Simply Six: Chris Daniels

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

For me it was more about guitar first ... I was more like George Harrison -- guitar came first -- and the three players were Spider John Koerner, Dave VanRonk and James Taylor .... as far as singing ... that was probably Dylan ... now I know lots of folk think of Dylan as a bad singer - but go back and listen to his power and phrasing on 'Like A Rolling Stone' -- wow, it is straight punk phrasing -- the Clash learned their phrasing from him -- it's all right there -- the other is the greatest -- the reason we ALL sing the way we do, Louis Armstrong -- check out his phrasing on Dina -- he reduces the whole melody to one note and swings it like a mother - damn, that is the stuff. Last but not least on singing is Kris Kristofferson -- he is the most honest singer -- again not great tech singer -- but it is so damn honest -- like he's getting up from the street where he just got beat up and singing "that sucked but I'm getting up'...... wheee honest!

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

Well some of the old cats above but I'm thrilled with the new music that is coming up. I teach at the University of Colorado and I have had members from all these great new bands in my classes, folks from Air Dubia and John Common and all these great new bands. Right now I'm listening to a great young horn band called Bop Skizzim.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

I'm blessed, because there are so many. Getting to sing with Bonnie Raitt, getting to sing with Richie Furay, getting to do a banjo duet with Bela Fleck, getting to sit in with Little Feat, getting to tour with Sonny Landreth or Al Kooper or David Bromberg as their band ... those are all knock outs ... getting to tour the world....but one of my favorite nights was sitting in a little restaurant in Holland on our very first European tour and thinking to myself, man, this all happened because I fell in love with the sound of playing a guitar ... now there are 10 musicians, a record company president and our crew here, just cause I picked up a guitar ... wild, just totally wild. I didn't plan this at all, it wasn't my dream ... I just loved playing the guitar and look where the flip it took me...holly crap!

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

I wrote that in a song that turned into a video for VH-1 back in the 80s -- kind of funny and weirdly prophetic -- "Come Back To The Record Store" about people being changed by music -- and we need to get back to that -- but it does -- there is an amazing and true story about one of the Supreme Court Justices hearing Louis Armstrong in Texas when this guy was a kid in the 1920s, and having his mind blown ... here was a man he was being taught by his white friends ... was supposed to be inferior -- and what he heard was pure genius -- it changed his thinking completely -- and he went on to be one of the Justices that ruled on Brown Vs Board of Education that began the ending of segregation in schools -- so yeah, music can change the world.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Oh Jeez -- well I'll give you one fact, because this is what I teach: in 2000/2001 CD sales were around 14 billion dollars a year and one record sold 4 million copies in one week. This year the industry will sell less than half that number and digital sales (never mind all the stuff stolen) will account for more that 50% of all the revenue made from recording sales. So the tech changes are huge, from studios to Youtube to internet possibilities -- it has made entry into the market place much easier BUT it has made being noticed by the market place harder. This year only about 1,500 artists will sell 1,000 "units" or more -- out of 75,000 with records out that have bar codes ... it boggles the mind ... and the odds are better for a lottery win... yet with all that ... there is more music being USED than ever before on the internet, cable, you name it ... for me, I love technology. I teach an online class at CU Denver and it means I can use videos I make podcasts, live chats and all kinds of things that make my online class come ALIVE ! --- it's really fun stuff and you can even find some of those videos for my classes on Youtube!

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Oh, that is easy, I would be an old comfortable pair of high-top sneakers, Keds or Vans, kind of raged, but still solid... the kind of shoes that would make you WANT to put them on and head out the door for an adventure, just for the fun of taking them out for a walk-about ... shoes that have seen it all and still really hungary for more.

Simply Six: Davy Mooney

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

I wouldn’t say that there was a specific moment.  My two uncles played guitar and sang Beatles songs all the time, and my brother and I wanted to be like them.  I started playing guitar and singing when I was about 9 years old.  One eureka moment that I remember, however, occurred while I was watching the MTV show ‘Headbanger’s Ball’ one Saturday night when I was 11 (I watched the show every Saturday in those days, being an antisocial adolescent).  I was accustomed to the typical early 90s music: some thrash metal, some glam-ish metal, lots of hair; everything was fairly polished and slick sounding.  Then, out of nowhere I saw the video for ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’.  It freaked me out.  There was nothing like that on MTV at the time.  It was so raw, so real.  That really changed my life and shaped my music.  I know I don’t sound much like Nirvana, but the honesty of that music, and the raw quality of the singing; both were huge influences on my approach to my singer-songwriter material.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?

I go through phases with different artists.  I always enjoy Sting’s music, it’s consistently sophisticated, intelligent, and unpredictable.  I love everything he’s ever done except 2004’s ‘Sacred Love’.  I don’t know what happened with that one!

Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of Kate Bush and a lot of Liz Phair.  They’re quite different, but I love Liz Phair’s honest delivery and her lyrics, as well as Kate Bush’s vision and the demented quality of ‘The Dreaming’.  That record is a trip!  On the jazz side I can never get enough Kurt Rosenwinkel.  And I always love Chet Baker, Tony Bennett, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong.  Finally, there’s a lot of great music here in NYC that no one’s ever heard of.  Especially my peeps from Denton, TX: Snarky Puppy, Sarah Renfro, Alastair Ottesen, Mike Maher.  Lots of us down in the trenches up here.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

My greatest moment was, without a doubt, the concert I did on April 15^th, 2009 as a member of the Brian Blade Fellowship.  I remember seeing the band live (with Kurt Rosenwinkel on guitar) in New Orleans in November of 2004, and thinking to myself that if I ever got to play with the band I could die happy.  It took almost five years, but I made it! 

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?

Pop music is a great mobilizing force, it can help organize people into large groups that can then be affiliated with various causes, but the music itself…I can’t think of any song that changed the world.  Bob Marley, Fela Kuti, various others, they’ve used their celebrity and music to organize people, but the songs themselves didn’t effect change directly, although if the songs hadn’t been good people wouldn’t have listened and organized around them!  So music can help bring people together, and people can change the world, but the music itself does little to influence current events.  

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Ah, technology.  I have mixed feelings.  It’s nice to be able to make my own records for cheap, but I want people to hear them, and it’s still expensive to promote things, even with the internet.  If you know from the outset that the record isn’t going to sell, and you’re not going to get picked up by a record label, or if you do that there isn’t going to be any reimbursement for production costs or any advance….The decline of the record industry cannot be seen as a good thing for the professional musician.  Most of us are short on cash, we can’t afford the publicity costs to be successful.  I’m a little bit skeptical of the idea that you can just make a great record in your bedroom, put it up on the internet, and then wait for it to spread through word of mouth, leading to hordes of people showing up at your gigs, licensing opportunities, etc.  Selling a record costs money, selling a band costs money, selling anything costs money!  And most of us don’t have that kind of bread.  So on the plus side, yes you can do a cheap record and put it out easier these days, but it’s harder to sell it unless you’ve got a large bank balance.  There’s no record label that’s going to take a chance on you….

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?       

A worn out pair of running shoes.

Happy Birthday Louis Armstrong

Well, ok we missed it by a few days.  His birthday was August 4, but we still want to wish a Happy Birthday to Mr. Armstrong.

Simply Six: Jane Lui

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

I'd say it was my idol from Hong Kong - Anita Mui, watching her on TV. She was my everything. I learned vibrato from watching her and ways to sing in a low voice like hers. It's an amazing power that idols have on youth.

 

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?

currently playing: Blonde Redhead, & A Charlie Brown Christmas (my favorite album EVER)

- Bjork, Feist, Stevie Wonder, Michael jackson, Sting + Police, Richard Rogers & Oscar Hammerstein, Circus music (I don't know who wrote these), Cat Power, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans, Louis Armstrong, Billy Holiday, Debussy (choral stuff)

 

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

Live - Playing in front of a sold out theatre of 6600 people. Nothing great comes without some form of fear. it was super scary.
I felt like I had to be very responsible for those few minutes.

 

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?

I think it would be naive to think that music should influence current events and "bring people together", because politics is always more complicated than a three minute song that elongates a single feeling/moment. But I think it does change the world by providing an outlet. Some of the greatest songs come from a need to escape from war and depression. Music certainly doesn't have to beabout current events to be connective and life changing, but I do believe listeners have to have hunger, and openly feed their curiosity by learning sensibilities of others & cultures. 

 

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?

It has closed the gap between Artist & Audience. Given, artists have great capacity to make home recordings, bypassing the usual brokerage of studios & labels. It's also come to a point where audience can and expect more interaction with artists through tweets & Youtube videos. The Audience has a much more direct effect to the artist career and success. And in turn, the artist becomes more responsible for the community/empire that comes out of the active audience. It's pretty amazing - I have personally made friends with fans who are now leaders of my street tream, and a huge part of my marketing wall to bounce ideas off of. The hard part may lie in separating the need to feed public demand from doing music that's most authentic to me regardless of how I might change.

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

large indoor slipper shoes with big knit monkey faces on them.

Simply Six: In The Cinema

In The Cinema are from Minneapolis.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they
knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on
the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance
on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

Ryan:  When I was 16, my super cool hippie friend Rachel introduced me to Cat Stevens...I remember hearing "Father and Son" for the first time and was almost paralyzed...I still get goosebumps when I listen to him sing...I didn't start writing songs until years later, but this was definitely when I fell in love with the voice, and how powerful it can be.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some
of your favorites?

