You are here: Home / Archives for Fans / Artist Discovery

Interview with Osairis Front-Man, Aundra Island

By Leave a Comment

0269ea547ebb68819d8097514945bcc5“I didn’t know at the time that you could be of a darker shade and have dreadlocks and play speed metal.”

Recently, youbloom was fortunate enough to nab a little airtime with the Progressive-Rap, Rock-Fusion trio Osairis. An eclectic description indeed but one that’s only fitting for a band who’s sound has been likened to that of Cream and Hendrix as well as Rage Against the Machine and Living Colour. Osairis’ drummer and front-runner, Aundra Island works in tandem with guitarist, Casey Loudon and Berklee Bassist Gaku Murata to commandeer the stage with punchy, political verses book-ended by sweeping, Hendrix-esque guitar solos. Today, I picked the brain of the man behind the beats, Aundra Island.

Robert: Osairis is a collaborative group right? You’ve had different members in and out throughout the years? When and How did Osairis in it’s current form come together?

Aundra: Well, how we got together was we had an offer to open up for Angela Moore from Fishbone. And the name of Angelo Moore’s (Lead singer of Fishbone) side-band is Dr. Madd Vibe so he said he’d make an offer where if I could get a band together I’d be able to open up for them. For years I had been associated with the Black Rock Coalition but it had been through the West Coast Division I knew Angle Moore and it was actually his hairstylist who put me in contact with him.

Robert:  So Casey, Gaku, and yourself play this gig for Dr. Madd Vibes. At what point did it click for you guys and you realized that you could work together as a group for more than just this one gig?

Aundra: You know there were other guys that kept playing with the group too but as far as the 3 of us clicking, it just took 2 -3 gigs for us to mesh. It’s funny because we all come from a similar background. Gaku graduated from Berklee and Casey graduated from Musicians Institute and I had attended Cal Arts. I got to a point where I had played jazz all my life and I wanted to move away from that. Being in a rock ‘n’ roll context with jazz chops that’s pretty much what I wanted to do and we all came from that similar background.

Robert: What artists have influenced Osairis’ sound?

Aundra: Ultimately Hendrix was my inspiration. I looked to Hendrix as a demi-god. But we also had bands like Rage Against the Machine, Sound Barrier, 24-7 Spyz, Urban Dance Squad, Faith No More, and Van Halen. But ultimately Hendrix and Living Colour.

Robert:  Did Living Colour help bridge that gap between Jazz and Rock for you?

Aundra: My first Rock ‘n’ Roll concert was Living Colour and ever since than I was pretty fascinated with Living Colour because I come from a jazz background and within my jazz background I studied Dave Brubeck, Ornette Coleman, and Count Basie. So I saw Living Colour at the Key club in LA and I was probably only 14 at the time. I didn’t know at the time that you could be of a darker shade and have dreadlocks and play speed metal.

Robert: Yeah, that’s definitely a niche-market huh?

Aundra: Yes. Very

Robert: I noticed with your live performances it stays with the rock vibe but then you guys have these improvised solos for 16 bars and I think that’s where I heard the jazz influence come through.

IMG_20171214_215542_081

Aundra: Yes because we like to utilize being a power trio. You know a lot of guys now a days use that term but when I think of actual power trios – Rush, Cream, Primus – We’re like them, we’re gonna make sure all of our chops come out and make sure we can bounce off each other with ideas whether it’s in the studio or live. 

Robert : Osairis’ sound has been labeled as Progressive Rap before. How would you define Osairis’ sound?

Aundra: You know it’s funny, The guitar player, Casey Loudon, his dad came to one of our concerts one time, it was at this festival called Punk Black out of Atlanta, they do kinda this black rock thing. It’s funny cause he said we sounded like progressive rap and I don’t really look at us as that. I look at us as more fusion; a mix of Jazz, rock, and hip-hop.

Robert: Do you write all the lyrics for Osairis’ original tracks?

Aundra: Yes and lot of people will actually confuse our originals with covers because I always try to make sure that when we write original material it doesn’t just appeal to us in the band, it appeals to everybody.

Robert: And what could you tell us about your album, Electric Purgatory?

