Isabelle Stillman, high achiever of many things

Isabelle Stillman, high achiever of many things

Welcome to episode #301 of dHarmic Evolution

Come with me as I visit Los Angeles with the wonderful artist, we have on the show today Isabelle Stillman! She is an overachiever and she is so many things – she’s an educator, a teacher, a singer-songwriter, a musician, and a full-time student too.

 

Also, listen to her latest album “Heartrender” which is a collection of songs that navigate changing worlds and the strength that comes from the search for yourself.

Isabelle Stillman’s Music 

Most of Isabelle’s songs are lyric-based. She doesn’t want to bury the lyrics with the production that they are making. Well, you can definitely hear that with her songs feature today on the show, “Damage Control”, “The Gun”, “Tragicomedy” and “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?”

Know more about these songs and the back story of them. This is a collection of her and someone else’s experiences that will definitely captivate you.

Isabelle on balancing her careers 

Isabelle Stillman is a high school English teacher, a singer-songwriter and currently taking up a Master’s in English and an MFA in Creative Writing in fiction.

She shares with us how complicated it is between her two careers. She also had a hard time preserving her creative side and needs to make sure she got to block off time to continue to be creative – to write, play, and practice. She’s planning of rethinking her schedule to balance things more.

More about Isabelle Stillman 

Isabelle updates things most frequently on Instagram and on her bio is a link where you can catch her on everything. All links to her social media pages are also listed below. 

Quotes

10:04

“…it’s definitely reinforcing for me how important a school community is to the health of a school and of its people.”

25:27

“…they think I’m always insisting that the person who held the gun is the person who has done damage, it’s an important lesson that I’ve learned, but one that we don’t always tell young women for sure.”

35:43

“I think when we are afraid of one thing, in that case, the virus, we become afraid of almost everything.”

53:17

“…that’s a lesson that I had to learn on my own, that not every interaction with love or intimacy is beautiful, and people hurt you.”

Timestamps

00:21   Shoutout to the listeners from India through Ghana

01:52   Introducing Isabel Stillman

04:41   Isabelle’s hometown and transitioning to L.A

06:45   Isabelle Stillman as a Teacher and what she thinks on Zoom classes

11:47   Listen to “Damage Control” by Isabelle Stillman

15:41   Is her stripped-down music done purposely or created during the record?

19:25   The story behind the song “Damage Control”

21:09   Listen to “The Gun” by Isabelle Stillman

24:33   A backstory on her song “The Gun”

25:45   How does Isabelle balance her two careers?

29:36   How does Isabelle manage her schedule as a teacher, full-time student, and musician?

35:08   What is “Tragicomedy” about?

36:33   Listen to “Tragicomedy” by Isabelle Stillman

39:11   A little discussion on her song Tragicomedy

42:56   What formed Isabelle as far as being an artist?

45:56   Isabelle Stillman’s music influences

48:32   Listen to “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?” by Isabelle Stillman

52:32   Isabelle tells the story of “Why Didn’t You Tell Me?”

55:45   Best place to connect with Isabelle Stillman

56:25   Isabelle’s parting words and best wishes for the listeners

58:57   Listen to “Connected” by James Kevin O’Connor

Spotify Playlist

Check out the Spotify playlist “Rising dHarmic Stars”

Featuring artists who have been on the shows in the past!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4loDaYF0OuWRjZeMXvEjK4

Special links and Mentions

Mel Brooks

The Three Stooges

Taylor Swift

Joni Mitchell

Sara Evans

Martina McBride

Trisha Yearwood

The Chicks

Connect with Isabelle Stillman 

Website:          isabellestillman.com

Facebook:       @isabellestillmanmusic

Instagram:       @isabellestillmanmusic

YouTube:        Isabelle Stillman Music

Spotify:            Isabelle Stillman

Susan Hickman, Singer-songwriter you will have her songs on “Rewind”

Susan Hickman, Singer-songwriter you will have her songs on “Rewind”

Welcome to episode #300 of dHarmic Evolution

Its Christmas and greetings of Merry Christmas to everyone!  

Today, its a pleasure to have one of the most hardworking talented young ladies. She is a great songwriter and has an incredible voice, she was also a CMA winner a couple of years back! She’s done it all and continues to have an unbelievable work ethic and motivation to keep creating, performing, and playing. A female country singer-songwriter, Susan Hickman all the way from Houston, Texas!  

Susan has a tremendous desire, determination, talent, and work ethic all combined. She’s been just playing forever to the point where she really did some physical damage to herself from overdoing it on stage. Well get to know the story behind this as she shared it with us today.
Get to know about Susan, her music, her sound, and her influences – and of course, we get to listen to her great songs!
Susan Hickman as a singer-songwriter
Susan loved music ever since she was a kid. She knew she was meant to do this. She started writing songs at the age of 5 or 6 years old as an entertainer to her younger sister. She grew up with parents who loved music as well. She shared with us the kind of music she listened to and what inspired her to craft her sound.
She does songwriting sessions and she loves to co-write! She even did a mentoring program with a lot of young singer-songwriters. Her talent and passion are really overflowing. Well get to listen to her great skills through the songs we have featured today and the back story of how it came to life.
More about Susan Hickman
Visit susanhickman.com, all her social media sites and periodically she sends an email list of her tour dates! All the links for her social media are also listed below. Check them out! 
 Also, take a look at her latest music video release Rewind.
Quotes: 
34:52 
So, whenever I decided to do music as a career. I felt like, I don’t want to be pigeonholed. I just want to have my own sound and if I have influences from something soulful or something more rocking or something that’s even a little Poppy, that’s okay.
44:02 
But sometimes just little things here and there. It makes such a huge difference. And that’s why I just love co-writing because sometimes you just need to get out of your own way and get out of your own headspace.
45:36: 
And as far back as I can remember, music was such a huge deal for me. I mean, I just thought I was always meant to do that.
55:58 
I wish I just had a rewind button to where I could rewind and figure out how I can reformat my day, more efficiently.
Timestamps
02:10 Introducing Susan Hickman 
06:30 Listen to Moth to a flame” by Susan Hickman 
10:55 Susan shares the recording process and the people he worked with her track Moth to a flame 
16:13 Susan tells the story of the surgery she went through 
22:04 Listen to Hesitation” by Susan Hickman 
26:02 A little background on her song Hesitation 
30:05 Susans affiliation to Nashville 
33:51 The kind of music Susan does 
36:43 Listen to Save Me” by Susan Hickman 
40:54 The story behind Save me 
44:15 When did Susan recognize her ability with songwriting? 
45:52 Susans influences to craft her sound 
50:12 Listen to Rewind” by Susan Hickman 
53:32A little back story on Rewind 
1:00:30 Best place to connect with Susan 
1:01:20 Last words of wisdom and wishes to the audience 
1:02:38 Listen to Connected” by James Kevin OConnor
Spotify Playlist
Click the link below and check out the Spotify playlist Rising dHarmic Stars”  
Featuring amazing and talented artists who have been a guest on this show! 
Special links and Mentions 
Connect with Susan Hickman
Snapchat:SusanHickman1 

The Eclectic World Of Oliver Sean

Introduction

dHarmic Evolution had a chat with the great Oliver Sean recently. Even though most of you probably already know him, here’s a little introduction. Oliver became an MTV Europe music awards nominee, a VH1 top 10 artist, and the inspiration of many hundreds and thousands of music artists worldwide. 

