Blake Allison is the lead singer/guitarist for the band Memphis, TN based rock band Devour The Day. The group recently finished up a successful tour run with Hinder and has also re-released their “Good Man” EP which features a brand new set of mixes. Media Mikes spoke with Blake recently about the group’s formation, the bands re-release and their upcoming plans for 2014

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the band?
Blake Allison: Joey Chicago and I have been writing songs together for a long time. We got to the point with our old band Egypt Central where Joey and I were writing all the music. When the band started everyone pitched in with the song writing equally. As that band went on and we experienced some member changes it came down to Joey and I putting all the music and lyrics together. We started writing what would have been the third record for that band and during that process our singer left us high and dry. We decided that what we had could be really great material and possibly be used for another band. We loved that band but Devour the Day is really close to our hearts. This music is exactly as we want it. In the previous band we would write the music and other members would perform it. With Devour the Day we can do everything we want and it seems to mess with our musical background better. This music is straight from the heart and for the first time in a long time we can finish a song without outside help as we are creating it.

AL: Can you tell us about the re-release of the bands “Good Man” EP?
BA: We just finished that up pretty recently. We teamed up with Brian Malouf who is legend in the music industry for making great mixes. He helped us take this whole thing on and we actually were working on in while we were still on tour. We started out shooting ideas back and forth over the phone on how we could give the songs a make over. When we signed to Caroline Records we were super excited and we thought that doing this re-release would be a great way to kick things off. Everyone here is super excited about what we have coming up for 2014.

AL: The band recently finished up a tour with Hinder. Can you tell us about that experience?
BA: Those guys are friends of ours from back when we had our first band. They are just nice people. I think a lot of people would assume that people who are famous are jerks but these guys are not. These guys are living out their dreams and are very happy doing that. Those guys have always taken care of us and when we decided we were going to tour Devour the Day I gave the Cody their drummer a call and asked him to put in a good word for us. He did and landed us a tour that has had us on the road for the better half of 2013.

AL: What was the reception like from the fans?
BA: It has been amazing! We kind of share the same audience and can be heard on the same types of radio stations. The crowds may start off looking at us like we are a little bit weird as they have never heard our songs before but by the end of the set they understand what we are about and what we are trying to do. It can be hard to come out of the gat e and connect with a crowd so we get up there and just lose it and act like idiots. (Laughs) The crowds have loved it though and we are excited to get back out there.

AL: Your song “Good Man” is doing really well right now can you tell what made you choose that song to put out first?
BA: When it came time to pick a song to release there really wasn’t much of a dispute when it came to choosing “Good Man”. That song just stood out as something different from the rest of the material. Simply put it was the strongest song on the record. That song really was the catalyst for putting everything in motion. We had a group of songs that we were going to do and once this one was completed and sent out it got a lot of attention.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands Kickstarter campaign that just wrapped up?
BA: We had discussed putting a video together and the first thing that came up was how could we make a video on a small as budget as possible. We started toying with the idea of doing a cheap video, which generally equates to a band playing in an empty warehouse. That’s just not who we are. We wanted to do something different. Joey’s brother Dan handles the non-profit side of a company called Neighborhood Film Company. They put together Kickstarter campaigns for films that help provide jobs to people in need. We thought it would be a good idea to take the same approach and we came up with the idea of doing a video recognizing all of the people who have helped us get to where we are. We are looking forward to starting work on this and the idea is to make people cry and do something different that what a typical rock band would do.

AL: Can you tell us what the band has planned for the rest of this year leading into 2014?
BA: We have some really big shows coming up towards then end of this year. We have some things in the works for 2014 but I can’t really say too much about that just yet. We are really excited though as we will be out with some newer bands that have a similar sound to us. That should be a really great time.

Myles Kennedy is the lead singer/rhythm guitar player for the hard rock band Slash and Alter Bridge. The groups 4 album titled “Fortress” was recently released to rave reviews and the group is currently touring Europe in support of its release. Media Mikes had the chance recently to ask Myles a few questions about the album and what it’s like splitting time between two successful projects.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album?
Myles Kennedy: Mark Tremonti and I started the writing process for “Fortress” last year while we were touring with our various projects. We both agreed to meet in Florida starting in January to begin the arrangement process. Things went pretty quickly from there because we didn’t allow ourselves to over think. With that said we certainly tried to challenge ourselves and venture into new musical territory as much as we could.

AL: What do you feel was the most difficult part of working on this record as compared to the previous 3?
MK: Our fall tour and record release date had already been set so it was challenging knowing we had a finite amount of time to get the record done. Another challenge was not allowing ourselves to utilize the same arrangement approaches we had used in the past. It was very important to push ourselves as a band and continue to evolve.

AL: Does having multiple projects and larger time gaps between releases affect your creative process at all?
MK: It liberates us. I feel like our various projects keep the creative juices flowing all the time and benefit the songs at the end of the day. I’ve learned a lot about myself as a writer, singer, guitarist and performer in the last few years.

AL: Can you tell us about the “Addicted to Pain” video which was released recently?
MK: We teamed up with Dan Catullo for this video. He directed our live DVDs which we recorded at Wembley Stadium and Amsterdam. We were definitely on the same page regarding the overall vibe and visual concepts which made the process go quickly.

AL: Can you tell us about the upcoming Alter Bridge tour?
MK: We are currently touring Europe getting the set refined. At this point we are trying to mix up the set-list more than we have in the past. We have a lot of diehard fans that travel all over to see us. Often times they come out and see us more than once on a tour cycle so we are trying to keep them in mind by switching tunes out from the new record in order to keep it interesting. The hard part is when you find a set that has a great flow you have to be careful how much you alter it or the show will suffer. It’s a delicate balance.

AL: Do you have any other projects in the works that you would like to mention?
MK: At this point we are focused on Alter Bridge. I am working with Slash and the guys on new material for the next record and I am sure Mark is chipping away on songs for next Tremonti record as well. We are lucky to have so many musical outlets to keep us busy and it’s definitely something we don’t take for granted.

Robert Ortiz is the drummer for the heavy metal band Escape the Fate who in May of this year released their fourth studio album titled “Ungrateful”. Media Mikes had the chance to speak with Robert recently to discuss the album and the bands current tour with Five Finger Death Punch.

