Rodino is ready to roll!

 

Francis Rodino is the 10th SellaBand artist to reach the $50K goal and with the assistance of SellaBand A&R Adam Sieff has been taking time to find the right producer for his album. He is delighted to announce that he’s found his man in Steve Bush, producer/engineer of  artists including The Stereophonics, Corinne Bailey Rae and Ocean Colour Scene.


Francis says, “After a few weeks of meeting various producers with different views on the world and approaches to music making, meeting Steve Bush was a breath of fresh air.

I immediately warmed to his relaxed, easy going attitude and felt that this was someone who I could work with, and more importantly, communicate with. Everything about Steve was right: location, studio, dates, music, personality. So who am I to fight destiny? When everything feels right you just got to go with your gut, and I'm tremendously excited to be working with him.


Steve has the right amount of skill, talent and experience, (not to mention the track record) to bring the best out of me and the band, to make a fantastic record.”

Steve says, "When I first saw the SellaBand concept, I was instantly hooked on the idea. The prospect of artists ‘putting their fanbase where their mouth is', simply bristles with the type of boldness I've always admired in up and coming acts I've worked with in the past. SellaBand is taking this kind of thinking to a whole new level.

I'm really looking forward to working with $50K artist Francis Rodino. Francis has the type of 'no nonsense' approach to making maximum use of his opportunity with SellaBand, that the whole project is buzzing with enthusiasm already, which is the atmosphere under which all albums should be made. I feel Francis's music has the type of instant mainstream appeal, that combined with his undoubted force of character, could carry him a long way, and we're all really excited to be in a position to take the journey with him."

Plans are being laid for  Francis and his band to record at a studio in the heart of the countryside early next year then back to Steve’s West London studio for overdubs and mixing, with a release date in the Spring.

 

The Orchard Live Update: Vote & Play!

 

 

As we announced last week, our new digital distribution partner, The Orchard, will  present its monthly night at Ginglik, central London, on 28th February as “An evening with Sellaband”. Of the four artists to perform live, both Second Person and Francis Rodino are confirmed to play, and the two other artists will be voted for by the Believers and The Orchard.

As outlined in last week's Tribune, we are inviting all UK- and UK-based artists to nominate themselves for the competition. Believers will then have the opportunity to vote in 2 stages for their preferred Artist, with the competition closing on 8th January. The Orchard will select their Artist from the runners-up.

Today we launch phase 1 of the competition: UK and UK- based acts to nominate themselves to enter the competition.

As of 6pm tonight, on the left hand side of all UK artists’ profile pages, a new “Orchard Live competition” window will appear. Artists should click on the Submit button to enter themselves into the competition. There will also be a ‘more information’ link which will direct you to the list of “Orchard Live contestants” in Club.

Artists have one week to enter themselves into the competition, with no submissions being accepted after midday (GMT +1) on Tuesday 11th December.

2 voting stages will follow:

Stage 1:  On 11th December Believers will be asked to vote for their preferred Artist via their profile page. This preliminary round will run until 20th December. A shortlist of the top 10 acts will be announced in a Tribune special edition on 25th December.

Stage 2: Believers will then have until 8th January to vote for their preferred artist from the shortlist of Top 10, again via their profile pages.

At midday on 8th January voting will cease, and we will contact the winning Artist.  The Orchard UK will then select their artist from the remaining 9 Acts, and the final bill for the Orchard Live will be announced in the Tribune that day.

 

Community Singing


As more and more Believers and Artists join forces to host their own festivals and events, the SellaBand Tribune will make a serious attempt to cover them all. This week we invited Believer Hogdaddee, the driving force behind the first upcoming USA Festival, called Sell-a-Jam, to answer a few questions about his January 25 event.



How did the idea for Sell-a-Jam USA come about?
“Sell-A-Jam came out of a dinner conversation between me, Jon Robert and Les Francoeur (aka Delco) after a JR set in Philadelphia at the end of September. The interest of Believers and Artists in a US SellaBand event was clear and various ideas had been discussed on the forum, but up until that time nothing had been officially organized. We discussed how to get the ball rolling talked about location, venues and who we might be able to get to perform, in about a hour we had mapped out the basics and began making calls to potential participants.”

Why Boston?
“The East Coast for a 1st showcase was pretty much a fait accompli - given the markets and proximity of SellaBand talent for the type of show we wanted to do - which started out as a stepped down - acoustic thing. Well it is going to be a bit more than that. We looked at New York City but decided that at least for the 1st show we'd be minnows swimming amongst whales. And while we were sure we could get people out to the show the lasting impact to the benefit of the artist and SellaBand would be marginal. We considered some other markets and other factors but ultimately Boston made the most sense particularly given Jon and Les's familiarity with the area - they play in and around Boston all the time - and their connections - which is how we got the Paradise.  And Boston has one of, if not the largest university student populations in the US and the date, though in the dead of Winter, coincides with the start of the university Spring semester - in fact ( depending on the school) it is the Friday of the 1st or 2nd full week of classes. So the kids will be looking for something to do and what better than a 4 act show at the Paradise Lounge which is within a mile of Cambridge, Mass.”

    
How did you choose the acts?  
“We wanted a multi-act bill representative of the diversity of SellaBand to promote the fact that it has something to offer to a variety of  music listeners. The show isn't about a particular artist or genre, it's a showcase of SellaBand talent and what better way to exemplify the diversity of SellaBand than with a diverse line-up that offers a little something for almost everyone. Within this context we considered potential artists that were in close proximity and who had either some name recognition and following in the area or who would benefit from the exposure in Boston. We contacted Lily, and Jess, who both immediately agreed to participate. We contacted Rob Parzek with Wetwerks and asked if they would be interested in doing an unplugged set. Rob and Seth discussed it with the band and the decision was a most definite yes.”    
 
