Music: Interview with UK singer and motivational speaker Leo Golden Child

To finish off the year in a very positive note, we're bringing to the blog  UK singer and motivational speaker Leo Golden Child. Learn more about the life and work of this talented artist reading the interview he graciously gave us. I hope you find inspiration in his words and music!

Tell us a bit about yourself and your background! We'd love to know more about you.

 

Hey, my name is Leo Golden Child. I'm a recording artist and motivational talker from the United Kingdom. My career started when I was just 15, becoming a young caretaker for my mother who was really ill. My only means of releasing my stress from a lot of things I saw, was to start writing poetry, and so poetry became rap and the rest is history :)

That must have been hard on you, but it released your artistic side! So your poetry became rap, and what other genre of music do you play? 

 

I play hip-hop, R&B , and acoustic experimental. Music to me is like a massive buffet, I try to mix up my genres! 

That's an excellent comparison, it's always great to experiment! What is your biggest influence in music? Why? 

 

My biggest influence would have to be Michael Jackson, and my mother. A weird combination I know (LOL)! Michael, he made music and spoke emotion through notes. And my mom, she used to do gospel so it's her that generates my passion for music. 

It's awesome that your mom has been a great positive influence in your career! And what's the story behind your artistic name? 

 

The name Leo Golden Child came pretty strangely in my life to be fair. My grandad, who I never got to meet, had my first name as his second name which is 'Howard'. And I wanted a name to represent him, so I googled Spanish/Latin names that have a meaning towards families and Leo came up as head of the family, the King of the pack, and I thought this was pretty cool ! And as for Golden Child, me and my brother both stopped breathing at birth - luckily I pulled through, and since then everyone in my family calls me the Golden Child. 

That's very interesting, you're truly a survivor! When was the first time you performed live and

how did you feel? 

 

The first show I ever performed at was a place called Shropshire, for an X-factor boy band called union J - it was awesome !! I felt like a man on fire; the audience was fantastic! 

How cool! So you seem to have a cool rapport with the audience. What do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans? 

 

The loyalty and trust they have with me; I see them more as family than fans! I love them all!

Amazing feeling, I bet! Is there a specific performance you feel was your best ever? If so, where and why?

My best performance I would say was Osfest, which is a massive festival in Shropshire. The mic cut out on accident whilst live and I still managed to maintain the audience spontaneous! It was the way forward that day :) 'Rock on! 

Sounds like it was really an amazing experience! What are you plans for the coming year? What are you working on? 

My plans will be to create more music videos, with more acting scenes, and then perfecting the album :)

Now tell us where can we find your music?

At www.leogoldenchild.co.uk

Leo, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers? 

 

Stay positive and please check my work out :) 

Thank you so much for taking the time to give us this interview and let us know a bit more about you and your music! For more information about Leo Golden Child, please visit his website www.leogoldenchild.co.uk and follow him on twitter: @leo_Goldenchild

 

Music: Interview with International Film Composer and Musician Sebastien Pan

Today, we have a wonderful guest in our blog, Sebastien Pan, a French film composer and musician.

We're excited to learn more about his music and the soundtracks he's creating for movies.

Sebastien, welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

 

I am a film composer and professional guitarist born and raised in the east of France. After musical studies and following my graduation as professional musician in 2004, I taught guitar and played in few rock and metal bands. In the meantime, composing music took more and more space in my head, which brought me to think about « how could I live in writing music? » I had already many pieces of orchestral and non-orchestral compositions ready, thus I decided to find a way to use them.

I built a large portfolio in scoring student filmmakers works and other film and TV projects, which enabled me the following year to be hired as composer in-house at Imaginex Studios, a well-known post-production house in Asia. I moved there and gained experience in working on TV commercials, trailers, animated TV series and feature films.Thenceforth, I started working as freelancer and moved to New Zealand where I’m currently based.

What a wonderful career you're building! So, what drove you to start composing orchestral scores for films instead of getting into a band to play guitar after graduating as a professional guitarist?