Adam Lawton: What have things been like for the band since signing with Eleven Seven Music?
Robert Ortiz: Well it’s been interesting. They have really backed us as we have had a rough year sorting out new management and it’s been kind of hard to get all of our visions across. We are now with 10th St. which is kind of like a partner with Eleven Seven. Since joining with them full force, everything has been moving forward and on track. It’s obvious that they are working hard to make sure that all of our art gets out to as many people in as many ways as possible.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands current tour with Five Finger Death Punch?
RO: Well were really fucking stoked on it! Five Finger Death Punch is personally one of my favorite bands out right now. They are really killing it right now and it’s a huge opportunity that they are giving us. So far their fans are definitely connecting with us and it feels like our first tour again. Were having to win new fans over again every night and it’s been just amazing.

AL: Now that the album “Ungrateful” has been out for a bit are there any songs from the album that you really enjoy playing live and if so why?
RO: It’s very weird because there are songs you love to play because of the energy and there are songs you like that are slower but more emotionally involved. The songs off “Ungrateful” are very uncomfortable to play. They are not hard but just awkward. I can’t play them as freely as most our old shit. While I love playing the songs I am thinking a lot while I am playing them. “Fire It Up” is probably my favorite though. It’s the epitome of what I just explained.

AL: Can you tell us what it was like working with Patrick Stump and Mick Mars? And will the track you did with Mars ever be available?
RO: The track we did with Mick will most likely not ever see daylight. It’s very rough and we have kind of moved on from where our heads were at during that time. But I can tell you it was fucking amazing working with him. It was crazy to be around such a character. Patrick Stump is a fucking genius. He looks at music in such a different way. Patrick focuses so much on the heart of the song and what it is about. We sat down and figured out exactly what we wanted to say. From there the melodies came very easily. It was just so simple but, coming from guys who love to riff it was such a different approach. He is so fucking good!

AL: Does the band have any other plans for the remainder of 2013?
RO: As far as I see right now tour, tour, tour. We have a very special one coming up early next year that has yet to be announced. I know our diehard fans will lose their when the news is released so be on the lookout for that.

Jared Watson is the lead singer for the group The Dirty Heads. The group has just released an acoustic album titled “Phantoms of Summer: The Acoustic Sessions” And will be hitting the road later this month in support of its release. Media Mikes had the chance recently to speak with Jared about the album and what it was like working acoustically.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the new acoustic album?
Jared Watson: This album is definitely the sexiest thing we have put out, the vibe and feel of each song was the most important thing to us. Whether it was how much room hiss we got off the old mic’s we set up or how slow we wanted to play the song Phantom, there was no right or wrong when it came to structure or formula as long as the vibe was right.

AL: What was it about doing an acoustic album that appealed to you?
JW: We started as an acoustic act so we wanted to get back to our roots. With “Phantoms of Summer” We wanted to really dive into our lyrics and the melodies of each song included on the release.

AL: Did working acoustically cause the band to change how they worked in the studio?
JW: It was a comfortable move from a full production album to an acoustic album. Most of our starts and ideas are written acoustically first and we feel if a song can hold up with just an acoustic guitar and a vocal then you’ve got something special. So the process for this album really began the same way.

AL: Are there plans to shoot a video for any of the songs of the album?
JW: Hopefully, We’ve have been shooting ideas around and there has been some really cool creative stuff that we would like to do!

AL: Does the band plan to tour in support of the release?
JW: We will be touring the southeast at the end of October before heading over to Europe where we’ll be playing some dates with Sublime With Rome in November, including Warped Tour UK.

If Hudson Moore had his way he’d be making movies. After three years as a film major at the University of Texas he put his love for films on hold to follow another passion: music. The 22-year old native Texan has since opened for such major acts as ZZ Top, Trace Adkins, Alan Jackson and Rascal Flatts. This week he takes another step in his career with the release this week of the new film “Sweetwater,” starring Ed Harris and January Jones. Moore was given the chance to write an original song for the film and jumped at it. While on tour (his next stop is in Lubbock, Texas – the birthplace of Buddy Holly – on October 18), Hudson took some time to talk with Media Mikes about music, hard work and the opportunities of sitting off stage.

Mike Smith: What is it inside that made you want to pursue music as more than a hobby? Where did the passion come from to decide to make it a career?
Hudson Moore: First you definitely have to have the passion for it, obviously. You have to love it. Second you have to have the determination to work hard…to make it work. There are so many talented people out there. It often comes down to your work effort, your grit and your perseverance. Anybody who has done this knows it’s not an easy road. It’s a hard road…it’s a long road. But it can be very rewarding. I’m a firm believer in that if you work hard enough at something you’ll eventually succeed at it. That’s my view. It can take some time. Some people blow up right away. Some can take thirty years to get recognition. It’s a gamble.

MS: Can you remember when you wrote your first song?
HM: I do. I wrote my first song when I was sixteen years old. My first full song.

MS: Early this year the Country Music Academy named you one of the artists who is “New To Watch” in country music. As a musician at the beginning of his career does that put a little pressure on you when you perform?
HM: You can’t really put too much stock in those things. I’m always flattered whenever anyone says kind things about me. But honestly, I just keep on moving down the road. But as an artist I think I do perform better under pressure. It can be good for you. You have to raise the bar and be your best. So honestly, I enjoy being in the spotlight and having that pressure to perform.

MS: You’ve opened for some major acts – from ZZ Top to Rascal Flatts. When you’re done with your set do you stand backstage and watch them as a fan or do you study them as a fellow performer?
HM: I watch them as a fan! Some of the bands I’ve opened up for I’ve really admired. ZZ Top…Alan Jackson…Rascal Flatts. Then there are the Texas guys, like the Eli Young Band. For me I enjoy the show and I get great exposure. And I do sit back and watch and try to learn all I can about being an entertainer and how I can become a better performer. It’s almost like a master class. I get to sit beside the stage and watch these great bands do their thing. It’s a real blessing.

MS: You contributed an original song (“The Cold, Gray Light of Dawn”) to the new film “Sweetwater.” How does that process work? Do they give you a script…show you the movie…?
HM: My brother, Tucker, is a producer on the film and he called me and asked me if I would write an original song for the film and I said, “sure.” That’s something I’d always wanted to do. He gave me a rough cut of the film on DVD and I watched it with my friend Wally Wilson, who helped me write the song. We watched it in a motel room in Austin, Texas while we were out of town. We had a week to write the song, record it, master it and get it to the director so it was really a time crunch. We watched the film and, honestly, within an hour and a half, we had our song. It was one of those days were everything was kind of lining up. We were so inspired by the film that the song kind of wrote itself.

