Phil Cody

Check out what Phil Cody had to say about his work with Warren Zevon, his forthcoming tracks, and head to iTunes to get your copy of Cody Sings Zevon.

What's the best response you've received since releasing Cody Sings Zevon?

Phil Cody: I guess that would have to be, I guess at this point, the Italian response; it was the best and the first. I was offered the opportunity to release it over there and that was followed up with a two week tour of mostly Northern Italy but also Sicily, as well. That would have to be the best response, because they were interested right away. I've toured over there multiple times before and they've followed my musical adventures, even when there weren't too many to follow.

How would you describe Warren's work, or even his influence on you and your own work?

He was an influence on me; he was, I guess you could call him, a rock legend. He was the main guy that I ever toured with and when I was starting my career he was already a legend at that point, in the '90's, and so I knew who he was; I'd even played his songs in my high school band - we used to play "Werewolves of London" and stuff like that - and, being a student of music, I was well aware of who he was.

I was given the shot to do my first tour with him and it was a big thrill to be able to do it but really, once we got out there, travelling, he was a huge influence on me. It was an education, completely; it was like going to college, you know, learning life on the road, that of the travelling troubadour. The ins and outs of road managing and hotels and getting to sound-check on time and how to work the crowd and all those things, night after night after night, I had never done on a scale like that before so, watching him do it, it was a complete education, in and of itself, because he was a complete professional.

I loved music and so the music was inspiring at the same time and, watching him do it, someone with that kind of experience and quality music, it inspired everyone there - there was nothing about it that didn't. You know, everything was about the song, highlighting the lyrics, the words, and the songs really held their own and the crowd knew them all and that was interesting to see: just how the hard-core fans react to somebody - knowing every word, heckling him, being heckled, the interaction between him and the audience, and they loved his sort of sarcastic way of looking at life, curmudgeonly in a way, but always with a wink in his eye.

What do you want listeners to take away from this cover album?

We really kind of went for a vibe of listening to a record where you could kind of put it on and play it and, it's not like you can't pick any tune out of there and enjoy it, but we were trying to get an atmosphere that was kind of like a late night highway thing where you could just throw it in and let it go. I wanted people to be able to have a good album listening experience but, at the same time, if they knew Warren, it would show them some slightly different takes on his songs. Mainly because, having toured with him and him playing solo, it's a lot different sound and that's how I learned the songs, so my interpretations of him are a lot more based on his live performances than his studio recordings - which is how most people know his songs -and the way I played the songs, having learned them from his performance versions, gave me a pretty big head-start into kind of finding my own way with his songs.

Ultimately, I'm just really doing my part. I wanted to do my thing to see that the songs live on and, perhaps, expose his music to a younger generation. I did it personally, for my own reasons; I really needed it at the time and I needed to go into the studio and work so it was a bit of a personal salvation, doing this record and reaching out, getting some peace of mind and getting my life back on track. It was a really self therapeutic thing. I knew the guy, he was a pal of mine, I played under him, I learned under him, I studied under him; I'm just trying to share it now and move it on and keep it alive and do my part with that, which is kind of what I always said I would do, and I thought there was certainly a place for this in the world.

Are there any current artists whose work you can take inspiration from?

This is a tough one for me because I'm a music junkie, in a lot of ways, but I could jump around in any decade at any time. I was pretty blown away by Benjamin Gibbard; he made a solo record a couple years ago and I forget what it's called, but it's absolutely fantastic. It's clever, good lyrics, good hooks, good melodies. You know, I find things current and also listen to old stuff at the same time, too. I'm not completely blown away by a lot of stuff now because I think there's a lack of attention and effort put into lyrics and some people have the vibe, the sound, hell, even the look, everything, but, I have to say, the large majority of lyrics I hear are wanting.

I'm not talking my specific world, which is singer-songwriters, rock, stuff like that, and you can't expect anything from those Top 40 tracks, but a lot of people who are wanting to get into more sophisticated music, I guess, are still not really putting the energy and the effort into it, and maybe they can't; I don't know, writing lyrics is hard as shit, especially to come up with a story, to come up with a catchy phrase that's not only great but is going to stick and that someone is going to remember and repeat. Tom Waits, people like that, they're great singer-songwriters and they spend hours, years, to perfect the craft and I'm a lyric guy so just a simple melody with some good words on top of it.

