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With over twenty years of acting experience under his belt, Ben Savage is one of the most recognized actors of our generation. Heck, I think most of us feel like we grew up with him! After catching up a bit with Ben, I was excited to find out that he loves and appreciates music as much as I do and therefore I HAD to find out what he’s into right now.

Ben was kind enough to share ten songs that he has on constant rotation (in no particular order).  Talk about an awesome guy! Check ‘em out!

1. “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine

Album: Lungs

2. “Cosmic Love” by Florence + The Machine

Album: Lungs

3. “Walking on a Dream” by Empire of the Sun

Album: Walking on a Dream

4. “Derek” by Animal Collective

Album: Strawberry Jam

5. “Home” by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros

Album: Up From Below

6. “Little Lion Man” by Mumford and Sons

Album: Sigh No More

7. “The Rising” by Bruce Springsteen

Album: The Rising

8. “Train in Vain” by The Clash

Album: London Calling

9. “Nantes” by Beirut

Album: The Flying Club Cup

10. “So Many Ways” by Mates of State

Album: Bring It Back

For more information about Ben, check out his page on IMDB.

Gold Motel

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Sometimes timing is everything. In Gold Motel’s case, timing has been the key to their union.  After The Hush Sound went on hiatus in 2009, Greta Morgan made her way down to the sunny skies of California all the way from Chicago.  “I basically had a year-long summer in Los Angeles. I had saved enough money to avoid working all year and my only real responsibility was self imposed — to write an album and launch a new band.”

What was initially intended to be a solo project instead became the joined effort of Greta and four other talented musicians: guitarist Eric Hehr (formerly of The Yearbooks), guitarist and vocalist Dan Duszynski, bassist Matt Schuessler and drummer Adam Kaltenhauser (all three formerly of the power-pop band This is Me Smiling).  Together, they’re recording under the name Gold Motel.

Gold Motel released their debut album, Summer House, in June and it’s already garnering attention with its summery vibe.  “I think you can hear California in Gold Motel’s music even though a lot of it was written and recorded in Chicago,” explained guitarist Eric Hehr who remained in Chicago and dreamed of being with his friends in California, “…a lot of the material I wrote at this time developed from that faulty idealization of West Coast lifestyle through the rose-tinted eyes of a Midwesterner.  Even the songs on Summer House that were written in Chicago are still about California in some way.”

Pulling from influences like The Kinks, Fleetwood Mac and Arcade Fire, Gold Motel produces pop songs that are sure to make all your seasons summery! This is what happens when the incredible talents of five experienced musicians come together at just the right time.

Check out my Q&A with Gold Motel’s Greta Morgan and Eric Hehr!

ERIC: When we get back from a tour I usually allow myself one day (dubbed “The Cozy Day” by friends) to unwind and clear my head before diving back into music again. This day consist of ordering copious amounts of Thai food, falling into a comfortable food-coma, and catching up on my Netflix Instant Que recommendations.

It’s been a big year for you in terms of releasing your music with Gold Motel. Has it been a fun change for you to record with your new band?
ERIC: Gold Motel is the most talented band I have ever been apart of. The musicianship amongst all the members is inspiring to be around. In comparison to previous musical projects I have been involved with, Gold Motel moves at a much more accelerated rate. Ideas and concepts evolve as sporadically as they’re executed, and we don’t spend too much time intellectualizing the process. If it works, it works, and we move onto the next thing. I enjoy that sense of spontaneity and forward momentum.

How did you all meet?
ERIC: I met Greta when I was in high school. I was playing drums in a punk band at the time, and one of our first shows was in Greta’s basement. We shared a small circle of mutual friends and always kept in touch with each other over the years. When Gold Motel began to take shape it seemed like the right time to finally play together. I met Dan, Matt, and Adam through being a fan-boy for their band, This Is Me Smiling. I use to go to their shows when I was younger, and they had a big influence on me as a musician. We have all known each other for a long time, and we have all watched each other grow as people and musicians. I feel very privileged to be playing with this group of individuals.

How did you decide on the name Gold Motel?
GRETA: I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico last year doing pre-production for some of the songs which wound up on the Gold Motel EP and we were trying to figure out whether I should work under my name or a moniker. (At that point, I was really just planning a solo project; this group has since become a very natural band.) We put adjectives, nouns, and verbs on paper and drew out a ton of options. Gold Motel was one of the first that didn’t involve potty humor.

How did your time in California influence the music on Summer House?
GRETA: Between The Hush Sound and Gold Motel, I basically had a year-long summer in Los Angeles. I had saved enough money to avoid working all year and my only real responsibility was self imposed — to write an album and launch a new band. I think that careless “do whatever I want, feel however I want” attitude is captured on many of the Summer House songs. like ‘Make Me Stay”, “Perfect in My Mind”, and “Summer House”, but few of the others, like “Who Will I Be Tonight”, are more reflective of the occasional loneliness and isolation one can feel living in an entirely new place.

