The Belmont Chill

Shawn Mullins, the Artist of the hit song "Lullaby", Talks Shop with Belmont Chill

2006-12-21T11:16:00.000-08:00

-Shawn Mullins took some time before his show to sit down with me at the bar in 3rd and Lindsley to talk about where his career has taking him and the verizon ahead.

TBC: Shawn, first of all—welcome to “Music City.” Where all have you played here and what do you think of the prominent music scene?

Mullins: Playing here is something that I always look forward to—I absolutely love it. Nashville is also home to many of my favorite artists, which I think is why I feel so much at home here. When I played my first gig here it was at the Bluebird Café. A couple years ago, I was scheduled to play the Ryman, but was unable to because an opportunity came up for me to be on the Tonight Show. So that is one thing here that I still want to accomplish, playing at the Ryman.

TBC: You are from outside of Atlanta in the town of Decatur (I mispronounce as Deck-uh-tor). Do you find that some of your songwriting is reflective of being in GA and your time spent living there?

Mullins: (Correcting my mispronunciation) Well it’s actually pronounced Dee-cay-tor. It’s kind of funny that you said that wrong though. In Decatur we have a significant lesbian population, so sometimes people will joke around and call the town Dick-hater. But to answer your question, the neighborhood that I live in back home in Decatur is an old hippie neighborhood where just about anything goes. I like that about it. The neighborhood has a real laid back kind of feel to it. So yeah, I would say that some of my songwriting is reflective of where I come from.

TBC: I was reading online that you were involved in military marching band. Tell me a little bit about that and how it has affected your musical songwriting now.

Mullins: Well I was involved in the cadet program at the University of North Georgia. My time in college was torn between music and the military, but the cadet program gave me the opportunity to do both. Since I was able to read music fairly well, I began to play the snare drum with the cadets in the Golden Eagle Band.

TBC: With your involvement in the Army ROTC, did you ever consider having a career with the military and what made you decide not to pursue that?

Mullins: Well that’s all kind of a long story in itself. My whole involvement in the military was largely due to the fact that both my father and brother were officers. One time I was out doing land navigation, and I got lost and came to the realization that the military wasn’t my niche. It was kind of a hard thing to decide, because my brother is a navy seal, and I always wanted to follow in his footsteps. In the end I realized that your family loves you no matter what.

TBC: Tell me a little bit about how you got involved in working with the Indigo Girls.

Mullins: I met Amy and we became friends in the ninth grade. When they (the Indigo Girls) really blew up in 1989, they signed with the same manager and booking agent that I would later sign with. I still do a considerable amount of co-writing with the Indigo Girls.

TBC: You strongly supported John Kerry’s campaign during the 2004 election…Tell me some of how you got involved with that and how important you think politics and music should be related to one another

Mullins: There’s really not too much of a story behind that. Very seldom does my music stretch into any type of political sphere. I just got asked to play the benefit for his campaign.

TBC: What is the one thing about the music industry that you wish you would known when you started out?

Mullins: I wish back then that I would have realized how much inner strength it takes to split business and art within me. This whole music thing is much more complex than one would think. For instance, touring is horrible on a relationship. Although my wife Kelly has a level head and she can deal with it, we don’t have any kids yet. I can only imagine how much harder touring will be once we do choose to have kids.

For those of you who are not familiar with Shawn Mullins, he is perhaps best known for the song “Lullaby," which was also a huge radio hit several years ago. Check his stuff out at http://www.shawnmullins.com or at http://www.myspace.com/shawnmullins

Kevin Gordon- From Skateboarding in Louisiana to Writing Killer Songs

2006-12-16T14:20:00.000-08:00

-Kevin Gordon thought that an interview with Matt Reynolds would be a piece of cake. Little did he know that I utterly despise cake. (I'm honestly more of a pie guy) Regardless, here is my interview with Kevin Gordon.

