I’ve found that it’s generally difficult for an artist at Music City Nights to set any specific mood, due to the fact that in each show several corners of the Nashville music scene are represented, but nonetheless, Charlotte Medley still appeared to be capable of it. There was something very soothing in her demeanor and music style, and if anything, this added to the abilities of her voice. I was paying more attention the different flavors Charlotte offered in her performance, and I noticed that she was able to completely change her style and really, the sound of her voice, so as to give each its own personal identity – she’s the type where a proper definition of her music remains elusive. She shone through “The Fall” (which is also the title of her CD), “Something Good”, “All This Time”, and “Hold On”, all the different styles poured elegantly alongside Charlotte’s honey-smooth energy.

Speaking of which, the next act to perform was country duet Wild Honey. You could say I was impressed, but I feel like it would unsatisfactorily understate the mark these two left managed to leave on me. You see, the special thing I noticed about the vocal chemistry of Wild Honey is that it provides equal parts Ruth and Victoria, the two combining to make one supercharged supervoice, a flawless harmony, to where you almost forget that you’re listening to two people at once. This talent was put to use through “This is What Love Looks Like”, “I’m Better For You”, “I Need You”, “Clear My Name”, and “Little Miss Housewife” – each consisting of strong lyrics that often deal with teetering on the edge of independence and co-dependency, drawing and holding your attention through clever, commanding melodies. In short, these girls should be a household name.

Megan Conner, joined by fellow songwriter Eric Halbig on acoustic guitar and back-up singer Lauren Roman, had what I would consider to be a tough act to follow, but she still managed to climb aboard and serve as a human fireworks show. Or maybe a personified popcorn popper. Translation: her stage energy was immaculate. She was natural, a little wild, she was fun - oh, and her music was pretty darn good, too. She said her voice was tired beforehand from singing “1800 times” for a music video, but I certainly didn’t notice any shortcomings as Megan brought us on a unique ride of treasures like “Thank God for Feelin’”, “No Road Map”, and as the closing song, a slightly provocative but absolutely hilarious tune called, “Little Redneck Riding Hood”.

Mystery redirected the acoustic pattern of the night by bringing in a taste of classic rock. I had heard Dee Miller, Mystery’s lead singer, as an acoustic act in the past, but it was definitely a treat to be able to absorb the advantages of the full Mystery experience – which consists of an array of apt musicians; Dee on vocals (of course), guitarist Tony Loreto (who made excellent use of his mighty solo power throughout Mystery’s set), bassist Kenny Hummer, and drummer Josh Steffen. Mystery showcased their ability to capture the classic rock style, all while having their own spin on things, via their performances of “Gone”, “My Heart”, “Numb the Pain, “Let You Go”, and “Heat”, which continues to welcomingly echo in my ears.

Hip Kitty served as the conclusion to “Chick Night”, and what a great way to go out! Picture the sort of traits that a band with the name “Hip Kitty” illustrates in your mind – you’d expect a certain sass and frisky quality, right? Raw stage energy? That genuine “rocker” style? Perfect. There was an atmosphere surrounding Hip Kitty that truly felt like a combined effort of all of the members, not just in the music, but in the personality of the band. Their performances of “Other Personality”, “Cry Myself to Sleep”, “Eazy Come, Eazy Go”, “Break Me”, “Stuck in a Rut”, “After Forever”, and “Alive” (which is getting radio play on 97.1 RQQ!) proved that not only were they able to pinpoint how to give a song life, that they can light a city with their energy, but also that the transcendent talent capacity of the four members can seamlessly convert new listeners to fans in the time it takes to form an opinion (I am living proof!). But what’s most interesting about Hip Kitty is that they haven’t just created music, they’ve managed to create a persona, and that, to me, is what makes a band great.

Hip Kitty will be sharing their special quality once again at Limelight (201 Woodland Street, Nashville), at the Bret Michaels After Show Party on July 8th, 8pm-2am (Bret will arrive at Limelight after the Poison concert at the Sommet Center), which is also hosted by Music City Nights LIVE! The MCNL flair will be alive and strong, as eight local bands will be pleasing the crowd with their varied sounds: Hip Kitty of course, Rick Seibold, Jamie Floyd, Nicole Witt, Sugar Lime Blue, Gold Rush, Mulch Brothers, and Tim LaRoche & Shed. There will also be a guest appearance by the all-lovable Rodeo from Rock of Love. These bands are some of the best of the many that have appeared on the Music City Nights stage, so you know it’s going to be a hot night. This is your invitation to join in on it: you pass this up, and you miss out big time. www.musiccitynights.com can provide you the info and ticket-buying options you need.

There was a distinct energy and fun factor to “Chick Night” that I haven’t noticed in other Music City Nights shows, further proving that this show is never the same thing twice. A grand thank you to these very skilled ladies for being a part of it, Limelight for housing it, and Rob and Crash for making sure the bands sounded their very best.

