Official Press Release:
CHILL-POP ARTIST, SEREENA, RELEASES HER RENDITION OF “THE FIRST NOEL”
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (6 Dec 2018) – Chill-Pop artist Sereena released her take on the
Christmas classic, The First Noel on Thursday, December 6.
Instead of releasing the song on a Friday to meet industry standards, Sereena made
the choice to release on December 6 in honor her late brother, Sam Barga, who will
have celebrated his 22nd birthday that day.
“I was a little nervous to release it on his birthday because I didn’t want to make it
about me, but after talking to my parents about this, they comforted me in saying it was
an honor and a way to celebrate Sam’s life on Earth,” says Sereena.
In this rendition of The First Noel, Sereena stays true to her chill-pop vibe without
abandoning the more traditional sounds of the holidays. Blending sleigh bells and
choir vocals along with some of her favorite electronic elements and R&B melodies,
this song just begs for a warm fireplace and a cold winter’s night.
Listen to the song here:
For interview requests and/or to post song on website, contact Management by Django or Sereena via email at sereenaelizabeth@gmail.com.
CONTACT:
MGMT: Management by Django
EMAIL: management@bydjango.com
FACEBOOK: @i.am.sereena
INSTAGRAM: @sereenasounds
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Violet Days Releases Video Teaser for Upcoming Debut EP
Violet Days has released a video teaser for their anticipated upcoming debut EP, Made In My Head. The 1 min, the 30-second animated trailer gives you a delightful glimpse into the characters and story of the EP which were inspired by a 1960s Swedish comic book. Violet Days re-made and re-animated the love story with the help of a friend, creating a different take on these characters for which their relationship is depicted throughout the album.
Hailing from Stockholm, Sweden, Violet Days is the collaborative project of singer-songwriter/artist Lina Hansson and acclaimed songwriter/producer, Kris Eriksson. In the last five years, they have helped to shape some of the biggest modern pop tracks resulting in an enduring imprint in both the electronic and pop music worlds. Their first single, “Your Girl” racked up over 13 million streams and counting on Spotify.
Their songwriting and production credits include top artist collaborations including Phoebe Ryan, Cash Cash, Shaun Frank, and The Chainsmokers which produced the hit song, “Paris” that Kris co-wrote. Lina was nominated in 2015 for Rookie Songwriter/Producer of the Year at the Denniz Pop Awards. Now, Lina has moved from behind the scenes and into the spotlight with The Made in My Head EP. The EP was produced entirely by Kris Eriksson.
In May 2018, the EP’s second single, “Just A Little” garnered success being named one of Billboard’s “20 Great Pop Songs from 2018’s First Half You Might Have Missed.” It also was added to Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist in a number of territories including the US and was in heavy rotation at Sweden’s P3 radio. This resulted in Violet Days being awarded the station’s “Artist of the Month” in July 2018.
Violet Days made their official worldwide debut at SXSW last spring, bringing to life for the first time the sonic intersection of electronic and pop songs from the Made In My Head EP.
Made In My Head will be released in October 2018.
Follow Violet Days on Social Media:
Youtube: VioletDaysBand
Tumblr: violetdaysofficial
Soundcloud: violetdaysofficial
EXCLUSIVE: Pop Artist Sereena Premieres Debut Music Video
Pop artist Sereena premieres her debut music video today for her single You Love Me. Check out the fantastic video below. We also had the opportunity to interview Sereena about the making of her video!
Official Press Release:
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – (29 Aug 2018) — If you’ve ever felt like you could never connect in relationships, R&B/Pop artist, SEREENA, does an excellent job at capturing the feeling of being the constant outcast. Her debut single, You Love Me, triggers unknown emotions that may have been suppressed. Her music video will release August 31 to complement the debut.
The music video was recorded to make the listener hear the song from a different perspective. Sereena’s constant struggle to accept love is not only just with her significant other, but also with her grandmother, brothers, friends and other family members as portrayed in the video.
The three-and-a-half minute music video took over three weeks to record and produce. Adam Dobkin was the talented videographer that caught all the scenes and put Sereena and her team’s vision together. Manager and creative director, Emily Winters, directed each scene from start to finish making sure everyone stayed on task and on point with the concept. Wardrobe supervisor and creative contributor, Cayenne Walters, made sure all outfits were in conjunction with the theme and helped to create the concept of the video.
Other contributors include Brittany Athanase, Logan Stroud, Spencer Grady, Friday James, Nana and Bootlegger’s Inn. The team is eager to share this piece of art with everyone and looks forward to all the feedback.
I recently interviewed Sereena via email about her new music video from concept to production.
What is the concept of the video for your song “You Love Me”?