TBC: So Kevin, I honestly don’t know too much about you, your music, or your background. Will you fill in the gaps for me?

Kevin: Well I was born and grew up in northern Louisiana. It was weird because despite the rural area I grew up around, in high school I was already listening to the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, and singing in my own punk band—that is, when I wasn’t skateboarding.

TBC: I didn’t really know they even had skateboards in northern Lousiana.

Kevin: (Laughs) They are few and far between. As far as my playing guitar, one of my high school girlfriend’s mom bought me my first guitar. From day one, I was writing music. I had a particular knack for poetry, which led me eventually to the poetry program as a graduate student at the University of Iowa. My songwriting process now usually looks like this: I’ll start with a melody and eventually add some chords along. Eventually I’ll come up with verses and more or less just see where the song goes. That’s what’s so great about what I do. I mean, let’s face it—I’m not writing country singles. I feel a little more confident now that I’ve moved to Nashville. It was actually a publishing deal that got me here, and it’s funny, because the one-year deal I had with that publishing company was the worst creative year in my life. I’ve learned that true art cannot simply be reduced to a “product.”

TBC: Usually during my interviews I ask the artist about how they feel about the music industry’s conversion to internet and digital means. Would you contribute your thoughts to this discussion?

Kevin: Although I think it is sad to see such a giant as Tower Records throwing in the towel, the digital music world hasn’t affected me all that much. This is because my audience “demographic” consists of older people.

TBC: Tell me your favorite five albums of all time.

Kevin. Wow …ok, I’d have to say.
The Rolling Stones- “Exile on Main St.”
Bob Dylan- “Blood On The Tracks”
X- “Wild Gift”
Bruce Springsteen-“Nebraska”
Miles Davis-“Kind of Blue”

TBC: Where would you like to see yourself in five years?

Kevin: I would like to being the same exact stuff as now—but just busier. I always strive to stay true to my roots where my songs come from.

Anthony Gomes @ Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie

2006-12-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

TBC: Since a lot of people have not had the chance to hear of you or your music, tell me a little bit about where your music derives and how you use it to inspire others.
Gomes: I am originally from the Toronto area of Canada. Honestly, I really see my music as taking on two different perspectives. The musical perspective is very strongly rooted in the style of gospel. However, the social perspective is that music has the capacity to change the world. Music is the one common link that we all share. I personally am moved by powerful music from artists across the board, from U2 to Ben Harper.

TBC: How did your group that your touring with now form?
Gomes: Well, it’s kind of funny. We each come from various places in North America. They say that there are 6 degrees of separation between people, and only 2 degrees between musicians. I’ve known our bass player for a while, and we picked up the drummer while out on the circuit.

TBC: What do you think of the ever growing music scene here in town?
Gomes: I believe that Nashville truly is “Music City” USA. I always truly enjoy my time spent here in the ever-expanding scene. Although there are other towns that I really enjoy playing in (Chicago, Austin) I really believe that Nashville is the best kept secret in the States.

TBC: Who are some artists that you would cite as major influences?
Gomes: Stevie Wonder is incredible. Also, Jimi Hendrix, U2, Bob Marley, the Beatles, Coldplay. I think some fans would be surprised that I really enjoy Gavin DeGraw.

TBC: I usually try to include in all my interviews a chance for the artist to talk about the music industry today and it’s relationship with the internet, specifically how that affects you as the artist. What do you think?
Gomes: I think that what’s really surprised me is that fans will approach me at my shows and tell me to my face that they burn my music. Often though, even though they say that, they end up buying my album at the show and offering their support, which is nice. I think that people’s perspective of the value of music has greatly changed. I’ve come to the conclusion that we can’t fight technology, as an artist we must embrace technology in any way possible. For example, we try to make my own website as visually appealing as possible so that fans will want to stay and listen to my music and find out more about me.

TBC: Who are you signed with currently?
Gomes: Right now, I am signed with Adrenaline Records—home of Collective Soul. My album came out in August and I am about to release my back catalog to the label. Adrenaline is fairly loose and grants me a good amount of creative control--I own all my masters.