Links of Importance:
Music City Nights LIVE! Official Website
Music City Nights LIVE! Official Myspace
Charlotte Medley’s Myspace
Charlotte Medley’s Official Website
Wild Honey’s Myspace
Megan Conner’s Myspace
Mystery’s Myspace
Hip Kitty’s Myspace

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Dan Adams opened with a solo acoustic set, starting things off appropriately through a mighty delivery of his working class-oriented song, “I’ll Take My Time”. He followed through with “One Too Many Times”, “Leaving You for Me”, a notable cover of Robert Earl Keen’s “I’m Coming Home”, and his simultaneously amusing and somber single, “Drinkin’ Out Loud”. This amusing/somber flair was a common thread through Dan’s lyrics, which seemed to give his songs depth that extended past just the entertaining factor. Sure, he’s fun, his melodies are catchy, and he has the voice to back those words up, but at the same time his songs exude pure reality, which I can guarantee will leave a mark on even the most casual of listeners.

“I play folks songs.” That was how Adam Burrows introduced himself, this simplicity actually proving to be quite appropriate since his songs spoke for themselves in the purest form of the term. As the preceding act, Adam immediately struck me as a lyrical gem, but entirely in his own vein - I noticed that his songs are stories developed through a very specific aura that you can’t ignore, initiated by him and created within you. The words give you the visuals and details; his natural, mellow voice and finger-picked acoustic style helps draw the emotion. Some of the most notable bits he guided us through included “Had to Get Lost”, “Prison Break”, and “House That’s Not Right in the Head” – each song keeping the aforementioned allure, but also highlighted by a personal style.

Snow Black Sunday was up next with something completely on the other side of the genre world (of course!); in fact I would say this no matter who had preceded them, because their sound was sufficiently separated from most anything I’ve heard. I suppose it’s human nature to compare artists to other artists, but I honestly couldn’t think of one group that Snow Black Sunday resembled! They opened with a dreamy, “Say Hello”, along with “Mislead” and “Escape”, which lead singer Kristen introduced as being “…about a really, really, really bad break-up…it’s about me just wanting to get away from everything.” Snow Black Sunday, although a fairly new set-up, was natural, fresh, and managed to give me a bit of gooseflesh too.

John Kiger was back at Music City Nights for the third time, headlining this time with his full band (sans a bass player, but they still managed to sound fantastic). It’s always a refreshing feeling when you get that distinct hint that an artist puts all of their passion into the songs they create, and sound good doing it. Needless to say, I definitely interpreted these things from John Kiger in clear, capital letters. He kept his performance varied with a mixture of tempos and styles, such as “Oorah Up”, which delivered an intense and heartfelt tribute to the troops.

We got to cherish a greater portion of the Van Zant legend when Jimmie got on stage and pleasantly surprised us all by delivering what could be considered a full set. “We’re just wingin’ it tonight, okay?” he said, emphasizing how relaxed he felt, despite the fact that he had just flew into Nashville. His classic, gruff, southern rock musical personality shined through “100 Proof”, “Double Trouble”, “Reason”, and naturally, a spectacular cover of “Sweet Home Alabama” – which of course was especially appreciated from Jimmie’s mouth, considering it was made famous by his cousin’s band Lynyrd Skynyrd. And where would a southern rock star be without his fully charged band? Dave and Tim led the way to sweet guitar dreams, amplified with Sarge on Bass, Jeremy on drums, vibrant Zee and Lo Lo providing background vocals, and a special fiddle appearance by Gary Sommers. We wish this electric troupe the absolute best during their visit in Nashville!

On top of all these events, I also want to point out that week after week, Limelight’s “sound guys” – Rob and Crash – consistently provide pristine audio quality for the show. So thank you; you guys work hard and my ears are witnesses to this fact.

Let me sum up this review with something Mike, the MC, said during Tuesday night’s show:
“Come back and see us…or else.”

Check out more photos of Music City Nights at PLUGS

Links of Importance:
Music City Nights LIVE! Official Myspace
Dan Adam’s Myspace
Adam Burrow’s Myspace
Adam Burrow’s Official Website
Snow Black Sunday’s Myspace
John Kiger’s Myspace
Jimmie Van Zant’s Myspace
Jimmie Van Zant’s Official Website
Nikki Lee’s Myspace
Nikki Lee’s Official Website

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Chris Nathan, who had succeeded in striking me as outstanding a few days earlier, was kind enough to sit down and talk with us before going on stage as the first act (solo and acoustic, this time). While talking with us, he managed to hint just a little deeper at the hungry passion underneath his laid-back exterior, a passion I had already been able to interpret during his last performance, and was further emphasized during the following one. Stamping his foot like a champ and working his guitar to death (literally, but luckily one of the other acts lent him one for the remainder of his set), you got the feeling that Chris couldn’t have been more comfortable if the Limelight was his living room, but also couldn’t have tried harder if he was performing for a fully packed stadium. He gave the audience a sufficient sample of his album, Words (which is described on his Myspace as “good clean baby making music”) by playing his originals, “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing”, “Girl By the Window”, the lyrically genius “All Four Seasons in a Day” (which he introduced as “one of them ballads…a deep cut with salt on the wounds kind of song”), “I Got Your Back”, and “Bad Habits” (he informed the audience that the day he recorded this song for the album was on one very similar to this very night weather-wise, and so naturally, was recorded while he was in his underwear). He closed it out with “Words”, the single that is currently making its mark on radio stations all across the country.

