THE MUSICIAN ’S RESO URCE
FEB./MARCH 2021 FREE
6 Music Licensing Resources You Should Know About Leverage Fan Subscriptions While Touring is on Hold How to Tackle Livestreams Like a Pro
Katie Pruitt On the importance of finding the right producer for your records
INTERVIEWS
Juana Everett * Early James * Brijean
PODCASTS...
...ARRIVING 2015 #PodOutWithYourRodOut
on all
major
p
s tform a l p t s odca
TABLE OF CONTENTS
14
COVER STORY
EARLY JAMES
by Benjamin Ricci
18
KATIE PRUITT by Benjamin Ricci
JUANA EVERETT
by Carolyn Vallejo
24 2 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
VOLUME 31, ISSUE 1
22
5. BOOK REVIEWS: Pedal Crush and Patch & Tweak
TABLE OF CONTENTS
DEPARTMENTS
4. LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
8. Pro Tips for Livestreaming
10. Advice for Leveraging Fan Subscriptions 12. Six Music Licensing Resources for Musicians
KATHLEEN RIGGS
by Victoria Polsely
30
Cover
Alysee Gafjken
34. NAMM 2021: Top New Gear From the Virtual Show 42. GEAR REVIEWS: Warm Audio, KRK, Mackie, Universal Audio and more…
BRIJEAN
contents by Gus Rocha
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 3
LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
LETTER A
t the time of this writing, I have just literally been informed about the passing of Chick Corea, and this one really hit hard.
For those who don’t know, Chick played a large part in my development as a musician – I spent countless hours listening to fusion records in my formative years, developing quite the taste for Return to Forever and the Elektric Band, allowing both to inform my decisions as a guitarist when it came to jazz, jazz-rock and fusion (yes, those are all different things). What people may not know is the role Chick played in my early professional development, as well. Early in my career (nearly 20 years ago), I started as an intern for a company called Sonicbids in Boston. While the company still exists, the founder Panos Panay sold it quite some time ago to Backstage, and last I heard they moved headquarters to Brooklyn. Anyway… In the early days, as Sonicbids was still in “startup mode,” Panos was still conducting business as a booking agent for some of the biggest names in jazz (not to mention, some of my idols). He had taken these clients with him from the Ted Kurland Agency when he left to create Sonicbids. During my time there, I would routinely field calls from Al Di Meola, Charlie Haden (and especially his wife Ruth), and even Chick Corea, on occasion. In fact, it was through the booking side of the business that Sonicbids was able, as far as I could tell, to generate the cashflow it needed to stay alive in those important early days.
from the editor
At a certain point, Panos transitioned his clients to other agents and focused his time exclusively on Sonicbids when it started to become a selfsustaining business. But I’ll never forget all I learned putting Chick Corea press kits together, mailing out CDs to prospective festival buyers, and learning a lot about how the live booking business worked, first-hand. I also learned that sometimes, it’s OK to meet your idols. Chick came to Boston for an event back in the early 2000s (I don’t even recall what it was for, at this point) and I had a chance to spend some real time conversing with this man who I’d only seen on TV, and heard on records growing up -- and he couldn’t have been nicer. Here I was, some scruffy 20-something kid fawning all over this legend, and he treated me with kindness, respect and seemed generally pleased to answer my questions. Granted, apart from the phone, I’d only ever spent a grand total of 15 minutes with the man, but it made an impact that I still feel to this day. And yes, my high school jazz band played a helluva rendition of “Spain.” Those syncopated passages still give me night terrors. We’ll miss you, Chick. You meant a lot, to a lot of people. And we’ll cherish the music you left behind as we return to forever.
Benjamin Ricci
ABOUT US / Performer Magazine, a nationally distributed musician’s trade publication, focuses on independent musicians, those unsigned and on small labels, and their success in a DIY environment. We’re dedicated to promoting lesser-known talent and being the first to introduce you to artists you should know about. MUSIC SUBMISSIONS / We listen to everything that comes into the office. We prefer physical CDs, cassettes and vinyl over downloads. If you do not have a physical copy, send download links to editorial@performermag.com. No attachments, please. Send CDs to: Performer Magazine, Attn: Reviews, PO BOX 348, Somerville, MA 02143 CORRECTIONS / Did we make a heinous blunder, factual error or just spell your name wrong? Contact editorial@ performermag.com and let us know, cuz we’re big enough to say, “Baby, I was wrong.” EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS / In the words of our esteemed forefathers at CREEM: “NOBODY WHO WRITES FOR THIS RAG’S GOT ANYTHING YOU AIN’T GOT, at least in the way of credentials. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t be sending us your stuff: reviews, features, photos, recording tips, DIY advice or whatever else you have in mind that might be interesting to our readers: independent and DIY musicians. Who else do ya know who’ll publish you? We really will...ask any of our dozens of satisfied customers. Just bop it along to us to editorial@performermag.com and see what comes back your way. If you have eyes to be in print, this just might be the place. Whaddya got to lose? Whaddya got?”
4 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Volume 31, Issue 1 PO BOX 348 Somerville, MA 02143 CONTACT
Phone: 617-627-9200 Fax: 617-627-9930 PUBLISHER
William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com EDITOR
Benjamin Ricci ben@performermag.com DESIGN & ART DIRECTION
Cristian Iancu
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
Bob Dobalina editorial@performermag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Benjamin Ricci, Carolyn Vallejo, Chris Devine, Gus Rocha, Katie Cole, Melanie Kealey, Nicole McCray, Victoria Polsely CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Jack Bool, Alysee Gafjken, Donna Winchester, Pedro Gonzales Kuhn, Zach Bell, Michael Weintraub ADVERTISING SALES
William House Phone: 617-627-9919 bill@performermag.com © 2021 by Performer Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced by any method whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. The magazine accepts no responsibility for unsolicited recordings, manuscripts, artwork or photographs and will not return such materials unless requested and accompanied by a SASE. Annual Subscription Rate is $30 in the U.S.; $45 outside the U.S.
REVIEWS
BOOK REVIEW
Patch & Tweak with Moog
W
Benjamin Ricci
hen we received Patch & Tweak in the mail, all work in the office stopped for about an hour – the true sign of any engrossing work. And P&W, at least for the synth nerds out there, is as engrossing as it gets. The overall arc of the book is pretty Moogfocused, but that’s fine since it’s pretty well telegraphed in the title. What we really enjoyed were the intro bits on the history of Bob Moog and his contributions to synthesis, and all of the in-depth explanations and
super-helpful illustrations that go over each bit of how synthesizers work, from the oscillators to the filter, modulation sources and everything in-between. Peppered in are some interesting interviews with modern synthesists, which are refreshing because they’re not the same old stories told by the same old people (you know the ones). It’s good to see contemporary artists involved in projects like these – too often our industry is stuck looking in the rear-view mirror.
All in all, while it does certainly slant towards some of Moog’s more current offerings (DFAM, Grandmother, Mother-32), the book is still a good resource and well-laid out for any synth enthusiast to flip through and learn a thing or two. There’s even a handy section towards the back that can point you to other resources if your thirst for knowledge isn’t fully quenched by P&W alone. Highly recommended. FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE VISIT https://bjooks.com
BOSTON-AREA BAND MEMBER WANTED: Bass player/lead singer, 35 years in the business. Touring, Recording, TV, Festivals, GB etc. Looking to join or start a professional, First class 70s band. No alcohol, drugs or drama. Open to all musical endeavors though. Contact: 781 953 2100. Leave message. PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 5
REVIEWS
BOOK Pedal Crush REVIEW
by Kim Bjorn and Scott Harper
6 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
REVIEWS
G
uitar related books are plentiful, and many have become the respected bibles for the instruments they have covered. They’re part informational/reference items, but the glossy pictures make them interesting and inspiring to read. Considering effect pedals have really become part of the musical landscape, it’s no surprise that books on them are hitting the shelves. Pedal Crush hits all the right notes, covering information, interviews, reference, and inspiration in its pages. Starting off, this isn’t just about pedals; while it is the focus, it also covers how pedals fit into a player’s overall setup and sound. Ever wonder what a transistor actually does in a circuit? Well, they get into the components and their functions, but not so heavy that it’s a textbook, and not dumbed down like a Sesame Street primer, but
It’s quite expansive with information on multi-effect units, profilers, modelers,
the elusive Klon Centaur, and everything in between. The only downside is that there’s not a comprehensive index, such as: want to see what page(s) may mention a Boss Terra Echo, or a RAT, or quickly find a mention of a Boss vibrato in the Nels Cline interview, sorry. But it is inspirational on another level, peeling through the pages and finding variations of effects, while getting a bit of an education at the same time.
simple, concise definitions. A complete glossary of terms is also located in the back to fully cover terms that always seem to get thrown around like “dynamic range” or even fully defined ones like “decibel.”
pedalboards, power supplies, cables, amp simulation and software. But the pedals always remain the main focus. It’s not quite a complete pedal database, but does cover the most popular ones, from Boss’s DS-1 to
Overall it’s a well-done book, with nice high-resolution images, and clear, while not overpowering explanations. Considering pedals are kind of a simple way to change an instrument’s sound, they dug in deep to show that for the player who’s become obsessed with stompboxes, it’s not a futile journey, but one that has a lot of possibilities. For the player who might get overwhelmed by the options that pedals bring, this can de-mystify a lot of aspects and make using these as practical tools more approachable in creating music.
Chris Devine
FOR MORE INFO, PLEASE VISIT https://bjooks.com
Ever read a pedal description and scratch your head? Yeah, this helps decode that. The resource areas also cover other pedal books, DIY books (for the inspired pedal makers), forums, YouTube sites, and some artist and pedal makers. The good thing with the modern wave of pedal goodness is the availability of the pedal makers, and their ability to share their backgrounds. Interviews with Josh Scott of JHS Pedals, Zachary Vex of Zvex Effects, Tom Cram of Spiral Electric FX all relay excellent stories on their journeys as makers and musicians, among other talented pedal creators. YouTubers like Andy Martin also share what they’ve learned over the years of doing hundreds of demo videos. PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 7
MUSIC BUSINESS
HOW TO TACKLE PERFORM OTHER THINGS YOU CAN’T
O
Having a career in the arts relies heavily on the use of online tools for the sake of distribution and of course, marketing. All in all, hopefully your social media skills are looking pretty great by now in your career. As for online music stores, perhaps you have some music on Spotify and Apple Music along with live videos on YouTube…. great. Then the pandemic hit. WAH wah.
Why does the audio for live streaming differ so dramatically? If you cannot tour, then live streams are you band’s only performance platform. Eeekk -- feels wrong to say “only.” Maybe it’s better to say “only safe” platform right now. Ok… so, some people just go “Live” and strum their acoustic into their phone for Instagram…. or via their laptop or desktop for Facebook. Some of these raw/unplugged broadcasts actually sound surprisingly good. An excellent performance can be compelling no matter what quality it is. But often the audio sounds like a tiled bathroom, or the phone compresses weirdly for a moment for no reason or you can’t quite hear the vocals over the guitar. This describes about 90% of amateur or mid-level artist live streams. (And cough… this might be you right now. That’s cool. Not a dig at you, just an observation.)
And everybody scrambled to find out a way to exist solely in an online format. And if you’re a touring artist (which I am), you were immediately asking “how do I successfully perform online?”
But then, you stumble across a hit artist or maybe someone completely at random and …oh my gosh….somehow it just sounds A-mazing. Why is it so different to the unplugged broadcast?
Let’s get to you to the place you need to be… and start here.
