All Indie featured song: "Wildfires" by Hillary Reese

Hillary Reese is a 14 year old triple threat country singer songwriter. Hillary continues to write and perform original country with a modern twist. She has released her newest single WILDFIRES April 30th and it shows the growth and maturity of up and coming country super star Hillary Reese. 

Hillary continues to write and perform songs that empower young ladies and women across the entire world. Hillary is a true up and coming star.

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialhillaryreese 

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7jpYRSFWGYmSSyQeiDVJul 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/officialhillaryreese/

Addiction and Awakening: Tommy Botz True Tale of Relapse and Recovery

Songwriter’s Stories of Near Death and Songs of Rebirth Inspire All

Tommy Botz is bringing his own personal struggle with alcoholism and its consequences to light in song, with the Country/Gospel album “Family and Friends”.

With much of today’s country music glamorizing cold beers and whiskey as the way to deal with pain, Tommy is instead using his music and lyrics to heal others - as music has healed him from the specter of substance abuse. Tommy’s uplifting take on things is a welcome departure for many stuck in the cycle.

From broken marriages to lost jobs, no car, and no license - Tommy can relate; living to drink and drinking to live became his routine.

Tommy’s battle with the bottle and the lives that he impacted is discussed on the lead single “Maggie”:

LISTEN TO “MAGGIE” HERE:
MAGGIE

Singer Rose Marie, Tommy’s fiancé who has stood by his side for 30 years, sings on the powerful gospel song “He’s Coming Back”.

LISTEN TO “HE’S COMING BACK” HERE: HE'S COMIN BACK

Botz has also penned “Teddy Bear”, a song written for a fellow inmate while locked up in an Ohio penitentiary as well as others.

LISTEN TO “TEDDY BEAR” HERE: TEDDY BEAR

Botz early interest in music led him to become the lead singer in two bands - The Chevells and The Caesars 5 - who won an RCA recording contract in a Battle of the Bands. But his early interest in alcohol led him down the road to dependence. After the loss of their guitar player and their record contract being pulled, the band stalled but Botz’s drinking problems progressed, ultimately landing him behind bars. Soon, Jail and misery became a way of life.

Since finishing his incarceration, Tommy has been off the streets for good; sober for over 16 years and living quietly at The Ed Keating Center, a halfway house in Ohio - after having “crawled through the doors” on May 3rd, 2004 as a “homeless drunk with nowhere to go”.

With several years of sobriety and working under his belt - he made the decision to go for his dream and finally record some of the over 200+ songs he had written over the years, six of which became the album “Family & Friends”.

Hear the full record at www.adrunksdreamcomestrue.com

For More on Tommy Botz, VISIT:
MusikandFilm.com/Artists/Tommy-Botz
Reverbnation.com/TommyBotz
Tommy Botz Music Facebook Page

For Press Inquiries, Contact: [email protected]

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Interview with Independent Superstars Hall of Fame inductee Luanne Hunt

In the Indie artist world, there’s no question that country/folk singer/songwriter Luanne Hunt has made her mark.

Throughout her illustrious career, the Independent Superstars Hall of Fame inductee has built an impressive list of accomplishments, including scoring numerous No. 1 hits on Independent country music charts around the world.

She is best known for her chart-topping single, “Christmas Without You,” which was recently named by Sweden’s largest daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, one of the top 25 Christmas songs of all-time

“Christmas Without You” also landed on two "Best of 2015 Female Country Holiday Songs" lists in the major online U.S. publications, Autostraddle and Truckers News.

Hunt has been working hard at making quality music for twenty years. Her efforts paid off big time in 2007 when her CD, “Breaking Through,” produced two hit singles on U.S. and European Charts. The enchanting “Solace In The Wind” reached No. 1 on the European Country Music Association’s chart (Belgium) in July, 2010.

Her latest single, “Texas Tears,” recently landed at No. 1 on Europe’s premier AirplayExpress chart and has remained in the top spot for several weeks.

Along with her radio and chart success, Hunt also is a two-time American Songwriting Awards winner.

Interview with Luanne Hunt:

Who or what motivated you to start your career in music?

Luanne:

How does it feel to become a Independent Superstars Hall of Fame inductee?

