Jason Derulo: Beatweek 2010 Newcomer of the Year

With the impact Jason Derulo has had on the music scene in 2010, it’s easy to forget that his self titled debut album is still less than a year old. From the R&B vibe of his first hit Whatcha Say, to the rock influenced In My Head, to the funkiness of Ridin’ Solo, to the balladry of What If (and that’s just his four hit singles from the album thus far), Jason has shown that he can successfully approach pop music from every angle. The trick? Jason told Beatweek that he wrote three hundred songs for potential inclusion on the album in order to ensure that each song that made the cut was potential hit-quality material.

The scary part is Jason Derulo is still only twenty-one years old, and this is what he’s accomplished with just one album. Will he still be with us in a decade? Count on it. For what he’s done in 2010, he’s our Newcomer of the Year. Here is Beatweek’s conversation with Jason Derulo.

Greyson Chance interview: Waiting Outside The Lines, debut album

Singer-songwriter Greyson Chance made his national television performance debut on The Ellen Show earlier this year – at the age of twelve. He’s since been working on his forthcoming debut album, and the now-thirteen year old has just released the lead single from it. The song, entitled Waiting Outside The Lines, sees its debut today in iTunes as well as in a live performance on The Ellen Show where it all started for him.

The Oklahoma native took time today out of one of the busiest days of his life to chat with Beatweek about his new single, the ways in which his newfound stardom have (and haven’t) changed his life, why he’s one of the few Twitter stars who actually follows hundreds of thousands of his followers back, what he would do to get on Glee, and the progress he’s making towards his eventual album release which will come a little down the road.

Tell me about Waiting Outside The Lines.

It’s a very important song to me. The meaning of the song is really saying that you can get past something in your life, an emotional breakdown you can get past it. So the main purpose of the song is for my fans, so they can listen to the song when they’re late at night and they’re feeling their lowest low, and when they listen to the song, realize that it’s gonna get better and they can overcome this problem.

You write your own songs, right?

Yes, but actually this one I did not write. You know how it works. You get songs emailed to you and all that stuff. But I heard this song, and I’m really specific about what I don’t write, because I want to make sure that it still stays true to me. When I first heard the song, I was listening to the lyrics and I was just so into the song, and I was like ah, I have to do that. That’s so incredible. This is a song that means so much to me, so I’m just really happy that today is the day.

When you performed the song on Ellen today, about halfway through the song you stepped away from the piano and you came front and center, just singing vocals. Is that something we’ll see more of from you, where you’re not always behind the piano?

Definitely. I think it’s really important to show a different side, and I think because I’m not gonna always be able to be on the piano. I’m really excited.

It’s been about six months since the first time you were on Ellen, and you’re just now bringing out your first commercial single. It seems like you’ve decided not to rush things, you’d rather take your time and get it right.

There were a lot of different versions of the song, actually, and one of them we had an actual version. But everyone was like, you know, this is a thing that you can’t rush. It’s kind of like a table. You can put three legs on it, but it’s not gonna be standing up because it’s only three legs. So we wanted to take our time with this one to make sure it was perfect. It was a pretty long time, but I’m just excited that it’s here.
With this rush of fame and exposure, when you go back home and there’s moments where you go out to dinner with your family or you hang with your friends, are you still able to do that normally or are too many people recognizing you or interrupting?

Oh no, I can definitely do that. It’s really great. The best thing about this whole thing is when I go out and people just kind of want to shake my hand. I just find that so incredible because they just want to say hello, and I find that really, really cool. I still can go out and go with my friends. I don’t have that problem yet (laughs).

You’ve dealt with quite a lot of industry people over the past few months. Are there people who try to treat you like a little kid and treat you different, or are people generally giving you the same kind of respect that they would give to an emerging artist who’s ten years older than you?

Sometimes I get treated like a kid, but I have the best team behind me and I have the best label in the world. Everybody is just so kind and so awesome. I think at first it was kind of like that because nobody really knew me, but now everyone is just so kind, so nice. Everybody respects everybody.

You tweeted about John Lennon on his birthday. Did the Beatles influence come from your parents, or was that something you sought out on your own?

It’s actually come from my own. I think John Lennon is one of the best writers ever to step on the planet. He’s just so passionate about his work, and the poetry that he puts in his songs is just incredible.