Adam Fears and his overtly talented band followed. With their hilarious stage presence and audience interaction, and distinctly southern rock style, they made an immediate impact. In fact, they were so great that they knocked out the power on the whole block! Okay not really. In reality, a transformer blew, and dynamic though they were, it had nothing to do with Adam and his band. Nonetheless they were good sports about the situation, even to the point that when it first cut out, they continued to play so diligently for another minute or so that the audience was led to believe they were being treated with a drum solo. Unfortunately this was realized not to be the case, but once the lights got back on, they picked right up where they’d been cut off, in full form, as if nothing had happened at all. We learned quite a bit about Adam through his songs – such as the fact that he’s “The Last One Out” (“A true story, y’all”) comes from a “Long Line of Losers”, that the best advice you can get from him is “Don’t Touch My Women”, and that “The Road Goes on Forever” - at least, that’s what it felt like on stage, like Adam wasn’t just singing, he was talking to you through both original his songs and covers. Despite the whole transformer deal, Adam and his bandmates were natural, fun, and did a great job of getting the crowd going.

The next act, Gold Rush, donned in full black suits, served as heroes for all of us considering the generally sweaty condition of those in attendance. However, it didn’t ruin their ability to get a good part of the audience up and dancing. The entire group consisted of not only some of the friendliest people I’ve had the chance to meet in Nashville but also a lead singer (Stacey Cato) with the most animated knees I’ve ever seen (see them perform and you’ll know what I’m talking about). With tight vocals (single and harmonized), a heaven-sent guitarist (actually he was from London, but you get my point), and a thousand other good qualities, Gold Rush managed to entertain and entrance all throughout a set that went by a little too quickly for my taste. Some of the originals the group shared with us included “Good Gentle Woman”, “Wait”, and “Burnin’ It Down”, on top of covers that were so uniquely redone, I didn’t even recognize were covers until they got to the chorus – notably, Stealers Wheel’s “Stuck in the Middle With You” and Sugar Ray’s “Fly”. Maybe it was Stacey’s legs, maybe it was the groups distinct, classic style, maybe it was a combination of the both – but to be truthful, throughout Gold Rush’s set I couldn’t help but be reminded of those classic outlaw-turned-ultimate-legend artists you hear about on a regular basis, such as (dare I say it?), Elvis Presley.

Chain Reaction topped the night off, so inspiring that even one of the bartenders couldn’t hold back from dancing. On top of that, two of the audience members told Chain Reaction that if they kept playing music like that, they were going to end up making another baby. This time it seemed that the instrumental talent got to share a bigger piece of the spotlight, especially the guitar skills of Greg Vass, which were somewhat stifled due to technical difficulties the last time he was on stage. One audience member turned to me and said, “They’re putting on a concert,” which is actually a fairly accurate statement, considering not only the aesthetic value – we were honored with some pretty captivating light effects while they played – and also the effort put forth by this unique group. We heard the song for which they are named, “Chain Reaction”, which spotlighted the extreme musical talent of all band members – I can safely say that this performance in particular put me in awe! Even though it was late and had been a long night, Chain Reaction managed to put all remaining ounces of energy into the each song, even the very last one of the evening – “Line of Fire”, a personal favorite!

In all, it was a fantastic showcase, one worth telling about and the kind that I’d love to relive if given the option. Thank you for another awesome musical experience, Music City Nights.

Links of Importance:
Music City Nights LIVE! Official Myspace
Chris Nathan’s Myspace
Adam Fear’s Myspace
Adam Fear’s Official Website
Gold Rush’s Myspace
Chain Reaction’s Myspace

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Music City Nights LIVE! definitely provided something along these lines Tuesday night. There was some apparent force at work here - Music City Nights got it started, Limelight’s warm and comfortable venue housed it, and the performances that gave it life resembled something of an organized collision that, when put together, made their separate talents more intensely defined than initially suggested.

A lone Will Champlin opened the night armed with nothing more than a keyboard, but still managed to immediately demand the audience’s attention within seconds of his first performance – “Red Handed”, a song that, upon experiencing, no doubt creates a wave of questions along the lines of “Where has this song been all my life?” The mesmerized mood was maintained throughout the remainder of Will’s fresh and lyrically haunting (but catchy) set, which consisted of “Pocket Call”, “Time Bomb”, “Now That We’re Fallin’”, “Forget to Breathe”, and “Two Hearts at War”. That was it for Will, but at this point, it was reasonable to conclude that the night was going to provide all in attendance a healthy dose of multi-flavored talent.

Dee Miller, lead singer of the classic rock band Mystery, followed, also sans band but accompanied by John Swaggart, who went solo a couple of times during the set, and band mate Tony Loreto. Despite this new combination, the three managed to commence the Limelight’s roof blowing with “Tell Me Lies” and “Whiskey Song” – a fun, country-music anthem sort of song led by Swaggart. The trio cooled it down a bit with a slower, but equally capturing “I’m Sorry”, followed by “End Times”, with Swaggart on lead vocals again. They finished off with “Let You Go” – probably the best display of Dee’s voice of them all – and the sufficiently sexy “Heat”.

