Happening This Week!

After a brief hiatus NYC Artists Scene is back in full swing!  This is a busy week for some of our featured artists, if you are in the area definitely be sure to check out the following shows:

Tuesday, May 26- Canal Room Presents Artists You Should Know: Brent Shuttleworth with Miranda Lee Richards and Trey Lockerbie, 8:00pm. www.canalroom.com.

Friday, May 29- Caleb Hawley with Full Band at The Living Room, 9:00pm.  www.livingroomny.com

Next artist in the line-up is Dave Pittenger, who will be playing a show at the Bitter End this Thursday, May 28, 9:00pm.  www.bitterend.com.

All of these guys are FANTASTIC, don't miss these shows!

Brent Shuttleworth: Finding Home

Brent Shuttleworth's guitar teacher at Bates College informed him he was so far behind in terms of understanding music that he wouldn't have a chance making a career out of it.  "I received a D+ at the end of the year," Shuttleworth said with a laugh.  While owning a guitar since age 10, Brent received no formal training until college, in a guitar class and a music theory course, investing a great deal of time and hard work to catch up.

Graduating from Bates with a B.A. in both Philosophy and Political Science, Shuttleworth wanted to be a public defender.  Despite loving music and wanting to play, sing, and write songs, it was a strong desire to help people and be of service to those in need that led to the path of law and justice.  "I guess there was a period of time that I felt like [music] didn't provide practical use for people," Shuttleworth explains.  The realization came in moving to New York and starting a full-time job with a non-profit company, a career choice that opened Brent's eyes in defining what helps the less fortunate.  In discovering the way audiences responded to and were moved by art, it was easier to understand that music was equally significant in day to day existence.

This honest, genuine, compassionate attitude not only comes across in Shuttleworth's personality, but also in the truthful lyrics set gracefully amongst the soothing, warm melodies of his songs.  "The artistic side of me is a cross between arrogance and foolishness," claims Brent, a musician who strives for deeper, more purposeful words but understands technical limitations.  A major component of achieving success as an artist is bringing out the best in yourself and those around you, a concept Shuttleworth has mastered over time: "I surround myself with very technical, talented people.  I can hear things, I know what sounds good, and I know what I like."

Turning to early David Gray for musical and lyrical influence, Brent began to explore songwriting as a freshman in college.  Finding Gray's work to be bold, creative and inspiring, it was the balance of "abstract yet beautifully specific" wording that grabbed Shuttleworth, guiding the path to more powerful work.  In listening to "Witness," Brent's current album, that equilibrium is evident- "Nothing flashy, words that cut you, speak the truth, and convey what I'm feeling."

Moving every year and a half for most of his youth, Shuttleworth grew up experiencing the hardships of trying to fit in.  From eating alone at the lunch table to struggling to make friends and feel accepted, those memories left their scent well into adulthood.  Then, during a seven month stay in South Africa, studying at a Masters program at University of Cape Town, Brent felt an awe-inspiring sense of acceptance and belonging.  Being in a place where poverty and struggle were part of daily life, it was moving to attend services and see thousands of people so warm, open, and extending themselves.  The title track "Witness" was born through this experience, a concept that Brent explains: "The idea of acknowledging our existence, validated through saying hello and introducing ourselves.  It was overwhelming, I didn't know what to make of it."

Perhaps that's why the actual song lyrics did not come to Shuttleworth until some time later.  "I did not write it there," Brent divulged. "I sit down sometimes and a song will come out.  Other times I'll have an experience and the song won't come out for months, or even years.  Which is beautiful because seeds are planted at all these different points... sometimes they come to fruition and other times they don't.  They're just memories."