ERIC: I believe location and environment always indirectly seeps its way into art, and I think you can hear California in Gold Motel’s music, even though a lot of it was written and recorded in Chicago. At the time that Greta was working on what would eventually become The Gold Motel EP, I was still living in Chicago, attending Film School at Columbia College, working as a host at a wine bar in Wrigleyville, and playing with a power-pop band called The Yearbooks. A few of my close friends, Greta included, had all simultaneously moved out to California. I remember feeling disheartened and discouraged – thinking about my friends running around beaches with acoustic guitars and drinking neon martinis on posh, outdoor patios as I sat tables, walking around the frigid streets of Chicago in below zero weather. I began to romanticize their lifestyles, and a lot of the material I wrote at this time developed from that faulty idealization of West Coast lifestyle through the rose-tinted eyes of a Midwesterner. That’s what the song, “Safe In L.A,” is about. Even the songs on “Summer House” that were written in Chicago are still about California in some way.

Does the fact that you released the new album independently make it more special to you?
ERIC: For me, the biggest plus side to releasing the album independently was having 110% creative control over it. Our fingerprints are all over the record, as well as the music videos, the merch, and the overall aesthetic. We had complete control over everything from the songwriting to the album artwork. Everything was very self-contained. My cousin, Eddie O’Keefe, directed the music videos. Our friend, Emily Serruto, designed all the artwork and merchandise. We were able to choose whom we wanted to work with, as well as how we wanted the end product to turn out.

What would you love to see happen for Gold Motel by the end of the year?
GRETA: We are releasing our ‘Talking Fiction’ 7 inch record in October and would love to tour as much as we can in promotion of those two new singles. We are about to open for Fun and Steel Train for a week in Texas, and I’d love to support some other bands we love as well.

ERIC: Play in Seattle! It would also be great if we were able to play a few international dates before the year comes to an end. I got my passport right when the band started, and I’m itching to use it!

Check out Gold Motel’s video for “Safe in L.A.”:

Some people find that they write better at certain times of the day…are you one of those people? What time of day is most inspiring for you?
ERIC: I’m most inspired during “Magic Hour/Golden Hour,” which is the first and last hour of sunlight during the day. A particularly pleasant photographic effect occurs due specific qualities of sunlight, and the world looks like a Polaroid picture; everything is soft, warm, and illuminated.

GRETA: I work the longest and most productively in the morning, but most inspired at the very end of the night. Usually the best ideas come then right before sleeping, probably because I’m too exhausted to over analyze.

Do you think The Hush Sound will ever tour or play music together again?
GRETA: We don’t currently have plans to do either, but may play a few reunion shows.

What are some major things you’ve learned about the music business after starting in it at such a young age?
GRETA: I’ve learned that the only way to last in the music industry is to have a very geniune approach.

Who are some of your favorite bands/musicians right now? Favorite songs?
ERIC: I’ve been listening to Telekinesis’s self titled album quite a bit recently. Great pop album with solid hooks and endearing production. I’ve also been listening to Autolux’s new album, “Transit Transit,” which has some of my new favorite drum tones of all time. Love the song “Spots.” The new Arcade Fire album, “The Suburbs,” is also incredible. The title track, “The Suburbs,” and “Rococo” are my favorite tracks on the album, and “Suburban War” has some of the most nostalgic, bittersweet lyrics I’ve heard in awhile.

What kinds of books and movies have you been into lately?
ERIC: I’m currently reading the new Bowie biography by Marc Spitz, which is a pop-culture overload. I find myself underlining and annotating every single page. Film wise, I’ve recently revisited the original “The Postman Always Rings Twice” with John Garfield and Lana Turner, which is one of my favorite film-noirs.

GRETA: It’s true. Eric is really underlining every single page. We keep teasing him that it looks like he’s doing a book report. I’ve been reading a bunch of plays, currently it’s “August: Osage County” by Tracy Letts. Also, I’m reading “A Brief History of Everything” by Ken Wilbur.

And lastly, is there any chance you’ll make your way to Seattle soon? We’d LOVE to have you here!
ERIC: We haven’t been to Seattle yet, and it’s definitely on our list of things to do. Hopefully we’ll be there soon!

GRETA: Absolutely! Seattle is one of my favorite cities in the world. We’d love to make it to the Pacific Northwest.

For more information about Gold Motel check out their official website or their myspace page!

Gold Motel EP	Summer House
1. Perfect In My Mind 2. Make Me Stay 3. The Cruel One 4. Who Will I Be Tonight? 5. Don’t Send the Searchlights	1. We’re On the Run 2. Perfect In My Mind 3. Safe In L.A. 4. Stealing The Moonlight 5. Fireworks After Midnight 6. Don’t Send The Searchlights 7. Make Me Stay 8. The Cruel One 9. Who Will I Be Tonight? 10. Summer House

Photo by Reid Rolls (http://www.reidrolls.com)

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If you’ve heard their latest EP, Ten Gun Salute, then you know exactly why I’m completely smitten with Nashville pop-folk singer Madi Diaz and her partner in melody Kyle Ryan.

And if you haven’t heard it, well…you’ve come to the right place!

Just two months ago I was lucky enough to see Madi and Kyle open for Landon Pigg at a number of venues on the west coast. I was awed and amazed by their ability to harmonize with each other on and off stage while they sang songs from their latest EP and more.

To follow the EP, Madi Diaz will be releasing a brand new album called Plastic Moon, which was produced by the incredible John Alagia (who has also worked with Jason Mraz, John Mayer and Rachael Yamagata).  The album will feature a few re-recorded versions of songs on the Ten Gun Salute EP as well as some brand new songs.

