Interview with Steafan Hanvey Part 2

We continue with our interview of musician Steafan Hanvey. In this interview with The Lobes, he talks about the impact that location had on the making of his two albums, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies, and Nuclear Family, due to be released in America in 2013.

Faith W:  Let’s talk about your albums.

Steafan Hanvey:  “Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies” is the album that has been released this fall in America. It was released here (in Ireland) back in 2006, and we’re getting the opportunity to release it in the U.S. I’ve been touring in the U.S. a few times in the last few years. Fuse on Demand has committed to airing two of my videos, one of which is from the Honeymoon Junkies. For all intents and purposes it’s a new album and video in America.

FW: There were quite a few years between the Honeymoon Junkies, which was released in 2006 and its debut in America.

SH: Yeah, 2006 was the release in Ireland and then I spent a few years touring, making friends and networking. And also, I started writing and recording material for Nuclear Family, which was three years in the making which I finished just about a year ago. I financed most of this myself. I wanted to take my time with it; I could have finished it in a couple of months. As I kind of went along the road of recording it, various opportunities presented themselves, like working with Tore Johansson (the producer of The Cardigans and Franz Ferdinand). We mixed the songs, basically, online. He would send an mp3 of a mix to me and the producer, who was in Paris and we’d have a listen and offer feedback, and we did that for six months before actually going over and meeting with Tore, and then we spent 5 days in Sweden, making some final tweaks & decisions.

Steafan Hanvey Makes His U.S. Debut With "Desperation"

When I interviewed Ireland’s Steafan Hanvey a few weeks ago, we came up with a short-lived plan to rob a bank to finance the promotion of his U.S. debut album, Steafan Hanvey and the Honeymoon Junkies. I was very excited, because I was going to be the getaway driver. Then I realized that if I drove the getaway car, we would probably only get a few blocks before I hit a fire hydrant and got both of us caught. It didn’t take long for us to scrap that idea.

Instead, I am going to just help Steafan the good old-fashioned way, and write about him. Here’s the first in a series of articles pieces about Steafan, and a preview of his video “Desperation (Failed in Loving You)”, which will be on Fuse on Demand starting October 24^th.
FW: What are your main musical influences?

Steafan: Tommy Makem & Liam Clancy, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Joni Mitchell, The Beatles, Wings, Simon & Garfunkel, Paul Brady, Nina Simone, Soundgarden, Kings X, Stevie Wonder.
FW: Whom do people say you sound like?

Steafan: Paul Simon, Wings, Jeff Buckley, Nick Drake, Richard Thompson, Dylan.
Some people have said I write songs in a similar way to Roger Waters. Lyrically perhaps.

FW: Do you think that you sound like whoever people say you sound like?

Steafan: I never thought about it until they said it. I find that really interesting, that we are the sum of our experiences and what we've been exposed to. Makes sense. Something touches you, it enters your bloodstream. Though, sometimes, people will hit you with something you've never heard before. That's kind of strange.

FW: What's the most personal song you've ever written and what was it based on?

Steafan: All my songs are personal. I can’t write about what I don't know, or rather, doesn’t inspire me. But the song that first came to mind was a song from my new album, Nuclear Family, entitled 'Secrets & Lies', inspired partly by a family member & an ex-lover.
FW: If your life were a song, what song would it be?
Steafan: In my Life by The Beatles, or Old Friends by Simon & Garfunkel.
FW: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, if so, which one?

Steafan: 'The Road Less Traveled' by Scott Peck inspired me to write 'Love's a Decision' from my debut album.
I was down in Malaga several years ago, and my then girlfriend was sunbathing a lot. I was stuck inside (sensitive Irish skin) with the air conditioner, writing songs and reading. 'Love's a Decision' was written during that time.
Books are always inspiring me; a word here, a line there. I usually have about 10 books on the go at any one time. A bad habit, perhaps…Books, I love.
FW: If the color gray were a food, what would it be?
Steafan: Meat & two veg! The Irish/English dinner, which was, thanks to my mum, interspersed with curries, pasta dishes and various other world cuisines.

The Story Behind MonAnnLisa Wilde's Music

They say that every song tells a story and the first track released from MonAnnLisa Wilde’s new EP, “The Last Time I Saw You on Facebook,” is no different.

“I made friends with a guy who was to make the video clip. The very evening he had invited me for drinks with his mate, his mate got hit by a car just as he stepped his foot on the road. I went on Facebook to see what happens to a profile when someone moves on to the next life. What I found was they are not gone, they're still alive as the profiles are still alive as today, so I did edit the lyrics to include the situation.”