After the program in South Africa, Shuttleworth moved to New York City, a place called home since 2004.  The NYC scene has evolved greatly for Brent, whose first gig was at the Bowery Poetry Club.  Starting out as a regular at spoken word poetry venues such as Bar 13 and Poet's Cafe, it's been within the past two years that a following was cultivated. Shuttleworth's talent has graced the stage of most of the downtown scene, including Rockwood, The Cutting Room, The Bitter End, Arlene's Grocery, The Living Room, and Piano's to name a few.  Rockwood Music Hall has become a venue of it's own strengths, constantly exposing Brent and colleagues to people coming for the scene.

"Rockwood is like my home," states Brent, singing the praises of owner Ken Rockwood. "There's something inspiring when you meet people that are really about the music.  Ken is one of the sweetest, most genuine, authentic people.  He's doing sound until two in the morning every night just because he loves it.  There is nothing else attached to that.  It's about the purpose of providing a space where real things can happen."

Real things are happening every day for Brent Shuttleworth, a musician who understands the difference between great artists and everyone else.  "It comes to the point when it's not about them.  It's about the purpose behind what you do," Brent declares.  Focused, determined and insightful, Shuttleworth lists simply being happy as a main goal in life.  Being a career artist, having a family, writing songs well into old age, continuing to tour and expand the audience are all part of sustaining this goal.  Paraphrasing a quote once read, Brent reveals, "The main block in any transformation is being unhappy with where you are now."

Beautiful words to live by.

To hear Brent's music or check out a show visit www.myspace.com/brentshuttleworth or join the group Brent Shuttleworth Live on Facebook, www.facebook.com.

Emily Hope Price: Letting Go

The warmth that radiates from Emily Hope Price fills the room with a sense of calm and comfort. A genuine smile welcomes, lively eyes sparkle, and a breath of fresh air swirls around as the talent of this classically trained cellist grabs your attention. Observing the variety of ways Price uses the cello to make original sound, it's easy to forget there is a soothing yet powerful voice to match the music.

First starting cello lessons in fourth grade, Price trained for over 12 years, receiving a M.A. in Cello Performance from Carnegie Mellon, and an Artists Certificate from SUNY Purchase. This impressive education fine-tuned her exquisite mastering of the cello, but left Price wanting more. Moving back to Utah upon the Artist Certificate completion, Emily toyed more with the idea of songwriting and improvising. "I had a secret desire to sing," she said slyly, but found it difficult to break out of the "classical" stereotype. "When people know you as one thing you have to talk them into believing you can do something else."

Price first began to explore songwriting while in the Masters program at Carnegie Mellon. Despite spending most of her teenage years pouring out thoughts and feelings into a journal, Emily did not transcribe them into a musical outlet until collaborating with friend and opera student Anna Vogelzang, composing and performing a song called "At Last," in which Anna sang and Emily played cello. During her post-graduation period in Utah, Price continued to play with sounds and songs, using previously composed music to create experimental tracks. Having spent years being classically educated, Emily struggled with the question, "What do you do with your life when you're a trained cellist?"

The answer came upon moving to New York City and finding her niche in the ever-growing music scene. Playing out as both a solo artist and a member of "Pearl and the Beard," Emily has flawlessly crossed the line from the classical audience to the indie/rock/pop crowd. As a classical cellist, "You have to practice hours to get nearer to perfection. I move my hand millimeters and it changes the sound. You have to do it all from muscle memory, intonation must be spot on... if I move my finger it will create a different note, or a different color of the same note," Price explained. The subtle intensity of this training made the transition into the singer/songwriter scene slightly easier, with the rock/indie audience less attentive to the perfect details and more interested in the overall quality and pleasure of the music. "I want to be a better musician. I want to play better and be more proficient on my instrument then I am. That's why I came here," claims Emily, who has called New York home for the past two years.

Still, being a "singing cellist" is rare to find in a scene inundated with piano players and guitarists belting their music at the hottest venues. Emily continues to push through with her music, believing in the expanding scene and performing solo and accompanying sets with fellow colleagues. "Things are starting to break through where you wouldn't normally expect it... little niches are starting to come into play," Price believes. "I hope some of the things I'm doing will change the expectation about what a cello can do."