This extraordinary singer/songwriter spent his peak years in the UK, Dubai, and Goa. He’s been incorporating all the different cultures in his music ever since. His exposure to fame and a successful career started in his teens. So, his press clippings have more than several hundred snippets, features, and reviews in broadcast mediums and prints worldwide. And, as of now, his film score is fantastic! In this interview, we will talk to Sean about his early years in the musical industry, his mother’s support, team, film score, and the rise of his successful music career. This conversation is going to be fun, so grab your popcorn and hop on!

Family Background & Traveling

When asked about what he would call his home, Oliver Sean said he was Portuguese by birth. He told James that even though he was born Portuguese, he spent most of his years in Goa and Dubai because his mother traveled a lot. “I was in a boarding school for several years while my mother worked. She was a single mom…” Oliver told O’Connor. The artist claims he owes his career and success to his hard-working mother, who did the best she could for her son. “I am what I am because of her – a world artist.”

Music & Cultural Influences 

Being in India, Oliver Sean says he took inspiration from the different classical instruments, like the tabla. However, he said he primarily loved rock music. “I was not into metal, but 80s and 90s rock I was into…” Despite this particular biased liking for rock music, Sean says that he also wanted to incorporate the different cultures around him and create music with these traditional instruments and sounds.

His first single on the radio that also got him nominated for best International Album of the Year was “I like it”. The song is very much of an acoustic rock genre, but there’s a charming, attractive piece in the middle of the song that incorporates the tabla instrument. Even though the eastern instrument has nothing to do with the song’s overall sound and music, Oliver Sean managed to make it rock and roll and incorporate it into the song beautifully. And this example is just one of many where he used the cultures around him as inspiration while creating his signature music pieces.

The Beginning Of A Career

“It started in Goa,” says the talented singer/songwriter. Oliver Sean says that he grew up in Goa and was particularly popular in the local newspaper thanks to the cover band work that he’d been doing there. He said that he had quite a community of friends and fans. However, his career really started off in London, where Oliver got his first break. The artist planned to go on a tour, so he packed his bags, got on the plane, picked up his guitar, and went to London. 

There, he started doing little gigs like performing in local clubs. The endearing artist claims that he started writing to these places about his music. As they liked his work and personality, they invited him over to perform for an audience. Soon after, he was performing at these places on invitations, and it wasn’t long before Sky TV invited Sean over. So, when Oliver Sean was 19 years old, he made an appearance on TV, where he performed his original songs.

 From there, he made an impact on the audience and the music industry and started living his dream! Soon after, MTV came across Oliver’s work and liked it! They showcased artists on their platform and Oliver Sean was featured on MTV. Oliver tells dHarmic Evolution that he was studying for an MBA during this time, and he always had a very marketing-oriented mindset. So, even when he was a musician, he brought his business and marketing skills to fair use and figured out ways to advertise his skills. In fact, Oliver Sean was one of the only music artists in the region struggling to make a name independently. Today, he’s working with filmmakers, creating visual and audio content, and doing so much more.

Who Inspires Oliver Sean?

Growing up, Oliver Sean says he massively gravitated towards the famous artists of his time like Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart. He said that these artists were his idols and he thought their songs resonated well with his own voice. He also said that during his time in the cover band, he found the time to explore his skills and find his real musical talent. Sean also added that he has never tried to copy anyone while creating music or singing a song. However, he admits that while learning how to play the guitar, he copied other guitar players like many other artists. But he never tried to copy another artist while writing music or creating it. “It just came out, whatever I was doing. Obviously, the influences were there subconsciously..” says Oliver Sean, the eclectic artist.

Self-Production And Management

Oliver Sean says he has always been self-produced. “The last say is always mine,” says the singer/songwriter in his interview. He confessed that even though he is more of a dictator in the studio, he is very open-minded. His music engineers are of great help, and he always takes suggestions and advice from them. “Engineers do so much for you that you don’t realize,” he said as he appreciated his team, “They’re kind of like co-producer in a way.”

Oliver Sean also revealed that his mother has always been a co-producer for him as well. He said that even though he has many talented people on the team, he still goes to his mother for the final opinion. He also revealed that his mother had always managed all of his musical endeavors during his teenage years. Sean’s mother has a lot of experience in this domain, and Sean was her only gig for many years. As his record handle grew, she used her professional business skills to help many other artists as well. 

Music In The Age Of Social Media

Lucky for his young fan following, Oliver Sean is an active social media user. In his interview, he told James that he particularly loves Facebook and can’t “get away from it.” He also added that he’s aware that the younger generation is more fond of Instagram. “Now I’ve gotten more into Instagram, but you have to have a strong Facebook, it’s kind of like email, you can’t not have an account,” says the socially active artist. Sean admits that he’s been more active on Instagram now, and he’s getting a massive response from his fans and following. However, he said that a musician couldn’t choose one and leave the other. 

Even though it’s hard and takes a lot of time, Oliver Sean says you need to push through and be active on social media platforms. “Do the Facebook, do the Instagram, do the Twitter, do the YouTube, do the SoundCloud, and now, more than anything, do the Spotify”. As an independent musician, Oliver Sean tells dHarmic Evolution that he believes social media can help you power your music career. “Recently, Woke Up And Kissed You did so well on Spotify. It was iTunes number 1 in Turkey.

For an independent artist, that’s amazing”. We agree with Oliver Sean when he says that you can do so much independently, even without a record company. He confessed that social media is an excellent way of approaching and giving back to your fans and then getting a response from them. They promote you, download your songs, and support you so much that you are hitting the charts in no time.

Wrapping Up

Our interview with Oliver Sean was insightful.  Oliver very rightfully says, if there’s one thing that every professional should hear, it’s that you have to be very serious about your profession. “If you keep it as a hobby, people will treat it as a hobby”. Jumping on to opportunities and taking advantage of them soon makes an artist professionally vigilant. As a result, they’re more active and climb the success ladder sooner than others. Another important lesson to take from Sean is always to be unique and original. While taking inspiration and being influenced is a good thing, downright copying someone’s content doesn’t help an artist grow.

 And even though Oliver started his career in music very early, he never let the teenage fame and success numb his professionalism and dedication. Today, he’s an active filmmaker, cinematographer, and producer for music videos. The fact that he’s been to so many places in the world like Dubai and London and originating from a rich Goa culture, his music is unique and culturally-inclusive. We hope you enjoyed this interview as much as we did. Give us your feedback and tell us who you’d like to see on the next episode of dHarmic Evolution podcast!

Oliver Sean reminded all of us at dHarmic Evolution of the importance of pursuing your dreams with professionalism and absolute seriousness. If you’re going to do something, make sure you give it your all. The right fans and support will follow of its own accord as long as you do the work. For more inspiring stories of musicians and artists, check out our podcast here.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Oliver Sean?

Oliver Sean is a singer-songwriter based in England. Born in Dubai, Sean has spent quite a lot of his time living and traveling abroad in places in the U.K and Dubai. His music is inspired by the different cultures of the places he’s been to. Oliver Sean’s global music style has become a trademark over the years and is instantly recognizable. 

2. What kind of music does Oliver Sean create?

Oliver Sean’s music is quite unique in the sense that it is inspired by different cultures. Although his music features American acoustic rock and contemporary influences, his style overall is very global. His music features a hint of different genres including, but not limited to, Rock, Alternative rock, Acoustic music, Americana, Blues rock, Skiffle, Worldbeat and Folk. 