Aundra: It’s funny because some people have said I’ve gotten the idea from the Black Rock Coalition’s film but it was actually based off of a nightmare I had of being in the music business for a while. I saw all these angels and it wasn’t like an acid trip but that’s where the title came from. So the album is pretty much a few originals and covers. I call Electric Purgatory my Chinese Democracy because I just stayed in the studio and kept recording, recording, recording and I knew at some point I was just gonna have to finish it. That album probably took me about 3 years to make.

Robert: Wow! That’s a long time for one album!

Aundra: See it’s funny how nowadays you can make an album in 15 minutes but you see for me it’s all about making the album of quality.

Robert: And what about your other albums?

Aundra: The second album, Road Warrior, is all originals except for one but we do sample from bands like the Who and Jay Z. The Third album is a live recording of the night we opened for Angelo Moore of Fishbone. 

Robert: What’s the best show you’ve ever played? Why?

Aundra: We opened up for Winger at the Whiskey-a-Go-Go.  That place is like our second home. Not only are those guys solid but they believe in independent artists. Chain reaction too, back when we were just starting up we contacted them and they were kind enough to get us going.

Robert: And what is it do you believe that these types of venues do to help independent artists?

Aundra: Well you both get to piggy back off of each other. The venue let’s you come in and play and you’re able to promote yourself at the venue you’re playing. We’ve also had a lot of help from other bands like Awukii, they’re kinda like the Bad Brains out here. We’ve had help from this band out of Atlanta called the Tulips with this guitar player named Gabby Logan. The Howling Stars out of Atlanta and from Sound Barrier who we opened up for. We’re all able to bounce off of each other.

Robert: It’s good to just to be able to have that network to rely on.

Aundra: Yes.

It’s kind of like if Hendrix played rap metal…

Robert: Has Osairis been on tour before?

Aundra: We stay in LA for the most part. The hard part is seeing if you can find a huge profit on that. We wanted to play in Ireland with youbloom and then they asked us to play LA instead but that would have been fun.

Robert: Hey we’re gearing up for the youbloomDublin festival in May again and we’re wanting to get more of our LA sound over their this year. Youbloom is trying to do just what you were talking about where we connect bands and strengthen that network. For bands coming to a new city it can make a world of difference just knowing some of the local talent, and not feeling like complete strangers when coming into the city.

Aundra: Hey we’d love to be able to fly over their and play in Dublin.

Robert: Does Osairis currently have something in the works? A new album or some sort of project?

Aundra: Yes, We’re in the phase of producing the album MEDIA: Multi-Ethnic Destruction In America. This album is going to be dark and heavy. It’s going to be a combination of commercial, political, and lyrical content. Like the first 2 albums combined but it’s gonna have a really cool and interesting appeal to it.

Robert: And what inspired this album for you?

Aundra: To be honest there’s not enough content out. It seems like every time I listen to the radio these days, everything on there is just bubble-gum and it’s like there’s a real world out there. You know, don’t just force feed the audience what you want them to hear. Sometimes there isn’t any light at the end of the tunnel and you just have to deal with it, not everything is just peachy keen.

What MEDIA was inspired by was Public Enemy. I didn’t want to go the route I had gone with the other two albums. The other stuff is rock but this is a more heavy rock. It’s kind of like if Hendrix played rap metal but it’s not gonna be so experimental, a lot more straight and in your face.

Robert: Can we expect a little bit more collaboration on this album?

Aundra: Ya we’re having different artists come in. From Sound Barrier we’ve got Spacey T, Ronny Drayton from 24-7 Spyz, Robert Brown of White Chapel, and Daniel Lape as one of our guitarists. Just playing around with it. I’m trying to see what the heaviest sound is I can run with and blue print it.

Robert: And what’s that process look like as you bring different musicians in to the studio?

Aundra: They’ll just come in and I’ll show them this idea I have or show them what I want or what I’ve already recorded. I always say this band is kind of like Deep Purple where we’ve had just about everyone in this band.

This is why I want MEDIA to be perfect from start to finish but I’ve only been working on it for a minute. Each album that I do I try to treat it like it’s my first album. Then I make sure that there is always gonna be some sort of change. One thing I’ve learned from Miles Davis is that you can keep the same style as long as you adapt to whats going on around you. That and keep a brighter way of thinking and you’ll be okay. If you listen to Davis from 1955 – 69, from Kind of Blue to Witches Brew, it’s all the same thing, he just stretched out the arrangements but he always stuck to the same style, the same thing.