MS: What are you working on next?
HM: I have a new album coming out next month called “True Love.” It’s something I’ve been working on for a while now when I haven’t been touring and I’m excited to get it out. I’m also writing songs in Nashville and at home in Texas for my third album. So I’m putting an album out, working on the next one and touring. It’s busy but that’s the way I like it.

To hear Hudson Moore’s music or to see him on tour, go to http://hudsonmoore.net/home/

Sarah Miles is a singer/songwriter who has just released her first full-length album via Rock Ridge Music titled “One”. Media Mikes had the pleasure of talking with Sarah recently about the new album and what first drew her to music.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us what first interested you in music?
Sarah Miles: I grew up in a pretty musical family. It was something I was always surrounded by starting at a very young age. I sang in choirs and a cappella groups all through high school and college. In high school was when I got my first guitar and around that same time is when I started writing music as well. I also started doing some performing on my own. The more I started doing that the more I started to realize that music was something that I wanted to do full time. I went to college while still doing music on the side and after I finished college I moved to New York and have been doing music ever since.

AL: What was it like working on your first full length album?

SM: It was an awesome experience. I had released two EP’s prior to this on my own which was a lot more difficult as I didn’t have a fan base yet so the music was just kind of there. With this new album I have been around now for awhile doing shows and I got myself a manger to help with things as well. I released the album through Rock Ridge Music so I had a lot more support and backing with this release which was very exciting. The actual recording process for the album was really cool as I worked with a great producer by the name of Dave Pittenger. The recording took almost a year and I had been writing for about two years. It was a very long process but totally worth it because I was able to pick out my favorite songs. Everything was really cool and I got to meet a ton of great musicians along the way.

AL: Having taken so long during the writing process was it hard to pick out or reconnect with some of the songs during the recording process?
SM: It was definitely tough. Even while I was recording the album I was still writing. You are always changing as is your music so it was certainly a challenge. I tried to pick out songs that all worked together and which had similar themes which made things a little bit easier. Things were certainly tough but I am happy with the choices I made.

AL: What is your standard approach for writing a song?
SM: Usually I start on the guitar. I will pick out some chords I really like and just play them over and over again. From there I may come up with a melody and then the lyrics come second. There are times when that can be different though. If I am writing about a specific thing that happened to me or was something I saw things may be reversed. Typically I start with the melody and go from there.

AL: You have a quite a few YouTube video. Do you plan to make any for songs off of “One”?
SM: I am going to be doing a video for the song “Standup” which I am super excited about. I am shooting it this month along with a video for a cover song as well. There is certainly going to be things to check out in the near future.

AL: Can you tell us about some of the live shows you have coming up?
SM: I have a few shows booked right now and I am hoping to book some more in the New York area soon. I live in New York so I do have a couple NY and Philadelphia shows already booked. I will also be doing some college shows throughout the east coast which will be a lot of fun. I am also looking in to doing web shows. This is something I am really excited about doing. I just did my first one a few weeks ago and I the idea of my fans being able to watch me from wherever they are is really cool.

Jonny Kaplan is a singer/songwriter who together with his band the Lazy Stars have released a brand new full length album titled “Sparkle and Shine”. The group which has had their music featured on television series such as “House M.D.” and “Grimm” are releasing a new video in the coming weeks and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Jonny recently about his work on the video and his long time collaboration with Wallflower/Foo Fighter keyboardist Rami Jaffie

Adam Lawton: What was it that made you decide to start performing music?
Jonny Kaplan: I was a huge rock and roll fan when I was growing up so it was something was my fantasy. I grew up in Philadelphia listen to FM rock radio. I was all about bands like Kiss, Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones. My first concert ever was the Rolling Stones on the “Tattoo You” tour.

AL: What can you tell us about your new album “Sparkle and Shine”?
JK: This is my forth album and there has been a lot of time between this record and the last because everything has been pretty much independently. For this new one there was definitely some divine inspiration as a lot of things have happened the last few years. I was in a motorcycle accident along with a bunch of other stuff. Fortunately or unfortunately it’s sort of the bain of existence for songs writers as shitty things make great songs. When I was writing this batch of songs there was a certain amount of vindication as they are pretty deep. After putting out three records prior to this one and touring Europe for the last 7 or 8 years as there were opportunities to play there I decided to shift my focus back to home and get this album out properly an set the playing field for myself here in the States.

AL: How much of an effect did your motorcycle accident have on the creation of this record?
JK: As far as the songwriting goes I was pretty much hold up in a hospital bed for two weeks with 20 broken bones. I have healed up remarkably but at the time I was a mess. I had a lot of time to sit around and I was in a bit of a dark place because I couldn’t do anything. That sort of forced me to write these songs. I think because of the shock of what was happening and not knowing what the future would hold that sort of opened up the flood gates. When it comes to songwriting you can sit down and try and write a song but the good songs sort of write themselves.

AL: Where do you generally start when writing a song, Lyrics or music first?
JK: It all depends. Sometimes there might be a guitar riff that I have been playing with for awhile that turns in to something but for the most part it’s almost like you hear something in your head and that eventually spills out. Some of songs are written in three minutes. Those tend to be the best ones and are always my favorites. You just hear something in your head, you grab a guitar and figure out the chords and there it is. It’s something that I never force.

AL: How do you first get connected with Rami Jaffie?
JK: Years ago I had a country rock band called Hummingbird. We used to play with the Wallflowers all the time so he and I became friends. He and I are like brothers. Rami has played on all of my records and was someone that was very instrumental in getting me to start this new record. He gave me the shove I needed to get going again. Even though he is always busy with the Wallflowers and the Foo Fighters we are roommates so we still have a lot of time to work on songs.

AL: Can you tell us about the video you shot for “When You’re Down” and what made you choose that song?
JK: At the time we were working on a video for Darryl Hannah. A lot of people don’t recognize her as a singer because of her career in acting. While we were getting ready to start work on her video for she had listened to some of the new material I had been working on. The night before we were set to shoot Daryl’s video she called me and said that she wanted to shoot a video for me as well. We ended up out on this crazy horse with our faces painted and we made this video which will be out in the next month or so. The video is low budget and indie to the core but it really turned out great. As for how this song was chosen Daryl actually picked it. It was by accident that this all happened. She really liked that song and I think it is definitely one of the strongest off the album. The vibe was great and things just worked well.