3. Where to listen to Oliver Sean’s music?

Oliver Sean’s music can be found on YouTube, SoundCloud and Spotify. You can also connect with the artist on his Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages. Also, check out news for upcoming shows and new releases on his official website

4. Where to listen to a podcast with Oliver Sean?

You can listen to our entire conversation with Oliver Sean on the dHarmic Evolution Podcast. Be sure to let us know what you think of it. We love hearing from you. 

Check Out New Music At The dHarmic Evolution Rising Stars Spotify Playlist

dHarmic Evolution have curated a Spotify Playlist for your listening pleasure. Included in this playlist are select Indie artists from the dHarmic Evolution Podcast where the future Indie Stars of Tomorrow appear today! Check it out here.

Genevieve Vitanzo: Music, Nature, and Wildlife Conservation

Introduction

Genevieve Vitanzo is a vagabond. She’s been in the woods, away from all the crowd and the noise. She knows the art of taking nature in and learning from it. Hearing her stories about South Africa is an experience in itself, they sound nothing less than something out of an enchanting fairytale. 

Apart from being an adventurous spirit, she’s a fantastic music artist as well. Now that she’s back in the US, she’s using her music talent and her stellar voice to hit the stages again! Every song hits you better than the last one, and her skills never cease to amaze. 

In today’s episode of the dHarmic Evolution podcast, we chat with this talented singer/songwriter. We’ll indulge in her South African experiences, her love for the wildlife, and how that contributes to her musical personality. With her incredible soundtracks, she’s making an audience everywhere she goes. Let’s find out who Genevieve Vitanzo really is!

Going To South Africa

Genevieve Vitanzo tells dHarmic Evolution that she decided to go to South Africa to take a break from music. Since she was burnt out but had a very side-passion for wildlife, she decided to take some time off and travel. “I studied a little bit of it in college, but it was more of just a passion, and I loved it, and I’ve always been a writer as well as a photographer…”. 

Genevieve’s roommate lived in South Africa, and eight years ago, she decided to take a short vacation somewhere sweet and low-key. Little did she know that this fun trip was going to turn her into a vagabond. After reaching South Africa, Genevieve Vitanzo worked for a township outside of Cape town for two weeks, working with a women’s group, doing wildlife species monitoring, and having fun with this new experience. 

During this time, she helped track critically endangered species through the GPS trackers on the animals. She was primarily working with cheetahs and wild dogs, making sure they were okay. “I fell in love with it, I absolutely fell in love with it,” says Genevieve Vitanzo. Soon after, she talked to the authorities about starting a university program. The program idea was to bring students as an exchange program to study abroad. These would include zoology and ecology students who could have a program that they could enter directly and start working. She said that she mostly wanted to make this happen because this particular volunteer program was very heavily scientifically oriented. It would have taken a lot of benefit from dedicated people who are already studying these subjects.

Meeting Someone Special

While in South Africa, Genevieve Vitanzo says she also met a South African guy. He inspired her to take the plunge. She came back to the US and packed her things. Two months later, she found herself in the bush doing the priority species monitoring. Soon after, they started dating. Genevieve says she just “tagged along” with the program during this time. And after seven or eight months, they moved to a field guide training camp together. They were supposed to train the guides at the Safari. “I was running the camp, and he was training them, and it was amazing,” she says. Sadly, the artist revealed that the two had to break up. Mainly because they found they had to change ways because of their different jobs, interests, and future plans.

How The South African Life Influenced Genevieve

Genevieve Vitanzo says that she had never thought of being where she was. “I went from living in an apartment in Santa Monica to a tent with no electricity…”. Elephants outside her front door, as magical as they were, required a little getting used to. It was terrific, but it was hard to be so disconnected from everything she had come from. She says that Cape town is quite cosmopolitan; it has everything you’d expect a major city to have. But, not everything is as accessible as you’d like. 

“The closest store is sometimes 2 hours away, and that’s not even a big store like a Target. You’re talking about some tiny shop that has about 30 items”. Genevieve Vitanzo says you have to plan everything and “roll with the punches,” and adapt. The adventurous singer/songwriter and music artist also adds that being in such an environment slows you down. It gives you perspective, and you notice things. She says that she wasn’t a person who would see the birds chirping. Or even the kind of person who would notice other sounds around her. However, that changed when she went to South Africa and started living in the bush. 

Wilderness & How It Makes You More In-Tune With Your Senses

“Thousands of things would be running through my brain at any given minute. But it stopped in many ways because a lot of times, I didn’t have a choice”. Since the artist didn’t have social media or any other distraction around her, Genevieve Vitanzo says that she became more vigilant. She also says she’s become attentive to nature’s details. Moreover, Genevieve Vitanzo says that we live in a society where we’re taught the use of our eyes as a primary sense. Since so many things are camouflaged when you are in the bush, you have to start using other senses. Especially your sense of smell and hearing. Your eyes become valuable for tracking, noticing prints and patterns on the sand, and determining how fresh or old they are. So, the emerging music artist says being in the wild makes you more in-tune with all of your senses.

Music In The Wild

Genevieve Vitanzo says she had to put music aside for a while when she was in South Africa. For the first two years, the artist said she didn’t have any way of using a piano, her specialty instrument, as she’s still learning how to play the guitar. Since keyboards require power and space, she couldn’t find a way to play them while living in a tent. She said that when she started moving to places with plugs and switches, she brought the keyboard along and returned to music. 

Soon, she began writing songs, making music and met people who had similar interests. Some of these friends had their studios, and when they realized that she was an artist and a singer/songwriter, they were very enthusiastic about working with her. Genevieve Vitanzo sang jingles, commercials, background songs and sometimes recorded her own music and songs. So, after two years of staying separated from her musical talent, Genevieve slowly started getting back to her fundamental passion – music. 

Time Apart From Music

When asked how she felt about moving away from music, Genevieve said that it was hard for her as an artist. She said that as much as she loved the wildlife, music has always been her “first love.” Vitanzo says music consumed her and helped her through her isolated time in the bush. “I started singing before I even started talking. I still have my 20-year old iPod. That thing was my savior. It went everywhere with me; I loaded it with music” Genevieve Vitanzo confessed to dHarmic Evolution that isolation is difficult. 

According to  Genevieve , you think you’re going to love it, and you do, for about a week. Then, when you start realizing that this isolation has become longer than you thought it would be, the reality begins to hit you. You start freaking out, thinking about what you had and would probably not have for a while now. “Not having the outlet of music that I have had my entire life during my stressful times…. was somewhat frustrating.” In the interview, she tells us that when she came back to the U.S and completed her albums, she regretted not having recorded the classic animal sounds in the wild. She said that animal sounds are the music in themselves, and tweaking them a little bit can create a nostalgic song and a masterpiece that everyone can relate to. As an artist, she missed those sounds.

On Being A Workaholic

In response to our question of how Genevieve manages all the different brand and song ideas that she gets and whether it’s frustrating not to implement all of them, Genevieve Vitanzo says focusing on one single thing at a time can be challenging for her. If Vitanzo is doing what she likes, she’ll be fully indulged in it. However, even though she’s so passionate, she is also very selective about the things she is interested in. Because of this characteristic, it can take a while for her to find something. Something that would ignite the spark within her. Choosing what to focus on is her primary challenge and concern, says the talented singer/songwriter. But, once she’s decided and chosen a song, project, and idea, she can clear out all the mess and get to work!