Tim LaRoche and his band SHED were up next. Before they even started playing, it was safe to assume that what Shed was to preparing to present was going to be completely different from the talents of the previous act – but what else do you expect from Music City Nights? They started off with “My Redneck of the Woods”, one of those country songs that you can’t help but enjoy even if you don’t care for country. After this, Tim took on the aura of a star via a two-fisted salute and loud holler of “THANK YOU NASHVILLE!” SHED continued to bob audience heads and stroke focused ears through “Raise a Little Hell to Heaven”, and then went into a totally opposite direction with “You Can Come Cryin’ to Me” – which not only showed SHED’s heart, but also showcased the vocal beauty of Johanna Jacobsen, Tim’s fellow singer in the band. As they once again skyrocketed to their toe-tapping style with “Country Lives Here”, a sort of tribute to the mystical force of Country and the summation of the set, you couldn’t help but feel like you had just taken a ride on a musical rollercoaster.

Any Journey fan would have been pleased with Chain Reaction’s (a Journey tribute band) performance. Lead singer Ryan Christopher lit up Limelight with his energy and powerful vocals, and the band as a whole sent chills up the audience’s collective spine with its mystically bonded chemistry. Cheers and applause were abundant during their performance of well-known Journey classics such as “Don’t Stop Believing”, “Faithfully”, “Separate Ways”, and “Wheel in the Sky”. The band was so natural that, by the end of their set, you had forgotten that they were even a tribute band. No doubt, the members of Journey and any of their loyal followers would have been blushing with pride.

If any in attendance felt they hadn’t received a satisfactory musical fix, headliner Chris Nathan and his band were ready to push them into euphoria. It’s difficult to explain the band’s style, considering they’re an unpredictable mixture of rock/pop/soul/everything, so I’m going to stick with saying that they covered every end of the style spectrum – only the spectrum was the size of the Empire State Building and the band managed to inflate it to combustion. Everything about the band fit - throughout, Chris was able to pull out a hard, gruff voice and a soft, relaxing one of equal passion and majesty, sometimes varying this intensely within the same breath. Each song had a unique identity. Top that with bass lines from above and powerful (but not overpowering) guitar and drum talent, distinctly amazing lyrics, and a stage presence strong enough to make a corpse pay attention, and you have a slight idea of what Chris Nathan presented. He opened with “Girl By the Window”, an excellent choice considering the downright brilliance of the song, followed by “Sunshine and Alcohol”, “I Wouldn’t Change a Thing”, and “Happy” – which is receiving radio play on hundreds of stations throughout the country.

“You guys need to swear really loud for this song”, Chris told the audience prior to whipping out a diabolical performance of his song “Bonnie and Clyde”. Although it was late, any swaying attention was definitely recaptured when the group – not failing to mix it up - presented a unique cover of “No Diggity” by Blackstreet. As a perfect cherry to this musical sundae, a last minute decision was made to bring “beat box master” James Platt from the audience to assist Chris in his final song, the unexpected collaboration proving not only as a perfect end to an amazing show, but as a winning point in diversity’s favor.

Overall, Music City Nights LIVE! provided an overwhelming injection of excitement into this writer’s musical vein. It was fresh, it was diverse, it was fun - it was just good, and, based on the cheers of my fellow listeners, I’m not the only one that feels that way.

If you missed the intense level of hot in Tuesday night’s show, don’t kick yourself too hard – on Friday, May 23rd, Music City Nights LIVE! is once again presenting Chain Reaction and Chris Nathan at Limelight, along with the equally potent Gold Rush and Adam Fears Band, starting at 7 pm. Bring your adrenaline, your applause, and a fresh pocket in your brain to place new memories – trust me, you’ll need all of it.

Limelight. Friday. 7 pm. Be there.

Links of Importance:
Music City Nights LIVE! Official Myspace
Will Champlin’s Myspace
Dee Miller/Mystery’s Myspace
Tim LaRoche’s Myspace
Chain Reaction’s Myspace
Chris Nathan’s Myspace

(c) Danielle Shaw

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Before the interview, I listened to all of Sara’s songs on her Myspace several times. As we got to know her throughout the night by means of her answers to our questions and casual conversation, I felt that she aligned perfectly with the character her music created in my mind. This was not only a relief to me, but it also made me realize what a special thing it is when an artist’s personality really shines through their music, rather than only offering somewhat catchy beats and lyrics the general public can relate to. When you feel like a little piece of the artist goes into a song, it attracts you. It’s an even better thing when they can do this on top of said catchy beats and good lyrics.

Although my experience was short and I can count the number of Sara’s songs I’ve heard on one hand, I feel like those small samplings represented all of those aforementioned things a person looks for in an artist. The fun, “I can’t help but dance a little to this!” style, the significant but simple lyrics, and the genuine Sara Nelms Personality stamp – it’s all there.

Sara originated in Brandon, Florida, where, she told us, “I started acting and singing the first opportunity I got.” Naturally, this included musical theatre, weddings, small events, parent’s work, show choirs, “Everything I could do to sing in public.” After high school, she went to Florida State and studied voice.

