Simply Six: The Icarus Account

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?

 When we were about 6 years old our parents took us to a concert. During one of the songs I remember getting goosebumps because of how much the song moved me emotionally. I remember saying to myself "One day I want to give people that same feeling through music that was just given to me" Since then we've stayed true to that through the years as we've performed written and released our music. 

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

When we listen to music we try to stay open to lots of different genres/artists to help us stay well-rounded and think outside the box. On a consistent basis we listen top 40 radio stations to see what is hot now in the mainstream. But we also enjoy listening to a lot of the lesser known indie acts out there. Some artists we are currently hooked on are ben rector, the fray, usher, the script, matt nathanson, the dangerous summer and many others. 

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

I'd say our favorite moment so far has probably been playing our first international show in Canada and having over a hundred of our fans that we didn't know at all sing back every word of our songs so loud that we couldn't even hear ourselves. It was definitely a pretty surreal moment. 

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

I'd say that we think it can change the world. I'm not sure how much it immediately affects current events, but I think it definitely can change the way a person thinks and feels about life and every movement starts with one person. Ultimately music can change the mindset of a whole bunch of people which is when you see cultural shifts. So in a more indirect way I think music does influence current events, and I also think that events affect music. I mean throughout all of history different time periods have given us different types of music and I think it all goes hand in hand. The music is changing the landscape of current and future events, while the events are also shaping and dictating the content and the feel of the music that is being written. 

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

I almost touched on that in the last question! Technology has had a huge impact on the music industry not only in the way that music is created with recording software and new instruments but also in the way that music is promoted, bought, shared, and discovered. When music downloading came out in the early 2000's and iTunes debuted it totally revolutionized the thinking of all artists and labels. There's a lot bigger focus now on singles as opposed to albums because tracks are typically bought one at a time. Now things are changing even more as subscription based streaming engines like spotify are becoming popular. As much as music is an art, the industry is a business so the way that money is made is always going to dictate the trends in the music industry. For us we have kind of just accepted the fact that people are going to download our music both legally and illegally and you really can't fight it. We have chosen to accept it and try to connect with fans regardless of if they are buying our music or not. We have found that often if we give music away for free, more people end up buying it and it gets spread around a lot more so we end up with bigger crowds at our shows which results in more merch sales. We also have to be adaptable as what worked last year isn't necessarily going to work this year. I mean just 2 or 3 years ago myspace was the way that we found every single one of our fans and almost all of our tours were booked through fans from myspace. Now, I don't even remember the last time we logged into our myspace account so we have had to quickly find other ways of promoting our music and connecting with fans. Anyways, I could go on a really long time about technology but bottom line is it is significantly changing the landscape of music, the creation of music and the industry as a whole and everyone involved is just along for the ride! 

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

Just a normal pair of black Chuck Taylor Converse. It's a shoe that never goes out of style and is cool among young kids, teenagers, college kids, and adults. Those shoes meet people where they are and fit right in. We hope that our music spans generations that way with our sound, style, and content And hopefully we can also do that as people. So I guess I'd say it's more of a goal than a fact, but we'd like to be a pair of Chuck Taylor's haha. 

Simply Six: Shannon Haley

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 think I had a series of moments like these that built on themselves. The first one I can remember is when I was very young, probably around five years old because it was right around the time my parents were getting divorced, I was in the car with my mom with the windows down and we were singing at the top of our lungs to James Taylor. I remember having a feeling that I couldn't verbalize at the time, but I knew I felt connected to something deeper, almost spiritual. I knew I wanted to be singing with James, but just not from the car. This feeling has stuck with me and it's probably the reason that it seems to be literally impossible for me to walk away from making music. The other moment that sticks out for me is the first time I wrote a song. I was in 3rd grade and I felt like the song hit me from out of nowhere. I just started singing lyrics. Writing songs is one of the biggest parts of why I want to sing, and it is my main fuel.

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

I still don't go for longer than a week without listening to James. Right now I'm listening to Mary Chapin Carpenter's new album. My favorite go-to artist who I will never stop loving is Sheryl Crow. I also love The Script, The Fray, and the occasional country song from the 90s. 

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

Right now I'm most excited about a song that I wrote for my duo project, "Haley & Michaels", with my friends Ryan Michaels and Tova Litvin. It was the first song that Ryan and I sat down to write together as a duo and I felt something really magical happen that day. I think one of the greatest moments for me as an artist was on stage at Hotel Cafe in Los Angeles when I finished  playing the song and realized that I had been completely gone, absolutely lost in it. It is so fun to get lost in a performance and that was a really special 4 minutes of my artist career. The song is called "The Price I Pay" and you can hear it at www.haleyandmichaels.com

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

I know that music can change the world in the sense that it can change people, or help people. I think that changing the world would certainly have to begin there. I know this because music has helped me during some very difficult times in my life. I think that music gives people a chance to go somewhere emotionally that they might not be able to go themselves. Possibly to a place that they need to go. I think that it can help people open their minds and think about things in a new way, if the lyric or melody can provoke it. Music is a way to get messages out to people, so with regards to current events, I think that if you have the power to say something you believe in, it's something to take seriously. You never know who you might reach...