Citing early Barbra Streisand as a guilty pleasure and Radiohead and Bjork as two favorite artists, Emily keeps as much of an assortment as possible in her music collection. An artist who enjoys soundtracks for their variety, loves watching movies, and whose instrument repertoire is expanding to learn accordion, Price is one of the most down-to-earth, humble, and genuine people to represent the scene.

While still feeling the struggles of the dampening economy and dealing with financial stress, as most artists do, Emily is able to truly treasure the small moments that have added to her blossoming career. A few years ago while living in Salt Lake City, Utah, Emily was approached by a friend who was working as a music therapist who asked her to play for a patient at a hospice. This particular patient had a career as a professional cellist prior to falling ill, and had not touched a cello in close to 25 years. After she played for him and was packing up to leave he asked her, "Can I play that?"

"He played my cello for the first time in years and was so happy," Emily revealed with joy. "I ran into the girl about a year later and when I asked how he was doing found out he passed away two weeks after I played for him." Knowing that the music and time with this former artist had filled one of his dying wishes, she described the experience as "one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me."

There is a quality about Emily Hope Price that reaches out and soothes your aura. Creating sound that is "sensual, warm, and thick" it is not difficult to understand why her presence is so easily accepted and appreciated in a diverse city like New York. Pearl and the Beard, the band that Price plays in, began from simply showing up at an open mic and connecting with Jocelyn Mackenzie and Jeremy Styles. My personal connection to Emily came from seeing her performance at Rockwood Music Hall a few weeks ago with Dan Torres, another featured artist. Everyone has a chance to intertwine, mingle, feed off of and inspire one another. These chance encounters have made the New York scene a place that continuously amazes Price. "I could not have had the experiences I have had here anywhere else. You can be drenched in music here. It's unbelievable," Emily stated emphatically. "It's amazing the way music can bring people together."

It has not always been an easy road though, as any fellow artist will concur. Shifting gears from one style of training to another is difficult, and causes more of an internal struggle than anything else. Emily's best advice? "Just love what you do. I love classical music. I would feel so intensely about the pieces I would play because I thought they were so beautiful," Price declares. "At the same time I felt it wasn't me. I didn't trust myself enough to let go. It's hard to let go. Change is really hard. I'm still in that transition."

Even though Price's laid back, carefree attitude can be infectious at times, it would be impossible to say this musician is anything but motivated. With numerous goals and plans for the future, it's important for Emily to open up her ability to communicate, because "the more you communicate the more you can move people." A person who truly speaks from the heart, Price enthusiastically described another secret goal: "My dad has been watching David Letterman for the past twenty-seven years. Anytime a musical guest would come on if there was a cellist he would yell downstairs for me to come and see it. I just want to perform on David Letterman and wear a t-shirt that says 'Hi Dad.'"

So David Letterman, if you're reading, please contact Emily Hope Price. It's for her dad.

For more information and tour dates for Emily Hope Price check out www.myspace.com/emilyhopeprice.

What's To Come!

It's been awhile since my last post, so I wanted to keep everyone updated on what to look forward to in the upcoming weeks.  I have an interview tomorrow with the incredibly talented singer/songwriter/cellist Emily Hope Price and another on Wednesday with singer/songwriter Brent Shuttleworth, so you can look for those articles in the next week.

If you are in the New York City area there are some great shows happening over the next couple of days-

Tonight, Monday 4/20 at The Red Lion on Bleecker St, 10 different singer/songwriters from NYC Artists Scene will be performing the "Backscratch Sessions."  Here's a description:

The Inaugural Incarnation of The Back Scratch Sessions... 10 songwriters come together and play each others' songs via a random drawing done in advance.  Each artist will play 3 songs: one of their own, a favorite cover (or another original of theirs if they so choose)... and finally the Back Scratch: their interpretation of a song written by the artist whose name they drew.