MonAnnLisa, who was born on the Ivory Coast, is greatly influenced by the music of many diverse artists, ranging from Nina Simone to Marilyn Manson, and her EP shows that influence, in a style that is a combination of hard-rock and dance.

Check out the video, “Lsst Time I Saw U on Facebook,” then check her out on Facebook.

An Interview With Musician Sheri Miller

Few people can say that they could set their lives to music, but it's a safe bet that New York musician Sheri Miller can.

The critically acclaimed singer/songwriter has written hundred of lyrics and dozens of songs, both as a solo artist, and in collaboration with musicians such as J.D. Souther, Jill Sobule, and Shawn Mullins.

Her sophomore album, "Winning Hand" is an extension of the music that is her life, produced by the renown Kevin Killen. Recently, The Lobes asked Sheri about the things that influence her songwriting:

The Lobes: How much has heartbreak contributed to your songwriting?

SM: A lot a lot a lot.  I had a long, painful break-up about a year ago, and I infuse much of my emotional torrential heart energy into my songs.  With this heartbreak, I had been writing, grieving, wondering, creating songs about being in and out love; well before the break-up.  I wonder about the nature of love.  How it connects us all.  How animals feel in love.  I think love is the seed of universe.

The Lobes: What are your main musical influences?

SM: You.  Me.   The conversation I overhear while ordering a coffee.  The Beatles.  John Lennon and Paul McCartney.  Bach.  The Beach Boys.  Etta James. Ella Fitzgerald and Rogers and Hart.  The Gershwins.  Otis Redding.  Joni Mitchell.  Nina Simone.  Bruce Springsteen.   My mother.

 The Lobes: What's your favorite iPod track this week?

SM: “I”ve Been Loving You Too Long.”  Otis Redding.

 The Lobes: Are you working on any music right now?

SM: Yes. I’m very lucky to be recording a new song, with some incredible musicians now.  The incredible Will Lee, Paul Shaffer, Steve Cropper and Shawn Pelton.  Keep an eye out for it on my website, sherimiller.com

The Lobes: If you could craft an all-star band, who would play in it?

SM: See question above.

The Lobes: Have you ever been inspired by an author or a book to write a song, and if so, which one?

SM: Absolutely.  Every song in a way is inspired by authors and books.  The God Of Small Things by Arundhati Roy inspired me.  Barbara Kingsolver inspires me.  Charles Bukowski I love too.

The Lobes: What keeps you awake at night?

SM: Mosquitoes.  I’ve been getting eaten up alive lately.  I think it’s that fragrance gardenia hand lotion I used one night.  I was almost suffocating, covering my face with a sheet as a faux net.  So I decided to spray an outdoor Deet spray over my bed. And oh boy.  I better air out my room.

Also worry keeps me up at night.  But there are good drugs for that.  Just kidding.

I do love to sleep.  Dreams are where the songs are.

Here is a song from Sheri Miller's "Winning Hand" album, entitled, "Spoons":

Purchase Winning Hand:

iTunes: http://bit.ly/iqqicN

Amazon: http://amzn.to/kljGLp

CD BABY: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/sherimiller2

www.sherimiller.com

MC Lyte: The Lost Interview

A while ago, I had the privilege of interviewing rap icon MC Lyte soon after she became the Vice President of The DuBose Music Group. She was also working on a reality show for BET called "Hollywood Treatment" with singer Mary J. Blige. At the time I was having a lot of trouble with my recording equipment, causing me to have to end the call prematurely several times to make sure I didn't lose the recording. MC Lyte was gracious enough to allow me to call her back on three separate occasions and after 30 minutes of talk time I was able to get what I needed for the story. We talked about her show, the changes being made in BET’s programming, and the state of rap music. While I wasn't able to save all of my recordings, this is what I was able to save:

Faith W: Thanks for giving me the opportunity to call you back.

MC Lyte: I’m appreciative to do the interview.

FW: I’m glad to do it. I’ve been following your work since the late ‘80’s, early ‘90’s. I’m kind of dating myself –

Lyte: You and me both, it’s all good (laughs).

FW: You’ve got a lot of positive things in the works now. I wanted to talk to you about your reality show, “Hollywood Treatment”, right?

Lyte: Yeah. Well, that’s a tentative name. I’m not sure if that will change.

FW: Okay, but that’s the working title. Can you tell me about that?

