Category: Artist

Jordan Knight helped spark a pop music phenomenon with The New Kids On The Block, becoming an international household name and earning millions of devoted fans. Today, he is a multi-faceted artist wearing several hats from singer, songwriter and musician to producer, TV star, and devoted family man.

Like any siblings, guitarist Jonathan Jackson and drummer Richard Lee Jackson used to specialize in discord. Their preteen years in Washington state involved a lot of “rolling around on the ground and punching, choking, all kind of things,” recalls the latter. One indelible memory even involves a spat, a hockey stick, and multiple stitches. But thankfully, that didn’t last long. Because once Jonathan (then 11) finally convinced his reluctant older brother (then 14) to jam with him in their parents’ basement, cacophony led way to harmony — and that formed an unwavering foundation for Jonathan Jackson + Enation, their anthemic rock band about to release its fourth album, Radio Cinematic, this fall.

“I’m sure it sounded like crap,” explains Jonathan, of their first time playing together. “But we played for three hours and thought it was the most incredible thing ever.” Their skill set has evolved considerably since then. These days, the Nashville band Jonathan Jackson + Enation — which also includes longtime friend, bassist Daniel Sweatt — has independently released music that’s popped up on TV and charted in the top 10 on iTunes’ rock chart. In 2011, their ever-sprawling grassroots fan base also buoyed them on to win a national AOL competition, which featured the trio on a Times Square billboard.

The brothers first dipped their toes into music “professionally” as members of Scarlet Road, a classic-rock band with their father, country artist Ricky Lee Jackson, and his brother Gary. Jonathan just was 14 and Richard 17 when, decked out in leather, they performed songs such as U2’S “Bullet the Blue Sky” to adult concertgoers at venues like the Whiskey a Go Go. These trials by fire helped tighten up their live shows. “Sometimes the audience just didn’t care, so there was a real fight to get people’s attention and do something they’d remember,” says Jonathan. “I wasn’t out partying — I was studying how bands like U2 do the things they do.”

Acts such as U2, Pearl Jam, and Peter Gabriel not only shaped Enation’s confident sound, but also informed their desire to create music that lingers. With their dad’s blessing, the brothers decided to make music a full-time occupation, and they recruited Daniel, whom they met socially. He made his Enation membership official with — what else? — an epic jam session. “Within a month of meeting each other,” Daniel marvels, “we were playing music together.”

That was 15 years ago. And as a nod to that enduring synergy, Radio Cinematic will be the first Jonathan Jackson + Enation album produced to sound like their invigorating concerts. Why now? Says Richard, simply: “Well, we’ve just never been able to capture that energy before.”

The word “Enation” is technically a botany term referring to an outgrowth on a plant. The band immediately took to its metaphoric meaning, as it applied to both their live and recorded performances. “It means to bring forth, give birth,” notes Richard, “the idea that you can actually have an idea that inspires and encourages.”

To that end, the band has worked to raise money through their music with charities such as the anti-human trafficking organization NOT FOR SALE and The Syria Project, in support of refugees. “We feel like we have something that’s special,” says Daniel. “We owe it to people to try to get this out there, raise awareness for things they might not know.”

That theme of illumination resonates through Radio Cinematic, co-produced by Greg Archilla (Matchbox 20, Collective Soul) and Patrick Dillett (David Byrne, The National) — starting with its first single, the sprawling, swelling “Everything Is Possible.” Jonathan hammers out the most of the band’s melodies and lyrics himself, before roping in his bandmates to bring those songs to life. His chorus for this cut — “I wake up every day and feel brand new / Love / Everything is possible with you” — is at once vague and subversive in elocution. “Love has a fight in it. It’s not passive. It’s fierce,” he says of the track’s reliability. “There’s this proverb: Love is stronger than death. ‘Everything Is Possible’ takes that idea of rebellion and applies it to love.”

It will be followed by “Cinematic.” The track unfolds intimately — a tug of war between simmering piano and soaring falsettos. More specific in its assertions of love, it revisits “new beginnings by colliding a love story with our musical journey as a band,” says Jonathan. That is perhaps Radio Cinematic’s most intriguing magic trick: its uncanny ability to look forward by first looking back.

“The philosopher G.K. Chesterton once wrote about entering your second childhood,” says Jonathan. (He’s a big reader whose musical output is frequently inspired by the several books he’s reading at any given time.) “There comes a point when you’re an adult, where you’re given an invitation to rediscover the beauty and wonder of life, of what exists all around you. With Radio Cinematic we’re also exploring the paradox between sight and sound and how they’re connected.”

