Daniël, the patient from the song “One Man, One Soul” stays in Asylum 45 because he couldn’t solve his mental problems from which he was suffering. He had a job as an ambulance worker. At first he thought it was just a matter of getting used to see children die in your own hands after they had a traffic accident or other examples like that. Daniël found out that it was too much for him and quit his job. Unfortunately that was too late for Daniël. His social life was such a mess that he needed the psychiatric care at Asylum 45.

 Ivor, we heard you got an endorsment with the American guitarpick company InTuneGP. We also hear that the guitarpicks are designed by artist Michiel Stoop who presents the first glimpse of Non-Divine’s mascot named “Patient 45 #S9-7”. What’s up with that?

Ivor: Yes, I managed to get an guitar pick endorsement with InTuneGP. I really like the way they work and I like using my own designed picks a lot!

A while ago I asked a friend who the person was that made posters of a pub we like to visit and play gigs. It was artist Michiel Stoop. I contacted him and fortunately he liked to work for Non-Divine. One of his major creations for Non-Divine is our mascot “Patient 45#S9-7”. The first glimpse of the mascot is on my guitar pick and we will soon proudly present our new merchandise with “Patient 45#S9-7” on it.

I personally think that “Patient 45#S9-7” is so goddamn cool! He is a patient from Asylum 45 that cuts and carves his face. That’s why he wears a mask and a straight waste-coat. He lives in Section 9, room 7. A special section in the asylum for the “heavy” patients.

In May, you guys released your Debut vid “One Man, One Soul”. What did you think about the experience of making your first video?

Ivor: Paul (bass) came up with film artist Dennis Lubbers. We discussed what we could do for each other so we made our first video for “One Man, One Soul”. The script was really great and I searched for a professional actor. The first day we did the “actor” part of the video and the second day we did the “band” part. We are very pleased with the results of the video and it was fun making it.

In June we heard Ruben (Non-Divine Drummer since 1999) had left the Band. I have to admit we were pretty bummed. Could you tell us a little about what happened and what we have to look forward to, with Vincento at the skins?

Ivor: The departure of Ruben Viets (drums) came as a shock to Non-Divine too but earlier. When Non-Divine was about to sign the contract with our label Rusty Cage Records, Ruben realised that Non-Divine would grow and would do more and more. He had doubts for a long time but this was the moment he knew for sure he lost his ambition. He told us that he would stay for about half a year before leaving.

Within that schedule Paul came up with Vincento that was already involved as a Pyro-tech. of Non-divine and also as a friend of course. Vincento had not much experience as a drummer but we already knew he was a high talented musician.

So we put Vincento behind the drums and he is really amazing! In a few months he almost reached Ruben’s level. Everybody can look forward to Vincento as a very talented drummer. He absolutely understands groove and he is solid like a machine. Non-Divine is very pleased to have him in the band. Non-Divine and Ruben understand that Vincento is the right guy replacing Ruben. Meanwhile Vincento successfully played lots of great shows and Ruben almost finished his new house that he bought.

Vincento: After Ruben announced he wanted to leave Non-Divine Paul contacted me to see if I was up for the job. Of course I jumped to the chance of playing with them, even though I hadn't really played in 7 years. I got to work intensely and here we are! What to expect? World domination!!

Ever since we’ve known you guys, your MySpace address has been myspace.com/groovymetalbeyondmadness but, your new MySpace address is myspace.com/NonDivine. Tell us how that change came about?

Ivor: When we entered MySpace the best URL for us (myspace.com/nondivine) was taken by an American guy. We took an other URL(myspace.com/groovymetalbeyondmadness)
but that address was way too long and the American guy almost had his MySpace account inactive.

I asked the guy if he would be so kind to give us his URL. Fortunately he was a very friendly guy and he deleted hisaccount for us. After some struggle we rebuilt our MySpace on the new address. It demands to change some settings from our close MySpace friends and we really apologise for that! Hopefully everybody understands that it’s much better to manage the Non-Divine account from http://www.myspace.com/nondivine.

With the advancements in technology we are starting to see independent artists reach out to their audiences in some really interesting ways. How would you say these advancements help you get your music out to the masses.

Ivor: To stick with MySpace… I think that’s a great way to reach out to audiences. With this media I think it became much easier to tell everybody about your band. If you use MySpace in a smart way your band can grow really big.

In any way, internet and e-mail changed the music industry in a positive sense.

Who were the Musical Artists that you listened to growing up?

Ivor: My roots (when I was a kid 11- 15 years old) can be found in Ted Nugent, Aerosmith, The Cult, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Slayer, ZZ Top and bands like that. Later bands like Carcass, In Flames, Fear Factory, Black Label Society joined my interest.

Martin: Megadeth, Slayer, Fear Factory, Machine Head, In Flames.

Paul: Black Sabbath, Faith No More, Guns ‘N Roses.

Vincento: I listened to whatever was hot in the Top 40 untill the age of 13-ish. After that it developed to what I listen to know through Nirvana, Sepultura, Cradle of Filth, Slayer, and then a lot of different artists and genres more, from hip-hop to goth to gabberhouse.

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

Ivor: Besides learning to play your instruments I think it’s wise to think about what you want as a musician. The music industry is beautiful but tough. There’s lots of work involved. Don’t sit and wait because nothing will happen. Try to get a solid line-up with people who think the same way and work till you have a good product. Then it’s time to let the world know who you are and fight for your right to rock!