My last featured artist, Dan Torres, will be participating in the evening.  Check it out!

Also, featured artist Caleb Hawley will be playing tomorrow night, Tuesday 4/21 at Ars Nova on W. 54th St.  This will be a fantastic show and he's playing with a full band, including percussionist Ryan Vaughn.  Tickets can be purchased at https://www.ovationtix.com/trs/pr/645095/prm/CALEBFAN .

Get out there and support our artists!

Dan Torres: Breaking the Silence

In this constantly evolving community one path inevitably leads to another, opening our eyes and ears to the talent that lies right in front of us.  A few weeks ago at The Living Room, the trail of scattered postcards strewn across tables at Madi Diaz's show guided me to the CD/DVD Release Party of yet another audibly stimulating artist, Dan Torres.

On Friday, March 13 at 9pm, an aura of respect hovered over the record release party at The Living Room, carefully slithering through the audience's anticipation of the next striking note.  Promoting "Dan Torres: Live," an acoustic mix of both previously recorded and brand new songs, Dan commanded the jam-packed crowd with a powerful voice and impressive guitar skills that rocked listeners into a silent trance, only to be awoken by the finale of egg shakers percussively highlighting an outstanding collaborative finale.  The exquisitely packaged CD/DVD offers a gorgeous arrangement of live music that takes its listeners through every emotion and back again; it's a collection that speaks of life, love, and the human condition that is raw, stripped and relatable. 

Stage presence and vocal control come so naturally to this performer, it's hard to believe Dan just started playing the NYC circuit in 2005.  With formal training in music and composition, his guitar skills were self-taught and vocals came much later in life.  Torres started writing a bit in high school, more in college, but preferred to seek out others to perform his songs.  "I was very reluctant, I hated it," Dan says about singing, "I was just figuring it out." Influenced musically by the big chords and interesting voicings of guitarists from Stone Temple Pilots, Tonic, and Nirvana, it was singers like Jimmy Gnecco, Bono, Matthew Bellamy, Freddie Mercury, and Jeff Buckley who guided his voice.  In singing along with albums like Buckley's "Grace," Torres learned more about his range and vocal capabilities, developing a style uniquely his own.

Digging through the layers of Torres' striking music, a journal of lyrics sits peacefully, composed on mostly real-life events, with a bit of fantasizing over how things could have happened.  When first starting the writing process Dan claimed, "I had no experience with writing, I had experience with living."  As life moved on, new lyrics became more imaginative, letting the listeners take away what they wanted from it.  "I tell a lot of secrets very publicly, and that's kind of a relief, " Torres admits.  "Everything is a metaphor for something else."  

Enticing for spectators, who are captured by the artistic and comfortable flow of the live acoustic album, Dan's writing offers something for everyone.  "I try to write music where musicians will respect it and the average listener will still enjoy it."  Mission accomplished, as evident by the blend of people who find pleasure, excitement, and a little piece of themselves in each of Torres' songs.

Dan Torres' musical journey began not too long ago, in New York City circa 2005.  Recording started immediately, his first album "Where I Stand" was released in Fall 2006 and a tour was booked by Summer 2007.  The country-wide tour ended in Portland, Oregon, where Torres ended up living for a year. In October 2007, Dan's manager set up a performance at CMJ in New York, followed by a 6-week tour in England with percussionist Ryan Vaughn, before finally returning to NYC last summer. 

While being on the road can be tough, this 25-year-old understands the importance of moving around, meeting new people, and treating this career path like the business it is.  Success has come naturally because of this attitude, with Torres filling listening rooms and clubs all over New York City in the past year.  Perhaps its because he truly gets the scene, from understanding the different neighborhoods, time slots, and venues to realizing starting at the bottom and working your way up, just like any other job.  Favorite places to play include Rockwood Music Hall and The Living Room, despite the fact these free venues pull in little income.  "For the artists who need to make money it sucks, but at the same time we meet so many more people," Torres explains, "It's more important for me to have a line out the door than to force people to buy my CD."

