Maurice’s Hometown Sound

I was selected to compete in Maurice’s Hometown Sound. If you’d like, please vote for me at the link below!

maurices Hometown Sound

via maurices Hometown Sound.

Thoughts on Artistry

I’ve been thinking a lot about artistry in music lately. The music machine likes all of their ducks in a row. They want a certain formula for the present moment. For example, Adele and Ray Lamontagne type artists are in high demand right now. I understand. They are awesome at what they do. But here’s the deal… Last year, all the publishers and labels wanted Colbie Callait and Sara Bareilles type artists. And something similar or “kind of” like these artists wasn’t wanted either. It seems like labels and publishers are really trying to stick with trends, but strangely they are the ones that create the trends through their own P.R. Sadly, they can manipulate the public into accepting anything that they put out, IF they put enough money out there to promote it. So… Why don’t they try to find something different, so that there is a deeper pool?

If you look on Youtube you find a lot of Beliebers and Swiftys. I like Taylor Swift’s songwriting, but if ALL the artists wrote like her you’d have a lot of canned garbage and little authenticity. I think that Taylor is authentic, but if someone is “like Taylor Swift”, who would want a cheapened, carbon-copy of her? I find this a bit baffling.

Back to Youtube, if you look at the comments on the vintage 60′s/70′s/80′s videos, people are asking where the artistry is? And…. “Why can’t there be more artists like this around now?” This is from ALL ages too. The thing is… THERE ARE artists like this now. They are just passed over by publishers and labels because they don’t fit the current formula. (STAMP STAMP STAMP)

There are so many great indie artists out there and there are even some smaller label and major label artists that don’t get as much eye or ear time in front of the main public. Some of my favorites are Lera Lynn and someone I was introduced to today, Lindi Ortega. There are soooo many talented people out there. But unfortunately, you usually have to be “connected politically” or practically sell your soul to the devil to get much leverage.

My personal frustration lately has been the fact that I’ll get one song critique that says I’m too wordy, another that says I’m not emotive enough and another that says I’m not conversational/too romantic. So, if someone isn’t sure of who they are or even if they ARE sure of who they are, it is REALLY easy in this business to lose touch of who you are as a person and an artist. It’s easy to become plastic and cheesy. It’s easy to give in and do what everyone else wants you to.

Those close to me, however, know that I don’t do things the EASY way. I may tweak a little here and there to make it a little more pleasing, because I do believe in getting better at what I do. BUT when it goes against my gut and my heart, that’s where I lose my artistry. I won’t do it. I won’t conform for the sake of acceptance. I am going to be the romantic, poetic, raw, earthy, in-your-face-tell-it-like-it-is person that I am intrinsically. So, I prolly won’t win a Grammy. Big deal. That was far-fetched anyway. I’ll have a smaller, but hopefully more interested fan base. If things go well, I would LOVE that, but if they fizzle, I’ll be able to walk away from this next release knowing that I gave it 100%. 100% of my heart. 100% of my artistry. 100% of my talent. 100% of our money! And that is something that I’ll look back on when I’m old and gray and NEVER regret. Money is money, but expressing myself is more important to me.

So… All singers and musicians with a true artistic soul. Rock on.

Want an Autographed Copy of “Black Ball” before anyone else gets it?

Want an Autographed Copy of “Black Ball” before anyone else gets it?

Some of you have been asking for autographed copies of my new album, “Black Ball”, which made me blush a little bit. Thank you so much for liking my music that much!

So, here’s the deal: I’m getting ready to ask my street team members to help me out with the promotion of my up-coming new release, “Black Ball”.

 

What is a Street Team?

A street team is a group of fans. Not just the ordinary, run-of-the-mill fans either. I’m talking about the fans that really, REALLY love my music and want to help me get my music out there.

 

What do Street Team Members do?

They have the option of helping me out with promotion. Things like:

1. putting up a flyer or poster in their local grocery store telling about the gig I’m having in their area.

2. posting my music player on their web-page to get more listeners and hopefully fans

3. calling their local radio station and begging them to play my music.

4. opening up their home if I’m in the area for me to sleep at, so I don’t have to pay for a hotel room.

5. whatever else they want to help with

Notice I made the word “option” above in bold. None of the street team members are under contract and no one is going to twist their arm to do any of these things. It just helps me out INCREDIBLY when you do.

 

How does this help Erisa Rei out?

Life is busy. This month alone, in an attempt to make the most out of my CD release and subsequent tour, I have spent HOURS and HOURS working on a many variety of things. I have put together a band, had practices, booked gigs, played gigs, worked on promo, created flyers, got my music sent to the replicators, printed out materials, worked on things to send to radio, made a web-site, looked for and ordered merch to sell at shows, and done a HECK a lot of communicating to all of the people that make these things possible. All of that, plus I’m a mom who homeschools her kids. And a wife…

I’m tired. I’m strong, but I readily admit it, really tired. I need help with promotion. Why? Because I don’t know all of the peeps that you know… because there is only so much that I can do without YOUR help. This totally sounds like a sales pitch, but I really mean it! I need YOU!