Ryan:  Otis Redding, Tracy Chapman, The The, Ray LaMontagne, Neil Finn, Glen Phillips, Morrissey...these are just a few of my favorites...Lately I've been listening to new albums from The Swell Season, Peter Wolf Crier (shout out to Mpls!), Cold War Kids...the Crowded House album "Time On Earth", I think I've listened to that every day for the past couple of weeks...maybe because it's been raining a lot lately in Minneapolis. 

Joe: STS9, Louis Armstrong, GLK, Genesis, Aphex Twin, RJD2 Prefuse 73, a lot of Minneapolis hip hop (Rhymesayers and such), classic rock (Boston, Kansas), Mayor Hawthorne’s “Green Eyed Love,” Kid Cudi’s Man On The Moon, MF Doom, Madlib, Nat King Cole, Flying Lotus, Patsy Cline, A Tribe Called Quest, Bobby Womack, etc.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on
record or live?

Ryan:  Joe and I finished our first album ("The Illness Project") in the Spring of 2007...I was absolutely desperate to get out of the studio and play music for as many people as possible, so we decided to just jump off a ledge and go for it...We subletted our apartments, booked 26 shows on our own, and put 7500 miles on the Oldsmobile on our first tour!  It was absolutely amazing, seeing a new city every day, playing to new people every night...It was incredible, and it really made me feel like a "real" musician...Nothing beats playing live.

Joe: I would say touring was most definitely the most fun and exciting experience also. As far as overall musical live greatest moment I would have to say our cd release for “The Illness Project” at The Bryant Lake Bowl here in Minneapolis. The whole night was on point with us as a band as well as the people that came to see us. One of my favorite venues.

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen
to?   How much can music influence current events?

Ryan:  I definitely think music has the ability to move people, and certainly can be used as a catalyst for change, especially on a personal level...As a songwriter, I do believe that connecting with a listener, and bringing some sense of understanding is huge...For me, it's an absolute necessity...not to cure or change anyone, but to connect and relate...If someone can hear me sing or be moved by something I've written, there's nothing more satisfying.

Joe: Music for me is more than something I just listen to to pass time. I know I listen to different types of music depending on how or what I’m feeling at that time…So, yes, to a certain extent  I think music does play a part in shaping the world and the future of our country.
As far as current events go, I’ve been to live shows in the past where the bands have a strong political agenda either in lyrics or in between songs and I think the fans do listen to what they say so it definitely is influential in that sense.

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology
affected your career as a musician?

Ryan:  For us as a band, technology has been awesome...We do a lot of looping, and incorporate some electro beats and samples in our live set, so being able to add those elements has been very fun...Also,  recording programs are so user-friendly, which is great for broke indie bands like us...We recorded most of our new album by ourselves, and you can get a great-sounding album, which was not a possibility when I started recording about 10 years ago...On the downside, technology can really snuff out your creative candle if you let it...About a year ago, I began tackling the online world, as far as promotion and marketing...just typing those words really creeps me out...It can be dangerous, the business side as an indie artist can really consume your time if you let it...But staying in touch with all of the new stuff going on is just something you have to do...However, if 90 percent of my time is spent doing non-creative business junk, then I get burned out very quickly, and don't feel like an artist...I have to remind myself to just pick up the guitar and sing just as much as I work on booking, promo, and online stuff...Continually creating is key.

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what
type of shoes would you be?

Ryan:  An old pair of brown patent leather thrift store oxfords...much like a 70s creepy insurance salesman would wear...I know, nothing but class.

Joe: A fresh pair of Nike’s. I suppose that’s the difference between me and Ryan…

SIMPLY SIX: Paul Kloschinsky

Paul Kloschinsky is a singer/songwriter from  Canada.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer.  For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later.  Is there such a defining moment for you?

Although I played in Rock bands when I was young, the defining moment for me would be in 1990 in Toronto when I checked out Bob Dylan and heard his song "Its Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)". It inspired me to be ambitious about my songwriting and to pursue a career as a singer songwriter. 

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to?  Who are some of your favorites?

    

     Bob Dylan, Robert Johnson, Led Zeppelin, U2, Howlin' Wolf, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Glenn Gould.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

    Winning the 2007 MusicAid Award for Best Canadian Songwriter. 

4.  Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to?   How much can music influence current events?

   

I think music, like the other arts, can be instrumental in raising awareness of social injustice, and can hopefully sometimes influence decision makers to make changes. 

5. How has technology affected the music industry?  How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Technology has revolutionized the production and selling of music. My career would not be possible without quality home studio equipment and world wide distribution on the internet. Independent artists now have many opportunities to promote their work online, that were non existent 10-15 years ago.

6.  Now for my Barbara Walters question:  If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I'd probably be a pair of cowboy boots. 