I have trouble accepting love from not only a significant other but also from friends and family. Listening to the song one would think I’m just talking about my boyfriend. The music video is meant to give the listener a new perspective. There are scenes of my grandma telling me she loves me and you’ll see me get uncomfortable hearing those words. There isn’t really a happy ending to the song or the video – I guess you could say the happy ending is me realizing my personal issue with emotions.
How did you come up with the concept?
My friends and I were hanging out in my little apartment talking about my recent issues with relationships and substance abuse. I was explaining to them that I kept abusing my heart and mind because I felt like I wasn’t worthy of anything good. They were also talking about their problems and it was like we all had the idea at once. I’ll never forget my friend Cayenne saying, “Get a pen and start writing all of this down!” I had a realization about myself that day. I had no idea that I felt I wasn’t worthy of love until I was actually expressing my emotions out loud to them.
It was like it hit me all at once and that’s where the concept of the video came from. I learned something more about my mind and I’m hoping that at least one person watching will be inspired about themselves too.
Explain your involvement in the creation of the video.
I worked with two of my friends on writing out the scene by scene. Our videographer was helpful with movements and what expressions I should be doing, but the entire video was scripted out by me and my two friends, Emily and Cayenne. We decided on locations, times and wardrobe. I was super nervous the first day of the shoot. I had no idea what to expect and the fact that everyone would be looking at me, gave me a small dose of anxiety- you get used to the attention though, I suppose.
After the third day of shooting, our videographer, Adam Dobkin (who is amazing and super talented), did all the tedious, hard work. He put all the scenes together and made our vision come to life. He did a perfect job at portraying what I wanted the song to say.
You filmed the video in the heart of Nashville to capture the urban and country contrast accentuated in your R&B/pop sound. What places did you film? How did they meet these criteria?
So Nashville is a beautiful city. I have lived here for four years now. It has been filled with ups and downs dealing with emotions, heartache, and finances. Nashville is not just a country music city. There are all sorts of genres being created here so I wanted to try and show that with some of the scenes.
We recorded most of the shots in an eclectic part of town called Germantown. It is located just behind the main tourist area of town. Lots of small coffee shops, art galleries, breweries, local restaurants and yoga studios – nothing country about it…lol. The scenes of Spencer (the boyfriend) and I are all shot in Germantown.
The scenes of me in the shirt showing my shoulders were shot in Antioch, which is about 20 minutes away from downtown. There are more open spaces without concrete buildings and sidewalks that you can come across. I wanted to have some shots of me outside in nature to catch that organic feel.
I feel like those shots even out all the city scenes throughout the video.
The last location we chose was a bar called Bootleggers Inn located in downtown Nashville. You’ll see this scene during the bridge of the song where I’m sitting by myself sipping on a drink. There are TONS of bars to choose from but this bar is authentic to Nashville in that it hasn’t been renovated or tore down, outside of all the other bars getting upgraded with fancy sushi bars, $14 cocktails and the owners slapping some famous country singer’s name on them (I’m not bitter-haha). Bootleggers gave us that down-home, cozy feel that wasn’t a rave but also wasn’t a dive bar.
Who is the love interest in your video?
There are three people in the video that express their love to me- they are the older woman that plays my grandma (she’s actually my friend’s grandma), Spencer who plays my boyfriend and Cayenne who is briefly shown during the bar scene. All three of these people are showing their love to me that I can’t accept throughout the entire video. The whole point of the video is to explain that I can’t accept love from anyone because the problem stems from deep within me.
When I don’t love myself, it’s hard to believe that someone else will love me.
What equipment did the videographer Adam Dobkin use to film the video?
He used a Canon 80D with 35mm f/2. He’s awesome.
What do you want people to come away with after watching the video?
I hope people will be inspired. I hope it makes them think. I want people to be like, “Oh, wait. That’s what she was talking about? It’s not just her boyfriend that she’s struggling with?”
I still struggle with accepting love from others. It took me all summer to even realize and accept that the higher power I believed in my whole life loves me. I always thought God was punishing me with every bad thing I did. When I finally realized His love, things started to get easier for me. My relationships started to get better because I was starting to love myself more. When you love yourself, you let others around you love you as well.
It’s a beautiful thing. I’m still learning and walking on this journey and some days are harder than others.
My mind can be my worst enemy. When I was writing this song, I didn’t even realize what I was saying. I initially wrote this in the perspective of me having troubles with a boyfriend, but the more I learned and dug deep into my thoughts, the more I realized this negative concept I had about myself. Maybe people will relate and maybe they will want to unlock what’s been haunting them deep down too.