Plastic Moon is the next step on a journey that began with a chance meeting through a mutual friend at the Berklee School of Music in Boston a few years ago.  Luckily, the timing was right for these two songwriters who are now on the journey of a lifetime!

Check out some highlights from my phone chat with Madi Diaz!

That has been cool and just kind of getting to know venues and people in different cities and all their quirky differences.  West Coast versus East Coast are totally different but they both have their perks.

On the tour with Landon [Pigg] we had never been on the West Coast and that was like the best thing ever.  The cities on the west coast are just so different, so fresh and new.  We’ve been to Philly a bunch of times, been to Atlanta a bunch of times – I love those cities but it was good to get a perspective on the country as a whole.

Do you have any favorite places to visit while you’re on the road?
Madi: San Francisco is awesome. They found this hotel for a bunch of the guys in this really shady area and it was like a mile walk to the venue.  So my friend and I walked that mile and looked around at all of these really funny things that you would never see because those aren’t the areas you’d go to if you were visiting San Francisco. It’s funny to just be like a normal person in San Francisco.  LA was really cool.  Portland was badass.  We didn’t really see anything there except for this really cool donut shop where a few friends of mine work.  So we went there and got some of those bacon covered donuts. It was cool, the air is a little bit different over there.  The air isn’t as dense as it is in Nashville.

And how are you liking Nashville?
Madi: Nashville is good! The music community is so incredible here.  It’s funny to drive down the street and see probably ten people that you know on the way to anywhere that you’re going.  And you’ll see some random dude practicing his air drums on the way to a show or something.  It’s cool.

Photo by Reid Rolls (http://www.reidrolls.com)

What kinds of music did you grow up listening to?
Madi: Evvverything.  My dad, still to this day, has one of the most ridiculous CD, 8-track, vinyl, tape deck collection ever. So absolutely everything…The Missing Persons, Bow Wow Wow, Digital Underground and Janet Jackson…Frank Zappa and Metallica, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin.

I remember going into this giant cabinet with all these different drawers of CDs that were all in alphabetical order…which is like the only thing that my dad has ever alphabetized [laughs]. He just had so many records.  I remember being totally obsessed with Madonna for awhile so I’d take out a Madonna album and put it on repeat for a couple of days and then it would be the Beatles’ White Album for a couple days and then it would be something like Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation for a couple days.  I would make mom totally crazy!

Are you one of those people who like the sound of vinyl versus CDs or do you not particularly care?
Madi: You know, I have to admit…It’s not that I don’t care.  I think there’s something super nostalgic and incredible about putting a vinyl on but I haven’t owned a record player for a really long time.  I’ve definitely got a couple of vinyl’s but I’m always on the go and with traveling – you can’t necessarily travel with a record a player with you.  So I have to admit that I can’t draw my distinction too well between them.  It’s sad but true!

Was there a moment when you just knew that music was what you wanted to do with your life?
Madi: I think music was just always around and kind of waiting for me to turn to it and it was always something that I did turn to and something that I just realized that I would always turn to.  I was probably about 16 when I realized that it was what I really wanted to chase.  And it’s a huge mountain to climb.  It seems huge because it’s so easy for people to be in band these days.  It’s so easy to create.  People write songs to express so many different things and there are so many people out there expressing themselves – it’s hard to think that something you love can become something that you do.  So that was kind of a big journey to go on initially and it still is.  It’s something that has just always been there.

How did you and Kyle meet?
Madi: We met in school.  We went to Berklee together a few years ago and we had a couple of mutual friends.  One of the mutual friends, who is actually a local Nashville guy now, asked to use one of my songs for his project – he wanted to produce a song for one of his classes.  He invited Kyle onto the band that he put together for me.

That was how we initially met.  We didn’t really hang out, we hung out in two totally different groups and we were in two different circles.  We eventually crossed paths again and he gave me his phone number and was like “hey, if you ever want to write or if you play any shows around town I’d love to play with you, I really love your music.”  And I thought he was just being nice so I never called him and he thought that I didn’t like his playing and that I was blowing him off.

So it was kind of funny just meeting back up with the other person and being like “no really, seriously I really do want to play with you and you’re really awesome!” And so that was when the relationship became what it is now.

I was excited to check iTunes the other day and see that you have a new song available.  I really love the song too, is there any behind the mic information that you’d be willing to share about “A Little Bit”?
Madi: I had just moved down here and I was writing with a new friend.  I had just moved down here like a month before and was kind of going through some really sad girl breakup with my boyfriend of a few years.  Up in Boston I wasn’t really writing with anybody – I was writing Kyle but you know, every once in a while a girl just needs a girl. So I wrote it with this girl, Larissa Maestro, who is an incredible writer and a total sweetheart.  I’m not sure what she’s doing now – I’m not sure if she’s writing for herself these days or if she’s playing cello for some other people – but I just kind of got together with her and she was going through something similar and we just kind of came through with that.  And it was when we were also exploring a little bit more of a Poppy-Folk sound instead of the straight Americana-Folk so that was the beginning of that too.

Photo by Heather Fitzpatrick

Do you have any idea when Plastic Moon might be available for purchase for the general public?
Madi: We’re about two weeks away from signing with the indie label out of New York.  So we are planning on dropping the single in mid-Fall and then a release maybe a month or two after that.

