Kick Acts Online Blog
Blog, Music, News and More! 12 Years strong!KickActs interviews “Curious Quail”
Posted onMay 23, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene!
1. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
Mike: We are Curious Quail I’m Mike, the singer / songwriter / guitarist.
Joey: I am a drummer. My band can be found many places on the web.
Mike: Such as: Curiousquail.com, facebook.com/curiousquail, twitter.com/curiousquail, instagram.com/curiousquail – we’re nothing if not predictable. Google “Curious Quail” and you don’t get birds anymore.
2. Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Joey: I think Buddy Rich said it best: “I consider every drummer who played before me an influence, in every way.” Also, I really dig Hall and Oates!
Mike: I think you mean Garfunkel and Oates. I’m a huge fan of Louis Armstrong – Satchmo knew what was up.
3. Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
Joey: If you are just getting started, decide why you are getting into it. If you are doing it because you want to get serious about it, you better start with the basics – scales, technique, rudiments, etc. Then practice your ass off.
Mike: Love what you love, don’t hate what you don’t. You’ll get way further being positive and supportive than you will believing you’re above anyone. The moment you start thinking “I deserve to be more successful than X band…” you need to seriously reevaluate what you’re doing.
4. Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
Joey: When I was in high school, I took a one-time gig as a member of a “Mickey Mouse Marching Band” for some well-off little kid’s birthday party. There were five or six of us in the “band.” We had to march into the room playing the theme to the Mickey Mouse Club, perform a Disney medley, and finish by leading everyone in the singing of “Happy Birthday.” We wore Mickey Mouse ears and marched around a private little room in the back of a Chinese restaurant. I was playing the bass drum, and I’m pretty sure I bumped into several of the family members during our performance.
Easiest $100 I ever made for a gig.
Mike: I can’t top that.
5. On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
Mike: We were playing a “Music After Dark” series that followed the City’s sponsored “Music in the Park” free concerts downtown. The shady promotion company involved forgot to send a sound person who, y’know, could actually USE the equipment. He seriously looked like if he touched the console for more than five seconds that it would electrocute him or something. So about 3 songs in they tell us forgot they were supposed to hang a banner behind the stage with the name of the radio station that sponsored the show and cut into our set time in order to do so. 2 songs later they tell us they don’t know how to handle the equipment and that we have to turn it down ourselves. I say “are you fucking kidding me?” and they tell us to get off stage. Joey goes outside to find the guy that runs the company, he’s having a beer with his buddies, and gives him the 3rd degree about how unprofessional his organization is. I get a call from the radio station manager the next day apologizing and saying they fired the promotion company; turns out he was sitting right next to the guy as Joey was tearing into him.
6. Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
Joey: I don’t draw boobs anymore, but I do consider myself somewhat of an artist. I got to help with the album art for our upcoming release, and I’ve been working on art for an eventual music video.
Aside from that, I spend much of my time sleeping (approximately 1/3 of my life).
Mike: I used to steal restaurant menus; I hang them up in my kitchen. I don’t know WHY I started doing this, I just did.
7. What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
Joey: We need more people who want to come out and see bands.
Mike: Exactly.
Joey: It might be a lack of viable venues, the cost of shows in a down economy, or the fact that, following the Napster generation, most people expect music to be free and easily accessible from the comfort of their own homes. It might also be that the musicians who grew up on bands such as Nirvana and Pearl Jam are not focused on a “stage show,” and that this makes people less excited about going out to see live music.
Mike: Like, we have a good community going in our area right in terms of venues and bands, but yea – people don’t seem to understand that in order for musicians to survive these days you have to go see them live.
Joey: We need more GWAR!
Mike: That too.
8. Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
Joey: Let’s see –
Erin is from Texas.
Abe once tried out as bassist for our band.
Alan often arrives to rehearsal bumping classical music.
Mike’s jaw is made mostly of synthetic material after an unfortunate face-punching incident.
Mike: Joey once got called in for Jury duty and said “Don’t worry, I’ll get excused because my dad was a cop” and comes back instead saying “I’m the foreman…”
9. Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Joey: Ginger…?
Mike: Real talk: While I feel old a LOT of the time when interacting with our musical peers, this is not one of those times. I’ve never seen Gilligan’s Island. I know the premise and all, but it’s way before my time I never had Nick at Nite.
10. # 10 is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about anything you want!