When Sara decided to move to Nashville, it surely involved a lot of faith and courage. She was only 22, fresh out of college, and didn’t know anyone at first. “My mom and I came up to visit one time, a month or so before I moved, but I hadn’t been here much,” Sara related. “I decided to move after college.” She knew Nashville was the place she had to be to fulfill her dreams for life. “Whatever you decide your career is going to be, [you choose it] because that’s who you are,” she told us, and I’m sure most would agree with this. Your career is a large manifestation of what your desires and interests are, and it’s hard to be happy when you are on a path you didn’t really want to be on in the first place.

Apparently a man her mom had met helped factor in this final decision to move. He was the same guy responsible for convincing her to stand on a table in a restaurant and start singing to the crowd - brave, right? It was a success, too, because another customer paid her 20 dollars to come sing at his table. Not only is it an interesting story, but you can tell this moment was a milestone to Sara – performing is something she’s used to, but times like this stir up an important and unmistakable confidence, hope, and desire in a young artist, which sustains them for a long time afterwards.

A lot of people come to Nashville to pursue their musical dreams. If you are one of these people, pay attention! Sara is a great role model as pertains to plugging yourself, especially for those that start with nothing but a voice and a dream. As stated, Sara knew no one when she first moved to Music City. So what’s the first thing you did when you got here?

“First I found a job because I needed money,” she told us. Okay, a very reasonable first step. What about the whole “pursuing your dream” part of it?

Sara knew in order to get anywhere, she’d have to talk to people. In a city where everyone knows someone, meeting new people can not only be a support system, but can lead to introductions to other people, who introduce you to other people, who get you just a little bit closer to where you want to be. That’s how Nashville works.

Sara figured this out quickly. She started with her roommate and their family, who helped her figure things out and meet people that were of great interest to Sara. She kicked off her career at full speed, all by just talking to people. The new friends seemed to have an incredible ability and desire to help from there. “Everybody in Music City is so helpful,” she told us. For Sara, this also applies to when they aren’t even trying to help: “I watch other people that I’m friends with who make steps towards their goal. I try to see what works and what doesn’t work from [their] experiences.” This is a prime example why surrounding yourself with other people who share your passion and constantly observing what’s going on around you is a good idea. “Trial and error is all you can really do.” Always better to learn from somebody else’s trials before you make the same mistake, right?

Sara has plenty of people to learn these lessons from, too – she’s worked with different artists, wrote songs with others, and made lots of new friends and connections. It’s an impressive record, really, considering the short amount of time she’s been here. As she put it: “I enjoy working with everybody!” Which is definitely a good quality to have in a town where mutual relationships seem to run rampant.

Once she had met enough people to feel comfortable with herself in Nashville, Sara began to work solo. “My plan now is to get a ‘talk’ going,” she shared. I bet you can guess what that means – yes, lots of “Plugging”. Sara has profiles on some sites that we had never even heard of – naturally, she has her wildly successful music Myspace, a DigitalRodeo.com account, she’s a member of our social network Plugs, and so forth. “I’ve also found a couple of musicians on Cragislist that were amazing, she told us. “One girl that turned out to be one of my best friends – I said I was looking for a fiddle player, I put up a link to Myspace from Craigslist and we met. We’ve [her and the musicians] just met at Starbucks though, because it’s too weird to just say ‘Hey yeah, come to my house’…no.”

Sara has an impressive record of played venues, such as 3rd and Lindsey, Toostie’s, On the Rocks, and loads more. How does she do it? Simple: “I email the potential venues,” she said, in which she links them to her Myspace,. “You can just email people and send them to your Myspace, and they can see everything. It’s like meeting them in person,” she says. It’s true if you think about it, too – they get to see your pictures, hear your music, and read your biography all in one place and on their own time clock. That’s why Plugging Yourself on the Internet is so successful and now, important.

She has some upcoming venues, as well. How do you prepare for a show?

“Besides rehearse?” she teased. “Well I think the outfit you choose has a lot to do with how confident you are.” We couldn’t help laughing a little at this response, but Sara had a good point: “I do, I love fashion! I think fashion and artistry have a lot to do with each other. If you feel good about what you’re wearing you’re going to feel more comfortable on stage.”

“It’s not my fault your grits are dry”, “Time’s standing still, right here in this moment/the way you’re looking at me, I can never forget”, “You may not be the man of someone else’s dreams/But you’re perfect for me” – these are just a few of the simple, fun, yet striking lyrics that Sara shares through her music. Naturally, we wanted to know what went behind these words.

“I never even thought I’d write until I moved here,” she informed us. It’s surprising, since most of her songs are written or at least co-written by her.

So how does that work, you have little experience writing but come up with really good stuff? What inspires you?

“Real life experiences influence me the most,” she shared. That’s understandable, not only is it easy to pull from real life stuff, but the listener will enjoy it. “Sometimes a friend says, ‘Guess what happened to me? You should write about it! I can step outside myself and write about other things, but it’s much more comfortable and honest to write about things I’ve experienced myself.’”

