GEAR SPOTLIGHT WESTONE AM PRO SERIES AMBIENT EARPHONES In-ear Monitors with Passive Ambience The Westone AM PRO Series ambient earphones are the on-stage solution performing musicians have been waiting for. In the past, musicians have used in-ear monitors but have not felt as connected with the crowd, or even other things onstage—mainly the other musicians. The AM PRO series has found a way to maintain low frequencies so that your monitor signal... 

VIDEO PREMIERE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Performers:  DR. JOHN / RYAN BINGHAM Video: “Back by the River” Songwriter: Bill Quateman From: The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music The doctor is in. New Orleans music legend Dr. John gets a timely all-star tribute on the new live CD + Blu-ray/DVD set The Musical Mojo of Dr. John: A Celebration of Mac & His Music, produced by Blackbird Presents, and released via... 

SESAC Signs Randy Newman Legendary songwriter/film composer joins nation’s only Music Rights Organization Legendary songwriter and film composer Randy Newman, whose musical compositions have earned Oscars, Grammys and Emmys, has signed with SESAC, the nation’s most progressive PRO and the only Music Rights Organization in the country, for representation. “There is no question that Randy Newman’s contribution to music is unparalleled, with... 

Song Premiere: JONATHA BROOKE “PUT THE GUN DOWN” Jonatha Brooke premieres “Put the Gun Down”—the first song from her first studio album in eight years: Midnight. Hallelujah. Out October 21 In the 11 new tracks of this new album, Jonatha Brooke brilliantly balances the soulfulness of her songs with rock, pop and jazz inflections, while maintaining though-provoking lyrics. Midnight. Hallelujah. was primarily recorded at Sweetwater Studios in... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Artist:  BRENT MOYER Song: “Tennessee Tears”   Songwriters: Brent Moyer & Bernie Nelson Video Editor: Jim Jensen Videographer: David Swift Grip: Cindy Nicholson Recording features: Ottar Johansen, Tore Andersen, Joe Sun   BRENT MOYER Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David Known as the Global Cowboy, Brent Moyer loves exploring the broad... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  CRAIG CAMPBELL Music Video: “Outskirts of Heaven” CRAIG CAMPBELL Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David Craig Campbell has had five consecutive charting hits and has sold a million downloads. “Keep Them Kisses Comin’” (written by Dallas Davidson and Ben Hayslip) is his biggest hit so far—reaching No. 7 on the Mediabase Country chart... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Musician:  RYAN SHUPE Video: “We Rode On”   RYAN SHUPE Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   Ryan Shupe will be touring the country to promote his eighth album, the independently released We Rode On—a fusion of rock themes with an acoustic bluegrass influence. A Utah-based, fifth generation fiddler, as well as an accomplished mandolin... 

MUSIC & SPORTS—OLYMPICS WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Olympic Gold Medalist:  STEVE LEWIS Video: “400 Meters—1988 Olympics Gold”     STEVE LEWIS Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   Music and sports have always been connected. The Olympics is the world stage spotlight for athletes, and music continues to be a driving force for an athlete’s preparation—and for their final... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW   Musician:  JANET ROBIN Music Video: “View From Above” JANET ROBIN Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   How did the idea of “View from Above” come to you? I was feeling a little depressed at the time I wrote it, and instead of doing something negative—I put it into a song, trying to lift myself up and look at things from a positive... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Artist:  ROBBY HECHT Song: “Soon I Was Sleeping” Duet with Rose Cousins Directed by Ryan Newman ROBBY HECHT Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “Soon I Was Sleeping” come to you? I actually wrote this song over the course of about six years. I had the “put that bottle of whiskey right where she used to kiss me” hook for... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Featured Artist:  JACK TEMPCHIN Song:  “NOTHING WITH YOU” Jack Tempchin Live / Photo by Chuck Philyaw Writers:  Jack Tempchin, Kim Richey, Joel Piper, Robert Stein Video:  Josh Knoff   JACK TEMPCHIN Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   How did the idea of “Nothing with You” come to you?  I wrote this song at Michele Clark’s Songwriter... 