Your next album will be coming out in 2015; can you give a hint as to what direction the album is going in and how it will sound?

Well, compared to Cody Sings Zevon, it'll be a bit more of a full band. Cody Sings Zevon is much more atmospheric and moody, with limited percussion and drumming in various spots. I think the tracks I'm working on now are a lot more full band, with a drum player and bass player and organist and all that, so maybe a little bit bigger, in that regard. More of a four or five piece rock band, but still folk rock. I'll be playing mostly acoustic guitar - some electric - and kind of just old-school straight-up cool five piece rock band sound. There'll be a variety of upbeat and ballads; I'm a sucker for waltzes and ballads, so there's always going to be a couple of those, but I'm trying to get some more rockers on there too.

What do you want people to be able to take from your own music?

That it's good solid rock; gives you some good words to sing, some good melodies. That it's honest and sincere and just, take that away from it and enjoy listening to it and hopefully come out and see my play. That's all you can really hope for, and all I really want is to make music that makes me feel good - that helps me get up in the morning and go to bed at night. I want music that my kids will be proud of and that other people will enjoy. If I'm able to make a living doing it, that's good, but I'm not doing it for the dollar. I think there's a niche out there for everybody and I think that it just goes back to me playing with Warren; touring with him was like going to school, going to college for me; he [Warren] wasn't playing for thousands and thousands of people when I toured with him, but every night, no matter where we went, he was playing for hundreds and I've always said, "man, I would be happy if I could just go around the country and have a couple hundred people come out and see me play". I know that my music is probably not meant to reach millions and millions, but I'd just be happy to entertain a couple hundred people in twenty to thirty cities a year.

Is there anything you would say to your fans?

Enjoy the Zevon record, it was a labor of love. Anybody that knows me and has followed me knows that connection, knows the history, and they'll see the record and go, 'ah, that makes sense'. Enjoy that and know that more music will be coming and just dig it. Come out and see me play and I'm sorry I had a few missing years there where I wasn't putting out music but I'm back to doing it and don't have any indication of stopping. I'm just going to continue to write songs and do my best at finding cool songs to interpret and rewriting them, I wanna do a little bit of all of it. I just hope that it's an interesting ride for anybody to get on, for anybody who's interested in folk music.

Phil Cody             Facebook             Twitter

Nolan Kennedy

Stream parts of The Honesty Theory on SoundCloud now, see what Nolan Kennedy had to say about his debut album below, and look for East coast tour dates in Spring 2015. 

The Honesty Theory was released a few weeks ago, what's been the best response to the album so far?

Nolan Kennedy: The response so far has been really overwhelming actually. We're getting a lot of love back on this album. It's pretty great hearing things, personally, especially on Facebook and text message and through word of mouth; people talk to other people I know who are just sending so much love back, they're just saying how much it's affecting them. Just, if they're really into the tune then everybody's got a different opinion on a song, everybody's got a different flavor, so many favorites. It's nice waking up and somebody you haven't heard from in a while just bought your album and is like 'I think it's great and I love what you're doing' and I guess that's the biggest thing is, you know, people really appreciate what we're trying to do.

How would you describe the album?

I would describe the album as seven songs and I think that's the perfect size nowadays 'cause everyone's really interested in a single but this album is more of a project, it's a collection. I think if I [had] made twelve songs on an LP it would be a little more difficult to digest, you might get lost a little easier, in this giant digital music world that we've created, you know, I think seven songs is easy to digest and it's easy to take in because every song is a little bit different. I have so many different influences in my life and I wrote the songs at various times and chapters in my life where I was either into different sounds or in different bands, you know, how old I was and so it's all a little different but it all dances around the same idea. We chose to do songs that I had written years ago: "Apologize", for example, was the first song I ever wrote and "Cover You" and "Devil Creep" are some more recent songs. Because this is my first album, you know, just as a new album, I think it's important to, if you're going to know an artist, to know them from the beginning, so we thought it was important to take songs up to my life thus far, rather than strictly newer material. I wanted everybody to see where the songs used to be and where they come from, where I come from, 'cause each song is personal so it's my way of kind of sharing my story.

Is there a track from the album you're most happy with the way it turned out or really want people to pay attention to?