SIMPLY SIX: Nicholas Howard

Nicholas Howard is a singer/songwriter from New York.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

It was a moment about 5 years ago that I realized that I had to let this little voice out, that I had been pushing away, in trying to pursue other things. I took a step back and looked at the music I loved to be a part of and knew that I was the one that had to sing the words I was writing because it was my therapy, and because it was my therapy, it needed my own voice to make it feel right, to me. Also, at that point, there was a lot of crappy music coming out, and I think part of what drove me, was the need for the substance that we have been lacking. I'm trying to bring some of that substance to the table, and am thrilled that there is now, an emergence of the want for substance in other artists from the consumer market.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

Lately I've been listening to a lot of 70's funk and soul, because my production partner plays a lot of it, but I can listen to it all. I love all kinds of music. I listen to Dinah Washington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, Fela Kuti, Buena Vista Social Club, Metallica, System of a Down, Yo Yo Ma, Alice Smith, Janelle Monae, OutKast, Wu-Tang, Nas... I could go on, but I'll spare you.. :)

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

You mean, besides getting asked six questions by you? I think, one of the best times I had on record was singing with the choir on a song off my album called "Blood from a Stone" and singing and clapping and singing and clapping, inside the studio that Sly and the Family Stone recorded in, in LA.. That was pretty magical...

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

Music can most definitely change the world, and it saddens me that more artists don't stand behind causes in their music, or try to effect change with their words. We some times forget the power of our words and what they can mean to us AND other people. I think we could change our present set of circumstances if we just cared just a little bit more, and that is bigger than Music, yes, but Music is the key that unlocks all doors in this world. It's cliche to say, but it is truly a universal language, and if artists and musicians used their voices and instruments to move people socially, and not just on a dance floor, our world could be so much better.

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

Well, it's affected the record business in the obvious way but that was bound to happen, with all the bloated salaries and the overhead. Technology has been super impactful in my career as a musician, because truthfully, it's given an incredible avenue for musicians with small budgets to do some really great things, like talk to you! The downside is that there is a lot of stuff out there, for the good reviewers and critics like yourself to sift through to find the good stuff, if that's what we're calling my stuff today...

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

I'd be a sustainable pair of environmentally friendly sneakers that are totally grounded (no pun intended) and concerned with the well being and prosperity of the world and it's inhabitants, physically and otherwise.

SIMPLY SIX: Amber Rubarth

Amber is a singer from New York.

1. For many artists, they cite a defining moment for themselves when they knew they wanted to be a singer. For many it was the appearance of Elvis on the Ed Sullivan show, to another generation it was the Beatles’ appearance on Sullivan half a decade later. Is there such a defining moment for you?

My defining moment was in a wood sculpture studio in Nevada, where I had been an apprentice for 3 years, my mentor there told me the most important thing he ever learned was to follow your number one passion, that you will not be truly great, nor serve your purpose in the world, if you don't do that fully. I put down the chainsaw (yeah, it was chainsaw sculpture) and told him thank you, i quit... and was on my way to becoming a singer and songwriter. I feel lucky he gave me this advice and I've never regretted taking it.

2. When you’re not creating music what are you listening to? Who are some of your favorites?

Tom Waits. Josh Ritter. Bob Dylan. Louis Armstrong. Lots of indie music... a guy named Andi Almqvist from Sweden who is great, a girl in Vermont named Anais Mitchell, just got Jesse Dee's album "Bittersweet Batch" (he's from Boston) and it's rocking my world. Ezra Furman, Adam Levy, Paul Brill, Jay Nash. Randy Newman. WHOA. I just saw him last night at Carnegie Hall, his new album is my favorite of the year.

3. What would you say is your greatest moment so far as an artist, either on record or live?

Oy. I feel like my writing has been what I've focused on most lately... there are certain songs I'm very proud of like "Easy To Think" and "In the Creases" and "Washing Day" that I'm very proud of the songs and recordings. Live, the greatest moments are when I forget I'm performing and am able to just connect fully with the audience, where it feels like it's an equal give and take and everyone's on the same plane.

4. Do you believe music can change the world or is just something to listen to? How much can music influence current events?

Yes yes yes yes yes.... artists always lead the way to changes. A change is gonna come. Dylan protest songs. Artists speak for the current state of the world and can build huge momentum for change, on a global level or personal level (both equally important I think).

5. How has technology affected the music industry? How has technology affected your career as a musician?

I love it. All about it. I guess I got into music right as the whole digital age came to be, so I don't have much to compare it to, but I feel like it's made it so each person can customize what they want to listen to much more and that raises the quality overall of independent music, you have to create something great if you're going to stand out.

6. Now for my Barbara Walters question: If you were a pair of shoes what type of shoes would you be?

Green shoes that are too small to wear now but you keep them tucked away in your closet because the boy you liked a long time ago suggested you get a pair of green shoes (and you did).