Martin: Practice, and keep practicing ‘till you don’t suck anymore. Nobody wants to listen to a sucky band.

(As we did for the last few months, we’re going to let Zig ask the last question of the interview. Take it away, Zig.)

Um, hey guys! If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would it be and why?…. Excuse me, let me grab one more of these brownies. Man their good, where’d you say these came from?…. Oh Sorry. Anyone, living or dead, shoot.

Ivor: Derek St. Holmes! He was Ted Nugent’s lead singer and guitar player. He wrote my ultimate nr. 1 song ever: “Dog Eat Dog”. He’s my hero!

Martin: Arnold Schwarzenegger

Mannnn…These are sooooo GOOD! Did you have one of these? Oh sorry, sorry.

Paul: Pac-Man

Vincento: Whoever made these brownies, HOTdamn!

LOL listen, listen, Bulllllll Dog, Bull Dog, get it? Bullllll Dog. YOU GUYS F*@#IN ROCK!




BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist August 2007 

FIREBRANDS
Location: Singapore

Members:
eXe (Vox, Guitar)
doctormix (Turntables & SFX)
Jachin (Drums) 
Roman (Guitar, Vox) 
Ghost (Bass)

Interview with FIREBRANDS

We met up with the guys from FIREBRANDS, at Harry’s Bar @ Holland Village. Holland Village is an area of Singapore that has a real cool bohemian feel and proved to be a great area to chill out and interview the guys.

Hey Guys, Thanks for taking the time to meet with us today.

doctormix: It’s a pleasure.

You guys recently opened for JET, while they were in Singapore on their, “Shine on Tour 2007”. How did it feel to be at home and opening for such a well know act?

doctormix: It was fun. One of the biggest outdoor set-ups we’ve played at home.
Ghost: The crowd was a factor. Opening for Jet meant playing in front of Jet fans, which were Aussies and Caucasians mainly, who were an awesome crowd. They really know how to enjoy themselves at a rock concert.
Jachin: Usually its great to open for well known acts at home because you’re usually guaranteed a professional sound and lighting crew, where otherwise you’d get someone’s garage sale equipment to work with.

As if, hanging out with JET wasn’t cool enough. We also know you’ve crossed paths with Artists like, Tommy Lee and Puddle of Mudd, at the3rd annual Dubai Bike Week. Being big stars as they are, we’re they cool with you, or were they a bunch of dicks?

doctormix: Puddle of Mudd were very cool. Not dicks. Ran into them a couple times at the hotel and the restaurants, and the beach. Took some photos with them, which are on our website now… firebrandsrock.com.
Roman: But they made us wait 4 hours before we could sound check cause they had to sound check first.
eXe: We met Tommy Lee backstage only briefly though. He called us “my boys”, like, “please welcome my boys Firebrands”.
Ghost: We thought that was quite amusing.
Jachin: I chilled with Puddle of Mudd for a while in their backstage trailer. They thought I was from the event company or something at first. I think they were oblivious that there was an opening band. But yeah, they were cool. Pretty down to earth, and well, we’ve liked their music since we were kids. Was great to meet them in person.

Now, on Sep 9th FIREBRANDS will be in Boston playing at the 16th annual Locobazooka. For those of you who don’t know what Locobazooka is, it’s pretty much the biggest rock showcase and festival on the planet. Will this be FIREBRANDS, U.S. Debut?

doctormix: Absolutely! We’ve been dreaming about this kind of show since we got this band started, and now that it’s about to become a reality, we’re counting down the days.
Roman: I heard that Heaven and Hell, and Alice Cooper are going to be playing at this one also.
eXe: This opportunity is a blessing, and is driving us to work hard on perfecting our songs.
Jachin: Tell America we’re coming over!

Each Artist’s process, for writing a song varies a great deal. What does the song writing process feel like for you?

doctormix: When all the cylinders are firing in time, it’s one of the best feelings you can imagine.
eXe: Its intense. Emotionally, physically, spiritually.
Ghost: It feels like getting high. But on music.
Jachin: The songwriting process is very dear, because you can literally see how each songs words, music, bone and sinew come together and come alive. Songs are like living beings man. 

In September of 2006, you released your debut album “First the FlashThen the Pulse”. By all accounts every song on the release rocks! What are your favorite songs off the release and why?

doctormix: Rebellion Intelligent, Scarecrow and The Chase! All have massive grooves to me! Oh Hell…I love all the tracks!
Roman: Nation of Bones. The way the music is written makes it my personal favorite.
eXe: Black Stripes cause of the kind of energy the song projects. It takes you away.
Ghost: I like them all at different times in the day. Today I like Soldier Song. Bluesy revolutionary rock!
Jachin: Black Stripes. Makes you feel like today you can really stick it to them.

Unlike a lot of mainstream artists today, when you listen to cuts off “First the FlashThen the Pulse” it is clear that FIREBRANDS is a band with something to say. What message would you hope that someone comes away with after listening to the debut release?

Roman: Life is every bit a raging battle.
eXe: Fight the good fight!
Jachin: Fold the cards the system has dealt you. Pursue freedom, beauty and truth in the time you are given on the earth.

The video for “Scarecrow and the Fire” is awesome! From the helicopter beginning to the explosive ending, it’s really well produced all the way through. How close was the finished video, to what you originally had in mind visually when you wrote the song?

eXe: The final cut was actually on quite a different tangent of thought from the original visualization of the song. The basic idea for it came from the film team, but we worked together on the storyboards and decided it was the best option at the time.
Ghost: It was certainly confidently produced at the time, but now we all feel it could have been better.
Jachin: The original visualization was all of us driving in a hummer to a desert destination where we burn a scarecrow, our chosen symbol of an authority that rules by fear.