What do I need to make my live broadcast look and sound good? And is it expensive?
ther things you can’t learn on the road…. what road? I knew you’d pay attention to that part :)
Whether you are an amateur musician or entertainment is your full-time gig, this pandemic turned most of us upside down. And can I say it? Made us all panic a little.
8 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Amateur broadcast tools needed: -Camera - Phone or Computer -Audio - Phone or Computer for built in microphone -Internet Midlevel —> Pro broadcast tools needed: -Camera - Phone or computer Note: most iPhones and Androids you can adjust the camera so they are full HD or higher. Or you can buy an external camera for your desktop if the computer is great, but the camera is not. $90$200 (optional if you need an external camera) -Audio - get yourself a really great USB microphone. Even if have a pro set up with condenser mic, Pro Tools or Logic…. You’d be surprised at how useful a USB microphone can be. I own the AKG Lyra that has 4 settings, a mute button and is stereo. This will plug into your computer or phone to be used instead of the built-in variety. Price: $149. Another great function of having a USB mic is
for Zoom or podcasting or recording on the road -they are not very expensive ranging from just $99$200. Between the Lyra and the Blue Yeti... you’ll be fine. And again, these are hardy tools of the trade so you can throw it in a suitcase if needed and not have a panic attack. Hahahah. -OTG cable. Ok, I’m not speaking another language. haha. This is a utility cable primarily for your phone. If you are planning to broadcast with your phone for Facebook or Instagram you will need this. It connects a USB microphone to the phone you are using. You cannot plug a USB cable into a small lightning port on a phone. I can’t speak for Androids as I have an iPhone, but I suggest this next part will be accurate for both phones. USB microphones CHEW POWER. Like most USB devices…they draw power from the thing they are plugging into. If you plug that mic into a laptop…no problems. If you plug into a phone… you are asking for trouble. So BUY an OTG cable with 2 inputs… one for the USB mic to plug into, the other for a lightning cable to charge it. Then both the phone and the mic are drawing power from an outlet. Thus… no crashing phone. -Fast Internet Note: If using a desktop, preferably plug in via ethernet to ensure a smooth connection. If you are unsure how fast your internet is running go to speediest.net and click GO. The most important number is the upload speed. -Lighting Don’t roll your eyes. And furthermore, don’t think back at the amount of times you’ve gone “pffft” at ring light commercials or photos of friends using them. Pro lighting makes a HUGE difference. A ring light or pro box lighting can change a live stream or Zoom meeting from normal to celebrity worthy. $50-150 -Backdrop If you want to step it up one more notch go for a backdrop, too. Something plain or slightly abstract can create that blank slate behind you as you perform. No more half open doors/windows, cables on the ground, carpet that doesn’t match your outfit… have a Google and you’ll see. Personally I bought a backdrop and some lights on Amazon about three years ago and I’m still using the same ones. I think I spent about $40 for two box lights and a backdrop and frame for an additional
$60. All in under $100. That seems like a lot, but if this makes you look and sound competitive on your live streams…. it’s worth Starbucks coffee for 6 months. Like you already did during quarantine…. So you can afford it now!!! Now you have the gear, what do you do with it?? Next, we go through how to broadcast. Technology has a learning curve and you cannot really afford to “learn” in front of your online audience where it may live forever on the web. My suggestion is Have a meeting with yourself. Yes, that sounds bonkers….I am aware. Also glad. I got to use the word bonkers. Do you have Skype or Zoom? If not set up an account for Free. Let’s start this trial on a desktop where it’s not as small and fiddly as a phone to navigate. You’re also more likely to want to throw a phone if something doesn’t work right away. And less likely to throw a large iMac across the room. Plug In. Strap in. We are doing this!!! Plug the USB mic into your computer. Plug a set of earbuds or headphones into the USB mic. Now go to Computer Settings. Select the USB microphone as the sound device for Input and Output for monitoring through headphones (most USB mics allow this). “Check . Check.” Do you hear yourself through the microphone? If yes, move on the next step. If no… you must be glad you can’t through your computer across the room. Double everything is plugged is and volumes are up, headphones are working. Restart computer and try again. Huzzah. Sound. The old “Off and On” again computer trick. Always works. Next Open Skype or Zoom. Next run away and brush hair or put make up on… then run back. Click “start a meeting”…. Yes, with yourself. Select the USB mic as the audio device. Zoom will prompt a test through for audio with a series of sounds and commands. I’m sure Skype does the same too. Once sound is working, select the camera icon on Zoom or Skype and you should see yourself there. Also with these apps you can choose a fun backdrop for this very important meeting ahahah. Practice makes perfect.
Next play. Get a level. Get used to the microphone. I actually go as far to say play your entire set this way. Multiple times. I use in ears plugged into whatever audio device or USB mic I’m using so it sounds different. Anything that looks or sounds different is a learning curve that you do not want to be doing on camera in front of an audience. So practice , practice and then some more until you feel like it’s ‘normal’.
MUSIC BUSINESS
RMING ONLINE - AND N’T LEARN ON THE ROAD.
Then set up your lighting and start to pay attention to the stage camera Frame. Is it bright enough? Flattering? Interesting to look at? etc. Then start to play with the actual social media outlet you will broadcast to. Note: I am NOT SAYING go live. I am saying open up for example, Facebook and click the live button to see what looks different to Skype or Zoom before actually going Live. It will look relatively the same. But check that you can select the microphone, that you can “Name” your broadcast… yeah that. So it’s not just So & So is going live. Name your show and input any information that is relevant or ways to tip you on PayPal or Venmo. You may find it useful to create a word document on your computer that has all of this information ready to go. So when you are about to go Live for real it’s just a copy & paste. No spell check needed. For Instagram it’s almost the same thing, but you’re plugging into your phone or iPad. Test the screen, that you can hear the microphone plugged in. And check your frame as you are in Portrait mode… not landscape… so it will look different. Make sure you are far enough away to fit in the frame in a flattering way. But close enough to read comments if you wish to do that during a live stream. Then you are ready to do a livestream!!! Start short. Make your first live stream a short 1 or 2 songs… or possibly even just an announcement. So you can check that everything is working… then after the fact, check that everything sounded and looked the way you wanted it to. Good luck to you. You are now operating on a professional level for live-streaming. Thanks for reading. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Katie Cole is an Australian musician currently based in the Nashville area. She has been a touring musician with Smashing Pumpkins for over five years, and if you’d like to learn more about her, please visit http://www.katiecoleofficial.com PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 9
MUSIC BUSINESS
FAN SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE SHOULD INDIE MUSICIAN 10 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
There is no one-size-fits-all method for running a fan subscription service. Below, musicians using Bandzoogle to run fan subscriptions share their perspectives on what works for them, and how other artists can create rewarding experiences for themselves and fans alike. Subscriptions communities
are
sandboxes
and
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, folk singer-songwriter Abe Partridge launched a fan subscription called the Alabama Astronaut Art Club. Each month, members receive an exclusive, high-quality print of a painting Partridge creates specifically for the group. Members also receive early access to view and purchase new works by Partridge before they are made publicly available. “Prior to [the pandemic], I made most of my income from performing as a touring songwriter and selling merchandise at my shows. By the end of last March it became apparent that I would no longer be able to continue making a living that way,” reflects Partridge. “The Alabama Astronaut Art Club has kept my family afloat through these dark and trying times. In fact, once I am able to return to touring, I will be in a better position than ever before, having the Art Club providing us with a monthly income...and not having to rely so much on the road.” Musician and producer Rench is heartened by the camaraderie that has grown out of Barnstormers, the fan subscription for bluegrasship-hop project Gangstagrass. “It has certainly shown us more clearly than ever how strong a connection we have made with our top fans, and what a community it has become. For example, we had one Barnstormer step up to cover the cost of a month that another Barnstormer couldn’t spare, so that they continued to get the content. People have started to identify themselves as
MUSIC BUSINESS
W
hile live events are on hold, many artists have launched fan subscriptions as a way to generate income and give their fans the kind of connection and excitement that an in-person show can create. Not only have fan subscriptions provided financial stability during a time when many artists are not on the road, they’ve also become a mainstay in their business strategy.
Barnstormers in comment sections and shout each other out!” Fan subscriptions can be simple Fan subscriptions allow artists to offer the content they want. While there is no secret formula for a successful subscription, monthly consistency and exclusive offerings are key for encouraging fans to become committed subscribers. “They’re there to support you as a musician. If they sign up for that, they really love what you do. I think it’s worth giving something special back to them, and it’s not really a huge amount of effort,” explains harpist and vocalist Maevyn Stone. “I do one live stream specifically for them a month, and it’s been great. They get that extra interaction that they might not get when you’re doing [publicly available] live streams...there are a lot of people tuned in, and you can’t guarantee that you’re going to respond to a specific person. So, if they really want to get your attention, then they get that in your fan subscription.” For Americana roots band The Steel Wheels, offering impactful yet sustainable offerings have been a key approach to managing fan subscriptions. Essentially, their subscribers pay $5-50 a month and receive the same two works each month, with subscribers at the higher level receiving very high merch discounts. Listeners can contribute as they see fit on a continuing basis. Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Trent Wagler adds, “It’s about trying to find the right way to maximize some income, so that the band can keep afloat financially, but also not overpromising anything that is going to leave you feeling like you can’t sustain it. For us, it made a lot of sense to keep that simplicity of doing two things a month, two unique works. Ideally, it’s helping you move forward creatively. It’s helpful to push us to do something.” Your subscription is a venue full of fans Although subscriptions and social media are both virtual, musicians can think of them as separate settings, much like the difference between busking and a ticketed concert. Wagler explains, “I think one of the toughest parts right now is to be your authentic self like you would be on a stage, when you have a two-
hour show where people bought tickets to be in the room with you, so you can relax, just be yourself, and do your thing. Because everything’s online, we’re supposed to have that elevator pitch every time: ‘Here’s what you need to know! We’ve got an album! Subscribe! Do this thing!’ We didn’t get into music to become professional marketers. On the other hand, once you get into the subscription, it allows you that space to say, people paid for this. They want to be here, and so you can slow down and get back to that creative place, which is where we all want to live.” Singer-songwriter Jont adds that subscriptions create a space for deliberate experiences. “If you’re catching it on a news feed, and you’re just coming across it, it’s slightly different than if you’re going to a curated space. It will have that energy of intention. One has to be careful not to get to desperation. When you’re really coming from a place where you’re connected, you’re not feeling that. We’re trying to get past that slight illusion of the more people, the better.” In the current climate, virtual connection is more important than ever, and fan subscriptions allow for the interplay not only between artist and fan, but to grow a community within a fanbase as well. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Melanie Kealey is the Communications Manager at music website platform Bandzoogle. She regularly creates blog posts with advice for musicians and manages the company’s email marketing and social media. She lives in Ottawa, Canada with her musician husband and their two sons.
ARE BOOMING. HOW ANS APPROACH THEIRS? PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 11
MUSIC BUSINESS
6 MUSIC LICENSI YOU SHOULD KN M
usic licensing has become a means for income for many musicians now that concerts, gigs, and most live entertainment of any kind has been halted. Musicians have been working hard to find ways to pivot their careers, to continue to make music, and to perform in virtual settings where it is safe for everyone. Many have turned to music licensing and publishing, especially in a world where the music industry is digital. Music licensing is where musicians can digitally distribute their music for commercial use, first making sure that the original music is copyrighted. Though musicians can publish on their own, it takes a lot of work to do so. This is great for independent artists because the online world has opened up to multiple opportunities and ways for creatives to utilize music in various projects. There has been an influx of more video-based recordings and performances across the board, from non-profit theater companies to video production studios producing advertisements and commercials. Publishing companies have many resources that can help music artists to get paid for their songs and tracks, as well as provide those producers and other creatives with necessary music for their projects.
