ASCAP’s annual Film & TV Music Awards was held last week in Los Angeles.
Roddy Bottum won an award & did a little interview at the award ceremony. Check out After The Show’s interview with Roddy from last month.
Author: aftertheshow (Page 147 of 192)
Stacy King of Eisley answered some questions about the band’s new album Currents, changing up songs when playing live, and transitioning from a kid musician to an adult musician.
Eisley is currently on tour with Say Anything — catch them tonight and tomorrow at Irving Plaza in NYC.
After The Show: Lyrically the songs on Currents are more whimsical and figurative than the songs on The Valley. Was it a conscious decision to move in that less literal/straightforward direction?
Stacy: Yes, I think the lyrics are overall just a bit brighter. I think it made for a nice change from The Valley where we were going through some hard personal things. We were angry at a lot of people. Now that we’re in a better place I feel that it’s reflected in both the music and lyrics.
On Currents, I really like the choir effect at the end of “Save My Soul,” as well as “Real World” and “Lost Enemies.” What songs do you most connect with on the new album?
We are big fans of the choir! We grew up all singing together so I feel that it represents our family’s history. I connect a lot with “Millstone” because it was Chauntelle’s first contribution in so many years and I feel very proud of her.
When playing live, you add an intro to “I Could Be There For You,” and several years ago Weston added an amazing drum fill after the bridge of “My Lovely.” How do you decide to make little instrumental or vocal variations when playing live?
The intro to “ICBTFY” just came about because I felt like the show needed something new and we didn’t have any new songs to debut at the time. It’s hard to find ways to add something completely new and different so I thought I’d just build off of a song. Kind of like a prequel.
You were 14 when Warner signed Eisley – being a kid and the youngest sibling in the band, how has the transition to being an adult in a band been? Especially now that you have a family of your own, does it feel like a completely different life/experience?
It was sort of hard in the early days. I often felt a lot of pressure to succeed and please everyone. There were so many forces trying to shape who I was as an artist but after everything I’ve gone through (in regards to all of that) and by failing a few times, I’ve learned to not fear so much. It’s good to be pliable and listen and learn but deep down, you just have to trust yourself.
You recorded Combinations in Malibu – what do you remember about that experience?
It was sort of depressing and beautiful. We were in a gorgeous environment next to the beach but I felt so much pressure and pessimism in regards to the record and the label we were on. There was so much money being spent and people breathing down our necks. I just remember feeling stressed but I have tons of fond memories of us as a band hanging out, laughing… we made some great memories!
Sucre’s “Place To Be” cover worked perfectly, as did your “In The Aeroplane Over The Sea” and “Lion’s Mane” covers. Given that so many great songs exist, what are your criteria for picking the right ones to cover?
I chose songs that are very special to me. Both Stevie Nicks and Nick Drake have played an integral part in my development as a song writer and inspired me so much. That’s why I like to sing them; I just feel honored and grateful.
+ Check out Eisley’s upcoming tour dates
You can stream The Rosebuds‘ new album Night Of The Furies over at BandCamp.
“Cemetery Lawn” is the best track:
I recently stumbled upon this cover of “Endless Summer” (originally by The Jezabels), recorded live for Triple J in Australia.
This cover is the epitome of everything a good cover should be — it’s distinct enough from the original to be considered a separate song, yet it simultaneously preserves the integrity of the original.
It’s easier to appreciate the lyrics in the song while listening to it played acoustically, too.
“Dead In Your Head” is an excellent song by Bleached. Live video + album version below:
I wrote an article for Music Think Tank called Beyond The Basics: Go The Extra Mile To Get Featured On Music Blogs.
Read my advice for bands and artists on how to get tastemakers to write about your music — over at Music Think Tank.
Update: You now need an account to login to read the article, so you can read it below:
How do you get “tastemakers” (aka music bloggers) to write about your band?
Although I prefer to encounter bands organically (for example, opening for a band I already like), I’ve featured plenty of great music on After The Show by bands who have directly approached me. Not every tastemaker will like your songs, but music blogs need a lot of content, so you have a good shot at getting featured somewhere.
You should already know the basics. Do your research: don’t pitch to a hip-hop site if you’re an alt-country act, and read everything you can about each music site you’re submitting to (scroll through the archives and see what they tweet). Be professional: keep your email typo-free, succinct, and include a link to streams (Bandcamp, SoundCloud) instead of mp3 attachments.
2 Indie Band Case Studies: Pay Attention To the Big Picture
Jim Ivins first emailed me around a year ago to say that his band would be opening for Robert Schwartzman in New York. Jim clearly did his research – he saw I had interviewed and written about Rooney before, so he knew I’d be interested in attending – and he allowed plenty of lead-time before the show (a month) before offering a list spot to cover the set.
A blog is not going to listen to your music & then decide to post it, a person is! Jim addressed his email to “Suzanne” not “After The Show.” I was planning on going to this show anyway, so I eagerly accepted.
Start relationships (online if different locations prevent face-to-face ones) with music bloggers and anyone who can help your music get exposure. A few months later Jim let me know on Twitter about another local show the band was playing. I couldn’t make it, but I appreciated the update and later dropped by a show that I could make. A couple months down the road, he sent me a video the band recorded that was relevant to what we were currently covering on After The Show.
Once you establish a connection, stay on the blog’s radar and give updates on your band every few months. Don’t inundate any blog that gives you some attention or coverage, but maintain smart, positive relationships.
Browsing YouTube over a year ago, I came across an amazing cover of The Lemonheads’ “Paid To Smile” by a band named Jeremy Sparrow. This cover was better than the original and even Evan Dando commented on it. After leaving a quick comment, I posted the video on my site.
Lasse of Jeremy Sparrow messaged me on YouTube to thank me, introduce his band, and say he’d keep me updated on their EP that would be out in several months. Simply sending that message helped his band stand out – he was responsible and proactive. I didn’t expect to hear from him again, but I got an email several months later about the band’s completed EP. I remembered them and was happy to listen and write about the EP.
Don’t get discouraged when you send out hundreds of emails and only hear back from a few people. The hardest part is often getting some initial traction. Once your foot is in a door, use that leverage to get more press. Opportunities beget more (and even better) opportunities.
Suzanne Raga is the creator and author of the popular indie music blog After The Show and does consulting work for music licensing and publishing companies. She is a recent graduate of Princeton University.