Tag: "OurStage Interviews"

Singer/Songwriter David Berkeley is no stranger to the music industry.  At the age of 4, Berkeley was singing door-to-door to his nanny’s Avon customers.  He has since gone from singing for cookies and applause from middle-aged women to self-releasing critically acclaimed albums to the masses.   With his recent Strange Light, Berkeley drew comparisons to legends such as Cat Stevens, Jackson Brown and James Taylor.  His upcoming release, Some Kind of Cure, is already being called the one that could give Berkeley “the big break.”  To fund this project, Berkeley is asking fans for donations and getting more than he expected—a testament to the emotional depths of his music.

Jay Sweet got the chance to catch up with Berkeley and talk about Some Kind of Cure, his fan’s generosity and the industry over the years.
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An experimental band with an even more experimental name, Xiu Xiu have been making waves since 2000.  The band, formed by singer/songwriter Jamie Stewart, records on a home computer using rotating members.  Stewart’s cousin, Caralee McElroy, joined the band in 2003 and was the only other permanent member until she left for a side project in 2009.  The group’s numerous successful collaborations with other artists has earned them the distinction as the go-to experimental indie icons.  Drawing from the likes of The Cure and Joy Division, the band sings of taboo experiences with gushy hooks and loud percussion.

Jay Sweet spoke with the band about their fresh ideas, frogs recordings and finding new music.

Continue reading ‘A Q&A With Xiu Xiu’

The combination of Jimmy Hendrix and a rebellious Kentucky kid, Matt Shultz of Cage the Elephant is no businessman.  Luckily, the one thing he does know is how to rock.  After dropping out of Bowling Green University, the only viable option for Shultz was to do what he does best — make music.  His band, Cage the Elephant, is the perfect blend of today’s alternative sounds (take the White Stripes, throw in a little Beck, add some Jet) and people are noticing.

After having their single, “Ain’t No Rest For The Wicked” the iTunes Free “Download of the Week” back in April 2009, Cage the Elephant has been placed in commercials, television shows and video games galore.  The quartet has also made a splash in the festival scene, getting signed at SXSW in 2007 and playing Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and more.  Named the must see act of Coachella 2009, Cage the Elephant has had a whirlwind 2 years and shows no sign of slowing down.

Jay Sweet caught up with Shultz to chat about the band’s progression, the business of music and lessons learned.

Continue reading ‘Q&A- Cage the Elephant’

The Submarines are widely recognizable for their jangling pop single,”You, Me, and the Bourgeoisie,” used in the recent iPhone 3G commercial. Others may know them as the artist-turned-producer and singer-songwriter from Boston who fell in love while working on an album, moved to California and started a band. The love story of Jack Dragonetti (a.k.a Jack Drag) and Blake Hazard (a.k.a. great grand daughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald) is really the bittersweet muse of The Submarines. The story goes that the couple broke up shortly after moving out West but Blake continued to record in Dragonetti’s home studio. The duo soon realized that the new songs that they were each writing were filled with sadness and longing for one another. They decided to rekindle their musical relationship which lead to The Submarines and eventually to marriage. Continue reading ‘Q To The A With The Submarines & Jay Sweet’