As pertains to her musical style, her wide range of influences, genre interests, and the experience of classical training help give her a unique sound. “I love crossroads. I have a lot of influence from a lot of different kinds of music, so I love that everything [the genres in music industry] is starting to mix,” she confirms. Nonetheless, her sound is still definitely country. Of all the genres she likes, why country?

Easy. “I love how positive country music is,” Sara told us. “I try to show in my own music that life is hard, and there’s lots of things you have to do but if you come out of it thinking positively, ‘How can I make this situation better?’ That’s what country music shows. Even if you’re dwelling on something like heartache or a job you hate, country music shows a positivity that a lot of other genres don’t.”

Fair enough. Sara has her sound, her connections, and her general path in mind – so what’s the next step for now? “I’m just writing some more stuff, regrouping a little bit, starting to book some more things,” she said.

Long-term goals? “I’ll be really happy when I quit my day job and can sustain life in music. That would be just amazing to me,” she said. “And I’d love to hear my song on the radio, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop pushing for the next level. I want to do it all really.”

What keeps pushing you forward like this?

With a smirk and a distinct twinkle in her eye, Sara thought for a second and then carefully replied with a heartfelt, dreamy tone: “Just the feeling you get when you’re entertaining people.”

Sara’s Myspace
Sara’s Plugs Page

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You might hear this line a lot, but in some artists there is a certain visible hunger to make music their life. It’s oxygen to them. Any casual observer can see that cutting these types of artists off from their dream simply cannot and will not happen if they have any say in it, and therefore, they will do everything - jump over every hurdle, overcome every fear, tap into every emotion – to make it work.

Rachel Farley is one of these artists. Oh, and she’s twelve years old.

If the fact that someone of such tender years is already aware of what they want to do with their life makes your jaw drop, then just listen to her voice and the words that comes with it for a few minutes - that mandible will be on the floor.

It’s safe to assume that Rachel routinely gets the skeptical eyebrow when people find out her age, but don’t be fooled - this is not your typical preteen. She told us that a lot of people upon meeting her will tell her to “go have a normal childhood” and put the singing aspirations to the side until she’s a little older. “[It’s] sort of a pain, but that’s alright,” she says about these pre-conceived notions. However, after talking to her for a few minutes, many of them end up changing their minds, realizing that her passion is 100% serious, genuine, and ready for lift-off, not created by familial influences of some sort, and telling her that she needs to pursue her music. She just has it, and these genuine qualities consistently show through her music.

Like many artists, the Atlanta, Georgia native traces back her singing beginnings to the second that she was able to open her mouth. In fact, the first time Rachel remembers being on stage was as young as 5, when she sang the National Anthem for over a thousand people – not a bad start, right?

As she grew up, the desire was fertilized when she started singing at church, at school, and when she found a means to express herself through theatre. These common, though extremely important, avenues used to embrace her talent can forever be credited as the underlying foundation for Rachel’s progressing art.

Perhaps the most significant event that initiated Rachel’s aforementioned musical hunger was when she went to a talent competition a couple of years ago and ended up placing as one of the Top 5 Vocalists. Since then, she’s been able to gain an impressive amount of stage experience performing her own music, thus setting off her budding career.

Her first actual gig for the sort of music she’s singing now was in July of last year, at The Singin’ Bean in Lawrenceville, Alabama. It was an important step, even though her memories of the event might not be extremely positive. “I had been playing guitar for less than a year. I feel bad for the people that had to sit there for that long, because I was boring,” she told us bluntly. But don’t worry, it wasn’t bad enough to hold her back. “[It was] kind of crazy, but since then I’ve been having a blast and I love it.” It’s apparent Rachel has been able to get comfortable with the guitar and the different songs she performs, meaning now she doesn’t allow for any “boring” performances. “It’s all coming together now,” she says.

Rachel lives in Georgia, but her heart is in Nashville. In fact, her biggest dream at this point is to be able to perform at the Grand Ole Opry. Why? As Rachel put it: “Just to be on that stage and everybody who’s anybody that has been a part of something that means anything…that would be great.” She was actually able to attend the Opry at the Ryman at one point, which she described as giving her “the creepy-crawlies.”

Though it was a place she had looked longingly at for a while, the first time Rachel actually came to Nashville was April of last year when her mom brought her for her birthday. “I fell in love with it,” she confessed. “I always look for an excuse to come back.”

On a later trip, Farley got to perform in Music City, at Tootsie’s. She had sent e-mails to the manager for a while, and he responded telling her to “Come in and get up.” So she showed up with her guitar and sat upstairs, until the guy that was on stage at the time let her play in his spot. Recently, she was able to perform at the Supercell of Giving Benefit for the recent tornado victims. If you look at her Myspace, you can she that she’s booked with performances in Nashville, and she doesn’t even live here! That means she’s getting her name out there, but it also means that her parents drive her back and forth from Atlanta to Nashville on a regular basis, despite rising gas prices.

How do they feel about all the work they have to put into helping you pursue your dream?

“My parents are awesome. They’re not stage parents at all, but they’re very supportive,” she told us proudly.