TBC: Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Gomes: I would love to still have a growing and solid fan-base. I want to always be able to put my music in as many hands as possible.

To support and find out more about Anthony Gomes and his music, visit his site at http://www.anthonygomes.com

Straylight Run Relaxes with The Belmont Chill

2006-12-01T00:12:00.000-08:00

-I recently had the chance to get away from Belmont for an amazing concert at Exit/In. Once there, I had the opportunity to sit in and chat with brother and sister John and Michelle Nolan of the headlining band, Straylight Run.

TBC: You both are coming towards the end of this tour, and have made it a point to play this show here in Nashville. Is there any one specific town on this tour that has really stuck out in your mind as exceptional?
John: Salt Lake City. I know it seems random, but we really weren’t expecting anything near to the level of the response that we got there. It was an amazing show and their support was overwhelming. On this particular tour, we really tried to focus on booking shows at smaller venues, so we usually get to talk to more people after shows.
Michelle: Yeah, I would definitely have to say Salt Lake City too. One girl in the audience actually there gave me a picture that she had drawn of me, which was pretty awesome but a little different.

TBC: How do you approach your songwriting and what influences you?
John: Usually myself or Michelle will approach the band with any ideas of a particular song, then we all get together and work on it.
Michelle: I write about my life experiences, or really just anything in society that bothers me.
John: When I write, I usually incorporate just what is going on in the world. I'd have to say that my main influence by far is Radiohead, who I really began to get into towards the end of high school.

TBC: Which Radiohead album is your personal favorite?
John: I would have to say “The Bends,” although that is definitely a difficult call. I could really sit here all night and talk about Radiohead…
Michelle: ...I am greatly influenced by Fiona Apple. Everything about her has revolutionized the way I approach music—her piano, lyrics, and soothing voice.

TBC: I've read that you guys have a full-length coming out soon, tell me a little about that.
John: Well its really different from our first record, and certainly different from our EP. Of course, it has the straightforward catchy melodies (pause) but yeah, we’re looking forward to its release.

TBC: Will the album be released in the spring sometime?
John: Well we’re hoping so. We are waiting to be picked up by a label before we announce the official release.

TBC: Although you are now a truly independent band, for a while you were signed with Victory Records. The founder of that label, Tony Brummel, has received a lot of heat from some of his former bands. How was your experience with Victory and in particular Tony Brummel.
John: Well things with Tony were certainly never confrontational. We did our thing and he did his. There was a lot of negotiating that took place in 2003—due to mine and Shawn’s contract with Victory from Taking Back Sunday. We were bound by a contract to release another album and so we renegotiated our deal to bring in Michelle and Will.

TBC: Is there something about the music business that you know now but wish you would have known say three years ago?
John: Well, I guess coming into this whole music business thing, I always knew that it wasn’t necessarily a great place to be. I wish I would have realized back then the potential I had to make money. When you are young and all you can think about is how much you want to be signed, you feel like the record label is doing you a favor with your best interest in mind—which is not always the case.

TBC: How do you feel about the music world going digital, with declining album sales but soaring sales on ITUNES and through ring-tones? Has this affected you guys much?
Michelle: Well, it’s actually kind of funny you mention it—Tony from Victory was always so much against ITUNES, but I believe they just incorporated their catalog on ITUNES recently.
John: Yeah to be honest, I couldn’t even tell you exactly how our finances are affected by internet sales.
Michelle: As far as file sharing programs go, I feel like they help the artist more than they hurt. If someone can get a hold of your music through file sharing, maybe they’ll go to your shows and buy your merchandise—that helps out the artist more than anything else.

TBC: What does 2007 have in store for Straylight Run?
John: We are really hoping to sign a record deal in the next couple months, then we will really know when the album comes out. After that point, I’m sure that we will get back out to touring and supporting the new album.