When we look at where you guys are from, (eXe, doctormix and Ghost are from Singapore, Roman is from Russia and Jachin is from Louisiana) we can’t help but wonder, how in the world you came together as a band. What is the origin of FIREBRANDS?

Jachin: I must take responsibility for our humble initiation. I was actively looking for people to form this band for over a year before I met eXe on an online music forum. After that, things seemed to fall into place. Roman was an old school mate of mine, and we met by chance in an eating place. eXe was with me that day and we asked him to jam with us and it was tight. Thinking that it would be interesting to have a DJ scratch some parts for one of our first songs, eXe called an old friend of his, doctormix, to jam with us. We liked his sounds so much we asked him to stay, and seeing potential in the band, he was thrilled and brought in his ‘mothership’ and started managing and funding the band. doctormix felt that after jamming with us for one session, he decided that our music should be heard out of the jamming studio and began his intense involvement with the band. He figured instead of 5 people enjoying the music, he wanted 6 billion to rock with us too! Ghost and I used to jam extreme improvisational metal 4 years ago but it went nowhere at the time. Later when looking for a bassist, I called him up, and he came to jam with us and suddenly all the old telepathy came back from the improv days and we knew he was our guy. Next thing we knew we were flying to Taiwan together for our first overseas gig as Firebrands. That was roughly one year ago and the rest is history.

With the advancements in technology we are starting to see independent artists reach out to their audiences in some really interesting ways. How would you say these advancements help you get your music out to the masses.

doctormix: Sometimes it’s hard to keep up with all the amazing tools available for us today. It’s for new bands like us to find out what channels really work, and to use them to the best of our ability.
Jachin: Ultimately if your music is good enough, it will find a way out. It will be discovered and appreciated and screamed for. Today technology allows so much to be exposed it’s a million songs playing at once. Our focus is on making the best music we can, and hopefully that will shine through.

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

doctormix: Never give up. The road is a long and risky one, but persevere and have the time of your life!
Roman: Listen to as much music as you can, of all varieties, even if it is outside your scope of interest or exposure.
eXe: Practice hard. Then move away from Singapore!
Ghost: Rob a bank.
Jachin: Three things. 1. Concentrate on making the best music you can. 2. Be real about where you are on your journey, and don’t pretend to be anything you’re not. 3. Be humble and good to people around you all the time, no matter how big or famous you get.

(As we did for the last few months, we’re going to let Zig ask the last question of the interview. Take it away, Zig.)

Hey guys! Um, who do you think makes Americans look worse, to somebody living in a different country? President Bush or Paris Hilton?

eXe: This is definitely a trick question
Jachin: Politics or Popular Culture huh? Or am I reading too far into it? Hey Zig, what really makes America look bad to people living in other countries, is what they’re doing in Iraq.

Word..



BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist June 2007 



AD 
Location: Paris, France

We met up with AD, at Mandala Ray, in Paris. Not only is Mandalay Ray owned by Johnny Depp, Sean Penn and John Malkovich but, it's also a stones through away from the Champs Élysees, where Zig and I were hanging out for the day. It was just a beautiful day in Paris, what could go wrong? What indeed.....

AD, Thank you so much for taking the time to meet with us today.

My pleasure. Thanks guys for being here in Paris!

You recently went into the studio to record a version of “Little Ann”. We have it on good authority that you were not the only one in the studio that day but some truly legendary musicians were in the background. David Ruffy on drums: The Ruts, Atzec Camera, Sinead O'Connor, Prefab Sprout and Kirsty McColl, Gary Tibbs on bass guitar: Adam & the Ants, Roxy Music, The Vibrators, and The Fixx, Seamus Beaghen on Piano: Madness, Iggy Pop, Death in Vegas. How did it go!?

It was just awesome, and it was very hard to realize that these 3 monsters of rock'n roll would play on one of my songs. They've been such gentlemen, we became good friends and I'm going to see Dave and Seamus' band playing live in London very soon.

When and where are we going to be able to hear this version of “Little Ann”?

I've been quite busy these days, but we're going to work very hard on a first full album, with my friend and co writer BAB. This version is going to be on it. Maybe you can hear it on myspace in a few months.

Each Artist’s process, for writing a song varies a great deal. What does the song writing process feel like for you?

We try to write and compose very simple songs, but songs that you can remember, that you can sing, sincere songs. A few chords, a maximum of good vibrations. I don't like to write a song just to have something new to show to the fans. When I'm in a bad mood, good mood, in love, disappointed, etc. when I need to exteriorize some feelings, then maybe I can write a good and sincere song.

Your song “Straight to Vodka” is one of our all time favorites. Can you tell us a little about what inspired you to write it?

Well (laughing), as you can see, this is not a serious song. We've been hanging around in San Francisco with a friend of mine, and there have been some fun moments that inspired this song :) We wrote "Straight to vodka" during the flight from San Francisco to Paris. hehe, but don't drink to much if you can't hold it!

Your songs are so thick with imagery; you leave us wondering when we may see an AD video? :)

We're working on the Album right now, maybe then we'll shoot up a video clip.

With the advancements in technology we are starting to see independent artists reach out to their audiences in some really interesting ways. How would you say these advancement have helped you get your music out to a large audience.