Joey: I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that all of the molecules in your body existed long before you burst into consciousness in your current form, and that those same molecules will eventually become part of some other sentient or static element of our world. Life is infinite and simultaneously in infinite peril of inexistence. We are all responsible for our own actions, even if in the end they matter little in the bigger picture. You can chose to create or destroy, but those choices will ring out through the cosmos.
Mike: Too much Neil deGrasse Tyson for you, man. But seriously – if you’ve never heard of “Skeletor is Love” please go google it. So worth your time.
Thanks James, this has been a blast! Oh, did you end up picking up that giant map-wall hanging?
KickActs interviews Jay Brown from “The Ten Percenter”
Posted onMarch 21, 2014Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and were you can be found online. www.tenpercenter.co.uk http://www.reverbnation.com/tenpercenter http://www.youtube.com/user/TenPercenterOfficial https://www.facebook.com/tenpercenter06 https://itunes.apple.com/gb/artist/ten-percenter/id526648070 
Hi. I’m Jay Brown. I’m Ten Percenter’s singer/songwriter/lead guitarist. You can find Ten Percenter at www.tenpercenter.co.uk There are links to our other sites and sounds on there.
Who are your musical heroes and influences? Why? I love early nineties bands. Nirvana, Counting Crows, Dinosaur Jr… Many others. I couldn’t tell you why exactly. That era of bands were just really good, I guess. As youngsters me and my mates would sit around, and drink and get stoned and try and figure out what the songs were about. These days the stuff that’s popular is all a bit obviuos. It all seems a little bit formulaic.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in the music business? Don’t expect to make any money.It’s not really advice so much as a warning.
What piece of advice did you ignore that you wish you hadn?t? I’ve pretty much ignored every single piece of advice I’ve ever been given.
Do you have a greatest gig story or worst gig horror story you?d like to share? No, on both counts.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of peckers or boobs? Make sock puppets? Sit in the dark and eat Cheetos? I like to draw peckers, actually. Who doesn’t? I like cheetos, too. I like to gamble. I’m something of a semi pro gambler. Sports betting mainly. Boxing. I like roulette, too.
What do you think about the current music scene or lack of? Care to address that? I get quite depressed just talking about it, actually. The vast majority of what’s out there at the moment is utter garbage.
Do you think reality shows like American Idol, X factor and The Voice have helped or hurt the music industry as a whole? They’re pretty much responsible for the mess it’s all in. People think that’s how you go about becoming a musician now. As kids we all pestered our parents for a few quid, went out and bought barely playable instruments for about ?50, got together in garages, barns, whatever we could find and made some noise. That’s how it should work.
What is your opinion of unauthorized music downloads? That’s another thing that’s ruining music, but o be fair, I’m probably a little bit old fashioned on that score, though. I think the only way music should be listened to is on vinyl. CD at a push, but nothing below that. 
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn?t expect to hear. Thom is a semi pro boxer, Myke likes to dress up as a pirate… I have gigantic balls.
Hypothetical situation. You?re on Gilligan?s island and you get to hook up with only one of the survivors? Which one and why? I have no idea. I’ve never seen the show. If I could hook up with anyone, though, I’d probably go for some nice, tight, clean looking young Nickelodeon strumpet. Victoria Justice for example. I’m a sucker for tidy little brunettes.
Do you know what a vinyl album is and have your ever purchased one? If so, what was it? I have loads of stuff on vinyl. You?re marooned on an island with Justin Bieber. Do you choke him out the first night in his sleep or what? No. I’d keep him around for my own amusement. Think about it. You’re marooned, there’s nothing to do… My entertainment would be kicking the fuck out of the little prick on a daily basis.
What is your opinion of Miley Cyrus? She’s fit.
Which would you rather hear in concert? Lip synching or real vocals? Real vocals.
Who, or what, is the next big thing? I have no idea. One artist you can?t get enough of and can?t live without is? Counting Crows.
Confession time. Share a secret about yourself. I’m a total waste of space. Actually, I’m not so sure that;s a secret.
Favorite movie of all time and why. I’m not a big movie fan. I really enjoyed The Hunger Games, though.
Our last question is called ?Shout It Out Loud?. It?s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and ?SHOUT IT OUT LOUD?! Choose a sticker or emoticon I think I’ve said enough… Download all our songs! B-) 
KickActs interviews “The Still Winter”!
Posted onMarch 14, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene.