Lead singer Aaron Marsh from Copeland Excited About New Album and Tour

2006-11-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk via telephone with Aaron Marsh, lead singer/front-man/producer of the band Copeland, about their new album “Eat Sleep Repeat” and the upcoming tour that began here in Nashville on Nov. 3rd.

TBC: You guys are here in Nashville to start this new tour in promotion for your new album. Are there any specific towns that you are already looking forward to playing in while on this tour?

Aaron: We definitely have our favorites: We love playing Seattle, LA, Orange County, the whole Southern California area. We also really love playing in Orlando and Tampa because that’s where we are from and we get to see all our family and friends.

TBC: Your new album is called Eat Sleep Repeat, and is now available in stores. How would categorize this new album in relationship to In Motion (2004)?

Aaron: Well, it’s a lot mellower and there is a lot more to it. You know, lush instrumentation with strings and horns and that kind of thing. We kind of cut back on guitars and used more keys and strings to fill it up and give it more of layered texture. Other than that, it’s kind of the same old Copeland, but not quite as many blatant pop hooks. The album has a little more musicality I think.

TBC: I was reading somewhere that you’ve done some producing on this album. How was that?

Aaron: I’ve done producing on both of our last two records. It’s something I’ve been doing for a long time. Ever since I was in high school I’ve been recording bands and kind of being a gear nerd. I actually looked into going to Belmont for recording, but I wasn’t able to afford it. Then I got going doing the band thing. I’ve had so many chances to work in studios though, through recording Copeland and other bands that have come along. I feel like I’ve gotten a grasp on recording technique—I’m kind of a dork about it.

TBC: How do you go about your writing process and is there a particular source of inspiration for your lyrics?

Aaron: I usually have one or two snidbits of a song—a verse, chorus or bridge—just something that came to me. I’ll build on that and put the rest of the song together based on that one part. As far as lyrics are concerned, the record takes a lot of different looks at love. Love is one of those things that can take a really monotonous life. It can give you extreme high’s and lo’s. It can be harmful or very joyful and without it life is mundane. The title of this album refers to the monotonomy of life without love. It’s kind of a tossup because you can either have a very mundane life or a very at times painful and at times joyful life.

TBC: Who are some of your favorite bands to tour with?

Aaron: The band Lovedrug is one of our favorite bands to tour with. They’re from Ohio and are an incredible band. Also, the band Anathello—they’re from Michigan. I really enjoy them. There’s a band called Dark Romantics too—they’re from our hometown of Lakeland, Florida.

TBC: You guys are signed now with Militia Group. Did you reach out to the Militia group in hopes of being signed, or did they more or less find you?

Aaron: It was kind of them approaching us. We weren’t that familiar with the label before we really started talking with them. We were a lot smaller back then since it was about four years ago. I think we were their twelfth release so they were just starting to get their feet wet.

TBC: What are some of your thoughts concerning the way the music industry is becoming more digital?

Aaron: Well Copeland really got started on the advent of all that. When we became a band, MP3.com was the biggest music site in the world, but it didn’t have nearly the networking abilities that say, Myspace has. It was just strictly listening to music. As far as small bands getting out there, there’s a heck of a lot more resources now. The Mp3 file sharing sites in some ways do a lot of good but also a lot of harm. It kind of levels the playing field. It allows much smaller bands to have music spread around. When you’re a smaller band, it doesn’t really matter if you’re getting payed, the fact that your music is getting out there is what you really want. For bigger bands, it does hurt a little bit, but for most artist it’s the touring income that is most important. We’ve been doing fine because we stay on tour all the time.

TBC: As we go into the new year, are there any big plans in store for Copeland in 2007?

Aaron: We’ll be touring throughout the rest of the year. Then in early next year we’re going to southeast Asia—Japan, Singapore, and also Australia. After that, just more touring. Hopefully we’ll get up into Europe, and then be able to come back and do more US touring as well.