AL: Are there any plans in the works for a tour to support the release?
JK: Well as we speak Rami Jaffie has just informed me that we will be playing South By South West this year. That is amazing! Essentially there has been just so much going on with getting the album released that we haven’t been able to focus on getting a tour rolling just yet. We do have some shows booked like we will be in New York for the CBGB Festival and from there I will be heading to Buenos Aries with Brad Smith from Blind Melon to play for the first time. Things will be starting to unfold here very soon. Myself and the band are chomping at the bit to be out there playing as that is something we want to be doing every night.

Kaoru is the guitarist for the Japanese rock band Dir En Grey. The group has a new DVD out titled “Tour 12-13 In Situ Tabula Rasa” and in November will be touring the United States for the first time in two years. With the help of Kaoru’s translator Media Mikes was able to talk with him about the bands new DVD, the upcoming tour and the groups plans for a new album.

Adam Lawton: What can you tell us about the bands new concert DVD?
Kaoru: The DVD is really a documentary about the band returning from a hiatus we took due to our singer having some vocal issues. The film covers everything from then up until the last date of our most recent European tour which concluded this past summer.

AL: Having filmed a few other DVD’s how does the new one differ from previous ones the band has been involved in.
Kaoru: We have in the past released a number of live concert DVD’s. The main focus of this one was to show the process of what the band had to go through and what we had to do to overcome our singers vocal problems. There was a period for the band after returning that everything was going well but then our singer was hit with more health problems. We didn’t know what to do as a band and this DVD shows all of that.

AL: What does the band enjoy most about releasing DVD’s as they do require quite a bit of work?
Kaoru: Every show that we do as a band is different. Even though the songs may be the same we still might do something different from night to night. Some of our previous releases are from one night of a tour while others are made up multiple shows edited together. We like to release a lot of different things which is something we as a band just realized.

AL: Can you tell us about the bands upcoming tour?
Kaoru: We are staring of with some shows in Japan and in November we will be touring the United States. This will be our first time there in quite some time. Having been two years since our last trip to the United States I am sure our fans there are waiting for us and we are all looking forward to meeting everyone again. This band is now at the point where we want to see just how far we take this so now is the time for us to do that. We are currently working on our stage set for the show and we are hoping that we can bring some of what we do at our shows in Japan over to the States. We will definitely be bringing something different for everyone to see.

AL: What do you feel is the biggest challenge when touring outside of your country?
Kaoru: Definitely the language barrier. Not so much when it comes to performing our songs but when it comes to interacting with people on a daily basis. If we all just spoke the same language things would be so much easier. (Laughs) You can actually one instance where we are on stage at a festival in Europe and some trouble occurs and because we don’t speak English this turned into a bigger trouble. We have the textbook knowledge of a lot of different places but we are missing some things due to the language barrier.

AL: Has the band begun talking about starting work on any new material?
Kaoru: We have been talking about starting work on some new songs. Nothing is concrete yet but after this tour concludes we will be starting work on a new album.

Leslie West the legendary front man for the band Mountain is back with a brand new solo album titled “Still Climbing”. The album features 11 tracks and is classic West through and through. The album also boasts an amazing line up of guest musicians ranging from Johnny Winter to Creed/Alter Bridge guitarist Mark Tremonti. Media Mikes had the pleasure of speaking with Leslie recently about his work on the album and his career in the music business.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some background on the new album?
Leslie West: I started on the album about a year ago in June. I took my time deciding which songs I wanted to do and who I wanted to play with me on them. I was able to just take my time which kept things from getting jumbled up and eliminated the idea of having a deadline. Things really worked out well.

AL: What was the band line up for this record?
LW: My bass player is Rev Jones; on drums we had my engineer/co-producer Mike Goldberg. Once the album was all recorded we sent it to Mike Frazier in Canada for the mixing. Mike has worked with everyone from AC/DC to Metallica. It was good sending the album to someone we knew could do a really good job mixing it. Mike was able to come in with a fresh set of ears as he wasn’t there during the initial recording process. There were also a bunch of guest musicians like Mark Tremonti, Jonny Lang and Dee Snider who came in and played on some tracks.

AL: When the guest musicians would come in did you have an idea what it was you wanted them to do or did you let them play what they wanted?
LW: With Jonny Lang I knew what I wanted and had the song down. Jonny was doing a show in New Jersey so we picked him up at the airport and brought him over to the studio. Johnny Winter who also is on the album was the same way. My co-producer recorded Johnny in Connecticut but when the track was all finished it sounded like we were right next to each other. Dee Snider came down to do his part for the song “Feeling Good” and we had a really great time.

AL: Are the songs that make up the album ones that you and your band worked on collectively?
LW: No. I wrote the original songs and the others I did all the arrangements. I ended up writing some song with the help of my wife despite my reluctance to have her involved. I would start writing songs on my iPad and then via iCloud things would be popping up that she had added. I asked her if I could use some of that stuff as I had some songs that didn’t have words and some words that didn’t have music. That’s basically how it went. I would go in the studio and we would just build the songs. I used my guitar layout and played to a click track. That could be why it took so long. The song “Fade In to You” is one I originally heard on the television show “Nashville”.  I really liked the song so we reworked it and gave it my sound. I think it turned out great.

AL: Having been in the music business since the 1960’s what do you feel has been the biggest change personally from when you started in the business to where you are now?
LW: I had two legs when I started. (Laughs) Digital was something that really changed things. When I started you had to make edits with a razor blade and some tape. Things would take forever but now you can just move things around very quickly. I think it’s just amazing. When we were recording to analog if you didn’t like an edit you would have to redo it by un-taping it and then re-taping it. You had to find a spot where there was no noise in order to make that edit.

AL: Some artists are very opposed to the idea of digital but you seem quite open to it. Is this true?
LW: I have been very accepting both with this new album and the previous one as well. With digital you have a lot more time to create the music. You can make changes very easily. As far as sounds go I use what comes directly out of the amps. We may have added a little reverb or whatever but for the most part what you hear is what you get. Mike did a great job of capturing the actual sounds coming from my amp.