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

In a certain way, technology has been incredible for me, as an independent artist. I can now make fans by putting songs up on the Internet, I can reach fans directly and communicate with them often, all over the world. So many doors have been opened because the internet has given us the reach. Even as a listener, I find new music I like all the time through music blogs or online stations. I like to say that in a certain way, the internet is turning the music industry into a democracy. It is giving people more of a chance to choose who they listen to, to a certain extent. It's hard not to be grateful. At the same time, music is so readily available that it's value has changed. A lot of people expect it to be free. The single song download is available so many people have stopped buying albums. As an artist trying to make a living, this can be a challenge. As a consumer, I guess it kind of depends what type of music lover you are. The good news is, it is still possible to buy albums, to pay for music, to respect it. 

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

Aha! This requires me to know the names of shoes! Hmm, I would be a gray or brown leather boot with a zipper and sturdy heel. :)

SIMPLY SIX: Phoebe Sharp

Phoebe Sharp is a singer/songwriter from Tennessee.

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?

To be honest, I can't remember there being a specific defining moment where I suddenly decided that I wanted to be a singer. I definitely don't have such epic memories as watching Elvis or the Beatles for the first time. Music was just part of who I was from birth. It just came naturally. Although none of my family is musical, I for some reason had this overwhelming desire to create music. From about 3 or 4 years old I started to create little songs, granted they were certainly not grammy winners! I always wanted to create music, however I think the moment that I realized that being an artist was not just a dream but a very real possibility was when I met the band Pairadeux from Denver, Colorado in 2006. They taught me a lot about songwriting and helped me to record some of my songs. They also introduced me to the Kaua'i Music Festival in Kaua'i, Hawaii where I made some fantastic industry contacts and got introduced to my producer in Nashville, Cliff Downs. Another little fun fact that has always stuck with me may sound crazy, but my Mom got talked into seeing a psychic by her friends when I was only a little baby and the psychic told her that I would travel the world because of music. Quite the freaky coincidence that I am actually pursuing music! :)

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

When I'm not creating music, I absolutely love to listen to the greats like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Eagles, and Michael Jackson. I also love some more current artists such as Ben's Brother, Sara Barielles, Coldplay, The Fray, Demi Lovato, and U2! I basically love any type of music so I listen to a lot bands, but it would take way too long to list them all!

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

I would say my greatest moment as an artist so far was not from performances, but actually happened just recently online. I have been getting a ton of support from fans on my myspace page and they have been sending out bulletins to their friends trying to spread the word. Just recently I discovered that two of my fans made videos telling people how much they loved my music and telling everyone to check it out! They are even making videos to my songs. I think that's the most rewarding moment as an artist to know that your music touches people and that they care about it so much that they are willing to do whatever they can to help you out and tell everyone about it!

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

I definitely believe with all my heart that music can change the world. Music is the universal language. It speaks to people in a way that words alone cannot. It reaches deep into the soul and can draw up overwhelming emotions in people. It can inspire them to do things that they never thought were possible. Music can be very powerful and if used in the right way, can help spread the word about making our world a better place.

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

Technology has definitely affected my career as a musician. It has allowed me not only to have the ability to record tracks in my own home, but has also allowed me to create instrumental tracks in the studio that I would normally not have had access to. It allows you to create an entire orchestra with only a midi hookup and a keyboard, although nothing can beat the real instruments of course. It also has allowed myself, and other artists around the world to create new unique, synthesized sounds and effects to fully convey their concept for the song. With the new technology, there are almost limitless possibilities to the sounds that can be created. But there is more than just recording technology that has forever changed the music industry. The internet has become a huge force recently, allowing artists like myself to promote, share, and sell their own music independently through sites such as myspace. It has allowed me to share my music with people from around the world who normally would not have been able to hear it! Technology is fabulous! However with it comes disadvantages such as illegal downloading of songs which is really affecting the music industry and artists! I tell everyone I can to please support their artists and purchase their songs :)

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

Wow, this is probably the toughest question yet! :) Hmm...I would have to say that I would be a flip flop. I absolutely love flip flops, especially because I am obsessed with Hawaii and that is definitely the official shoe over their (although they are called "slippers" there!). :) Flip flops can be fancy and cute but they can also be comfortable and easy going. I guess my personality is sort of like that :)