Dan acknowledges while NYC is vast in opportunities, it's also pertinent to an artist's progression to leave, go on tour, and meet "normal" people.  These "normal" people include music lovers, not just music players; the average downloader or listener who simply respect and like music.  "I would like to play for 1,000 strangers every night," Torres states as his personal goal.  "Beyond that it's not intimate anymore."  Specific venue types include concert halls where classical musicians play, where "you don't need a mic because they are so well built."  

To think this musician's career began in a small TriBeca bar that no longer exists called "The Orange Bear."  Over spring break in college, Dan placed a call to the owner asking if he could play an open mic on a random weekday night.  The owner agreed, leading to his first gig where the audience consisted of three friends, the bartender and the owner.  Instead of being disheartened, the young Torres saw this as a business opportunity, and started organizing gigs, advertising, and bringing in other bands.  Eventually more night gigs, including weekends, were added and crowds grew; a fantastic discovery into gaining fans and incorporating musicians.  Over time Dan began playing at larger, more established venues in the city, and now practically calls Rockwood home.  "Thanks [to that opportunity] I figured out how to promote bigger things," Torres states. "I want to be able to call a venue and say I want to play tomorrow."

One of the most impressive aspects of Dan's show for both the listeners and the artist is how breathtakingly quiet a room becomes.  Listing this as his favorite part of performing, Torres declares, "Silence.  When the audience is totally silent when I'm singing.  Because it's really hard for people to sit quietly and it must mean what I'm doing really means something to them."  A true observer of human nature, Dan doesn't always come with a set list prepared, opting to watch the audience to figure out what to play next; probably the reason why songs resonate so personally to each individual eagerly hanging on the next chord.

Above all, it's the natural, genuine nature of Dan Torres, a man who values the importance of being a good person, that will keep drawing audiences and filling those 1,000 person concert halls.  People often forget that artists are regular people, placing them on pedestals or idolizing them for the wrong reasons.  Dan makes it clear that is not his intent.  "I make it a point when I play to ask everyone to come say hello, and I mean it."

Check out Dan Torres at www.dantorresmusic.net or www.myspace.com/dantorres.  And the next time you are at a show, be sure to say hello. 

Caleb Hawley: Welcome to the Show.

If the culture and arts of New York City were to be an integral part of a daily diet, Caleb Hawley would be the main course. This well-balanced musician understands the value and importance of entertainment, incorporating humor, song variety, audience participation, and even a few sweet dances moves that flavor even the quietest venues. No stranger to the stage, Hawley has spent the past year touring the country, playing colleges, coffee houses, and a medley of local music spots, impressing audiences with a uniquely powerful voice and charming stage presence.

Hailing from the Midwest, Hawley is the youngest of three and grew up in a household with musician parents and a singer/songwriter brother. “Our vacations every summer were never to Mexico,” Caleb says, “We went to folk festivals.” Formal music lessons started at age 11, first with the drums, moving onto the guitar. Inspired by rock music like Metallica and Nirvana, Caleb joined the jazz band with dreams of pursuing the electric guitar. With three possible life goals in place at age 16, it was the singer/songwriter path that won, beating out college music professor and singing in a local acappella group. After high school he spent a year at community college, transferring later to Berklee College in Boston to complete his music degree. The move to New York came directly after graduation, along with marriage to high school sweetheart Samantha.

The 24-year-old’s music is a delicious blend of acoustic, funk and pop, with a dash of “white boy soul.” Growing up listening to a song’s lyrical content led to Hawley’s folk-based writing, but a significant jazz background gave way to gospel and blues influences. Another highlight of the act is Caleb’s use of the loop pedal, an increasingly popular instrument used by guitarists “to create looping layers of melody or texture during a live performance.”

