Tag: "August Rising"

Last week The OurStage Panel premiered, featuring some of the most buzzed about artists on OurStage. While only one could be chosen by our panel of industry experts (congrats, Britni Elise!) The OurStage Panel is far from over. This week’s webisode puts the music of four new hopefuls to the test.

• Austin Renfroe: This Atlanta native brings both soulful song-crafting and the energy of a concert artist to the page and stage with pop songs reminiscent of Gavin Degraw.
• Sarah Cripps: The Canadian songstress has been playing since the age of nine, and has shared the stage with famous countrymen like The Barenaked Ladies, Johnny Reid, Doc Walker and Jason McCoy. Cripps delivers polished folk-county marked by steel guitar and the singer’s silken vocals.
• August Rising: A combination of Lifehouse, Goo Goo Dolls, and Maroon 5, the 4 piece band is consistent with their refreshing hooks and their music is honest and simple yet emotionally fed.
• Acalasia: This DIY rock band’s latest EP is an eclectic blend of sounds, ranging from guitar-driven rock to more traditional pop songs.

Watch webisode 2 now to see who the panelists crown worthy of moving on to The OurStage Panel finale, and be sure to follow @OurStagePanel on Twitter and weigh in on your favorite using the #ourstagepanel hashtag.

Find out how you can be included in the next group of artists considered for The OurStage Panel.

Last month OurStage launched one of its first premium channels in celebration of New Music Seminar heading to Los Angeles. The groundbreaking music industry seminar will be making its first west coast appearance after successful events in New York and Chicago on February 2nd. The NMS founders Tom Silverman, and renowned manager and touring expert, Dave Lory, wanted to make this edition of the seminar extra special by inviting pop, rock and urban artists to compete for several exposure opportunities with some of the industry’s most connected leaders. Eight artists were narrowed down from hundreds in New Music Seminar’s Artists on the Verge New Winter Artist Search to have an A&R package sent to top US labels. Of those eight, three were selected to be flown out to LA to attend New Music Seminar and compete for a career-making grand prize package worth over $25,000 in gear and consultation services from NMS partners.

Find out who the finalists and runners up are after the jump…

August Rising is one of the best rock bands on OurStage if their near constant status as chart toppers during much of 2009 is any indication.  The band has eight Top 10 finishes, including their song “And I Will” which won first place in March on the Indie Rock Channel.  But, considering 4 of their songs placed in December’s Top 10 on the Soft Rock, Premium “Artists on the Verge,” Modern Rock  and Acoustic Channels, the band can really fit in to just about any rock genre they choose.

Besides playing shows in their native California, the August Rising has been approached to open for some major established artists on upcoming tours.  The band has worked diligently to surround themselves with a great team of people working to make their success a reality. By utilizing social networking, the band has begun reaching out to over 30,000 fans across multiple platforms.

Jeff (vocals/guitar) had this advice to offer to other bands: “We’ve really learned over the past year how important the whole idea of ‘who you know’ in this industry really is. We don’t look at who we know as a substitute for hard work, but rather taking advantage of opportunities when they’re given.”

Take a listen to some of their songs below and keep an eye on this ever-evolving band!

Let’s back it up for a moment. Remember back in the late ‘80s and ‘90s when the music industry played the “singles” game? For all of you younger readers that’s when a label would release the artist’s single off their album along with two additional tracks, possibly a remix, acoustic or a rare song (depending on settlements). With iTunes taking over the digital age of music retail merchandising, it seems as though the singles game is slowly coming back into play. Since many users nowadays download full albums after previewing or purchasing a single on iTunes, many independent rock artists are beginning to “up-the-bar” of their writing. To stand out amongst the vast sea of artists flooding the Internet, young artists are working harder to write catchier, hit tunes to help them gain recognition and, of course, a nicer paycheck in the end. This week’s edition of “iRock” showcases OurStage rockers who wrote catchy songs that keep your foot tapping and hair standing on end.

Below you’ll find a playlist ranging from the Indie Rock and Soft Rock Channels that showcase catchy melodies, hooky lyrics, pounding guitar riffs, solid beats and driving bass lines.

The OurStage Marketplace connects artists looking for gigs with venues looking for new talent. With amazing opportunities both around the USA and the world, the OurStage Marketplace is the place to be for up-and-coming artists!

Back in May, SideCho Media opened an EPK dropbox in the OurStage Marketplace in hopes of finding new independent talent to work with. SideCho found what they were looking for in OurStage artists August Rising and Jason Heath & The Greedy Souls, signing both bands to digital distribution deals. In addition to making their records available worldwide at over 250 digital retailers and promoting their new releases, SideCho will be helping the bands out on the management side to make sure they make the most of this opportunity.

August Rising

This week, we have a Q&A with August Rising. Although they have only been together for two years, August Rising’s hook-laden rock has made a big impression on fans and industry professionals alike. In addition to earning an OurStage #1 Channel Prize in the March 2009 Indie Rock Channel and having 20,167 friends on Myspace, the band’s song “Lay Your Hands On Me” was declared “a hit” by DJ Valentine of Los Angeles’ STAR 98.7FM. Their album August Rising was released digitally on August 18^th by SideCho Media and is available for download on iTunes, eMusic, Amazon mp3, Rhapsody and many more digital retailers. OurStage was able to ask the band some questions about their album and musical influences.

OurStage: Tell us about your record.

August Rising: Well, its something we’ve been working on for two years and are really excited about what we’ve been able to accomplish. We’ve tried to write songs that grab the listener initially with a catchy hook or chorus, but also makes them want to press repeat because there’s something deeper as well. We’ve also tried to keep it uncluttered and simple in certain regards, so we’re able to play everything that’s recorded in a live setting. We also don’t want to hide a song behind layers of sound, because our favorite songs usually have the distinction of simplicity. Hopefully our listeners will feel we’ve accomplished that.

OS: What do you think are the benefits of digital distribution?

AR: We really don’t think bands who are starting out can be very successful without embracing digital networking in at least some fashion. Even the established bands utilize it to promote and sell a huge portion of their music. It is the quickest and easiest way to get heard and start building a fanbase. Before digital distribution existed, up-and-coming music artists would have go play everywhere to build a fanbase and do things like sell music from the trunk of their car. Now we can reach more people in less time by using a computer.

Continue reading ‘MARKETPLACE NEWS: SPOTLIGHT ON SIDECHO MEDIA AND AUGUST RISING’