Wrapping Up

Throughout the interview, the incredibly talented artist, Genevieve Vitanzo, made us realize how important little details are. And also how we usually dismiss them as white noise. Her experience in the wild where she talks about how she began to pay more attention to environmental sounds and details, was inspiring to hear. We were happy to learn that this exposure had a significant positive impact on her personality, perspective, and lifestyle as an artist. 

However, probably the most important aspect that Genevieve brought to light was that being able to do something that you love comes at a price. More often than not, it requires many sacrifices and compromises. Since she wanted to pursue music and become an adventurous wildlife enthusiast, she had to give up financial many things. Her stability, relationships, and many other things that we take for granted in our everyday modern lives. 

All of us at dHarmic Evolution are humbled by Genevieve’s experiences. Her story serves as a reminder of the possibilities that can open up if you only find the courage within you to follow your passions. For more inspiring stories of musicians and artists, check out our podcast here.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Who is Genevieve Vitanzo?

Genevieve Vitanzo is a singer/songwriter and a producer based in L.A. She took a break from music. Soon after, she disappeared into the South African bush where she pursued her passion for wildlife conservation. 

2. What kind of music does Genevieve Vitanzo create?

Genevieve Vitanzo’s music spans multiple genres. She incorporates elements from the folk tradition and adds touches from jazz, blues and pop. Her vocal range is equally dynamic and allows her to sing across genres. 

3. Where to listen to Genevieve Vitanzo music?

Find Genevieve Vitanzo’s music by visiting her website. You can also listen to her soundtracks on YouTube. Be sure to check out her albums, “The Sum of all Things”,  “Back to L.A” and “This Little Thing Called Life”. 

4. Where to listen to a podcast with Genevieve Vitanzo?

dHarmic Evolution’s chatted Genevieve Vitanzo in an exclusive interview. You can listen to the full podcast here.

Check Out New Music At The dHarmic Evolution Rising Stars Spotify Playlist

dHarmic Evolution have curated a Spotify Playlist for your listening pleasure. Included in this playlist are select Indie artists from the dHarmic Evolution Podcast where the future Indie Stars of Tomorrow appear today! Check it out here.

Spotlight Series No. 3: MoeDell, Jordan White, Kylie Odetta, & Mikalyn Hay

Spotlight Series No. 3: MoeDell, Jordan White, Kylie Odetta, & Mikalyn Hay

Welcome to episode #299 of dHarmic Evolution

We’re back with another Spotlight series today! I’m delighted to give attention to these four awesome artists we are revisiting. We are enclosing the links of the full interviews below so check to download them and here all for songs from each artist!

Let’s listen and enjoy the music and stories from these singer-songwriters, musicians, and vocalists. We’ve got four talented artists lined up today:

  • MoeDeLL
  • Jordan White
  • Kylie Odetta
  • Mikalyn Hay

Interview with MoeDell

We’ll start this show with MoeDeLL — a hardworking and talented man that holds 250-270 shows a year. He has performed for crowds of every size, from farmers’ markets to bars, and corporate events.

MoeDeLL is a prolific Americana songwriter. He plays the guitar and will captivate you with his unique voice and creative lyrics. He loved music as a kid and he started to learn to play the guitar at 9 years old.

Listen to MoeDeLL’s song being featured today in the show, “Hoppin’ Trains”. 

You can listen to MoeDeLL’s full interview here:

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de226-hoppin-trains-with-moedell/

Interview with Jordan White

Next, we have Jordan White, a young man originally from Philadelphia. He writes great pop-rock songs that really cut to the heart. He has a good voice and a great chord structure. Every time he comes up with something new I am plugging in and listening, I have become a fan…

He’s been on the dHarmic evolution twice. Let’s look back on the conversation where Jordan is describing some transitional period in his life which led to the recording of the track being featured today.

The song is Jordan’s title track for his new EP, “High Road”.

You can listen to Jordan’s past full interviews here:

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de225-jordan-white-taking-the-high-road-from-nj-to-philadelphia/

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de49-jordan-white/

Interview with Kylie Odetta

Now, we’ll have a young lady which is way wiser beyond her years, Kylie Odetta.  She is an indie/soul singer-songwriter. She creates music that is powerful and dreamy. Her raspy voice will definitely capture you.

We have one of Kylie’s smash hits “Under the Sun” featured today on the show.

She shared on the show before a cool discussion about songwriting, vocals, voice changing, surgery, and mostly sounds. She also mentioned one of her favorite shows that created a cozy welcoming experience where people get to be a part of the music and it’s not just her who performs on stage.

You can listen to Kylie’s past full interviews here:

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de223-kylie-odetta-is-back-with-a-new-sound-and-lots-of-sunshine/

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de36-kylie-odetta/

Interview with Mikalyn Hay 

Lastly, we have a hardworking and fabulously talented young lady from Guelph Canada. Talent and work ethic combined is a powerful elixir and it is Mikalyn Hay. She is a talented singer-songwriter and an in-demand collaborator.  She also had a list of achievements and awards that are really so impressive!

Mikalyn’s song featured today on the show is “Deep End”.

There are a lot of cool things and cool places to visit in her hometown and she shared them with us! Check out these cafés mentioned by Mikalyn, “Red Brick Cafe”, “B Side Lounge”, “Kate’s Cafe”, where you might also catch her life. There’s also discussion about pre-production, the studio, friends, and support. 

You can listen to Mikalyn’s full interview here:

https://dharmicevolution.com/old-blog/de219-mikalyn-hay-canadian-360-artist-with-a-bright-future-in-your-world/

Timestamps:

00:30   Spotlight Series 3

4:08   MoeDeLL

7:22   Listen to “Hoppin’ Trains” by MoeDeLL

11:17   Jordan White

14:55   Listen to “High Road” by Jordan White

18:07   Kylie Odetta

26:30   Listen to “Under the Sun” by Kylie Odetta

29:24   Mikalyn Hay

39:23   Listen to “Deep End” by Mikalyn Hay

43:53   Listen to “Connected” by James Kevin O’Connor
 

Spotify Playlist

Check out the Spotify playlist “Rising dHarmic Stars”

An awesome collection of music from artists who have exclusively been on the dharmic Evolution!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4loDaYF0OuWRjZeMXvEjK4

 

Connect with MoeDeLL

Website:          https://moedell.com/

Facebook        @MoeDeLLMusic

Instagram        @moedell

Twitter             @moedell

Spotify             MoeDeLL


Connect with Jordan White

Website:          www.jordanwhitemusic.com

Facebook:       @jordanwhitemusic

Twitter:            @jordanfWhite

Instagram:       @jordanwhitemusic

Spotify:            Jordan White

Connect with Mikalyn Hay

Facebook:       @MikalynMusic

Instagram:       @mikalynmusic

Youtube:          Mikalyn Music

Soundcloud:    Mikalyn Music
Twitter:            @MikalynMusic

ReverbNation  Mikalyn Music

Patreon           Mikalyn Hay

Younk              Mikalyn Hay

 

Connect with Kylie Odetta

Website:          kylieodetta.com

Instagram:       @kylieodetta

Facebook:        Kylie Odetta

Twitter:             @kylieodetta

Spotify:             Kylie Odetta

Soundcloud:      Kylie Odetta

YouTube:          Kylie Odetta

Reverbnation:   Kylie Odetta

Selected links and mentions:

Antigone Rising

Better Than Ezra

Cheap Trick

Bret Michaels

Blind Melon

Eagles

Fleetwood Mac

Willie Nelson

Goo Goo Dolls

Lillie King, Theatre, NYC, and Now for The Singer/Songwriter Career all at 17!