AL: Has there been any talks of touring in support of the release?
LW: There are a few scheduled for November that we are currently working on. It will most likely be a run of select shows. The biggest thing is I haven’t been able to find a tour bus that is built to handle a wheel chair. It’s hard to believe but there really isn’t anything out there that will allow me to tour like I used to. For now we hit select venues. I can’t quite get used to prosthetics yet as I have been working with them at rehab. They strap the guitar on me and then have me stand to see how long I can balance. The most I have been able to stand for is 40 seconds. I don’t want to have to worry about falling down on stage so I sit now. That’s just the way it is. I am still able to play without that worry of falling.

AL: Other than the standing aspect has the loss of your leg changed the way in which you perform?
LW: Yes. I am no longer able to walk around obviously so when I find a spot that works for me on stage that’s where I stay for the rest of the performance. Having just the one foot also makes it a little more difficult to hit my floor pedals so we have some on a small table next to me and one or two on the floor. I don’t really use a lot live now as I have started using Blackstar amps which have a great tone straight out of the head.

AL: Can you tell us about your new website?
LW: We have the Mountain website still but they are currently working on one for my solo stuff. It will be located at www.Lesliewestofficial.com so people will want to be watching for that.

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David Schwartz is known best for scoring the TV series “Arrested Development”. He was nominated in the 2013 Emmy for the Outstanding Music Composition for A Series for Original Dramatic Score for the show’s revival on Netflix. Media Mikes had a chance to chat with David about his work on the show.

Mike Gencarelli: Were you shocked when you found out that you were nominated for an 2013 Emmy for the Outstanding Music Composition for A Series (Original Dramatic Score) category?
David Schwartz: More surprised than shocked. It was particular great to be nominated for Arrested Development. Comedies are rarely nominated in the Original Dramatic Score category. I think the category represents a lot of great music this year, so I’m proud to be a part of it.

MG: Working on “Arrested Development”, how does it compare to be working on the first run of the show and now the Netflix series?
DS: It’s been a little different in some ways we were doing all 15 shows at once. In the first three seasons, we’d usually have about a week to turn around a show, finish it, and then immediately start on the next one. During season 4, we were often dealing with multiple shows at the same time. The episodes being longer also allowed me to further develop some musical ideas which wasn’t possible in the shorter format.

MG: What was the most challenge aspect of working on season four?
DS: After six years it was a challenge to get back into that musical head space. Once I had rough cuts and was writing it for real, it all came back to me.

MG: Going from a TV series like “Arrested Development” to a documentary like “Gonzo: The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson”, how does it compare?
DS: The Gonzo documentary was a really fun project. Alex Gibney, the director, really encouraged me to write bold and wild music in the spirit of of Hunter Thompson himself. Often documentary music is subtle and plays in the background. Alex inspired me to write bolder and more challenging music for this film.

MG: Tell us about your work with Lucy Schwartz on her upcoming full length record?
DS: I’m very proud of the work Lucy and I did together on her new Timekeeper record. I think these are her best songs yet and we had a great time producing this record together.

MG: Of all the great scores of 2013 so far, what has been some of your favorites?
DS: I’m still catching up on this year’s scores. I was a big fan of Michael Dynna’s “Life of Pi” score and Thomas Newmann’s score for “Skyfall”

MG: What else do you have in the cards for this year and on wards?
DS: I’m working on the soundtrack album for Arrested Development. It’s going to have some extended versions of the more popular songs from Arrested. There are some scoring projects in the works, but I won’t talk about it and risk jinxing it until it’s final.

Genevieve Goings is known best for her role in the children’s music group Choo Choo Soul. They can be seen daily on Disney Junior with their catchy and fun yet educational kids songs. Choo Choo Soul released a CD of classic “Disney Favorites” earlier this year as well. She also started working with Fisher-Price and creating new music for their Little People brand. Genevieve took out some time to chat with Media Mikes again about her new gig at Fisher Price and her love for creating music.

FL Resident? Click here to enter to win tickets to an upcoming show for Choo Choo Soul in Miami, FL!

Mike Gencarelli: Tell us some background on how you got involved with Fisher-Price to write and produce brand new music for their Little People brand?
Genevieve Goings:  I was actually brought in by the incredibly smart and talented guy, Kevin Mowrer, who was consulting with Fisher Price on the re-branding of the iconic Fisher Price “Little People”. The Little People Brand has been around for 50 years, and is very well known, so they wanted to build on that by creating new characters with distinct personality traits. They put in a ton of work and are excited to introduce – Eddie, Tessa, Mia, Sofia and Koby! These wonderful characters are celebrated in their own ways, and all of us are sure to find a bit of ourselves in one, if not all of them! Fisher-Price really wanted music to be a big part of the re-branding, and that is where I came in. My first order of business was a to write a theme song for the overall brand. So we started from there and it sort of expanded into more work as we kept brainstorming and having a blast..

MG: Tell us a little bit about the characters?
GG: We decided to give each character their own song that explained their personality. Eddie want to run and jump and zoom everywhere. Tessa is the twirling ballerina, the girlie girl. Sofie loves art. Koby is super silly. Mia is shy and quite and likes to collect things. All these characters are really cool and have their own distinct personalities. I think that kids playing with them will find one that they relate to as well. They are on YouTube right now for everyone to enjoy and you can also visit Fisher Price’s website to learn more.

MG: What do you have planned next with Fisher Price?
GG: I am so excited to announce that The Fisher-Price “Little People” have their very own animated web-series on YouTube! I scored the episode as well as writing the original songs within the show. I am also the voice of the teacher, Miss Hugg! Miss Hugg is sweet and very fun. She is a super cool teacher and is in charge, but is so nice and has a little bit of magic to her. While the children go out on their discovery adventures, she is there to keep an eye on them. She is musical and definitely sings while creating some magic around their discoveries. I am working on other interactive media for them as well, more coming soon!

MG: You wrote, recorded and produced these new songs, what was your most challenging aspect?
GG:  We say if it is not broken, don’t fix it right? So with Little People they are already so iconic and Fisher Price is the epitome of children’s toys. So I just wanted to make sure that it was really something great. So I tried to think outside of the box but also remain true to the brand and the company’s values. There was a little pressure in finding that perfect blend. They have been so awesome to work with since they do want to push the envelope a little bit outside of what is “traditional” music. But as you know, that is kind of what I do, which is create contemporary kids music that is kid cool and parent approved [laughs].

