Zemmy puts her own unique twist on the pop genre, writing songs filled with rich, instantly memorable melodies and smart lyrics. Influenced by artists such as Sade, Lauryn Hill, Sia, Dido and Imogen Heap, she creates intelligent pop songs which span across the wide spectrum of the genre.
Alexander Harmer is a multi-instrumentalist, musician, producer, engineer based in Christchurch NZ. Harmer has just finished his debut album; an album which is full of lush arrangements and concise catchy songs. Heavily influenced by the music of the Beatles, Queen, and the 70’s, Harmer’s music touches a wide variety of sounds. The new album “Eliptical” will be released in May 2013.
GABRIEL produces invigorating pop/rock and adventure party events. These events feature a zipline, fire pits for s'mores, a scavenger hunt with a grand prize of night vision goggles, and a massive rock concert featuring GABRIEL's custom stages and drum flipping platform! Gabriel Redding has opened for Boys Like Girls, Hinder, Lady Antebellum, Jason Aldean, Jason Mraz, Bo Bice, Joan Jett, Gin Blossoms, KC and the Sunshine Band, and has performed in the middle-east for the troops on a USO tour. He performs at colleges and military bases all over the US, coffee shops and movie theaters, and where ever else he finds to play. From June 29th to August 10th, 2009, GABRIEL bicycled across the continent, from Virginia Beach, Virginia to Seattle, Washington, totaling 43 days and 3204.3 miles to raise money and awareness for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. GABRIEL is also an official endorser of Earthworks High Definition Microphones.
Winners of the Prestigious Jack Daniel’s Award for the Best Rock Band in Pakistan 2010. In Jan. 2012 Awarded Gold for Best Rock Band, Umair Jaswal Best Rock Vocalist, Best Rock Song for Shehrezade in South Asia, also honored with Silver Award for their video Pukaar and voted by their peers as Best Act in all genres at IndieGo. April 2012 Awarded Best Global Rock Band and Rock Song and Bronze for Umair’s Vocals 50 Countries competed. May 2012 Qayaas premiered on the famous Coke Studio Pakistan Season 5 the video with Atif Aslam went viral with over 500,000 views in a week.
Qayaas is the first progressive alternative rock band from Pakistan, a country where traditionally music has been looked down upon rather than being celebrated as an art form. This gives our music a sense of rebellion and a rallying cry for pathos.
Qayaas literally translated as “deliberation” is not only the name of our band but the essence that encapsulates the entire philosophy behind our music. The idea or feeling taking birth in one band member’s mind is developed and brought to fruition by collective deliberation or Qayaas by the whole band. Five different people, their different moods, outlooks and music philosophies harmoniously blend to form compositions that reflect the true spirit and creative energy of our band; unadulterated in this wondrous journey by commercial concerns or other shortcuts.
Our music tends to explore emotions, specific moments, certain relationships and particular events which resonate powerfully as we try to understand ourselves and the world around us. We do not aim to have a large body of musical compositions but only put through quality pieces governed by unique ideas and techniques. Each melody is a different journey, starting with something personal and then refining it to create a certain mood. As a whole, Qayaas is an accumulation of musicians from quite diverse backgrounds. All members have been, and still are, part of various other projects that serve as a vent for musical expression.
Qayaas is the brainchild of lead guitar player and songwriter Khurram Waqar. It all started when he saw Umair jam with his previous band in his studio and invited him to work on material that he had written. What started out initially as an acoustic EP turned into a full blown album. When Fifu and Sherry who were already in a band ‘kNuMB’ with Khurram joined in, “Qayaas” was born. Sarmad Ghafoor who was an old friend of Fifu and Khurram joined in later when he was invited by them to come and listen to the album. He loved the material and became a part of Qayaas. Khurram and Sarmad then worked together to complete the audio production of the album which was released on April 16, 2011 in Pakistan in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Sialkot and Karachi. The album can also be bought online on CD Baby, iTunes, Amazon and Rhapsody.
The most important thing about the album is that it has been recorded and produced completely by the band. This is at par with any international recording with attention being paid to ever minute little detail. Every single song has been mixed and mastered as per the overall feel and vibe of the song.
We were a part of Coke Studio Season 5 where we collaborated with pop star Atif Aslam for a song "Cahrkha Nolakha". It is the biggest hit of the season so far with almost 1.5 million views.
We bagged the awards for the Best Rock Vocalist, Best Rock Song (Shehrezade), Best Rock Group, a silver award in the category of the Most Mind-blowing Music Video for Pukaar and were voted as the Best Freaking act in the Universe by our peers at the IndieGo awards held in Malaysia in Feb 2012. The awards aim to honour some of the best independent music and bands present in South Asia.