As a musician, the company will take over all the aspects of documentation like contracts for royalties and the public use of the music that the artist allows, typically a nonexclusive agreement so that the same song or track can be licensed by more than one company or producer that wants it. The company then will extract a fee for creating the licensing agreements. Musicians who truly want to focus on their music will turn to license resources for help with getting their music out to the world. Here are some great music licensing resources that all musicians (and creatives) should be aware of: SOUNDSTRIPE If you’re in the market for more of a membership-based music licensing agreement, look no further than Soundstripe. Signing up for their membership gets you unlimited access to 12 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
all of the songs within the library for commercial use. They not only have access to music but stock videos as well.
For those who want to search for and license music, you can easily subscribe to their newsletter to obtain various helpful resources for inspiration every two weeks to your email. For any musician who is looking to submit their music for licensing through them, their requirement is that you have at least 10 songs in order to submit an application. MARMOSET This company is a top choice in terms of where to begin when looking into either doing licensing or finding licensed music. Marmoset’s video music licensing provides those needing music for projects an extensive roster of both established and emerging independent artists. Their platform is easy to use and very detailoriented, allowing you to search by various methods like mood, vocals, arc, and so on. They even brag that their own in-home studio can help you create the perfect music for your next project, which is a huge advantage over many other licensing companies that just have music for use instead of the offer to create your own. They also provide artists with decent royalties, having paid over $20k to musicians. Their mission is to provide opportunities for musicians and extend the artist community to “leave the world a bit better, brighter, and more interesting than it was before.” MUSIC VINE This is a UK-based licensing platform. Their requirements for musicians are that you submit your music only to them, exclusively, so if you’re looking to spread your music around for licensing, Music Vine is not the place a musician might want to work with unless they plan on keeping their distribution very simple. They will accept up to half of your music and tracks as nonexclusive, however.
ARTLIST Music licensing company Artlist has a large variety of music styles and genres since they are made up of independent artists from all around the globe. This is great for beginner licensors who are looking to get their music heard. There are many big companies with Artlist subscriptions like Google and Facebook so it is a well-known, highly-trafficked site.
They are also very picky with whom they decide to work with in terms of their team certifying that your music is “expertly crafted” for their small catalog. Payouts through the Vine are made on a monthly basis and offer generous rates.
They give creatives and producers a lot of freedom because you can utilize any music/ video you download for any project. And their subscription rate stays flat no matter how many songs you decide to download for use, so it’s a good resource to have.
Nicole McCray
SOUNDCLOUD This is one of the largest music websites used throughout the world, with a library of over 200 million songs. Yes, you read that right - 200 MILLION. Spotify ( just to compare) has only around 35 million. So if anyone is looking for the perfect song or track for their next film or video, this will have the greatest selection. As a musician you have total control over the work that you upload to this SoundCloud - you actually have the option to choose what type of license you want to apply to each track, such as giving you (the artist) credit, or just giving whoever wants to purchase the
license unlimited freedom with the song or track. POND5 Initially, this company began just supplying royalty-free videos but now has expanded to include music as well. Pond5 offers music by single purchase though, but this might be good if you’re not looking to open up any sort of membership and keep your options open with where you license music. One great advantage for Pond5 musicians is the ability to set their own prices since many licensers don’t allow this. And with
MUSIC BUSINESS
SING RESOURCES NOW ABOUT
over 900,000 songs/tracks to choose from, independent filmmakers should be able to find what they need easily. Licensing music can potentially become a great income strategy for musicians. One thing that musicians should know, though - even if you make and start an agreement for licensing your music to various projects, you still have to be the one that promotes and markets it. In other words many of these companies can “feature” you or have you create an artist profile for their website - which in turn will help get you exposed to the market of potential buyers - but in order to drive traffic or develop your own fan base or following, you need to do some marketing of your own to get noticed. PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 13
SPOTLIGHT 14 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT
Early James Birmingham’s Native Son on Recording with Dan Auerbach and Dropping an LP at the Start of a Global Pandemic
Benjamin Ricci Donna Winchester and Alysee Gafjken
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 15
SPOTLIGHT
E
arly James may appear unassuming in photographs, but don’t let that fool you – when the microphone is on, the vulnerability and passion in his performance leaves no room to wonder why he was discovered and picked up by Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys and signed to his label. In more normal times, that would have been reason to celebrate, but as luck would have it, that first LP, Singing for My Supper, was released in March of 2020, right at the beginning of the national pandemic [on Friday the 13th, no less]. Touring was put on pause, live shows in general came to a screeching halt, and that’s where we met James, a few months later and still full of optimism, fresh off a stint as our featured “Elixir Strings Artist of the Month.” Let’s take it back. You’re originally from Alabama – what were some your first musical experiences down there? Early on, my mom was a huge fan of the Eagles, so she would always have that Hell Freezes Over DVD on while she was cleaning the house. I think the first song I knew the lyrics to was “Take it Easy” – I would sing that to people in the grocery store, she claims, and not really get the lyrics right [laughs]. That was the first guitar-heavy music that I was hearing and I always say you whittle along a good while before you realize what good music is. You just accept what you hear on the radio…I guess the first artist I heard where I was like, ‘Oh, this is aimed at me,’ was Hank Williams, Sr. My dad and grandparents all listened to Johnny Cash, Waylon and Merle, Willie Nelson… OK, so more of the outlaw country stuff… Yeah. Were you picking up a guitar around this point? I think I asked for a guitar when I was 14 and finally got one when I was 15…right when I started listening to stuff like James Taylor, Jimi Hendrix…my sister was even a huge John Mayer fan. I thought he was just pop music until I heard him play guitar. ‘Wow, when this guy plays guitar he sounds just like Jimi Hendrix.’ Yeah, especially with his trio. It probably worked backwards [for me], like ‘Man, Jimi Hendrix sounds like John Mayer!’ [laughs] Now you’re making me feel old! Well, John Mayer’s old [laughs]. That first album came out in like 2001, I believe. At some point you must have had that moment where you wanted to write your own stuff. When does that start happening? I remember the first song I ever wrote after I
16 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
my old roommate had moved to Nashville to pursue music, and he ran into his friend from high school, Katie Pruitt [ed. note – see her interview in this issue, as well]. They were
“I always say you whittle along a good while before you realize what good music is.” voicemail so when people would call me, they’d have to hear that terrible song [laughs]. Then I started taking it a little more seriously with the more chords and scales I learned. I was trying to write a good song, but the first [serious] one I wrote when I was 16, maybe a year later. From there – where do things take you? You’re 16, you’ve moved on from sandwich material. By 21, you’re moving to Birmingham to do this professionally. What happens in the years in between where you decide this is what you’re going to pursue? A lot of it was just being hard-headed, not really having any other interests and deciding early that I didn’t want to go to college. I grew up, at least in that time, kinda broke and lived with my mom and step-dad in a one-room apartment for a little while and learned…that money just made everything bad. One I figured out I could just get a retail job and play gigs and support myself and not have any debt, I thought, ‘If I keep doing this, what’s the worst that could happen?’ There weren’t very many gigs to play [in the surrounding area] – it wasn’t a very culturally diverse town, by any means. But my sister had moved to Birmingham and said I could go up there and live with her…It was not so far that it didn’t still feel like Alabama. Did you ever have a desire to leave Alabama? I would think that most folks making a go of it in that part of the country would try to take a shot at Nashville. I definitely got told I should move to Nashville and get a job and not play out six nights a week. They were like, ‘You need to stop oversaturating’ but then I got the deal with Easy Eye…Nashville’s a great place in its own right…I like visiting Nashville [laughs]. At some point, you do get the break, even where you were. That comes from Dan of the Black Keys. How did that happen? I was equally obsessed with him and the White Stripes, that resurgence that brought me back to blues and roots music, but long story short
sharing shows together at The Basement, and her manager at the time was showed a YouTube video of me, and he had to meet Dan because he was repping someone cutting a record on Easy Eye. So he was already in the building having a meeting with Dan, and while he was there, he showed him the YouTube video. And he was like, ‘Hey, can you meet me at Dan Auerbach’s studio?’ It sounded like a trap [laughs]. I thought they were gonna harvest my organs or something [laughs]. But that’s kinda how it happened. So did Dan end up producing that record, or just putting it out through the label? Yeah, he produced it. What were those sessions like? It was super organic, not a lot of talk of direction or anything. His recording crew and session players are just insanely experienced people…I had to pinch myself. These are guys that played with Elvis. Some [of them] toured with Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison. It was great. I had sent in demos that were just my bass player on upright and me on acoustic guitar, about 35 demos. And they charted them and picked the ones that rose to the top. And I think five of them, I had co-written with Dan, and other writers he brought into the studio. The other five that made it to the record, I wrote myself. As far as Dan’s role in making your record, is he also behind the board, hands-on, or…I’m just trying to picture how the recording sessions went. Yeah, Dan played a little bit of guitar but he was behind the board a lot [too]. Once we got the live takes, because he was pushing no clicks, all recorded live with just some overdubs… that’s what I was worried about. Everything I had recorded before with Dan was all live, and every time I tried to record with a click it was a nightmare. It was kind of like being a coach, I guess. Mostly the magic was in the team he put together, so there’s not as much talking as I thought there
would be; it was mostly people getting to work and having an unspoken…I don’t know, it’s magic. That record eventually does come out, when, March of last year? Yeah, on Friday the 13th! Well, that’s fitting. Arguably, March 2020 was not the best month to be releasing a new record and planning a tour behind it… We were in the middle of a tour, we were as far away from Birmingham as you could be while still being in the US – northwest Portland. And we were about to go play [the Fillmore] with Lone Bellow but they sent us home when everything got cancelled. But everyone was in the same boat, so I try not to get too disheartened. It was a long three-day drive back to Birmingham [laughs].
SPOTLIGHT
learned how to do [imitates E blues guitar shuffle and turnaround lick] I wrote a song about one of my teammates in football making a sandwich, just naming the ingredients and left it as my
Part of me feels bad – you get to this peak where the record is out, you’ve got this momentum, and BOOM, everything’s pulled out from under you. Hopefully live shows come back at some point… Well, I have a show today in Columbus, Mississippi at the Arts Council, and we have a Lone Bellow tour at the end of the year that may [still] happen. As far as recording goes, I talked to Dan a couple of days ago and I think we’re gonna get in the studio this year. They just joined forces with Concord so I’m sure there will be some advancements into a more normal year. Hopefully.
Follow on Instagram: @earlyjamesandthelatest
EARLY JAMES SINGING FOR MY SUPPER STANDOUT TRACK: “BLUE PILL BLUES”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 17
SPOTLIGHT 18 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT
Juana Everett
Learning to Move On by Using Pain as Creative Fuel Carolyn Vallejo
Zach Bell
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 19
SPOTLIGHT
M
oving on is supposed to be an alleviating experience. It’s supposed to be about leaving what no longer serves us, abandoning the dark and stepping into the light, detaching from the past and embracing a brighter future. Sounds nice, but that’s rarely what it actually feels like. Instead, moving on can sometimes be messy, lonely and terrifying. And yet: we do it anyway. When Juana Everett transplanted to Los Angeles from Madrid back in 2016, she left her home and a familiar music scene in favor of a foreign, complex, sprawling city in a country whose intensifying divisiveness was beginning to boil over. For Everett, moving on meant plunging herself into the volatile unknown, and she took it as a challenge. “I’ve had a lot of anxieties since I was a little kid,” she says. “My relationship with fear started at a very young age. I became very aware of the power of fear and how it can stop us from being bold and exposing ourselves. So I’ve been on a quest to fight fear from a very early age. I’m kind of turned on by it.”
