the Tunezy platform.
Read after the jump for a little more on Chi’s background:
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Who are you and where did you come from?
Well, I was born in Taiwan and moved to Canada when I was really young. I started my first business as a freshman in high school buying cellphones in bulk and selling them on eBay. My background’s in finance as I worked in NYC and SF as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs and then later as an associate for Summit Partners. However, I wasn’t passionate only working with large multi-billion dollar companies and I was more interested in web startups. I left finance and co-founded my own company TheDealPages.com, a daily deal aggregator, and then later worked at Pressly.com, an HTML5 tablet publishing platform before coming to Tunezy.com. I’m passionate about helping startups grow and the intersection between technology, music and design.
Who are some of your favourite artists on Tunezy?
I love Naughty by Nature since they were one of the first artists to introduce me to the world of Hip-Hop when I was young. I loved the fact that they pushed the boundaries and crossed the Pop and Hip-Hop genres with their sample of Michael Jacksons “ABC” for their hit-song “O.P.P.”. I also really like the creativity in all of Mike Tompkins videos. He’s Canadian!
What’s one interesting thing about you that people don’t know
A lot of people don’t know that I write rhymes as an outlet and I sample and create my own songs. I have a mini-studio setup at home with my turntables, keyboard, guitar, a few mics, MPC drum pads and I like to invite friends over who play different live instruments for a Hip-Hop jam session.
What’s your dream Fan Experience?
My dream fan experience would be to hang out with Jay-Z and his crew backstage or chill at an after party with him to experience what it would be like to be a part of his entourage. A really close second would be if Carly Rae Jepsen would “Call Me Maybe?”.
Follow Chi on Twitter at @allyoucanchi or add him to LinkedIn.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/acf5be5205df3aee4fbcb103f50e8323/tumblr_mhpqd5g6YL1roupd2o1_500.jpg)
We have a new face in town - welcome to Chi, our new Director of Business Development. His experiences span from big companies to start ups, and will be bringing on board some wicked new talent to the Tunezy platform.
Read after the jump for a little more on Chi’s background:
![What do you get when you mix a comedic superstar, fresh mango salad rolls and the Tunezy Marketplace together? Add in enthusiastic Vancouverites, a Japanese YouTuber and it’s a Tunezy experience like none other.Last week, Vancouver welcomed the musical genius known as Gunnarolla to town. With upbeat witty songs about sushi, fonts and anything random - Gunnarolla has earned an insanely loyal following, prompting Tumblr fan pages and nearly 11 million views on YouTube.With Tunezy, Gunnarolla offered an exclusive Vancouverolla package for a private dinner with himself and other fans at local Thai hotspot, Pink Elephant. It’s no surprise this experience sold out like Vancouver Japadogs (trust us, that’s fast), thus prompting Gunarolla to also plan a meetup prior to dinner to greet all the other fans who didn’t act fast enough to grab a ticket.
We ate, we laughed, we taped video segments with @Ciela and we admired Gunnarolla’s black vest. Drumroll please, we give you the Top 5 Memories from Vancouverolla:
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1 You Don’t Make Friends with SaladCalling it ‘indulgent’ wouldn’t do justice to the variety and portion sizes offered at Pink Elephant’s chef’s table. Charcoal-grilled lamb loin chops, and 3 flavored deep-fried black cod? Great food is definitely a preface to a great night. 2 Vancouverolla Fashion WeekIncluded in the Tunezy experience package was a limited edition Vancouverolla t-shirt. Gunarolla hosted a brief shirt-off between 2 fans and did a ton of Sharpie magic (thanks for the Sugar Jones reminder!) while one fan, Salina, was busy plotting how to make her shirt fashion week ready - check it out here. Nice work lady!
3 Up Close and PersonalGunnarolla was the man of the hour and chatted up the night with one-on-one conversations with every single person in the room. He also may or may not have shared his deepest, darkest secrets with us. Only we shall know who the true viewers of his Comic Sans music video are - shh - we’re not telling!4 Warm BodiesThe night wouldn’t have been possible without the loyal support from his fans. There was a hoard of creative minds present, including fellow YouTubers and local musicians. The energy was magnetic and the atmosphere was buzzing. Thanks to special guest @Ciela, and fans Salina, Russ, LeeAnn, Joi, Nicole, Rosalind, Scott, Victor and everyone else. 5 For LifeVancouverolla will forever go down as the night when the first Gunnarolla gang sign was created.