I don't think it has really helped me yet. I think it's going to be very interesting when my album is released. Myspace and all that stuff are really some extraordinary ways to promote an artist. But yea, thanks to myspace, I'm lucky to be part of your awesome project! Long live BeatnikPress ;)

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

You don't need to take lessons and lessons. Just feel the vibe. Say what you have to say, feel what you have to feel. Be true.

(As we did last month, were going to let Zig ask the last question of the interview. Take it away, Zig.)

Hey everybody, hey AD! Um, What separates the men from the boys in France?

Hair on the back?

Nope, a crowbar.

(At that moment AD flew across the table and landed a solid right hand "blast!" into the side of Zig's face. Zig flew back about 5 feet, right on his ass. The two continued to scuffle until the local authorities showed up.) 

We didn't get a chance to thank AD for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet with us that day. So Buddy, Thanks for giving us the skinny on “AD: Smooth pop from Paris”, one of the hottest Artists of the summer! Oh, Zig said thanks for not pressing charges, next time we're in France the drinks are on us!

Well that's it for this month Beatniks! Join us again next month when our Featured Artist will be..., Opps, almost let it slip again... It's going to to be a good one, don't miss it!




BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist May 2007 
 


Steve Rich and his band 
Location: London, England

Members:
Steve Rich (Vox, Guitar)
Mike Wood (Drums)
Chase Aitch ( Bass)

Interview with Steve Rich of Steve Rich and The Roosters

We met up with Steve at, The Worlds End Pub in camden. The Worlds End is renowned for having some of the cutest Barmaids in London. :) Oh yea, and the music scene there is killer.

Steve, I really want to thank you for taking the time to meet with us today. 2007 has already been a year of change for you. Could you tell us a bit about your new line up and how you feel that the music is evolving?

It's a pleasure to meet with you. The new line up is great, Mike's a terrific drummer and having Chase on board helps us all, he's from a musical family and he's actually a drummer, but he's a really good bass player too. We used to play in a band together back in college, so we know what eachother are about anyway.

The changes didn’t stop there now, did they? We got a chance to meet a special lady in Steve’s life…. His new manager Jo! Jo Rocks! How did your two paths cross?

Jo does rock! She's very cool, and she has great taste in music, except Duran Duran, but we've all got problems. We were friends anyway and then I recorded my first record and Jo liked it, I asked if she wanted to be my manager, as a joke really, and she said yes.

We’ve gotten a number of emails all asking the same question. It seems that you have a number of young ladies wondering if you are single. Now, we don’t believe that we should stoop to the level of the tabloid media within our interviews. Your private life is yours. On that note Steve, Let us reflect back with you and if you would, share with us what inspired the writing of “Solider and a Man”? The lyrical content and music composition simply rock!

Ha ha! You're funny. I have this kind of obsession with war, and I'd just read 'Atonement' by Ian McEwen, and ended up writing a song about a soldier who's wondering why he's in this foreign country fighting, and thinking about his life back home. Both my Granddads' fought in WW2 and I suppose I've always been interested in their lives, more as I've got older actually. One had been a 'Desert Rat' in Africa and kept his uniform in his shed at the bottom of his garden. when we were kids me and my brother would always go and look at it when we visited. My other Granddad was a real working class guy who had a problem with authority, he hated the Royal family, didn't like Churchill and really hated Montgomery, but I suppose he hated the Nazi's even more, so he went to war. Musically, I just ripped off the chord sequence in 'All along the Watchtower' and kind of sped it up a little.

I think the first law of being Indie is that you write your own material and no matter how many Artist’s we ask, the processes for each one varies a great deal. What does the song writing process feel like for you?

Normally, it starts with fiddling around on my acoustic at home, coming up with a nice little chord sequence or melody, then coming up with some lyrics and fitting it together. I'll normally have the main part of the song finished in about an hour or so, then spend the next few days getting it right. It's not really complicated, but its a definate process, a rewarding one, and the songs mean an awful lot to me.

Are ya single?

Sometimes.

Now, we know you guys are gearing up for hitting the underground scene pretty extensively over the next few months. What should someone expect, when they come out to see you guys live this summer?

Hopefully a band that has great songs and a spirit and a good rock sound that doesn't follow any particular trends or 'scenes' . I think when any artist or band play songs they've written and worked on and care about, and play them to an audience, no matter what kind of music, they're giving the audience a glimpse into their soul and I think its a wonderful thing.

Any chance you guys will bring the video camera to any of the shows this summer? Being as explosive as you guys are going to be on stage, some live footage would Rock! We had planned to bring ours but, for some reason it was confiscated at the border……. Zigmund!

Those damn border guards! They probably thought you guys looked suspicious. Actually we played a mini festival last weekend, it got video'd, so I'll get a copy sorted out for you.

With the advancements in technology we are starting to see independent artists reach out to their audiences in some really interesting ways. How do you see the indie scene changing over the next 5-10 years?

I think its now possible for anyone to be a recording artist and to reach an audience without label backing or a ton of cash. People just have to go looking for it. But live is where its always really been at, and I think it always will be. People will always want to go and see a performance in the flesh, and see the sweat and the mistakes and the unpredictable happen.

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

There's no rush. Enjoy the music you make, appreciate it, value it. It's more valuable than you realize. Certainly more valuable than money.

Ok, we’re gonna start something new here. From now on we’re going to let Zig ask the last question of the interview. Ok Zig, it’s all yours.

