25 Things You Didn’t Know About Dave Morrison

1) Like Walter Mitty there is always some parallel experience spooling through my head.
2) My family’s ancestral home is the Isle of Mull, Scotland.
3) I was a mediocre paperboy.
4) I was a pretty decent third baseman.
5) I grew up in the suburbs of Boston, but with almost no accent.
6) The first single (45 rpm) I ever bought was Journey to the Center of the Mind by the Amboy Dukes.
7) I had a near-death experience at age 14 that de-mystified the whole bucket-kicking thing somewhat.
8) It’s A Wonderful Life kills me every time.
9) The first album I bought with my own money was Sgt. Pepper’s. It was the last Beatles album I bought.
10) That’s right – I never really cared for the Beatles. My sister, on the other hand, went bananas. I became a proud Stones and Who man.
11) Youngest of four.
12) I believe in my soul that the 1969 Camaro was the finest car ever built.
13) Beets? Beets are OK.
14) The first poet who rocked me was Charles Bukowski.
15) As a boy I wanted to be an undertaker, then a boxer, then a writer of some kind, then a rock & roll musician.
16) I have a complicated relationship with Bruce Springsteen.
17) I started playing guitar at age 16, and was playing in clubs before I was 18.
18) I am turned on by excellence.
19) At age 40 I went to college nights, and was, for a time, an excellent student.
20) Mavis Staples. Good Lord.
21) I have published 10 collections of poetry. Not bad for an underachiever and crappy student.
22) The first time I saw East of Eden I was struck dumb. I didn’t speak for hours.
23) I believe that whoever got the idea of combining coffee and bookstores is a genius on par with whoever decided to combine chocolate and peanut butter.
24) Whenever “Won’t Get Fooled Again” comes on the radio I have to stop what I’m doing until I can pantomime the scream at the end.
25) For a good portion of my life what I wanted more than anything was a record deal. Here we are. Isn’t this nice?

 

21 things about Meggan Waltman

1. Wrote first lyrics to the melody of a Vivaldi concerto at age 7….. they were about string cheese
2. Knows all the dance moves to “Grease Lightning”
3. Thinks everything feels better after a hot bath and a cold “kombucha”
4. Has 12 brothers and sisters
5. First violin was a cardboard box
6. Can fit her whole fist in her mouth
7. Learned how to play the guitar by dragging her moms old guitar and Dylan, and Peter, Paul & Mary tablature out of the attic. Years later, when pregnant with second child stepped on said guitar in the middle of the night demolishing it beyond repair….. will always mourn her first love
8. Likes to lay under the grand piano while her mom plays Toccata and dissolve
9. Just bought 1 birdfeeder, 2 bags of rabbit food, and 3 pair of spy glasses
10. Misses Grandma Winnie’s Peaches and Grandma Lavon’s apricots
11. Could drink a case of Joni Mitchell and still be on her feet
12. First “real song” she wrote was for her sister……. it mentioned underwear 3 times.
13. Wishes Ras Kassas – Ethiopian restaurant in Bouder, Co – would open a location in Utah.
14. Was happily surprised to learn that a mandolin is strung just like a violin.
15. Thinks flip flops are ok in the winter as long as you wear a beanie and scarf
16. Thinks Neil Young hung the Harvest Moon
17. Loves to listen to Sara Vaughn and Rosemary Clooney while cooking Indian food
18. Keeps her house clean and her car messy
19. Loves to hear her kids sing Bob Marley tunes
20. Thinks the PInback song “Loro” makes her want to drive too fast but listens anyway
21. Lives in Salt Lake City with her husband, two children and rabbit named Tulip.