Be sure to follow Sereena on social media:
Instagram: @sereenasounds
Facebook: sereenasounds
Music Video Premiere: Late Slip – ‘California’
Rock band Late Slip has released their official music video for the song, ‘California’, from their debut EP Other Men.
The video concept was created by lead singer/guitarist Chelsea Nenni who spent one extra-cold winter hiding in her New York City apartment writing songs. She had plans to move back to California and kept telling herself she just had to get through the winter and then she’d be going home. Recently Nenni moved back to New York City and once again is dealing with an unusually cold winter. Therefore, she felt this was the perfect time to make the music video.
The video opens with an upbeat rock and roll melody with its fuzzy guitars, bright drums, and percussion. The band sounds tight, the lyrics are refreshing, and it will get you moving and grooving right out the gate. The striking, powerful vocals of Nenni illuminate the excitement of going back home to California where her love is.
We follow Nenni with a guitar case on her back, clutching two suitcases. Sporting a leopard coat, cat eye sunglasses, and colorful cowboy boots, she walks with cheerful determination through a Brooklyn neighborhood. Nenni’s compelling vocals springboard the lyrics that lament if she can just make it through the winter, she’ll be on her way back to sunny California. She gleefully demonstrates she’s packed and ready to go, and sorts through her suitcase. It holds amongst other summer items, a bright swimsuit, and Sun Bun sunscreen.
The stark contrasting visuals range from Nenni standing amongst a layer of fallen branches from stripped bare trees in a park, and shots of her in a front yard with remnants of snow on the ground, to a ride on a city bus. These scenes skillfully impart an I’m-so-happy-to-leave emotion on the viewer. Consequently, you’ll be nodding your head or singing along in agreement with Nenni unless you’re already in California.
When you watch Nenni slay the last notes on her guitar toward the end of the video, you’ll be ready to hit repeat multiple times.
The video was filmed on iPhoneX in 4K on location in Brooklyn, NYC, March 2018. Filming, editing, and titles are by Andrew B. White. Music/Lyrics by Chelsea Nenni.
Vocals: Chelsea Nenni Guitar, Bass: Aaron Araki Drums, Additional Percussion: Cian Riordan
You can catch Late Slip at the Bowery Electric on March 29.
Other Men EP is available for purchase on Bandcamp, iTunes, AmazonMusic, GooglePlay, and streaming on Spotify.
Get more information about upcoming shows and more on their website
Follow Late Slip on Social Media:
Facebook: lateslipmusic
Twitter: @lateslip
Instagram: @lateslip
Check their music out on Soundcloud
https://soundcloud.com/lateslip
Interview: Blackstar Amplification Endorses First Canadian Female Guitarist Rose Cora Perry
Hailing from London, Ontario, Canada, rocker Rose Cora Perry fronts the newly-formed alt-rock band, The Truth Untold and is now the first Canadian female guitarist to be signed with Blackstar Amplification. No stranger to the indie rock music scene, Rose started her own record label at the age of 15, was named the premier Canadian endorsee of Daisyrock Guitars, produced an award-winning music video trilogy series from her new album, ‘Onto The Floor’ and was named Top-10 indie talent in Canada by Starbeat.
Rose’s relationship with Daisyrock Guitars caught the attention of UK-based Blackstar Amplification, resulting in an exclusive invitation to perform as the only Canadian at the 2017 Summer NAMM. Prevented from using her own HT Soloist 60 due to the event’s backline policies, Blackstar enthusiastically provided Rose with a new STAGE601MKII, making her the first to play that model in a live setting. Observing Rose’s talent and realizing that the company needed more emphasis on female musicians, Blackstar then signed Rose as an endorsee. Loren Molinare, Head of Artist Relations explains: “We really see the future of rock with female musicians – they’re writing credible material and inspiring young girls to pick up guitars. We’re excited to welcome a talent like Rose who is a great role model and a great addition to the Blackstar roster.”
I interviewed Rose to not only find out more about her and her music but also about her path to becoming an endorsee of Blackstar. Here is the interview:
Congratulations on your Blackstar Amplification endorsement. How did you feel when they endorsed you as their first Canadian female guitarist?
Thank YOU! I am pretty darn honoured to say the least, especially as their roster includes industry legends like Al Jourgensen (Ministry) and Kevin Armstrong (Iggy Pop)! It’s also pretty amazing to be joining the ranks of my fellow Canuck endorsees Ed Robertson (Barenaked Ladies) and Jeff Stinco (Simple Plan).
As a musician who likes to keep her set up simple, to me, what makes a great amp is one wherein you don’t need a litany of pedals in order to obtain the “sound” you’re going for. That’s why I LOVE my Blackstar and that’s why it has come to define the sound of my band, “The Truth Untold”.