Ah… hey Steve. Ok, like when the Beatles, Stones, and The Who came to America, people in America called it the British invasion. What did people in England call it?

Hey Zig, Good question. It took people by surprise I suppose, though Americans are not much different to us here. People here dug it, people there dug it. I don't think you'd see that kind of thing happen now. Everything now is so calculated and 'managed' on a major scale. These were just normal guys from normal places with amazing talent. My aunt used to go to the park with Roger Daltrey to walk the dog, she then had a relationship with Cat Stevens. Another of my aunts turned down David Bowie. I think its incredible because these guys are like Gods to me, but my aunts tell me that was just the way things were.

Again Steve, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with us and giving us the skinny on “Steve Rich and The Roosters”, one of the hottest bands of the summer!

It's been a real pleasure meeting you and being able to talk about my music. Thanks so much.

Well that's it for this month Beatniks! Join us again next month when our Featured Artist will be..., Opps, almost let it slip... It's a gonna be a good one, don't miss it!




BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist February 2007 
 


Zoe Vette 
Location: North Carolina, USA.

Interview with Zoe Vette

After we got our heads together. Zig and I headed to North Carolina to meet up with the front woman of Gretta X, Zoe Vette. We haven’t had the chance to sit down with Zoe since she signed on to the project in March of 2006 so; we were excited to get the chance to catch up.

ZOE!!! We’re so happy to see you. You look awesome! When we were in Amsterdam, Emma called us and told us you were moving to the Charlotte area. Was it a nightmare or what?

It kind of was! But the nightmare is over and I'm happy to be back where I started. Huge changes have been made here in Charlotte. It's just like a Mini-New York. I think it was a smart choice for us as a band, and also for me personally.

We saw on your My Space Page that you were auditioning for Bass and Guitar! Are Zig and I too late to try out?

No way! Bring it! We've auditioned quite a few people already that didn't match up to our standards. Not that this is brain surgery. We just expect to mesh creatively and hopefully have some fun as well. So far, we can't get both met. But we have some promising upcoming auditions from a couple of guys from out of town.

We see that Nix, the magic behind the sticks, made the move to the Charlotte area with you. She’s a screaming riot, how’s she liking the move and auditioning new band mates?

She seems to love it so far! Charlotte is a much bigger city than she's ever lived in, and has much more opportunity. The local music shop loves her. The way she breaks sticks, she alone will keep them in business!

Ok, your song “Ground Ginger”. Now, when we left the states in late October, Zig had it on his MP3 player. You could always tell when it came up in his play list because his head would start bobbing and then you’d hear… "Ground Ginger..Ground..Gin..Ger!" I even had an older lady; when we were on a plane, ask me if my friend was ok. I had to explain to her that besides being tone deaf, he was under no immediate danger. Everybody we played it for just loved it. It even got some airplay on Joan Jett’s radio show and invaded Arizona air space on KUPD. I guess my question is how does a song that is so infectious, come to be?

Ha-ha! Let me try to explain this one.... Ground Ginger was conceived on a night, long ago, when I met lyricist Keith McClimen at a Joan Jett show in New Jersey. He was there with an acquaintance of mine, but Keith didn't talk to me until halfway through the show, as I later found out, because he thought I would punch him. We bonded over acting ridiculous, and exchanged addresses & numbers. He called me soon after, ecstatic, and said after opening his spice cabinet and seeing "Ground Ginger" in there, that he had a GREAT idea for some lyrics for me... and did I get it? I replied I had no idea what he was going for. Subsequently, I received a stack of lyrics in the mail written for me, based on his impression of me that night. Ground Ginger was among those, and I soon GOT what he meant by GROUND Ginger. Ha-ha! I changed only one or two lines, wrote the music and melody line, and voila! Our baby was born. I never knew it would take off as it has. But I'm glad it has! He has since written me other lyrics that I'm working on currently. By the way, that KUPD event was definitely a milestone for us, I feel. We got a larger fan base after airing on that show. Very much an Honor!

Now we know there’s a video in the works for Ground Ginger, can you tell us how it’s going?

You could say we haven't been satisfied with any of the video companies we've approached with the idea. Everyone seems to want to overcomplicate things, and obviously get paid more for it. That's not what we want. I have a strong vision of what I want; powerful does not mean complex. Currently, I am talking with some film students who I think could pull this off a lot better than a larger company.

We’re going to get to show the world premier of the video when it’s done right? Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. :)
 
Wink Wink, Nudge Nudge, say no more, say no more!" If you are good boys & girls, we'll see!

Your fans are outrageous! What’s the craziest thing they’ve done to show their adoration?

Just one thing? I'll give you two of my G Rated favorites.

Once, during a series of shows in the south east, we were all at this laundromat, washing our delicates you know... and these kids were skating all around outside. Me, ever the one to pick a fight before it's picked, I got myself ready to kick some ass if these kids didn't stop staring. Then it got worse... they came IN and watched us fold the laundry. I was just about to say something to the effect of "What are you staring at, jerk" when the 2 boys approached me and one nudged the other... I'm thinking, "Oh God, here it comes...". One boy said "Um... are.... you... Zoe Vette??" I said "Yeah - I'm Zoe." He punched the other kid in the arm and said, "SEE??? I TOLD YOU IT WAS HER!!!". And I signed their Sonic cup. Funny, right? Made me feel all warm and fuzzy.