We have recently won the JD Award for the best rock band from Pakistan 2010. The awards were hosted by Jack Daniels and Rolling Stones Magazine, India. We performed in New Delhi at The Hard Rock Cafe on December 16, 2010 for the JD Rock Awards Tour in front of a packed 800 crowd.
We are the first band from Pakistan to be invited to come and perform at one of the biggest and most prestigious Music Festivals in USA called SXSW (South By Southwest) which takes place every year in Austin, Texas.
Our song “Inquilaab” recently made it to the Semi Finals of International Songwriting Competition (ISC) out of 15,000 entries from all over the globe.
We were the most played band with our song “Mera Wana“ on the METAL ASIA COMPILATION 2010 which included all Asian metal bands.
Our songs “Inquilaab” and “Pal” have been chosen as the soundtrack for an upcoming movie “Waar”. The movie is being produced my Mindworks Media.
Our song “Mera Wana” will be used in the soundtrack of another upcoming movie “Peochar” by Mindworks Media.
We have so far released 4 music videos “Tanha”, "Pukaar", "Umeed" and "Shehrezade" which are currently doing the rounds on the Pakistan music channels namely MTV, Aag, ARY Musik, Oxygene and Play TV. We are in the process of releasing more singles and videos.
Band Members:
Umair Jaswal: Lead Vocals. Khurram Waqar: Lead Guitars/Rhythm Guitars, Arrangement & Audio Production, Band Manager Sarmad Abdul Ghafoor: Guitars & Audio Production. Shaheryar Ghayas: Bass Guitar. Salman Rafique: Drums/Percussions
GARY WAS BORN INTO A MUSICAL FAMILY AND HAS GROWN FROM AN ASPIRING FUSION GUITAR PLAYER (COMBINING JEFF BECK, EDDY VAN HALEN AND ERIC CLAPTON) AND HAS EMERGED AS A GENUINE SINGER/SONGWRITER/GUITAR PLAYER. HIS SONGS ARE STORYTELLER REALISM WITH STRONG METAPHORS AND LUSH MELODIC HARMONIES AND HIS INCREDIBLE TECHNICAL ABILITIES ON THE GUITAR ARE CLEVERLY HIDDEN WITHIN THE SONGS WITH FEEL AND PASSION.
HE WAS AWARDED THE LENNY BREAU MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP TO MUSICIANS INSTITUTE IN L.A. TO ATTEND A FULL YEAR AT GIT. THE AWARD CAME FROM GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE AND MUSICIANS INSTITUTE AND WAS FULL TUITION TO STUDY WITH MANY GREATS IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
HE PLAYED ORIGINAL MUSIC IN TORONTO AFTER GRADUATING FROM G.I.T. AND MOVED BACK TO WINNIPEG TO FOCUS ON HIS SOLO CAREER AS A SINGER SONGWRITER / GUITAR PLAYER / PRODUCER.
HE RECORDED HIS 1ST SINGER SONGWRITER CD "ONLY IF YOU'RE LISTENING" AND RECEIVED AN HONORABLE MENTION IN THE BILLBOARD WORLD SONG CONTEST AND AN HONORABLE MENTION IN THE INTERNATIONAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION IN LONDON ENGLAND FOR HIS SONG "LIKE A STONE". HIS VOCAL ABILITIES AND POTENTIAL AS A SONGWRITER WON PRAISE FROM LOCAL PRODUCER CHRIS BURKE-GAFFNEY ( CBG ARTIST DEVELOPMENT) AND NASHVILLE SONG PLUGGER SHERRIL BLACKMAN.
21 DAYS KICKED OFF THE WRITING FOR HIS CURRENT 2012 RELEASE "IN THE TIME THAT MATTERS" AND WON RUNNER UP IN THE OPEN/AOG CATEGORY OF THE INTERNATIONAL ACOUSTIC MUSIC AWARDS AND APPEARS ON VOLUME 6 OF THEIR GLOBAL COMPILATION CD. HIS VOCALS HAVE MATURED WITH HEART FELT UNIQUENESS AND DEPTH WITHOUT THE AID OF AUTO TUNE AND THE SOUL OF HIS MUSIC IS DIVERSE. THE NEW SONGS ARE BEAUTIFULLY COMPLIMENTED BY HIS OUTSTANDING GUITAR ABILITIES.
THE NEW ALBUM OF 15 SONGS IS AN ACOUSTIC ADVENTURE IN STYLE DIVERSITY WITH GUEST ARTISTS ENRICHING THE SONGS WITH FURTHER DEPTH. GARY'S GROWTH AS A SINGER SONGWRITER / GUITAR PLAYER / PRODUCER AND ENGINEER CAUGHT THE ATTENTION ONCE AGAIN OF CHRIS BURKE-GAFFNEY . CHRIS AND ARUN CHATURVEDI MIXED THE RELEASE WHICH WAS A GREAT HONOR FOR GARY FURTHER STRENGTHENING HIS CAREER AS AN ARTIST.