Lillie King, Theatre, NYC, and Now for The Singer/Songwriter Career all at 17!

Welcome to episode #298 of dHarmic Evolution

We have an awesome young artist in the show today! She is just 17 years old but she already created a unique vintage Americana sound that crosses the boundaries of many different styles. With the help of influences based in the 70s, rock rhythm and blues, and modern poeticism.

 

Singer, songwriter, and actress from a small town in West Virginia, Lillie King!

Check out her brand-new debut self-titled EP, and fall in love with the sound that will remind you of the good old great songwriting that happened in the late 60s and early 70s. Lillie King shared that it was what she loved listening to while she was growing up.

Lillie King’s Music career and her Theater Life 

Lillie King started out as a theater actress at around six years old. Her parents are not into music, but her grandparents are the ones who pushed her to take the classes. She eventually stopped but at the age of 12, she missed performing on stage and went back to the theater where she was filled with four years of great experiences since then. She is a trained soprano operatic singer; she went to the New York Film Academy for this when she was around 14 or 15 years old.

She just started writing songs at 16 years old. She won Talent West Virginia where she got herself an EP deal and had to write her own song. That’s where “Cheated Love” was born. One thing to watch out for, as well, is her song “Home by Ten” which is what she described as an autobiography of her life. Also, check out her metaphorical song titled “Roses”, which relates to her life in the theater. “Red” is another track that you can relate to, whether it’s a family relationship, a friend relationship, or, a personal relationship.

Currently, Lillie King made the executive decision to stop singing in the theater realm for a while. She struggled to switch the two voices that she is using – her soprano voice and her studio voice. She wanted to focus on her music career right now. She hopes that one day she can go back to the theater without having to worry about switching her voices. 

More about Lillie King

Good news! Lillie King loves to connect with people, the best place to do it will be on her Instagram. If you want to know more about her, check out her website. All the links will be provided below.

Quotes:

4:47

I’m not trying to write what’s in right now. I’m trying to write what I love to listen to.

22:02

When you love what you’re working on, you want to work on it. You don’t want to stop, and you have fun while you’re doing it. That’s just the best part of the process.

25:17

I love nature. I love being outside. So, it’s just finding those little moments that I can take to rest. Then so I can get really excited to come back and work on the stuff that’s important.

52:25

I know a lot of people in my life who are stressing out about their futures and what may or may not happen, and I just want to let everyone know that it’s better not to stress.  It’s better to let God’s hand take over because something good will come from it. You just have to wait and work hard. 

Timestamps

2:39 Welcoming Lillie King to dHarmic Evolution

3:56 Lillie King’s self-titled EP and a little look at her music influences

6:05 Listen to “Cheated Love” by Lillie King

9:23 What is the backstory of the song “Cheated Love”?

11:03 Lillie King’s background in Theater and how it helped her be the star that she is today.

14:36 What is the song “Home by Ten” about?

15:40 Listen to “Home by Ten” by Lillie King.

23:42 What are Lillie King ‘s hobbies and favorites outside of music?

26:57 How did “Red” came about and how did it get written?

29:11 Listen to “Red” by Lillie King

32:53 A little glimpse on Lillie King’s experience in New York City and the New York Film Academy

39:50 Listen to “Roses” by Lillie King

42:59 The questions behind the making of “Roses”

44:19 Balancing her theater and music career

46:55 Is Lillie King working with a vocal coach?

50:58 Best place to reach Lillie King

51:31 Lillie King’s last words for the audience

53:24 Listen to “Connected” by James Kevin O’Connor

Spotify Playlist

Check out the Spotify playlist “Rising dHarmic Stars”

Featuring 30 artists who have been on the shows in the past!

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4loDaYF0OuWRjZeMXvEjK4

Special links and Mentions 

The Supremes

Brian Wilson

Paul Simon

Motown

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Chris Caskey (Producer)

Eagles

Glyn Johns

Bill Szymczyk

Joe Walsh

Roxie Hart

Connect with Lillie King 

Website:          https://www.lillieking.com/

Instagram:       https://instagram.com/lillie.king

Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/lilliekingmusic

Tiktok:             @lilliekiing

Spotify:            https://open.spotify.com/artist/6KQfcQmOwwEprVSGK2avMr

Youtube:          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfbN1LVsqAK3i73uZPKZ5ag/

Dani Felt making an impact through her music

Dani Felt making an impact through her music

Welcome to episode #297 of dHarmic Evolution

Pop-singer, songwriter, and an artist coach! Dani Felt will join us today for an exciting view on her music solo career and her business in the music industry.

 

Pop-singer, songwriter, and an artist coach! Dani Felt will join us today for an exciting view on her music solo career and her business in the music industry. Dani Felt is originally born in Philadelphia. She has adapted her music life to the Music City. She exceeded the expectations of many when she switched from being a singer-songwriter to the pop genre. She spins tales of twisted love dark secrets and haunted stories. The dark pop sound of her music complements her powerful and seductive voice. She released her debut pop single “Queen” this year 2020. She made a bold statement and a hardcore vibe through her latest track. She wanted to make sure that her music is impacting people in some way.  Which is definitely something we can feel with her tracks. Dani Felt’s musical background  Dani Felt started to enjoy performing when she was a little kid. She started with Nursery rhymes at the age of two and would perform in front of her parents. At 10, she started doing voice lessons. She did musicals and theaters during her middle and high school years, as well. In middle school, she started doing poetry. She combined her love for writing words and music and put them into songwriting. She also entered several musical camps when she was a kid. She liked being in studios writing, recording, and performing at a really young age. Her parents are not musically inclined, although they have a huge passion for music. Her grandmother can sing but did not really pursue a career in it. Her dad’s second cousin is a song-writer and wrote the song The Greatest Love of All. Overall, she is surrounded by a creative vibe. Dani Felt’s early career in the music industry  It was in college when Dani Felt learned that she loves leadership, project management, and finding the right people. A year later, she interned at a music PR company in London wherein she got fired. She wanted to prove that she can do her own thing. And so, she started a music blog without any connections and started from there. She moved to New York and realized that she is really good at connecting people together.  She gets to showcase artists and got to connect people in the industry — filmmakers, painters, artists, musicians, business people where she would put up events together. Eventually, she had to stop since it was a lot of work for not a lot of money. Her business in the music world  Dani Felt believed that artists should not just focus on one platform. She said that the main point is to understand who their fans are, where they are, what your brand is, and what you’re selling. She believes that there are many ways to monetize the artist’s skill, they just have to get creative, create, and plan. She likes to teach people to put themselves first and value themselves and their gifts. She gets frustrated most when people need her help, but don’t want to change or do the work. Although this year, she is learning to let people have control of their own lives and make decisions. Without any pressure, she just wants them to come to her when they want to work with her. That’s when she realized that when she focuses on what her working on, it attracts more clients because seeing what she does makes them want to be part of it. She also believes that mindset portrays the biggest part. She stated that if you don’t believe that it’s possible, it will not be possible. She is also a fan of learning and she shares them with her clients, from the emotional aspect to money management. Timestamps  2:16 Check out Dani Felt’s new single, “Queen” 2:44 A look at Dani Felt’s sound and musical background 7:45 Listen to “Gone” by Dani Felt 10:40 The crazy story behind the song “Gone” 12:44 How is her family doing back in Philadelphia? 15:02 How did she get involved in the business world of music? 18:56 Listen to “Drowned in Heartache” by Dani Felt 22:50 A continuation on the journey of her business that helps artists to showcase their talent. 26:52 What is her take on doing business on Spotify? 33:56 What does Dani Felt get excited about; being a creative artist or a business person? 37:33 Listen to “Queen” by Dani Felt 41:05 Dani Felt’s shares her experience in the studio while creating her single “Queen” 43:32 Her most challenging experience in coaching 48:07 Who are the thought leaders that inspired and helped her? 52:50 Where’s the best place to connect with Dani Felt? 53:29 Dani Felt’s parting words of wisdom to the listeners 56:08 Listen to “Connected” by James Kevin O’Connor Spotify Playlist “Rising dHarmic Stars” is the Spotify Playlist to keep an eye on! it has past stand out guests that you simply must give a listen to here! https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4loDaYF0OuWRjZeMXvEjK4 Quotes: 16:33 That was a really cool moment because I realized so many things that artists can make an impact with their music, that anyone can do anything even if they’ve never had any experience. 34:27 If I had to choose, I would choose music, but I would have to make sure that the music I’m making is impacting people in some way. 45:28 I realized that the more I just focus on whatever I’m working on at the moment, the somehow attracts clients. 47:17 If you don’t believe that it’s possible, it will not be possible 52:40 Really value your time because it is the only thing we have. Everything. Like that’s the only thing that we have. 53:59 I would just say, never give up. Like, never give up on your dreams. Do what you love. Take action. Just take it one step at a time. Selected links and Mentions  Linda Creed Whitney Houston Justin Bieber Poo Bear Stevie Wonder Lorde Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee) Sara Longoria Jourdan Rystrom Connect with Dani Felt  Website:          https://danifeltmusic.com/ https://danifelt.com/ Facebook:       https://www.facebook.com/danifeltmusic/ Instagram:       https://www.instagram.com/danifeltmusic/ Twitter:            https://twitter.com/danifeltmusic/ Spotify:            https://open.spotify.com/artist/26afSnl4Sw12ZtTtEF8IVl Youtube:          https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6eSYoqIwDTv7g7GxEmXl9g

