Tag: Music Video Behind the Scenes

  • Why Winning Music Awards Takes More Than Just a Great Song

    Why Winning Music Awards Takes More Than Just a Great Song

    Moving Into The Lead

    There’s a little event coming up called the Utah Music Awards. My single Touch has been entered into the process for Best Pop Song and for Best Music Video. There’s an ancillary award called the Audience Choice Award. Currently Touch, as I write this post, has been moving into the lead. But there’s a hot contender that is moving up fast.

    Awards events can be a massive boost to the ego, or they can be a massive drain on the ego. I’ve won in the past for my song Falling In. That was a such a cool feeling. I’ve also been in the prelim rounds of the Grammys. I’d really like to make it out of the prelims and into the nominations round.

    There’s an awful lot of work that goes into making people aware of the music being voted on. I’ve got a couple of friends that have won Grammys and its essentially becomes a full time job sending out the music, making friendships, calling in favors, and generally asking people to look out for your music – then vote on it. A lot of moving parts that have to coordinate.

    Utah Music Awards Audience Choice Vote Here

    Hit the link, throw a vote on it and help boost my ego a little bit. I’ll be a sour Jedi Knight, ala Anakin, if I lose to a cover song from a two year old movie.

  • I Covered Sober By Tool See The Video

    I Covered Sober By Tool See The Video

    A little while ago on Twitter I put it out there asking Tweeps what song they’d like to see me do a cover of. One of the requests that came in was for Tool’s Sober. I thought – hey, that’s an interesting one if I do it with acoustic guitars and a single vocal. I found some time to put a day aside to learn the song, come up with a couple of guitar parts that would work acoustically. I recorded it. Sang it. I put it down for a couple of weeks as I was busy shooting video and recording some of my tunes. A few days ago while taking a little vacation to visit my sister, I spent a couple of hours shooting some video for the cover song. I give you:

    Sober

    YouTube player

    There’s a shadow just behind me,
    Shrouding every step I take,
    Making every promise empty,
    Pointing every finger at me.
    Waiting like a stalking butler
    Who upon the finger rests.
    Murder now the path of “must we”
    Just because the son has come.

    Jesus, won’t you fucking whistle
    Something but the past is done?
    Jesus, won’t you fucking whistle
    Something but the past is done?

    Why can’t we not be sober?
    I just want to start this over.
    Why can’t we drink forever.
    I just want to start this over.

    I am just a worthless liar.
    I am just an imbecile.
    I will only complicate you.
    Trust in me and fall as well.
    I will find a center in you.
    I will chew it up and leave,
    I will work to elevate you
    Just enough to bring you down.

    Mother Mary won’t you whisper
    Something but the past is done.
    Mother Mary won’t you whisper
    Something but the past is done.

    Why can’t we not be sober?
    Just want to start this over.
    Why can’t we sleep forever.
    I just want to start this over.

    I am just a worthless liar.
    I am just an imbecile.
    I will only complicate you.
    Trust in me and fall as well.
    I will find a center in you.
    I will chew it up and leave,
    Trust me [x5]

    Why can’t we not be sober?
    Just want to start things over.
    Why can’t we sleep forever.
    I just want to start this over.

    I want what I want [x4]

     

    Enjoy my take on it. Make me happy by hitting the YouTube subscribe button. Share it all around.

    Thanks!

  • The Road to 2006: Inside an Independent Artist’s Breakout Year

    Happy New Year 2006!

    Just a quick recap on 2005 as I head into 2006. Obviously some good things happened this year.

    • First and foremost the band and I played some great gigs
    • Practical Insanity was released and is already selling
    • Practical Insanity was released on iTunes and is selling well
    • Streaming of older material on services like Rhapsody and Yahoomusic
    • I purchased a tour bus, recently named “Claire”
    • The second video for Practical Insanity was shot – Falling In
    • T-Shirts for Practical Insanity were printed and are already selling
    • Practical Insanity Posters becoming a big hit at shows and conferences
    • Nominated for Best Band of the Year going into 2006 (I find out in March of 2006)

    Obviously the music seems to be grabbing hold of people. I saw a rough near final edit of the Falling In video yesterday and I’m excited to see the final version in the next day or two – Byron Turk has done a phenomenal job with it. It will be getting shipped off to The Fuse in early January so keep the fingers crossed that it gets a really great response.

    In all 2005 was a very good year. I’m really looking forward to 2006 and working my ass off with the band to blow up on the national scene.