Actually, I have always been into composing orchestral pieces, it was just something I liked to do for fun until I thought it could be nice to try to compose for pictures, so I proposed to students filmmakers to score their shorts films and that’s how it began. But I would never thought that one day I would score feature films for cinema or TV shows.

I sometimes miss to play in a band, but I will for sure do it again.

I hope you do. I'm sure you play exceptionally well. Who is your greatest influence and how does this influence helped shape your work?

I would say that John Williams and John Powell are my main influences, I learnt a lot in listening to their scores, how they orchestrate and how they focus on the melodies.

Definitely wonderful influences. John Williams has some epic scores! And talking about these great movie score composers, what is your favorite movie score ever and why?

There is two movie scores that I listen to a lot: « The Lord Of The Ring » trilogy by Howard Shore because this is the most epic soundtrack I’ve ever heard, all the themes sounds fantastic and everything in it is connected. The other one is John Powell’s « How to train your Dragon », full of powerful, rich and emotional themes.

(I could also mention film scores by Christopher Young, Danny Elfman and John Williams)

Too many to mention, for sure! All great choices, though. And what is your source of inspiration to compose?

When composing for motion pictures, the movie and its story are what inspires me, I simply imagine what I would like to hear if I was a member of the audience, what could enhance the picture and bring the emotion. The hardest part is to fit what I have in mind with the director and producers expectations, briefs and temp tracks (A temp track is an existing piece of music which is used in film production during the editing phase, it serves as a guideline for the mood or atmosphere the director is looking for in a scene). So I’m not totally free, it’s a mix between my feelings and the Production requirements. Once a cue is approved, I start to polish and improve the piece.

It’s actually the same thing in TV commercials and trailers.

I have more freedom in animated TV series, once we have found the right mood and music direction for the overall show, I’m free to create themes for characters, environments, situations etc… The inspiration here is guided by the personality of each characters and the plots of the episodes. The themes then will be tweaked to fit with the different moods we will find in the TV show.

From the work you've done with Imaginex Studios, what's your favorite and how did you compose it?

Working at Imaginex Studios

I like all the movies I scored with Imaginex, the team of producers and engineers there is great, they take on all the audio stuffs (sound design, foley, Voice over, mix..). It’s nice to have everything done at the same place.

I compose remotely because I’m traveling a lot. Imaginex set up a server where I can download and upload all the files related to the projects I’m working on.

What are you working on now and what are your plans for the future?

I just finished the score of an animated feature film which was released in theaters the 6th of August. I’m currently working on an animated TV series which will be broadcasted next year. There’s two other movies that I will begin to score before the end of the year, and some TV commercials.

I’m also moving regularly to Los Angeles to grow and reinforce my network.

 Sounds like fabulous plans! So, where can we sample your work?

You can hear samples of my work on my website: www.sebastienpan.com

I also wrote a 52 minutes score based on a French epic fantasy novel that you can listen to and download for free here: (see above also for full link).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yxzl8tXjVWc 

That's a great score! What a wonderful job you're doing! Thank you so much for granting us this interview. Before we let you go, is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?

It’s a famous quote but I like it: Don’t dream your life, live your dreams.

You got it! Thank you once again, and live your dreams! We wish you success always!

To learn more about Sebastien Pan and his work, follow him on social media:

 

twitter: https://twitter.com/sebastien_pan website: https://www.sebastienpan.com      
soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sebastien-pan/sets

Music: Interview with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin (California Soul)

What I love most about having an Indie blog is discovering new artists and sharing their talent! Our newest music interview is with talented singer and musician Jef Joslin. And, definitely, his music needs to be shared and find its place in world! Hear and learn more about Jef here!

Jef, tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and what is your background?

 

I am a southern fella originally from TN. I grew up with a natural inclination towards art and music, but spent most of my years playing sports. It wasn't until my latter years of high school in 2003-04 that I started to really dig into writing and recording. I received a full scholarship as a quarterback and was then that I reached a crossroads and made the switch to music as a career pursuit. 

 

That's a big switch, from sports to art! I'm sure glad you did it, because your music is awesome.

What genre do you consider yourself and who is your greatest influence?