20 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
In between work and study, Everett made it her mission to dive into LA’s music scene. But it wasn’t an easy task, considering how complex the layout of the city is. Its music community is pocketed away across various neighborhoods, and in a town that isn’t as walkable as Madrid, finding her bearings took some time. She found herself shuttling between Echo Park to Highland Park, Hollywood to Silver Lake, discovering what the
out every night and exposing myself, being bold enough to jump in and talk to someone.” Networking is an essential skill for any craftsperson on a career path. But as anyone who has relocated to a major city can attest to, sometimes the most crowded places can be the most isolating. There was a lot of loneliness in the beginning of the transition, Everett said, and while
“I’ve been on a quest to fight fear from a very early age. I’m kind of turned on by it.” city’s communities of musicians had to offer. With determination, Everett’s strategy was to dive in, visit different venues and recording studios, and start conversations with complete strangers. “It’s been a lot of grinding,” she says, “going
she was meeting a lot of people, finding friends wasn’t effortless. As a way to cope, she turned to her guitar. “I did write a lot,” she said. “It was a very tumultuous time, and writing was a way to survive,
Juana Everett may have left her past behind, but there are plenty more unknowns in her future. Fostering up the courage to keep moving on will be something we all need in the coming months. Yes, with every dark phase of life, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Finding that light isn’t guaranteed to be a painless experience, but it will be worth it. As the world feels around in the dark for a way out of the trauma, we’ll have to gather our collective strength to face inevitable adversity, recover from loss, and press forward. It’s hard, but we do it anyway, because that’s how we make progress. For Everett, moving on means many things. It means physically shifting locations, leaving toxic relationships and negativity, and keeping her gaze forward in pursuit of a more genuine existence. It wasn’t easy, and it also doesn’t necessarily end: the pains of progress are relentless, and new journeys will always unfold. But after initially holding on to the album, she realized there is no time like the present, and now, she’s ready for another beginning. “I needed to put the record out. I needed to let go of it,” she says. “Now, I can move on to something new.”
been released several months prior as she took a wait-and-see approach to how the crisis unfolded. But after recognizing that an end to the ongoing tragedy remains in the distance, she could no longer keep a possessive grip on Move On. With the music finally out, Everett plans to continue to write and produce music as she waits for concerts to become a reality again, excited to share both acoustic renderings of tracks like “Light Up A Fire” and “Drifter Of Love” as well as full-band performances of songs like “Little Tragedies.” Meanwhile, she’s in search of other avenues to share the record. Live streaming isn’t really her thing, she says, pointing to the risks of losing WiFi and the inability for platforms like Instagram to capture the intricacies of the sound. “I see myself not being engaged by live streams. My attention doesn’t last long, because the quality of the audio is not crazygood,” she explains. “I’m thinking about putting out a few videos of me playing these songs acoustically. I’m trying to figure out how to help people connect with this album in different ways, besides the recorded songs themselves.”
SPOTLIGHT
really. I would rely on music a lot, and I wrote songs to express all of these feelings.” The result is the aptly-named Move On, Everett’s first full-length album released earlier this year. Within it, Everett takes the same approach to her songwriting that she has with her life: be exposing, be bold. Lyrics of drifting through a new city, leaving home, searching for stability, ditching false love and pursuing honesty are enveloped by folk rock guitar riffs, an atmospheric jam band, and alluring vocals. The record is as warm as it is raw, and practically begs to be played live. That sound is the result of Everett’s persistence to navigate a notoriously brusque social scene. Guitarist Bart Davenport became her tether in LA as someone she had already known from back in Spain (he actually encouraged Everett to make the Los Angeles move, she says), while new friends Andres Renteria, Aaron Olson and Josh Nelson landed on drums, bass and piano, respectively. After making her way into working for Talley Sherwood’s Tritone Recording Studio in Glendale, Everett had found her tribe to create the record she came to Los Angeles to make. “I definitely did find a family, and a group of people willing to help me make this record a reality,” she says. “I felt validated. These people are proving to myself that these songs are worth it.” Move On feels like flipping through the pages of a personal diary filled with reminiscent poems and intimate musings. While Everett’s songwriting is front-and-center on the record, she says it was certainly a collaborative initiative to bring her demos to life. With everyone in the studio, the music came together quite organically, she says, and while she had some notes on the kind of instrumentation she wanted for a few tracks, her band took her vision and ran with it. Ultimately, it only took a few days in Renteria’s rehearsal space to compose all nine songs on the record. “It was an intuitive process,” says Everett. “That’s why I think the songs have worked out so well. It was all very organic and not over-thought.” Live-tracking breathed “a special kind of life” into the album’s overall sound, she noted, and indeed, adds a texture and a vulnerability to Move On that enhances its ability to reach out and connect. You feel as though you’re in the room with Everett and her band, an experience that remains devastatingly impossible as COVID keeps venue doors locked up. Losing the ability to perform live wasn’t the only pandemic-related challenge she faced. The record, she says, was actually supposed to have
Follow on Instagram: @juanaforeverett
JUANA EVERETT MOVE ON STANDOUT TRACK: “LITTLE TRAGEDIES”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 21
SPOTLIGHT
Kathleen Riggs’ 5 Vocalists To Impr 22 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Born and raised in LA, Riggs grew up at the knee of arguably the most distinguished and successful voice teachers in the business, her father Seth Riggs, creator of Speech Level Singing. This teaching and singing method has worked for many of the world’s best singers. It’s been studied by over 200 Grammy winners, including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Cher, Tina Turner, Josh Groban, Barbra Streisand, Ray Charles, Diana Ross, Julio Iglesias, Michael Bolton, Luther Vandross and Madonna. Her advice? “You should sing with a technique that allows you to relax and concentrate on performing.” Take a breath and think about your breath coming from below your naval point. This expands your ribcage and will create a vacuum full of air for you to sing with. Taking a high breath from your chest and shoulders will only make the air explosive and it will push the air to your vocal cords/folds in a quick and uncontrolled way, causing you to run out of air. You don’t want to breathe this way because it doesn’t provide a steady flow of air. When practicing vocal scales, your volume should be at speaking volume. On a scale from 1-10, 10 being very loud and 1 being very quiet, your scales should be practiced at a 4-5. This is called the warm-up. Vocalizing at a 10 volume can have you feeling fatigued before you even start singing songs. When singing, be mindful of how you are pronouncing your words. Be conscious of the vowel(s) because it can able or disable range.
You want to enunciate everything up high, and with as much movement in your face ( jaw, lips, tongue) as when you speak without adding any tension in your face. Blending your voice from bottom to top is the goal you want to master. You will achieve this if you have scales specifically tailored to connecting your head and chest voice. You can absolutely sing high notes - it doesn’t matter if you’ve been singing low all of your life. You only need to be shown how.
SPOTLIGHT
K
athleen Riggs, Los Angelesbased singer and veteran vocal coach to world-class superstars such as Dua Lipa, Ozzy Osbourne, Madison Beer, Saweetie, and Vampire Weekend shares her tips on how to improve your singing voice and keep your vocal chords healthy.
As soon as you ever feel a push, strain, or break in your voice, consult with your voice coach. Being able to push a high note doesn’t make you masterful if the way you’re using your voice is abusive. Pulling up your chest voice into your higher register long-term will only lead to vocal fatigue and nodules. You don’t ever want to strain. There is another way, and that way is to blend.
What differentiates Kathleen’s teaching method from traditional vocal teaching methods is that her technique can be applied to all different styles and forms of expression - so whether it’s Opera, Pop, R&B, or Musical Theatre, her method delivers the same results to singers of all kinds. You can find more information on Riggs by visiting her website at kathleenriggs.com where she offers a wide range of classes and online workshops.
Follow on Instagram: @ katieriggsvocalmethod
’ 5 Tips For prove Their Craft Victoria Polsely
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 23
SPOTLIGHT
Katie Pruitt Atlanta Artist on Building Her Career One Journey at a Time
Michael Weintraub and Alysee Gafjken
24 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Benjamin Ricci
SPOTLIGHT PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 25
SPOTLIGHT
K
atie Pruitt shares a few links with another featured artist this month [see our Early James piece in this issue] including being one of our recent “Elixir Strings Artists of the Month.” We recently had a chance to sit down with Pruitt to discuss her background, her songwriting, the state of her career at the moment and what it meant to see representation in music as an impressionable young songwriter. I know originally you’re from the Atlanta area, is that right? Yeah, I grew up in the Atlanta suburbs and stated 26 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
playing guitar as a hobby to get me through high school and ended up learning a bunch of covers with my best friends. We’d skip class and play guitar all day. That was the start of my love with the guitar.
I went to Athens, Georgia and played open mics there and moved to Nashville mid-way through college and yeah…I kind of started writing songs about my life. They became this way for me to express myself. That’s where it all started.
“I had to accept myself in this world that I was taught wasn’t going to accept me.”
SPOTLIGHT What got you into guitar? Did you have a musical family? My mom played guitar in church, which was kind of boring [laughs]. But I was always around guitar for that reason. She bought me a guitar and taught me the basic chords…I started getting lessons in middle school with this teacher, like one or two lessons, he taught me some barre chords and a few Green Day songs, that was my vibe at the time [laughs]. I’d say starting in high school I started getting more interested in guitar players. At the time Dave Matthews was big…I tried to challenge myself to play [his songs]. John Mayer was [big] – you learn one John Mayer song and you’ve learned like 26 new chords – that was informative as a PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 27
SPOTLIGHT
young player. Jimi Hendrix…I was just fascinated by electric guitar. Were you mostly self-taught? Yeah, I was mostly self-taught, I just looked up tabs and went from there. It’s nice to grow up in a time when you can literally look up any song you want to know and learn it [right away]. It’s great, and that’s still how I learn. I’m learning all the time. Was there a point where you were leaning to play and it clicked that you wanted to move on to your own songwriting?
Yeah - again, it was in high school, I was covering a bunch of songs and decided, ‘Man, how hard could this be to write my own songs?’ So I just started writing my own songs and showed them to my friend Teddy, who I played guitar with, and he was like, ‘Who’s that by?’ and I’d say, ‘Oh, no, I wrote that.’ And he would be like ‘Are you kidding me?’ I thought, and still think, anybody can write a song, but I had a huge interest in it from the minute I started studying how songs are put together, song structures…it was exciting to me. I’d like to talk about the country influences that creep into your songwriting. It was when I moved to Athens for college, it was right around the time that the Avett Brothers were getting big and I started thinking about songs not only as having to play all these complicated chords, but there was also this approach of ‘four chords and the truth.’ I really homed in on lyricism – looking back at people like Willie Nelson and bands like The Band, I remember covering ‘The Weight.’ There’s just so much to that approach to writing. Wilco…Jeff Tweedy is an absolutely amazing lyricist. The base of the songs is the lyrics, and Tweedy does an amazing job of bringing you into what he’s saying, and that’s something I’ve always strived to do. 28 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
it’s all on you. I want it to be my voice, my sound, and it’s hard work. But that’s why it’s so exciting, it’s a fun challenge. The record, Expectations, is coming up on its one-year anniversary. It’s so wild to think about, because I didn’t get to tour it or anything [due to the pandemic]. Recording it was a learning curve - my focus was on playing live, and I probably played the songs a million different ways before we hit the studio. I also had to learn how to sing differently, as well. Singing live is different than singing on a record. You have to choose your moments, you can’t
“Singing live is different than singing on a record. You have to choose your moments.” up doing that -- it was this super informative moment of my life where I was like, ‘Wow, I’m singing on stage by myself and people are quiet.’
just be belting all the time. But when you’re an opening act in a packed room, you’re screaming the notes because you want the people to [listen].