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
Well we got together one day, we put our right hand in, we put our right hand out, we put our right hand in once again and shook it all about. We did the hokey pokey, turned ourselves around and BAM there it was the spell worked! We’ve played with Rufio, Eve 6, Reel Big Fish, Unwritten Law, Dan Arnold of Strung Out, Warped Tour 2013 to name a few, and hopefully a few more to come soon! It’s amazing getting to play with bands we grew up listening to and going to THEIR shows! You can find us NEARLY ANYWHERE!!! we’re on iTunes, Pandora, Facebook, and about 150+ other social networks we (and you probably) didn’t even know existed! lol no but really, we found an article for bands a while back and how to get your name out there and it had a part that said to get a profile on a list of websites… So we did every one naturally. Our main source is www.thestillwinter.com to keep it simple though, it’s got links to our main social networks as well and up to date news etc.
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Again we all have so many influences, it’s hard to know where to begin. My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, Greenday, Lady Gaga, Paramore, Panic at the Disco, Muse are just the tippy top of the iceberg if that. The list could go on forever if you let us!
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
It’s not what you think. It’s a LOT of work. Aside from whether you or your friends think your good or you suck its a LOT of work. It never ends and you only find out more and more ways to try to build your audience and get on shows. Also, don’t turn down shows for petty reasons, you don’t like a promoter, a band or a venue, IT”S STILL A SHOW!
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
Honestly every show is our greatest gig. There’s always new fans, new bands, a wonderful night and playing in this band we have had the wonderful experience of playing with bands we used to listen too and even go to their shows in high school, it’s amazing getting to experience sharing the stage with some of those bands we grew up with. Secondly we love hearing from other people, whether it be a message or comment on a social network or in person after a show when someone says that they loved the music and they felt they could relate to the song or the music helped them in some way like through a hard time or anything like that. That is always the best compliment you can hear, that your music and what you do has actually touched someone in some way, it’s amazing.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
Won’t mention any names but a certain I booked us a certain venue with a promoter and he told me it was back lined and show up at 5:30 and doors open at 7 and we were scheduled for 9:30. It was presale tickets as well so we had I think 50 to sell which he couldn’t meet with me to get them till literally 8 days before the event… Anyways so the day before he calls asking if they were sold, I said yes and asked again if it was back lined, he responded yes. I then asked again if all we needed was our guitars and amp heads along with cymbals, he assured again yes its all back lined. We show up at the venue which is an hour away and immediately he just starts asking for money and we weren’t even all there yet. We ask what’s going on when can we go in and he didn’t know. about 6:30 we give him the money after he came back out and he asked us where our gear was so we could start stacking it and insisted he didn’t say it was back lined and then continued to argue that back lined meant you brought your own gear. So we had to borrow gear from I think 3 other bands which was amazing and very gracious. and then we got moved to 7:45. most of our fans didn’t end up making it due to getting off of work too late but we still had a nice crowd and they enjoyed us but the set up of everything was absurd.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
Richie can build just about anything, and does home security and custom home theaters. he’s like Kelly’s personal imagineer, Case in point our sample rig. I build a cabinet to hold our samples and his wireless mic and in ear monitor, used duck tape instead of paint per request, used studs, wood lettering and gears/cogs for decor. It has 3 shelves, a door, and a removable faceplate for the top shelve accompanied by the castor wheels of a revolving computer chair that is in fact height adjustable… Kelly enjoys a nice MMO on his days off, or a hike in the woods. He also enjoys lying on the floor of the bathroom for up to 14hrs with the shows on the whole time because it sounds like rain. (ok that was one time for that long but he really does lie on the floor by the shower for that reason, just not always THAT long) Cam rebuilds and customizes his own guitars, Dean.. well we’re not sure he’s real. Dave enjoys taking on every band he hears of as a side project, legend has it, not even he knows how many bands he’s really in. o.0
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
The music scene has changes SO much, I mean back in 2005 Richie went to nearly 200 shows a year between local bands and national acts. (still has the bracelets/tickets in a box) there used to be a lot more venues too and even some of the ones that are still around have gown way down hill, hell there used to even be more festivals for that matter around our area but the festivals have gone and so have a lot of the venues. Neither, I feel are what they used to be for whatever reason.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
I want to blow things up with my mind. Wait a second… Is this a test!?
