Jessica Meuse Talks about Life after American Idol: Artist Spotlight

15-Feb-2018 By 2 Comments

Photo Credit: Jessica Meuse

It can be difficult to build up clout as an independent artist, but it sure does help when you’ve got your own hashtag and a squad of fans dropping it on the daily. Ever since Jessica Meuse made it to the Top4 Spot on American Idol’s 13th season, her faithful fan base, #MuseMafia, have been tirelessly repping for the country-singer. If you’re like me, that’s probably where you first heard this soulful singer with that infectious southern twang.

I’ll either be a broke musician or a successful one.

I just want to make my music.

Since her time on Idol, Miss Meuse has signed with Warrior Records, released a music video for “Love Her Better,” and taken up a tour across the country. Despite her hectic performance schedule, the Idol finalist spared some time to talk with youbloom about her roots as a country singer and what new stuff she has been cooking up.

Jessica Meuse on Touring

Talking Points: Living on the road, Playing the Maltese Islands, and getting pampered on American Idol.

On her Roots

Talking Points: Stage-side meltdowns…they happen, and Bringing your real self into your music despite the haters.

The Writing Process

Talking Points: Finding inspiration for music in daily life

Jessica Meuse – “Love Her Better” Official Music Video Recorded on The Maltese.

Best Show Ever Played & Youbloom

Talking Points: Playing the Viper Room in LA, Shout out to the Muse Mafia, youbloom, and the Unfortunate lack of Irish pubs in Texas.

Going Forward and Giving Advice

Talking Points: 2018 Album release, Recording at Capitol Records, and what a Janis Joplin and Stevie Nicks’ baby would sound like (Spoiler, it’s Jess).

You can keep track of what Jessica Meuse is up to by following her on twitter @JessMeuse, instagram, or her official website. There’s a possibility she will be back playing with youbloomDublin or youbloomLA Music Festival & Summit and same for you. For any bands or artists interested in expanding their musical family, meeting and learning from industry leaders, and playing some of the hottest venues in Dublin, make sure to Apply to Play for youbloomDublin. Hurry, the application deadline is February 19th, 2018! And keep an eye out for Jessica’s debut album that is to be released in 2018 or join the #MuseMafia. You know you want to.

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.

Why Live Music Changes Lives

14-Feb-2018 By 3 Comments

Picture this..

It’s a beautiful, sunny day in your local city – except you are unaware of this as you stand, shoulder to shoulder with strangers from all degrees of life. Packed like farm animals inside a dark auditorium awaiting the blinding of strobe lights and deafening of speakers with enough SPL per watt to uproot a forest. And yet, you leave this loud, crammed, seemingly undesirable experience as an inspired, satisfied and overall happier individual; and the question is: why? Why humans not only love, but crave the live music atmosphere, dates back to practically the dawn of mankind.

Even in prehistoric times, the art of live music was believed to play part in the lives of cavemen and women. Artifacts found revealing cave drawings of people dancing—and let’s be honest, who dances without music? Jump forward a few hundred-millennia to Ancient Greece where live performances of theater and music became not only a source of entrainment but also a means of projecting societal norms.

1700s: Opera emerges as a new type of live music performance; initiating a need for large showcase venues such as La Scala in Milan.

1850: Jenny Linda makes her debut in America, exceeding the crowd size brought out by any preceding artist.

1950s: Rock and Roll broke down the race barrier by showcasing black and white artists side-by-side on a shared stage.

Maybe it’s just in our nature or maybe there truly is something different, something unexplainable about live music. On that note (pun intended), the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center conducted a study which analyzed the compared human reaction to live and recorded music. According to the data retrieved through this study, live music resulted in greater relief of stress among patients than recorded tracks. The setting, the physical vigor and connection between fan and artist has the power to pull audience-members out of their busy lives for a moment, where nothing else matters but the art in front of them.

And that’s not even the best part. Concerts not only have illustrated a unique ability to reach people in a way no other means of art can, they are also -dare I say- saving the music industry. Mind you, this is a debated topic amongst music connoisseurs. Many argue, that as the profit from purchased music decreases with the incline in streaming, the touring and live music industry will pick-up the income slack.

Despite the outlandishness of this claim, it is valid considering the immense growth in live music profit over the past decade. Concerts and live tours, which were once mere means of promoting a new album, have evolved into a multibillion dollar industry. Millennials have undeniably taken part in the live music fad; however according to Ticketmaster’s 2014 Live Attendee Study, their presence was solely thirty-five percent of overall attendees. Therefore insinuating that older generations too have increased in concert attendance, and today take up sixty-five percent of the documented audience.

So picture this…

It’s sixty degrees in Dublin, You’re in an outside venue in close quarters with the stranger on your left. You take a moment to appreciate that one festival brought all of these people together. The lights of the stage dim, and outsteps the artist you came to see. And thus, you leave this loud, crammed, seemingly undesirable experience as an inspired, satisfied and overall happier individual; and the answer is: music.

Josey is a content writer for youbloom as well as a member of the marketing team. She is music obsessed and a diehard Tom Petty fan. Josey currently lives outside of Los Angeles where she enjoys excessively sunny days, train adventures and organic chai (yes, Josey is high-maintenance about her chai).

Promote Positive Change: Rivermaker’s Story

04-Aug-2017 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!

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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

28-Jul-2017 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!

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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

Independent Musicians “Bloom” at youbloomDublin Music Summit & Festival

04-Jul-2017 By Leave a Comment

The youbloom Mission Achieved

In the words of The Key Regimes, who performed songs from their debut EP at youbloomDublin, “education and community” are the aspects of youbloom’s mission that they relate with most. “There is never enough of either”, they stated.

How does youbloom provide this through youbloomDublin? Just ask the artists who performed.

The Key Regimes, who were “blown away with the quality of the bands playing over the weekend”, relaxing before a set at youbloomDublin

Community and Education Fostered at youbloomDublin

“Having a sense of community is extremely important for musicians”, Pixie Saytar, a three member band who played a set at 4 Dame Lane, stated. The ability to form a connection rather than a competition allows artists to “feel a part of something bigger”. Pixie Saytar believes a community atmosphere is “vital to growth as both an artist and a person”.

To Pixie Saytar, the educational aspect of youbloom is also important in that it’s about “sharing your expertise with others”, and meeting industry figures removes some of the big bad scariness.

Pixie Saytar striking a pose at youbloomDublin

For others, such as Dandelion Tea, youbloom is about “building a community that supports artists” and learning from others in that community. They quoted Vaughan Williams who once said that “the composer must not shut himself up and think about art, he must live with his fellows and make his art an expression of the whole community.”

ELLYD, who returned to youbloomDublin this year as a solo artist, playing some tunes

Successes and Takeaways From youbloomDublin2017

CARRON is hoping to make it to youbloomLA this year. The two sisters are thankful for the advantageous music industry contacts they made who can offer valuable tips for artists such as themselves. They also look forward to possibly “performing [with them] in the near future”.

Dandelion Tea also saw success in that they were “booked for another gig straight after.” Overall, many artists felt as though their performances were well received by a nice crowd. In the words of ELLYD, “it’s always a pleasure to play at youbloom!”