Summary, tl;dr Pay $10/square via PayPal to cklimecky@hotmail.com to get the password and pick your square(s) for the HBS Super Bowl Squares pool (linked)! Picks must be made by 11:59pm on Friday, 2/5/2016. Numbers will be auto generated on 2/6/2016 or when all squares have been sold so everyone has […]
Those of you who know me as definitely not “a runner” might be wondering what all the running has been about recently. Before I tell you that story, I have to tell you this story…
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Arrival Lyrics by Chris Klimecky Come on in, the water’s fine Let me pour your glass of wine Kick off your shoes I’ve got some news for you Now don’t be shy, come on let’s go I’ve got your ticket for the […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey This Journey Lyrics by Cait Rosellini and Chris Klimecky The sun burns on my back but I keep going down the road like nothing’s wrong Over and over in my head plays this long forgotten song My past is looking younger, the […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Sunshine and Misery Lyrics by Chris Klimecky Can’t blame it on the weather anymore Inside it keeps on rainin’ Stayin’ cool for the change of season Long shadows still remainin’ Try to soak it up Feel the burnin’ light upon my skin […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey The Age Old Story Lyrics by Cait Rosellini and Chris Klimecky How young were you when you saw your first star? It’s like angels called your name from afar They aren’t just happy accidents awaiting your reply How many times have you […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Lap of Luxury Lyrics by Chris Klimecky Hiding in the light, you can see right in plain view All the damage done, what a scene, what we’ve come to Try to close your eyes, bite your lip, stop and listen Hear the […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Energy Lyrics by Chris Klimecky I love how you run Running circles ’round my life You never tire and I can’t find How you light your fire so bright It’s burning like the sun Run like water down the mountain side So […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Water Colors Lyrics by Cait Rosellini and Chris Klimecky Smooth sailing to the captain and his crew Safe waters and a prayer that the fair winds blow through Before setting off they looked to the sky It would be their only constant […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Not Your Hero Lyrics by Chris Klimecky An emergency call is going out tonight but no one’s answering Our chance of getting through the night is quickly lowering Like an island, we’re on our own It’s the last chance for the final […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Ride the Wind Lyrics by Chris Klimecky Say it ain’t so, gotta go It’s a long way home Red skies, sunrise, so low Good times that we leave behind Gotta start something new The memories I take with me, so true Gonna […]
All song lyrics from the album This Journey Afterglow Lyrics by Chris Klimecky Season’s end, my friend Party’s over, time to send You all back home, nothing here will stay Make it last a little more Take a picture, time to store These memories before they fade away Now whatcha […]
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Alternative rocker Mark Nettleton (aka Bitsyras) is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Listen to Mark’s stories of moving around the country and playing music along his way to settling in Seattle, the origin of the name “Bitsyras” and his songwriting process. He finishes with a live solo acoustic version of Into the White.
Eric Tingstad has a long and storied (not to mention successful!) career as a guitarist, instrumental songwriter, and recording artist. From his first release in 1981 to a Grammy award in 2003 to his latest release, Badlands, Eric has carved a unique niche in the “Ambient Americana” genre. Blending country, folk, rock, new age, and Native American sounds, he creates a musical tapestry of his own.
So it was a real pleasure to sit down with this Pacific NW native for insights and stories of his musical journey. Friendly, open, and accessible, Eric has an honest desire for the growth and success of the NW music community and helping up and coming musicians attain their goals. He has been through a lot of changes in the music industry and continues to make music on his own terms, which is a testament to his skill and talent!
Grammy award winning “Ambient Americana” producer and recording artist Eric Tingstad is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Their conversation follows Eric’s extensive songwriting and recording career as well as the future of his art. A beautiful live version of “The Boot Whisperer” finishes the musical selections.
It’s time for the Spring cleaning edition of the Songwriters in Seattle podcast! Out with the old, in with the new – you’ll be happy to know we did something a little bit different this podcast. My guest, David Guilbault, did such a cool experimental project recently, we centered the entire discussion around 4 recordings of his songs. The idea for his project was to give songs to 4 different producers and, only using his vocal, see what they would come up with. It was an idea that yielded some great results and you get to hear the stories behind them!
