When we interviewed our good friend Andrew Ripp we were interested to know who he was listening to. He shared the music of Stacy Clark with us and we have been hooked ever since. Clark’s 2007 release, Apples & Oranges, is an interesting experiment that combines folk and elements of electronic. There are moments on this record when her tracks sound like a beautiful blending of Imogen Heap’s style with Vanessa Carlton’s vocals. Clark intrigued us so much that we knew we wanted to track her down for an interview.
Stacy Clark live on stage
We recently caught up with Clark with the hopes of carving out a few minutes from her busy tour schedule. We were treated to a stellar live performance followed up with some great conversations over dinner. In addition to being a creative singer-songwriter, we discovered that she is also a savvy entrepreneur and giving philanthropist. Her music is her passion and she has a plan all mapped out for herself. Just recently, Clark and her band walked away with the “Best Pop Artist” award at the 2010 Orange County Music Awards. Stacy Clark certainly has her head on straight and her sights are set on getting her music out there.
Thankfully, we will be able to get our hands on new music from Clark this summer when she releases Connect the Dots. In the meantime, Apples & Oranges is an album that you need to get acquainted with. Don’t be surprised if “Matter of Time” becomes your new favorite song.
KC’s Personal Picks: “Matter of Time”, “Closer” & “Hello Again”
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LikeBEAST, a project from Betty Bonifassi and Jean-Phi Goncalves, is one of the most refreshing and innovative music projects we have come across in long while. Mix together electronica, hip-hop, rock and jazz and you get BEAST. The duo jokingly coined their music “trip-rock” and the classifier has stuck. Really what we have here are two incredibly talented musicians with lengthy careers that came together in the spirit of creating something new. This natural creation is what makes the music so intense and exciting.
We had an opportunity to sit down with Betty Bonifassi and Jean-Phi Goncalves after a recent visit to the United States. We caught up with the pair after they had spent a long day of traveling in from Montreal and then sound checking for a show that night. After spending ten minutes with them we were hooked. It is clear that they are still getting used to the success and attention that their project has gained. Their single, “Mr. Hurricane”, was just recently nominated for a Grammy in the Best Short Music Video category along side of Coldplay, Black Eyed Peas and Depeche Mode. An upcoming SXSW performance along with a ton of touring is setting things up for much deserved global recognition.
We had a chance to watch BEAST perform live and it was an incredible experience. Bonifassi’s vocals burn with intensity. Goncalves’ instrumentation and production reminds us of a mad genius. At the end of the performance our hearts were racing and our eyes were as wide as saucers. Tank and I exchanged glances that simply said, “was that for real?”
KC’s Personal Picks: “Devil”, “Mr. Hurricane”, “Satan” and “Out of Control”
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We recently featured Tyrone Wells and with his new EP, Metal & Wood, coming out March 2, 2010 we thought we should interview him. So we did. We recently caught up with Tyrone to chat about the idea behind his new EP as well as his entirely obsessive (in a good way) fan base.
In addition to an interview, we also had a opportunity to check out his live show. Not only is Tyrone an amazing singer-songwriter, he is also an incredibly funny story teller. Oh, did you know he can yodel? Well, he can and he did. Even his yodeling was out of this world. We had a chance to hear some of our favorite tracks from Remain and we got a taste of some of the new ones from Metal & Wood. The EP is a more stripped down acoustic sampling that truly highlights Tyrone’s rich voice and mastery of the guitar. “Running Around In My Dreams” is one of the many gems from this great little present from Tyrone Wells.
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Want another exclusive video interview? Of course you do! Check out what happened when we sat down to interview Findlay Brown.
Generally, we at Fresh Scouts like to push for artists and groups that haven’t hit the mainstream yet, or maybe haven’t hit a major label yet. In the case of Justin Caldwell, our most recent interview, he hasn’t even hit Wikipedia yet. We’re talking about an emerging talent coming right out the gates, here, and we think you’re going to love him.
Caldwell is a Nashville-based singer/songwriter who kind of breaks the mold of the genre by making things a little more jazzy and a little more Sting-y. We read one article that compared his musical style to something in between Jamie Cullum and The Police, and having seen him live we absolutely buy it. He’s a fantastic, energetic young man with music on the verge, and since our job is to give you all music that’s fresh, allow us to introduce Justin Caldwell.
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Considering that Sister Hazel is from Gainesville, Florida, it shouldn’t have come as too big a shock that they’d be singing the National Anthem in Chicago the night that former University of Florida studs Joakim Noah and Al Horford went up against each other at the United Center. Still, to be working that particular game and to hear that Sister Hazel—a long-time Fresh Scouts favorite—was in the house… Well, that was a very pleasant surprise.
It was a night in which the band was scheduled to the play the second show of a two-night December stand at House of Blues, but before they took off to get ready to rock, they were kind enough to sit down for a quick impromptu interview with FS.
It’s been well over a decade since “All For You” was a regular on Top 40 radio stations, but Sister Hazel has been a persistent mainstay on the touring circuit ever since. They put out their seventh album, “Release,” just this past August, and with over 700,000 followers on Twitter there’s no questioning their resonance and longevity over the years.
Only lead singer Ken Block and backup singer Drew Copeland were around when we did this interview, but they gave us a great representation of where the band’s at right now. Our job at FreshScouts is to introduce the world to new artists, and while Sister Hazel isn’t a new band by any means, they are somebody that today’s younger generation probably knows little about.
So, for our younger readers, allow us to introduce Sister Hazel. For those of you who already know and love these guys, enjoy catching up with one of the catchiest groups we’ve ever known.
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