AOTW / Joel Hanson

You may recognize singer/songwriter Joel Hanson from his time as one third of the band PFR. Joel is now making great music as a solo artist and his brand new album, What If It Is, was just recently released. It's full of catchy and insightful songs and showcases his signature voice perfectly. Joel was kind enough to provide us with a free download of his song, Something. Enjoy the download and be sure to visit JoelHansonMusic.com to learn more! Also, keep an eye out for a Questions interview with Joel right here in March!

FREE DOWNLOAD

Joel Hanson - Something
from the album
What If It Is

Questions w/ Jeremy Casella (part two)

Here is part two of Questions w/ Jeremy Casella. Enjoy the interview and be sure to check out the links at the bottom to learn more about Jeremy!

StSL – Let’s talk a bit about your songwriting process. Do you have any specific methods or places you go to for inspiration?

Jeremy – I write on guitar and piano. Usually starting there while getting whatever I’ve been hearing in my head out on a certain instrument. It’s usually music first and then the words for me. Often times I’ll have all the music written, even backing parts and melodies before the lyrics start to materialize. And then I edit edit edit.

Honesty is your best ally in songwriting. That’s where the good stuff is—and if you are doing your job it will move people. It has to move me first though if it’s something I want to share with someone else. I want my songs to feel a certain way. Hard to describe beyond that.

StSL – Who would you count as some of your influences?

Jeremy – Rich Mullins was a big one. Especially his later material. Also Daniel Lanois, U2, Brian Eno, Beatles, Brian Wilson, Dylan, Neil Young, Jackson Browne. Those are some of the foundational influences. Lately I’m listening to School of Seven Bells, Dave Rawlings, The Swell Season, and Massive Attack.

StSL – Whether a song is labeled as “Christian” or not, faith and art are certainly often intertwined. How does that dynamic play out for you?

Jeremy – I think it’s pretty simple—if a piece of art is great then it’s probably extraordinarily honest and particularly beautiful. Everyone has a worldview including artists, of course...so in my life and work, I’m trying to reflect the world that is and create the world that ought to be. I want to live in Truth. Breathe it deep and sing it out. In the last few years, my music has some of that in it—Truth, Beauty—I want more! So that’s what I’m after.

StSL – Let’s step away from music for a second. What’s your favorite movie quote?

Jeremy – “I saved Latin. What did you ever do?” -Max Fischer, Rushmore.

StSL – I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing several members of the Square Peg Alliance. What’s it like for you to be a part of that community?

Jeremy – I’m thankful for my friends. We’re all such different writers and artists and the mutual respect runs deep. We’ve had some great times together—like last Summer we played Cornerstone Festival—and all rode up together in a rental van. Felt like summer camp condensed into 48 hours of laughter and music! And then last August we all gathered at Eric Peters’ house for a huge party to celebrate the release of Chrome. I loved it!

Kierstin (my wife) and I are about to invite all the Pegs over for an Italian feast at our house next month. I was waiting until (Andrew) Peterson, (Andy) Gullahorn, and (Ben) Shive got back from tracking Andrew’s new record.

So—it’s good to be connected and in community with those folks. I love them a lot. And personally—I’m sort of an introvert artistically so I really need those relationships more than I often realize.

Thanks so much to Jeremy Casella for taking the time to talk with us. Visit the links below to keep up to date on his upcoming new E.P., and join us right back here in two weeks when Questions returns with Ten Out of Tenn founder, Trent Dabbs!

Jeremy Casella Official Site
Jeremy Casella on MySpace
Square Peg Alliance

Questions w/ Jeremy Casella (part one)

Singer/songwriter Jeremy Casella has been making great music for more than ten years and has released a trio of thoroughly enjoyable studio albums. He's also a family man and a card-carrying member of the mighty Square Peg Alliance. With new material on the horizon, 2010 looks to be a great year for Jeremy, and he's taken some time to tell us about it. Here is part one of Questions w/ Jeremy Casella...

StSL – It’s been a couple years since your last album, Recovery, was released, and I know you’ve been hard at work on some new music. What can you tell us about that?

Jeremy – I’ve been writing and working on a lot of new material these past couple years in addition to touring quite a bit last Fall. I’m hitting it hard again this Spring and planning on releasing an EP this May. Sessions for that will start in March and I couldn’t be more thrilled!

The delay in releasing a new project since Recovery came from a lot of life changes for my family—we bought a 110 year old house and renovated it, I got involved with helping to get a church plant off the ground and then we had our second child last Fall. We’ve been super busy building our life and home…but things have finally settled in again and my focus is now on recording the new material.

StSL – Have you been seeing any overarching themes in your new material?

Jeremy – Joy, friendship and resurrection are some themes I’ve noticed running through my new songs. After Recovery, writing songs has started to feel like painting to me—or at least there’s a visual thing I’m trying to communicate or connect with.

I want the music to be like a canvas that stretches out in front of you and shows you something gorgeous that you get absorbed into. I love the feeling that music gives me when it deeply moves me both lyrically and musically. It may sound lofty – and it looks funny having even typed all that out! But it’s really what I’m shooting for.

StSL – One of my favorite songs of yours is Distress Signal. Can you share the story behind that song?

Jeremy – It’s a plea to a loved one to let down their guard and actually deal with a broken relationship rather than fake it and talk about the weather. It’s also sort of a reflection on forgiveness and what it looks like.

StSL – A stranger comes up to you and says, “Play me the best song ever written.” What do you play?

Jeremy – Man. How do I answer this?! I’ll pick one of my favorites because there are so many…God Only Knows from Pet Sounds by The Beach Boys.