I refer to my music as California soul. It's like if Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson had a baby. Both Stevie and the beach boys are massive influences in what I do. Anything Motown, James Taylor, John Mayer, etc...

 

It has a really nice, cool beat. Do you compose your songs? If so, what is your source of inspiration to compose? 

Yes. Anything that moves me as an experience. Deeper truths of life, love, struggle, hope etc. I try and pull from real experiences, real raw emotions. My main focus is to be a mirror for the listener. Something they can see themselves in and their true identity as beautifully unique individuals. 

 

That's great inspiration! When did you start singing/playing?

Started singing as early as I could open my mouth, but was a bit shy for a while to do it publicly. Started playing piano at 4 and guitar at 10. Didn't really start to write and perform publicly until my latter high school years, expect for the occasional school/church vocal competitions in elementary/middle school. 

Seems like your calling for music preceded your talent for sports! And I'm sure your fans are really happy about that. Talking about fans, what do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans? 

I love relating to them on a personal level. I want to remind them of who they are and their potential for accomplishing anything they believe in. It's always a blessing to be given a platform in which to tell people how loved they truly are.

Jef's new album cover

You're really motivational too! And what are your plans for the coming year? 

I am releasing a new album this year, a few music videos and also starting to record the next one which is already a complete thought. Completely written and formulated. Very excited about that one. By far my best work to date. 

 

We can't wait to hear! I bet it is. And we need to know where can we find your music!

Any digital outlet - itunes, Spotify, Google play, Youtube etc... Also on my website jefjoslin.com

 

Excellent! Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Just keep doing whatever it is that makes you happy. Believe in your dreams. They already believe in you. 

Thanks, Jef, it's been a pleasure to feature you and your music! Good luck to you and much success!

 

 

To find more about Jef and interact with him:  

 

Website: Http://jefjoslin.com

Facebook: Http://facebook.com/jefjoslin

Twitter: Http://twitter.com/jefjoslin

Instagram: Http://instagram.com/jefjoslin

Art: Unique Project joins Photography and Writing - KSHM Project

What happens when a talented, inspiring author writes about amazing images taken by an award winning photographer? A unique project is born. The KSHM Project. 

"The KSHM Project is the result of a joint collaborative effort between an award-winning Australian photographer, Karl Strand, and an American author, Henry Martin. Aiming to combine striking visual images with thought-provoking prose, the goal for this project is to create one-of-a-kind tales that delve deep into the human consciousness, while addressing some of the struggles our contemporary society faces. Our work ranges from short vignettes and captions to complete short stories," the artists state about their project.

There are currently four free installments published on all major ebook channels, so you should take advantage of the artists' generosity, and download this beautiful collection of short stories and amazing photographs.

What readers are saying:

"Great story. I don't know what I can even say since it's so short and anything is likely to be a spoiler.  It definitely evokes feelings. Give it a try. It will only take a few minutes. See if it surprised you the way it did me."

"Henry Martin and Karl Strand have teamed up on a unique project. Martin has written several short stories  which are inspired by unique and haunting pictures taken by Strand. I love short stories. I think it's an art to be able to tell a story and elicit strong emotion in the short story format. In order to avoid spoilers, I will say  "Waiting" is the story of a man who waits to spend time with a young girl. The ending packs a punch and is totally unexpected. Martin is wonderful at writing about the dark side of the human condition. This is a story of torment and "Waiting". 

"It's not easy to review this short story associated with a picture without giving spoilers. I'd just say

the words are conducive to the picture, and the author plays with it skillfully, steering the readers into a quite surprising outcome."

This is a unique project, and a great opportunity for you to check out author Henry Martin's thought provoking prose, and enjoy the amazing images of photographer Karl Strand. Enjoy! And don't forget to write a review!