As an artist in today's industry, do you feel any hardship as a female? Do you feel there an imbalance of male to female artists?

What song represent you the best and why?

If you could perform with any Artist living or dead, who would it be?

What projects are you working on now and what can fans expect from Luanne Hunt in the near future?


Visit Luanne at www.luannehunt.com

Grace by Glitter Rose, a tragic love story with a happy ending

The award winning Glitter Rose is pleased to announce the new single and music video "Grace" is live on iTunes and YouTube!

Watch the video here: "Grace" OFFICIAL Music Video 
"Grace" is a very personal song for the 8-time award winner and one of the deciding factors of the direction of the new album, Outlaw In Love. Glitter has never shown her vulnerability when it comes to love in music, and at this point in her life, she grew tired of hiding what was really inside.

For years, Glitter was encouraged by someone who she looked up to and admired tremendously, to lie about who she was and her true feelings. She was told its better to hide and be someone else. Now, as she became a woman, and her own person, Glitter came to realize that it's not healthy to hide.

"The story of 'Grace' was a very hard and dark period in my life. I was being forced to leave the person I love and hurt them and myself," - Glitter Rose

At some point, Glitter predicts her future by writing the last verse of this song, resulting in a happy ending.

"Everyone deserves a happy ending, even if you think you don't."

Credits:
Written and Produced by Glitter Rose
Mixed by Professor Jay Henry
Musician's include Glitter Rose (acoustic guitar, electric guitar, vocals),Ian Charlie (lead guitar), Erik Ralston (bass) and Chris Hoffman (drums)
Mastered by Morgan Sizer - Mozu Mastering

A Future Classic: Interview with Brandon Jeffries

Brandon Jeffries is a Songwriter and Cover Artist from Northeastern North Carolina. He has been described as having a gritty, southern style that adds a natural, raw sounding flavor to anything he performs. With heavy roots in various genres of Rock and Country music, his style appeals to a wide range of listeners and age groups. If you happen to be looking for a casual night out with good people and quality acoustic music, then Brandon Jeffries is a “Must See” performer.

Interview with Brandon Jeffries

Tell us about yourself. What made you decide to become a Singer Songwriter? Where did the inspiration come from and what or who lured you into becoming an artist yourself?

Brandon: I started playing music at the age of 14. My father was in a cover band. I would see him every other week or so as a kid. He always tried to get me to play, but in middle school I finally picked it up. Through the years, music has always been something I find myself coming back too. I was a natural and, no matter what, I find myself using music to pass the time, or to vent. It’s just in my bones, if you will. I find everything about music absolutely amazing. Music, in itself, is like a spirit; like the wind. You can’t touch it, but it can touch you. You can’t see it, but it’s presence is experienced.

If you are asking about influences... I listen to just about everything. Depending on my mood or setting. That is another wonderful thing about music. Each song and artist is like a seasoning on a pallet of flavor, certain music for breakfast, and specific tunes in the evening to unwind. I really do mean “...just about everything”. I’ll put on John Meyer in the morning and by lunch I’m listening to Queen. There was a phase were I was heavy into Sinatra, and I still listen to him occasionally has I cook dinner. I grew up in the 90’s, so there is a heavy influence there as well. Green Day, Weezer, Third Eye Blind, Matchbox Twenty, etc..

I prefer the title of songwriter because these days you have to be more than just an “Artist”. In fact, the word “Artist” in some musical circles has become synonymous with the term “talking head”. It takes much more to make it, and you can’t just be a face. You have to write, engineer, produce, finance, and plan everything yourself. I feel like keeping my title as “songwriter” gives a little more credit than the average “Artist”. Especially with how the Pop side of things are run these days. On the same note, sticking with “songwriter” allows me to venture into writing for other genres. Which is something else that I enjoy doing. It helps not to box me in, or define my image to one scene or genre. I feel like, even with society in general, there are too many labels and boxes that we put each other in. Whether it be race, financial status, sexual preference, whatever. Why all the labels. Let’s just play tunes and prosper!

What song of yours do you think represents you the best?

Brandon: I would say “Everything”. Hah! That could get confusing. That song is probably my favorite to play live, and it’s SOOO catchy! My back ground is heavy in Country and Rock music, and I can hear both of those in that track. It’s gotten great reviews too!

