Published: September 29, 2007 7:39 AM EST
By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight: Nikki O'Neill
Photo Credit: by Estelle Silberman
When Nikki O'Neill performs on stage, she brings all the raw energy
that one would think a rock and soul singer, guitarist, songwriter
would. Now she is putting all that energy into her new debut album.
This album is being produced by Dapo Torimiro (Stevie Wonder, Lauryn
Hill). Nikki recently took the time to speak with us at Music Now as we picked her brains about a variety
of information.
Isaac-Joseph: Hi Nikki, I wanted to say first of all that you are an
extremely amazing artist. What were your first memories of wanting to
do this venue as a life career?
Nikki: Thank you so much! Life career is a great way of describing
it... I think the first time I wanted to be a musician and performing
artist was in high-school. I grew up in Europe - in Sweden - and I went
to a high-school of arts in Stockholm... kind of like a Swedish
equivalent of the "Fame" school from the movie. Back then, visual arts
was my medium, but I would always hear the music students rehearse and
perform Latin jazz, bebop and Stevie Wonder tunes, and I was
mesmerized. Then, I saw Prince perform, and his band included Sheila E
and Wendy & Lisa. They all really inspired me to become a
performer. But, all these artists also made such deep impressions on me
as songwriters. I got into songwriting because I wanted to try to
connect with and recreate that amazing emotional impact that some of
these writers had on me.
Isaac-Joseph: Your debut album is being produced by Dapo Torimiro who
has worked with such legends as Stevie Wonder and Lauryn Hill. How was
your experience of working with such a seasonal producer especially as
Dapo brings his own style to your music?
Nikki: I used to have a tough time in the past finding musicians that
could play my songs with a soulful and effortless feel. I don't think
my tunes are complicated compared to, say, jazz tunes, but some less
experienced players can freak out if you use more than three chords in
a song. I also really love R&B music, and that style may sound
deceivingly simple to some musicians just like blues, but you either
understand the vibe or you don't. Working with Dapo was such a treat
because he's an amazing musician who's played with some of my heroes in
soul music, and he helped me realize the sound of the songs that I was
hearing in my head. He helped me take my love for British pop like
George Harrison and classic soul music and blend it all together with
his arrangements. I really believe arrangements can really make or
break a song. Dapo helped me create the perfect arrangements... his
ideas for the keyboards and bass sound so tasteful, effortless and
RIGHT. And these cats on my recording didn't freak out by my chord
changes - they nailed them on the first take!
Isaac-Joseph: You really come from a variety of backgrounds including
coming from Santa Monica, CA, by way of Sweden, Poland and New York
City. How has your background add to deliverance of your music?
Nikki: I heard all kinds of music played at home...everything from
Polish evergreens to Carlos Santana to disco and classical music.
Growing up in many places and countries has made me feel like I'll
always be a bit of an outsider and never really belong to a specific
group, but at the same time it's made me more open to different kinds
of culture. I studied and played a lot of different styles of music. At
times it was a curse trying to find your own identity as an artist, but
eventually I chose a musical direction that I feel happy committing to
and it feels honest and genuine for me.
Isaac-Joseph: You are a trained singer and guitarist in jazz and
classical music, but your true influences lean more heavily toward
Southern soul, classic rock, funk and the great pop songwriters of the
60's and 70's. How important is making music that you want to make is
to you?
Nikki: It's really important for me to stay true to myself. I've
auditioned for situations with very famous artists where I was asked to
play differently and have a look that's very different from who I am...
I sometimes wish I could be more adaptable, because I would probably be
more successful in today's music business. But, I'm a really bad actor
and I can't fake anything. I also react really negatively when I hear
singers on the radio that are putting on a fake sound or style - to me
it sounds so obvious.
The greatest artists are great because they are themselves, and they
dare to reveal themselves - that's the only way you can move other
people.
Isaac-Joseph: What can fans expect from this debut album?
Nikki: Soul-Rock straight from the heart!
Isaac-Joseph: What can we look forward to you in 2008?
Nikki: A new band, more songs, solo acoustic shows and shows with the
full band on the west and east coasts and the Chicago area. And if
there are any festivals elsewhere in the country, we'd love to play
there too!