I think my two favorite songs on the album are probably "For Jaclyn", and that's due to, you know, that's one of the relatively old songs. Some of the guitar work and harmonic and things like that I just think of as basic and I think that all just came together very nicely. It sounds nice and it's a very poetic song, but the song that I am probably most proud of, based off the response I've gotten, is probably "Devil Creep". It's a very simple song, melodic, but it's a very personal song to me and, you know, getting up on stage and playing that song, it's the last song I always play because it's the hardest to play. A lot of history goes into that song and some of the references are pretty direct, like I talk about my mother and my siblings and my father but, you know, for people who know me and know my background, they are overwhelmingly moved by that song and those who really don't know me - I think everybody can relate to sometime or some instance or something in their life where they just think "why". You know, there's nobody to blame but things are just hard and they're just not going your way and you're not really sure what it is and that's what the devil is in my song. Everyone can relate to that so even people who I don't know, who I don't have a history with, find solace in that song; they can relate to it and it really makes them reflect and for me to put something so personal out there - I mean, that's kind of the point, I guess, for me doing this is to put out personal things - that song in particular and the overwhelming response has just been like "I feel you" and really moving people. That's what I love the most about this song. So that's my favorite song: "Devil Creep".

Is there an artist whose work has inspired your sound or writing style? Any current artists you take inspiration from?

It's kind of a mix; I'm really a '90's kid so a lot of those bands I grew up listening to, like Foo Fighters and Nirvana, songs with messages, but my writing style.. I don't know. I really don't know; I have no idea where it comes from. I know that growing up I played with my [cousin]; I learned most of my guitar work from my cousin; he's kind of like my older brother figure and I always used to watch him play and that's kind of how I learned, for the most part. I taught myself based off of watching him play so a lot of my style I developed by watching him and other people. My sound though is very basic, you know, melodies are catching and lyric driven. So, I guess I would say, anybody '90's and any old school singer-songwriters; I'm really into blues like Muddy Waters  - things with a solid melody and the lyrics are driven too, I guess I'm just inspired by everybody.

Oh yeah, Alexi Murdoch; I'm really into Alexi Murdoch right now. I really do enjoy Ed Sheeran and what he does with lyrics; I think he's extremely talented. I listen to a lot of those guys just because they have a killer melody, killer sound, simplicity and, you know, it's just really, really awesome.. Who else am I listening to right now? James Bay. James Bay is killer, man. He's got a great acoustic sound, rough voice, bluesy, definitely him.

What tracks have you got on you iPod now?

Actually, really embarrassing story: On the subway the other day I was coming down from my girlfriend's place and I had just smoked a joint before I got on the subway and it's jam packed and the one One Direction song that I have on my shuffle pops up on the subway on the screen and I leave it on because, I'm like, 'this is alright'. This girl sitting next to me on the subway taps me on the shoulder and gives me the dirtiest look and holds up her iPod and she's got the same One Direction song playing. She's like fourteen years old and I had a full beard at the time; I was totally embarrassed, like, "ah, I got caught".

So, that one One Direction song, James Bay, Alexi Murdoch, Pink Floyd - I just downloaded the re-mastered greatest hits - I'm really into classics too.

What's the best part about performing?

The best part about performing is watching people sing along; I really enjoy looking out into the crowd and seeing everybody's mouth move. At the album release party there was a hundred and thirty something plus people there and, you know, there's so many lights on my face and I can't really see everybody, but I'm looking out at these faces and you can hear people sing back at you and that's really cool, when people sing back to you.

How would you describe your sound as a whole to someone who had never heard it?

My sound as a whole I would say is acoustic indie rock, lyrically driven, with some blues and folk influences.

What do you want people to take away from your music?

A unique listening experience, really. I want people to listen to the songs and hopefully they like it and it's catchy and they like the melody and all that stuff but, really, I hope they can relate to what I'm saying or they find some sort of relationship to the words and can relate and then therefore reflect and think about their own experiences. I think that enhances relationships, is self-reflection, and so I think I want people to take away from my music is listen, relate, and reflect on your own life as well. Everybody shares kind of the same baggage a lot of the time that we don't talk about and music's a way to express that so, hopefully, people can find comfort in that. 

Nolan Kennedy             Facebook             Twitter             SoundCloud

Paul McDonald

Head to Kickstarter now to help fund the album, check out first single "Bright Lights", and see what Paul McDonald has to say about his forthcoming debut solo album. 