MG: Do you tap into your inner child to create these songs?
GG: Oh yeah! Absolutely. My song writing process is hysterical. I have my two dogs with me that total about 30 pounds together. So I will start like I am just singing to them. Then I am dancing around and I have to think about if this would be fun to perform. I think if it is fun to listen to and also sing along to. When I write a song, I try and think about a child singing it. That is my goal to have that resonate with them and have them wanting to sing them after hearing it.

MG: I know you are touring with some shows this Fall, do you get to play your new Disney Favorite as well as your classic tracks from Choo Choo Soul?
GG: Yes, we do a mix of both. We do our Choo Choo tracks and also the Disney classics, since we don’t want to move too far from our train theme. We just did this great gig in Boston and we had backup dancers and we had these amazing big dance numbers to “Be Our Guest” and Under the Sea” and it was really fun! So keep an eye out on our “Events” tab on Facebook as we may be coming to a town by you.

MG: Tell us something cool about yourself that your fans may not know?
GG: Cool question! I actually write for Disney English, which is a school in China that teaches English as a second language. I have been writing for them for over four years and have done over 100 songs for them. This is like a whole other realm that I have been working on. It is so much easier to learn to speak another language if you can sing it. So that is something that has been a really amazing growing opportunity for me. It is such an interesting way to right songs. I am given a vocabulary and the words that I need to incorporate into the songs. I am also told that I am only able to use those words since its the only ones they know in English…and to make it song like a song from “Aladdin” [laughs]. So I get amazing assignments like that. I also wrote an entire phonics program for them to learn through sounds. I know they started airing these on Disney Junior France. So I am happy for others to get a chance to see these finally.

MG: Any more music projects in the works?
GG: I have thinking about doing my own project for a while. I have been doing this for other company, which has been absolutely amazing. I have covered tons of great topics ranging from vegetables to jumping to counting with Choo Choo Soul. We have the emotional expression songs about twirling, loving art and not being afraid to be shy with Little People. So there are a few other topics available [laughs]. I am going to be working on some songs and releasing them individually. I reached out a while ago on various social media sites and asked parents what were some of song topics that they wished we available and some great responses. That is the beauty of today’s media is that you can do stuff like this now without a big record label. So that will be coming up soon and I will definitely keep you posted Mike to share with your readers.

MG: I just wanted to close with saying “Thank You” because my daughter loves your music so much!
GG: Oh thank you, that’s so sweet. It’s amazing to just think how long it has gone. I do not think that Disney had in mind that it was going to last this long. Somehow though, with that combination of trains, the awesome animation and the music is really working out. We have such a blast performing and hope to continue for many more years to come.

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We’ve all done it. I certainly know I have. I’ve done it in the shower. I’ve done it in the car. And more than once I’ve done it in front of 20,000 people at a concert. And so have you. The IT I’m referring to is playing air guitar. Guilty as charged, aren’t you. Well hang your heads, dear readers, because one person in the world does it better than anyone: World Air Guitar Champion Eric Melin.

I’ve been lucky enough to have been able to call Eric a friend and a colleague for over a decade. Like me, he’s a film critic for several outlets, including his own very popular site: www.scene-stealers.com.

I have to admit that it’s much easier for me to interview an Oscar winning filmmaker then it is a friend. Question four, below, came out of my mouth so mangled that we both laughed when I told him “that was a horrible question…I’m sorry. It will look better in print.”

Just back from Finland, “Mean” Melin took some time to speak with me about his title and the future of the competition.

Mike Smith: How long have you been playing air guitar competitively?
Eric Melin: Competitively? Five years. Ironically my work as a film critic led me to it. I saw the film “Air Guitar Nation,” which was a documentary that came out in 2006. I didn’t see it until 2009 when I caught it on Netflix. When I saw the movie I thought, “Oh, shit! I’ve been doing this pretty much all my life anyway. I should try to do it on stage in front of people.”

MS: I was going to say…everyone has at one time or another played air guitar but it’s really a lot more than just miming the pick moves, etc. What all goes into a performance?
EM: There are three things that are judged in air guitar, both in the US and the World Championships. There’s technical ability, which is what you just talked about. It’s not the most important thing but, believe it or not, you want to make it look like you’re actually somewhat playing a real guitar. The second thing is stage presence, which is what I call the “Wow” factor. You really have to come out in character…you have to get the people excited that you’re there. And the third thing they judge you on is air-ness.

MS: When and where did this…I hate to use the word craze…gain notoriety? Where did competitive air guitar start?
EM: The World Championships started in 1996. The event that I just won was the 18th Annual Air Guitar World Championships. It’s been going on for a very long time. As documented in the movie “Air Guitar Nation,” it really got started in America in 2003. What happened was two guys from America – Kriston Rucker and Cedrick Devitt, who are now the co-commissioners of US Air Guitar – found out that there was such a thing as a World Championship in Finland and they went there. They realized there was no U.S. representation! How could the country that invented rock and roll not have a representative at the World Air Guitar Championships? They set up a couple of shows in New York and Los Angeles that year to remedy that and find a champion. By the time I found out about it and signed up in 2009 there were already (28) cities sponsoring events. It expanded from two to twenty-eight cities in five years.

MS: In going through the list of this year’s finalists…they came from all over the world. Finland, of course. Germany, Belgium, France, England. Are the performances influenced by their home countries? You’re very dramatic on stage…a lot of big moves. A lot of Pete Townsend and heavy metal head banging. We’re all of the performances similar?
EM: This was my first year at the World Championships after five years of competing in the U.S. Air Guitar Championships. I learned a lot more about the international style this year.

MS: I know when we spoke earlier you had mentioned that you had planned on retiring from the competitive circuit, win or lose, after the World Championships. Is that still the plan?
EM: I did decide that this would be my last year. But, after winning, I changed my mind so I could fly back to Oulu again next year because I had so much fun! So I will actually compete to defend my title next year!

Jerry Horton is the guitarist for the multi-platinum rock group Papa Roach. The group’s latest release “The Connection” has been tearing up the rock charts and Media Mikes caught up with Jerry recently to discuss the bands career at the Big Flats, NY stop of the Carnival of Madness tour which along with Papa Roach features Skillet and Shinedown.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the bands decision to tour as a package as opposed to a solo headlining run?
Jerry Horton: I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that last year we were supposed to be part of a package tour however due to Jacoby’s vocal problem we had to cancel those shows. We were trying to figure out what to do this year tour wise and the guys from Shinedown hit us up. We have toured with them before and it’s always been a great time so that’s what we decided to do.