Matt O’Ree Talks About His Career & The Joy Of Working With Bruce Springsteen

DE125 Matt O'Ree, The Boss and Bon Jovi, Matt Keeps Good Company!

Introduction

Matt O’Ree is undoubtedly one of the best guitarists of our time. Within a short period, the New Jersey rock and roll artist has made many records. Teaming up with Bruce Springsteen, Matt’s released a spectacular single “Black Boots.” In this interview, the American singer shared with us his success story and what it was like working with the rock and roll legend himself.

Matt O’Ree’s Early Years

Matt started his musical career in 1994 as a rock and roll artist when he formed his guitar band, Matt O’Ree Band. The American singer and rock and roll artist released his first album, 88 miles in 1998. But his road to stardom started in 2005 after his third album “Shelf Life” came out. Shelf Life also got a feature in Guitar World Magazine and won four Asbury Park Music Awards. The album won in the following categories: Best Blues Band, Best Guitarist, Best Local Release, and Best Song of the year. Since then, Matt’s profile keeps rising rapidly. The immensity of his talent is hard to put into words and he was only just starting out.

How Matt Became King Of The Blues

In 2006, the highly talented American singer and rock and roll artist competed with over 4000 other guitarists in the Guitamageddon “King of the Blues” guitar contest organized by the Guitar Center and Guitar World Magazine. It was hosted by BB King and John Mayer. Matt won the grand prize. That gave the rock and roll artist the boost he needed to aim even higher. He eventually became famous, performing at several red carpet events. But before then, many other events also happened that redefined the story of this American singer.

Enter Bruce Springsteen

Having grown up in New Jersey, it was his dream to play alongside legendary guitarists like Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. Fortunately, Matt didn’t have to wait that long for this dream to come true. He got the first opportunity to be close with the big boss when Mrs. Springsteen approached him after he won the 2006 King of the blues guitar contest competition.

She wanted him to include her son in the list of his guitar students. That brought Matt close to the Springsteen family. Matt’s got advice from Bernie Brausewetter after winning the 2006 competition. His late mentor told him to add helping kids play guitar as an additional skill in his career. He said this will allow him to earn, share his knowledge, and be available for gigs whenever there is an offer.

So the rock and roll artist started teaching guitar classes. On one occasion, when Matt was teaching Sam Springsteen, the son of the legendary Bruce Springsteen, Sam got hold of one of Matt’s songs and later played it to his father who loved it. Both Matt and Bruce Springsteen discussed the song, and Matt asked if Springsteen would want to be a part of the song. Springsteen loved the idea. The song turned out to be the popular single “Black Boots”. But before it became a reality, another important event took place in Matt  life.

The 2015 Asian Tour

In 2015, Jon Bon Jovi announced that Matt would be a part of his team for an Asian tour. That was a big moment in Matt’s life and career. The opportunity to be a part of a world-class band, tour across different countries, and walk on the red carpet doesn’t come to everyone. The tour began in September 2015 with Matt joining others to sing to an audience of 45,000 people. At the tour, the American singer witnessed a big crowd of 70,000 people.

To be part of the tour, Matt was introduced to Bon Jovi by a friend and Bon Jovi band’s keyboardist David Bryan. After the tour, the relationship between Matt and Dave became even stronger. By then, Matt  had been very busy with his fifth album, “Brotherhood.” Dave Bryan eventually contributed to writing the content of the album. Matt  and Dave Bryan co-wrote “My Everything is You.”

By 2016, Matt  released the album that he co-wrote with Dave Bryan. Moreover, another track co-written with Jon Leidersdorff of the Lake House Music and featuring Bruce Springsteen and also Steve Cropper was also published. However, the single Black Boots, that featured Springsteen, became a major hit.

According to the American singer, the album took him about two years to perfect and many years to plan. But the journey leading up to the release of the song started even well before the recording started. Perhaps, it could be traced back to 2008 when the rock and roll artist met John Leaders, an artist and music producer. Leaders wanted him to record an album in his studio, Lake House Music. There he met Hubert who agreed to play one of Matt’s songs and things kind of just snowballed from there.

Matt O’Ree On Recording Brotherhood & Music Gear

During the interview, we asked Matt O’Ree to talk a little bit about his process of recording his new CD Brotherhood. Matt told us that he used his trainwreck amps to record the entire record. He mentions having a blast doing it. “Guitars that I used were my custom shop, Gibson Les Pauls, and custom made double-neck 12/6-string guitar, Danelectro 6-string, and a D45 Martin acoustic.”

He further stated, “there’s a song called “Life” where I used my 1969 Univibe pedal. Jimi used this a ton for the last year of his career. I used it on the solo section and it just really made the song happen. Episode 9 is completely about this unit. That was a really fun episode for me.”

Beyond Black Boots

Matt  single with Bruce Springsteen, “Black Boots” became quite popular right after its release. We asked Matt whether he had another favorite on the album. He said having Bruce Springsteen sing the song with him was super cool. “The other song I love is the closing track, “December Gray”. I love the composition on that one and all the layered guitar tracks I did on it. It has an emotional feel to it”. We totally agree with Matt on that one.