Isaac-Joseph: Final thoughts you would like to share with our audience:
Nikki: I want to thank you for your curiosity, maybe even interest, in
my music and songs. I really appreciate it! Please visit my MySpace
page for
updates: www.myspace.com/nikkioneillmusic
Also, for drummers out there: my drummer Rich Lackowski has just
written a very cool new book on drums called "On the Beaten Path"
(Alfred Publishing). It's got legendary beats and solos from lots of
legendary drummers, beautiful pictures by top-notch photographers, and
it reads like great rock journalism... it's really captivating even for
non-drummers.
It's available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Guitar Center. You can
check out the book on Rich's MySpace page:
www.myspace.com/richlackowski
Published: September 30, 2007 9L27 AM EST By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior (Juniorscave.com)
New Music Spotlight: DJ Mr. Ice
This is a perfect mix of club / dance meets hip hop. Club music tricked out by the turntables, and funked out with hard hitting beats.
According to Wikipedia Online Dictionary, “Electronic dance music (EDM) is a broad set of percussive music genres that largely inherit from 1970s disco music era” (2007). Wikipedia also states that “such music was originally borne of and popularized via regional nightclub scenes in the 1980s. It is constructed by means of electronic instruments such as synthesizers, drum machines and sequencers, and generally emphasizes the unique sounds of those instruments” (2007). Well, DJ Mr. Ice has taken club music to another level. Known for his RB/ Hip-Hop Style, Dr. Mr. Ice has decided to embark on the club scene with the introduction of his club music album. According to him, “this is a sound that is undeniably unique. The hard hitting beats of that club sound, phattened up with the turntable skills of the street DJ” (DJ Mr. Ice). I will let you be the judge for yourself as we picked DJ Mr. Ice’s brains in a recent Q & A.
Q. What aspect of making music excites you the most right now? A. Coming up with stuff that's fresh and different but still sounds good. My previous CD's were all Hip Hop / R&B (you can check them out at http://cdbaby.com/all/djmrice). But now I'm making club music. Not just ordinary club music, but club music funked out with Hip Hop and R&B. My new style has turned out to be very accepted in the club music genre. So the exciting thing for me now is coming up with new mixtures that can make you move.
Q. What aspect of making music gets you the most discouraged? A. Well, like I said, I was mainly into making Hip Hop and R&B, but that genre of music is so hard to break into. You have to be honest with you're self and wonder if your music is good enough to make it. But when you're music is selling, and being played on radio stations and in clubs, you know your stuff is hot. The politics of who you know, how to get on and all that stuff is REALLY discouraging. Don't get me wrong, I never gave up; I'm still working with Hip Hop and R&B artists. I always loved club music, so I took my interest in making music to that genre. The good thing is that I am able to twist the club music into something fresh.
Q. What are you up to right now, music-wise? (Current or upcoming recordings, tours, extravaganzas, experiments, top-secret projects, etc). A. I have a publishing deal in Europe, Belgium actually. And my last CD is doing pretty good. It was tested marketed on the radio stations over there and it did really good. Then they bounced it around in some clubs over there and the response was all positive. So now it's being tested in the stores. Meanwhile, I'm working on my follow up, cause if they like what the last one sounded like; my new works will definitely rock the house.
Q. What's the most unusual place you've ever played a show or made a recording? How did the qualities of that place affect the show/recording? A. We didn't really have any unusual experiences like that yet. We did a talk show, live on radio, and performed on an outdoors stage, but nothing really unusual.
Q. In what ways does the place where you live (or places where you have lived); affect the music you create, or your taste in music? A. Club music is really popular here in the New York / New Jersey area. Most of the popular clubs play only club (I guess club music is also considered house) music. I also do a lot of mixed CDs (underground, of course). And mixing old school joints with new club beats brings out the dance in you. You can't help but bounce with the beat. New Jersey & New York aren't the only places into club, as I found out, they love that stuff over in Europe.
Q. When was the last time you wrote a song? What can you tell us about it? A. About ten minutes before answering these questions.
Q. As you create more music, do you find yourself getting more or less interested in seeking out and listening to new music made by other people...and why do you think that is? A. I think that didn't change. I don't listen to more nor less music now; it's about the same. What did change is the type of music. A lot of the new rap cuts out there just ain't gettin' it for me. I don't want to sound like I'm putting anything down, but the rap game ain't the same. I listen to a lot of Jazz, Reggae and club now. I still listen to R&B and Hip Hop, but mostly older stuff. This new rap age is cool and stuff, but personally, it's only the beat that most people like. Fire the rapper and sell just the beat, you'll get more sells. Don't get me wrong, there are a few rap acts out there that are on point, but there are also so many that just don't do it for me. Jazz and club I still listen too all the time.