“‘Everything’ is one of the best songs on ‘Future Classic.’ This wonderful little love ditty is so well written and executed. I love the brass sections, the innocence nature of Jeffries’ performance, and his lovable scatting toward the end of the tune. ‘Everything’ is one of the most successful pop endeavors I’ve heard this year - it’s absolutely infectious.” ~ Brett Stewart, The Independent Spotlight

You mentioned that you do cover songs as well. What's your favorite song to cover?

Brandon: Oooh! That’s a good one! Im really not sure. I think I go through phases. One month I will play the heck out of one song, and then a week later, there is another one on repeat. I would say at the moment, it’s a toss-up between three,

1. Easy - The Commodores
2. Can’t You See - Marshall Tucker Band
3. In One Ear - Cage The Elephant

If at all, what artists do you like and admire today?

Brandon: There are SOOO many artists that inspire me these days. There are hundreds of people, just like me, trying to do this and make it on their own. First and foremost, THOSE are the people I look up too. We get a lot of ideas from each other, and it really takes a team to make it in this industry. There a few Independents that I really admire these days though, as well; such as Allen Stone, Hooray for The Riff Raff, ZZ Ward, and a few others. Too many to name them all really.

If you could perform and share the stage with any artist (living or dead), who would it be?

Brandon: Oh man, these questions are hittin’ hard! That is another really tough one to answer on the spot. If I had to narrow it down to sharing the stage, I would want in to be a JAM! Like really funk it out. I know my latest EP is heavy in the “Alt Rock” genre, but I have a long history with an acoustic guitar. I think I would like to rock it with Dave Matthews. That would probably the most rad gig I could imagine.

You've been an artist for a few years now. What has been your toughest challenge as a solo artist?

Brandon: The hardest part being an independent/solo artist is figuring out what to do. There really are no rules the game, and as an independent/solo artist, there is no one to lead you by the hand and tell you what to do. It’s very easy to waste time, and/or invest in the wrong assets too early or too late. On top of that, in the industry today, you have to more than one task. Specialization is for insects. Like I said above, “You have to write, engineer, produce, finance, and plan everything yourself.”. It’s so much work, sometimes just figuring out where to start is the hardest part. I would say the most important step is getting your original repertoire up, and getting a solid ear for recording. Those are huge assets.

This is a two-part question. It appears you've had some recent success. You're No. 1 on Reverbnation. You've had a lot of good attention from the press and your fans seem to be pretty supportive. What do you think is the secret to your success? What do you feel like you're lacking in and want to make improvements on in the near future as an independent musician?

Brandon: I would say the biggest key to my recent success is the support of the fans. Without them, I would be nowhere. Their streams and plays help keep me trending, and that’s only a good thing. It was because of the fans that I got the chance to put together this rockin’ EP, and it’s because of the fans that I will continue to work hard, not only to make even better music, but to help improve the life of everyone I come across, as best I can.

As far as where I am lacking.. Hmmm. My ego doesn’t like to think that I’m lacking anything haha. I would say, at the moment my biggest setback is not travelling enough. In my defense, I have been a little spent (financially) since recording this year, and I am just now getting back into regular gigging. I really wanna get back to California. I have a nice bunch of fans there. I plan to hit a lot of places at the start of 2016. For the holidays, I will be playing a few coffee shops, and staying close to family in the Norfolk, VA area.

What is in store for Brandon Jeffries? A new music video? A new EP? A tour perhaps?

Brandon: Well! The EP just released, so I am working on A TON of stuff. I have a “Tunes in the Terminal Tour” coming up. I’ll be in airports performing from Atlanta, to Chicago, to San Fran. For the next couple months, you can find me in Norfolk or Virginia Beach, VA playing some casual/intimate entertainment gigs at coffee shops. Also, my record label (The Uther Geis), is putting together a string of events for a tour where we team up with local artists and businesses and do a really, really fun event with wine and give aways. Oh, I get excited, but I don’t want to give away too many details on that just yet. Just keep your eyes out for a “The Uther Geis Presents:” event! See you on tour!