You’ve got a lot of big names in your corner. Not just Ellen, but Lady GaGa has shown support for you, Perez Hilton says nice things about you. How important is to to have those kinds of heavyweights in your corner?

It feels really good, and actually Perez has become such an amazing friend, actually. I’ve gotten to meet him a couple of times. He’s really cool, one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. He’s a really cool guy and I like to stay in touch with him on Twitter.

You’ve been quite adamant about bringing the anti-bullying campaign to the forefront. Why is that an important issue to you?

It’s an epidemic that we really need to get rid of. We’re losing teenage lives from this. Everybody’s been bullied, and it’s one of the most horrible things that can happen. I feel for the kids that have been bullied, and I actually wrote a song just recently called Purple Sky. It really needs to be stopped. I mean we’re losing lives.

You’ve identified yourself as a Glee fan. If you had the chance to be on the show, I take it you would jump on it?

Oh yeah. I would jump off cliffs for that (laughs). It’s an amazing show, and I love how they’re taking pop music but making it theatrical and they’re doing these classic Broadway numbers that are just so classical but they’re making them fun and they’re making them really cool. I think they’re doing a very good thing in music right now.

You have about 250,000 followers on Twitter, and you follow 150,000 of them back. I think you may be following the most people of anyone on all of Twitter. Why do you do it that way?

I think the most important thing is because I know what it feels like to be followed by somebody. You get that happy feeling. If people are going to be willing to follow me, I should follow them back. I follow 150,000 but I need to follow 100,000 more because it’s not everybody. I feel for the people that want to be followed back, so it’s the least I can do.

That allows people on Twitter to direct message you. Do you get a lot of fan messages through DM?

Yes, and I like to read those. And I like to reply too. I love talking to my fans. They’re incredible.

How far along are you as far as the album?

I think we have a pretty good amount of stuff almost completed. It’s kind of like a hurry up and wait thing (laughs). We’re getting along.

Is there anything you can say, without getting in trouble, in terms of when the album might possibly come out?

It will be early 2011.

Have you had a favorite studio moment so far?

The last studio I was in, I was at the Record Plant in LA. The studio that we were in had a basketball court. And so after we would get done recording takes, we would go and play Horse.

interview by Bill Palmer

Greyson-Official.com • iTunes • Twitter • Facebook

The Band Perry: Kimberly, Neil, and Reid talk debut album and more

“I’ve known these guys their whole lives,” Kimberly Perry says of her bandmates Reid and Neil – and she means it literally, as they happen to also be her kid brothers, which helps explain how the trio came up with the name The Band Perry. They’ve had one of the biggest country hits of the year with If I Die Young, and now their debut album has finally been released today. Then again, their music isn’t strictly country, but we’ll get to that in a minute. First we have to square away the fact that I’ve got all three of them on the phone at once, and after seeing that it takes very little prodding to get them to start impersonating each other, I can tell that this is going to be a light hearted conversation. Which also begs the question of how such an upbeat gang can have a hit song about dying young, and we’ll get to that too. But first, about this sibling thing…

When you guys were little, were you singing together back then around the house, or was it later when you started putting your voices together?

Kimberly: We actually started singing harmony later. I can remember the first time that we did that. I’m the oldest, and I was in the eighth grade which would have meant meant Reid was in first grade, Kindergarten or first grade. I remember we took this family vacation out west, and we got this little camper. I’m not talking Prevost, I’m talking a camper. And all five of us, our parents were driving, were in this camper, and to help mom pass the time while she was driving, we would sing all of these songs in three part harmony. We were basically just trying to make the miles more interesting.

Neil: We would sing Amazing Grace in rap style or rock style or different types of three part harmony.

Kimberly: Yeah, except for the rap in three part harmony didn’t work out so well (laughs). But even more so than singing together, all three of us have been performers musically since day one. I can remember Neil once when he was a kid and still in Batman pajamas, couple weeks ago, you know. I remember one night he got up on the kitchen counter after dinner and he struck an Elvis pose. We always called him our little Elvis because he basically came out of the womb with sideburns. And he struck this Elvis pose when he was probably four years old and said “I was born to do this.” And so in various ways we were all three entertaining anyone who was in the room, and we basically started doing that together.

