(Temporary) Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Dear fellow bloggers,

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I love music, and really enjoy having this platform to write about bands that are doing neat things, music news, and what musicians are up to.

Unfortunately, due to personal reasons, I am going to be putting blogging on here on hold for a little while. I have a lot going on and will come back when I have more time to devote to writing about all things music-related.

Until then, happy blogging!

~Mary

Shannon Curtis Is Touring on Her Own Terms, And It’s Really Paying Off

A few years back, singer/songwriter Shannon Curtis decided to do something kind of unorthodox: she completely abandoned traditional club touring. Most musicians – both up and coming, and more established bands – dream of going on tour, and see it as the best way to get new fans, sustain their lifestyle, and allow their music to have the broadest impact. Despite the obvious benefits of club and traditional venue touring, Curtis packed up her act back in 2011 in favor of playing house shows, and so far, she hasn’t looked back.

Explains Curtis, “House concert touring has been better for me as an artist on every measurable career level. I make more new fans, I get more signups on my email list, I sell more CDs/tees/totes, and a I generate more income,” of how playing shows in people’s homes rather than in concert halls or bars has really been paying off. “Perhaps more importantly,” she says, “the lack of traditional audience/performer barriers allows me to make strong, deep connections with people” of the kind of intimacy that is cultivated in a house show rather than a massive venue.

The Huffington Post calls Curtis “a new evangelist for an age-old tradition,” an appropriate description of a woman who is revamping her career by following her own rules. Curtis knows that her newfound love of playing house shows is perceived by many music industry heavyweights as a step backwards career-wise. “It’s totally antithetical to what we normally get fed in terms of music and entertainment,” she admits, of the way her penchant for playing house shows goes against what most pop culture tells us is “good.”

Curtis has already played 150 house concerts since late 2011, and with a new book coming out – “No Booker, No Bouncer, No Bartender: How I Made $25K On A 2-Month House Concert Tour (And How You Can Too) – and more tour dates lined up, she shows no signs of slowing down. 

Learn more about Shannon Curtis’ music and her experiences playing house shows on her official website.

Images: shannoncurtismusic via Instagram

Pharrell Williams Continues to Be Unstoppable, and ‘Happy'

Pharrell Williams has been in the news a lot lately. His latest resume additions include collaborations with some of the biggest names in the business, both as a producer behind the scenes, and as a voice on many a record in recent months. Last year Williams teamed up with Daft Punk, Robin Thicke, and Usher, to name a few, and previously had worked with industry heavyweights like Frank Ocean and Gwen Stefani. He’s been in headlines for his bold fashion choices, signature style, and effortlessly cool demeanor that keeps him at the top of pop.

This year his song ‘Happy” became the musician’s first ever solo Hot 100-topping hit, and delighted audiences as part of the Despicable Me 2 movie soundtrack. The song became something of a movement when William made it into a 24-hour music video, featuring cameos by everyone from Jimmy Kimmel to Kelly Osbourne. Williams also wowed an audience of millions who watched him perform “Happy” at the 86^th Academy Awards.

Now, the pop icon has a new solo album out called G I R L, which is already gaining widespread critical acclaim. Carrie Battan of Pitchfork explains that Williams “occupies the sideline of culture so compellingly that it often becomes its own unique stage,” and says that G I R L sounds “like a direct spawn of last year’s expensive disco-soul pop takeover, filled with grand orchestral flourishes, impossibly catchy funk licks, and his trademark falsetto.” With “Happy” having already pushed this new record above and beyond his previous solo work, Pharrell Williams certainly has lots to be happy about.

Says Williams, “I’m so proud of this work. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” of his success and acclaim garnered from G I R L. I’m definitely excited to see whatever it is that the performer does next.

Image: pharrell via Instagram