I did that almost every week, which is when I really started homing in on the songwriting. And after that, I’d bring the band in on it. But first, making the songwriting the nucleus of the music. I’d say after that I was trying to break out in the Nashville scene, and I think Rounder came to a show that I was playing with Sam Lewis at 3rd and Lindsley near downtown, and it just kind of happened.
I probably wrote the record over the course of four years. The songs were about my coming of age but also my coming out, my experience as a gay female in the South, raised in a conservative family. So [the record] was kind of like a selfacceptance moment for me in my life, and it was shedding this weight of past social constructs that I had learned and trying to unlearn those things.
Were you even looking for a deal? Yeah, I had dabbled in the studio and talked to producers, and I had a manager at the time which was key. He helped introduce me to a lot of people in town, but I think [Rounder] just came to the show on their own. I did want to make a record, but I wanted to get out in front of an audience and play live, which was happening as well because I had just signed with a booking agent. I felt the reason for all that was because I was focused on making the songs and performance as good as they could be while having fun doing it.
I had to accept myself in this world that I was taught wasn’t going to accept me.
It sounds almost like the old way of building a career. Now it’s like, just go viral on TikTok [laughs]. That’s exactly what happened, I had to put in the work. Even with a manager connected to all these people can only open the doors, you have to walk through them. They can’t write the songs,
There was this connection – he’d heard me grow throughout the years, so he was going to hear it differently as opposed to me trying to explain things to [a producer] I’d never met.
never made a record before [laughs]. That was exciting – I got to use my own band. A lot of producers in Nashville tell you that you’re going to use their band that they’re used to recording with. By my producer, Mike, was like, ‘You’re going to use your own band. That’s where you’re most comfortable and where we’re doing to get the best results.’
SPOTLIGHT
So, you’re in Atlanta, move to Athens, head to Nashville, and somewhere along the way you get signed to Rounder Records. Now, that’s a pretty huge leap – so how do we get there? I was well out of college when I got signed to Rounder. I went to Belmont, started playing in a band and we start playing a lot of college parties. That was fun and…I don’t know. I thought that was the route – I wanted to be Alabama Shakes, you know? [laughs] Frontwoman, rock out, but then I started getting gigs at The Basement, which is a small listening room where they would have these songwriter nights and I ended
So, that was a big part in it. It probably took six months total, because I was touring, so probably a month or two total when you squish it down. [The band and I] had built up this chemistry and this musical relationship to where I didn’t have to sit there and explain for an hour that I wanted the drums to sound like this, they would just play and it would be what I was already thinking. It speaks a lot to Rounder’s experience because they picked you up based on who you were; they didn’t want to then turn you into something else. That’s not what they signed up for. Exactly. That was, before I signed to a label, the most terrifying part to me. Are they going to come in and want me to be someone different? Rounder let me take the reins, which was cool because I had never had the responsibility to take on that role before. It was a nice challenge.
Follow on Instagram: @katiepruittmusic
How was the rest of the recording process for you? I picked a producer that was an unconventional choice, he was a friend from the Belmont days. Fast forward three years and he’s got mad producer chops. I went in to do a random demo for a school project and I heard my voice back, and was like, ‘Damn, how did you…? I’ve been looking for that sound!’
KATIE PRUITT EXPECTATIONS STANDOUT TRACK: “EXPECTATIONS”
So, I convinced Rounder Records to hire him right out of college to do my record when he’d PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 29
SPOTLIGHT 30 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Groove Is in the Heart: For California Duo Brijean, Feelings Are Best Sorted Out On the Dance Floor Gus Rocha
SPOTLIGHT
O
akland-based duo Brijean is a perfect example of the kind of group that could only be a product of our times. Started in 2018 as a side project of percussionist Brijean Murphy and bass player Doug Stuart, the collaboration initially sought, among other things, to provide the couple with an opportunity to spend some time together during breaks from their busy touring schedules. The daughter of accomplished conguero and long-time Tito Puente and Harry Nilsson collaborator Patrick Murphy, Brijean is one of the most in-demand percussionists currently on the scene. Before the pandemic, she split her time between stints backing household names like Poolside and Tory Y Moi and indie-pop avantgardists U.S. Girls. For his part, Stuart juggled rhythm duties with Bay Area psychedelic R&B band Bells Atlas, ambient-pop sextet Meerna, and a solo project under the moniker Dougie Stu. Less than a year after their initial sessions, the duo released their debut EP Walkie Talkie, a richly-layered and organic tableau vivant of pulsing rhythms, colorful harmonies, and ethereal arrangements. Encouraged by the experience, the band set out to record a full-length album, this time enlisting the help of friends and fellow indie insiders such as Toro Y Moi band leader Chaz Bear, Astronauts, etc. keyboardist Anthony Ferraro, and Tune-Yards collaborator drummer Hamir Atwal. The result is Feelings, an ebullient medley of danceable numbers that comes as a timely corrective to the growing feeling of angst that’s come to characterize most of the past year, and that’s out on February 26th on Ghostly International. I spoke with Murphy and Stuart about their new album, the role of their influences on their sound, and what they see as the next step for their project. You guys have been playing together since 2018. Where and when did you meet, and how did you decide to collaborate musically? Doug: We met because we were both playing in bands in the Bay Area, touring and sharing a bill in Davis, CA for a little college town gig and we hit it off. We started dating, and at the time we had different schedules because we were both touring a lot with different groups. We really wanted to collaborate as a way to spend some more time together. So that was the impetus for making the group. Also, Brijean really wanted to explore songwriting.
Jack Bool
Brijean: Yeah, I wanted to put my voice to a project which is something that I’d never done. I had only backed other bands for my entire career, PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 31
SPOTLIGHT
so it felt like something that I was ready to do, and Doug was the perfect collaborator and my roommate so it worked out perfectly. How long were you a band before you put out your first record Walkie Talkie? Can you tell me a little bit about what that process was like? Brijean: We weren’t a band before Walkie Talkie. We just kind of made an album together and then played a couple of shows after we put it out right before the pandemic hit. We really just formed the band through a recording project together. Doug: We had made a few demos and this label in the Bay Area heard them and wanted us to make an album from them. We hadn’t played any shows or anything and had really only spent a little bit of time making those demos, so once we had an incentive to make the record, we just did it really quick in a month, and then we were a band. Brijean, your father was a conga and keyboard player for Tito Puente and Harry Nilsson and would often have his band over the house to practice. What was it like growing up surrounded by so many talented musicians? And how much did that influence your decision to pursue music as you got older? Brijean: Growing up in that environment was super fun. There were great parties, and I got to learn from a young age. It was that household where there would be a lot of kitchen jams, and somebody would say, “OK, grab that clave and just hold that one beat.” That was kind of my introduction to music. And then when one of my dad’s best friends passed away, I inherited his congas. I was 12 or 13 but didn’t start playing till…I joined my first band in college, and I think I found a new appreciation for my upbringing and for how supportive that musical family and household was for me. Who would you list as some of your main influences growing up? Brijean: I grew up listening to Erykah Badu and Fiona Apple. But I also listened to a lot of Tito Puente and Radiohead. Doug: I feel like I’ve gone through a lot of phases. I actually took an academic route through music. I did a lot of learning in school but also checking out different albums and periods of music in a sort of regimented way for a long time. In high school, I was really into ’60s jazz like Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, and that obsession with jazz kind of continued through college. I
32 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
And you got to study Jazz at the University of Michigan under Geri Allen, correct? Can you tell me a bit about that? Doug: Yeah, she was a professor there along with Bob Hurst. I’m a bass player first, so I was studying bass. Geri Allen was a combo teacher and I played in a number of combos where she was our coach. She was an amazing presence to be around. Super quiet, intense energy. The type of professor where you didn’t want to show up unprepared. How do all of these different influences shape the music you currently make? Doug: We rarely go into writing or recording sessions with a specific thing that we try to channel, but I feel like we’re kind of constantly drawing from all of our influences. Brijean: And also our past experiences. I still play patterns and lessons that I learned as a kid. Some of those patterns were passed down through my dad and different percussionists. So I feel like that’s all still very much present. What do you seek to explore and communicate in your music? Doug: We definitely want to make music that people can dance to. But we want it to feel like it’s not all just coming from a drum machine and a sequencer. We want it to feel like it has some roots, that it has some influence from jazz harmonies and Latin rhythms. Brijean: I want to keep growing as a musician. With “Ocean,” our most recent single, that’s not totally a dance hit. But it’s percussive and draws from a lot of different genres, and ideally it speaks to someone listening and feels like a comforting and lush space. Let’s talk about your upcoming album, Feelings. How did it come about? Did you record it during lockdown and what was that process like? Brijean: It was mainly recorded before quarantine with some friends at their studio in Oakland. We just played some music for a couple of days and jammed on different feels, then took that and built songs over them. When the pandemic hit and we were back at home, I felt very much in the head space that the album was definitely tilted towards light. That’s like
my coping mechanism for existence, feeling like, “Yeah, things can get super gnarly right now, but let me just go to the good feels and try to hold on to that.” So we wrote another song in that same headspace called “Paradise” during the pandemic, and it worked its way into the album.
becomes viable?
Did you find this process different from when you recorded Walkie Talkie? Was it easier to translate your ideas onto the record?
Brijean: We’re gonna work on more music, projects and weekly goals. We’re thinking about doing collaborations and a couple of remixes for people, a couple of DJ sets; a couple of live streams. We’re also thinking of working on another EP, and we’re about to film another music video.
Brijean: Yeah, I think so. Doug: I think that it differed in the sense that we wanted to bring in more people, whereas in Walkie Talkie we did everything ourselves. On this record we wanted to involve some of our friends. Having that jam session before we started writing helped open up the sound and expand on what was already there. Bringing in some people later to overdub things just made it a little more dynamic. Coming from a percussive background, what’s your approach to songwriting? Do you put more of an emphasis on the music or the lyrics?
Doug: We’re definitely hoping to be touring when the world is fit to have shows again. That’s definitely a priority for us at this point. What do you see as your next step?
SPOTLIGHT
was actually mostly an upright bass player at that point, and when I moved to the Bay Area after college I started getting into Fela Kuti and some Latin jazz stuff. Then a lot of newer hiphop that I hadn’t been really checking in with, so it feels like a pretty broad scope.
Doug: And touring. We’re excited to do that as well. Any particular artists you’d like to collaborate with in the near future, or any festivals or venues that you’d like to play? Brijean: Hollywood Bowl, for sure. And I don’t know there are too many artists. Doug: I would love to work with Solange, and I’d love to play Coachella. That seems pretty far-fetched right now, but you know, dream big.
Brijean: Almost always we start with percussion and drums and then build off that feel. Then we add bass and harmony. Doug: Usually, Brijean writes melodies and lyrics much later in the process, almost last. Occasionally, we’ll go back and sculpt around what she came up with. But oftentimes, a large part of the song like the chords, rhythm, and bass are already there.
Follow on Instagram: @heybrijean
How would you describe the jump from being a touring musician in someone else’s band to being a songwriter? Brijean: It’s super enriching, and it’s such a great pleasure to have such a great partnership and creative control over something. It’s just awesome, I love it. How have you been promoting the album? Have you done any live streams? Doug: We haven’t done any live streams yet; we’re rehearsing a lot right now. We have our first one on [February] 25th, the day before the album comes out. We’re doing it with Bands in Town, and we’ll likely have some more after the record comes out. We’ve been promoting the album with some visual components and Brijean animated a music video for our last single before the release, “Hey Boy.”