Secondly, I've heard reports from some people down in Myrtle Beach who have seen a waiter at a restaurant down there who has my name written on his jeans. That's pretty cool too. There are more, but I'm not sure how appropriate they are....! "Ground Ginger" has gotten me into lots of 'trouble' over the years.

2006 by all accounts seemed like it was a great year for Gretta X. What are your plans for 2007?

That's easy. We plan to take over the world! More radio play, recording, videos and more merch from Beatnik Press, of course! And I'd love a tour, if we could get it funded.

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

DON'T WAIT! Do it! Conquer it! Don't pass up ANY opportunities!

Zoe it’s been great seeing you, let’s say we go grab Nix and you two can show us the local scene the way it should be seen.

Great seeing you guys too! Ever rode a mechanical bull? There's a fist time for everything. I know a bar downtown that has some great tequila shots. It's on you, right?

Well kids, that's it from North Carolina, USA. Your going to want to keep your eyes on this band or they just might run your ass right over!



BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist January 2007 
 
Kiley Dean 
Location: California, USA.

Interview with Kiley Dean

After a few months of being abroad we return to the States. This months featured artist brings us to sunny California. I met up with Kiley, on the walk outside Graumans Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

Kiley, I really want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.

Oh thank you for taking the time to come to my town and visit me.

With the rumors in early 2006 about you leaving the music scene, how does it feel now to, be releasing such a quality release as “Changes”??

Well, it feels good to be getting something out. I work so hard on these records and just want them to see the light of day. I want people to hear what I’m doing. I’ve recorded well over a hundred songs and yet to release an album. As far as me leaving the business, it’s just something I’ve been going through. I was questioning whether or not I was supposed to be in the music business. I think when you work so hard at something and don’t get results it makes you doubt your choices. But I have such a strong foundation, team, and fans that keep me motivated. So I have to get this.

Your new song “Who I Am” absolutely rocks, you had me and Zigmund grooving to that all the way back from Sweden. Do you have a favorite track off the new release?

I have so many that I absolutely just love. There’s “Who I Am” that is incredible, “Escape”, “Tug Of War” and I just recently recorded this song called “Convince Me”. “Convince Me” is so personal because it tells my story of trying to make it.

Kiley, you have to have some of the best fans around, how big of a support have they been to you over the last year or so?

They have been so wonderful. There are those days when nothing is going right and all those thoughts arise in your head. Then I’d go on to my myspace page and there would be some uplifting messages from fans. It would come at the right time!

It’s easy for anyone to see that you are a incredibly driven artist that has faced many obstacles in your journey to where you are today, where did you find the inner strength to pull yourself through the toughest times?

I have to say the Lord is the #1 strength to me. He has brought me through the rain so many times. He never lets you down. Then there is my family and friends who are always there. They keep me grounded and driven. What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out? My best advice is there are all types of careers out there. I believe that whatever someone wants to do, they can achieve. They just have to be willing to exhaust all their energy for it. Here I am saying this and I’ve yet to achieve my dreams. But I know they lie ahead of me and I’ve worked tremendously hard for it.

As some of our readers may or may not know, you began your career as a back up singer for Britney Spears. Do you have fond memories when you look back at that time in your career?

Backing up Britney was great. There are some special memories that I will always cherish. Most of all I was able to watch and learn so many things from being around her.

With the advancements in technology, we are starting to see independent artists reach out to their audiences in some really cool ways. How important of a role would you say that the Internet has played in exposing your material to an international audience?

The internet has played a huge role in reaching audiences. If you look at the business 10 years ago everything fell on the record label. They controlled everything. Now with the internet people can reach all over the word with a single touch. You don’t have to be on a record label’s schedule, to release a record. It opened a lot of doors for artists who couldn’t get signed. I believe in a few years digital distribution is going to control most of the market.

With as many good things that are happening for you and more on the horizon, are you finding it harder to keep centered?

No way. God is my center. Between God, my parents, and my friends I stay grounded. I was raised by wonderful parents with a Christian upbringing. I pray that there are many great things in my horizon.

Can you give us the latest skinny on when the new project will be released?

The new album will be out in 2007. Were looking to release a single at the end of January and the album in April. We will need the support of everyone for this single. We are coming!!

Do you have any plans on touring to support the new release?

Oh yeah! Touring is what I love. I have been waiting so long to get back on the road. As soon as this single takes off it will lead to us doing shows. I pray that everything goes well and I’m able to get on the road and see my fans.

Kiley, I have to admit that coming into this interview I was a little nervous, not knowing what to expect, but I think you have to be one of the sweetest, most genuine people I’ve ever met. I want to thank you again, for taking the time to give us the latest.

I want to thank you.. This has been fun. Thanks for supporting me and loving my music. BeatnikPress.com is the best!!!

Well kids, that's it from sunny California, USA. Keep your eyes out for Kiley’s new release “Changes” due out end of January 2007 and her full release in Spring!

Special Thanks go out to: Kiley's manager, Thanks Kairi! and Kiley's Mom. "Mrs. Dean, Thank You for having such an awesome daughter. You Rock!" :)



BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist December 2006 
 
Nervous Nellie
Location: Stockholm, Sweden

Members:
Henrik Johnson (Vox, Guitar)
Andy Johansson (Drums)
Magnus Johnson (Guitar, Vox)

Interview with Henrik Johnson of Nervous Nellie

I met up with Henrik, from Nervous Nellie at the coolest place in Stockholm, the Absolut Ice Bar. It seemed the natural place to meet and interview a member of one of the coolest independent bands in the world today.
 