A big thank you again to Gunnarolla, Ciela, Pink Elephant and the incredible fans that came out and partied until the restaurant shut down (literally).
Gunnarolla has another experience available on Tunezy right now - this time in his hometown of Toronto with fellow bestie, Andrew. Don’t miss out and grab your ticket here!Also, check out our Marketplace to see what other experiences and adventures are going on around the world!***Like Gunnarolla on FacebookTweet Gunnarolla on TwitterWatch Gunnarolla on YouTubeFollow Gunnarolla on Tunezy here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/c53bff2d2e8bb242580b4ba5c4adf763/tumblr_mhhacbhbTr1roupd2o1_500.jpg)
What do you get when you mix a comedic superstar, fresh mango salad rolls and the Tunezy Marketplace together? Add in enthusiastic Vancouverites, a Japanese YouTuber and it’s a Tunezy experience like none other.
Last week, Vancouver welcomed the musical genius known as Gunnarolla to town. With upbeat witty songs about sushi, fonts and anything random - Gunnarolla has earned an insanely loyal following, prompting Tumblr fan pages and nearly 11 million views on YouTube.
With Tunezy, Gunnarolla offered an exclusive Vancouverolla package for a private dinner with himself and other fans at local Thai hotspot, Pink Elephant. It’s no surprise this experience sold out like Vancouver Japadogs (trust us, that’s fast), thus prompting Gunarolla to also plan a meetup prior to dinner to greet all the other fans who didn’t act fast enough to grab a ticket.
We ate, we laughed, we taped video segments with @Ciela and we admired Gunnarolla’s black vest.
Drumroll please, we give you the Top 5 Memories from Vancouverolla:
![We can add another Simone to the world of powerhouse musicians. Like Nina before her, Andria Simone commands the stage with her authoritative vocals, sensual-cathartic croons and emotive presence. Armed with her throaty raspy voice and adventurous spirit, this soul-pop singer/songwriter is undeniably en route to being in the of mix of reigning female songstresses like Adele, Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse and hey - she already has the readymade initial “A”. Andria’s debut EP “Nothing Comes Easy” was released this past October, full of catchy melodies, upbeat explicit female anthems and soulful ballads already garnering goosebumps and buzz within the music industry.
Hailing from Toronto, Andria has seen and experienced much of the world over her 24 years, but that’s not to say it’s been an easy journey. After watching just a snippet from her music video for the single ‘Shame’, you’d never believe Andria barely passed high school vocal class, or that she had to work to gain the confidence to pursue her natural craft. We chat with this rising superstar about her musical journey, her debut EP and grab some words of advice.
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Describe the journey that led you to become a singer and songwriter? As a kid, I always wrote my feelings down and sang about them - but I didn’t even make it into elementary school choir (we were 8 years old… every kid made it) and barely passed high school vocals. All these things made me insecure about pursuing music when I was young, which worked out for the better because I still had a lot of confidence and maturity to gain. After high school, I traveled to Lviv, Ukraine where I stayed with uncle for three months. I owe a lot to him as he pushed me into music by signing me up for flute, piano and vocal lessons with a gypsy named Zita, and sent me to Spain and Wales for writing courses. I only had 2 CDs with me at the time, Michael Buble and Amy Winehouse. I learned and mimicked the entire Back to Black album and thought to myself - Wow if I can do that, I can be a singer and you know what - I will. I came back to Toronto feeling like a brand new woman - and just started telling people I was a singer! You’re currently signed with Artist-tree Music Group as their flagship artist. How were you discovered? One night I met this young handsome man outside of a club. I told him I was a singer and he said he was a producer, so I jumped on the opportunity by singing him an Alicia Keys song. We worked together for a year or so and afterwards I kept exploring and working with different people, but they never quite understood me. Around 2011, Demetri James enters the picture as a referral from a good friend. We met at Starbucks to get a vibe for each other and there was an instant musical attraction from both ends. We set a date to meet Demetri’s mentor, Greg Kavanagh, and as soon as I met Greg I knew that was it - these are my guys! We hopped on the Soul Train, never to look back. What are the perks of being involved in the songwriting process for your music?Being involved in itself is the most important part as I find songwriting very therapeutic. I don’t think I could constantly be singing someone else’s feelings.