Sweeet!

Yeah! So that’s really exciting and that’s been kind of a hard road too because there’s this misconception that it’s an overnight success kind of thing and that it’s instant gratification and that you have this record and all of the sudden everyone knows about it and it’s a hot new craze thing.  But it’s way more of a process we’re finding.  It’s been tough but it’s been good!

One of the cool things about your pledges and your record is that you’re donating a portion to Americans for the Arts…
Madi: Yeah! That’s really cool and they’ve been super cool with us helping us promote the pledge thing so we’ve nabbed some new fans with that too which is cool.

Are there any songs that you’re particularly excited to release?
Madi: The whole record is so exciting, I’ve always wanted to do a whole full-length album.  It’s been about three years since we’ve released a full-length.  So really, if anything, I’m excited to have a whole product! But in particular there are some songs that we put on there that we re-recorded from the Ten Gun Salute EP.  The EP was as much of a success for us as it was just finding what we wanted to sound like.  It was still in the early development stages and we were still figuring out what that was.  So I think we re-recorded some of those songs with the band and gave those songs a new life.

There’s also a new song, “Time,” and another new song called “Johnny,” which is brand new and is either going to be a second single or maybe the first track on the record.

If you were to name three albums that you think everyone should own, what would you say?
Madi: That’s really hard! Right now I’d say: Trials of Van Occupanther by Midlake

The Beatles’ White Album is definitely another one…

And then… Mindy Smith’s last record Stupid Love is just incredible!

For more information about Madi Diaz check out her official website or her myspace page!

Skin and Bone	Nothing At All - Single	Ten Gun Salute	A Little Bit - Single
1. Christine 2. Side 3. Danny 4. All Over This Town 5. Rust 6. Canvas 7. Wake Me Up 8. Emmaline 9. We Were Wrong	1. Nothing At All	1. Let’s Go 2. Nothing At All 3. Heavy Heart 4. Love You Now 5. I Know I Know 6. Ten Gun Salute 7. Just Be Quiet	1.  A Little Bit

Arcade Fire's THE SUBURBS

All of the positive accolades that other sites have given this album are well-deserved.  The Suburbs, which will be released on August 3rd, is Arcade Fire’s third full record and their finest work yet.  The album is packed to the brim with a whopping 16 tracks.  The album includes the band’s latest single releases, “Month of May” and “Ready to Start.”

The seven-piece Canadian band credits a myriad of artists as major influences for their music including The Talking Heads and Depeche Mode.  Interestingly, lead-singer Win Butler said that the main inspiration for this album was actually based on a number of letters that he exchanged with his high-school sweetheart years ago.  There’s a fabulous article with more quotes here:

http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/story/arcade-fire-album-inspired-by-love-letters_1155930

Photo © Serena Ryder/Atlantic Records

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After a whole lot of hoping and a whole lot of rocking out to her album, I finally had the opportunity to have a conversation with Canadian singer-songwriter Serena Ryder. An avid disbeliever in solid truths, Serena is a very philosophical and honest artist who acknowledges and accepts change and difference along every step of her journey. My favorite thing about her is that she’s not afraid to sing it like it is. If you’ve listened to her latest album, Is It o.k, then you know exactly what I mean.

I caught up with Serena on a lovely June day on which both of our portions of the sky were overcasted even though we were in different countries and on opposite coasts. You probably don’t know this but, on gray days like this one, Serena loves to cook big breakfasts (she also home-makes tamari almonds!) and enjoy them with the company of a friend. For Serena, days like this don’t happen too often – especially now that she has been spending the majority of her days touring with artists like Howie Day and The Barenaked Ladies – but that’s okay with her because she’s learning how to feel at home while she’s on tour for several months out of the year. “I find that it’s a lot easier if you try and find your home inside of yourself,” she explains, “which has a lot to do with staying healthy.”

Just after she says this, she’s careful to explain that the idea of being healthy is one of those ever-changing liquid truths that she’s continuously recognizing. “It’s about definitions and what you define to be true for you. Sometimes drinking is good for certain people. Sometimes eating cheese pizza is really good for somebody. It just depends on what you think about it.”

At the end of July, Serena will be playing a few shows on the east coast with several other brilliant female artists for Lilith Fair before hitting the road with Ray LaMontagne and David Gray in August. I hope that this finds you at a time when Serena Ryder’s words can ring true to you. She continues to inspire me everyday! Is It o.k is in stores now! Below are some highlights from our conversation, enjoy!

Hi Serena! I bet you’re excited for Lilith Fair!
Serena: Oh yeah! Huge. That’s a dream come true for me, literally.  I remember getting the Lilith Fair compilations and everybody being freaked out by who was playing and always wanting to go and always wanting to be a part of it.  I remember when I was 16 I tried out for the “up and coming, new young voices” thing that they used to have at Lilith Fair and I was one of the runner-ups, and then the year after was the year it got canceled.  So this is very exciting for me to be going now.

The other dream come true is touring with Ray LaMontagne…Amazing.  I’m doing a tour with him and David Gray.