GARY IS CURRENTLY SHOWCASING HIS MUSICAL TALENTS LIVE WHILE PURSUING CO-WRITING, PUBLISHING AND PLACEMENT IN FILM/TV.
I've been making music for many years now and, over these years, I've found my own style. I know I'll never sell millions - to be honest it's never been about that. I love what I do, it's my passion in life, and it keeps one relatively sane. Don't get me wrong, if I could make a living from it, I wouldn't say no. My big dream has always been to make one album like a "Dark side of the moon" and then disappear to a life of royalties and rumours.
Dan Grigor, a 12-string virtuoso, has been playing guitar for more than 45 years. This season of his life has brought a new twist to his music. Tapping out melodies on the fret board with the right hand while chording with the left is a popular electric guitar technique. When taken to the acoustic 12-string, it requires an additional level of skill and talent, but as the finger ballet unfolds, it brings about a delightfully visual listening experience.
Refreshingly smart poetry accompanies the music and touches places in our hearts, our minds and our middles. Known for his wordplay and lyrical vocabulary, Grigor creates songs that say with few words the things we all feel. Then there’s the voice, the full, rich D-below-middle-C, back-of-the-room voice of experience. A voice familiar with love and life as well as pain and loss, the poetry articulates the beating of our hearts.
If you get a chance to see a live show, do it. The funny and incredibly talented Grigor entertains us by being himself. You feel as if you’ve made a new friend, or found an old one.
A prolific singer/songwriter, Dan Grigor has recently teamed with talented percussionist Ric Tortorete and bassist Mike Mountain for a captivating blues fusion experience. They are comfortable playing acoustic to provide captivating "small stage" entertainment guaranteed to make a dining experience or reception a truly special occasion, or plugging in and cranking it up to get feet tapping. Call For Info keeps the guests smiling and the glasses clinking without clashing with the flow of the environment, whether casual and boisterous or sophisticated fine dining.
Grigor has played and recorded with rock stars and for films and documentaries. He appears on several CDs including his own "Floating," available on his website, www.dangrigor.com.
Dan prefers Larrivee guitars, John Pearse strings and is also sponsored by and endorses JHAudio, Mey Chair Systems, and G7th Capo Company.
Dan also serves as the Publisher, Senior Writer and Videographer for BareFootMusicNews.com and its sister publications
Ryan Goodlett’s musical roots are well established, having played bass for a number of rock and metal groups, sharing the stage with nationally known acts such as Saving Jane, Powerman 5000, Boba Flex, Deconstruct and Jimmie's Chicken Shack.
In addition to performing, Ryan’s musical sojourn has taken him to the realm of composing his own solo works. Having been completely self taught, He mixes his style of two-hand tapping, picking & finger style to create music for relaxation, meditation and healing. Ryan brings you into a state of introspection and happiness where you can contemplate true purpose and meaning. His first album ''Melody of the Rain'' was a collection of trance-like solo and duet compositions. His latest album ''Into the Wind'' was released November 2011.
“BBC 6Music’s Tom Robinson has described ‘G.I.R.L.F.R.I.E.N.D’ as “a masterclass” in how to tell[…] a story - straight and direct, person to person, heart to heart.” FolkCast describes her music as “summery, sweet-n-sour, soulful and full of sass!” Currently recording her second album, self-made woman and Oxford drop-out Heidi speaks three languages and plays several instruments. Her songs are ‘a string of pearls to the ears, nothing less!’ - Tom Robinson, 6Music
‘Based in Market Drayton, Heidi Emma Peach Brownehas been writing and gigging for ten years. Creativity and performance chops are like muscles – the more you use them, the stronger they get. People didn’t place this track in their favourite five because of its hifi production values or glossy arrangement; they loved it because the writing is sharp and direct and the vocal performance is absolutely f*cking immaculate. When most of us get up with a guitar to sing, we tend to concentrate on the playing and throw away the vocal into a nearby microphone almost as an afterthought. Whereas what the audience wants to hear is somebody telling them a story – straight and direct, person to person, heart to heart. Girlfriend is a masterclass in how to do just that – in a radiofriendly 2’39″ flat. Will we be including her on the BBC Introducing Mixtape next month? Damn straight.’ - Ruth Barnes, Amazing Radio
Mickey Carroll is a guitar player, singer and bandleader who is dedicated to giving back to the world through community activism and musical commentary.
Mickey's career started in 1956 playing clubs in Atlantic City and Philadelphia. In 1957 he and Bill Harner started the doo-wop musical duo "Billy and Mickey". Billy and Mickey was one of the first white acts to break the color barrier playing a string of black and white concerts in the 1950’s.