You've been raising funds for the new album on Kickstarter, how's that been going?

Paul McDonald: It's good, you know, Kickstarter is an interesting thing; for me it was always an interesting thing to actually have your fans help fund the record. It's been a cool process so far and it's really good to see that people are supportive and really liking the music.

You've released rock and folk in the past, but "Bright Lights" has a strong indie pop feel; is that sound indicative of what we can expect to hear on the new album?

Totally, I mean, you know, like you said, the typical in the past has been kind of roots with rock and folk and I just wanted to kind of experiment with sounds and stuff on this new record. That ["Bright Lights"] was kind of the first track that we wrote and it was mixed with that more modern kind of pop production just to kind of back it up but, you know, we just started really liking it and that's one of the sounds. But the album kind of goes up and down; it has more indie pop tracks on there and it also has some pretty heavy tracks as well. It kinda still has some elements of, like, the folk stuff that I've done in the past but also some new sounds. We're using synths but we're also using like banjos, you know, so it's a lot of in between.

How would you describe the new sound?

It's kind of a blend between folk, rock, pop, and blues, maybe. More in the pop realm this time around which I think is a cool approach. You know, that word used to scare me, being like "hey, I'm a pop artist", but all that means is that it's popular, I guess, that's what pop means and I just kind of wanted to experiment and try to go for a wider sound this time that more people could, I guess, attach onto. The main reason for doing music is to get it out there and have people hear these songs and these emotions and when they're hearing these songs, I hope they inspire people and that they can relate to these songs. I just felt maybe this was a cool approach and it's better for me, as an artist, to grow and step outside of my comfort zone and to experiment with new things.

Have you had trouble breaking out of that American Idol stigma?

You know what, I'm not really sure, because it's always going to be a part of what I've done in the past and that's cool; I mean it totally opened doors and led me to where I am right now. I haven't ever done any of those like American Idol tours or any of that stuff, I've just always constantly been growing as an artist. That was a season of my life, when I was on TV, you know, singing songs, but I've never let that hold me back or put a chain on me, ever. Right after I did that I didn't even do a solo career; I could have put out a record immediately after Idol but I decided to do the band thing with Nikki and, so, I don't think so.

Why go solo now after working with bands for so long?

It seems like the thing to do since I've been playing music full time. I've had bands all, you know, the entire time: the only time I was doing anything solo was when I was doing the American Idol stuff and that still felt kind of like a band because I was with ten other people, we were touring around and I wasn't really singing any songs I had written so it didn't really feel like it was any kind of solo work, more of like, I was part of a major production. I like the creative aspect of working with other people, I just kind of felt like, after this last record that I just put out with Nikki, you know, I had had all these other bands and national stuff, I just kind of felt it was the time to start fresh and try it. I feel like ten years is a good time - I just turned thirty years old - and I was like 'I think it's time for me to make a solo record' which is cool, you know.

The music video for "Bright Lights" was just released; how's the response to that been?

I feel like everybody has been super kind and seems to like it, so that's good news. It's only been out one day so it still has a lot of time to kind of make its way across everyone's computer and all that kind of stuff, but everyone I've talked to enjoys it which is just good. It was kind of scary because, for me, that's always been the toughest part about releasing a solo album; with a band you can kind of, you know, cover yourself a little bit because you're in with a bunch of other people and if the track doesn't work out then you go "hey man", you know, we don't let them screw up, but with this solo thing it's your own name and, at the end of the day, it's your art. So, it's really scary to put something out and I think that's why I've waited so long to do it, because I wanted it to be right. People seem to really enjoy this track and the video so I'm kind of really excited about it and I hope that this is a good sign for the rest of the record.

Are there any new releases from other artists you've gotten hooked on?

Ah, yeah, you know, the new Hozier record - I've worn that one out. And the newer Ryan Adams record is really cool. I've been listening to Alt-J, their new album is really cool, too. And, actually, I've been getting into the new Taylor Swift album, which I thought was kind of a really cool approach.

Have you had a favorite fan interaction?