VIDEO FEATURE & WEB-EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW Songwriter:  MARK CAWLEY Song: “My Angel is Here” Songwriters: Mark Cawley, Billy Lawrie, Lulu (Marie Lawrie)   MARK CAWLEY Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “My Angel is Here” come to you? This song is so unusual in so many ways. I wrote it with Lulu (yep, that “To Sir with Love” Lulu) and her brother Billy Lawrie.... 

GRACE POTTER On her solo set, the rocker is happy her pop roots are showing  Taking a sharp musical detour, Grace Potter—frontwoman for Grace Potter and the Nocturnals for more than a decade—has swapped her trademark jam-band sound for pop on her new solo album, Midnight. The change may seem drastic to fans of the Nocturnals’ rootsy rock, but understandable when you discover the pop classics that were among the staples Potter was raised on.... 

INDIGO GIRLS Decades after their first hit, they’re still close—and even closer to fine Although it’s been 26 years since the Indigo Girls scored with their 1989 folk-rock hit “Closer to Fine,” the Georgia-based duo—Amy Ray and Emily Saliers—has never stopped making music. In fact, their longest hiatus between studio albums—four years—ended with the release of their latest, One Lost Day. “At this point we know what will work for... 

JOE SATRIANI                         One of guitar’s greatest instrumentalists unleashes his inner extrovert Playing guitar with his teeth during the final performance of his previous tour, Joe Satriani had an epiphany. “I thought, ‘What am I doing? What part of me rears its head and starts doing stuff like this?’” he recalls. “Normally I’m a shy, retiring type of musician, but when I get onstage, I find myself feeling like... 

NATE RUESS His latest project proves that going solo is fun, too  After nearly three years of supporting Some Nights—the platinum-selling, 2012 breakthrough album by his Grammy-winning band fun.—Nate Ruess was feeling good. So good, in fact, he opted to temporarily step away from the trio and go solo. It was a bold move for the singer-songwriter, but it’s paying off. His album, Grand Romantic—a fittingly titled set of massive-sounding earworms... 

SUPERTRAMP’S CARL VERHEYEN – MUSIC DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Musician:  CARL VERHEYEN Music Documentary:  Grand Designs http://www.sweetwater.com/events/2016/grand-designs-album/ Carl Verheyen is known for his work as the guitarist of the English rock band Supertramp. With over a dozen solo albums, he continues to be a strong session musician. His credits include Christina Aguilera, the Bee Gees, Cher, Kilauea, Tiffany, Rick Braun, Richard Elliott,... 

Music Industry Day at the Summer NAMM Show What: Music Industry Day at the Summer NAMM Show Where: Nashville’s Music City Center – 201 5th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37203 When: Saturday, June 25, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Cost: $10 advance price (until Friday, June 24) and $20 day of event at the door – buy online now and save! http://www.NAMM.org/musicindustryday Ticket Pick Up: Can only be picked up Saturday, June 25 beginning at... 

VIDEO FEATURE & INTERVIEW Artist:  MONICA LIONHEART Song:  “Sure Fire”   MONICA LIONHEART Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David     How did the idea of “Sure Fire” come to you?   “Sure Fire” is a story about hindsight. In this case, it’s highlighted regrets inside the mind of a person arguing with him/herself. When writing it, a particularly close friend of mine was... 

VIDEO FEATURE & INTERVIEW Artist:  ERIC TINGSTAD Song:  “MISSISSIPPI” ERIC TINGSTAD Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David Eric Tingstad is a songwriter, composer, record producer and phenomenal fingerstyle guitarist. His 1985 debut, The Gift, with woodwinds player Nancy Rumbel has gone on to sell over half a million copies. A multi-album contract with independent new-age music label Narada... 

ULTIMATE GOPRO PROTECTION Since GoPro cameras were released, these miniature cameras have shown up on stages and video shoots everywhere. While the cameras can be mounted in tough, waterproof housings, added protection for these cameras can go a long way. That’s why SKB created a special set of waterproof, impact-resistant iSeries GoPro cases designed to keep one or two GoPro cameras and their accessories safe from the elements. Whether subjected... 