Matt says it’s always great to work with other artists. “Especially guys like Bruce, David, and Steve! They all added so much that it made the songs even better. Their talents shine on those tracks—a real honor for me”.

Wrapping Up

All of us at dHarmic Evolution had an amazing time listening to Matt  talk about his experience with music as a career, his awards, his red carpet treatments, and his achievements. We were also quite delighted to hear him talk about his GearTutorial video series and most importantly, his successful album Brotherhood. We couldn’t recommend that album enough! Listen to the full podcast with Matt O’Ree at dHarmic Evolution.

Get In Touch

Matt O’Ree’s music career is anything but ordinary. From winning guitar competitions to landing red carpet gigs and teaching Bruce Springsteen’s sons and eventually collaborating with the legend himself, Matt has taken advantage of every opportunity that has knocked on his door. As an artist, this is as important as anything else.

At dHarmic Evolution, we interview artists, musicians, content-creators and people on different stages of their creative journeys and chat with them about their challenges, their dreams and their hopes for the future. These people inspire us, move us and show us exactly why we love the world of arts so much. If you’d like to hear more interviews with these inspiring artists, head on over to our podcast page.

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is Matt O’Ree?

Matt is an American singer, rock and roll artist, and a songwriter. He is the founder of Matt O’Ree Band and a member of the Bon Jovi Asian tour of 2015. He won the Guitar World Magazine competition in 2006 and became king of the blues.

  1. What kind of music does Matt O’Ree create?

Matt is a rock and roll artist. The American singer specializes in blues and rock music and plays lead vocal guitar.

  1. Where to listen to Matt O’Ree’s music?

You can download Matt’s music on the guitarist band’s website, http://www.mattoreeband.com

  1. Where to listen to a podcast with Matt O’Ree?

You can listen to the full interview with Matt O’Ree here.

Check Out New Music At The dHarmic Evolution Rising Stars Spotify Playlist

dHarmic Evolution have curated a Spotify Playlist for your listening pleasure. Included in this playlist are select Indie artists from the dHarmic Evolution Podcast where the future Indie Stars of Tomorrow appear today! Check it out here.

Erin Coburn, Blues, Ambition, and a Burning Passion for Guitar!

Welcome to episode #295 of dHarmic Evolution

Let’s Rock and Roll with Erin Coburn

Today we’ve got something special – a young lady who is just a badass in rock and roll with an intense passion for audio engineering, guitars, and blues music. Wow! This girl is one of a kind!

 

Our guest for today is just 19 years old, yet her talent is so palpable. Let’s welcome on the show, musician, vocalist, and lyricist, Erin Coburn!

How did Erin get into music?

With all kinds of different music coming from each area of their house, Erin was indeed surrounded by music even at a young age. Her parents and brother are also listening to music 24/7. But what really sparked the interest in Erin was her dad’s guitar which she tried to play and claimed it her own when she was just 2 years old.

As far as blues goes, her third guitar teacher introduced her to that music genre during their first lesson. It was when her teacher started playing around and doing solo that made her intrigued about blues. It is such a raw form of music. And what attracted Erin the most is that with blues, it’s just whatever you feel; it’s a straight expression.

Inside stories about her songs

The first song played on the show today is entitled “Everybody” which streamed from moments when life gets overwhelming, from everyone trying to get attention, and trying to do a million things at once.

The next song is called “It’s Over” was played with a Fender Stratocaster that her grandpa helped her get when she was younger. It was one of her favorite guitars.

And her song, “Misfit” is her newest single. It came from Rudoph Christmas Special where they sing “why am I such a misfit”. This song is a message to everyone that it is okay not to fit in; it is cool to be unique.

Thoughts about streaming services

For Erin, streaming services is wonderful from the consumer’s point of view. On the other hand, as an artist, the idea is also great. Through streaming services like Spotify, artists can connect with fans at the push of a button. However, the tables have definitely turned. There is not a big enough value on what musicians are doing today. She believes that listeners/consumers need to put a value on the artists on social media.

More about Erin

Connect with Erin and get to know more about her life and music through the links listed below.

Timestamps

2:46 Who in Erin’s family inspired her to get into music?

4:47 Listen to “Everybody” by Erin Coburn

9:19 Inside story about the song, “Everybody”

11:41 When did Erin get interested in audio engineering?

14:58 Listen to “It’s Over” by Erin Coburn

19:17 Erin describing her Strandberg guitar

20:56 Listen to Erin play a couple of riffs on her guitar

23:03 What is the most intriguing part of the audio production for Erin?

26:29 Who are Erin’s musical influences?

30:52 Listen to “Out from Under” by Erin Coburn

39:31 Who gives the cue when Erin’s using the backing track live?

42:00 What is Erin’s take on Spotify and streaming in general?

47:21 Story about Erin’s newest single: “Misfit”

49:26 Listen to “Misfit” by Erin Coburn

55:11 Shoutout to Erin’s fans!

56:44 When is her studio going to be built?

56:56 A glimpse of Erin’s family

59:03 Listen to “Connected” by James Kevin O’Connor 

Quotes

10:25

Sometimes you just need to take a step back and write a song

4:34

Blues is such a raw form of music. And it’s like a straight expression. Like there’s no thinking. It’s just whatever you feel and I think that’s what really attracted me to it.

38:01

I love to mix it up and do the unexpected

49:17

I wanted to let them know that, it’s okay to not fit in or to not feel like you fit in. It’s cool. It’s cool to be unique.

58:08

I love it when somebody really embraces an instrument. And takes it to continue to take it up to new levels.

Connect with Asiah

Website – https://www.erincoburn.com/

Spotify – https://open.spotify.com/artist/5o0doXIq7OsAEOlFwcwwDJ

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/ErinCoburnMusic/

Youtube – https://www.youtube.com/user/ShenanigansOnTheHill

Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/erincoburnmusic/

Selected links and mentions 

Badflower

The Black Keys

Cage the Elephant

Joe Satriani

Matt O’ree

Bruce Springsteen

Leslie West

B.B. King

Gary Clark Jr.

Janis Joplin

Michael Jackson

Joy Villa Interview: From Humble Beginnings To The White House

Joy Villa | Living Life Artistically - dHarmic Evolution Podcast

Introduction

dHarmic Evolution is back with another incredible interview. This time, we chatted with the awe-inspiring Joy Villa. Joy Villa is an American singer-songwriter, actress, and YouTuber. She is known for her bold and sometimes, outrageous outfits which she has worn to the Grammy awards. Joy is a staunch supporter of Trump; having been very active in American politics. She’s talented, she’s vocal about her beliefs, she identifies as a Scientologist and has a passion for spreading joy, love and bringing people together in harmony. In this dHarmic Evolution interview with Joy Villa, we are going to be considering the various shades of the American singer-songwriter, as a speaker, a political commentator, and a humanitarian.

Joy Villa On Grammy’s

On her fashion taste and her exquisite Grammys dress, which was specially made for the Red Carpet, Joy says the dress, which she calls “the Trump dress” was designed by her friend. According to Joy Villa, her choice of the dress was a means of publicly showing support for the president and also, to add a touch of playfulness and love to the tense political atmosphere.

And her bold move ended up leaving guests at the Grammys awe-struck. Joy Villa says it was empowering for her to openly embrace her beliefs and courageously and voice them in a creative manner. The light-hearted artist and singer believe in love, unity, and togetherness, and she goes out of her way to ensure that her atmosphere is infused with the same. She says that she always comes from a point of love, unity, and togetherness and never has intentions of purposefully hurting anyone’s sentiments.