How do you get set up with that?
Serena: It’s magic! It’s alchemy.  It’s like this little hot air balloon pops down in front of your house and drops off this letter that you have to fill in and put a little red stamp on.  And if you put the wrong red stamp on, then sometimes you only get half of the tour, but if you put the right red stamp on then you get the whole tour…but it depends on what day of the month it’s delivered.
It’s pretty much like that.  The reason why anything happens in the entire world is all about what’s meant to be and what’s not meant to be.  Even things that you think aren’t meant to be and when everything goes wrong – it’s even more meant to be than some things that go normally.

What has touring taught you about yourself?
Serena: It’s a pretty concentrated way of living life.   Most people in North America have a house and live in it and sleep in it everyday.  So they have this sense of cellular sameness – a sense of home – in the very literal sense of the word and also in the emotional sense of the word.  In a sense it’s really amazing and really wonderful that those people have that, but then there’s also an opportunity for things to become monotonous or go even as far as stagnant in certain people’s lives.  That isn’t always the case, but it happens sometimes.

With my lifestyle and the lifestyle of other touring musicians, we have also the opportunity to be able to constantly be conscious of our changing surroundings and changing internal conversations going on inside of us.  With all of the things we’re seeing all the time, we have to relate ourselves to different surroundings all of the time.  In a sense we have to learn how to become chameleon-like.  There’s a perfection inside of that, but there can also be a real chaos to it if you don’t allow yourself to find your home inside.  As long as your insides stay the same, you’ll be alright. There are a lot of things that happen out there that can be really confusing if you let yourself get caught up in holding onto your surroundings.

I have so many favorite places – Seattle is one of my favorite places…Seattle, Austin.  I love certain parts of LA, I love Topanga Canyon.  The only struggles I’ve had on tour have been when I’ve tried to hold onto a place or if I’ve tried to push a place away.  I find that it’s a lot easier if you try and find your home inside of yourself which has a lot to do with staying healthy.  There are so many different ways to be healthy and it’s so relative to who you are in the moment.  It could have to do with eating; it could have to do with drinking lots of water; it could have to do with not consuming alcohol.  I stopped drinking alcohol like 5 months ago and I never thought that I would ever, ever do that because I was so good at drinking.  I was really good at partying and hanging out and all that stuff.  It’s about definitions and what you define to be true for you.  Sometimes drinking is good for certain people.  Sometimes eating cheese pizza is really good for somebody.  It just depends on what you think about it.

So for me, where I am and where I’m going in the future, it’s all about finding a home inside of myself.  Because if you do that, then you’re at home all of the time and there’s no struggle. Now wouldn’t that be awesome?!

Definitely!

Serena: …And there’s where I’m finding the inspiration for all of my songs…how I write, how I live, how I sleep, how I get up in the morning, how I talk to other people – it’s all based on where I am inside myself – what part of my internal world I’m living in. You can use your body as a microcosm for the world.  There are different places, different feelings, different climates depending on how you feel or where you decide to put your consciousness.

Does your writing process change while you’re touring?
Serena: My writing process is always in a constant flux of change because I am as well and I’m always touring so, yes, of course – it changes when I’m touring, it changes when I’m staying still and in one place because my internal world is changed as well.  When I’m on the road, the things that I become inspired by when I’m touring have to do with having to constantly bring back that awareness that my home is inside because you can get pretty fucked up if you think your home is outside, you know? It’s like “everything’s changing, I’m in a different city everyday, it’s driving me insane!”…that’s like the little voice that’s inside of the head screaming for some sort of stability, some sort of home.

But then there’s so much beauty and excitement out there too.  There’s a never-ending possibility.  You can learn by going really fast and you can learn by staying really still – it just depends on how much you want to pay attention to yourself.  And sometimes nobody don’t want to pay attention to themselves, and that’s fine.  It’s a part of their process too.

Do you usually tell people if you’ve written a song about them?
Serena: Oh, I’m sure they know! If I were to write a song about somebody, they’d have to be so in my life, they’d have to be so in my skin, they’d have to have so affectedme.  I’m sure they know, but if they don’t…then thank goodness!  Haha.

I’m willing to share everything in song, I don’t need to go out and take my words out of that song and put them into an everyday conversation that is so fleeting and so useless a lot of the time.  I feel really blessed to be able to write songs because I am able to create something that is undying in a sense.

Do your songs change meaning to you over time?
Serena: Absolutely! My songs change meaning for me all of the time because songs are mantras; they’re chants and they’re words that are, for the most part, prayers that are sent out there.  They’re repetitions of a certain truth or a certain lie, wherever you wrote the song from.
When you’re chanting something over and over again or saying a prayer, a mantra or an affirmation – it’s in itself a microcosm of what we need as human beings in the world.  We need to hear the same things over and over and over again.  And sometimes we never really hear it in our lives.  But for me, when I write a song from when I’ve written to five, six, ten years later, sometimes a light just clicks and I say “ooh that’s what that songs means…now.”

It’s all about how it relates to who I am and who the listener is in the moment because we’re all changing all of the time.  We’re never the same person and that’s where we get fucked, is when we try and hold on to this identity or this person that we thought we’ve always been.  We get into these big fights and arguments and things get really fucked up in our lives.  You know when people say something like, “oh, you’ve changed,” or you have a friend that all of the sudden thinks that you’ve changed and they say “well that’s not something you would do.”  …And it’s like, well no, it’s not something I would’ve done but now I want to do this and this is who I am at this moment.