Q. Lately, what musical periods or styles do you find yourself most drawn to as a listener? (Old or new music? Music like yours or different from yours?) A. Lately, I've been jammin' a lot of the older stuff. You gotta love it. Like I said before, all of my mixed CDs are older stuff. That's what everyone wants from me, the older stuff.
Q. Name a band or musician, past or present, who you flat-out LOVE and think more people should be listening to. What's one of your all-time favorite recordings by this band/musician? A. My main man Grandmaster Flash. One of my favorite recordings from Flash is an actually and underground mix. Where he took a bunch of cuts and did his thing.
Q. What's the saddest song you've ever heard? A. A Reggae song that I just heard, "I'll Cry With You".
"I have to give you much props!!! I didn't expect for it to turn out that good, honestly, I thought that is might be a little cheesy, but you did a really good job. A very professional presentation, keep up the good work"- DJ Mr. Ice
Published: September 08, 2007 10:13 PM EST
By: Isaac Joseph Davis Junior (Juniorscave.com)
Music Now Exclusive: Mark Hildreth
Mark Hildreth
For those of you who don't Mark Hildreth (which should only be a few
people), he is an extremely talented and gifted young actor and equally
gifted musician. He began his acting career playing Bradley Ryder in
Love Is Never Silent (1985) (TV) and has never stopped since then.
Equally impressive is that this very handsome young man can really sing
his heart out. When one listens to his voice his lyrics, one can actual
feel his pain his joy his emotions. And that is why I am thinking that
Mark has all the right spices in his music. Recently, I had the honored
to correspond with him via email. We were able to set up this online
interview for Junior's Cave. It is my pleasure to introduce him in our
magazine for September.
Isaac-Joseph: Mark, you have been very busy as of late with both music
and movies. You have been recently seen filming Pirates of the
Caribbean: At World's End. How was that experience for you?
Mark: Shooting ‘Pirates’ was one of the most enjoyable acting
experiences of my life! Working on a big-budget project like that one
was truly awesome, the cast was great, and the lushness of the
production really blew me away. When you’re on a set and you look
around and even the EXTRAS look AMAZING, you know the production has a
lot going for it. More than anything, the experience of working with
Gore Verbinski, who directed the films, was a real honor. In my
experience, he is such a professional, he never lost his cool, even
with 5 or 6 other department directors milling around him, and he was
relaxed and joyful despite the chaos of such a big movie. Talk about
trying to ride a wild elephant!!
Isaac-Joseph: Who would you say Mark Hildreth is in a couple of words?
Mark: Two words I would use to describe myself? Learning and growing.
Isaac-Joseph: Many people may know you more for your acting.
How has the experience been crossing between making music and your
acting been for you?
Mark: I taught myself to play the piano and started singing when I was
about 10 years old. But in the last few years, I’ve been pouring my
assets from acting into my music career. It is a tough climb, since in
many ways I am starting right from square one. But when you are doing
something you love, something that allows a pure expression of your
essence as a person, the rewards outweigh the difficulties. In fact, I
am learning that the struggle in an endeavor is often actually what
makes it interesting!
Isaac-Joseph: Mark, your music seems to come from your heart.
Explain to the readers of this magazine what it is like when you are
singing?
Mark: It’s a challenge to sing honestly, just as it’s a challenge to
live honestly. There’s a process I learned as an actor where you do
your homework, learn your lines, find your character history, your back
story, your intentions, your sub-text, and you do all this discovery
and learning…and then you forget it all when you play it on the stage
or for the camera. You must be completely present in the moment of
performance, or else you’re just showing us your homework, not living
truthfully in that moment. I bring my understanding of this process
when I sing, and in some ways it is easier, since I am not only the
player of all of those things, but also the author. It is such a joyous
experience to sing like I mean it, and not just to try to sound good.
And the irony is, when I try to sound good, I tend not to, and when I
just try to sing like I mean, I tend to sound pretty awesome!
Isaac-Joseph: Many people today want that overnight success.