Reid: There were definitely visible signs in our younger years that showed what we would be doing when we got older, I think.

I know you guys grew up listening to country and rock and different genres, and I can definitely hear those elements in there, but if you had to slap one label on your music it would be country. Was that something you always knew was going to be the case or was there any point in the past where any of you had envisioned yourselves being in a rock and roll band?

Kimberly: Yeah, we actually had an independent project, this was pre-record deal, and pre- our management relationship, and just something that we wanted to get out of our system. We ended up laying down like thirteen tracks independently, and it definitely spoke more to our Rolling Stones side than our Loretta Lynn side. And then we had a real honest moment where we looked at each other and said okay, we have this music, what should we do? And I think by nature of the fact that first of all we’re really plugged into the songwriting community in Nashville, and really, that in country music is so unique unto our genre, that songwriting family, if you will. Definitely wanted to be part of that. And also, country for us, because our hearts are rural America, and sort of blue collar working folk. It felt like the stories that we like to tell and the ones that we like to dream up even, fit better in that genre of music, in country, than it did in the rock and roll world. And so we just kind of started actually chasing down both of those rat holes, and it just always led us back to Nashville.

You aren’t just singers, you each play various instruments. Neil, with your list of instruments you play, it looks like you could be a one man band on your own. Are you running from instrument to instrument between songs on stage?

Neil: It feels like I’m running a marathon when I’m on stage, dropping my mandolin and running to grab my accordion and stuff. But it’s a good time. I enjoy all those different instruments.

Kimberly: Neil’s first job in the band was actually as the drummer, and he doesn’t pull that out, although you do whip out tambourine on a couple of songs.

Reid: Back when we were doing our independent project, on If I Die Young, he would actually play drums and mandolin at the same time.

Kimberly: Because we were like a power trio back then. Seriously, I played more electric than acoustic, Reid has always been on the bass, and so Neil would play drums.

Reid: And then drums got too much to take it around. So we told him just to leave the drums behind and he came up front with us, and he’s now the mandolin slash accordion player.

Speaking of bass players, there’s this stereotype about them, and it’s untrue as often as it’s true, but the stereotype is that they’re quiet, stoic, keeping the ship steady. I guess all three of you could comment whether that’s an accurate picture of Reid.

Kimberly: I’ll speak to that (laughs). He is the self titled peacemaker in The Band Perry, meaning nine times out of ten, I’ll hand it to him that he does enforce peace…

Neil: …because Kimberly and I are too much alike.

Kimberly: Yeah, Neil and I both have lead singer syndrome. But Reid, yeah, I think that he definitely is the rock in the band, and he is more quiet, but he also thinks a lot more. He’s silent but deadly.

Neil: Reid’s the thinker of the group, and I think I’m the reactor (laughs).

Reid: I think all musicians have a stereotype, and even us as siblings, we definitely carry our sibling stereotype roles on our sleeves. Again, I’m in the peacekeeping middle child, and Kimberly is the big sister…

Kimberly: …the big sister, a little bit bossy. But I just call myself the “boss” and leave out the “y” and it suits me so much better…

Reid: The boss is Bruce Springsteen.

Kimberly: …of The Band Perry. They let me do that, and it’s my role as big sister. And then the baby over here, he just keeps us all laughing.

If I Die Young is a very peaceful, content song about death. And I don’t know if it’s literally about death, you can tell me, but it’s amazing to me how you guys can take this sad topic and make it sound so enlightened, or almost enticing.

Kimberly: Well you know it’s amazing, death definitely has both sides of that coin. It’s a very mournful time of course of anybody, but it also can be really beautiful, especially with a life well lived. We wrote If I Die Young out of a place of contentment. It was a moment that we were headed into the studio, it was actually the first song that we had penned for the album. And it was a time that we just looked at each other with all the opportunity that we had before us and said, you know, if for whatever reason it all ends at this moment, we’ve even at our young ages lived life so completely. That’s really the place that we wrote it out of, although I’ll be honest with you, it’s amazing, we’re top thirty right now just four weeks in, and we’re getting so much feedback from these listeners and fans of this song. From Facebook to MySpace letters, it’s really giving their grief a voice. We were playing out in Manhattan, Kansas just last week and it was like over a hundred degrees, it was just a brutally hot festival, and we played this song and this lady stood up with these tears in her eyes and had this homemade sign that she made with the name of her daughter and the age that she passed away, and it said “She died young.”