Classic Americana singer/songwriter David Guilbault is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. David & Chris go in-depth about David’s latest experimental project: Giving his songs to 4 different producers to let them do what they will.
We take a fascinating genre turn for the podcast in April with my interview featuring Erin Jordan. The descriptors read “Old time Americana and Lounge” or “Retro-cabaret” and the songs have a fascinating blend of a New Orleans or Dixieland music flavor wrapped in colorful storytelling and fantastical character vignettes. This is some really interesting music, people!
Erin talks about the journey from a more “typical” singer/songwriter background to the development of her unique sound and the band Bakelite 78. They have a new album out called What the Moon Has Done and are currently playing shows throughout the Pacific Northwest. Look for them at a lounge or cabaret theater near you!
Retro-cabaret singer/songwriter Erin Jordan is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Erin shares songs from her new album with the band Bakelite 78, insight into her original sound and songwriting process, and performs a new song, “Jim.”
Welcome the warmth of spring with a voice you can just melt into, my podcast guest this month, a wonderful singer – Rebekah Ann Curtis! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to talk and discuss her background, her songwriting, and all the other musical work she’s doing these days. Not only will you get to know her better, but she brought new, unreleased tracks! This is a real treat to hear the latest music she’s working on.
While she does already have one album out, Stay Close, the podcast features songs from her upcoming album, Lessons. The first is a great demonstration of that beautiful voice she has – it’s called “You and I Are We.” Second is a slightly rougher mix that is still a work in progress, but shows off an upbeat, playful energy and is called “It’s Magic To Me.” Lastly, she pulls out the acoustic guitar and plays a new song live in the studio, a groovy little tune called “What Goes Up.”
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com
March, 2012
Singer/Songwriter Rebekah Ann Curtis is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Rebekah shares new, unreleased tracks along with stories about her songwriting and performing history. She performs “What Goes Up” live to finish the show.
[audio:SISPodcast19_Rebekah.mp3]
Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download
Hooray! It’s celebration time – This Journey is officially released! It’s been a huge endeavor of heart, soul, and effort – a dream project to have the time to realize my vision as best as I possibly could. In songwriting, performance, and production, this is a new high bar that I am thrilled to share with you! In celebration, I’ve posted the opening song “Arrival” for you to preview on Reverbnation (check the mini-player on my sidebar here, too).
Over the course of the next few months, I’ll be sharing stories about each song, lyrics, reviews from the press, and more, as news about the album’s release gets out to more and more people. Thank you so much for supporting me and sharing with your friends. This is a critical part of helping an independent artist promote their work, as I have neither the time nor the budget to do a significant marketing campaign on my own. I need rock fans telling other rock fans that This Journey is worth their time and money to check out!
It’s always fascinated me to hear what people think about my music, especially outside the generally protective realm of family, friends, and known fans. In any random and anonymous large group there is going to naturally be good, bad, and ugly responses. It’s important to me to try and get some sense how the songs from my new album, This Journey, would hold up against the mass of music releases the market is constantly assaulted with. Is it actually as good as I think it is? Specifically, which songs are getting the best responses and should thus be put forward to make a good first impression of the new release?
I used a professional music market research firm through Soundout.com to try and get some answers. For each song submitted, I not only received some good market comparison stats, but also the actual unedited comments from the 80+ listeners (who generally seem to have somewhat of a discerning ear and thoughtful comments, though it’s not clear if they are music industry related somehow or not – regardless, it’s completely anonymous).
I am thrilled (and relieved!) to announce that the new album is officially done! It is at the replicators now and should be ready for distribution, both in hard copy and electronically, within a couple weeks. I am so proud of how this came out, both musically and visually, I can barely contain myself! Huge thanks goes out to David Cook of OriginWest, who did all the graphic work and re-design of my visual presentation. While I assume you’ve seen the cover art he did (which I’ve already plastered all over the place), I would like to take the rest of this post to show you more the album artwork that he did.
How are you going to spend your one extra day of February this year? Listening to the new Songwriters in Seattle podcast, I would suggest! My guest this month is Jabi Shriki, who brings a great combination of thoughtfulness and emotion to his music and our discussion. His new album, Puzzle Pieces, is out now and has a poetic depth to a pop/rock sound (think echo-y U2 guitars with a mellow tenor voice).