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Finally a legit question! Richie would take Ginger and Mary Ann, because Ginger is like the original Paris Hilton minus the bad attributes and Marry Ann is like the girl next door let loose. Kelly would take Mrs. Howell because she’s aged to perfection and has the experience to back it and the rest of the band would hook up with each other because the three girls are now spoken for and we don’t share well.
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
Be careful around Richie. He bites, but it’s cuz he cares. Don’t forget to check us out www.thestillwinter.com find us on your favorite social network and harass us how you please!
KickActs interviews “For The Life Of Me”
Posted onMarch 12, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene.
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
What’s up, this is Austin, I play guitar in the rock n’ roll band, For The Life Of Me from Portland, Oregon. We can be found at facebook.com/forthelifeofmepdx and forthelifeofme.bandcamp.com and at reverbnation.com/forthelifeofmepdx. Our EP ‘Closure’ is up on itunes and amazon mp3.
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes. He is a lyrical and creative genius. He has a huge catalog of work and still continues to find new words and new music for his expression that never gets old. Sigur Ros… ultimately, probably my favorite band. When ( ) came out in 2002 it blew me away, opened my eyes to all new kinds of music, and became a huge influence. I didn’t think I would ever hear any other music like it and so far I’ve been right.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
You can’t avoid pitfalls. They’re always going to be there, probably 2-1, you just have to keep at it. Keep practicing, keep bouncing back, and keep doing what you do. Don’t change your style to fit in or try to emulate anyone else.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
In a previous band we had our “farewell show” and sold out the smaller, mid-size venue of around 500 people or so with the help of some of our friends’ bands. That was one of the best feelings I ever had. Knowing that many people wanted to come out for just a local show.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
I’m not sure I could name one specific worst show. More like worst shows…plural. I remember a few when I was much younger. One where I completely forgot a lengthy part on the guitar so just played random stuff until the next part. It was a mess. Another time when I didn’t realize until after the song was over that I played the whole thing in the wrong tuning. When you’re on stage sometimes it’s really hard to hear everyone at the same time, so I can only imagine what it sounded like to the crowd. So stupid.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
Actually, the 8th grader in me still likes to send random emails with (.)(.) to my coworkers. I really love movies and have way too many dvds. I also like stealing coasters from restaurants and bars. The most prized one so far is from the ice bar in Las Vegas. I think they charge like $6 for one in the gift shop. So it doesn’t even come from the actual bar. Screw that.
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
Sucks. Less and less people are playing real instruments or singing with their real voices. Electronic drum tracks, programmed guitar, auto-tune… Lots of people will defend it, saying something like “well that’s what they’re into and at least they’re being creative.” I think it’s pathetic and embarrassing to be honest. Maybe (hopefully) that’s just around here. (editor note: I couldn’t agree more!)
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
Jeff loves monster trucks and big game hunting, Chris is a big time graphic designer for Beyonce and the like, I love cold weather like most people love warm weather and enjoy going to see movies by myself, Lee loves running in marathons and sometimes jogs in place during practice.
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Well definitely not Ginger. That’s pretty much self-explanatory. I’m not the grandma type so not Mrs. Howell. Obviously it’s Mary Ann if the professor is totally out.
Our last one is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s where you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
I just want to go on record and say that general academia and the accepted timeline of world history is appalling. Especially in America where we’re supposed to believe that North and Central America were only “discovered” around 500 years ago. That’s ridiculous. Just in general, human civilization goes back much, much further than described in text books. One of a million examples is how the great pyramids and the sphinx are said to have been built by the Egyptians around 2500 BC. Sorry to them, but no. There is heavy rainwater erosion all over the sphinx. When has it ever rained regularly in Egypt? Before a major pole shift and climate change that happened a little over 12,000 years ago, which dates the sphinx to roughly 10,500 BC. Look it up. Chew on that a bit.(editor note: good stuff!)
KickActs interviews “Pullman Standard”!
Posted onFebruary 14, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist!
Pullman Standard
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
Austin: The First Pullman Standard show as a full band was in 2008, We have since played over 500 shows and self-released 2 E.P.’s and a full – length album. find our music everywhere but maybe start at our website www.PullmanStandard.com
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Band: There is no one band that we look at and say thats who we want to sound like. We listen to everything, The Police, The Cure , Deftones , Jimmy Eat World , Anberlin , Explosions in the Sky , Smashing Pumpkins, Bruno Mars, Nine Inch Nails, The Offspring, No Doubt, Kings of Leon , Thrice, Neon Trees , The Killers , Queen … I love Pop it is a definate guilty pleasure … Pink , LMFAO , Kelly Clarkson , One Republic, Jason Derulo , Cher lloyde, Kesha
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
Timmy: Stay focused , remember that this is something that you should love to do…. Nothing is achieved without hard work and tenacity. So work hard!