PINT-SIZED POWERHOUSE SYNTH Roland’s JD-Xi analog/digital crossover synthesizer offers a compressive music creation toolset that’s perfect for today’s electronic musicians. In addition to a four-part sound engine, which combines a monophonic analog oscillator, two SuperNATURAL synths, and drum sounds, the JD-Xi comes fully equipped with a pattern sequencer, a vocoder, and an amazing set of effects. A set of 37 velocity-sensitive mini keys provide... 

MIGHTY GUITAR PROCESSOR Line 6’s Helix multieffects processor combines next-gen effects modeling and advanced stereo signal routing into a refreshingly easy-to-use pedalboard processor. At the core of the Helix is Line 6’s new HX dual DSP modeling engine, which offers 45 amps, 30 cabs, 16 mics and 70 effects, each rendered with impeccable detail. What’s more, the Helix supports up to 32 effects at once, including up to four amp emulations,... 

AMPLITUBE COMES TO ANDROID Android-toting guitarists looking for a way to jam with their tablets or phones are sure to appreciate IK Multimedia’s iRig UA, a DSP-driven device that brings AmpliTube effects to a whole new user base. By loading the DSP on the hardware itself, IK Multimedia was able to circumvent latency issues inherent with Android devices. The AmpliTube UA controller app—available from the app store—provides a detailed user interface... 

  VINTAGE TWANG PRS introduced the S2 Vela as part of their 30th anniversary. An unusual design for PRS, the S2 Vela is built around an asymmetrical double-cutaway mahogany body and features a combination of tried-and-true techniques and hardware innovations. Joining the PRS Starla humbucker at the bridge is a Type-D single-coil at the neck, which invokes the sound and spirit of classic 1950s twang. And while a set of S2 locking tuners offer... 

VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY Artist:  LAUREN DAIGLE Song:  “How Can It Be” Lauren Daigle is the fastest selling new artist in Contemporary Christian music in the past decade. Her debut album reached #1 on the iTunes Christian Gospel Top Albums Chart with more than 270,000 album sales and 730,000 track sales. She has almost 50 million YouTube and Vevo views, with about 200,000 subscribers. “How Can It Be” alone has had more than 14 million... 

  EXCLUSIVE SONG FEATURE Artist: RACHAEL SAGE Song: “Loreena” (Acoustic)   Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “Loreena” come to you? I actually wrote this song in a dream! That’s only happened to me a handful of times, and not recently. I woke up, or probably a New York City siren woke me up, which is the only reason I may have remembered my dream—with the... 

Rachael Sage – Unbeauty  Read More →

VIDEO PREMIERE Artist:  DARRYL PURPOSE Song:  “Prince of the Apple Towns” Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “Prince of the Apple Towns” come to you? This song is about the poet from Wales, Dylan Thomas, whose last words were said to be “Eighteen whiskeys, I think that’s a record.” But this song is mostly about happier, early days when he called himself, “Prince... 

VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY Artist: BILLY CROCKETT Song: “21 Times” Website: BillyCrockett.com Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David How did the idea of “21 Times” come to you? Awareness of our finiteness dawns on us eventually. I had read Paul Bowles’ novel, The Sheltering Sky, in which two travelers begin to understand that opportunities for experience, and for reconciliation, are numbered.... 

©Noah Schutz EMMETT SKYY Song: “Love Leads to Nothing” Website: EmmettSkyy.com Web-Exclusive Interview with M Music & Musicians magazine publisher, Merlin David   How did the idea of “Love Leads to Nothing” come to you? It came from feeling you’ve invested so much love and energy into a relationship, and it falls by the wayside. But even though that relationship ended, you still feel something. It’s coming to terms with yourself—and... 