“I first started using it at colleges because they wanted to hear pop songs,” clarifies Hawley. With a bag full of tricks to “spice thing up," including a musical caterpillar, wooden spoon, frying pan, shaker, and whistle, the audience is treated to radio hits like “Senorita” and “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough,” along with Caleb’s personal introductory rap, a clever, catchy marketing technique to introduce his website.

A true observer of human nature and social aspects, Caleb was originally drawn to satirical music, citing Randy Newman and Nelly McKay as two major influences. “What comes to me naturally is making fun of people,” Hawley laughs, but understands, “I love funny music, but I’ll listen to the CD and few times and that’s what it’s good for.” As a result, recent songs have taken a more serious turn, with chords that sing of beauty, sadness, struggle, and hope. The outcome: Music you can listen to over and over again; time capsules of the writer’s life.

The next wind of Caleb’s tour swirls through major cities like New York, Philadelphia, Des Moines, and Portland, as well local gigs in Nebraska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. A self-made musician, Hawley started booking tours when he was 16, taking the family van to various locations in the Midwest. One of the most difficult aspects of this lifestyle is the do-it-yourself attitude that must prevail in order to succeed. A lesson taught at a young age: “The effort you put into it in the long run will get you further.” This is particularly true in the NYC scene, loaded with options and talented young artists; it’s hard to stand out in the crowd. Previously discouraged by the “hard to impress” atmosphere in New York, Caleb felt an enormous boost of confidence and energy after a warm reception at Rockwood Music Hall last week. “It was amazing,” he said, “When the crowd is good it is easy to feed off of.”

One of the top 12 finalists in “New York Songwriter’s Circle” last year, Caleb continues to perform with this incredible operation, next appearing in a live showcase at World Café Live in Philadelphia. The networking provided by this intimate and exclusive group offers publicity to the artists, a chance put forth their most powerful music, and camaraderie between producers, musicians, and club owners. Another remarkable facet of the New York artists scene, “Songwriter’s Circle” brought Hawley one step closer to his short-term goal: to be able to walk into any town, at any given time, and draw a crowd of fifty strangers who are there solely to see him play.

What will lure these crowds is Caleb’s phenomenal ability to capture the energy of a performance. “That’s something that has always been important to me, putting on a full, entertaining show. As a solo singer/songwriter, you can be so much like everyone else, so you just have to keep switching it up. I strive to make the show fun,” Hawley explains. "Fun" is certainly the vibe radiated at a Caleb Hawley show, where you walk away smiling, happy, fulfilled, and enthused; a main course that satisfies so wholly, there’s no need for dessert.

For more information and tour dates please check out www.calebhawley.com or www.myspace.com/calebhawley.

Madi Diaz: The Soul Behind the Voice

It's a Saturday night in New York City, and The Living Room is packed from the stage to the bar.  A medley of characters fill the room, all eager to hear the astounding voice of fresh-faced 22 year-old singer/songwriter, Madi Diaz, whose music can only be described as an orgasm for your ears.  From the fanciful opening song "It's Only a Kiss" to the heart-tugging encore "Pictures," Diaz commands her audience with every effortless note escaping that gifted mouth.

Growing up in Lancaster, PA, Madi's father (a musician as well) introduced her to piano at age five, and guitar at fourteen.  "I lived out in the middle of nowhere... I rode horses for ten years before I did anything else," Diaz says with a laugh, "Ponies were really great until I found the guitar, and then that was really great."  More formal training came during her high school years at Paul Green's School of Rock in Philadelphia, PA, before heading to Berklee College in Boston.  Diaz now resides in Nashville, TN, writing, recording, networking, touring, and following her dream.

Perched casually at the bar at World Cafe Live in Philadelphia, it's almost hard to believe the powerful voice, moving lyrics, and infectious spirit that radiates out of this humble young girl onstage.  Describing her indie/folk/pop blend as "flirty, cynical, and distracted," you can't help but wonder if that's how this insanely talented artist also views herself.