AL: Having not toured immediately upon the latest albums release how has the reception been towards the new material on this tour run?
JH: It’s been really good. We have had quite a few people up front just singing along to the new stuff. That’s not something we expect especially from say a Shinedown crowd. Not to say there isn’t cross pollination of our fans and Shinedown fans happening but with them being the headliner you don’t expect to see people singing along to some of our heaviest songs. Things have been great on the tour and each night we flip flop sets with Skillet so some nights we play earlier and other nights we have the later slot. The challenge of getting everyone up out of their seats is one we enjoy and we have had a lot of people up and dancing this time out.

AL: Having a career that is going on 20 years now what do you feel has been the
bands biggest progression over the course of that time?
JH: I would have to say that probably our biggest change happened just recently. We introduced some more electronic elements to our sound. We had a little bit here and there in the past like on “Getting Away with Murder” but it was never really as much in the forefront as it is on this record. We wanted to do that in a way that wouldn’t take away from the rock element of the band. When we write and record we will do the main guitar part and then layer over the top of that. With the electronic sounds we want those to help people differentiate between the various parts of the songs. There are a lot more textures going on in the newer material however I wanted the beats to resemble those from our earlier records.

AL: From a tonal stand point do you feel the band’s sound has changed at all?
JH: I wouldn’t say it has changed so much. We have used different amps from time to time but for our main sound whether I am using a Marshall, a Bogner or a Boogie I have a certain frequency range that I like my sound to sit in. Whatever amp I am using will generally fit in there. You can kind of hear some differences if you go back to the “Infest” album and compare it to “The Connection”. There is a little difference but I generally don’t get down to the freakishly specific settings. I go a lot by ear and how it meshes with the bass. Tobin acts like a second guitar player with his playing style so at times the tones have to be similar and distinct even while we are playing lines that may be similar.

AL: Over time has your live tone and recording tone started to mimic one another or have they stayed pretty separate?
JH: On the last record we used Bogner amps but live I am currently using the Axe Effects unit. I have a similar tone but it’s not exactly a Bogner amp. There are some concessions I am willing to make when it comes to touring and playing live. It’s not only a space issue but there are things like weight and shipping that we have to take in to consideration. The Axe unit comes within I would say between 90-95% of my studio sound. A tone purist would take a look at my whole rig and probably just shake his head in disappointment.

AL: Have there been any talks yet of starting work on a new album?
JH: We have started thinking about it. Ideas have started floating around but we don’t have specific songs finished just yet. I know Jacoby has lyric ideas and we have an idea as to how we want the album to sound. There are a lot of cool things that we are tossing around. I know Tobin has two or three songs in the works and we are really stoked about those. We are still just in the beginning stages. We will probably be in the studio around March.

AL: What other tour plans are in place for the remainder of this year?
JH: We finish the Carnival of Madness tour on September 15^th. In October we are starting in the Pacific North West and going through Canada and down the east coast making our way to Florida. In November and December we head over to Europe for some shows and we finish there at the Brixton Academy in London. We have a few shows after that but we have most of the holiday season off.

Lightnin Malcolm is a Mississippi based blues musician who has performed with everyone from Big Jack Johnson, T Model Ford and Sam Carr to name just a few. Lightnin’s newest solo album “Rough Out There” which features the grandson of T Model Ford on drums was released recently and has been garnering a lot of attention from the blues world.  Media Mikes spoke with Lightnin recently about his writing style and what he likes most about the new album.

Adam Lawton: Can you give us some info on your latest album “Rough Out There”?
Lightnin Malcolm: The album features 14 new songs and is a little over an hour’s worth of music. The record  is primarily duo music with guitar and drums. It’s what we like to call stompin’ music and it’s for people who want to just get up and have a good time. The words are kind of serious so the music is a combination of things. There are parts that will make you think and parts that will take your mind off things and let you just enjoy and have a good time.

AL: How does this album differ from your previous work?
LM: I love all of my albums as they are like children to me so it’s hard to compare them or pick one over the other. I think this latest one has shown my growth as a musician especially my work as a song writer. I have T Model Ford’s grandson Stud playing drums on this album and he is just dynamite. There are horns on a few of the tracks as well as slide guitar which were done by Luther Dickinson. Luther is probably one of the best slide guitar players in the world. Even though we are normally just a two piece we have been adding a lot of things lately. The cores of our songs are based on the rhythm of the guitar and the drums. I think with each album I am getting better at getting my message across through my songs.

AL: What type of writing process do you use?
LM: It all really depends as I have written a lot of songs. A lot of times is just comes out of nowhere. There have been times where I have been out somewhere and had to ask to barrow some ones phone so that I could call my phone just to sing a line or hum a melody in to my voice mail. I don’t want to forget it because I may come up with 3 songs that I think are the best thing I have ever written. Then I come with 3 more songs. I am always out on the road as I get to live a unique life and see a lot of things. I think that plays a big part in how and what I write songs about.

AL: Were all the songs on the new album ones that were recently written or are they older songs that have been around for some time?
LM: Some of them are brand new and some of them have been kicking around for 10 or 15 years in my head. It’s real easy for me to write songs but when it comes down to picking what will be on the album is when it becomes difficult. There are just so many directions in which you can go. I have a new group of songs I have been working on recently that are very serious but I am not sure I want to put all of those on the same album because I don’t want it to be a downer or anything. I want every record to be a party record. No matter how serious a record might be I want the end result to be uplifting.

AL: How did you go about connecting with the players you have on the album?
LM: I have known these guys for a long time now. I play with The North Mississippi All-Stars and have met and become friends with guys through that. Stud our drummer I have known since he’s was 1 when I used to drum for his grandfather T model Ford. He was practically sitting in my lap while I was up there playing by the time he was 3 or 4. He knows what kind of sound I like and the drive I am looking for. Along with what I like he has created his own sound which is really great. Most of the people on this album are guys I go way back with and we are like family.

AL: Are there any songs off the new record that you really enjoy playing live?
LM: Man I like them all! “Reality Check” is a nice two piece song that is challenging to do live as it is just guitar and drums. There is nothing else going on in that song. That really shows off our two piece style. Over the years I have played some big shows just as a two piece so I learned how to pull off songs as a two piece even though they weren’t written that way and never thought they would be performed that way. Now I am not afraid to try anything as I have continued to develop my sound. “Reality Check” is a challenging one that people love and “My Life’s a Wreck” is one of my favorites as well. I love playing all of my material.