MAGIC MAN Mixing genres and producers, chart-topper Jason Derulo conjures up his own brand of pop By Russell Hall Jason Derulo’s songs are fixtures on the pop charts, but he’s hesitant to label his music as simply pop. He’s proud of his many influences, and his latest album, Everything Is 4, features an array of musical styles. For some artists, that could spell a lack of cohesion, but Derulo’s collection gels through the sheer force of his... 

VIDEO FEATURE OF THE DAY Artist: TOM PRASADA-RAO Song: “Sleeping Beauty” Website: TomPrasadaRao.com How did the idea of “Sleeping Beauty” come to you? I wrote this song for my ex mother-in-law. She found the love of her life later in life, and she transformed from someone who stayed in her bathrobe all day, to someone who closed down the VFW hall every night. It was a beautiful sight to see. But soon after they got married, they got the call... 

PHOTOGRAPHER NORMAN SEEFF CHOSE “A FUNKY little hotel” in downtown L.A. to shoot this session for Merle Haggard’s 1981 album Big City. “With wry humor, Merle said, ‘This is what you learn in jail’ as he peeled the apple in one cut,” recalls Seeff. “He didn’t try to hide his past.” As the session progressed, a different facet of the country legend emerged. “He had a kind of duality,” explains Seeff. “One part was rough and... 

MERLE HAGGARD Okie From Muskogee Anniversary Edition Anniversaries. The 20th anniversary of the notorious Nancy Kerrigan/Tonya Harding relationship, as celebrated by two specials coinciding with last month’s Winter Olympics, caught me by surprise. So I had my own celebration by reposting Loudon Wainwright III’s transcendent tribute to the bygone days of women’s figure skating and sportsmanship, “Tonya’s Twirls,” which eventually surfaced... 

MERLE HAGGARD After beating lung cancer, “The Hag” still is who he is Merle Haggard’s new album is called I Am What I Am, but that title could have been affixed to almost anything he’s recorded during his nearly half-century as one of America’s most stubbornly self-possessed singers and songwriters. He has built a body of work unequaled in the country genre, one created on clear-eyed slice-of-life classics like “Okie From Muskogee,”... 

Ryan Shupe – Just Say Yes When asked about his new video, “Just Say Yes,” Ryan Shupe said, “Sometimes you just want to hit the road and leave everything behind. That’s the vibe I wanted to capture with the song ‘Just Say Yes.’ I love the imagery of hitting the road, driving all night and wind blowing through your hair. I think the production has a nice building effect, with the piano and mandolin, that creates a feeling of anticipation... 

YAMAHA JOHN PATITUCCI TRBJP2 Versatile bass designed by one of the greats The way the maple-topped ash and alder body of the Yamaha John Patitucci signature TRBJP2 model six-string bass springs to life with the lightest touch speaks volumes about the quality of this instrument. From body construction to pickup design and its voiced electronics—it reflects the demanding standards of its master bassist creator. While the brass tailpiece is totally... 

INTUITIVE CONTROL Yamaha’s innovative TouchFlow Operation makes their TF Series digital mixing consoles among the most intuitive and user-friendly models available. Each model comes equipped with a touchscreen-based editing channel complemented by a series of logically laid-out encoders and a Touch & Turn knob, which allows the user to instantly control any onscreen parameter. Simplified setups such as Vocal Mode take the guesswork out of setting... 

YAMAHA AG06 Quick, quality and versatile mixing Yamaha released a pair of powerful small-format mixers/USB audio-interfaces for 2015, the three-channel AG03 and the six-channel AG06. We recently got our hands on the AG06 and were impressed by the feature set Yamaha managed to pack into such a portable unit. Class-compliant USB connectivity makes the AG06 well suited for traditional music recording, but there are also onboard options for recording... 

BEEFED-UP BILLY BASS Few bass players are as discerning about tone as Billy Sheehan—one of the reasons his signature line of Yamaha basses keeps evolving. The Billy Sheehan Attitude Limited 3 bass model doles out a bold low end, clear highs, and midrange articulation that’s second to none. A spline-jointed body and redesigned neck joint serve up tight response and fast action. At the neck, a Yamaha woofer pickup offers plenty of body, and the... 