You’re all named Perry, so The Band Perry is an obvious band name choice. When that name was first kicked around, was it something that all of you were on board with right away?

Neil: We spent probably a week going through all these different names, and eventually came to a name where we wanted to have Perry in it.

Kimberly: And so for awhile we just tried simply “Perry” on for size, but it had a very British rock feel for a country band, cause it’s an English last name anyway. So we knew we wanted “The Band” in there somewhere, because it couldn’t say “The Family” or “The Brothers Perry.” We love “The Brothers Grimm” but I’m a sister so we couldn’t just have “The Brothers Perry” which would have been an awesome name. So we wanted “The Band” in there too because we all play instruments, we’re not just a vocal group.

And with the inception of things like MySpace and the fantastic world wide web, there’s like a dozen Perry bands. So we needed something to separate us from the bunch, and ended up just reversing it to The Band Perry. And also, we have a darn good little logo and a nickname, TBP. I always feel like the music defines the name, as opposed to the other way around.

Learn more at TheBandPerry.com • iTunes • Facebook • Twitter

Runner Runner talks debut album, poker, Letterman and more

Collaborating in 2008, the members of Runner Runner left behind (at least temporarily) their old bands. The band, consisting of singer Ryan Ogren, guitarists Peter Munters and Nick Bailey, bassist Jon Berry, and drummer James Ulrich, have been taking the U.S. by storm with their first hit single, “So Obvious,” and they have no plans of slowing down any time soon. I talked with Peter about where Runner Runner came from and where they’re headed soon.

Runner Runner is not only a band, but a poker term. What made you want to use this specific expression as the name of your band?

The term runner runner refers to a perfect underdog victory in a hand of poker.   When the two perfect cards arrive in order to beat an opponent who would otherwise have had the upper hand, the stars align and you go runner runner for the win.   We realize we need a lot of luck and a lot of passion to make it in the music game today, and we hope that fate will deal us a perfect hand as we proceed.  There are so many talented people trying to leave there mark on the music scene today; we realize that every day and are honored to put our dreams on the line and onstage.

Being the coagulation of the elements of three different bands, what made you all want to leave your own bands and start working together?

Runner Runner wasn’t necessarily formed from the desire to leave our several bands.   Essentially we are the super-friends who could not help but go on when other members of our bands chose to move on. In music, you have to either want it or go your own way.   We have the most fun in the world doing what we love, but it’s not difficult to see that after a while, this life is not for everybody. The fire in our hearts kept burning after songs and performance and the mission we feel we follow to find and make amazing music. That is the driving spirit behind Runner Runner.

Do you think that you will ever go back to the bands you were in previously?

A lot of the people we encounter on tour ask for another Over It [one of their bands previous to this one] record, and I think this could happen very easily.  In fact, it has already been written.  For now, however, Runner Runner is certainly a priority.  We want our songs to reach a massive, diverse audience.   If anything, years from now, hopefully the hard work we invest in this band pays off and allows us to do a plethora of other projects in the music world.   One chapter leads to another and we certainly want them all to survive.

Coming from such a diverse punk background, how did you come up with Runner Runner’s sound? How would you classify it?

The sound of Runner Runner is a throwback and tribute to the pop music that first drew us into the world of huge songs and radio when we were kids. Before we were “punk” and romanticized underground music that we still and always will adore, it was the power pop of the 70s, 80s and 90s which totally bewitched us all individually.  

So, we like to always nod at history, paying tribute to icons like Elvis Costello, Cheap Trick and the Cars, while always looking ahead and staying current. We believe that songs are either great or not songs at all, and they may sound a lot of different ways. Hopefully our fans agree that somewhere between Lady Gaga, Green Day, the Knack and Kiss, we can make a place to belong.

As a band, what do your fans mean to you?

As a band, our fans absolutely mean the world to us. What other reason do we have for being out here on the road, living our dreams?   Our priority at shows and on the internet is to involve our fans in this family that is palpably expanding every day.  No one is insignificant, and we want to know everyone on a first name basis. We are in this thing together.  Runner Runner is our band, but we belong to our fans!