Find more of Brandon Jefferies:

http://www.Facebook.com/BrandonJeffriesMusic
http://www.Twitter.com/BJeffriesMusic
http://www.Youtube.com/c/BrandonJeffriesMusic
http://www.Instagram.com/BJeffriesMusic
http://www.ReverbNation.com/BJeffriesMusic

Texas rocker Glitter Rose releases music video for "Hollywood Rain"

8-time award winner Glitter Rose does it again with the release of "Hollywood Rain," the first single from the upcoming album Outlaw In Love.


October 2, 2015 - Los Angeles, CA - Glitter Rose is a southern rock artist, songwriter, and music producer originally from Ft. Worth, TX based in Los Angeles. With a 4-year gap between releases, GR's new album isn't just another album. Outlaw In Love is the materialization of a personal journey that is inspired by a more intimate side of the south-paw-rocker. GR has written for movie soundtracks, guest appeared on several albums, and earned eight music awards, including Album of the Year for her 2012 release Dead or Alive, Country Artist of the Year, Best Music Video for "Buda Negra," and Artist of the Year in 2014.

"Hollywood Rain" officially hits online retailers September 17th and the "Hollywood Rain" music video will premiered worldwide on October 1 on YouTube.

Go to www.thisisgr.com for more information. Listen to “Hollywood Rain” on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/glitter-rose-1/hollywood-rain

 For interviews, appearances, and event bookings, contact [email protected]

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A Mountain, A Struggle, A Tunnel, A Light: Interview with Jiggley Jones

Jiggley Jones, whether alone or a member of various bands in the past has written or co-written well over 100 songs. His prolific writing earned him 2 nominations and a subsequent win, for Songwriter of the Year, at the 2013 International Music and Entertainment Association (IMEA) Awards, 2 New Music Awards nominations (AC New Artist and AC Breakthrough Artist) and a 2014 Independent Country Music Association Award nomination for Best Americana Artist. He also received 3 IMEA Award Nominations in 2014 and an AMG Heritage Awards nomination. His experience has taken him through various phases and musical endeavors including a stint during his younger years working in entertainment public relations in Los Angeles. With some success on college radio, Jones was also, as a member of a band called “Q”, involved with soundtrack projects on select MTV shows such as The Dennis Rodman Show, Cindy Crawford’s “House of Style”, and the reality show Road Rules.

His live shows have taken him to Nashville’s CMA Festival in both 2013 and 2014, where he performed at BB King’s Blues Club and the Tin Roof, as well as other top notch venues such as The Hard Rock Café in Philly, The Bitter End in NYC, and The World Café in Wilmington, Delaware. He has also performed at the prestigious Dewey Beach Music Conference, Singer Songwriter Cape May, and the Millennium Music Conference.

Interview with Jiggley Jones

What motivated you to become a singer songwriter?

Jiggley Jones: I don’t know if it was motivation or something that just fell into place naturally as I played my instrument over time.

Tell me about your name "Jiggley". How did that name come about?

Jiggley Jones: That’s actually a nickname that I’ve had for many years. Once my friends stuck that to me it spread like wildfire and before I knew it everybody was calling me that.

I see that you have a few accolades. How does it feel to be recognized by IMEA and ICM for your work as an artist?

Jiggley Jones: It feels great ! It’s one thing when fans recognize you by listening to your music but when the industry recognizes you that’s a different kind of satisfaction.
Have you considered other award programs like the Independent Music Awards and the Artists In Music Awards?

Jiggley Jones: Well my manager is the one who usually submits me so I hope he reads this, haha.
Tell me about your likes. Who was your idol music artist growing up?

I grew up listening to Classic Rock and I loved (and still do) Neil Young, The Eagles, CCR etc…

Who do you like listening to today?

Jiggley Jones:  I’ve become a huge Country Music fan and love everybody from Zac Brown to Blackberry Smoke and I’m really liking those guys “The Cadillac Three.”

Earlier this Summer, you released your EP ... A Mountain, A Struggle, A Tunnel, A Light .... Tell us about the album. What inspired you to create this EP and what is the message you want to give to listeners?

Jiggley Jones: This record was a collection of some of my older songs and a few newer ones that fit in with the title. That would be my metaphor for life itself and the struggles and accomplishments that happen as you go along.

What song on the album are you most proud of?

Jiggley Jones: I like “Early Morning Light.” It just has that raw emotion to it.