Favorite fan interaction story... Not so much. There's always, you know, I'm trying to think of a really funny one. It's always inspiring when people come up and say they like the music or when they know me from certain things or whatever, it's always cool. One time, I did get this one guy that came up to me - this is more of just a funny story, not so much a fan - but, he was like, "hey man. I know who you are. Do you mind if I grab a photo?" and I was like "yeah, no worries, man" and he's like "dude, you're so awesome. I love everything you do" and I'm like "oh, cool. Thanks so much" and he's like "you know, Hangover is my favorite movie" and I'm like "that's cool. That's a great movie" and he's like "you're Bradley Cooper right?" and I'm like "no man, I'm not at all". He's like "you're lying man", I'm like "fine man, but I still am not an actor, I promise". That was kind of funny.

Is there anything you can share about the new album; any new tracks you're excited to release?

You know, I'm excited about all the tracks, really. They all kind of have a certain thing that I love about each one. "Bright Lights" is more of the kind of pop tune, but it has lyrical depth in it. The lyrical depth on this record, it tells a story; I wrote this over the past year - it's been kind of an interesting period in my life - and I've written about that, so the album kind of goes up and down with emotion. I'm just excited. Each track is so different; they each have different vibes but they all kind of run together, which is nice.

What do you want people to take away from the album?

I just hope that they enjoy it. I hope they can relate to it. I hope it inspires them. I hope, you know, they feel something when they hear it, because this record has really been just the past year of my life; so much work, so much of my time, soul, and heart, and energy has been poured into this thing and I just hope that people can relate to it. Maybe one of my songs will help them or they'll feel the same thing that I felt when I was writing it and that's all you can really do when you put something out, is just hope that people enjoy it and that they feel something when they hear it. That's the beautiful thing about music, you just hope it inspires them. 

Paul McDonald             Kickstarter             Facebook             Twitter            YouTube             Instagram

Sam Burchfield

See what Sam Burchfield had to say about being on the road and why he's got a favorite song to play for those live performances.

You just released Where To Run?

Sam Burchfield: Right so this was my first release, this EP; we put it out in February and just started to promote the first single, "Here Tonight" and we're just trying to get things rolling so this is an exciting time. 

How did you get into music?

Well, I first started playing I think when I was eleven. I bought a guitar - it was actually competitively because my sister got a bass guitar and I thought I could be better than my sister; she didn't keep up with the bass - but I ended up playing guitar and fell in love with it and just couldn't really stop. I started singing and I just kind of knew that was what I wanted to do. 

How would you describe your genre of music?

I think kind of what it is now is kind of soulful folk. Sort of a cross between folk and funk. 

Any artists who have inspired that sound?

Yeah, I mean, we really love, I guess on both ends of the spectrum, we really love like Stevie Wonder, that classic kind of soul/funk and Van Morrison and guys like that. Also, you know, some of the newer [artists] like Ray LaMontagne; as far as the folk side of things, I really admire his songwriting and just his voice and his lyrics and Jack Johnson.. But yeah, and then some of the new guys too like new soul like Allen Stone kind of stuff I've really been digging lately. 

You keep saying 'we'; are you going out there as a band or as a solo act?

Right, so, right now I'm going out as a duo. My friend Zach, Zach Wells, he just moved to Atlanta - kind of just dropped everything and said "hey, you know, let's do this; let's do this music" - and so, yeah, we're doing a lot of duo stuff right now with him backing up on either banjo or electric guitar or singing so it depends on what the vibe of the song is. We do also play with a full band for the bigger stuff; still kind of developing that full band sound, I think, 'cause it's, I have this vision in my head of what this should kind of capture and we're still trying to figure that out but, yeah, this is a lot of duo stuff right now.

You were invited to go to Hollywood on American Idol..?

I was, yeah, that was kind of the beginning of this story; I was finishing up school at University of Georgia in Athens and had just kind of, on a whim, tried out for the show. You know, got to the point where they had invited me to Hollywood and, at that point, I was also kind of finishing up this EP - it was back in the Fall - and kind of looking at the contract and what all it had to entail. I actually decided not to move forward in Hollywood just because I think it was a process of really learning what I was about, kind of what my identity was as an artist, and it was a really cool experience, but I think it kind of helped with, like, 'okay, I don't think this is kind of my path, I think my path is, you know, really pursuing this, doing exactly what I want to do with this original music'. It was a fun experience and they ended up putting the episode up which really was cool and helped kind of boost this album at the beginning. 

So did that help to define your style?