Obviously, there are amazing songwriters out there but it doesn’t feel authentic coming from me. I’m also biased because I’ve always been a part of my writing, and I want people who enjoy my music to really know me on all levels. However, that’s not to say I would never sing a cover or sing a song written for me, but the more hands-on and involved I can be, the better. Your song “Do What I Want” is a strong song with an obvious theme of feminism in it. Do you consider yourself a feminist?I love being a woman! We hold a lot of power, and sometimes, we don’t even realize it. But — I love men too and we would be pretty frustrated without them. I simply want to make it clear how important females are and we should never devalue ourselves. We females need to stand up for what we believe in and back up our fellow sisters. We don’t need to turn on each other or get catty; we need to stick together and share ideas - this is when we’re at our strongest. As for the song, I’m not a big fan of rules and I never have been, so I’ll never be in a controlling relationship. If any man tries to alter my independence …I’ll show him the door. Fortunately, none have tried yet — maybe they listened to that song!
Which is your personal favorite track from your debt EP “Nothing Comes Easy” and why?‘Nothing Comes Easy’ - the title says it all. If it comes easy - what’s the fun in that? I love learning from trial and error. I am not a perfectionist by any means, but I love constant improvement, and believe there should never be a limit to learning. If perfection is your goal, you’ll just be driving yourself crazy. The influence for this song came from a person who had a tough time accepting failure.
A piece of advice for all the people who want to follow their dream of becoming a musician but have limitations to pursue it as a career? First and foremost, no matter the limitations, make sure you’re pursuing this for yourself. Then, the people who want to bring you down won’t matter.
Also, just be intensely passionate about what you do. You should feel successful just from being able to play an instrument or being able to sing, and if people end up enjoying what you do, all the better. If you have this mindframe, the ‘no’s’ won’t sting as much.
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Visit Andria online here
Like Andria on Facebook
Tweet Andria on Twitter
Watch Andria on You Tube
Follow Andria on Tunezy here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/0897488e58382d5fe81a7bfd8a88b9c6/tumblr_mgjop72ElG1roupd2o1_r1_500.jpg)
We can add another Simone to the world of powerhouse musicians. Like Nina before her, Andria Simone commands the stage with her authoritative vocals, sensual-cathartic croons and emotive presence. Armed with her throaty raspy voice and adventurous spirit, this soul-pop singer/songwriter is undeniably en route to being in the of mix of reigning female songstresses like Adele, Alicia Keys and Amy Winehouse and hey - she already has the readymade initial “A”.
Andria’s debut EP “Nothing Comes Easy” was released this past October, full of catchy melodies, upbeat explicit female anthems and soulful ballads already garnering goosebumps and buzz within the music industry.
Hailing from Toronto, Andria has seen and experienced much of the world over her 24 years, but that’s not to say it’s been an easy journey. After watching just a snippet from her music video for the single ‘Shame’, you’d never believe Andria barely passed high school vocal class, or that she had to work to gain the confidence to pursue her natural craft. We chat with this rising superstar about her musical journey, her debut EP and grab some words of advice.
![Some people have it, some people don’t. After watching Rushil’s debut single and music video, “Here and There,” nobody would deny this 18-year old has raw charisma, true passion and songwriting flair.
It’s hard to believe this is Rushil’s debut music video. The artistic grit and intensity poured into this breathtaking video, combined with the deep emotion in his voice make Rushil more than just a man with his guitar. If Rushil’s remarkable rich, ragged voice doesn’t seduce you — then his creative courage will. Influenced by different upbringings in India, England, and Cyprus, Rushil has been studying law at the acclaimed University of Oxford. However, he is also embarking on a musical journey to create a new future for himself, by choosing music over legal contracts. To say this is a change would be understatement, as Rushil hopes to completely transform his possibilities and redefine himself. Meet the man behind the music.