Where has been your favorite place to play and why?

Personally, of the places we have visited so far, it is impossible to choose a favorite.  The first show we played, which blew my mind and really felt like some crazy dream, was the Punkspring festival in Tokyo in 2009.  Japan is so beautiful and fascinating. We played for roughly six thousand Japanese people and they made us feel so welcome and inspired.    I have no idea how they know the lyrics to “So Obvious”, but they did and that show certainly changed our lives forever.

How do you feel about being known as the first group signed to David Letterman’s record label, C.E. Music?

We feel uniquely privileged and proud to have the support that we do from Clear Entertainment, Capitol Records and MRV records. We have never before experienced a network of support or resources that is at once so powerful and vital, and so like a family. We are finding out every day that these amazing people are willing to work as hard as we do or harder to launch this band as far as we can possibly go. Our management and label arrangement is a massive blessing. We are also so excited to finally meet Mr. Letterman Monday, September 27th, when we appear on The Late Show.

Your producer, Dave Darling, has worked with a rather diverse range of acts, from the Stray Cats to Brian Setzer.  Did this uniqueness have any impact on your recordings?

I have heard people call Dave “the consummate producer” for our record, and I believe it is true. Not only does Dave have a uniquely gifted and soulful ear for sounds and song, but he was indispensably confident in the studio, always knowing where to turn and how to evoke every moment the most effectively. He also shreds on guitar.  He played on the soundtrack to Top Gun! We could not have made our record without his help and mentorship and he will always be an honorary member of Runner Runner.

What inspires you all to continue writing and playing your music?

Life is our inspiration for every song and every performance. Whether we are in or out of love, lonesome or ecstatic, our music is our salvation. It is a tremendous gift to see the truth of our lives, and jump off from that point in songs, and watch them come to life. Nothing compares to hearing people sing along to these songs at a show, and so the circle continues.

You were on tour with Secondhand Serenade this past summer. How did that go for you guys?

The tour with Secondhand Serenade was fabulous.  We all love John and the guys, and we want to thank them for sharing the road and their charming fans with us. Their love and companionship won’t soon be forgotten.

Is there any act that you’ve toured with that has taught you something valuable about music or life in general?

That is a great question! I feel like we learn something new from every artist and band with whom we share the stage. Once upon a time, Joel Madden from Good Charlotte told us “to always fight the good fight” when it comes to the band.  I think he was saying, stick together in a way. The idea is to know your family so that when things get wild and forces pull the band in a thousand directions, true friends are able to cling to one another and keep everyone afloat together. A great producer and friend of the band also told us to “never be ashamed of something you like,” which, in my estimation is some of the greatest wisdom I know.    

You recorded an EP of cover songs in 2009. What made you want to do this before putting out an original album?

Our cover song recordings began as a supplement to a release we did in Japan and evolved into a massive obsession. We love learning and developing our own recording skills and find it hard to step away from the studio whenever it is near.  Ultimately, I think our covers show that we are unashamed of loving great pop music.  Hopefully we do it the smallest bit of justice with our interpretations of great, timeless songs!

What is the game plan for Runner Runner for the rest of the year?

Runner Runner will be on tour through the end of the year, and with a little bit of luck, forever. Come and meet us and rock out with us at a show. Find us online and let us know how your day is going.  We look forward to hearing from you soon and want you to know that your support is the only reason we get to continue on this fantastic adventure.  Thank you for letting us have the time of our lives. Let’s party!

interview by Keri Franz

RunnerRunnerMusic.com • iTunes • Twitter • Facebook

Vegas betting odds have Lee DeWyze album outselling Crystal Bowersox

Idol fans who missed the opportunity to place wagers on who would win the show can now bet on whether Lee DeWyze or Crystal Bowersox will rack up the highest initial album sales and score the higher chart debut spot. DeWyze, having won Idol, is the heavy favorite thus far, with fans having wager $2.50 just to win a dollar on him – while those plunking down on runner up Bowersox can win $1.70 just by wagering $1.00, according to Casino Gambling Web. The odds are set on the amount of betting being placed on each side and could therefore shift in either direction in the several months between now and the time that Crystal and Lee are expected to release their albums; DeWyze’s debut album is listed in iTunes as having an expected release date of October 26th.