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
Timmy: We got to perform for the great Don Was , look him up, he is a cool guy.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
Timmy: I think the only thing that can really make a gig crappy is a bad promoter. We have played in some pretty bad weather conditions and pretty unorthidox venues but we always make the best of the shows.
Austin : We performed at the Dallas TX Rock n Roll marathon in Mid march and it was 22 degrees on the stage and it was super windy… I couldnt feel my fingers as i tried to get through each song.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
Timmy: All my friends use to make fun of me , but i like building miniature stuff… Model Trains, Model Cars, RC planes… But i love vintage Cars, would love to rebuild something from the 1950’s
Austin: Im a big fan of Vintage and Foreign films , Random Novels
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
Although three out of four of us are from San Diego we are based out of Los Angeles… North Hollywood to be exact. The scene here is over saturated to say the least and its hard to ever get any body out to a local show because most of the smaller venues have been taken over by pay to play promoters that dont really care about the scene and make you sell a whole bunch of tickets for a thirty minute time slot. But i guess thats one of the beauties about touring.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
Timmy: I am an avid motorcycle enthusiast
Austin: I am into geology and cartography and land study
Gilly: I am a big big fan of the spiderman comic series
Core: I have a dog named Charlie its a german shepherd
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Timmy: Mary Ann, so cute…I guess i have a thing for simple er low maintenance girls
Austin: Ginger?
Gilly: Mrs Howell… Cougar
Core: Did i mention I have a dog named Charlie and its a German shepherd???lol
Our last question is called “Shout it out Loud”. It’s were you get to say anything you would like to say, so go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD!”
We are doing a lot of touring this year … Please come out and support us if you see that we are in your town… And on that note, support your local music scene.
KickActs interviews Sherrie Phillips! Serious update :(
Posted onJanuary 24, 2014UPDATE. PLEASE HELP IF YOU CAN!
Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist!
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and where you can be found at on the web.
My name is Sherrie Phillips, My band changes depending on what city I am playing!!! Here in Nashville Tennessee, I am fortunate to have Porter Howell from Little Texas ususally sit in with me on guitar , Dr. Judy Blackwelder on keys, Nick Kraski on Bass guitar from Tim Montana and the Shrednecks, Michael Walter or Dave Harrison on Drums and Stephanie Urbina Jones and Denise Yeargen on BGV’s!!
: www.sherriephillipsmusic.com
http://sherriephillips.wix.com/sherriephillips
: https://www.facebook.com/SherriePhillipsMusic
http://www.reverbnation.com/sherriephillipsmusic
https://www.youtube.com/user/SherriePhillipsMusic/videos
CDBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/SherriePhillips
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/gw/artist/sherrie-phillips/id271356552
Amazon: amzn.to/1bbe6R0
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Janis Joplin was my first love, her raw emotion spoke to me in a way that has since been unmatched. I am a big fan of Ray Charles, Nikka Costa, Shelby Lynn.. Well just about anything that moves me.
I will say watching Prince perform his Purple Rain tour changed how I viewed the stage and the great intimacy you can produce and exchange with an audience
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
Yes !! Don’t change who you are as an artist or person for anyone, any producer, label , manager. There are a million extremely talented people out there, just look at all the reality shows like the voice, x factor etc… The thing that will set you apart if you have real talent is your authenticity. PERIOD.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
I really have had so many amazing shows , but the one that will forever be burned in my memory is opening for Three Dog Night, with my ex band Hangman’s Daughter. There was probably about 8-10K people in the audience… we were asked back for an oncore and received really long standing ovation!!! I sold out all of my merchandise that night, it was amazing.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
Yep… after 3 months in a smallish van touring the west coast.. My vocals were starting to give out. I had the flu and we were to perform somewhere up in Washington? Well we ended up in an icestorm and nearly died trying to get to our show.. We made it and a total of about 6 really drunk old people were there to celebrate our amazing survival story with us!
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
I love drawing pictures of boobs.. who told you!!! Oh and I am an energy healer.. that is actually a pretty cool Hobby..