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Q: You have described music as an “omnipresent force” in your life. Tell us about the musical influences in your childhood that shaped your personality as a musician. A: As a child, there was a multitude of different genres around me. My mom used to listen to an old tape deck in the car, which had everything from reggae to old western country and everything in-between. I remember taking an extreme liking to blues when I was young, something I’m actually revisiting again. From those genres, I slowly graduated into commercial punk rock bands like Green Day, which my friends were crazy about at the time. I was about 15 when I started getting into the style of music that really molded me. It was a combination of The Fray’s How to Save a Life , John Mayer’s Continuum, Counting Crows’ Recovering the Satellites, Damien Rice’s O and 9, and of course, Radiohead’s OK Computer. That’s where I’m at right now, but I come across new things everyday.
Some of the most inspirational influences for my music are accidental and subconscious things, things I’m not aware of until I look back months later. Q: Your producer found you at the age of 14, when you were in a band with friends. How does it feel to be discovered at such a young age?A: Honestly, writing and playing music is the only option I work with in my head when I try and picture the future. To be given the opportunity to actually do that is incredible. I only hope I keep doing this. Right now, I’m still balancing my education with music, but at some point I really hope to focus solely and completely on music. I’ve been told I’m young and I should be patient, but I honestly cannot wait for the next phase of my music career.
Q: What are some of the biggest hurdles you’ve faced so far as a musician?A: I suppose the largest hurdle for any musician, or anyone who wants to do something slightly off the beaten track for that matter, is the lack of belief due to the lack of stability that comes with this choice, which could be internal or external.
The resounding question from others is always: “But you know barely anyone makes it right?” Regardless, I cannot see myself doing anything else apart from this, so I’ll take my chances! I come from a family that strongly values highly regarded education and a stable job, so getting support was an issue. As a result, I’m balancing both music and an education, which is somewhat of a hurdle. I hope to completely overcome this and convince myself and others to completely believe in this musical journey.
Q: Talk about your upcoming album “Oscillations” and the release in January 2013.A: Oscillations is a 13 song record that has been an emotional diary for me. It covers a large spread of time, as it contains songs I wrote 4 years ago, and songs I’ve written less than 4 months ago. I use writing as a “emotional exhaust pipe” and eventually decided to just choose a bunch of tracks and make an album out of it. It’s something I’m really proud of and I cannot wait to see how it’s received. My team and I have been working on it for about a year and a half now.Q: You are passionate about live performances, are you going to be touring soon?A: There isn’t anything planned for the immediate future, but my band and I will be playing sporadically from time to time around the UK, especially in Oxford. We’ll definitely keep Tunezy posted!Rushil recently released the debut album on January 3 so you may have seen him out and about all the web - since Oscillations reached #1 on the Cypriot iTunes chart! * * *
Like Rushil on FacebookTweet Rushil on TwitterListen to Rushil hereFollow Rushil on Tunezy here](http://24.media.tumblr.com/238a91e73c46f4dbf5813cb569cf492e/tumblr_mfh0d2xBfb1roupd2o1_500.jpg)
Some people have it, some people don’t. After watching Rushil’s debut single and music video, “Here and There,” nobody would deny this 18-year old has raw charisma, true passion and songwriting flair.
It’s hard to believe this is Rushil’s debut music video. The artistic grit and intensity poured into this breathtaking video, combined with the deep emotion in his voice make Rushil more than just a man with his guitar.
If Rushil’s remarkable rich, ragged voice doesn’t seduce you — then his creative courage will.
Influenced by different upbringings in India, England, and Cyprus, Rushil has been studying law at the acclaimed University of Oxford. However, he is also embarking on a musical journey to create a new future for himself, by choosing music over legal contracts. To say this is a change would be understatement, as Rushil hopes to completely transform his possibilities and redefine himself.
Meet the man behind the music.