I think we need to be a little bit more forgiving and open to change.  For my entire life people have always been asking me, “are you ever going to make up your mind? You always change your mind.”  Recently I’ve realized, “yeah, fuck, I always change my mind and I’m always going to change my mind, isn’t that amazing?!”

What do you think about on stage?
Serena: It’s funny that you ask that, because lately I’ve been sharing that to the audience while I was on stage.  I just got off the road with Barenaked Ladies and it was AWESOME and the audience was AWESOME!  I was on stage and two or three times every night I would tell the audience what I was thinking about.  I recently read this article about multitasking and how there was a study done where they took two different groups of people and they each got to do three things.  In one group, they got to do the three things all at once for thirty minutes and in the other group they got to the three things in separate blocks of time for ten minutes each.  At the end, they found that the people who were multitasking’s IQs went down something like 10 to 15% and they did the things worse than the other people.  I became fascinated with this because, in our generation, we’re constantly told that we need to get a billion things done at once and that’s so much better.

When I was on stage I was thinking about that during one of my songs and I realized that I’m actually multitasking when I’m singing.  Sometimes I’ve sang the song so much and so often that I’m thinking about the audience member that just sat down and I closed my eyes while they were walking down the isle with three of their friends because I didn’t want to make them feel self conscious because they were walking in front of me while I was singing.  And then I would start thinking about what I was going to say after I finish the song and whether or not I should go out after the show and meet people.  Then I was just thinking about the story of when I first wrote that song and that person that I was with in my hotel room, who was my tour manager, and we were talking about what was going to go on the next day and the meal that we ate…and then I started thinking about my favorite restaurant in Toronto… But the smallest and the biggest thing are just as important as a good love song. I’m a big fan of letting your heart take you where you want to go.

What are three albums or songs that you think everyone should own?
Serena: Fleetwood Mac Rumours, of course.
Sandro Perri’s song “Double Suicide” from Tiny Mirrors.  It’s life-changing.
And Feist’s album, The Reminder.

This photo is © Two Hours Traffic

Named after a phrase from Shakespeare’s prologue in Romeo and Juliet, Two Hours Traffic is a Canadian band that was founded ten years ago by lead singer Liam Corcoran and guitarist Alec O’Hanley. Leading up to the recording of their first full-length record, Liam and Alec were joined by Andrew MacDonald (bass) and Derek Ellis (drums) in 2003.

Over the last few years the band has been featured on a number of television and film programs including “Gossip Girl” and In The Land Of Women. Along with those TV spots, the band has been touring around their home and most recently in Australia.

A couple of months ago I got my hands on the band’s latest release, Territory, and I’ve been jamming it ever since. “We were drawing on romantic experiences for much of the record,” explained frontman Liam Corcoran, “and more specifically the tough times in a relationship.” Well, somehow these guys make their tough times sound awesome!Territory is a catchy, well-written record in its entirety – a must have for every indie music fan.

Two Hours Traffic is currently on tour in Australia, but be sure to keep checking their tour dates to see when they’ll be playing in your city! In the meantime, check out my Q&A with lead singer Liam Corcoran and get into Two Hours Traffic!

How are you enjoying your tour in Australia?
Our time in Australia has been excellent so far, we are really just getting started. Highlights have been the delicious domestic beer and the beautiful scenery. And yes, we have seen our first kangaroo.

Where are you guys from and how did you meet up?
We are from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada. We were originally an acoustic duo but we cemented the current 4-piece lineup in 2003 while attending the University of Prince Edward Island.

What inspired you to call your band Two Hours Traffic? I love the name, by the way!
Our name comes from the prologue of Romeo and Juliet which we were studying at the time.

Territory is an awesome record. What kinds of life experiences were reflected in the writing of that album?
We were drawing on romantic experiences for much of the record, and more specifically the tough times in a relationship.

What’s your writing process like? How do you put it all together?
One of us will bring a song to the table, chords and melody, and then we hammer out the arrangements together.

What are some differences that you’ve noticed in the music you’re making now compared to what you’ve released in the past?
I guess our songs aren’t as sugar-sweet as they were in the beginning, although we still write a lot pop songs about love.

How has your writing process changed since you wrote the music for Little Jabs?
The writing process is still very similar to when we made Little Jabs but we do collaborate more on our lyric writing these days.

I love your song “Noisemaker,” what inspired that song?
Alec wrote “Noisemaker,” so I can’t speak for him exactly but I believe it is really just about two people in a relationship who aren’t getting along.

Do you all have similar music tastes? And who are some artists that inspire you?
Our musical tastes are quite similar for the most part. We are inspired by bands like Spoon, Wilco, the Magnetic Fields, Deerhunter, Phoenix and about a million others.

What three albums should every music lover own?
Every music lover should own Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde, George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass and Lucinda Williams’ Car Wheels on a Gravel Road.

What do you typically like to do on your days off?
On our days off we watch movies, drink beer, maybe try and write some new tunes.

What are your goals for the future?
For the future, we just want to keep making music and we hope that some people out there will want to hear it.

What’s your favorite song to play live?
I don’t know if there is one favorite song to play live, we probably would all have our own personal choices. I really like playing “Drop Alcohol” because there is a lot of empty space in the song and this makes the keyboard and guitar parts very powerful.