I hope to inspire other musicians – women rockers, especially – to give Blackstar a try. The cleans are deliciously crisp, while the distortion roars.
You formed your own record label at the age of 15. Explain the process of how and also why you did it.
My first band, HER, was on the brink of releasing our debut album and I wanted us to be taken seriously, rather than just seen as another “high school band”. As both of my parents are entrepreneurs I was born into a business-minded family.
So, when I proposed the idea of forming my own record label through which we could release our debut, my parents were more than happy to assist me with obtaining a lawyer and accountant to make it happen. I learned quickly by observing my peers in the industry that above talent, image and marketing were/are paramount to success.
Having a label behind our release gave us a one-up on the competition.
In addition to acting as my own label, HER Records has also become a platform through which I have offered other entertainment industry-related services to my fellow artists and small businesses including publicity/promotions, band management/advice, guest speaking, branding and graphic design.
Explain how you taught yourself about band management, publicity, and promotions.
Honestly, a huge part of it was/is simply trial and error (I’ve made TONS of mistakes but those are GREAT opportunities for learning!); that and watching what my more successful peers did (and importantly, did NOT do).
I’ve also outright asked others I’ve admired for advice. So long as you’re courteous, kind and appreciative of those willing to take time out of their day for you, most will generally try and offer some insight into their success.
I think one of the things that bars many musicians from taking their careers to the next level is that they quite simply let their “egos” get in the way. I get it – we’re a sensitive bunch. But this is an industry that is CONSTANTLY changing where it pays off to be “on trend” before it becomes “trendy”, and so, an open-minded attitude toward LEARNING new tips and strategies from the various resources at your disposal is an ABSOLUTE must.
There is ALWAYS room for improvement: playing and otherwise.
Prior to releasing my latest album, “Onto the Floor”, I took a good three months to study current marketing strategies, which is how I came up with the idea to do a Music Video trilogy. It had been six years since I had released anything so I fully acknowledged I needed a refresher.
How did you become associated with DaisyRock Guitars?
My relationship with DaisyRock Guitars began some 14 years ago when I reached out to them to see if there was a potential opportunity for us to work together. I had just discovered their revolutionary guitar line catered specifically to the needs and statures of female players, like myself, and I was really excited to see if we could align our efforts.
The company was still in its infancy and had only just started expanding into Canada so the timing ended up being perfect. After some back and forth discussion, I was given the distinct honour of becoming their very first sponsored Canadian artist.
I have proudly continued to use and promote their guitars ever since.
How did your relationship with DaisyRock Guitars lead to your new endorsement with Blackstar Amplification?
Fast forward to this past summer: Tish Ciravolo, the founder of DaisyRock Guitars, extended an invitation to my band, The Truth Untold, to attend Summer NAMM (Nashville) in association with my longstanding sponsorship. She also encouraged us to apply for a noteworthy showcase at the event under the DaisyRock brand.
Not only did we get selected to perform at Summer NAMM, but it turned out we were the ONLY Canadian act on the bill. This, of course, gave us a unique “angle” in terms of soliciting interest from the media and instrument manufacturers, alike.
When we discovered that Blackstar Amplification would be exhibiting at Summer NAMM, you better believe one of the first things we did was email their A&R team to send them a direct invitation to our performance. It has always been my philosophy that the worst response you can get back is a “no”, but if you never ask, you’ll never “know”!
Happily, we received back a friendly reply from Blackstar in which they expressed interest about checking us out.
The day prior to our showcase, we made the additional effort to go to their booth directly with a hardcopy invitation (just in case they forgot) and were pleased to discover our gig was already on their agenda 🙂
Explain what happened with the backline policies at NAMM. Why couldn’t you use your HT Soloist 60?
Due to the sheer size of the event and the number of exhibitors who are putting on product demos, there are strict policies regarding sound levels that everyone – performers included – must adhere to.
As with most festivals/conferences, full backline is provided/shared among performers so we literally only needed to show up with a guitar and drumsticks on hand in order to play.
Though amps were being supplied, the backline policy at Summer NAMM permitted guitarists to provide their own amps (in order to reflect their “sound”) so long as they were under 40 watts. My Blackstar HT Soloist 60 is BARELY over – at 60 watts – but it was a “no go”.
When I explained this to the Blackstar fellas the day before our gig, they were more than willing to provide me with an amp for the showcase. I was blown away by their graciousness! It was also pretty darn awesome to see them seated in the front row, catching us live in action.
What did you think when Blackstar supplied their new STAGE601MKII to you at NAMM? After your performance, what were your thoughts about the STAGE601MKII?