AL: Can you tell us about your current tour?
LM: We are currently in the middle of a 40 date tour. We have been down through Texas up to Colorado and over to Arkansas. Stud and I are always out on the road. When these dates wrap up I will be back out on the road doing double duty with the North Memphis All Stars. I will be opening those shows along with performing with the All-Stars. After that I have a few days off and then head overseas for about 4 weeks of shows there. I am constantly on tour through November.

Hank 3 the son of legendary country singer Hank Williams Jr. and of course the grandson of country music pioneer Hank Williams is back with not one but, two new albums. “Brothers of the 4×4” is a two disc release featuring Hank 3’s signature country sound while “Fiendish Threat” is a single disc release of punk rock material which is very reminiscent of early Misfits material. Both albums are being released on Oct. 1st and Media Mikes had the chance to talk with Hank 3 recently about the albums and his signature sounds.

Adam Lawton: Can you tell us about the two new albums you have coming out?
Hank 3: Most of the time I write longs songs and make long records. The first album is more of a country album titled “Brothers of the 4×4”. It’s a double disc album and there are a few slow and sad songs mixed with the more happy go lucky type songs. There are also a few songs on there that I wouldn’t necessarily consider country. They have more of a Pink Floyd, spaghetti western type sound going on. There are a lot of different sounds on this record. The second release I have coming out on the same day is more of a punk rock record titled “Fiendish Threat”. That album was all done with acoustic instruments which have all sorts of fuzz and distortion placed over the top of it. The two albums are like night and day. The sounds and attitudes are quite different.

AL: This is the second time you have released multiple albums on the same day. Do you have a specific reason for doing so or do things just happen more naturally?
Hank 3: Most standard songs are two minutes and thirty seconds. That’s if you are looking to write a hit song and get it on the radio. It’s a standard format. People have told me that when they listen to my songs they get to a point where they are waiting for it to end however it doesn’t. Things just keep going but that’s how it is on some of my material. On songs like “Loners for Life” or “Deep Scars” the steel guitar just sort of caries things through and that how it is. As far as releasing multiple albums goes I have always been known for performing multiple sounds during my live shows. I usually do almost four different sounds during a single show. That’s why I like to release multiple releases all at the same time. When I tour fans get to see all those different sides of me. One other reason is I do things this way is that I feel like I have been held back in a way in relation to my career. Frank Zappa put out over 90 releases and my father has released over 120. Where I am at in my career I don’t feel I have that much on the plate so I am trying to make up for lost time in my eyes.

AL: When you’re creating multiple albums at the same time do you find that they will often play off of each other or blend together in certain areas?
Hank 3: It’s kind of different. Once I start recording I may have a feeling where I want to do just drums one day or just guitar stuff. I may warm up by playing some country and then end the day with some harder sounding material.  It’s very similar to how I perform live. Everything is one performance to me. Yes the songs change but I am still trying to give it my all throughout the whole performance or record. When I am writing the songs things do vary. If I am working on a country song I will sing things off the top of my head and then record it. Once that’s done I then go back with a pen and paper to write down what I think is a little more important. I try and make things more of a story. If I am working on rock or metal material I always do the guitar riff first and then the drums and vocal. They are both opposite with one being music oriented while the other is not.

AL: Being that you, your father and your grandfather all have unique styles do you ever try and incorporate any of their sounds into your own when working on an album or song?
Hank 3: If you were to really look at my records you will notice that each one has a specific sound or style to it. I am the guy who is doing all the recording, mixing and mastering. Things might not sound the best or the worse but it’s going to sound different. It’s all self done which that alone makes it stand on its own two feet. When I write a song it just depends on what I am going for. I am lucky enough to have created my own niche and found my own sound within going against my father and grandfather in the country music world. That in itself is hard enough. Things have happened and I have been able to create a very loyal fan base that has been with us for many years. Some people may say I sound like one or the other on any given day but I don’t think any of my material is orientated to that of my other family members.

AL: What was the lineup of musicians who played on the new albums?
Hank 3: On the country record I had Johnny Hiland do all the chicken pickin’ stuff while Zach Shedd , David McElfresh and Billy Contreras make up the rest of the guys who are on there. Zach is one of the guys who plays on both of the records. Billy played a few interesting fiddle parts on the punk/rock record while other guys like Andy Gibson played steel guitar on the country album and Leroy Troy played banjo on a track called “Possum in a Tree”. I also made my first attempt and playing some lap steel on the record as well.

AL: Do you have all the parts pre-arranged when the different guys come in or do they just come in and add their own parts?
Hank 3: It varies. I might have parts in my head that I will hum or sing to whoever is playing or when it comes to guys like Johnny Hiland he has me play him what I have and then he will do a couple passes and let me take what I like. The guys I have worked with for some time we do a little bit of everything and just go back and forth with ideas.

AL: Will these guys be the same group that will go out on the road with you?
Hank 3: Some of the guys who played on the record I don’t always get to use that much on the road. I use my band as much as possible but guys like Johnny Hiland and Billy Contreras aren’t always available but they know my door is always open. I think when you are used to playing with people like George Jones and then you come down to the level that I am at there can be a pretty dynamic difference when it comes to money sometimes. Some guys dig the environment and don’t mind making less. I try to pay everyone in the band as much as I can while still keeping the ticket prices low for the fans.

AL: When putting together a set list how do you choose which songs you are going to play being that you have quite a diverse catalog to choose from?
Hank 3: I don’t hit the stage with a set list. We have a few standards that we will always play and in between I mix in a few newer songs. With the rock record we might be a little more uniformed however I have so many country songs that I can fill up a two hour slot pretty quick. Not having the same set list every night keeps my guys fresh and on their toes. Everything is a little different each night.

AL: Do you have any other projects that you are currently working on, Possibly a DVD or book?
Hank 3: I have always been pro bootlegger with a lot of my fans in that I allow them to come out and record the shows. I have been letting fans do that for many years now. I recorded a song with David Allen Coe not too long ago called “The Outlaw Ways” which was released on limited vinyl. Sirius radio picked that up and was playing it which has been great. As far as books and other things I don’t feel I have hit that part of my career just yet. I am very busy being on the road and making records.

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