From Jonathan Jackson + Enation’s inception, its members innocently asked big questions about life, and contemplated how their music would fit into it. When playing clubs such as The Roxy as a kid, Jonathan says, “The drug for me was music — this endless mystery to learning more and experiencing more.” Now, even as celebrated musicians, a youthful optimism and curiosity continues to simmer in them. “If you look around at the world, the hardest thing to do is to overcome the darkness that is around us — to break through that weight,” Jonathan says. “It’s the role of the artist to push back against that.”

Kate Voegele, a self-described bohemian soul from the birthplace of rock n roll, is a Cleveland, Ohio native turned California girl. Voegele first started writing songs at the age of 15 after a childhood spent listening to everything from the Beatles to Michael Jackson. To date, she has released 4 full-length records (Don’t Look Away, A Fine Mess (Deluxe), Gravity Happens, Canyonlands) and 2 EPs, selling over 500,000 copies in total.

Along with playing thousands of shows while touring internationally for the last decade, Kate has also been building her acting career, playing singer Mia Catalano on the hit CW show, “One Tree Hill’. The show’s audience loved Voegele’s original music so much that she turned what was supposed to be a 2 episode cameo into 4 seasons on the show. Voegele has a big 2019 ahead, beginning with the release of her brand new single, “Shoot This Arrow,” the first track from her next project.

Kyle enrolled at the Atlanta Institute of Music where he was exposed to various styles of music. There he was able to expand his knowledge of classical music, which he had studied as a violinist well before falling in love with artists like Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. Consequently, like Brett, his desire to begin an immediate career in writing and performing Rock n’ Roll made the school’s condensed one-year program the perfect environment for his development. Upon graduation, Cook was quickly introduced to producer Matt Serletic who was searching for guitarists for one of his groups called Tabitha’s Secret. Cook was impressed by the songwriting and production. Shortly thereafter, Matt flew Kyle to an audition in Orlando where he was soon offered the job. This group later became Matchbox 20, which to date has had three multi-platinum records and a string of number one hits.

King’s X is an American hard rock band noted by music critics and fans for their sophisticated sound that combines progressive metal, grunge, funk and soul with vocal arrangements influenced by gospel, blues, and British Invasion pop groups. The band’s lyrics are largely based on the members’ struggles with religion and self-acceptance. Since being signed to Megaforce Records in 1987, King’s X have released twelve studio albums, one official live album, and several independent releases. The band is currently recording for the InsideOut Music label, and continue to tour with each new release.

Lee DeWyze launched the pivotal stage of what was already a high-profile musical career with his Vanguard Records debut – Frames, in the summer of 2013.

What followed was a high-caliber list of praise from the LA Times, Chicago Tribune, Yahoo Music, Rolling Stone, and dozens upon dozens more.

“I hunkered down and wrote an album,” the Chicago native explains. “I wanted to take it back to what I’m really about, which is writing emotionally charged, meaningful songs. It wasn’t like I wanted to find a label and then decide what kind of album to make. I knew what kind of album I wanted to make and knew I could make. It’s going back to the kind of music I’ve always loved. I grew up listening to Cat Stevens, Simon & Garfunkel—folk-based acoustic music. Don’t get me wrong—my experience on the show was great. But for someone like me and the kind of music I make, that only takes you so far. It feels really good to get back to the grass roots of what I’m about. The way I see it, everything that’s happened throughout my career has happened so that I can make this record.”

The show DeWyze is referring to is American Idol, which he won in 2010.
DeWyze played guitar, piano, mandolin, banjo and drums during the recording sessions, during which he collaborated with renowned producer/songwriters Toby Gad, Drew Pearson, Matthew Wilder and Phil Allen, as well as mixer extraordinaire Jim Scott. “I’ve never felt a connection with my music, more than I do right now,” DeWyze says, making no effort to hide his excitement. “It’s a very real thing, and it feels right.”

Frames garnered many licenses and syncs and proved that DeWyze was not only a great singer, but an extremely talented song-writer. Shows like Nashville, Reign, and Hart of Dixie all used his music, as did ESPN, and several independent films. Blue Cross Blue Shield recently used the song ‘Don’t Be Afraid” as part of their national 2014/2015 campaign.

However, the door really kicked open when Lee penned the song ‘Blackbird Song’ for The Walking Dead in March of 2014. An original song that he wrote specifically for the show itself.
Blackbird Song has accumulated over 50k single unit sales, 2M collective YouTube views, and has over 1.1M Spotify streams.

The song is considered one of the top 10 syncs of the 2014 by the Music Guild Association.

In 2015, DeWyze will release an onslaught of music and video content, and continue his relentless touring here in the US and overseas.

Lee has a #1 song in Ireland called Lullaby that was recorded and performed by Ronan Keating. He also has a #3 song in Italy called Magnetic Heart recorded and performed by Marco Mengoni.

“I’m finally in the lane I belong in, and I feel like I can just go.” DeWyze says in anticipation of what he’s preparing to unleash in 2015.