25 things about Gabriel Mann

1. Son of a cantor
2. San Antonio Spurs fan
3. Former a cappella nut
4. Produced Sara Bareilles’ first album, Careful Confessions
5. Writes the music for Modern Family and sings the “Hey Hey”s in the theme
6. In a band called The Rescues
7. Sang in the choir on the new Muse album
8. Opened for Alanis Morissette on tour through Europe
9. Played a Christmas vs. Hannukkah show with Katy Perry
10. Sang and wrote lots of songs for Fox’s Arrested Development
11. Featured vocalist on cult classic Office Space
12. Opened for the Rolling Stones at Wembley Arena
13. Won the USA Songwriting Competition Grand Prize
14. Had 4 baby teeth that never came out
15. High school mascot = Mule
16. College mascot = Quaker
17. Autotuned Cher back in the day
18. Raised on peanut butter and jelly and ice cream
19. Snowboarding > Skiing
20. Drives a limited edition magma orange VW GTI Fahrenheit
21. 2 car seats in the back
22. A Cappella luminary
23. Never been to Mongolia
24. Been to India though
25. Massive head of hair is real

20 Things about Clarensau

1. The two Tylers of Clarensau have been friends for almost ten years.
2. Tyler Caggiano spent two years as Tyler Clarensau’s manager before joining the band.
3. The band is called Clarensau because the original lineup included both Tyler Clarensau and his brother Blake.
4. Tyler’s great grandfather made up the name Clarensau after failing to find a job in America with his very Greek last name.
5. Tyler Caggiano and Sally have been married for five years.
6. Tyler Clarensau and Sally first met while playing a show together in Chattanooga, TN. A show that Tyler Caggiano had booked.
7. Tyler Caggiano and Sally first met while both working at different Starbucks in the same city.
8. Tyler Caggiano took the photo that is on the cover of Tyler Clarensau’s only solo album.
9. Until Our Lungs Give was recorded in the same town in Georgia that The Dukes of Hazzard was filmed in.
10. Both Tyler’s eat at Waffle House any chance they get, and they have to drop Sally off somewhere else every time.
11. Tyler Clarensau is a big Kansas City Royals fan.
12. There are only 9 people in the world with the last name Clarensau.
13. We call her “Grandma Sally” because she spends her days on the road knitting and telling the boys to grow up.
14. Both Tyler’s will beat you at ping-pong.
15. Clarensau’s post-show restaurant of choice is always Buffalo Wild Wings.
16. Neither Tyler picked up a guitar until late high school, and it’s neither of their main instrument.
17. Sally is probably a better acoustic guitar player than either of the boys.
18. On their first TV appearance, the host mispronounced the band name and the Caggiano’s last name.
19. A Clarensau song is featured in an upcoming movie… in Spanish.
20. Tyler Clarensau writes at least two songs a week.

23 Things about Connor Garvey

1- I can’t roll my tongue into a tube (don’t worry its a recessive trait)
2- I have been around the world 4 times
3- The first song I ever wrote on guitar was called “Mister Down-and-out” in 7th grade
4- My middle school and high school band was called “Electric Haz?ard” (yes the ? is supposed to be there!
5- Last year I surfed in the winter and skied in the summer
6- I practiced with the musicians prior to recording this last album over Skype
7- My first tour was by Amtrak train
8- The first concert I bought tickets to was the Wallflowers
9- I make a mean polenta dish I call “pestolenta”
10- My favorite album of all time is “Graceland” by Paul Simon
11- I think trees are the coolest living thing on Earth
12- I ran a marathon bandit style. This means I was too broke to pay the entrance fee so I just jumped in and at mile 17 was chased by the cops…I out ran them!
13- I worked as a camp counselor for 5 years. It is the best job in the world!
14- My favorite book of late is “A New Earth” By Ekhart Tolle
15- I went to Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR where I got a BA in Biology and started a Master’s Degree in Experiential Education at Prescott College which I put on hold to dive into music full time.
16- The photo on the cover of “Where Ocean Meets Land” is from a NASA satellite.
17- I like pie more than cake
18- I spent 3 months on a bike traveling around New Zealand and Fiji in 2006
19- I have lived in Maine, New Hampshire, Colorado, Arizona, Montana, and Oregon
20- I name my cars. My last car was a 1991 volvo station wagon named Clarence and my current car is a Toyota Matirx named Hugo.
21- I don’t actually sunburn as badly as you might expect…but I do still have pride as a redhead.
22- The first person I opened for was Slaid Cleaves (I was 15)
23- I used to think that the Rolling Stone’s song “Beast of Burden” was actually “Big Suburban”