Links for download on Amazon:  

http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-KSHM-Project-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00R79C74Y/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.com/Phone-Booth-KSHM-Project-Book-ebook/dp/B00R8P7VNE/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=19STDMH46RHEE213KA91

http://www.amazon.com/Four-Vignettes-Project-Henry-Martin-ebook/dp/B00RAQ98YQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=03PYFNHTJEMZFR5Z98Q0

http://www.amazon.com/Elusive-Realities-KSHM-Project-Book-ebook/dp/B00TZ9Z9MG/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

For more of Henry Martin's writing:

http://mad-days-of-me.blogspot.com

http://www.amazon.com/Henry-Martin/e/B001JCCFNI/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1 

For more of Karl Strand's photography:

http://www.karlstrandphotography.com.au/ 

https://www.facebook.com/karlstrandphotography 

Books: Reviews of New Indie Authors - Discover a new favorite!

Here are some reviews from Indie writers' books, which I enjoyed discovering. Different genres for different tastes, so pick one you like and give it a try, you might find your new favorite author here! And when you do, please don't forget to write a review! All of them are available on Amazon. Thank you for supporting Indie writers! "No two persons ever read the same book." (Edmund Wilson).

Reaching Kendra - Edward M. Wolfe

I just finished reading Reaching Kendra (I prefer Kendra Spirit, which is the name of another edition) and I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad with the ending. But not in a bad way. This story will keep me thinking for a while. It's provocative and creative, and I was not expecting the twist. The premise of the undying love is great and left me wanting more. Wolfe does a great job building the characters and the suspense. The scene with the suicide bomber is vividly descriptive, and wonderfully written. I was drawn to the characters from the very beginning and could feel the emotions, the sadness, the separation. Although Keith sounds selfish at times, you can only wonder what kind of emotions he was going through when faced with the horrible truth about the love of his life, never wanting to let go. A great love story.

http://www.amazon.com/Reaching-Kendra-Edward-M-Wolfe-ebook/dp/B00KYIEVGM/ref=cm_cr-mr-img


The Ringmaster's Gambit - Yannis Karatsioris

It's a circus you won't forget! I loved this second installment of "The Game" series, sequel to "The

book of the Forsaken." The book has a myriad of supernatural characters, skillfully described and each having a specific role to play in the overall plot of this ingenious story. It's one of those books you can't put down, full of adventure, action and mysteries. Thumbs up for Karatsioris for great imagination and story telling! This book was even better than the first and I can't wait to read further into the series.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ringmasters-Gambit-Game-ebook/dp/B00EXLZH5U/ref=cm_cr-mr-title


A Knock on a Door - Christos Kallis

A Knock on a Door is a poetry book in which the poet was able to conjure up a collection of poems that will make you think, and are imbued with deep thoughts, albeit also sprinkled with irony and sarcasm. The words are used in a free verse style that is easy to read, for example: "The black rose kept falling from my hands, I had to sacrifice its beauty to reach that victorious peak" from the poem entitled An Apple. Two of my favorites are A letter to Aeschylus and A Million Dollar Smile - "There amongst the chaos and behind her ribs, A beast sat passively in its lair." Excellent use of figurative language and vivid imagery. Great job, and I will be looking for the next poetry book from Mr. Kallis.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Knock-On-Door/dp/1849635803/ref=tmm_pap_title_0


Echo of Heartbreak, A Recipe for Life - Carol Ann Kauffman

A very nice, inspiring book, that tells the story of a very strong woman who decides to go along with 

her much wanted pregnancy against all odds. And, expecting the worse, she decides to leave her unborn daughter a recipe for life, a journal with advice to help her understand life and receive the motherly knowledge she would miss. The inclusion of real food recipes was a delicious touch to the story. I'm looking forward to trying the mushroom and spinach fritatta! A moving story full of life advice for everyone.

http://www.amazon.com/Echo-Heartbreak-A-Recipe-Life-ebook/dp/B00ES2H0BS/ref=cm_cr-mr-title

Music: Interview with Indie alternative pop band Eat Crepes

We have new music to start the year with great vibration! Introducing the awesome Eat Crepes! Yes, that's the band's name, not a restaurant! And since you're very curious to find out about the great sound they produce, let's hear them out! By the way, make sure to give them a like on their Facebook page: http://facebook.com/EatCrepes

First, introduce yourselves, let us know a bit about each of you and your background! 