Though the gas prices definitely seem like a hassle, factors like this don’t get the Farley family down. As Rachel says, “We’re just having to work around them right now.” In fact, one of the times they came over here Rachel paid for the gas with her own money.

This dedicated action shouldn’t have surprised us considering the adult-in-a-child’s-body we were talking to…but it did. You saved up money and were able to keep it in your pocket and decided to use it…for this?!

To which she responded lightheartedly: “Nashville is definitely more important than a Polly Pocket or something!”

Any passing observer can see that Nashville means a lot to Rachel, and even if one is judging by booked venues alone, it’s apparent Music City is willing to welcome her with open arms when she’s able to move here for good.

Until then, there’s a lot more self-promotion to be done. All aspiring musicians know that plugging yourself online is becoming increasingly important, but it takes a special kind to do it right.

“I do a lot of Myspace,” Rachel informed us. And the results show - according to her Myspace, she has over 32,000 profile views, over 1800 friends, nearly 40,000 total plays (her most played is “Being Gone” with just over 20,000), and a fan Myspace created by a perfect stranger – and she’s only been on for less than a year.
What’s her secret for a successful Myspace page?

“I find friends who are off of other people’s friends list.” That not only means she tries to find new fans, but she finds people in the industry that can help her get her name out there. So do it often, do it carefully, and do it with a purpose – that’s all it takes!

“I think it’s [Myspace] a great tool,” she adds. Rachel also brought to our attention the example of Colbie Caillat, the artist responsible for the hit “Bubbly” – a song that, for some time, you could count on hearing on popular radio at least once every hour and is still playing in the regular rotation, spent its fair share of time in the Top 10 list, and is now placed as one of the Top 100 Hits for 2007 – got noticed because she had so many plays and views on Myspace.

Examples like this show people like Rachel, and other serious musicians, how important the internet is in kick-starting the steady flow of word of mouth exposure all artists hope to gain. The very fact that she knows that Myspace can get you noticed shows that Rachel has high aspirations and hopes as pertains to people hearing her tunes.

What are those tunes all about?

She reiterated to us several times that when she sings, she wants to sing from the heart, about real things that real people feel. She often gets help as pertains to writing her songs, but she’s no stranger to the process, and frankly, she doesn’t find it that difficult. “You just got to write about whatever you’re feeling and you’ve got a song,” she says. “Every song I have is based on real feelings and things that are just going on.” And aren’t those the best kinds of songs?

Proof of this is the story behind what she describes to be the listener favorite - “Tennessee”, which just happens to be the first song Rachel ever wrote by herself. It turns out that Rachel was trying to play with her brother but he was “being cranky” to her, as brothers do. “I was like, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, take me to Nashville,” she reminisces.

And that’s when it came to her to write a song about her – hopefully – future home. “Everyone I know loves that song, and they say it’s so dang catchy,” she says. And you know what? It only took her 10 or 15 minutes to write it down.

Although things are looking bright for her future as an artist, Rachel isn’t completely counting on it, and she doesn’t have the desire to neglect other important things either, such as education. This goes along with her pattern of thinking of things in a blissfully simple, but realistic, sort of way; she has a general plan in place for her future that is complete with different avenues to fall back on, but her goals are anything but complicated. She doesn’t try to make her music more than it is, either, and that shows. When you listen, you can’t help but nod your head and say, “Yep. I know exactly what you mean.” This is exactly the sort of thing she wants to translate to people through her songs; a sense of connection and understanding to their life, because she knows that, no matter your age, gender, position, or status, everyone goes through the same things in their day-to-day.
Is that line of thinking the perfect foundation for a star or what?

Rachel’s PLUGS Page
Rachel’s Myspace
Rachel’s Fan Site

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• los angeles fashion photographer: page 1, #5 & #6
• los angeles fashion photography: page 1, #2
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• fashion photographer los angeles: page 1, #1

It probably depends on which actual Google server you happen to hit (”fashion photography los angeles” in particular kept changing from page 1 #1 to page 1 #8, so we’re listing the conservative one), but this is indeed good news: Number one on Google! We couldn’t be happier for Jason. Of course, Google will eventually redo their algorithm, and we’ll have lots more work to do, but for now, Jason’s at the top of the world.

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Briana Lynn Hardyman is a self-proclaimed product of many different styles of music; hints of Bonnie Raitt style versatility can be easily picked out of her songs, due to Briana’s open mind as concerns music. Artists such as Bonnie Raitt and Emylou Harris (both major influences of Briana’s) have been so influential because they don’t pigeon-hole themselves – they’re always fresh and interesting, and as Briana says, they “have allowed themselves to be instruments of incredible music and because they did it so well, they’ve inspired music for generations to come.” Realizing this, Briana is working to become an “instrument of music” herself – she spends time everyday writing down words that may turn into a song, and when it does turn into a song she finds somewhere to let it out. Wait a minute! I’m making it sound easy, and of course it’s never easy - there’s always obstacles, steps, fears, and doubts that have to be accomplished and pushed to the side. So, allow me to clear this up for you.