Robert: So MEDIA is in the works and it sounds like it’s coming along nicely. Don’t let the rest of us rush you along, it sounds like a really cool work in progress. I know the fans and I will be excited and waiting for that release date.

What advice would you have for other independent artists who are trying to make it in the industry?

You can keep the same style as long as you adapt to whats going on around you.

Aundra:  My obvious advice would be learn various styles of music. Study the greats who have come before you and after you. Learn to read charts. Have a good attitude but also be able to stand your ground because things aren’t always gonna be smooth as butter. Don’t let anyone doubt you because some people have doubted me but it’s those challenges that have made me who I am today.

To hear more from Aundra and Osairis check them out on SoundCloud or Youtube. Friend them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter to stay up to date on that album release: MEDIA. The band plays in Los Angeles regularly so when you’re in town be sure to check them out!

 

 

Robert Loustaunau is a content writer for youbloom and is a member of the social media team there. He is an avid music maker and listener. He enjoys the simple things in life: coffee, a good book, and quality time with his lovely girlfriend.

Best Options For Marketing Your Band To A Wider Audience

By Leave a Comment

If you’re in a band and you want to be popular in the music scene, you have to face countless
others who want to be just as famous as their stars. Your best bet is to have a good marketing
strategy.

Marketing for any type of product continues to evolve with the market, which makes services
step up their game every so often and make marketing a daunting term to those new in the field.
Here are some tips that can get you started on a full-blown marketing campaign for your band:

1. Awareness: Who Is Aware of Your
Music?
Music isn’t your only tool to be known by
your fans. You can also invite people to
attend your gigs and review you as a band, so
they can spread the word.

● You can reach out to local bloggers
and influencers with free tickets to
your gig, or a free EP to give access
to your music. This lets them know
that you really want to engage your fans.
● Snapchat is also a growing tool you could use to post live updates of your gigs to your
fans. It’s becoming a widely used service even by popular news sites, which means a lot
of users are going to look for you here as well if they are your fans.
● Facebook is your friend, but you shouldn’t stick to groups and pages. You can use the
power of live streaming, sharing commentary, and creating the atmosphere of being
engaging by always staying up to date with Facebook’s latest trends and using them to
engage your fans.

2. Responsiveness: Are You Communicating With Fans?
Of course, you can’t exactly form a fan base if you’re not appealing to your prospective fans. It’s
not always about your music, but how you convey it. You should be a group that people want to
follow and check out. You should convey a personality of sorts when you interact with your
fans, even in social media.

● Artists and bands may want to consider how large is their fan base first before releasing
their tracks. If you want to make a partnership with labels, your social media numbers
may be your version of cred for partners and sponsors.
● One way to do this is by making design contests. You can challenge artists to create
posters or shirt designs for your band, and print the winner.

3. Exposure: Where Do You Bring Your Music?
So you have a band, and you want to be known. You have tracks ready, and you may have been
doing gigs of your own as well. However, this shouldn’t count as your overall exposure, as you
may need to do something more to fully expose your fans to your music.

● For instance, you can do unique song covers such as acoustic versions of your favorite
non-acoustic songs, or slow versions of fast music.
● Spotify is growing to be the best alternative option to the radio, and it’s popular on a global
level. It is a good option to share stream links to your fans inside and outside Spotify to
constantly engage with your fans.
● You can team up with popular podcasters to have your music featured in their episodes,
or you and your band can make a podcast as well. This is a handy way to have something
to engage your audiences with that is not always your music.

4. Online Is Not Always the Best
This may seem counterintuitive, but this
is something everyone should always
remember, your offline presence should
be just as strong as your online presence.
Help your fans know that you are
available in the real world to be interacted
with.

● You should try establishing a
home base where you’re always
expected to appear, so fans can go and see you.
● Discmaker suggests you can go to local fests, events, venues, and bars to do gigs so
people can discover your music. This is of course in venues outside your “home base.”
● You can also try out geo-targeting your audience in emails, newsletters, and Facebook
events. This means, with the right guidance, you can attract and focus on potential fans in
areas closer to the place you will have events in. This boosts the chances of people going
to see your events.