BRIJEAN FEELINGS STANDOUT TRACK: “DAY DREAMING”
What’s on the horizon once live music PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 33
NAMM NEWS
NAMM 2021 SPECIAL REPORT
W
ell, NAMM’s “Believe in Music Week” came and went this past month, and while we missed the in-person gathering of our industry comrades, the week was not without at least some merit. We did get a slew of new product announcements and the annual TEC Award winners.
more important than ever to reconnect and reenergize our industry through the power of live events.
UPDATE ON FUTURE NAMM PLANS According to an update from NAMM: “We are excited to announce that we have 2021 Summer NAMM planned for July 15–17 and The 2022 NAMM Show taking place next January.
TEC AWARDS 2021 Winners of the NAMM Technical Excellence and Creativity (TEC Awards), honoring the best in professional audio and sound production, were announced in a virtual event on the final day of NAMM’s Believe in Music week.
After this turbulent time, we feel it will be 34 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Join us as we unite our industry to gather, conduct business, exchange ideas, inspire each other, and prepare for the recovery to come.”
Presented by NAMM on Believe TV, the annual event recognized the highest achievements in the pro audio and sound worlds of music making, live performances, video games, television and films. Universal Audio picked up the day’s biggest collection of prizes in the Technical category for its Apollo x 4 (Computer Audio Hardware); Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ Plug-In (Signal Processing SoftwareDynamics/EQ/Utilities), and the company’s LUNA Recording System (Workstation Technology/ Recording Devices). Two pro audio brands who each have a long history of sound gear innovations took two awards a piece, also in the Technical
category. They are JBL and AKG both recognized for professional gear in several categories including Amplification Hardware-Studio & Sound Reinforcement, Headphone/Earpiece Technology, and respectively, as well as additional categories listed below. “Despite the global pandemic, the industry continued to innovate, creating one of the largest collectives of product Nominees in the 35-year history of the awards. And given the world engaged in virtual interaction on an unprecedented level, the products honored helped connect us all by delivering music and sound across the world,” shared Eric Geer, TEC Entries & Nominations Supervisor. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS OF THE 36TH ANNUAL NAMM TEC AWARDS: TECHNICAL ACHIEVEMENT Amplification Hardware - Studio & Sound Reinforcement JBL - DSi 2.0
NAMM NEWS
Audio Apps & Hardware/Peripherals for Smartphones & Tablets Eventide - Blackhole Computer Audio Hardware Universal Audio - Apollo x4 DJ Production Technology Native Instruments - TRAKTOR KONTROL S3 Headphone/Earpiece Technology AKG - K300 Series Large Format Console Technology Solid State Logic - ORIGIN Microphone Preamplifiers Neve - 1073OPX Microphones - Recording AKG - Lyra Microphones - Sound Reinforcements sE Electronics - V Series for Drums Musical Instrument Amplification & Effects Ampeg - Heritage 50th Anniversary SVT Musical Instrument Hardware Moog - Matriarch Musical Instrument Software Celemony - Melodyne 5 Production Essentials Audinate Dante AVIO Adapters Signal Processing Hardware API - 2500+ Stereo Bus Compressor Signal Processing Hardware - 500 Series Modules AMS Neve - RMX16 Signal Processing Software - Dynamics/EQ/ Utilities Universal Audio - Neve 1084 Preamp & EQ Plug-In
Signal Processing Software - Effects Waves - Abbey Road Saturator Small Format Console Technology Allen & Heath - Avantis Sound Reinforcement Loudspeakers JBL - EON ONE Compact Studio Monitors Genelec - W371A Adaptive Woofer System Wireless Technology Shure - Axient Digital AD3 plug-on wireless transmitter Workstation Technology/Recording Devices Universal Audio - LUNA Recording System CREATIVE ACHIEVEMENT TEC AWARDS Studio Design Project Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Tisch School of the Arts, NYU-FM Design Film Sound Production “1917,” Universal Pictures/DreamWorks Pictures/Entertainment One Interactive Entertainment Sound Production “Star Wars Jedi - Fallen Order,” Respawn Entertainment Record Production/Album Hyperspace, Beck, Capitol Records Record Production/Single or Track Fear Inoculum, Tool, Tool Dissectional and Volcano and RCA Remote Production/Recording or Broadcast “Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince,” CBS Television Sound Production “The Mandalorian (Season 1),” Disney+
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 35
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
Apogee Announces Symphony ECS Channel Strip Plugin Tuned by Bob Clearmountain
A
pogee Electronics announced the availability of the Symphony ECS Channel Strip at NAMM, a native audio plugin offering equalization, compression and saturation processing tuned by legendary mixing engineer Bob Clearmountain. Designed to exceed expectations of the most discerning audio professionals, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip (Equalization, Compression, Saturation) gives artists, producers and mixers a quick and powerful toolkit to control and shape
36 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
individual tracks and final mixes. Based on vintage 1970’s hardware equalization, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip EQ enables bold contouring synonymous with the musical era. At the same time it offers modern sidechaining for aggressive compression without pumping. The compressor’s foolproof gain reduction is based on modern console dynamic processors and provides for easy parallel compression using the Mix knob. For adding finishing touches of color to your sound,
the Saturation section offers variable levels of harmonic distortion, from the subtle volume boost, to more obvious drive. With this release, the Symphony ECS Channel Strip now runs on both Symphony Desktop on-board hardware DSP and as a native plugin in your DAW, opening an array of innovative and flexible workflows. Available Now Price: $99
Krk Welcomes A New Generation Of Subwoofers
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
Updated Line of Subwoofers Deliver Tight, Accurate, and Defined Bass for Low-End Precision
K
RK announces the latest addition to its range of studio gear with a new generation of powered subwoofers. Coming spring 2021, the new series of KRK Studio Subwoofers will be available in 8-, 10-, and 12-inch variations: S8.4, S10.4, and S12.4. Building on KRK’s legacy of sonic accuracy and performance, the new KRK subwoofers deliver tight, accurate, and defined bass, while the highly efficient Class D power amplifiers dramatically increase transient response, control, and punch. The redesigned cabinets feature a more compact profile compared to their predecessors, allowing for improved placement flexibility and a timeless design that provides a more professional aesthetic. “KRK’s redesigned subwoofers don’t just deliver precise bass and a rich feature set; they’re the next dimension in subwoofer performance,” says Sterling Doak, Director of Marketing for Gibson. “When mixing tracks for bass-heavy genres, it is especially important for producers and DJs to integrate a quality subwoofer solution into their studio set up. Our new generation of subwoofers are perfect for reproducing the low end of your mix—ensuring that you’re giving your tracks the exact amount of bass you desire.” The new KRK Studio Subwoofers feature a wealth of connectivity options with XLR, 1/4” TRS, and RCA inputs and outputs that interface with just about any manufacturer’s studio monitors, mixers, and/or audio interfaces. With an exclusive bypass control feature, users can send full-range audio to their monitors at the click of an optional footswitch without having to move out of the monitoring sweet spot to turn off the subwoofer. This allows for instant comparisons with (and without) the subwoofer’s contributions to the sound. Additionally, polarity and input sensitivity controls allow for phase coherence and level-matching to enhance the quality of your mixes. PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 37
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
KORG Gives first look at ARP 2600 M, miniKORG 700FS and modwave
K
ORG excites today’s music makers by announcing new synthesizers that are modern nods to past innovations with first looks at the ARP 2600 M, miniKORG 700FS and modwave at Believe in Music week. No official information on pricing and availability has been released yet. The new ARP 2600 M is a modular version of the recent ARP 2600 FS, but in a more compact and portable format with the same features and sound quality ideal for desktop use. It integrates the same analog circuitry and components as the ARP 2600 FS, thus faithfully reproducing the characteristic ARP sound. The ARP 2600 M is built in Japan with the same care and extraordinary quality standard as the ARP 2600 FS and uses the same analog components to accurately reproduce the sound and feel of the original. The Spring Reverb has been re38 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
engineered and adapted to the new size body to the same lush effect. The miniKORG 700 was KORG’s first massproduced monophonic synthesizer, released by KORG in 1973. The miniKORG 700FS is an authentic revival of the miniKORG 700S (an improved version of the miniKORG 700), which was released the following year. The revised miniKORG 700FS offers added functionality such as an arpeggiator, spring reverb and aftertouch. The miniKORG 700FS is a fully realized analog synthesizer that was developed in conjunction with the original designer, Fumio Mieda. In 1985, KORG’s DW-8000 combined digital wavetables with rich analog filters to give users sounds that were impossible to create with analog oscillators.modwave builds on the DW legacy and transforms it into a
modern monster synth, featuring incredibly deep wavetable oscillators, gorgeous filters, wildly flexible modulation, unmatched polyphony, comprehensive pattern sequencing, and immediately satisfying hands-on control to deliver unique, powerful, and easily customizable sounds and phrases. modwave also introduces two unique new tools for creating dynamic motion: Kaoss Physics and Motion Sequencing 2.0. Kaoss Physics combines an x/y Kaoss pad with modulatable game physics to create a responsive, interactive controller. Motion Sequencing 2.0 brings the organic, continuously evolving patterns of the wavestate’s Wave Sequencing 2.0 into the world of motion sequencing, including multiple lanes and real-time recording to help you create complex and evolving phrases that other step sequencers cannot.
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
MACKIE Announces new Onyx Mixers with Multi-Track USB
M
ackie announced the following news during Believe in Music Week:
“Onyx in the audio world has become synonymous with excellent, reliable sound. It’s also been some time since we have offered a mixer with the Onyx name. So without further ado, we are excited to share with you the all-new Onyx Series Premium Analog Mixers with Multi-Track USB – The ultimate combination of incredible sonic performance and modern flexibility for home studio, live streaming, live sound, and more.
CLASSIC SOUND, MODERN PERFORMANCE Legendary Onyx mic preamps and Perkins “British Style” EQ alongside premium analog circuitry deliver professional studio-quality sound and ultra-low noise. COMPLETE MULTI-TRACK RECORDING SOLUTION Record and playback to and from your Mac/PC via USB or recording your main mix directly to an SD card at up to 24-Bit / 96kHz
UNMATCHED CONTROL AND FLEXIBILITY Every Onyx model is equipped with Studio Command, a full-color display and single knob interface for managing builtin FX and SD card file browsing/recording/ playback. Bluetooth® connectivity allows for wireless streaming from smartphones and computers directly into a dedicated channel strip. BUILT-LIKE-A-TANK Mackie’s Legendary “Built Like A Tank” Design means your Onyx mixer will be cranking out the mix for years to come.”