What kinds of albums, books and movies are you into right now?
Favorites of the moment:
Movies – Wild At Heart, Drag Me to Hell, Castle
Albums – the National’s High Violet, the New Pornographer’s Together
Books – anything by John Updike or Cormac McCarthy

Photo © Mikey Wax

You know those wonderful days that you have every now and then? The days that you get to spend sipping on a fresh cup of coffee and relaxing with your favorite songs playing in the background? Well, I have one of those days every time that I turn on Mikey Wax’s music. His full-length debut, Change Again, is a beautiful mix of songs that capture Mikey’s talent for writing beautiful lyrics about the trials and tribulations that come along with love, change and then the eventual lightness that comes with finding hope at the end of it all.

Last February marked the release of the For Better or Worse EP that featured six tracks including two of my very favorite Mikey Wax songs, “So Crazy” and “Back and Forth.” Lyrically and musically, the music is a little faster and more upbeat than Change Again. It’s perfect for your commute home, your coffee break or even as music to be-bop too while you get your work done.

Mikey is getting ready to hit the road with another findyourfav friend, Landon Pigg, this month. Be sure to check out their tour dates and catch a show! In the meantime, check out Mikey’s latest EP titled The Traveler, available for FREE on his official website. Give him a shot, you won’t regret it!

Your EP, For Better or Worse, is a collection of really wonderful, inspiring songs.  What kinds of life experiences influenced the music on that record?
I wanted to do something a little more up-tempo then my first album Change Again. The story of “Remember” is funny cause I played it at a live show and said something about the song being about developing feelings for someone new rather than the girl you dated for 4 years and 6 months. Of course, the girl that I dated for 4 years and 6 months was in the audience. We laughed about it later. I’m at peace on this new album, and able to explore other topics in songs like “Back and Forth” and “Halfway Gone.”

You recently toured with Howie Day and Serena Ryder, what was that touring experience like?
Touring with Howie and Serena was great. It forced me to up my performance level every night.

Do you usually keep in touch with artists that you tour with?
Yes. Touring with someone you become close very fast and get to know that person very well. I still stay close with my first touring buddy, Tim Brantley.

What’s one item that you always bring with you on tour?
If I forget anything, there’s an app for that.

I read in your bio that your musical journey started with a letter from your Grandfather, I think that’s awesome.  Where is that letter now?
I keep it in my wallet at all times. I like knowing it’s with me and I can read it whenever I need to.

Did you grow up in a musical home?  How did you know that you wanted to be a musician?
Yes, I grew up in a very musical home. My dad was a piano player and songwriter. I remember being a little kid running around the piano as he would play and compose. Hiding under the piano. My brothers and I would also play “sock hockey” (basically soccer with a sock, but we liked hockey better), and we would blast Sgt. Peppers. At 5 years old I was infused with the melodies of the Beatles. I wrote my first song when I was 10. I had over 50 instrumental pieces written when I was 13. I always knew I would do something musically. None of my family or friends are really surprised.

What kinds of artists inspired you when you were a kid?
The Beatles, Billy Joel, Elton John. I also learned a lot of classical piano music growing up.

And how about more recent artists that inspire you now?
I still prefer older music to modern music. I enjoy Frank Sinatra, James Taylor, Pink Floyd, Phil Collins. Modern songwriters I listen to are Dave Matthews, John Mayer, Coldplay, Bon Iver.

What kinds of changes have you noticed in yourself in comparison to when you recorded your first record?  And are there specific changes in the music that you’ve noticed on the new record compared to the first two?
Wow. For starters, I’m much more confident now than I used to be. I know exactly what I’m going for and I do it.  I’m also in a more positive state mentally. I used to write only depressing music about lost love. Now it’s a combination of depressing/lost love music AND the hope of something better coming along.  This positivity also shows in the music. I’m much looser and energetic in my tone and voice. More enthusiastic. My first album is very consistent; the newest album has a greater range of emotion.

What are your goals musically?  And is fame important to you?
I’ve always said jokingly my goal musically is to sell out Madison square garden. Everything I’m doing now is just one step closer to that. I’ve always been inspired going to see a Dave Matthews Band concert at MSG, so I’ve made a promise to my friends that I will do it. In the next ten years. If you sell out MSG, your not just some guy with one big song. You have fans that truly care about your music and are inspired by what you do. I want to give that. I want to earn that.

You know, I was excited to catch Howie Day and Serena Ryder’s show in Seattle, but you weren’t here for that show which was a bummer!  Any chance you’ll tour again soon and hit the west coast?
It would be nice. I have a song on my new album called “California Skies” which is funny cause I’ve never been. Shh.

What are some of your all-time favorite movies, books and albums?
I love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. That movie is so artistic it inspires and fascinates me every time. Plus, the story is so beautiful, every time it reaches the end, I feel a new song ready to come out.  My favorite album is perhaps Abbey Road, but I haven’t listened straight through in a while. I don’t like reading for long periods of time, so I’d have to say my favorite book isGoodnight Moon or The Polar Express. I like trains.