24 things about Barnaby Bright

1. They have two cats – Lenny and Booger Cookie
2. Becky is a scrabble champ
3. Nathan used to spin records as “DJ Lotus” mixing hip hop records and Gregorian chants
4. Becky loves Sci-fi and action adventure movies
5. Nathan has lived in Philly, Boston, Phoenix, Kansas, LA and New York.
6. Their birthdays are two weeks apart and they were both Leo’s until the new astrological sign was introduced and now Nathan is a Cancer
7. Nathan has been a vegetarian for 23 years, Becky for 7
8. Becky used to be a synchronized swimmer
9. Nathan’s is distantly related to Merle Haggard
10. Neither Becky nor Nathan have any allergies
11. Nathan and Becky were best friends for 2 years. They dated 2 months before getting engaged.
12. Nathan makes perfect omelet’s
13. Becky sang her first solo on a record when she was 5 years old
14. Nathan grew up going to a Quaker School
15. They once had the exact same dream, the same night
16. Nathan is 1/16th Native American
17. Becky’s mother and brother are opera singers, and her father is a cartoonist
18. Nathan is obsessed with history
19. Becky loves the ocean, and has been to St. Barts, Cancun, Hawaii, The Bahamas and Jamaica
20. Nathan’s favorite concert was Sun Ra in 1993 in Boston
21. Becky’s ancestors used to own midtown Manhattan, 51st-59th streets from the Hudson all the way to the East River, and eventually sold it to the Vanderbilts
22. Nathan’s favorite trip was busking all over Europe for three months with a Dixieland band
23. Becky is a master parallel-parker
24. Nathan almost died when his appendix burst at the age of 8, and his family thought he had the flu

25 things about Sam Brenner

1. I was born on 8-17 at exactly 8:17 a.m in 1987.
2. I have three brothers – two older / one younger
3. My first concert was Blink 182 in 2001 at Darien Lake Performing Arts Center. New Found Glory opened the show.
4. My parents bought me my first guitar when I was 12.
5. One summer, I had a lighting bolt shaved in the back of my head as a reward for getting good grades.
6. A few summers later, I had only the top of my head dyed bleach blonde….and looked like a human skunk.
7. I was captain of both my high school varsity soccer & basketball teams.
8. I have a soft spot in my heart for Broadway musicals.
9. I played the Beast in a VERY low-budget summer theater production of Beauty & the Beast
10. Beauty & the Beast is still my favorite Disney movie.
11. When listening to music in the car, I have to have the volume number be an even number.
12. Favorite/lucky numbers are 3, 32, and 87 (only one of which is even).
13. My parents met at the same university that I graduated from (John Carroll University).
14. My parents share the same middle initial – L (Lydia & Leslie).
15. I have a small, but ever-growing vinyl collection in my house. I am now a self-proclaimed vinyl record fanatic.
16. In April 2007, I opened up for Lifehouse.
17. I think I can do a pretty accurate British accent.
18. I can juggle (only 3 items at a time).
19. I’ve held jobs as a lifeguard, waiter, pizza-maker, Student Orientation Leader, barista, Sales Consultant, and independent musician.
20. Being an independent musician is my favorite “job” of all time.
21. Most of my mornings start off with a super-green smoothie I create that has coconut water, coconut oil, hemp protein, cacao powder, avocado, banana, bee pollen, and all sorts of powdered greens….delicious to me, not so much for others that have tried it.
22. I’ve been known to type 90 words per minute.
23. I am a self-diagnosed, high-level procrastinator.
24. Paul Simon is my favorite American singer-songwriter.
25. Music is an amazing, fulfilling art that I am grateful every single day to listen to, to create, and to have my songs be enjoyed by others.