Jabi has a substantial catalog of recorded music and has been playing in bands for a while. For Puzzle Pieces, he played all the instruments and recorded it all himself, so a lot of effort went into it. He’s also a doctor (radiologist) and a book author, which all came into play with the concept of the album. It’s very interesting to hear him describe how he melds the different parts of his life in the expression of his music.
Pop/Rock musician Jabi Shriki is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Jabi shares tracks from his new album and the philosphy behind them as well as a new tune played live.
Welcome to the start of a new year of Songwriters in Seattle podcasts! If this first one is any indication, 2012 is going to be a great year for us, as our recent songwriting contest winner, Charlie Heinemann joins me in the studio for great music and discussion. Charlie has some unique songwriting insight and humor to go along with it!
Americana singer/songwriter Charlie Heinemann is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Charlie shares songwriting tips, songs from the album with his band The Repeat Offenders, and plays a new song live.
The final podcast of 2011 with my friend and very talented songwriter Adena Atkins is now available for your enjoyment – capping off a fantastic year of getting to know my fellow Songwriters in Seattle! If Adena’s name (and voice) sounds familiar, it’s because I’ve talked about her before as […]
Electronica art song singer/songwriter Adena Atkins is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. They dive into the four songs of her EP “The Slowest Curve” and her many art form influences.
My November podcast was a ton of fun as my guest, Jennifer Cadence, has both a great sense of humor and great insight into the music business. Oh, and she’s a fantastic singer/songwriter as well! Multi-talented, indeed. I always come away feeling enlightened whenever I’m in touch with Jennifer, as she always seems to have a few golden nuggets of info that I had never heard before. In this podcast, we not only talk about her new EP Mr. Universe, but she brought a list of five essential tips every musician should follow to help you succeed in reaching your goals. You’ve got to give this a listen and take notes!
We also discuss her challenges with defining her genre as pop, but remaining outside the Britney Spears imagery which would follow that kind of label. How’d she do it? By defining her own descriptive label: “Sapphire Blues.” It’s pop with soul and sass – take a listen and I think you’ll find it a pretty appropriate description. We talk about and play 3 songs from her EP: The title track “Mr. Universe,” “Fallout,” and “Dirt On Your Shoes” (with a great story behind that one!).
“Sapphire Blues” pop artist Jennifer Cadence is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. They discuss the origins of her unique pop sound, her new EP “Mr. Universe,” and she gives 5 music business tips all musicians should follow.
Whether you call him “The Wanz,” “TeeWanz” or just Michael Wansley, you’ll find that this is a Seattle R&B/Hip Hop/Soul artist with a ton of talent. With a beautiful, smooth singing voice, infectious modern beats, and mature songwriting chops, Wanz has evolved his approach from funk rock bands in the 90’s to a one man non-stop mobile production house these days.
This is a guy with some great stories and an understated sense of humor. What a fun podcast this was! Unfortunately, he has so many stories I had to cut some to get the podcast closer to the 1/2 hour target length. This will no doubt make for some great additional material in the future! But don’t worry – there’s still an overtime’s worth of discussion along with three of his newer tracks to get a taste for his style and substance.
R&B/Hip Hop/Soul artist Michael “The Wanz” Wansley is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. They discuss his long musical history in Seattle, his new songwriting and production process, and his evolution as a musician.
The whole idea in re-visiting some of these was to improve the quality, right? You may wonder how that part of the process is going…well that’s where it gets interesting. But before I get into that, I want to share a story from way back that I was reminded of last weekend: During my pre-teen through college years, I was a huge Van Halen fan. To give you an idea, Eddie posters covered my room walls for over a decade. Anyway, I read an interview during the making of one of their albums where they were hootin’ and hollerin’ and carry on about how they were measuring how good they were doing by how the hair on their arms tingled and stood when they listened (and anyone else who’d listen). They’d call to each other “Show him your arm!” I remember thinking how cool that would be – to listen and have your body tingle in response – but as they were usually drunk and carrying on about something or other anyway, I considered it as much hype as anything, though the interviewer played along nicely.