StSL – How challenging has it been for you to balance your professional life with being a husband and a father?

Jeremy – Great question. It’s been a challenge for sure. Thankfully my wife is behind me 100% and really gets what it is that I do for a living. We’ve got a real team approach to things where we rely on each other for support and are always trying to sharpen our schedules so that we don’t neglect the important things like time with each other, our children and our friends. We don’t always get it right but we’re learning. My biggest challenge personally is the all the traveling for touring. When things are really busy it’s a constant state of going and not really resting too much. But then the touring season ends and everything comes to a halt.

It’s a bit crazy but we’re used to it after all these years. I suspect it’s the same for other families too—just trying to make everything go. A lot of prayer helps…but truly my wife is awesome. She’s the backbone of our home life especially when I’m traveling a lot.

Be sure to check out JeremyCasella.com for more info and join us right here tomorrow for part two!

The Making of Poison & Wine

Being the huge fan of The Civil Wars that I am, here's a cool little mid-week treat for you. This is a new video for their simply amazing single, "Poison & Wine", that features behind the scenes footage of the recording process. Enjoy!


Video produced & directed by Sam Ashworth. Audio produced by Charlie Peacock, recorded & mixed by Richie Biggs & mastered by Jim Demain. All footage recorded in April of 2009 at The Art House in Nashville, TN.

AOTW / Matt Thien

Singer/songwriter Matt Thien writes great catchy songs with a common thread of hope. His upcoming new album, "10 Songs 10 Days Africa", was written during his travels in Kenya and is intended to help raise money to provide food, clean water, shelter, and education to over 100 orphans and staff at the Tumaini Mission Center in Nakuru, Kenya.

Paste Uses Music to Help in Haiti

The amount of relief needed in Haiti is just beyond comprehension and there are a ton of great organizations you can give to in order to provide support. Check out how Paste Magazine is using music as a tool to be a part of the solution. Please remember the people of Haiti in your prayers, and give as generously as you can.

Like so many others, Paste has been moved by the tragedy facing the survivors of the Haitian earthquake. We spread the word to many of the musicians we work with via the magazine about launching Songs for Haiti. It’s a way to raise money and keep awareness high by offering free MP3s to everyone who donates to help Haiti (through Songs for Haiti or, indeed, any charity). Already, more than 200 artists have donated 250+ songs. We don’t think people should donate to the relief efforts in Haiti just to get a reward. But this gives Paste and artists a way to help, using the thing we’re most passionate about—music.

-from PasteMagazine.com

Questions w/ Rachael Cantu (part two)

Here is part two of "Questions" w/ Rachael Cantu. Be sure to visit the links at the bottom to learn more about Rachael and purchase her new album, "Far and Wide". And remember, if you're in the SoCal area, you can catch her live tonight (1/19) at The Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles!

StSL – Like me, you’re a Southern California native. I hear a lot of criticism about the L.A. music scene, particularly that it’s too competitive and doesn’t have enough of a sense of unity. What has your experience been like working as an artist in that area?

Rachael – I would have to agree with that to a point. I lived in Boston for almost 4 years and ALWAYS felt a sense of community with bands and players there. Everyone just wanted to play. Whether they were amazing violinists, incredible guitarists, etc etc etc...they didn't want anymore than the opportunity to play. I met some very gracious and talented musicians over there. Luckily, I've met a good handful of musicians like that out here. Funny enough, most of them are Berklee School of Music grads (a music school in Boston).

StSL – I’ve said before on this site that I believe the balance is shifting to where great music is coming more consistently from the independent world than from the labels. What have you found to be the drawbacks or the advantages of being an independent artist?

Rachael – There are many benefits, such as creative control, financial control, being your own boss, etc. But, I do understand why people have labels. It's A LOT of work to run your own business. Usually a label will issue some tour support, which really helps. Touring is REALLY expensive and it's not easy to come up with that $ on your own. Which is a huge reason I haven't toured outside of the states just yet. People don't realize how expensive it is to tour outside of your own country. That's where the support of the fans come in. Hopefully people BUY your record so that you can continue recording, touring, making merchandise, etc. I seem to always end up talking about money when this question is asked, and that bothers me. It's all worth it when someone likes the record or the live performance. I will continue to work really hard and get out there for my fans, as long as they're out there.

StSL – Let’s step away from music for a second. What’s your favorite movie quote?

Rachael – "Do you wanna know a secret that I didn't tell anybody ever? You know how ducks fly home in a V? It's like a v-shape when they get home? I was walking my dog and I looked up and there's this big V above me, there's all these ducks flying back to their home. And right when they flew above me, I saw 'em and, they crashed into a big house! The whole V! And then, they hit the ground, and they just kinda curled up. You ever see that? Have you ever seen a mistake in nature? Have you ever seen an animal make a mistake?" - All The Real Girls

StSL – A stranger comes up to you and says, “Play me the best song ever written.” What do you play?

Rachael – I'm not good at this game, haha.

StSL – Can you tell us about what you’re focusing on right now, and what we can expect in the near future from Rachael Cantu?

Rachael – Right now the big focus is on this new record (Far and Wide). I am so proud of it and ready to share it with the world. I know it's going to be a grass roots effort, but I'm ready for it. I just want everyone to have the opportunity to hear this record. I want to tour, tour, tour, keep writing, keep challenging myself to do more and more. I want to be doing music, successfully, for years to come. And, I don't think that's too grand of an idea.

Thanks so much to Rachael for talking with us! Check out the links below and join us right back here in two weeks for another installment of "Questions".

Rachael's Official Site
Rachael on MySpace
Rachael on iTunes