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 39
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT
ElectroVoice launches the EVOLVE 50M column loudspeaker
E
lectro-Voice is expanding its industry-leading EVOLVE series with the launch of the EVOLVE 50M column loudspeaker system. The EVOLVE 50M features Electro-Voice’s new QuickSmart Link digital audio and control technology, an onboard mixer, DSP and effects – all combined within the sleek EVOLVE 50 format. The EVOLVE 50M is the perfect choice for bands/musicians, AV rental companies, DJs and any application where true professional audio performance is required in a supercompact and portable package. Available in black or white finishes, the EVOLVE 50M combines state-of-the-art industrial design, superior Electro-Voiceengineered components and premium materials to deliver best-in-class sound quality, power and reliability. The full-range column array and its eight lightweight 3.5” neodymium drivers provide ultra-wide, full-bandwidth 120° coverage via proprietary waveguides; array-formed 40° asymmetrical vertical coverage ensures acoustic output is directed towards both sitting and standing audience members. The array enclosure
40 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
is constructed from a durable composite material and incorporates an ergonomic aluminum handle. A 12” subwoofer is housed in a 15 mm wood enclosure with a high-efficiency laminarflow vent design, for enhanced rigidity and acoustical performance. The array and sub are connected via a symmetrical aluminum pole with internal wiring and magnetically assisted latching. The speakers are protected by a black powder-coated 18-gauge steel grille, and an array/ pole carry case is included. An advanced Class-D amplifier provides up to 1000 W of power. Equipped with the most comprehensive and user-friendly feature set of any column system on the market today, the EVOLVE 50M’s “M” designation refers to its integrated fully featured, fully configurable eight-channel digital mixer. Developed in collaboration with the world-class audio electronics engineering team at ElectroVoice’s sibling brand Dynacord, the mixer has multiple inputs (4x XLR/TRS combo mic/line inputs, 1x XLR/TRS combo stereo line input, 1x RCA, 1x 3.5 mm stereo, 1x Hi-Z instrument input) with professional-grade preamps and mix functions. High-resolution, low-latency
Bluetooth® streaming ensures excellent results for music playback or accompaniment. Independent channel aux sends and a foot switch input are also included, and a range of effects (30 presets, including chorus, delay, flange and reverb, via two FX channels) add a myriad of options for musicians to fine-tune their tone. All of the above help to reduce load-in/out and setup/teardown time – and on-stage clutter – by minimizing the need for external equipment such as a mixer and effects pedals. The EVOLVE 50M’s control panel features Electro-Voice’s powerful QuickSmart DSP, which allows the navigation and adjustment of all audio, effects and mix functions via an LCD with single-knob control or via the QuickSmart Mobile app, as well as multiple options for signal routing and inputs. Functions include four presets (Music, Live, Speech, Club), three-band system EQ (low, mid, high), seven-band graphic EQ (in Mixer mode), five user-programmable presets (Store and Recall settings), phantom power, visual monitoring of limiter status, input level control and meters, and a master volume control to optimize gain structure.
NAMM NEWS
NAMM NEW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENT IK Multimedia announces UNO Synth Pro and UNO Synth Pro Desktop
D
eveloped in collaboration with Italian boutique synth-maker Soundmachines, both these new analog synthesizers take the groundbreaking UNO Synth monophonic synth and expand it in nearly every section: more oscillators, more filters, more sequencer memory, more effects, more presets, more connections and more programmability. UNO Synth Pro puts this amazing new sound engine in a rugged metal chassis with a 37-key synth-action Fatar keybed, while UNO Synth Pro Desktop provides a more portable form factor to travel anywhere. The UNO Synth Pro’s unique dual-filter, 3-oscillator paraphonic design lets it create nearly any synth sound imaginable, and with 256 presets, a new 64-step sequencer and expanded CV/Gate and audio connections, users will quickly find it’s the ideal creation station for any outboard rig. Huge, real analog sound Three analog oscillators offer continuously variable waveshape, including pulse-width modulation. Oscillators can be hard-synced for more harmonically-complex tones, and oscillator FM (frequency modulation) lets users shape everything from bell-like sounds to screaming industrial tones. UNO Synth Pro even includes ring modulation for wobbly, sci-fi sound, and a white noise generator for a wide range of percussive sounds and epic rises.
Dual-filter design with 24 available modes In addition to the original UNO Synth’s 2-pole OTA multimode filter, UNO Synth Pro adds a new SSI 2/4-pole LP filter with self-oscillation. The dual filters can be used in series or parallel, with invertible phase, for a total of 24 possible filter modes. This unique design offers nearly limitless tonal possibilities, from recreating classic vintage sounds or forging completely new, experimental sounds. Massive sonic flexibility UNO Synth Pro offers two full ADSR envelopes, one dedicated to the filter and the other to amplitude, with both available as sources to modulate everything from oscillator pitch and waveshape to LFO speed or even other envelope stages. Two LFOs (low-frequency oscillators) can create classic synth vibrato, wah and tremolo as well as do more complex modulations including audio range FM. A 16-slot modulation matrix makes routing all these a breeze. Users can quickly and easily design even the most sophisticated modulation scheme, with both internal and external sources, including MIDI controllers. Deep onboard effects UNO Synth Pro offers four effect blocks: an analog overdrive circuit from the original UNO Synth, plus three new, custom-designed digital
effects: modulation, delay and reverb. External signals can also be routed through these effects, with pre-effects filtering for added flexibility. Improved playability UNO Synth Pro offers a premium 37-key synth action keybed made in Italy by Fatar, while UNO Synth Pro Desktop provides an enhanced version of the original’s long-lasting capacitance-sensing keys along with pitch and mod strips for enhanced expression. Both units add firm-touch rubber pads for the control sections, plus LED-backlit indicators and an LED display for key information, making it easier than ever to use live on stage or in deep programming sessions in the studio. Powerful presets, sequencer and arpeggiator UNO Synth Pro offers 256 user-editable presets, each capturing the full state of the sound engine from oscillators to effects. An onboard 64-step sequencer offers both step and real-time recording, with automation of over 80 parameters, letting users create incredibly intricate and evolving soundscapes, and even write CV and gate automation. And a 10-mode arpeggiator makes it easy to create intricate patterns and runs, while a new “chord mode” takes advantage of UNO Synth Pro’s paraphonic design, opening the door to triads and chord work. PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 41
GEAR REVIEWS
KRK 8s Subwoofer
W
e’re KRK users anyway, so naturally when the new subs were announced, we got our KRK rep on the phone and got our hands on a new unit to review here in the studio/office. The new subwoofers (we tested the 8-inch version) are BEEFY. Heavy construction and rugged metal grills – very nice, and tough enough to withstand whatever low-end assault you throw at it. So let’s talk bass. Our office is equipped with KRK Rokit 5’s (from the previous generation), and a quick Google search tells us they bottom out at pretty respectable lowend frequency as-is, but adding a sub to the mix can be a revelation. We rely on a lot of low-end bass from an analog Moog synth to fill out the bottom register when we’re testing out recording gear and software, so it was great to hear some of what we were missing (but more importantly, ‘feel’ it). It’s hard to describe, since you’re really getting the experience of air moving in the room, much more so than your standard desktop monitors. Low end goes to about 30Hz on these, and around the rear you’ll find ins and outs for XLR, 1/4” and red/white RCA hookups. You’ve also got a 4-position crossover dial, volume control and polarity and input sensitivity switches. So dialing in the right amount of bass, depending on your current setup, is a snap. And placement is a breeze, too. The way these enclosures are designed makes it tough to pinpoint the source of the low-end heft, which is actually a good
42 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
thing. Having a ‘non-directional’ sub helps fill out the bottom without distracting from the stereo image, which is exactly what you’re going for. And it means you can tuck it out of sight if you need to, and it’ll still deliver. Bass feels ‘direct’ with one of these engaged, and not flubby or wooly at all. It’s tight when you want it, and wobbly when you’ve got ludicrous 808’s down low. What’s better is you can A/B what you’re working on by bypassing the sub altogether with a handy footswitch. That’s something we haven’t seen too often on other subs we’ve tested. Overall, we’re going to be sad to see this one go. We might just have to pick one up for ourselves when our testing period is over, and we pack this one up and ship it back to KRK. Highly recommended. Benjamin Ricci
PROS
sounds great, extends low end, easy to use CONS
footswitch not included STREET PRICE
$349
GEAR REVIEWS
W
hile we missed seeing everyone at NAMM, we did delight in the news that Mackie had a new series of PA speakers ready to announce, and better yet, ready to ship into our grubby little hands. The new SRT line is Mackie’s latest attempt to perfect the loudspeaker for artists who want great quality at a price that’s not going to bankrupt them. And they’ve delivered.
MACKIE SRT Loudspeakers the new lineup, as well as the advanced DSP going on inside. One advantage of the new internals is that sound is great from any angle, not just smackdab in front of them like a lot of PA speakers. So off-axis listeners will still get the benefit of hearing how good you sound on stage. Chalk that up to good DSP programming in full-effect.
The 10-inch models we tested are rugged as all get-out, and sound killer, to boot. When live shows really get back into full gear, we’ll expect a lot of artists (and venues) will be reevaluating their rehearsal space needs, gig requirements, and stage rigs. The SRT’s would be a good place to start. They may not look like a giant leap forward, but what’s going on under the hood is exciting.
You also get a very bright, VERY easy to use display on the rear, as well as an app to control things right from your phone or tablet. We’ve previously called out Mackie for making wireless apps that actually work, and don’t require an engineering degree to figure out. The last time we used one of their connection apps for digital mixing, it clearly showed that the design team thought out the UI from a musician’s perspective, putting the functions they needed front and center, not buried in endless menu-diving. And they’ve done the same here. Kudos.
So what’s new? Well, there’s a new beefy amplification design, which is plenty powerful and crystal clear in the highs, no clipping or breakup during most routine uses. Part of that also comes from the new SYM-X horn design in
So, what else is there to say? They sound great, they pair easily with Bluetooth, and the on-board screen and app controls make setup absolute child’s play. Benjamin Ricci
PROS
excellent sound, construction, connectivity and wireless app support. CONS
none STREET PRICE
$499/ea
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 43
GEAR REVIEWS
SPL Marc One Monitor and Recording Controller Review
S
PL’s new Marc One brings the practical application of switching between monitoring sources without a lot of hassle, and is a great tool for optimizing mixes. Size-wise, it’s not that much bigger than a typical 2-channel DAW interface, with a front panel that covers switching between two sets of speakers/monitors, along with a level control knob. With a Stereo/mono selector that also has a stereo reverse function, the user gets a comprehensive ability to work the mix for various applications, such as video or TV work. The Monitor control function allows the user to blend in the signal from the output of the device or signal from USB input. A Headphone level control and 1/4” connection allows the user to connect the headphones of their choice. Now, the crossfeed control is where it gets interesting. SPL calls this feature the Phonitor Matrix. If you’re mixing on headphones, you get a pretty standard stereo spread. But listening on speakers, BOTH of your ears are picking up the audio from opposite speakers, like a bit of audio “spill over,” which gives a bit of extra feeling. The crossfeed control allows the headphone mix to respond more like a room mix, which for users who may have to (or prefer to) mix on headphones, they’ll get a better overall result. Ever hear a friend’s recording that they mixed on headphones, and you know it sounds like they mixed on a set of cans. With this function it can severely reduce that effect.