MIX MASTERS Yamaha unleashed a revitalized line of 10 new MG Series mixers, ranging from six to 20 inputs. On the basic end, there’s the MG06, which sports a pair of preamps and two stereo channels. The fully loaded MG20XU comes with 16 mic pres, three-band parametric EQs, four aux buses, and Yamaha’s acclaimed SPX digital multieffect processor. Regardless of the channel count or the feature set, all these mixers deliver serious bang for the... 

AGED TO PERFECTION This year Yamaha revised their popular L Series acoustic guitars, introducing a full lineup of A.R.E. models (A.R.E. stands for Acoustic Resonance Enhancement, the company’s patented process for aging their tops). Combined with a modified, non-scalloped bracing design, these heat- and pressure-treated solid spruce tops provide discerning players with the broken-in sound coveted by vintage guitar collectors. The new series also... 

FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES 2016 RECIPIENTS FOR THE ELAINE WEISSMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS  RAMBLIN’ JACK ELLIOTT, SONNY TERRY AND BROWNIE MCGHEE AND THE ENGLISH FOLK DANCE AND SONG SOCIETY TO BE HONORED AT AWARDS GALA   FEBRUARY 17, 2016 28TH ANNUAL FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO BE HELD FEBRUARY 17-21, 2016 IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI Folk Alliance International is pleased to announce the 2016 recipients of The Elaine... 

  FOLK ALLIANCE INTERNATIONAL ANNOUNCES   KEYNOTE SPEAKER AND ARTIST SHOWCASES FOR THE 28TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE FEBRUARY 17-21, 2016 FOLK LEGEND JUDY COLLINS CONFIRMED AS SPEAKER AND PERFORMER ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19 MORE THAN 190 ARTISTS FROM 11 COUNTIRES SLATED TO PERFORM DURING CONFERENCE AT THE WESTIN HOTEL CROWN CENTER IN KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 2016 ARTIST HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE DARLINGSIDE (USA), JEFFREY FOUCAULT (USA), LOS TEXMANIACS (USA),... 

Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Lee Ritenour hosts the biennial Six String Theory Competition for the 5th time with applications accepted in Guitar, Bass, Piano/Keyboards and Drums. Registration is open from January 15, 2016 through May 15, 2016 on the website by submitting two YouTube videos. For Guitar, applicants may register in the genres of Rock, Blues, Jazz/Fusion, Acoustic/Country, Classical/Flamenco and Rhythm Guitar which includes Pop,... 

In The Mix Studio wiz Russ Long reveals his secrets to maximize your mix All the instruments and vocals have been recorded, and now it’s time to turn those tracks into a finished record: You’re ready for the mixing process. But you know the mix can make or break even the best recordings. How do you ensure you’re crafting the perfect mix? Mixing is as much art as science, and the pros rely on hard-earned experience to transform great tracks... 

Talking Synth Ace musician Michael Bearden shares his tips on finding the right synth for your sound Synthesizers open up entire new worlds of music. With today’s technology, synths—digital and analog, software and hardware—offer nearly limitless options when it comes to creating sounds and textures. Synths allow musicians of all stripes to generate music from scratch or completely shape existing material to taste. But how to best harness the... 

Magic Mic A Grammy-winning producer shares his insights to finding the perfect studio mic  Getting clean, pristine sound begins at the source: the microphone. Designed to capture both nuance and ferocity of a performance, these devices are specialized for the studio. Some work well for specific duties, such as vocals, and others are able to handle multiple applications. But making sense of the seemingly endless varieties available is a dizzying... 

  Amped Up Find the right amplifier with sound advice from guitar master Steve Lukather  When it comes to crafting the perfect sound, the amplifier is every bit as important as the guitar itself. And with the countless variations available—from monster stacks to boutique boxes—there are seemingly endless choices when it comes to selecting the right amp. We turned to five-time Grammy-winning guitarist, singer, songwriter and producer Steve Lukather...