Anthology

An Interview with Elliott Yamin

by: Casey Pukl

From the moment Elliot Yamin set foot in his American Idol audition, it was clear that he was on a mission. “I’ve been waiting my whole life for a shot like this,” he grinned in his pre-audition interview. Five years, two holiday records, and three full length solo albums later, Yamin has taken full advantage of his opportunity— and along the way, treated countless audiences to his soulful rendition of Donny Hathaway’s, “Song For You.” But there’s more to Yamin that his Idol experience. Not only has he co-written and co-produced his latest release, extensively toured Japan, and impressed audiences across the globe, but he’s also helped raise money for diabetes research. Yamin is as charming as he sounds, and I got the chance to ask him some of my (and my mother’s) burning questions. Turns out he also has a great sense of humor to boot!

CP: I know your latest release was an album called Gather ‘Round that was exclusively released in Japan. Tell me about the record. Will we ever see it stateside?

EY: Yeah, we put the record out in February of this year over there because that’s where we had a firm licensing deal. It’s really a soulful, really classic album. I’m really proud of it. It was the first album where I co-wrote and co-produced almost every track on it, and it really just clicked. I think we made a pretty timeless record. We’re looking to get it out here in the US in 2012. Right now I think we’re looking at a single in January and then the full album in March.

CP: Sounds great! Any other releases coming up in Japan?

EY: You know, there actually is one there slated for March. I know this is going to sound a little overzealous, but it’s actually going to be a “Best of” record coming out over there. I’m not super crazy about that given that I’ve only got three records out, but they were into it, so I’m just going with it.

CP: I guess you can actually say you’re big in Japan.

EY: (Laughs) Right! Who sang that song? [Alphaville!] I guess you could say that. Music is the universal language, so it’s cool to see where it catches on. Fortunately for me, Japan has been a really great market. Thank God for Japan, you know?

CP: Absolutely. What or who inspires and influences your music? Read the rest of this entry »

An Interview with Angela Bofill

by: Casey Pukl

Her home page reads, “Rebirth of the Angel,” and there’s no better way to explain it. After suffering two massive strokes, years of endless physical and speech therapy, and learning to live her life without singing, Angela Bofill is stronger than ever. She’s back on stage joined by some of her closest friends in what can only be described as the most inspirational return of all time. While she can no longer sing her songs on her own due to damaged vocal cords, Angela can now tell the stories behind them. Her latest tour, “The Angela Bofill Experience,” has received rave reviews from critics in New York City and San Francisco, and this Saturday, the R&B legend will be bringing the show to Anthology. I got the opportunity to speak with Angela about the show, what she’s been doing to keep her creative mind active, and how her experience has changed her.

CP: Where did the idea for this tour come from?

AB: My manager, Rich Engel. After the strokes, I lost my singing voice, but could talk still. I’m narrating my life while my best friends sing. Maysa has a beautiful voice, and Dave Valentin was my best friend growing up.

CP: Did you have any reservations about doing the show when Rich came up with the idea?

AB: I love performing. It wasn’t weird not to be singing, because the last gig before the stroke, I was in a play. Performing is my love. It’s in the blood. I can talk; I can perform.

CP: So your best friends are playing and singing your songs? That must be really emotional.

AB: Very emotional. My best friends are very talented.

CP: What was it like to hear other people singing your songs for the first time?

AB: Overwhelming. Very emotional. Maysa is amazing. I’m really flattered to hear her do my music. It’s a very emotional show. The first gig was in San Francisco, and all my friends and family were there. All the fans were there. It was very emotional. They gave a standing ovation! Read the rest of this entry »

An Interview with Ryan Montbleau

by: Casey Pukl

It’s not every day you get to really personally connect with the artist you’re interviewing, but today seemed to be my lucky day. After living in Boston for three years of my life, I find myself missing the city and the music scene there pretty often. This morning I was fortunately enough to speak with both The Barr Brothers AND Ryan Montbleau- both of whom got their start (and Montbleau is still based) in the city. Montbleau, a seasoned performed and songwriter, has been on quite a roll for the past few years. In 2007, he was awarded Male Vocalist of the Year by the Boston Music Awards, and also two International Songwriting Competition awards. He spent 2010 touring with Martin Sexton, and Sexton also produced his last studio album. He was kind enough to give me a glimpse into his writing process, the story behind one of my favorite songs, where the band is headed these days, and what we can expect to see when he takes the Anthology stage tomorrow night!

CP: I know you spent the beginning of your career playing as a solo act, tell me about how having a band for the last few records  has really influenced or changed your writing process.

RM: You know, I’ve had a band for so long now that it has and hasn’t changed. It’s been 8 years, but I’ve still got the roots of playing as a solo act. I’m still trying to learn to play less. It’s great though. We’re now so familiar with each other’s sounds, that we’ve just gotten more collaborative as time has gone on. I still generally write songs alone and bring them to the band where we’ll work on the arrangement and parts, but more and more, the guys will come up with stuff musically, and I’ll write lyrics to it.

CP: Tell me a little bit about the song, “Carry.” It’s the first song of yours that I heard, and it really stands out. It feels so intensely personal and really commanded my attention. What is it about? Read the rest of this entry »

An Interview with Brad Barr of The Barr Brothers

by: Casey Pukl

When Brad and Andrew Barr started playing with their band The Barr Brothers, they decided to start recording some of their songs. Over the next three years, they recorded what turned out to be a pretty sweet record that is starting to gain some massive traction in the indie music scene. The band has been getting nods from MTV and Paste Magazine saying, “The Barr Brothers is a name you’ll want to remember.” I got a chance to chat with Brad Barr as they were driving through the Grand Canyon. He gave me the scoop on their recent experience at CMJ, their writing process, and exactly what listeners can expect at their live show.

CP: Tell me about your writing process. Your record is so diverse and it almost feels like it was written by two different people at some points- like “Beggar in the Morning,” and “Give the Devil Back His Heart,” are two completely different worlds. Tell me about this.

BB: Yeah, the record is really diverse, and we actually have a few different writing processes. For songs like, “Beggar in the Morning,” “Old Mythologies,” and, “Let There Be Horses,” I write the lyrics on my own. I really take a lot of time to make sure the feel and the delivery is exactly the way I imagined it. Once it shapes up, I’ll bring it to the band and we’ll flesh it out. Sarah really likes to digest the whole song and feel it out and go from there to add her parts, and same with Andres. We all just get a feel and fill it in.

But then with “Give the Devil Back His Heart,”, it’s more of a body feeling than this cerebral kind of song. Things like that song are born out of riffs we have going or musical ideas and pieces. The lyrics are really secondary in songs like that, and I don’t take as much time really crafting every single word. It’s just a feel.

CP: You guys just came from CMJ where you seemed to get a good bit of attention. Tell me a little about that experience. Read the rest of this entry »

Different Ways to Eat Your Jack-O-Lantern

by: Casey Pukl

I love pumpkins. Those plump, adorable, little orange masterpieces just waiting to be carved into art and then consumed on my table make it actually feel like fall. It truly is one of the most versatile pieces of produce in the world. This week alone, I’ve eaten 5 different forms of pumpkin. I started the week with some toast slathered with pumpkin butter, then a pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin corn bread (that was hands down the favorite), pumpkin ravioli (Thanks, Bencotto!), and last but not least, some pumpkin seeds. Yet even with all of these delicious pumpkin options, I still see rotting jack-o-lanterns wasting away for the whole week following Halloween. Fortunately for you, Chef Todd Allison has a few creative and tasty ways for you to use your pumpkin! Read the rest of this entry »