If you listen to a couple of her songs, it’s hard to believe that Briana would be shy about her voice. Even so, she had to overcome the common obstacle of stage fright before she even decided that she wanted to make music her career. Briana loved singing from as early as she can remember, telling us that her earliest memories of music was her mom singing “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “Coat of Many Colors” when she was just a little girl. “I guess when I really started to sing was in church when I was about 17,” she says is one of the major points in the timeline leading to her becoming a professional singer. “I was terribly afraid of being in front of people though I wanted to perform very much. I just had to get past my own inhibitions and self doubt.” So, she took the path of acting onstage in various roles for years until she was comfortable with being in front of people and sharing something as personal to her as her voice, making her a unique stage-fright recovery case. So, at this point, she had the guts and she had the intentions…then what?

“After a brief period in New York when I was really forced to grow up and look at life and the world around me on a broader scale, music and live musical performance became something I not only loved and wanted to do, but needed to do.” Once she was sure that singing was what she wanted to do with her life, she ended up here.

“I don’t know that I had really thought out what I expected Nashville to be before I came here,” Briana Lynn Hardyman said. Yes, that’s right, like the majority of the town now, she’s not a Nashville native, but she’s learning the ropes quickly. She arrived a little over a year ago, with the hope of so many others: to fulfill her dreams of others being able to hear and love her music. Of course, there was a certain level of unfamiliarity around the place, but people with passion-induced stubbornness like Hardyman learn how to deal with that: she’s gotten over that beginner’s hump that burns down the dreams of many would-be singers.

“I guess it doesn’t seem as big as I once thought it was or as inaccessible now that I know people, places, and my way around,” she says, confirming that the city is now included within the radius of her comfort zone. “Nashville is a beautiful place full of life, lessons, hard knocks, and magical experiences.” Ain’t that the truth.

As is common knowledge, trying to find the right path in the music industry is never easy for anybody (unless you have a famous relative, maybe), and Briana is no exception. “I think that there are a lot of unfortunate things that occur when trying to make it in a tough career path that are really nobody’s fault, just a matter of people with different goals, ideas, or knowledge,” she says of the music industry. This can come in many forms, which includes scams, and people with the fervor like Briana’s are prime targets for such deceit. “I’ve paid a significant amount of money for false services, which once again is partially my own fault for not obtaining the knowledge necessary to make a better decision. And, probably the most common issue I’ve faced is being offered a great business venture when in fact the offer was based on me having personal involvement with the person offering.” But Briana’s persistence is like a housewife’s on Black Friday (only hopefully with less violence) – she has a general goal in mind, and she’s going to get what she wants no matter how many random obstacles she has to jump over. Most likely, every newly aspiring artist has run into some kind of trick, but it’s almost a right of passage and a proof of passion in the music industry - once you’ve fallen for something, you know how to avoid it next time. Briana knows that scams, schemes, and general foolishness comes with the territory now and is now a wiser, more wary artist. “I’ve come to realize and stand by the belief that nothing comes free and easy and that open, direct, and honest communication can prevent a lot of bad happenings.”

What have been the good parts so far? “The journey. The magical moments. The moments on stage when it’s so good and fun you can’t quit smiling. The moments with the guitar, pen, and paper when you finally say it right. The times when people are moved. The times when artists you respect and appreciate respect and appreciate you back,” Briana gushes. “All of those are the best.”

Comments like this are laced with traces of devotion-induced self-motivation, which is consistent with what Briana has accomplished in the short amount of time she’s been here. Looking at her Myspace page alone, not only does each of her solo songs have at least 2,300 plays, but she has a long list of upcoming gigs for her band “Good Souls” - pretty impressive for an unsigned artist who relies mostly on her own efforts to get her name out there! “There are countless stories of people making connections and getting recognized online,” she says of the internet music community. Because of this simple realization, most artists understand the importance of using the many available online outlets to Plug Yourself. Like many others, Briana uses Myspace, podcasts, sonicbids, email lists, and internet music communities to make connections. And since plugging music online is becoming ever popular, there’s always new ways to be heard or have a better chance of being heard; as Briana says, her online ways of plugging herself is “ever expanding”. Offline, she still uses the ol’ faithful of face-to-face social networking and live performances (her favorite venues so far are Past Perfect and The Commodore. She hasn’t backed herself into the “solo artist” category either – Briana enjoys making connections with artists that she admires and respects musically, letting them know that she’d like to work with them and taking the proper steps to make that happen, at least on a trial basis at first. Evidence of her open-mindedness to a group effort is shown through the fact she’s now a part of the group “Good Souls” with Dave Isaacs, who she calls “a brilliant artist, guitarist, writer, vocalist.”

Briana’s story so far is only a short beginning, and isn’t going to just stop there – it’s only been a year since she’s been in town, and so far the results have been exceptional, which just gives us hope that her career will continue in an uphill pattern. She has small term goals, such as certain venues she wants to play – like Norm’s River Road House and The Basement –, people she’d like to work with, and ears that she’d like to reach. And anyone that hears her belt it out can understand the general opinion that Briana Lynn Hardyman has the determination, the passion, and the high level of appreciation for what she’s accomplished to keep her going straight on ‘til morning.

Why not take a chance to behold? Check out Briana’s Myspace (or else).
Here’s the Good Souls Myspace as well.

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