Lyte: The show itself is wrapped around the concept of being able to give back. What happens is that young adults write in and say, “This is what I’m facing right now. This is where I am; this is where I’m trying to get to, and I don’t really know how to get from that space to the next space.” And then, at that point we search out a foundation that has been formed by a celebrity that best suits the needs of that particular person. I think with the show we’ll just be able to get into the community, and change lives, one by one.

FW: It sounds like a big turnaround for BET. There are people who have felt like BET’s programming has fallen short of it’s responsibility to represent African-Americans in a positive light. Do you feel that this show will change people’s opinions?

Lyte: There’s a huge change that has to take place within the infrastructure of any business for it to catch up; for people to notice that things have changed. Things have been changing at BET for a long time.

FW: Really?

Lyte: Yeah. In order for you to even see something like an “Uncut” missing (from programming), there had to be a whole lot happening on the back-end to make it to go away. I think you’re going to see a lot more changes that I’m already aware of that the public will be aware of, once those shows hit.

I’m happy for BET; I’m happy to be a part of BET and quite frankly, back in the day I was disgruntled with BET. But, I think here and there they’ve implimented changes at a slow pace. Their market is the 18 to 20-something age. You and I've become older, and we’re not as satiated by what teenagers are satisfied with, and we’ve expected them to grow with us, because we started with BET.

FW: Right.

Lyte: In fact, it’s kind of hard to split that demographic ; to say, “How can we satisfy both demos?” And I think with Centric, it makes them able to satisfy both demands.

FW: I’m glad to see that there are changes coming.

Lyte: Me too. It’s just a matter of them trying it to see that it works, and see that people are watching. Because the bottom line is that it’s all about ratings. If they can’t get people to watch a particular show, then they can’t pay for it. They have to get money from sponsors, and sponsors want shows that bring it a certain amount of viewership. It’s not about BET, or any network saying we don’t want to give (the viewer) positive stuff. We want to give them stuff that people are gonna watch, that are gonna bring the dollars in here, that will have this business stay up.

FW: It sounds like there are good things on the horizon.

Lyte: I think Deborah Lee is really prepared to make the changes. She inherited a beautiful job, but at the time it was hard to implement changes because there was an infrastructure there that she inherited. Now that she’s brought Loretha Jones on, and I ‘ve known her for a very long time. You'll see a change over time.

FW: Let's talk about music.There’s some talk about the direction that hip-hop is headed lyrically with regard to the dumbing down of the lyrics. There are artists who say that they don’t want to put out this kind of work, but their record label insists. How do you feel about that statement, as an artist and executive?

Lyte: As an artist, I think it’s meant for all types of hip hop to exist to make everyone happy. I think the need for balance is what throws everything off; when we’re just seeing one type of music being played on the radio, when we see one type of video getting all the airtime. I think more of a balance needs to be created.

Many people find themselves in a position where major labels are actually picking the music that they want to come out. You can create all of these great works, but labels do have a motive, and that motive is to sell records. If they feel like something is going to sell more than something else, then they are certainly going to go that route. I mean you’re on a major label, so you’ve been hired to sell records for a major company. You’re making music, which is something that you love to do, but you’re also in the business of selling music, and when you can’t, and don’t, you’ll be dropped. Then you won’t have a major record deal.

FW: Okay.

Lyte: It’s a really interesting game, but in the end it’s about making the music that you can feel proud of, whether you’re signed to a major company, or not. I happen to think it’s not one, or the other. There is a merger of the two that can happen where you can make smart music with lyrics that hide a message.

FW: I think that often when you’re a young artist it takes time to resign yourself to the business aspect of your work.

Lyte: I think that they can do both. It seems like a complicated task, but I don’t really think it is. It’s actually playing the game.

The Roy Ayers Project: Who Is Roy Ayers?

The Roy Ayers Project is a documentary focusing on the life and music of Roy Ayers. In the trailer for the Haylow Overby, Ariel Nuñez film, artists answer the question: Who is Roy Ayers?

The <a title="The Roy Ayers Project" href="http://royayersproject.com/" target="_blank">Roy Ayers Project online</a> is a creative mosaic, produced by individuals to express the influence of the music and philosophy of Roy Ayers in their work.  From RoyAyersProject.com:
<blockquote> It is driven by the his music of Roy Ayers, as well as his message, essence, and influences, while recognizing people of his ilk and the people who continue to innovate and create, just like Roy Ayers. The blog will expose you to many different forms of music, as well as keeping you up to date with all things involving the Roy Ayers Project.</blockquote>