Now, because I’m a poor judge of my recordings right when I finish one – I always like them at the time (or else I wouldn’t call it finished) – I’m skeptical about my own excitement. I had my friend Jessica Lynne over on Saturday to do my latest podcast and we had a little extra time when we had finished recording. She was really interested to hear the difference between the old and the new, so I played her the one song she’s most familiar with – “Water Colors.” Somewhere in the middle of the first chorus she turns to me with big eyes and gives me a “Whoa!” and tells me her arms are tingling. Her excitement carried through the rest of the playthrough. Wow! Now I’m pumped – confirmation of the fur raising nature of these new mixes. Thanks Jessica! I think I might be onto something special here, and I can’t wait to play the results of this effort for you all.
When Jessica Lynne brought her stunning voice to the Pacific Northwest from Denmark a year ago, little did she know how involved she would become with Songwriters in Seattle. But she quickly jumped right in with both feet and took fast action to kickstart her country music career and connect with other musicians here in the states. What a year it’s been! Her newly minted EP, Spiritual Cowgirl, is a great representation of what Jessica can accomplish and is no doubt the beginning of even bigger and better things to come for her musically.
Jessica Lynne joins Chris in the studio to discuss her move from Denmark to Seattle, being in love with country music in a place where that wasn’t the norm, and her debut EP Spiritual cowgirl. Also, a live performance of “Fallen Angels Don’t Fly.”
The summer has officially ended. I held on for as long as I could, but the kids are in school, the sweatshirts are on, and the clouds and rain have returned. My self-imposed end of August deadline has past and my new album This Journey has not been released. In fact, one could say it’s gone backwards. But before I tell you that story, I have to tell you this story…
It’s only been a few months since Val D’Alessio started attending events with Songwriters in Seattle, but she’s one of those people who the instant you speak with her and the instant she starts playing music, you know there’s an extremely talented and caring person you’ve got there. While very supportive of SiS, she’s also fairly quiet and humble, so it quickly became a goal of mine to try and get her to tell a little more about herself with a podcast invitation. Lucky for me (and all of you as well), she accepted! During our discussion, Val opens up about her musical and spiritual journey that changed her approach to expressing herself well into adulthood. “Allowing” herself to be a songwriter, and really owning that gift when talking to others has been an obstacle that continually challenges her.
My 12th podcast for Songwriters in Seattle is now posted! My thanks to Val D’Alessio for capping the first year of the podcast with a great discussion and beautiful music. To account for the larger number of podcasts I now have (and will continue to grow), I’ve re-structured how they are presented on my website, with each getting its own posting. Among other benefits of efficiency, this also allows each podcast to have a unique link and its own set of comments. Also as part of the “one year celebration” I just submitted a working podcast subscription xml link to iTunes (I’ll let you know when it’s available). This will make it easier for people to find it and stay up to date each month. It was also an opportunity for me to properly fill out all the meta-data in the podcast mp3 files, so no matter what platform you’re listening on, you’ll get proper descriptions, file organization, and the SiS logo graphic.
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com August, 2011 Val D’Alessio joins Chris in the studio to discuss her spiritual musical journey, how she has allowed her creativity to blossom, and how she continues to be inspired by the creative community. […]
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com July, 2011 Chris interviews creative entrepreneur Andy “Roo” Forrest. As someone who came to songwriting after being creative in other aspects in his life, Roo has a different perspective on typical musician’s strugges and […]
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com June, 2011 Chris interviews symphonic rock musician Thom Schroeder. They discuss and play portions of his epic instrumental compositions, Thom’s classical piano inspiration, his search for a singer, and more! Click the play icon […]
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com May, 2011 Chris interviews Grammy nominated songwriter Henta Ellis. They discuss her move to Seattle from the UK, her surprising and thrilling Grammy experience, and what the future holds for her. Also, a unique […]
April, 2011 Chris on The Aquarium w/King Fish and Big Mike, NWCZ Radio [audio:TheAquarium_Ep9.mp3] Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com April, 2011 Chris interviews consummate working folk musician Jean Mann. Jean shares her experiences touring around the country, challenging herself to write many songs within short periods of time, and her new album Dream […]
Chris has been hosting the podcast for Songwriters in Seattle since mid-2010. Also featured on www.songwritersinseattle.com March, 2011 Chris interviews longtime Seattle classic rock musician Bill Derry. Bill shares his experiences with his band performing for years across the Pacific Northwest. Bill performs a fun new song, “I’m So Over […]