In the 1960's Mickey was managed by the original owner of Harlem's Cotton Club, Herman Stark and son Steve, performing in the upscale hotels of Miami Beach.
In 1974 Mickey was signed by Soul Train legend Don Cornelius and Dick Griffy to Solar Records. By 1975 Mickey was recording the first album recorded at sea. Don and Dick moved the famous Record Plant Studio in Sausalito, California aboard a 110 foot ship! Helmed by the legendary Bob Johnston (Bob Dylan, Elvis, Johnny Cash) the album was recorded with an all-star roster of musicians including hit songwriter Jimmy Webb, Leon Pendarvis - NBC's Saturday Night Live music director, Chuck Leavell of the Rolling Stones and Willie Hall of the Blues Brothers band.
In 1978, Mickey’s album "Love Life" was nominated for a Grammy award. Engineered by Grammy-winner Eric Schilling, "Love Life" still sounds fresh today and is currently released around the world by Vision Records and Banderia Music Company.
By 1980 Mickey had decided to take a new direction with his music. Partnering with Rod Glaubman (founder of PACE, the largest non-profit performing arts organization in America), Mickey and Rod created concert events for those with disabilities, veterans and senior citizens. In 1983 Mickey was featured on NBC’s Today Show (see link at left).
In 1984 Mickey was awarded a gold record for his song, "Love Is Where You Find It". It went to number one on Billboard's R&B chart, recorded by "The Whispers" on Solar Records.
From 2000 to 2010 Mickey ran Mother J Productions, a 501c non-profit he founded to fund arts education through concert performances and community events. Mother J contributed over $100,000 to arts education and world community disaster relief funds.
2011 finds Mickey still hard at work writing new songs, recording, and releasing socially conscious music. Produced by Howard Albert (Bee Gees, Eagles, Eric Clapton, Allman Brothers) and released around the world by Vision records (US and Europe) and Banderia music (Asia) Mickey has long relationships with the best musicians, producers and engineers in the business. Let Mickey put together a show for your next fundraiser, convention, or event.
After years of playing Beaches, BBQs and Bedrooms, the intimacy and honesty of those nights spent with friends is engrained in Tom's songwriting and performance, making rooms full of strangers feel instantly at home.
Tom Price-Stephens (TPS) is an acoustic singer-songwriter from South Wales, and has spent 2012 focusing on honing live performance before making his first record, TPS has played over 80 gigs so far this year and is still enjoying playing wherever people will listen.
"My name's Tom Price-Stephens. I write songs and I sing them. Sometimes I sing other peoples' songs. Whenever people listen it makes me smile."
Broken Anchor “creates music that blends 'indie cool' with huge epic choruses tasty lyrics and hooks for days”, according to Daily Unsigned.
Showcasing the melodic sounds of singer/songwriter Austin Hartley-Leonard, percussionist/drummer Mike Duffy and producer Brad Gordon, Broken Anchor’s three part EP series, Broken Anchor Vol. 1-3, debuted to outstanding reviews. UK’s Folk Radio raved “(Hartley-Leonard’s) vocals are a driving force throughout; they ooze charisma and tell a story of love and life”. The collection included hit tracks such as “Leave the Light On”, “Dear Diary”, “Never Leave Me Alone”, and the dark, yet dreamy remake of Harvey Danger’s “Flagpole Sitta”.
In anticipation of their as yet untitled debut LP, set to be released early summer, Broken Anchor will be holding a residency at LA’s Piano Bar every Thursday in January. Following will be a full tour of the Northeast, traveling from New York to Vermont to Philadelphia this February.
Johnny Duhan started his career as a fifteen year old front man with Granny’s Intentions, the most popular beat group in Ireland in the 60s. After rousing Dublin with their soul touch, they moved to London, were signed to the prestigious Deram label, enjoyed considerable success and disbanded before Johnny was twenty one. Johnny started writing folk songs, poetry and prose at this stage. In a career spanning 40 years, his greatest achievement is a quartet of epic albums - Just Another Town, To The Light, The Voyage and Flame - which correspond to the four chapters of his lyrical autobiography, TO THE LIGHT. Johnny’s songs are sung worldwide in a variety of languages, thanks to the focus put on them by Christy Moore, The Dubliners, Mary Black and hosts of other Irish and international singers. His song The Voyage has become a modern classic. Christy Moore has termed Johnny “One of our greatest songwriters.” And the late Ronnie Drew described him as “one of my favourite songwriters.” A new album, The Burning Word, has just been released.
Johnny’s journey is set out in a series of albums that portray his life - his Limerick boyhood in JUST ANOTHER TOWN; his tilt for fame and the girl in TO THE LIGHT; his reflections on family life in THE VOYAGE; and his spiritual quest in FLAME. Johnny lives in Barna, Galway.