Lee DeWyze to release debut album October 26th, pre-orderable now

iTunes has made Idol winner Lee DeWyze’s debut album available for pre-order, with an expected release date of October 26th, 2010, according to the online music service. While not technically his debut album, as DeWyze released two previous independent records before Idol, his first post-American Idol album will be widely regarded as his “debut” nonetheless. iTunes is pre-selling Lee’s album for $11.99, listing it simple as “Debut Album” – and while no information has been given about any of its contents for the obvious reason that it hasn’t been made yet, the album is already at #27 on the iTunes pop albums chart, where it’s competing with albums that are available today. Lee DeWyze’s debut album pre-order page in iTunes is right here.

Ask us in six months whether Crystal Bowersox or Lee DeWyze won Idol

Bad news, American Idol fans: even as Crystal Bowersox and Lee DeWyze face off to determine the “winner” on American Idol this week, the results won’t be revealed for at least another six months or so. While the official title will be given to one of them on Wednesday based on viewer voting totals, the real winner – in terms of who gets to have a successful career in the music business – won’t present itself in even partial form until the two release their albums and we get an idea of who they really are, or at least who they aspire to be, as musicians. While fans of the two contestants each want their favorite to win, most members of the general public would have no basis upon which to answer if you asked them whether they plan to purchase the albums of either, both, or neither singer, and they won’t begin to have an answer until they’ve at least heard the first singles off of both records.

American Idol has had seasons in which both of the top two contestants “won” in hindsight, seasons which produced no winners despite one being crowned, and seasons in which one of the contestants who didn’t even make it to the finale ended up being the one to win the “grand prize” of getting to have a music career. So even as Idol gears up to name either Crystal Bowersox or Lee DeWyze the “winner” next week, it could eventually turn out that they both one, or both lost, or that the real winner of season nine has already been sent home. Only time will tell.

What do you think? Will Lee or Crystal be named “the winner” next week? Will either or both of them be able to claim the prize of having successful music careers? You tell us.

Siobhan Magnus debut album: rock, blues and soul

Siobhan Magnus isn’t likely to get the opportunity to start work on her debut album until after she fulfills her American Idol tour commitment, but that doesn’t mean the recently sent home singer hasn’t begun thinking about what she wants to do for the album when the time comes – and she’s spilled the beans on it, at least in general terms. Saying that she’s learned from her time on Idol that her biggest potential for success lies with the rock, blues, and soul genres, Siobhan says that she wants to “make a unique sound that’s a combination of those things.”

As far the much discussed topic of which Frank Sinatra song she would have performed on American Idol if she had lasted another week in the competition? My Way – dedicated to her ailing grandfather.

Music Spotlight: self titled album from The Smiths

There are pros and cons to being born in recent years, musically speaking.

The good side of it would probably be that parents are now used to kids listening to all types of music without freaking out as much about the influence it has on them – or wait: maybe that’s not such a good thing… Scratch that.

The fact that there were albums parents DIDN’T want their kids to listen to when they were growing up, made them love the band or the artist that much more.

Like sneaking behind the neighborhood liquor store with your friends and smoking or drinking when you knew you would get caught but you just had to do it, because that’s what everybody else was doing too. It made you feel daring and, let’s face it, it made you feel cool.

Back when vinyls were still sold in stores and people heard them religiously from beginning to end, read every word in the liner notes, knew the lyrics to all the songs and the names of all the band members… those were the days; when you felt you belonged to something.

The newer generation doesn’t care about the music in their iPods as much as the games they can play on them. They throw them around, dirty them up with their caramel-licked-Cheeto-stained fingers, but they don’t value them, because they don’t know how it used to be before these devices were created.

And before these devices were created, The Smiths’ self titled album “The Smiths” was released, in February of 1984.

Morrissey at his best.

The songs on this album are songs you can listen to and dream up another world in which you can be whoever you want to be. That powerful feeling of wanting to get up and show the world what you’re made of is, in my opinion, the key component to a great album.

After listening to “Hand in glove” and “What Difference Does It Make”, things will begin to make sense. The rest is up to you. 18th, but we can’t seem to find it.

Written by Elán, an international recording artist whose latest album Recuerdos & Tequila is available now