Dane Granja - Lead singer. Dane is the voice of the band, as well as its visuals; he draws all the album art and promotional posters for the group. He went to high school in Warwick, RI with...

Matt Haronian - Keyboardist. Matt is trained in piano and self-taught in electronic music production. The initial concept behind the band came from the application of both of those skills around Dane's vocals. He, too, is a Warwick resident.

Sherry Romanzi - Guitarist/Ukulele-ist. Although the latest in joining the group, Sherry adds a new dimension, a rock band vibe, to its sound. She came into the band by way of Matt, in a gesture that was simultaneously a recognition of talent and an excuse to ask her out. Sherry resides in Providence, RI.

Currently, all three members attend different universities. Technology makes the creative process feasible, which is appropriate considering that technology is a prominent theme in Eat Crepes's output.

A lot of creative talent here! Talking about creative, when did you start the band, and most importantly, what's the story behind the band's name? I'm sure we're all curious to find out!

Eat Crepes started two years ago, in the members' junior year of high school. It was an electronic duo of Matt and Dane at its inception. That phase produced some demo recordings and little more, but it began the process of creating a sound. It became a full-fledged band with the addition of Sherry later that year.

The name came from musings on the rockstar lifestyle. One day, after eating crepes, and in homage to Notorious B.I.G, a spontaneous moment of inspiration led us to conclude that the essential tenets of being a rockstar were as follows: "f--k b-tches, eat crepes." But we're a family friendly bunch, so we just used the second half.

Now we know! And who is the talent who writes the lyrics and composes the songs?

All three members of the band contribute songs. It usually happens that each individual will write a complete song, rather than all three members helping to create one together. This is a limitation imposed by the lack of physical proximity or a common schedule.

That's great for collaboration. Team work. And what genre do you consider yourselves and who is your greatest influence?

We have always had trouble classifying ourselves into a genre, as most of the labels that fit are loaded with connotations. Our music is pop, but not of the Britney Spears variety. It's "indie," but that's not really a genre per se. It's synthpop, but not all of it has the 80's style that the word connotes. Synthpop or alternative pop comes the closest.

Similarly, we don't exactly have one greatest influence. We lovingly steal from actual synthpop groups like Depeche Mode and The Cure as much as modern groups like Owl City and Foster the People.

Great bands to be influenced by! Depeche Mode and The Cure are some of our 80's favorites, and we actually can feel the synthpop influence especially in your song Technophobic Ghost Boy. When was the first time you performed live and how did you feel?

Our first ever performance was a high school talent show/music showcase. We wish we had something juicier to say, but that was really it.

You have to start somewhere! And is there a specific performance you feel was your best ever? If so, where and why?

Our best performance ever was very recent (January 2nd, 2015). It was our first paid gig, at a Providence venue with some other local bands, one of which Sherry and Matt had adored for a long time. It was fantastic to see our friends and family come out, and even more fantastic to see people who were there for the other bands enjoying our music. 

Congratulations! That's great to hear! So what do you enjoy the most between the interaction with your fans?
Genuine enjoyment is the greatest thing to see in a fan. It’s about connecting with people. When people are actually feeling what we do, on more than just a cursory level, it’s satisfactory on such a fundamental level. It’s a huge part of being artists.

That's true, I hope you're having lots of fun! And what are your plans for this year?

This year we’re promoting our recently released EP, Amaroq. There is a possibility of performing in the summer. If not, we have plans for expanding our sound; we’re semi-constantly writing new music for the future.

Great, I'm sure you'll find lots of venues to perform, especially in the summer! So where can we buy your music?

We’re on iTunes here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/eat-crepes/id904544230

Spotify here: https://play.spotify.com/artist/2E1FQBgGoVN7Q3q31i7Gd5?play=true&utm_source=open.spotify.com&utm_medium=open

Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_srch_drd_B00M93Y4Y4?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Eat%20Crepes&index=digital-music&search-type=ss

Is there anything else you'd like to tell our readers?

If you haven’t had crepes or it’s been a while, seriously, they’re delicious.

They sure are! Thank you so much for your time participating in this interview, and we wish you a lot of success and sales!