According to Joy Villa, she had no idea that her career would blow up as a result of her grand appearance at the Grammys. Joy’s unusual dressing elicited curiosity amongst the viewers that ultimately propelled sales as well as her fame. Joy states that she was not thinking in the long term when she chose her dress. Her motive was pure to show her support for the president. She does say, however, that she knew that the dress might spark a certain backlash, especially in Hollywood. However, she braved it and is still reaping the fruits today! Watching herself go viral, Joy says, was an incredible moment for her; one she will never forget. Joy goes a step further to describe herself as not just a political commentator but a political activist.

EP Home Sweet Home

Her newest E.P ‘Home Sweet Home’ is currently topping the charts. Truly one of the top artists out there, she holds you spell-bound with her melodious voice and well-crafted tunes. ‘Home Sweet Home’ is a song in which she eulogizes America, while also referring to the joys of freedom. When asked what exactly her inspiration for the song was, Joy says it was 100% America for her and the song is an expression of the love she has for her country.

She speaks about her numerous travels and encourages everyone to take a vacation from time to time. For her, it’s a great way to refuel while gaining exposure. When asked how this new success has affected her personal life; Joy launches into a beautiful tale of numerous positive things that have happened to her as a result of her new position in the spotlight. In her own words, “my life has completely changed in some ways and some ways; it has not changed at all.” For Joy Villa, a significant change is that people now recognize her, which is a boost to her career in a lot of ways.

Joy Villa’s Work Routine

Joy Villa works out twice a day for 3-5 minutes. She builds her life around the things that help her life. A vegetarian for 30 years, Joy is committed to a healthy lifestyle. Joy Villa describes herself as a homebody and one who protects her time. She especially enjoys spending quality time with her family. Joy says she hopes to inspire people with her songs and activism. Having been through sexual abuse and other hardships in life, Joy Villa describes herself as a victor and not a victim; an attitude we find rather impressive! When asked where she draws her strength from, Joy attributes her strength to her parents.

In her words, “My parents always told me how beautiful I was while growing up. They told me I am beautiful and strong; that I could achieve anything I want to. These words have been my driving force over the years!” Again, another source of strength for Joy is her Christian Faith. Joy Villa takes her spirituality quite seriously and practices Christianity actively to strengthen herself. Moreover, Joy is committed to constant heart checks. She speaks with sadness about the stage of her life when she didn’t give a hoot about how other people felt about her actions, whether they were hurt or not.

According to Joy, she has made mistakes, and she is not ashamed to admit her mistakes. She is continuously working on becoming a better version of herself. Joy Villa is a Scientologist, and she mentions her religious beliefs as yet another source of strength. Joy says she chose her religion, Scientology as a means to better her life and career. According to Joy, taking time to refresh is an indispensable part of her life. She refuels herself by taking time to relax and refresh.

Song: Make America Great Again

“Joy is doing more than her share to make America great again”. Joy Villa sang this song to clarify her position; why she is supporting Donald Trump and generally, her political philosophy. She says she chose the phrase ‘making America great again’ because it is a relatable phrase among the majority of the American populace – one that rings a bell. Also, it is a phrase popularly used by Trump himself too.

Joy Villa & Her Journey As A Philanthropist

“Philanthropy is one of my greatest pleasures.”

 According to Joy Villa, there are very few things that give her as much pleasure as philanthropy. The concept of giving back to society is one that constantly inspires and motivates Joy. She derives fulfillment from using her position and influence to help the less fortunate. She goes out of her way to reach out to needy people outside her immediate environment. Her philanthropy work isn’t restricted to America alone. In fact, she continues this work across various countries that she travels to. Most recently, she mentions her visit to Iran where she had the opportunity to offer help to women and children.

As a survivor herself, she empathizes with women and children and young girls who are sexually abused and a lot of her philanthropic work focuses on providing help and assistance to these women and children. Joy Villa expresses optimism that America will only get better and better in the years to come and only through lifting others can this goal be achieved sooner.

Songwriting Process For Devil In the City

Joy says this song was basically written to call out hypocrites and people pretending to be something that they are not. She believes in being true to oneself, committing to a course, and following through with it to the end. For Joy Villa, pretense and hypocrisy of any sort are a deal-breaker; they work against the unity and progress of any nation. She believes in being kind to people regardless of their backgrounds, lifestyle, race, or ethnicity.

Joy Villa goes out of her way to relate to the struggles of the less fortunate members of society. She believes in affirming people by the words we speak to them. She puts it brilliantly when she says, “even if you are doing it for selfish reasons, be nice to people”.

Visiting The White House

When asked about the most impressive thing she discovered during her visit to the White House, she mentions two striking points:

The manner in which everyone and everything worked in perfect synergy and meeting Ivanka Trump. She describes Ivanka as very humble and sweet-spirited and at the same time. She refers to her as an outstanding figure in the White House. Joy says she felt elated when Ivanka recognized her as she walked down a hallway at the White House and even more pleased when she learned that Ivanka had been a fan of hers for quite some time.

Finally, she talks about her song Vagabonds, a song about freedom and being unlimited in a world full of limitations. Joy describes herself as ‘unlimited’.

Wrapping Up

“Be bold; be brave enough to be your true self” Queen Latifah

Joy Villa’s story is a classic tale of the benefits of standing bold and staying true to oneself. Who would have thought that a simple act of boldness could take Joy Villa to the spotlight and her music to the very top of the charts! Joy Villa’s story once again proves Tony Gaskins’ words true. In his words, “The doors will be opened to those who are bold enough to knock.”

At dHarmic Evolution, we’re constantly being inspired and learning new things from the incredible artists that we interview. Joy Villa is no different in that regard. Her passion for spreading joy, bringing people together, being bold and courageous, lifting others up, following your heart, and standing up for what you believe in has left us speechless and moved. And as she says herself, “boldness never goes out of fashion. If you persist in doing your best, you can go from point zero to point 100 just in one day!” We couldn’t agree more, Joy.

Get In Touch

Our interview with Joy Villa was a moving reminder of how important it is, especially as an artist, to be true to yourself and to not lose your voice. If you’d like to hear more moving stories from artists, content creators, musicians and creatives from all walks of life, check out our podcast here.

If you’re an artist yourself and would like to share your thoughts or simply give us some feedback, be sure to leave a comment below. We love hearing from you!

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Who is Joy Villa?

Joy Villa is an American singer and artist whose E.P. “I make the static” skyrocketed to the no. 1 spot on both iTunes and Amazon after her 2017 Grammys’ appearance. She came out topping the charts.

  1. What kind of music does Joy Villa create?

Joy Villa typically plays pop, pop-rock, soul and pop punk. Her genre is best classified as Dance/Electronic music.

  1. Where to listen to Joy Villa’s music?

Check out more of Joy Villa’s music on YouTube, Spotify and AppleMusic.

  1. Where to listen to a podcast with Joy Villa?

dHarmic Evolution’s interview with Joy Villa is now live. You can listen to the full podcast here.

Check Out New Music At The dHarmic Evolution Rising Stars Spotify Playlist

dHarmic Evolution have curated a Spotify Playlist for your listening pleasure. Included in this playlist are select Indie artists from the dHarmic Evolution Podcast where the future Indie Stars of Tomorrow appear today! Check it out here.