I see that you currently endorse a charity organization. Can you talk about it and why you feel so strongly about supporting their cause?

Jiggley Jones: This organization isn’t a charity in itself. What they do is pair artists with charities to bring light to those specific charities. In other words if an artist who was well known showed up at an event for a certain charity, then the public would become more aware of the event and therefor more attention would hopefully be given to that charity.

So, what is in the immediate future for Jiggley Jones, a tour, music video, a song in an upcoming film perhaps?

Jiggley Jones: Right now the focus is to get the word out about the latest release. So whatever that involves, whether it be interviews or live performances etc.., then that’s the direction I will head for a good while.

Thank you for your time Jiggley Jones. Best wishes on your career and we hope to see one of your performances here in Los Angeles, CA.

Find more of Jiggley Jones:
www.jiggleyjones.com
www.facebook.com/jiggleyj
www.twitter.com/jiggleyjones
www.youtube.com/jiggleyjonesmusic

Audio Interview with Katie Cole: "Lost Inside a Moment"

Originally from Melborne, Austrialia, Katie Cole is full of energy, not only in her music, but her stage presence lights up any room.

Now residing in Los Angeles to pursue her career in music, Katie found Producer, Howard Willing. Willing is well known for his engineering and production work with Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Snoop Dog, Tupac, Macy Gray and Smashing Pumpkins and many other music artists. Willing is now working with Katie and he helped launch Katie’s debut EP called, Lost Inside a Moment last July. With her debut album, Katie has been captivating audiences on stage, on the web, on television, and heard on the radio airwaves across the world.

Lost Inside a Moment is chalk full of catchy rock songs, some with a sense of country flare like the title song, “Lost Inside a Moment”. “Lost Inside a Moment” is about two people longing for that chance meeting, but are lost in a moment of thought, because both are distracted more by the dream and fail to see the opportunity right in front of their eyes. A song like this could easily be a title track for a romantic comedy film or even a popular television show. The song has won Katie one of the highest honors as she took this song to No. 1 in the OurStage Keith Urban Competition. Keith himself has yet to select Katie to be the one to record a track with him, but there is a lot of optimism that she will be the one.

My other favorite is the song, “Sunrise”. Like most of the songs on this entire album, this track has more of a pop and rock feel. It’s like listening to a Kelly Clarkson song. Combined with the guitar rhythm and infectious beat, it has a lot of positive energy. “Sunrise” is definitely radio friendly and a crowd pleaser, because it’s hard to listen and keep still.

Other notable tracks worth listening are “Always” which is an up-tempo love song, the song, “Breakout” that is supposed to be the somber track of the album, but still remains to be as upbeat as the entire album. And, there is the song “Gravity”. Just recently, the song was featured on a 30-second Movado Bold television commercial. This song is sure to gain popularity and become a big hit.

Find more of Katie Cole on: Facebook, MySpace Twitter, and her official website Katie Cole

Purchase: Lost Inside a Moment on iTunes

Age is just a Number: Exclusive Interview with von Grey

Von Grey also known as SisterVG, are a fresh young Counrty pop/rock quartette from Alpharetta, GA.

Although they have the youth along the likes of the legendary 70’s group the Jackson 5 and the 90's male pop group, Hanson, these four sisters do not consider themselves to be inside any one particular category nor do they compare themselves to any mainstream artists. Instead they span over several genres including folk pop, a little bit of rock, with the right amount of country and sound a bit like the Dixie Chicks did when they debut back in 1997.

Nearly seven years of formal training in the art of classical music, the eldest, Kathyrn von Grey (age 15) is the bands bassist and cello composer, and her sister Annika (age 13) trained in violin and guitar. On March 6th, both Kathryn and Annika were given an honor of distinction with an invitation to perform at the Savannah Civic Center.

Guitarist, vocalist, and one of the youngest sisters of Von Grey is Fiona (age 12). Like her eldest sisters, she too is also trained in violin and classical guitar (mandolin) as well. The youngest of the four is Fiona (age 9). She gives von Grey that little “extra” that fills in von Grey’s missing piece and she love’s being apart of her sisters group. “Being the youngest member of the band is really fun, but I must say; sometimes they (my sisters) get onto my nerves,” said Fiona.