LEZ ZEPPELIN, the New York City-based all-girl band has gained worldwide critical acclaim for the musicianship, passion and gender-bending audacity they bring to the music of Led Zeppelin.

Founded in 2004 by New York guitarist, Steph Paynes, It wasn’t long before the group’s reputation for playing Zeppelin’s music with a kind of passion and force beyond anyone’s expectations began to attract major interest from press and industry. In June, 2005, Chuck Klosterman wrote an article for SPIN magazine that featured Lez Zeppelin as a leading protagonist in a trend of all-female hard rock “tribute” bands. He referred to the group “the most powerful all-female band in rock history” and described the rise of bands like Lez Zeppelin as a “kind of multilayered cultural phenomenon.” The fortunes and notoriety of the group surged after this and Lez Zeppelin became provocative subject for the news media across the world. Stories about the group appeared in the Times of London, whose journalist called the band “the best new band I’ve seen all year, no question;” Reuters and CNN.com, which ran a front page feature that called the group so “electrifying” they are “driving club audiences to a frenzy.” The group also appeared as part of a major feature on CBS Good Morning, which ran nation-wide, as well as on many other local TV news spots in New York (ABC, WB) and across the country.

In April 2007, after extensive touring in the US and Europe the band released its first album, Lez Zeppelin, which was produced by Eddie Kramer, renowned for his work as recording engineer on several of Led’s albums – most notably, Led Zeppelin II, Physical Grafitti and The Song Remains the Same. In the wake of this release, the band was invited as the first “tribute band” to ever appear at a series of major rock festivals including the Download Festival (formerly Donnington Park) in the UK; Rock-Am-Ring and Rock-Im-Park in Germany; and at the Voodoo Festival in New Orleans. However, it was an announcement in February of 2008, that Lez Zeppelin would take the stage at the Bonnaroo Festival that sparked a worldwide media storm. Several major press organizations, including the Associated Press, Billboard, NME, the Chicago Sun Times and more, reported mistakenly that LED Zeppelin – in the wake of their historic reunion at the O2 in London — would headline the festival, an embarrassing gaff that had to then be corrected, turning the announcement of Lez Zeppelin’s appearance into headline news across the world. Lez Zeppelin became a much-anticipated highlight of the festival, headlining opening night with a blistering set for an audience of 20,000 people.

Throughout 2008, the group continued to tour heavily in the U.S. and in the late fall made its first visit to Japan to promote the release of the debut record, which had sold nearly 7,000 copies the first few months after release. In March 2009, Lez Zeppelin was invited to India by a major network media task force to headline The Concert for Mumbai, a benefit organized to buy ambulances, which were sorely lacking in the aftermath of the terrorist bombings in Mumbai. Again, Lez Zeppelin held the unique distinction of being the first American group of its kind to take part in an event of this magnitude.

Following a three-month tour of the US, the band headed back into the studio to start on a second album, which would take the group back to where it all began – Led Zeppelin’s 1969 debut. The band solicited the help of producers Perry Margouleff and William Wittman, who approached the project with two main musical intentions: to remain true to the sounds and textures of the “vinyl” version of the record and capture that ‘tight-but-loose’ intensity in the moment. Recording at Margouleff’s Pie Studio’s, a world class analog facility, the band employed all of the same vintage equipment used by Led in 1968 – from the ’50s era Les Paul and Telecaster, to the Supro amp, 60’s era compressor, Hammond organ and Fuzzbender stomp box — working fastidiously to recreate the incredibly complex layers of the album with a dedication that has never before been demonstrated by any band of this type in the history of the rock world.

Lez Zeppelin is set to launch a full-length tour of Europe, the United States and Japan in early 2011 to support LEZ ZEPPELIN I, and to continue to deliver a musical experience that not only exceeds expectations, but serves as the authentic female counterpart to one of the greatest rock groups of all time.

I grew up in Roberta, Georgia (pop. 808)…

I’d have to say my biggest influence is my dad. He played guitar and sang for me ever since I was a baby. His music was the only thing I ever listened to as a kid.

And…Whoever bought me that Mariah Carey tape “Emotions” did me a huge favor… I would practice singing to her every day. I owe my lucky ear to my dad and that tape.

The first time I sang in public was at an all black Southern Baptist church on Christmas eve when I was 8. For some reason I decided to sing “White Christmas…” I just recently realized the humor in that — but luckily at the time, everyone thought it was cute…

Soon after, I started singing in talent shows and would do the National Anthem for opening day of little league baseball.

I would always act like i could play my dads Gibson — ’till he was getting pissed that I kept knocking it around…So he bought me my very own guitar when I was 13. As soon as i learned a new chord — i wrote a new song…And thats pretty much how it goes.