44 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
The back panel has line outs for connecting to headphone amplifiers, as well as being used as an additional output source. Speaker connections are here as well, with one set having the additional input for a subwoofer. Inputs for analog signals from a DAW or recording unit, and a USB connection reside here too. No need to worry about pairing active and passive speakers, there’s a set of dip switches that can configure the unit to handle that consideration. While we didn’t have a second set of speakers with a subwoofer, we connected a set of Mackie CR4BT monitors, and a set of Cambridge Soundworks stereo speakers, along with a pair of Blue’s Lola headphones. The ability to listen to a mix and toggle through them was a nice treat, being able to not mix to the speakers, but get a good overall idea of the coloring each brought to the mix. The Phonitor Matrix crossfade feature however was a big deal, it allows the user to really reduce the stereo isolation. Listen to a drum mix with proper planning of the toms and cymbals and it sounds far livelier. Users of virtual drums or loops that are also panned properly makes for a livelier placement in the mix. Doing multiple instrument sources such as a chorus or even gang vocals really shows where the panning really can be an art in the mix. There are a lot of devices out there allowing for switching between speakers, in some cases, they’re built into the DAW itself. However the big deal of not having to download an additional
software app to run this or control the audio path is wonderful. The Phonitor Matrix isn’t a gimmick either and gives the user the ability to do a ton of work on a set of headphones, either due to preference or not to bother others, get really good results, THEN start to tackle mixes on their speakers of choice. It’s a good piece of studio kit that can help mixing workflow, and overall results. Chris Devine
PROS
Excellent sound routing options, Crossfeed function is great, simple to use CONS
None. STREET PRICE
$799
GEAR REVIEWS
UNIVERSAL AUDIO Apollo Solo Interface
O
K, let’s get the confusing part out of the way first. Apparently UA has decided that it’s necessary, from a tech standpoint, to make separate versions of the Apollo Solo for Windows and Mac users? That’s great, I guess, until you’re sent one for a platform you don’t use, assuming it’ll just plug-n-play like every other interface you’ve tested in the past 10 years. Pro tip: figure out which version you need before you buy. Because…we’re dumb and spent far too much time trying to troubleshoot why ours wasn’t doing what it was supposed to do. Anyhoo…..how’s the Solo, you ask? Well, once you get it working, pretty darn good. I mean, the mic preamps are crystal clear, which is about 80% of why we typically would buy a small format interface like this in the first place. So that’s good. It’s also good that it’s compatible with their new Luna software, which….is Mac only. Which is great if you use Macs (like we normally do), but not so great if you got sent one of the Apollo Solos for Windows…see where I’m going with this? I don’t mean to bag on UA, but this doesn’t seem very consumer friendly. Maybe it’s just us, I
mean I haven’t seen a lot of complaints on forums, and if anyone is gonna complain, it’s definitely forum folks. I get why they’re doing it, I really do. So let’s focus on what the Solo does well, shall we? Like I said, the Unison mic pre’s and AD/ DA convertors are great, and the big selling point is that you get an EXCELLENT array of plug-ins from UAD that are frankly worth the price of admission alone. The mic preamp actually interfaces with the plug-in, so you’re controlling that in real time via actual knobs, which is nice for those of us who prefer a little tactile control. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say you can get by with just one mic using an Apollo Solo, the pre’s and plug-ins are so good, you might not need a full mic locker anymore, especially on a home studio budget. You can pretty much get that warm sound you’re looking for right away with the included tools. Add to that the non-existent latency and you’ve got a winner. Perhaps a bit confusing in the marketplace, but a winner none-the-less. Benjamin Ricci
PROS
great sound, easy to use and set up, on-board DSP accelerator CONS
there are separate Mac and Windows versions, which is confusing STREET PRICE
$499 (Windows version)
PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 45
GEAR REVIEWS
WARM AUDIO Jet Phaser Pedal
V
intage styled pedals usually have a few issues; some copy a circuit, and in the process of updating it for modern manufacturing, lose the nuances. Some get so accurate, that the prices just skyrocket up! Warm Audio figured out how to bring the classic phaser to modern standards, without sacrificing the coolness, and keeping the price reasonable. The original had a sandcast enclosure, but Warm went full on ’70s with a steel chassis and groovy wooden side panels. There are 6 modes; Jet 1 is a shallow phase with bright fuzz, Jet 2 is a deeper Phase, again with bright fuzz. Jets 3 & 4 follow the same phasing pattern, but this time the fuzz is darker. Then there are two un-fuzzed modes; Phase 1’s Shallow, and Phase 2’s deeper version. The Jet Level controls the fuzz’ed output, while the resonance covers the phase effect’s strength. Speed of the phase is covered by the fast/slow footswitch, and the slower level is adjustable via its own control knob. If you’re playing, and then hit the fast/slow switch, you can hear the modulation ramp up and down, like a switch on an old school Leslie speaker -very analog trippy, indeed. It can be run via the included power supply or two 9v batteries, and the player can select if they want to use batteries or the power supply. To keep things in the 21st
46 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
Century, the effect on/off footswitch is true bypass. First impressions are key -- it feels so ’70s plugging in, kicking it on and tweaking a couple of knobs. It put us right into the era of unleaded gasoline and polyester pants. Steely Dan tribute acts and Rhodes players, please pay attention. This is the phaser you want, especially in Phase 2 mode! The cascading pulse of the modulation just begs for that chicka-chicka, hitting the chord, mute, upstroke approach that is signature ’70s pop guitar. Phase 1 is a bit more subdued, but it does sit very nicely in the mix, with its shallower phase. The Jet modes are glorious. We found Jet 1 & 2 worked great with a flat EQ, if you have an amp with a bright switch, and usually leave it on, Jet 3&4 modes translate nicely. There’s something for everyone in here, EQ-wise. It’s not just some throwback either; first off it’s a lot quieter than the vintage ones, and since it’s an effect pedal that hasn’t been recreated over and over, it still feels fresh. Yes it will do classic stuff, but in the hands of modern players, it’ll take you to new places sonically. A few things to note; there’s no LED to let you know the status of the effect or speed, but the
originals didn’t have them either. The input and output jacks are “backwards” from typical effects pedals, and size-wise, it’s a bit large. It might not be super pedalboard friendly, but it’s so cool sounding. If there’s a smaller modern version that sounds this good, we haven’t heard of it. Chris Devine
PROS
Fantastic ’70s style phaser, excellent fuzz options, super clean audio CONS
Slightly large footprint STREET PRICE
$199
GEAR REVIEWS
W
arm Audio has really established themselves as producers of highquality audio gear with attention to the classic aspects, now they’re stepping into the guitar pedal arena, and their Foxy Tone is ready to do battle. You want a fuzz, well it’s fuzzy, literally. The enclosure is covered in orange velvety, Muppet skin like material, with a metal badge on the top that lists the input, output, knob controls, and switches. Included is a 9v power supply. OK, why the unusual packaging? Well this is a faithful reproduction of the original Foxx Tone Machine fuzz pedal, which had colored velvet, and a unique side mounted control layout. Inside, Warm Audio sourced NOS (new old stock), Fairchild 2N3565 transistors, which the original circuit sported, and paired those with high quality germanium 1N34A diodes, premium film capacitors and carbon resistors. The circuit board uses gold-plated pads, while the footswitch is true bypass. The result is a musical blend of old and new components, and every one is made by hand. The control layout is pretty easy, Volume (guess what that does), Sustain (Fuzz) and FuzzMellow-brite (tone). A toggle switch engages an octave-up like effect. On the back is a LED indicating power, but no indication when the
WARM AUDIO Foxy Tone Box Fuzz Pedal effect is engaged, but when this is on, you WILL know it. Soundwise, this is gnarly, nowhere near subtle; this is FUZZ. With humbuckers, the fatness of tone is very noticeable, chords and rhythm parts are massive, and as you dial up the sustain, it really sings, with those fantastic overtones just floating behind everything. The note cascade and fade aspect is glorious. Kicking in the octave, it gets crazier, and almost synth like. It can get messy, but in a good way, where it seems to be cancelling itself out at a point. The controls really interact with each other a lot, so if you bring up the bass, more than likely you’ll want to adjust the fuzz and volume as well, but when the tweaking is needed, they play nicely with each other. Now there are pedal nerds out there that have their preferences on transistors, but the general ruling is germanium is a bit smoother and musical, while silicon is a bit harsher. This is a “your mileage may vary” statement; we’ve found examples where it’s the opposite is true, but we’ll say that this is a fantastic version of a germanium-based fuzz that seems to have its own thing going on. Great, handmade, rare components that recreate an almost unobtainable pedal, that sounds awesome? You would expect a price tag that might beat up your wallet. Nope, $149 street price. Consider this an affordable boutique option.
A couple things to note; the enclosure is a bit on the large size, there is no easy to see on/off LED, along with getting the fuzzy enclosure to stick with Velcro, this might be tough for more modern pedalboard users. The Octave effect is engaged via a side mounted toggle, and not a second footswitch, but all these aspects are a reproduction of its classic heritage, and players back then didn’t complain. For some players these things might not be an issue, considering how good it sounds. The simple solution might be a bigger pedalboard, to go along with the bigger tone. Chris Devine PROS
Well made, faithful Germanium fuzz, sounds fantastic, super cool octave effect CONS
Slightly large enclosure STREET PRICE
$149 PERFORMER MAGAZINE FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 47
GEAR REVIEWS
BEHRINGER VC340 Vocoder
A
h, Behringer. King of the clones. What will they come up with next? Well, time will tell (*cough*CS80*cough*) but in the meantime, we’ve been treated to this very lovely, and very faithful reproduction of the old Roland Vocoder from 1979. The VC340 features full-size keys (hear that, Korg, Yamaha, etc?) AND full-size MIDI I/O. Now, I know those aren’t the biggest selling points when it comes to a vocoder, but teeny keys and stupid MIDI dongles have become the bane of my existence. Anyway, does it vocode? You bet your sweet bippy it does, and not just with vocals. Sure, you can plug a dynamic mic in the XLR port on the back (no phantom power on board, so no condensers) and start doing your “Mr. Blue Sky” thing until your heart’s content. And yeah, it does sound awfully close to the old units. So for under $500, you’ve got “that” sound on-demand, whenever you want. But why stop there? A vocoder doesn’t have to rely on the voice as part of the carrier/modulator relationship. You can pass audio from just about anything, like a drum machine, for some pretty cool effects, too. The bottom line is that the VC340 is
48 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2021 PERFORMER MAGAZINE
dead-simple to operate. Plug in a mic or audio source, turn up the Vocoder volume, and choose which part of the keyboard split (upper or lower or both) you want to vocode. Couldn’t be simpler. As an added bonus, Behringer has also recreated the old circuits for the on-board strings and choir sections, which sound ohso-phenomenally ’70s. You’ll want to keep the ensemble button engaged at all times on both parts (yeah, it’s a chorus effect, but that’s what it was labeled on the original, so Behringer stuck with the term) because to be honest, the strings and ‘human voice’ sections sound pretty weak without it on. But when it’s on, man is it ON. The lush strings and vocal choirs can really fill a mix if you don’t have any good pads handy, and mixed in with a tastefully done vocoder sound, it’s pure bliss. We love this thing, as if you couldn’t tell, and would recommend it to any producer or artist who wants to add a little something special and doesn’t want to fiddle with overpriced vintage gear that needs maintenance, or a plug-in that doesn’t inspire you to turn knobs, slide faders and use an actual instrument on your tracks. Highly recommended. Benjamin Ricci
PROS
excellent reproduction, full-size keys and full-size MIDI I/O CONS
none STREET PRICE
$499 (on sale)
Audio Made Easy
AT2020USB+ Cardioid Condenser USB Microphone
20 Series USB Mics
Audio-Technica’s AT2020USB+ delivers the critically acclaimed, award-winning sound of our original AT2020, plus a USB output for digital recording and design advances for true zero-latency monitoring. Ideal for multi-track music production, content creation and podcasting, the AT2020USB+ is a natural for both instrument and voice pickup. Capturing high-quality audio has never been easier. audio-technica.com
GOOD TO GO WHEN EVER • WHERE VER
A passion for playing means that inspiration can strike anytime, anywhere. With Elixir® Strings you know that when you pick up your guitar it’s going to sound great—time and time again. That’s because our featherweight coating protects your strings from the elements, keeping corrosion away and allowing your tone to sound great for longer, in any environment.
Elixir Strings. Performance-ready with long-lasting tone. GORE, Together, improving life, ELIXIR, NANOWEB, POLYWEB, OPTIWEB, GREAT TONE • LONG LIFE, “e” icon, and designs are trademarks of W. L. Gore & Associates. ©2009-2020 W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.