Conclusion

You may come up with the best marketing strategy that is fit for your band, but the most
important thing is to come up with something you can do consistently. All efforts you’ve done
for your marketing campaign will fail if you don’t follow through with your plans.
As Undercover.net.au says, always remember to put love and effort to your marketing campaign,
and your love for your band and the craft will come to life. Do you have other tips for marketing
strategies for bands? Comment down below and share it with us!

 

About the writer

SARA HARRISON
Sara is a music enthusiast who loves to play guitar and the piano. She has a
large selection of music CDs with Rock and Blues being her favourite. In her
spare time, she’s studying to be a music teacher and enjoys visiting music
festivals. She currently writes for Undercover.net.au and enjoys life.

Promote Positive Change: Rivermaker’s Story

By Leave a Comment

Maurice White from the band Rivermaker–who will be performing at the upcoming youbloomLA 2017 Music Summit & Festival–shares his band’s challenging yet inspiring past and their socially aware vision.

 

Surreal Beginnings

At Cal Poly Pomona, Maurice met Austin, the band’s guitarist, at a jam session organized by the band’s drummer, Brooks. A “mutual love for the craft of creating eruptive sounds” brought the band together then, in 2009.

 

Their influences range from Little Dragon, The Police, Sade, and even “good culinary creations” or “the LA political and social system.” Since their beginnings, however, they’ve endured more than just typical band disputes. Lamentably, their lyricist, frontman, and friend passed away in an untimely manner. Their mutual dedication to music allowed them to keep going so that they “evolved and reconstructed into a power trio.”

 

Maurice aims to “promote positive change”

Unlike most bands, Rivermaker has had a politically in-tune past and strives to sustain their community-minded themes. They volunteer with groups such as the Los Feliz Lions Club in order to, as Maurice states, raise money to “help the visually impaired” and to “push for grand change in our city toward the aim of public transit.”

 

Their active schedule–split between music and social awareness–can sometimes be exhausting. Having been “previously involved in politics” by “campaigning, protesting, [and] organizing”, their toughest challenge is maintaining balance and sanity.

 

Looking Forward to youbloomLA

Rivermaker is hoping to “give a strong musical performance” at youbloomLA for their first year there. Maurice stated that they have attended similar industry events before, but “not to the same magnitude.” They will be performing songs from their first full length album, expected to release in May 2018, along with a few songs from their EPs.

 

Their intentions also are to foster a relationship with “record label executives and producers” who could “provide guidance on how Rivermaker can record a timeless album that exemplifies the quality of our hard-worked and heartfelt songs.” And to have their music featured in films by interested individuals is another goal of theirs for youbloomLA.

 

The music world is, according to Maurice, “what [they] make it.” We’re anticipating that they’ll make it great at youbloomLA!

 

–

 

Attention music lovers!

Youbloom is looking for passionate individuals to join our team for youbloomLA: our annual Music Summit and Festival! Follow the link below to learn more.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzFR-OdsG41_bHg4VnNWVlFWa3ZFd2hxNjN5UE5MR1RVQzlz

 

Be Yourself: Raised on TV’s Advice

By Leave a Comment

Keaton Rogers offers some excellent advice, tells his band’s story, and elaborates on how they’ve arrived where they are: about to release their debut album titled “Season 1” and two months away from playing at the youbloomLA 2017 Music Summit & Festival.

 

Garage Band Beginnings

Keaton, Kacey, and Ryan, the members of Raised on TV, began “working away in Ryan’s mom’s garage” in the summer of 2015. Keaton and Kacey, who are brothers, “always thought it would be cool to be in a band together”. So when Keaton’s previous band disbanded and Kacey and Ryan’s previous band also fell apart, they joined forces to create Raised on TV.

 

With influences such as Weezer, Jimi Hendrix, Simon and Garfunkel, Pink Floyd, and Blink 182, there’s no doubt that Raised on TV’s first EP, released in 2016, had rock and roll roots. Since their humble beginnings, they’ve toured twice and recorded a full length album. And they “feel like [they’re] in a good place as a band.”

 

When asked about the band’s vision, Keaton joked that their band’s vision is “20/20 when [they] wear [their] glasses”

To “make and share quality music” is, “in all seriousness”, their true vision. Live performances hold an especially special place in their hearts, as Keaton stated “having an amazing concert experience is very much at the heart of our vision for our band.”