What are you ultimately hoping to gain from your experience of making
music?
Mark: I want to have a lasting career as a musician, and to move the
world forward through music by using it as a vehicle to effect positive
change in the world. I have a hypothesis that real change comes on an
individual level; that when individual people choose to live mindfully
and make choices that are integrous with an ideology and are ethical,
that the effect is peace, love and the building of value in the world.
These are things I explore in my songwriting, and discover and
understand for myself as I do it. So, I gain first, and then try to
share my gain with others!
Isaac-Joseph: I read on your homepage that your song
Ready to Fall was chosen as the winner of the 2006 New Generation Song
Contest. Explain your thoughts after winning this contest:
Mark: It is a pleasure to be recognized by others for my work, and I am
honored to receive recognition by anyone for the products of my
efforts.
Isaac-Joseph: If you had a choice and you could only choose
between one, would it be acting or music? Why would one out weigh the
other?
Mark: I have been asked this many many times in my life, since I’ve
been doing both since such a young age. If I HAD to choose one, I think
it would be music, since I have the privilege of expressing myself in
both mediums, but with music, the stories are my own. But acting has
certain nobility to it, in recreating the life of a person in imaginary
circumstances, and I don’t think I could give that up!
Isaac-Joseph: What can the fans of Mark Hildreth look forward to in the months ahead? Mark:
I am currently finishing a new record, called “Complex State Of
Attachment,” which is due to be released in Spring ’08. We will break
some of those songs in the Internet in the coming months, so people can
check in at www.myspace.com/mhildreth, or at my website, www.mark-hildreth.com.
I’m also working on a couple of new films, “PVT. Wars”, based on the
award-winning play by James McClure, and another untitled film that has
just gone into pre-production.
Isaac-Joseph: You have named some of your influences as Stevie
Wonder, Elton John, and John Lennon. These are all great icons. What do
you hope that your music will bring that their music have bought us in
the past?
Mark: Elton John remains my first and biggest musical influence. He was
the one who really inspired me to become a songwriter in my own right.
And since then, I have been really following the Stevie Wonder school
of music, in the sense that I want to write songs that come from a
place of and promote compassion. I can’t think of a single Stevie song
that promotes suffering or destruction, as so many of the songs we hear
in popular music do today. I think he is truly a revolutionary artist
because, aside from being a truly gifted and skillful musician, he
seems to have a perspective about himself and the world that can
inspire others to live more joyously and that is a most powerful thing.
That is what I hope to continue in his legacy, in my own way.
Isaac-Joseph: Describe how has your upbringing and environment play in the current decisions to do movies and make music? Mark:
I was very lucky to have the parents and siblings that I have, they
have always kept my feet on the ground, and have truly done their best
to help me be the best person I can possibly be. It is supremely
important to parent children integrously, I don’t think I can overstate
that. A person’s primitive understanding of reality is formed in those
fragile years when we are children, and having had parents who raised
me the way I was raised has been a blessing I cannot over-value. As
well, looking around at the world we are creating and living in, it
seems to me that the human race as a whole could afford to live more
mindfully and compassionately with one another, and would benefit
greatly from a better understanding of introspection and
self-knowledge. There are so many problems in this world that, it seems
to me, have their basis in fear and a lack of sense of self and
self-esteem. Seeing and understanding how I embody the things I dislike
most about the world and the people around me influence my song-writing
in a remarkable way.
Isaac-Joseph: Mark, this is your time to let all the dirt out.
We would like to know anything that you would like to divulge to
Junior's Cave:
Mark: Well, it’s not really dirt, but I would like to leave your
readers with a final thought: “Inner honesty and integrity are the
highest human values, and the foundation of the human psychology. All
other values arise from them.” A great man I know once said this, and I
think it bears repeating in as many forms as possible!
Isaac-Joseph: Final thoughts as we part ways: Mark: Your
questions have been insightful and engaging. Thank you so much for the
opportunity to share my thoughts and feelings with you! I feel so much
love for the people of this world and, to quote a GREAT band, it’s
getting better all the time!
It has been a pleasure emailing you these questions and I hope will you find them to your liking.
Isaac-Joseph: I have. This has been a great experience only to be topped if I were to meet you in person.
Photos used in this story were provided by Mark Hildreth.
Junior's Cave Online Magazine/JC Internet Radio Staff Team,