Diaz started writing around the age of 16, creating songs that reach out to audiences of all ages and lyrics that resonate maturity and real-life experience.  "When you start writing a song it takes a direction no matter what you try to do, and the more you try to force it, it doesn't get to it's full potential," Madi explains, "If the emotion is taking it one way you have to follow it."  It seems the road to create a song is similar to the road to create an artist.

Taking care of all the booking and hype promotions, finding a place to sleep, eating well, and learning the target audience in each new city they tour is just a sampling of responsibility for this young entrepreneur.  "It's not just getting there to play your set and pour your heart into," Diaz maintains.  There are club owners and audiences to thank, other bands to make connections with, CD's and promotional materials to sell, mailing lists to generate, and networking to be made across the board.  Challenging, but not discouraging for Madi, whose band mates provide a fantastic, built-in support system.

Madi Diaz is rarely seen performing without best friend Kyle Ryan by her side.  Diaz and Ryan have been playing and writing together since meeting at Berklee; their onstage connection screams of a solid friendship and mutual respect.  Touring with Adam Popick and Mitch Jones, the gifted foursome are a pleasure to watch.  Constant movement happens on stage, with each band member rotating instruments and vocals for every single track, validating that these are no ordinary musicians, but artists in every sense of the word.  Not phased by being the token female, Diaz says, "It's been so gratifying to just have people that know you and respect you... They are my peers, musicians, friends, colleagues, brothers and fathers... lot of roles all in one."  The admiration is reciprocal, obvious as they let Madi take center stage.

Another mentor and source of inspiration for Madi is manager Ty Stiklorius.  Diaz sings her praises: "She's like a big sister, best friend, mom, manager... she has an amazing career, a beautiful baby, and has struggled so hard to get where she is... she just wants to help other people, the light of the world, just wants to give... I hope that one day I'm in a position like hers so that I can help somebody like myself."  

This budding 20-something declares performing a John Denver duet with Tom Paxton at the Songwriters Hall of Fame to be a career highlight, and holds high esteem for Radiohead, respecting the way they've built their albums and their command of the industry.  "They've made really smart decisions- production-wise, career-wise- that I think everybody could take note from.  They've done it really well," she explains.

As for advice Diaz would pass on to other new artists getting their feet wet? "Do everything.  Never say no.  Say yes until you get so busy because people know you are always going to say yes.  That's when you can start picking and choosing."  Madi adds with a laugh, "Except drugs.  Say no to drugs but say yes to everything else."

Now promoting "Ten Gun Salute," the EP follow up to her debut "Skin and Bone," Diaz's growth and experimental style with music is intriguing to observe.  Recording "Skin and Bone" in Hawaii with a group of young musicians and producers new to the scene, Diaz exclaimed, "I barely had enough songs for a record!" Citing influences such as Patty Griffin and Ryan Adams, Madi was still learning "to influence and create what you need to do instead of imitating."

Collaborating with Kyle on "Ten Gun Salute," Madi's new EP (which was recorded in less than seven days) has taken a wonderful turn lyrically, vocally, and musically to incorporate a conglomeration of new concepts and sounds.  Instruments have been added, and that powerful voice grabs every emotion of the uniquely different songs.  "We realized we didn't need to force songs, we could let them be what they were," Diaz explains.

Still writing the new, tweaking the old, and pushing forward on this incredible journey, Madi's passion, commitment, and love for her art is obvious to anyone within miles.  Observing our nation is "do-it-yourself," this aggressive musician understands the importance of who you know, who you need to know, and figuring out how to get there. "It's all right there for you," Diaz says, " People just need to have the drive to go and get it."  No regrets reside in this gifted singer/songwriter, who made her peace with youth and is ready for this road. "I think this would be what I was missing if I did anything else," Madi states with absolution.

For the record, the world would be missing out if she did anything else.

For more information on Madi Diaz and to check out her tour line-up, please visit www.madidiaz.com or www.myspace.madidiaz.