23 things about Ken Yates

1. Favourite Concert – Ryan Adams at Carnegie Hall in NYC
2. Favourite Albums – “Harvest” by Neil Young, “Cold Roses” by Ryan Adams
3. Favourite Pastime – All things outdoors (camping, fishing, canoeing)
4. I have a slight obsession with being on the water and marine animals (ask me anything about fish)
5. Favourite Trip – Newfoundland, Canada (an outdoorsman’s paradise)
6. Favourite Bar – Bellwoods Brewery in Toronto, Ontario
7. I’m a big Boston Celtics fan
8. Favourite Place – My family’s log cabin in Temagami, Northern Ontario
9. Favourite Song – “Old Man” by Neil Young
10. Dream Venue to play – Massey Hall in Toronto
11. I love Canada (if you can’t tell by this list)
12. Spent 4 years studying music at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Loved every minute of it.
13. First song I ever learned on the guitar – Creed “Higher”…. I’m not ashamed..
14. Dream Trip – Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa and visiting Patagonia in South America
15. Favourite TV Show – The Wire
16. I generally write songs about other people’s stories, not my own… I’m too boring for that.
17. A lot of the music that inspires me the most is written by my friends
18. I hate dancing, probably because I’m terrible at it
19. I’ve lived in 3 big cities the past 6 years (Boston, NYC, Toronto) but everyday I wish I was in the country… I miss green stuff
20. I’m terrified of sharks, but also fascinated by them
21. I would love to own a really big boat more than a big house
22. Songs I wish I’d written – “Here Comes The Sun” George Harrison and “Something In The Way She Moves” James Taylor
23. Don’t take me to the zoo, unless you want insane amounts of animal facts

15 things about Kat Maslich

1. I was 1/2 of the duo “eastmountainsouth” (with Peter Bradley Adams)
2. “eastmountainsouth” was discovered and signed to DreamWorks Records by Robbie Robertson (The Band)
3. The “eastmountainsouth” album was number one for eleven weeks on the Non-Commercial AAA radio charts
4. “eastmountainsouth” had over 30 film and tv usages from our debut album
5. “eastmountainsouth” toured extensively opening for Lucinda Williams, Traci Chapman, Joan Baez, Nelly Furtado and we performed our final tour show opening for Lyle Lovett at the Hollywood Bowl
6. I took time off to raise a family (2 wonderful daughters) after “eastmountainsouth”
7. “The Road Of 6” is my return to recorded music
8. I have a twin sister “Emmy” and we are the youngest of five children
9. My grandparents use to live down the road from Ralph Stanley and I used to attend local bluegrass festivals as a young girl and would pass by his “Clinch Mountain Boy’s” tour bus all the time
10. In the early 90’s I packed my bags and tried to find my place in music with short lived stints in New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland and Atlanta
11. I had a chance meeting with Peter Bradley Adams in Los Angeles during a singing audition for a television spot. He was one of the musical composers. The commercial never panned out but a friend of Peter’s brought him to a solo show of mine, I sang on a country demo he was working on and we became “eastmountainsouth”
12. I had the wonderful experience of singing solo at the “Gram Parsons Tribute” concerts at the Santa Barbara Bowl and the Universal Amphitheatre in LA performing alongside of Keith Richards, Norah Jones, Dwight Yoakum and Steve Earle
13. Mary Chapin Carpenter sings on “March” with me
14. Glen Phillips (Toad The Wet Sprocket and many fine solo albums) sings backround on “When The Sky Falls”. Glen just happened to be in the same studio that day while he was working with Sean Watkins (Nickel Creek) and Luke Bulla on their album “Works Progress Administration”
15. Jim Lauderdale sang with me on “Poor Old Town”, a song I wrote after watching “Coal Miner’s Daughter” for the 2000th time