What can people expect on the night?
“In addition to great music and maybe a few surprises, the night will be a celebration of what makes SellaBand unique; Artist and Believers coming together to make things happen.”  
 
For inclusion in Community Singing, please send an e-mail to info@sellaband.com

 


 


Q + A

Kaitee Page


It is not very often that we can feature a poetic Page 3 girl in the Tribune. But less than 3 months after signing up to SellaBand, the lovely, talented and hard working Kaitee Page has indeed stormed unto the third page of our artist search. Read on if you want to know more about a violin playin’ Big Apple gal on the loose in London Town and be quick, because she may be on Page 2 before you know it...


Who is Kaitee Page?

“I don't know? Perhaps I am where I've come from: "Dear Relative:

It pains me to see

As strange as I must be

Is as the same as you still seem to me

O united we stand

Wearing the genes we share

On amputated limbs"


Or perphaps I am where I've been:

"Once upon a time, there was a girl of many names. She saw things she

shouldn't see and felt things she didn't want to feel. In time her

misery became quite entertaining..."


Or perhaps I am where I'm going:

"See what's not there, hear what could be, bask in the glow of an

imagined memory because there is no 'reality' just things and objects

left up for interpretation and the prospect of what should be. If

that's insanity, then that's fine with me. A fine line with me."


How did this New Yorker end up living in London?

“Ahhh London! The other side of the moon it is... From the other side of the moon, a gentle hand emerges, one finger raised in question at the girl with loving sternness

Raise not the glass of wine to your strawberry colored lips,

Unbecoming the belligerence with which the red venom drips

Taste instead this succulent grape as I place it on your tongue,

And remember what I told you of the patient heart that won

Don't chew prematurely, you'll spoil the surprise,

Let it roll around in wonderment so I can see the flavor in your eyes

Caressed lips moist over which the tantalizing finger floats,

Tremble, savoring every moment of her lover's eager hopes

Into her eyes he gazes yet he, invisible as air,

Discovers a divine fire in her trusting, lusting stare

As a toddler learns to walk and an infant learns to speak,

To his every request she surrenders, his power eternally sweet

Never a man so strong as is he who can transform

A woman's wounded heart of stone into its pliable, natural form

Like putty in his hand he could shape it as he pleases,

But as sincere as his motives are idealistic his reasons

Gently glides the safe hand across her alabaster face,

Guiding glances toward the warmth of that far away place

Purple grape still on her tongue mouth open, she awaits his move,

With the promise of future splendor, she will not bite down too soon

For in time he will fly from the other side of the moon,

To replace the ripe, purple grape with fruit of his own


How did you discover SellaBand and what made you join?
“Someone heard one of my songs, Yellow Rose, on garageband.com and emailed me to tell me they loved it and that I should join sellaband immediately. To this day I have no idea who it was?”


Any regrets so far?
“None at all. I just wish I'd joined sooner.”


What are your (musical) ambitions?
“I want to bring something real back to the music industry. I want to create music and songs and lyrics from a very truthful, organic place without any thought of profit, income, or business getting in the way of the creative process. I work from a very inside-out perspective. I believe the art should be determined by the artist's deepest thoughts and feelings and instincts and only THEN, once the artwork (album) is complete, should the business world step in and decide how to market it, not the other way around. I'm so bored with all the manufactured, mathematical concoctions of notes and words and sounds coming out of the radio and penetrating my ears every day. I crave emotional truth; I need the rawness. And so I guess in the short term, I'd like to record an album that has exactly those qualities. And in the long term I'd like to spread the music to as many people as possible worldwide.”


Was it difficult to get noticed among over 5,000 other artists?
“Yes! There are so many talented artists already on SellaBand and so many new ones joining every day. It takes a lot of effort not only to get my music in front of new people each day so they can hear it for the first time, but also to keep them coming back for more. It's taken a lot of energy and hard work over the last 3 years to go from having never written a song or played any instrument other than the viola, to teaching myself piano, guitar, violin, singing, and songwriting. I never had any music theory or formal music education; it all just comes from my guts. There's this thing in me that won't stop... almost like it's not even my choice... and that's the fire. That's what keeps me going at 100% all day every day. So is it difficult? Yes. Is it a choice? No.”


When do you hope to reach 50K and what tactics do you use?
“I really want to be in the studio recording the album by this Summer. In 2005 and 2006 all these songs came pouring out of me at once (like vomit) and there are twelve of them in particular that just need to get out and get done, sort of like an exorcism. I must have about fifty songs by now and if those first twelve aren't recorded as a final product (together as an album) sometime in 2008 I really don't know what will happen to me! Ok I'm being dramatic but seriously, it's making me crazy that I don't have a CD to sell people right now. I get at least five emails a day on myspace (from new people) asking me where they can buy my CD and I get at least one email a week from people who actually get angry at me for taking so long. I think with a little time I'll be able to get at least a good portion of my myspace fanbase over to SellaBand; that's sort of my main goal right now. It just seems that at the moment they don't quite 'get it.' They think SellaBand is a scam or that it's too good to be true. Also a lot of them are students who are used to getting their music for free either from friends or via illegal downloads. So indeed it will be a long road ahead trying to get my myspace fans over to SellaBand, but I won't stop trying...”


Why should people Believe in Kaitee Page?
“Good music.”