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
Well I’m coming back after taking a small break to have my daughter and focus on being a mom. My initial take on this whole scene is that it is much improved!! I was just joking with a writer the other day about hanging flyers up on telephone poles.. now it is all about social media, this gives us as artists and entertainers great strength to connect to our fans on a very personal consistent basis and when we are connected we are supported.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
Well , My keyboard player is a highschool band teacher, lesbian and married to a minister.. and oh we live in the bible belt! My bass player just had a song played at the world series that he wrote with ZZ top called “This Beard is here to Party”, That is probably enough????? ha.. the rest is confidential
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Absolutely Ginger. This is a hookup right?
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
Be yourself!! Don’t let anyone change your mind, your body, your idea if you don’t want them too.
Know that this life is fucking short and this is not a dress rehearsal.Love who you want , don’t waste one more minute.Get on with it and if you are bitchen and complaining.. do something different.. Everything in your experience is a product of your own thoughts.. And don’t forget to sing.
KickActs interviews Maurice Carmon “Mlyrics”
Posted onJanuary 10, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist while they were working on their next CD and Tour. First off
I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to talk to us here today, as i know our readers have been requesting us get you in here some how some way. You folks have been described by your fans as internet
sensations in this interview we will attempt to figure out how this artist became such a great performer and what they have going forward.
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web. I am a solo R&B/Soul act. Born and raised out of Washington D.C. let’s just say as a writer as well my music include stories of love to just real life situations. My music can be found at sites such as soundcloud, reverbnation, myspace, basically all the social sites as well I had an official release in Oct 2013.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mlyrics Myspace: https://myspace.com/mlyrics Reverbnation: http://www.reverbnation.com/mauricecarmonmlyrics SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/mlyrics
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why? Now, if I was to name everyone you guys would not have enough room to publish anyone else’s story (I am just joking). Some of my influences are Joe, Charlie Wilson, Sam Cook, and sum it up all of the real soul and R&B singers.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid? This is no secret but for those who do not know or may not understand why their music career may be at a standstill, every artist must have or make great connections which are just a part of what it takes to make it these days. Second you need a budget because as they say you get what you pay for and I am speaking in regards to their promotion, marketing, and branding. Third have some not good music but top notch music. It has to be top notch because everyone these days is an artist and many of them are actually coming up with some good music. Last, keep the mess at home. The industry is a business.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share? Not really, any and every time I perform, I love it.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story. Not really as I stated earlier I just love to perform so there is no “worse gig”, now someone else may think it was bad, lol but I just love to perform.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs? No stamps collecting, or hats and unfortunately I have never been a good drawer so boob drawing is totally out (this was a funny one) but I am a writer. Writing is my love and ultimately first love. I have written all of my material as well I have written and worked with other artist from Snoop to Jon B and the ones in between were nothing short of amazing as well like Charlie Wilson, K-CI, Samantha Jade, MidWest City, Day 26 and many others.
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that? Oh boy, you’re trying to have some people upset at me huh? Just messing, well today I believe that the music scene is a little everywhere. It’s not where it was when the real and good talent determined the scene but it’s popularity that determines it now. I mean there are some artist that lucked up and had the right financial backing and connection so they got in then on the other hand there is some of the most amazing artist out there that the majority of people have and will never hear their music.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…I am a solo act, but there is something that may surprise people which is I am actually a studying Jehovah’s Witness. Yes, there are others in the music industry beside George Benson and “The Symbol” Prince J
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why? Lol, man you guys are definitely keeping me on my toes, lol uh to be honest probably none. I say none, because sometimes and in some situations it is just best to be alone and this may be the situation. Plus I do not believe in simply hooking up there is just too much out there that I do not care to experience (if you know what I mean), lol
Our last one is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”! As a real music lover, I wish and cannot wait for the days where the downloading and free streaming is over. People have to realize that this is how musicians and artist make a living. It is just unfair that labels and artist spend so much of their personal time, money, and talents and not be compensated yet people want others to support and buy their material. I also hope that these new artist wake up and understand that this is not an industry to where talent will simply be enough. And that they should not expect anyone to invest money or time into them when they are not willing to do it into themselves. I know this has nothing to do with music but people just really need to start treating each other as they want to be treated. All the bullying, robberies, killings, etc…Is just destroying us as a people. It’s sad when hear someone got snatched into a car in broad daylight in front of a bank. Last, there are a number of people in the world that can personally have enough financially that they can individually get the U.S. out of this “debt” it’s in. What this simply means is that these certain individuals have enough money that they or their great, great, great grandkids will never be able to spend in their lifetime. I just pray that maybe one day they decide to actually help oppose to given large sums of funds to companies that are “suppose” to help but never do. It’s time for that to change because they can make a difference.