 

What will the ERST, (“Erisa Rei Street Team”,) members get?

It will be different every time, but I make sure that I give an incentive for the ERST members to help me out. In August, I gave away an iPod Shuffle to the ERST member who garnered the most music plays. (I sent it to a man in Scotland name Erik.)

This next round I am going to give EVERY ONE of my street team members who helps with the promotion a FREE autographed CD. I am even going to send it before the official release date of Tuesday, January 3. I’ll be mailing them out to the ERST members who participate in the next challenge right after Christmas.

The ERST member who garners the most plays will also get a free T-shirt, Erisa Rei pen and other stuff. This person will pretty much get a full-merch package sent to them for free.

This promo round won’t start for a few more days though.

 

How do I become a ERST member?

1. Go to this site:

http://www.erisareimusic.com

2. On the side of my page, there is an e-mail sign-up. Fill in your e-mail addy and be sure to click the box underneath it that asks you if you want to be a Street Team member.

3. Verify your sign-up via e-mail. Once you verify, you will be sent to a separate page where you will fill in your information. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE fill in your zip code. This is very important!

I’ll be starting the new promo round within the next couple of days. I just wanted to give any of you interested a chance to help and get a FREE auto-graphed CD and possibly a whole bunch of free ERei stuff.

 

Thanks so much!

Erisa Rei

This Week- November 21, 2011

I’m currently waiting for my Mac laptop to get out of the shop, so I get working on my web-site. Once that gets done, I can get my newly remastered single, “Black Ball” up for all to hear at the same time as my site.

For now, until my laptop gets in, I’m working on getting more gigs for my CD release tour and preparing my music to send out to radio stations world-wide

House Concert, Anyone?

For a few years now, there has been a new trend happening in the music community.  It is called a “house concert”.  Basically, what a house concert entails is you hiring an indie artist to come to your home, you inviting your friends to come, and that artist playing for your friends for 45 min., (or whatever time you would like them to play,) with a small cover charge for each of them.  There would be food, conversation, music and a good time had by all.  A house concert would pretty much be like a musical potluck.

 

A house concert would benefit you by:

 

1. You not having to travel to a gig to see one of your favorite indie artists.

 

2. Getting to know the indie artist personally, (or catching up).

 

3. Having time to visit with your friends, while listening to songs written by the indie artist.

 

4. The warm, fuzzy feeling of knowing that you are helping out an indie artist. (See #2 below.)

 

 

A house concert would benefit the artist by:

 

1. Giving them a venue to play at on a tour- your home!

 

2. Giving the artist a little bit of income through a cover charge and possible merch sales.  The recording costs, graphic artist costs, CD replication costs, photography costs, merchandise costs and promotional costs all add up fairly fast.  And that’s just before the project is released.  Once an artist releases their project and starts touring, the costs of gas, food, band members and more promo, start adding up.  Without gigs and merchandise sales, the artist is really far in the red.  But that’s all part of the process that an artist is willing to go through to get their music out there.  They need their fans to help accomplish this!

 

3.  Giving the artist a chance to gain new fans and book more gigs in your area, whether in other house concerts or in actual music venues.

 

4.  Giving the artist a chance to share their heart and soul through their music. (We REALLY like to do this! )

 

 

I believe that I have announced this before, but I am going to release a new full-length roots-rock project in January.  This CD is going to contain some of my best songwriting work BY FAR!  I am almost halfway done recording it.  I’ll be heading into the studio again in September or October to finish it up.  From there comes all of the prep before the music comes out.  In early January, I plan on officially releasing the project and heading out on weekend tours wherever the wind blows me.  If things get really going, I’m going to throw in a couple of 14-day tours too.

 

This is where you come in.  I would love, love, LOVE to be able to come to your house and play a house concert.  If you are thinking, “But I live all the way in Colorado, (or any other state).  Why would Erisa Rei come all the way here just to play at my house?”  The answer is that I can book a gig somewhere else near where you live, maybe an hour or so away from your home.  Venues like to see your calendar filled when you ask them to book you.  It gives them a sense of security in knowing that the artist is willing to work for their music.  So if you book me at your house, EVEN ALL THE WAY in Colorado, California, Florida, Illinois, New Hampshire, etc., it’ll be that much easier to fill my calendar.  It will also be a great opportunity for me to gain some more fans.

 

If you are interested in booking me to play a house concert in your house sometime in 2012, please e-mail at:

 

booking@erisareimusic.com

 

Please.

 

Pretty please?

How To Win A New iPod Shuffle from Erisa Rei

Would you like to win one of these? 

 

http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipod/family/ipod_shuffle?mco=MTM3NTEyNzQ

 

How To Win A New iPod Shuffle from Erisa Rei:

 

1.   Join my Street Team at the link below:

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/street_team/street_team/artist_315356

 

2.  Join the mission: 

 

http://www.reverbnation.com/street_team/view_mission/artist_315356?mission_id=104808

 

3.  Copy and paste a widget onto any social networking site, blog or an e-mail.  I suggest the TuneWidget for FB. 

 

4. Have the most impressions, plays and unique listeners COMBINED.

 

Then I will send you an iPod Shuffle, (your color choice,) direct from the Apple Store to your home.  Free of charge- I take care of it all, shipping and tax and product. If you don’t want it for yourself, you could give it to someone for their birthday, Christmas or just because you like them.  Or just re-sell it.   It doesn’t matter to me what you do with it.  :)

 

Every play and impression that my music gets makes a difference.  It really does. 