Even though not one sister seems to play the major roll of lead, they each play a vital part of this four girl group and could not function without each other.

Von Grey’s newest album is currently in preproduction and not all their newest hits have been released, and while some of their recent tracks are cover songs from other artists, they have tons of original music including, “Perfect” Love, “Don’t Tell Me”, and “What’s Your Name”. The soon to be released album is filled with bubbly-pop combination of bluegrass and pop rock that is both enjoyable and fun. The song, “What’s Your Name” reminds me of the Dixie Chicks debut album, Wide Open Spaces when they crossed Country music with pop. Von Grey brings back that captured essence. “We’re trying to experiment with every kind of genre we can get our hands on and kinda find what suits us,” said Kathryn.

While their songs are mostly up-tempo, they slow down pace with songs like “Perfect Love”, a song about finding her first love and a Damien Rice cover song, “Volcano”, a magnificent ballad that really showcases Kathryn’s talent as a cellist and Annika’s talent as a violinist.

Von Grey’s new album is not available to purchase, but the band is working hard to get it together just in time for summer. Listen to a special 4-track preview with a special appearance from the entire band on The Great Unknowns Presents.

Q: You guys just completed a photo shoot. How did that go? Was this your first real photo shoot for the band?
Photo shoots give us an excuse to go shopping, so what’s not to love? This was our second photo shoot, so we were more relaxed. We did our first official photo shoot back in January, which was in a studio. We had wanted to get some outdoor shots too, but it was unusually cold and yucky here in Atlanta this winter. Thankfully, the weather has been beautiful recently and we found a really cool spot near an old abandoned mill to do the shoot.
Q: Being such a young group of girls, is it sometimes hard finding time to practice, do homework, and having time to do things with friends? Yes, it can be pretty tough to fit everything in. And we still have a classical chamber music ensemble that performs periodically (in fact we’re playing at a wedding this weekend.) So that adds even more things to fit it. We try to get all of our classical practice in before school and then we make time in the afternoons, evenings, and throughout the weekends for von Grey practice. Balancing the music, with the school, while still trying to hold on to enough social time is a constant challenge, but we make it work somehow. We actually just finished a week of spring break, which gave us some time to sleep in and kick back a bit - going to the movies and stuff like that. Thankfully, we only have about 25 more days of school. We’re hoping to play a number of shows over the summer, and looking forward to more time to focus on our music and hang with friends when we are home.
Q: I know von Grey is relatively a new, but do people at school know you guys are a band? Yeah, mostly they do. It’s funny because it causes a mixed reaction. Some people are pretty enthusiastic. Others think we work too hard. And others don’t quite understand and thinks it’s weird. In suburban Atlanta, being on a sports team is more “normal.” As excited as we are about what we are doing, there’s a fine line of not talking too much about it. All of us feel like we will look back on our childhood and think music was a cool thing to do. Ultimately, that’s what matters.
Q: Are you still treated like everyone else? Yes, for the most part. The places we’ve played so far are mostly music clubs in Atlanta, which can be a bit late and some of them don’t even let kids in. Once we get some opportunities where more people -- like people our age - can see us, things might change a bit.
Q: Annika, I know you mentioned in an interview in Atlanta Magazine that you guys want to sound like who you listen to. Who are your favorite bands? I move between a lot of artists and not all of it would fit our voices and instruments. But one artist that I’ve been listening to a lot and where I really like the groove is Ben Harper. My sisters and I all listen to a wide range of music, from Regina Spektor to Lil Wayne to Sugarland.
Q: Of those favorite artists, who influences your style of music the most? We’ve tried to pick & choose. We like the country feel of Shedaisy, the smooth Celtic vibe of Damien Rice, and the fun pop feel of Jason Mraz. We recently went to see John Mayer in concert, which was a great show. But we also have tickets to go see Lady Antebellum and Sugarland. We all wish we could sing like Carrie Underwood, but enjoy the sounds of folk and traditional music too. At this point, we hope to be able to pull attributes from many genres into our music, creating our own sound.