 

And if they can help others “get through a tough day” with their music, even better.

 

“It’s not about the competition”

Last year, Raised on TV entered a battle of the bands competition for a chance to play on the Vans Warped Tour. With 200 original contestants, they successfully navigated through the hoops to compete out of 8 groups in the final round. However, their “mindset was never that [they] were competing with other bands.” Instead, as Keaton states, they were just aiming to become “the best version of [themselves].”

 

Even though they lost in the final round, they reminded themselves that “it was never about winning in the traditional sense anyway. So, don’t get caught up in the competition. When you go see twenty or so amazing bands at a festival, there’s no first or second prize, no gold or silver medal, there’s a bunch of freaking awesome music and people there to enjoy it.”

 

Keaton’s word of advice? If an artist is true to themselves, “there will be nobody else like that artist and that’s what it’s all about.”

 

Romance at youbloomLA

Since it’s their first time at youbloomLA, Raised on TV is hoping for the usual: to develop connections, enjoy the music, and have a great time performing.

 

However, according to Keaton, it would also be neat if their drummer, who is “currently the only single member of the band” met someone and fell in love. Here’s to hoping!

 

–

 

Attention music lovers!

Youbloom is looking for passionate individuals to join our team for youbloomLA: our annual Music Summit and Festival! Follow the link below to learn more.

 

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzFR-OdsG41_bHg4VnNWVlFWa3ZFd2hxNjN5UE5MR1RVQzlz

 

 

Where To Find The Best Up And Coming Bands

By Leave a Comment

In this day and age, we are constantly inundated with new music from a multitude of channels—Spotify Discover Weekly Playlists, Youtube recommended videos, and releases pouring onto every streaming device you can think of. And say what you will about the quality and style preferences heard in some of today’s hottest tracks, it is truly an exciting time for the music industry.

 

However, sometimes all of this new music can be overwhelming. If you are an avid music lover like me, you want to know how to block out the fluff and find really great up and coming artists. But this is easier said than done. Of course it takes a lot of time and effort to stay current in today’s music industry, but check out some of these tips if you’re interested in finding the next great artist.

 

Check Out Your Local Open Mics

No matter where you are currently living, chances are there is a bar or restaurant somewhere in the vicinity that hosts an open mic night. Open Mic Nights are a great way to get the community involved, draw a crowd, and ultimately provide free entertainment for the establishment.

 

Next time you see a sign for a local Open Mic Night, or any other local music gigs, make a note to check it out one night. You might be surprised by the kind of up and coming talent that is just starting to get out there.

 

View Trending Tracks on SoundCloud

SoundCloud is a wonderful place to go to find up and coming music. The platform tends to lean towards independent and DIY artists, so you can be sure that all of the likes and shares are authentic. No matter what kind of music you are into, you’re likely to find some really great artists on SoundCloud.

 

If you’re in the mood for something new, check out the top songs and most shared tracks on SoundCloud. Many of the top tracks on SoundCloud are also featured on the most popular music blogs and publications as well.

 

Head To Shows Early To Catch The Opening Acts

Live shows are often fairly long endeavors, and can go pretty late into the night. Not to sound like a total buzz kill, but it’s important to plan ahead so that you have enough stamina to last the entire night. But that said, some of the best new up and coming artists are most likely on tour opening for the bands that you already know and love.

 

If you have any upcoming music gigs planned, trying going on the earlier side to catch some of the opening acts, as this is a great way to find the newest talent. These are bands and artists hand-picked by the headliners, so you can be sure that they are on the rise.

 

Staying on top of the latest music industry trends is exciting and fun for anyone with a passion for music, but the platforms and methods for finding new talent are always changing, and it can be very time consuming to weed through the noise to find the really good stuff.

 

Next time you’re on the hunt for a hot new up and coming band, try out some of these tips and let us know if they lead you to any artists that you plan to follow for years to come.

 

Author bio:

Freddy Tenny is an audio engineer and avid music lover. He owns and operates Rivington Music Rehearsal Studios, a legendary music and band rehearsal space located in the Lower East Side of Manhattan. These studios first opened in 1988 and boast an all-star list of bands and artists who have practiced in them.