Ten Questions with “Brian Psalms”
Posted onJanuary 3, 2014Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist.
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
You can find me on the wed at @brianpsalms for the twitter on facebook at www.facebook.com/brian.psalms ,and we are working on the website and it will be when finished www.brianpsalms.com but it’s not ready yet.
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Stevie Wonder is my music hero, because his music just hits you in the heart. I love how Jay Z has been able to stay in the game so long even at 40. And there’s more, but I don’t feel like talking about them.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
Just have fun. Music is suppose to be therapeutic, and yes you are suppose to per-fect your craft, but just have fun.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
Actually, my first gig was a big one. I wasn’t sure how the people were going to react to Christian rap, but they went crazy, and I got a lot of compliments on the lyrics. I was performing Still I Stand Remix.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
Really don’t have any worse gigs yet.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
I am an athlete and I love sports. I love football, and basketball.
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
I like the present hip hop scene because all the beats sound like their from Down South, and being from Texas that is right up my alley.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
I speak in tongues in my prayer life. When I tell people that they always look at me funny unless their from a full gospel church.
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
I watched the show when I was younger, but can’t quite remember the characters.
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
I hope people will give God a little time in their life. All God wants from you is a relationship, so if you can, put a little time out for him.
KickActs interviews Nikol!
Posted onDecember 20, 2013Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting
artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the
artist while they were working on their next CD and Tour!
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you
can be found at on the web.
I have been on the stage since forever. When I was old enough to walk, I would follow my older sister up onto stage while she performed a solo in church and when I felt like it I would sing a note, when I didn’t, I’d just stand there with my thumb in my mouth…I just wanted to be ON the stage. I’ve attended Berklee College of Music for Stage Performance and been to AMTC three times. When I was in school I was in every singing group they had (girls ensemble, chorale, chorus) and I played violin for 4 years (when my parents moved us from MA to NC the
school we attended didn’t have an orchestra, so I stopped playing). I bought my first guitar (a black thin-body Martin acoustic/electric) right after I turned 18 and started taking private lessons at Raleigh Music Academy. Since then, I have
opened up for a few fashion shows and have been playing shows at live music venues in Virginia and various cities in North Carolina. My first album just released on
July 30, 2013 it’s available on iTunes, Amazon, etc\’94bittersweet.\’94,
check it out!!\
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www.reverbnation.com/nikolmusik\
www.facebook.com/nikolmusik\
www.twitter.com/nikolmusik\
www.soundcloud.com/nikolmusik\
nikolmusik.bandcamp.com\
itunes.apple.com/us/album/bittersweet./id668405769\
http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/nikolmusik\cf0 \
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Paramore – Hayley WIlliams has an amazing voice and their lyrics are incredible.\
Lacey Sturm – she was the lead singer for Flyleaf (she has since stepped down). i
wish i knew how to scream and sing like that, you know, and still have it sound
good..Christina Aguilera – her voice is unreal. that power, the unending range, and just
overall amazing talent, whoa!!!
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any
pitfalls they should avoid?
stay positive – pitfalls to avoid: all negativity. the more work you put in,
the better your results.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
i played a show in Chapel Hill, NC that was flawless performance-wise. the
energy was really there that night and the crowd was a lot of fun. also, i got
scheduled for a show at a big venue in Raleigh through a booking agency a couple
years back, and was given the wrong time for my set – they changed it when i got to
the venue, so i went from being 3rd or 4th on the lineup to 1st. i went on and only
had a handful of people there to watch because nobody planned on getting there until
much later. when the set time i was originally given came around, i did a little
show for people in the parking lot. that’s one of my favorite nights. the fans
really loved it and i felt good about turning the night around into something
positive.