Photo © Angel Taylor & Columbia Records

Talking to Angel Taylor is like talking to an old friend – she’s totally awesome and down-to-earth, so much so that one may not have a clue that she’s the up and coming singer-songwriter whose music is enchanting ears and capturing hearts across the country. You might’ve heard her single, “Like You Do,” on your favorite radio station or perhaps you’ve seen her video on a music channel that you fancy. If not, then today is bound to be a refreshing day for you! With smooth, thoughtful lyrics and beautiful guitar and piano driven melodies, Angel writes songs that are both insightful and delightful. Not too shabby for someone who has only been playing guitar for just over a year!

The video for “Like You Do” has made it onto VH1′s Top 20 Countdown numerous times over the last two months and Angel is reaching more and more people after having made appearances on television shows like Ellen and CBS’ The Early Show. Once you hear even a sample of her sweet and heartfelt lyrics, you’ll know exactly why music lovers across the country have fallen in love with this 22 year-old musician. Please enjoy my Q&A with Angel right here:

Your single, “Like You Do,” is getting all kinds of attention across the country. I love it! Is there any ‘behind the mic’ info that you’d be willing to share about that song and what inspired it?
Well to be honest with you, it kinda came about with me and Jason Reeves and my producer Mikal sitting around and just babbling. I wanted to try and compose a song that was extremely happy and almost make believe. “Like you Do” was born and it stuck in our heads. We all just loved it!

What does Love Travels in its entirety represent to you? And how did you come up with the title?
“Love Travels” is the essence of my album. Love being something that is constantly searched for and not found in just one place, it literally travels with anyone, anywhere. And it also represents my travels (or writings) for love, so it’s kind of a play on words.

What’s your songwriting process like?
It’s never really the same. I write the moment something comes to my head and it usually happens when i’ve been moved or have gone through something. Lyrics or melody first, always depends.

When you write songs about people do you usually tell them if the song is about them? Why or why not?
Ha! In some cases it has kind of slipped out, and in others I’ve down right told them. At times, I feel like it’s just something for me to know and I won’t tell the person, but I honestly can’t think of a situation in which that actually happened, me keeping it solely to myself… so I guess I always tell them? And if I haven’t, I just haven’t. haha.

One of the things that I really like about you is how close you are to your family! How have they been reacting to your success? Do they come to your shows?
My family is pretty stinking amazing. I’m the youngest of 5 girls, and its just me, them, and mom. And they are at my LA shows. My sister LaChristian has actually come on tour with me, which was a total riot. So yeah, they’re really supportive. They’ve been a huge help in just understanding how to manage things as they come, and keeping me level headed. Its all fun!

What kinds of music did you love as kid? And how old were you when you learned to play the guitar?
I loved a ton of various Christian artists growing up. I was pretty sheltered from the mainstream scene when it came to music and pretty much everything. And I learned how to play the guitar when I was almost 21. So, it really hasn’t been that long. haha.

What was your reaction when you first realized that you were getting signed to Columbia Records?
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! HAHHA. I freaked out. I couldn’t believe it, and had NO idea what it really meant to be a signed artist, let alone to Columbia. I remember looking at the side of the Room For Squares record and seeing Aware/Columbia and thinking wow, that’s gotta be pretty stinking amazing, and BAM… here I am. It’s all crazy if you ask me.

What’s your favorite song to perform live and why?
Mmm, I have a couple. But probably “Not Even Human”. It’s a song that is very close to me, as are my others, but I guess in a richer setting. I am able to kind of pour out any heartbreak that I’ve ever felt in that song, and its really therapeutic for me.

What have you learned about yourself throughout the process of recording and touring over the last couple of years?
OH tons… That i love home, and the appreciation of family and having a place to call home I guess. Also that I love people, I really do. I love meeting people and conversing and having deep conversations. I can live on a bus and be okay! haha, i didn’t know that before, and now i do! I’m learning a ton about myself musically too. It’s much easier for me to write music when i’m home.

When you get a day off from touring, what do you typically like to do?
Apparently I love shopping. I never shopped much growing up. My friends would go to the mall and I would always window shop, so I think I’m living out my teen years of never being able to afford shopping and now, doing it when i have free time. I like to work out, read, and just have some alone time. Watch a movie… you know… relax.

If you had to recommend three albums that every music lover should own, what would you choose?
AH! that’s not fair. 3?!?! Well, I won’t be marked by these forever, but off the top of my head…
Backspacer by Pearl Jam (newfound love)
Continuum or Heavier Things by John Mayer annnnnddd
The Sparrow and The Crow by William Fitzsimmons. I had that record on repeat forever.

What are your goals (personally and musically) for the future?
Musically, I hope to continue to tour around the world (eventually go international… I’m obsessed with all things international) and continue to live and through living have experiences that hopefully challenge and move people in any way they can. I hope to continue to make music with other people maybe as well. Personally, I hope to find an amazing guy to date and one of these fine days get married and have a family, and a castle, haha… I hope to fall in love.

What is something that not too many people know about you that you’d be willing to share? The quirkier the better
Ummm, i could eat ice cream all day long. Rain or shine. I’m a dessert before dinner kind of girl….
I took my first plane ride when i was 19 years old and I can’t read music.

What are some books and movies that you’re into right now?
I actually finished a brilliant novel called Sundays at Tiffany’s by James Patterson. GREAT READ. Im also reading Knowing God by J. I Packer, amazing! I have yet to dive into Avatar although I bought it on DVD. Just saw Dear John, precious…I’m a sap for a chic-flick. Love me a good read and a good film.