Henrik, I really want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. How did Nervous Nellie come together?

It’s all my pleasure so thank you! We started out playing in high school years ago and had a bunch of different members over the years, some of which can be found in bands like Shout out louds and Dada Fair today. After a few years break for military service and a temporary move to Minneapolis I decided to start it up again and that’s when my brother Magnus joined and eventually Andy did as well.

With the 2004 self-release of “The Peace Pipe EP”(Honkyjonx Records) the band began a long-lived touring experience. How if any, did that experience play into where Nervous Nellie is as a band today?

The touring has had a huge impact on us as a band. We are tighter, better on stage, more experienced and have managed to work out a bunch of kinks & flaws when on the road. I think it’s given us more confidence all around. Touring is tiring at times but fun and rewarding as hell.

With every great band that tour as extensively as Nervous Nellie has, there comes, great tour stories. What’s the craziest thing that’s happened to you guys so far during your tours?

I don’t know where to start really…we’ve had swastikas carved into our van, we’ve run down fences, bribed our way through customs, been arrested for taking a piss, played shows for literally nobody, played shows for thousands, barely escaped fights with skinheads jacked up on crack, been cheated out of our pay after playing shows, slept on concrete floors, had our van break down like a million times, we’ve gotten a car window smashed, we’ve been robbed. I’m pretty sure most bands on the road know what I’m taking about, the list goes on and on.

With your first official album release in Europe, in September of 2005 “Don’t Think Feel”, Nervous Nellie began to gather fans worldwide. How did it feel to know that you guys had become global?

I don’t know if it was solely because of the album being released but it was obviously a cool feeling to suddenly have e-mails coming in and songs being downloaded from all over the place. From the US to Asia and in-between there are some Nellie friendly people now and that makes us happy for sure. The whole point of touring and releasing music is to reach as many people as possible and we’re happy that we’ve already kind of got a head start.

Now, for the question that anybody who got hooked on “Don’t think Feel” wants to know… How’s the new material coming? How close are we to seeing the follow up album?

Actually that is all we can think about right now! The new material is coming along fine and I think that we have finally mastered what our band is all about. The music, melodies and lyrics for this next album have got more nerve and edge in my opinion. We were a bit hesitant and confused on our last album, perhaps this time we aren’t as much. We’re looking forward to recording and releasing it very much. My guess is that it will be out some time in the fall of 2007. In the meantime though, we will be playing some of the songs live.

Do you think the band might tour as extensively with this release as it had in the past with previous releases?

I genuinely hope so; we want to play everywhere if possible. For a band on our level I think touring is the only way to really get the word out anyway.

With the advancements in technology we are starting to see independent artist reach out to their audiences in some really cool ways. Some of the coolest footage I’ve seen is the videos “live from Andy’s apartment”. How did that come about?

Actually that was an idea we came up with to raise some extra money to get our van fixed. We invited everyone and anyone to Andys apartment in Stockholm for coffee and an acoustic concert, we even had people come from as far away as Germany. When we were done we passed around a hat and people were very generous – thanks again guys! We filmed it and uploaded some of it on youtube.com for those who couldn’t make it. We really like the internet and are always trying to find new ways of connecting with fans there, it’s a sweet tool that kind of puts everybody on the same level.

Your video for “No Calls” is a screaming riot! Hopefully, we will be providing a link to it in the Limelight section so everyone can check it out. How did you guys decide on the setting and who was that guy in the beige jacket? That dude rocks!

I’m glad you enjoyed it. A director-friend of ours named Andreas Eidhagen came up with the idea. We had a blast filming it and everybody involved were so cool working for free and all. The guy in the beige jacket was really sweet, he brought along a photo album with pictures of him being an extra in all kinds of productions over the years.

Have you guys decided on a new, full time bass player yet? Is it to late to audition?

Right now we are writing and rehearsing without bass. Since it’s important to find the right person we didn’t want to rush it. We have no new member yet so all bass playing girls and boys are welcome to audition! Preferably somebody living in Stockholm willing to devote pretty much all their time though. Feel free to e-mail us at info@nervousnellie.com if you are interested!

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

The main thing that we have learned is that you have to make things happen for yourself, you can’t wait around for a record label, producer or booking agent to contact you. Sending around demos is cool and all but your best bet is to take steps on your own first and get out there, that’s how people find you and get interested. Another good thing to learn is patience, something witch I myself have yet to master.

Again Henrik, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me and giving us the skinny on Nervous Nellie, one of the Best Independent Bands in the World.

Any time, thank you so much for wanting to talk to me. Andy and Magnus wanted me to give you there best as well…so here’s a little hug.



BeatnikPress.com Limelight
Featured Artist November 2006



November
Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Members:
Remco Bouwens (drums)
Jos Duijst (vocals)
Martijn Hoekstra (piano, hammond)
Roel van Gils (bass, double bass, chapman stick)
Stef Kohler (guitar, sitar and sarod)

Interview With Remco Bouwens of NOVEMBER

I met up with Remco the drummer from November at the Bulldog Shop, in Amsterdam. It was a rainy day so the idea of having a chance to get inside, dry off and enjoy some of the benefits of being in Amsterdam sounded really good. As I entered the coffee shop, I spotted Remco in a corner booth on his laptop. You see Remco, not only is the drummer for November but, he also manages the band and runs his own recording label, Rusty Cage Records.