When Blackstar initially offered me the use of one of their amps for our showcase, I was overwhelmed with excitement and gratitude. But before I got too carried away, I wanted to ensure in fact, I was understanding correctly so I clarified that this was their intention. I know, I’m so Canadian!
I think it goes without saying (especially given we’d only just met!) that this was an extremely generous offer on their part and I feel very privileged to have been able to debut the STAGE601MKII at Summer NAMM.
As I’m “used to” the sound and functionality of a Blackstar, being able to use an amp of their brand also gave me more confidence with respect to my performance as I could anticipate how it would “sound”, even though I had never used that particular model.
Right from the get-go, the Blackstar team treated me with nothing but respect and professionalism. They continue to be very encouraging and I am truly honoured to be endorsed by them.
As for the STAGE601MKII, like all the amps in the Blackstar product line, it packs a punch. I think most guitarists would be amazed by how powerful and LOUD even Blackstar’s smaller combo amps are, and yet that power is controlled (ie: if you want feedback, you really have to force it).
The STAGE601MKII was easy to navigate to get my ideal tone settings. One of Blackstar’s best most recent improvements, in my opinion, (as I got to see with the STAGE601MKII) has to do with their footswitches now being compatible with any standard patch cord. Very smart.
Would you like to see more endorsements for women musicians from equipment manufacturers such as Blackstar? If yes, do you have any thoughts on what needs to happen to achieve that outcome?
I think when it comes to the endorsement world, it’s a two way street in that:
a) Artists (female and male, equally) can’t be afraid to ask and get turned down (worst case scenario they’ve now heard of you and may be more apt to bringing you on in the future as your career develops)
b) Instrument manufacturers need to make their product lines and brands equally appealing to both genders
Obviously, it can be a bit intimidating for a female to approach a product line if you only see “dudes” associated with it. They (the female artist) may, for example, think that the company doesn’t want to have women associated with the brand as a result. BUT you never know if you don’t ask and we all know what happens when you assume. Besides which, I see absolutely no problem with becoming a trailblazer – you may just inspire other women to do the same!
As it stands, the industry – especially the “gearhead” world – is still by and large dominated by males so it makes sense as to why you see fewer women at the forefront of branding efforts for major companies. However, with female guitar virtuosos like Nita Strauss and Orianthi getting attention, I think that will start to change rather quickly. It’s inspiring.
The key, in my opinion, is to stop seeing female musicians as “females” first (which results in the focus being on their looks and sexuality). We are ALL musicians – our gender is irrelevant – let’s keep the focus on the music.
What else should equipment manufacturers do to specifically support or cater to women musicians?
The reason I was attracted to DaisyRock Guitars was because their brand specifically caters to females by creating lighter weight instruments with thinner shorter scale fretboards. These differences reflect the general reality that women, on average, have smaller physical statures and hand spans than males.
I had previously tried my hand at performing with SGs and Strats and I found, in both cases, by the end of a 45-minute set, my shoulder would be killing me from the weight of the instrument, which in turn, limited my mobility and affected my show(wo)manship detrimentally.
At 5’4 and 105 lbs, I’m very petite so guitar weight DOES matter. Equally, I’ve always been partial to combo amps as I find them less challenging to lug around.
In the future, I’d like to see even lighter combo amps, if possible – without the tone or volume being sacrificed.
I also think that from a marketing stance, it would be smart on behalf of instrument manufacturers to create two complementary product lines: like a HIS and HERs for gear.
I’m not suggesting the female version(s) would be pink with bows BUT they could – like DaisyRock did – accommodate the specific needs of female musicians in order to help them perform their best…and as a result, it would probably increase their revenue stream!
What’s the best way for people to discover your music? Can you share your touring and/or new-music-release plans for 2018?
People are welcome to connect with me via my official website www.rosecoraperry.com or through any of my social media channels:
www.facebook.com/rosecoraperryofficial
www.instagram.com/rosecoraperry
I always love to chat music!
Perhaps a good starting place would be to check out my Music Video trilogy series for the first three singles from my new album, “Onto the Floor”. The plot lines are connected so be sure to watch them in order: “Away I Go”, “Six Feet Under” and “Empty”.
Part I: Away I Go
Part 2: Six Feet Under
Part 3: Empty
As for our 2018 plans, we’re gearing up once again to take on the Summer Festival circuit. Keep an eye on our tour schedule as we get closer to the Spring as we may be coming to a city near you.
We’re also in the process of recording our first E.P. as a band (my most recent release was done as a solo venture with session players) which is really exciting. We’re hoping to release some material later this year under “Rose Cora Perry & The Truth Untold”. Stay tuned!