Q: I read that you traveled to India for three months and did a mini tour and you’ve also traveled to Ireland to perform. How were those experiences? They were pretty special, although in different ways. The Irish trip was just Annika & Kathryn, and was mostly about Annika’s Irish fiddling. After winning a US competition, she qualified to compete in the All-Ireland competition. It was a great trip. To see and play with masses of musicians playing such authentic music everywhere - pubs, street corners, etc. - was incredible. The India trip on the other hand was great because we weren’t just tourists. We actually lived there, with a house and neighbors, in a rustic little village in the middle of banana plantations. Western children in rural India are quite rare, so we stood out from the beginning. We were offered lots of opportunities to share our music. It was truly a life-changing three months both musically and personally. We all look forward to going back. We made a lot of connections with incredible people and musicians, including the founders of Braille Without Borders, a charity we continue to support.
Q: On March 6th, Kathryn and Annika were honored by the Georgia Music Educators Association with an invite to perform at the Georgia All-State Orchestra. How did that go? It was a rewarding weekend. To gather an orchestra together and in four days perform a concert to be proud of is really special. We have never really gone the competitive route with our Classical music, so we embrace the challenge each year to audition for All-State. Plus, Georgia’s All-State activities happen in Savannah, which is a beautiful city and a great place to spend a few days.
Q: So far you’ve only incorporated the violin and cello into one song (Volcano). Are you guys working on more songs that include those instruments? Yes, many of our originals have either Annika on violin or Kathryn on cello, or both. We have also used some banjo and mandolin with our originals. In time, Petra is likely to come in on her viola, but for now she is fascinated with the slide-guitar. We love performing a song based on a very old Irish poem called “I Am Stretched on Your Grave.” That arrangement includes a furious Celtic violin and cello break-down and solos from all of the band members.
Q: Who is the writer of the group or do you all contribute to the songs? Thus far everyone contributes to the process. A few originals have come pretty complete from one person, but most of them involve different members along the way. The lyrics have been more of a team effort, although even there, a few songs came to the group for arranging pretty complete. Kathryn has a keyboard in her bedroom and tends to first work solo, where Annika and Fiona bend towards the guitars. All in all, it is pretty much a group effort.
Q: What song is your favorite to perform? We like performing our original song, “What’s Your Name”. It’s so fun to play and really upbeat! The harmonies are tight, and we recently rearranged it to incorporate the violin. Whenever we play this song live, the audience really gets into it, which makes it even more fun.
Q: Do your songs have a common meaning or theme? Not really. We’re pretty young and we realize that good songs are kind of like good poems - they are most meaningful if they come from real-life experiences. So a lot of our stuff is about things that kids our age have experienced or can understand. We are all such different people, I don’t think you will see a common meaning or theme arising from our band. As four sisters, we have learned how to compromise and accommodate.
Q: What is the future of von Grey? What can fans expect to see from you guys? Right now, we’re hard at work writing new songs and rehearsing for some of our upcoming shows. We are hoping that our fans can help us out by voting for us to be the “undiscovered artist” to appear at LilithFair in Atlanta. We’re asking our fans to register and vote for us at: http://www.ourstage.com/go/lilithatlanta beginning May 2nd. For us, performing at Lilith with superstars like Sarah McLachlan would be like a dream. In a more general sense, we are just going to keep pursuing our dreams and see where they take us.
Q: This summer, are you looking to do a tour? If so, where? We have several shows scheduled for May, including the Georgia State Fair and the 500 Songs for Kids Charity Event. Our family, including our parents, are organizing life to be ready to hit the road. We were all home-schooled up until this last year and are preparing for that possibility again. We’re working with our manager now to try to organize something suitable. Maybe some of your program’s listeners will be people who can help us out with some recommendations! If something comes up for the summer we are ready and it would be great, but we are really putting our sights on making sure something happens for the Fall and through next year.

Q: When can the listening public expect your first CD? If we stay on track with our current progress, we’ll be in the studio in June and hopefully releasing our first CD by the end of July. We have about half of the CD already recorded.

Thank you so much for answering these questions and thank you for calling in to do the introduction. It was great! Good luck with the success of your band. I can't wait to hear more music from you!

Annika: Michael, thanks to you too for giving us an opportunity to tell your subscribers about our band. We hope your readers will sign up as fans of our band to stay current with our progress. Our website is http://www.vongrey.com/ 

We’ll definitely stay in touch.

Listen to a special 4-track preview with a special appearance from the entire band on The Great Unknowns Presents

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