Remco, I really want to thank you for taking the time to meet with me today. How do you do it man? On one hand you play drums for November, on the other hand you also manage the band and on the third hand ( Remco doesn’t really have three hands although that would explain his drumming skills.) you run your own recording label. That’s a full plate for anyone. How do you manage it?

You’re mentioning only three things I’m into right now :) I also run a recording studio and just started recordings for a new CD with my old metal band ‘Defender’. Yeah it’s a busy life, but when you’re doing the things you like it doesn’t feel that way. When it becomes too much you’ll know. I’ve learned to listen to signals my body gives me when I need a break. I still have time left for other important things like friends and family.

Ok, let me see if I have this straight. Martijn and Steph formed November in 2000 and they had envisioned a mix of melancholic slow-core and progressive rock? Because, from where I sit the result of the bands artistic direction and the artists driving the vision deliver a result nothing short of epic. As soon as the current line up came into place, could you feel that there was something special about this band?

For sure! From my point of view I knew it before it started. I already played with Stef in ‘Defender’ from 1986 until 1990 and I think it’s one of the most talented guitar players I’ve ever heard. Every time we play together a little bit of magic arises. Besides this all musicians in ‘November’ have different musical backgrounds, but have an open mind for other musical genres. Due to this you’ll get a very nice mix of all kinds of musical styles what we call ‘Autumn music’.

We’ve heard November has completed all drum and guitar tracks for their double debut album and that the next few months, the band will use to focus on the bass, keyboard and vocal tracks in time for an early 2007 release. Can you give us an update on how the recording is going?

Recordings are really going great! Besides drums and guitars we also recorded all sitar and sarod parts as well, and at this moment we’re recording the piano parts. The next couple of months bass and vocals will be recorded and after that all other instruments will follow like chapman stick, melotron, tablas etc. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention that we’ve recorded a full choir for a coversong we’ll put on the CD. I can’t tell you which song it is yet, but it will be a tribute to Ozzy and Randy (think hard and you’ll know :)

Does the band have any plans on hitting the road and touring to promote the disks when they are released?

We don’t know it yet. We all have full time jobs besides ‘November’ and some of us also have little kids. It depends on what kind of opportunities we’ll get. We’re not the band to play in small venues, but when we have the opportunity to tour with a band like ‘Porcupine Tree’ we’ll go along. First we have to make sure the CD is well being promoted and distributed.

November’s musicianship and song composition seriously blow me away, mix in the lyrical content and you have what could be the sound track for a generation. How does your music take shape? Is it something that just comes or is it carefully crafted?

It all starts with themes made by Stef or Marty. Most bases of the compositions are made by both of them. After that we meet each other and start arranging the songs. This is a process of fine-tuning the compositions and making the lyrics and vocal melodies. We’re not a band who comes together to jam, we prefer a different approach. For example ‘Afterglow’ started out as a song like ‘At midnight’, but due to look at it from different angles it came out as the song it is now, completely different. That’s the beauty working with musicians with completely different backgrounds.

In preparation for this interview I’ve read a lot of reviews on the five track November demo and it seems that the media is already desperately trying to hang a “sounds like” label on the band. Does this bother you?

No it doesn’t bother us as long as the labels differ. Every reviewer tries to compare it with bands he or she knows. As long as they carefully listen to our songs and come up with a refined review they can compare us with bands or musicians they like or dislike. We’ll always make music from our heart instead of writing songs for a particular market and we hope everybody will hear that.

On your web site, www.Novembersongs.com, you have pictures of the band making a video for “At Midnight”; it looks like you guys were having a blast. How was the experience of making your first video?

It really was fun to do. We shot the video at two locations: one in an old factory in Amsterdam and one in a forest near the North Sea. We really did it for my little brother who had to do a graduation project for the School of Arts. He graduated, because it’s really hard to shoot a video at night in a forest!! We didn’t do anything with it yet, but want to give our fans the opportunity to see it via the Beatnikpress site.

How do you think the Internet and the explosion of musical technology has changed the way independent artists promote their music?

Nowadays it’s easier to reach a large audience via the internet and it’s easier to make a good CD production at home studios, but on the other hand it’s more difficult to stand out. Sites like myspace contain good bands, but also a lot of rubbish. Everybody is able to publish music, but how will musiclovers find carefully made songs in a basket of thousands? That’s the challenge now for bands who care about music.

One of the biggest issues facing the web today is net neutrality. That is whether, broadband providers would be allowed to charge internet companies to move their content along broadband lines. If allowed it would restrict the freedom of the web and in fact, be handing the internet over to big business. How does it feel to come from a country that stands resolved in their belief that the internet should remain free? (Amsterdam houses one of the three root servers outside the United States and has the world’s busiest internet exchange.)

I think it’s natural to us. I think the Dutch want to be free in all kinds of thinks and this is one of them. I think we don’t want to be told what to do.

What would your advice be for any young musician just starting out?

Play what you want to play and find people who can help you with promotion etc. Making good music is only 50% of what it takes to make your band known. Have meetings with all band members once in a while about artwork, venues you like to play, well…make a plan for the near future and evaluate it every couple of months.

Again Remco, I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me and giving us the skinny on November, one of the Best Independent Bands in the World. I know that we can’t wait for the debut release.

Thanks Lee, it really was a pleasure meeting you and I hope you’ll have a pleasant stay over here. Hope to meet you again soon and don’t smoke too much :)

Thanks Remco, (cough, cough) you rock!