On the same token as the above question. How about a worse gig story.
i actually just played an acoustic show and completely blew the beginning – i
forgot the words to the verse i was singing, so i moved on to a different one that
made people laugh just by the title – it was a cover by The Downtown Fiction called
“I Just Wanna Run” because that’s what I really wanted to do at that time, haha –
the rest of the show was successful from then on – sometimes all it takes is a
little loosening up
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect
hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
every time i go to a show, i get a tshirt. so i have a collection of band
tshirts. my aunt makes beautiful quilts and she helped me cut and design a concert
tee blanket and i love it. it might be time for tshirt blanket part 2
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
i just kind of hate that schools are cutting music education.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that.
Chris, drums, teaches at the Living Arts School in NC and is a black belt in
Tae Kwon Do. Damien started playing guitar when he was 14 years old and has spent a
lot of time doing volunteer environmental work. Justin has played guitar for over 15
years and likes to kayak. Anthony started playing bass when he 14 and is an avid
mountain biker.
9. Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you getto hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell, and why?
i would love a vacation on the island!!
Our last question is called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and ’93SHOUT IT OUT LOUD’!
keep up with what’s new on www.nikolmusik.com and check out my CD on iTunes:
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bittersweet./id668405769\
Nikol is ready to be entered for Ernie Ball’s Battle of the Bands at the beginning
on next year and i would really appreciate the support:
http://www.battleofthebands.com/u/nikolmusik\
i hope to see you at a show!!!!
Ten Questions with “The Brothers Rigney”
Posted onDecember 6, 2013Recently James Lowe from Kickacts Magazine sat down with one of the very exciting artists on the scene. The following is a written interview we conducted with the artist while they were working on their next CD and Tour. First off
Welcome to Kick Acts. Tell us a little about yourself and your band and were you can be found at on the web.
The Brothers Rigney is a rock duo based out of Austin, TX. The founding members, Paul and Bryan, are brothers and form the core of this eclectic, melodic rock project. Come visit us at www.thebrothersrigney.com or www.facebook/thebrothersrigney to read the full story, see pictures and listen to our music.
Who are your musical heroes, influences & why?
Our musical heros include anybody who has ever picked up an instrument and made a living. Guitar influences such as Jimi Hendrix and Jimmy Page and Bass influences ranging from Jaco Pastorius to Flea. All of these people studied and mastered their craft and were able to share it with the rest of us.
Do you have any advice for someone just getting started in playing music? Any pitfalls they should avoid?
Hang in there. It’s a marathon, not a race. Don’t get greedy and chase money. Do it because you love it or don’t do it at all.
Do you have a greatest gig story you’d like to share?
We were doing a gig early on and the drummer who was sitting had a monster case of stage jitters. We started the set and noticed that we were going way too fast. We tried to signal him to slow down but he just kept going faster. Between songs we tried talking to him but it only got worse. By the time the set was over, we had played an hour’s worth of music in 40 minutes. We called it our Alvin and the Chipmunks night.
On the same token as the above question. How about a “worse gig” ever story.
The worst gig ever was an outdoor gig we did one October in Texas. Fall is generally mild in Texas and a great time of year to be outside. It figures that a cold front would blow in and drop the temp 20 degrees during the gig. Our hands nearly froze to the frets.
Do you have any other hobbies other than playing music? Collect stamps? Collect hats from off the side of the road? Draw pictures of boobs?
We are great fans of boobs, but aren’t sure we can consider that a hobby. Does playing a different instrument count?
What do you think about the present music scene or lack of? Care to address that?
It’s growing like wildfire. There’s far more opportunity than just a few years ago. Thanks to social media and the proliferation of quality tools to create and record, anybody with skill can now get involved in music.
Tell us something about each of your band members that we wouldn’t expect to hear… Like their hobbies or something like that…
Paul is a certified mechanical watchmaker. It’s pretty uncommon and he’s great at fixing our stuff.
Bryan really loves his cat. He spoils her and calls her his Princess.
Hypothetical situation. You’re stranded on Gilligan’s island and you get to hook up with only one of the girls… Is it Ginger, Mary Ann or Mrs. Howell and why?
Paul says he into Mary Ann because a good farm raised gal will take care of you on a cold night.
Bryan says that all three are too tall, but in a pinch he’d go with Ginger because she’d laugh at his jokes.
Our last question called “Shout It Out Loud”. It’s were you get to talk about whatever you want to talk about. So go ahead and “SHOUT IT OUT LOUD”!
Just buy the album. The more you buy, the more we play, write and play some more. With a little luck, we’ll be able to do our writing in the islands. So please, buy the album.