 

Thanks!

Erisa Rei

MuzikReview.com’s Feature Track

Some great news!:  My new song, “Black Ball” is MuzikReview.com’s Feature Track of this week.  You can see my mug on the front page here:

http://www.muzikreviews.com/

Or you can go directly to the download page:

http://www.muzikreviews.com/downloads.php

 

I am pretty stoked about it.

 

A Little Sad Bit of New and Some Good News Too

The direction that I had been going with recording at a local recording studio has had to shift.  I recorded my last Christian music project there.  We spent 18 months on it.  It is a wonderful album that the guys there did to perfection- every sound, every nuance was “just right”. The atmosphere was friendly and fun.  There were some rough moments, but we got through it alright.  The album is called the “More Than Words” project. You can listen to it and download all music on it for FREE here: www.morethanwordsmusic.com

 

In March, we embarked on recording a new project of roots-rock in nature.  We started out very hopeful, but due to communication issues nothing was feeling like it did with the other project.  Since I’m a sensitive, artistic soul and my music is in essence my art, if something doesn’t “feel right” or if it just isn’t sounding like I imagine, I tend to not feel very comfortable because of the feeling that something is off.   I’m still friends with a couple of the guys and I love every one of them there.  But there has to be a mutual respect and reciprocity for me to be comfortable working within any type of relationship: business or personal. So the mutual consensus has been for all of us to move on to do our own thing.  We also all agreed that in the future we might get together to make some more awesome music- just not now.

 

As a result, I have a new producer in Nashville for my next project.  I have a lot of really great new songs, a few that I’ve sang out at gigs and more that no one, but my family has heard yet.  Plus, I have a songwriting session scheduled in July with another local songwriter that I’m looking forward to.  I’ve wanted to collaborate with another songwriter for a long time. I’m hoping to record some songs in the fall and some more in early winter, so I’ll have it ready for release sometime in 2012.

Social Impropriety and the “People of Walmart” Song

Okay, once again I’m going to be the voice of controversy. Not a surprise,really…  I find the peopleofwalmart.com web-site to be insulting and crude. I have since I saw it a few years ago and I haven’t been back since. I don’t like the recently viral “People of Walmart” song either. Too many people are quick to judge and mock other people’s attire or body size. Would I wear what some of these people do? Absolutely not, but to publicly make a MOCKERY out of someone’s lack of outward social impropriety is ironic in and of itself. I find it socially inappropriate to mock someone’s OUTWARD condition or personal style.  I find it is a good indicator of the condition of the INSIDE of the person who would not only get a good laugh, but take the time to put the song on their FB page to mock them publicly.

 

Yet these same people who mock an easy target more than likely wouldn’t like it if we mocked a character flaw that THEY had.  It’s so much different when it is someone else that they mock vs. when the finger is pointed at them.  I am reminded of Matthew 23 when Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for cleaning the OUTSIDE of the cup, yet the INSIDE was full of filth.

 

I’m pretty sure that I have now incensed quite a few people, because they don’t like the burn on them.  I find the web-site and song to be vulgar, disgusting and a sad reality of the condition of our shallow society.  So, continue to publicly mock the easy targets: the ones who are genuinely themselves, while you live in your plastic bubbles of “touch-me-not.”  My response to it is obvious and I end it with this: WTG on being the lights of the world by showing love and compassion to these people.  Honestly, Christians need a giant kick up their rear ends to get them out of their delusional views of themselves and society.

A Little More About Me

I am a simple person- not to be confused with “simple-minded”.  I hate having a lot of stuff.  I don’t have a huge desire to fill my house with expensive things.  I don’t have a desire to have a giant, expensive home either.  We own two cars that we bought used and are paid off.  We don’t like debt.

 

I like eating organic food.  If it’s local, all the better.  If it’s from my garden, the best!  I think that this year I might actually get something from it.  The deer have been nuisances for years now.  I think that we’ve got them beat this time.  I also like sugar and this is a problem.

 

I like homeschooling my kids.  People like to make rude and idiotic comments about “children of the corn” and all of that.  But my kids are sociable, happy and very smart.  A couple of them are WELL above their grade level in their education.  All of them make friends easily.

 

I like music for the sake of music. My first goal is to make good music that touches people’s hearts. If a lot of people like it, then so be it.  But my goal is NOT to get signed to a label, especially not a large one.  I have some theories on the subject that I won’t delve into.  I just know that I want to be a success and my version of success is to make music that makes people think and appreciate life in a new way.  If I make it on radio, awesome!  If I don’t, it’s not going to break me.  If I get a bunch of gigs, very cool!  But if not, I’ll happily make the best of the ones I have.  As long as I can keep writing and sharing my songs, I’ll be happy.