No, I don't think it defined it at all, I think, just, I think when you're put in a situation that you don't expect to be in that was 'oh, hey, you can come and try this thing out for Hollywood' and, you know, they kind of put in front of you what the possibility is, even though you know it's still a gamble either way, but if you were to go forward this is what your life would look like. They put that in front of you and it really makes you take a step back and look at what's important. I think, for me, a big aspect of what was important for me and my music was relationships. These people have invested in me, you know, in where I am; people like Zach who are willing to up and move to pursue this music. So, yeah, I just think it's important to invest in those [relationships] and music is all about relationships, honestly, it's about making a connection to people and it's a personal thing and I think the whole Idol stage just really made me take a step back and really examine that and say 'okay, is this a personal thing; what's important to me about this?' and really dig into that and embrace the fact that I like playing music with friends and having that be my career.

Is there a track from your album that you're most satisfied with?

I think, production wise, we really are probably happiest with "Here Tonight" which is the single we're promoting now. With where it ended up, it just was kind of our first chance at really releasing something professional and we're really happy with, I guess, how "Here Tonight" was captured: it really felt right. But, I love all the songs on there; it's definitely a snapshot of where I was about a year ago when I started putting these together. So, obviously, I'm super - I think most artists are like this - I'm super into the new stuff I've been writing but, you've kind of got to hold that back while you're promoting what you've already been able to record but, yeah, I love the EP.

You're out on tour now; are there any stories or fan interactions you want to share?

Hmm, well, we basically just got in - we were gone for a week and we're back in Atlanta for a little bit here - we were in Nashville for awhile which, Nashville's a really interesting city when you're coming from out of town and there are a lot of artists that come out of Nashville but, really, it was fun. We had a fun night when we ran into the Sam Adams rep at a place called The Row in Nashville and they promoted us and gave us some Sam Adams which was pretty cool and that's a fun group of people to run into; they were having like a giant convention of Sam Adams marketers that happened to be in town. But, yeah, the road's fun, the road is a very.. It get real, really quick; it's great at times but it also is, you know, 'hey, let's not sleep in a comfortable place for awhile' but it's cool getting to go out with Zach because he's one of my good friends and it's good to have someone you can really trust on the road with you who has your back.. I don't know that I have any crazy tales from the road. 

Have you got a favorite track to perform live?

Well, I really do like performing "Here Tonight" live because I think it's just been - we just finished that music for it too - like, really digging into it. But, I also really love playing "Doctor" live; that's a song I wrote about my girlfriend who's studying to be a doctor so it's kind of just a personal song but, you know, she's in Augusta, Georgia so we're apart right now so, when I can play that live, when I'm out on the road and stuff, it's like, I don't know.. It's a cool experience to kind of just close my eyes and go into the song and kind of just, you know, escape a little bit. Those really personal songs are fun to sing in that setting. 

What do you do when you're not working on your music?

Oh man, we were talking about this the other day. My manager, Andy, who's been really great helping out, we've obviously been really busy, kind of excited to get stuff off the ground, he said someone asked him that same question and he said 'you know what, I don't think I have hobbies anymore'. I think when you really love your work it's not work, it's just what you do so, honestly, I haven't had a chance to do anything but music lately. What I would do in my free time is I'm a big Smash Brothers N64 fan and a big basketball fan so, if I get a chance to go outside and play some basketball it's all good and once I get back to a Nintendo64 I'll play some Super Smash Brothers and, I will say, that I stand by that I don't think anybody can beat me in that. I gotta keep telling people that because I've had some challengers and, so far, I'm undefeated, so gotta hold true to it. 

Is there a song currently on the radio that you can't stop listening to?

Aw man, my girlfriend loves "All About That Bass". Yeah, that's kind of a catchy song; I like it because it's got some soul to it. I saw a cover of it the other day, of this girl singing it and actually playing a stand up bass, I don't remember who it was, but that made me be like 'okay, that's really cool, i can dig that song now'. I'm not listening to most of the radio nowadays though.

What do you want people to take away from your music?

I think I want people to really be able to relate and to be encouraged. I mean, some of my songs aren't necessarily encouraging because I have songs about everything, just my life, but, at the end of the day, I want people to be able to be encouraged and to hear something and be uplifted; sometimes, that's not from hearing a happy song, it's from hearing a song that really resonates with you, like something that's powerful, like an experience you've had that you can relate to and it's this feeling of 'ahh, that person went through that too,' like, 'I get that'. But, yeah, just making that connection, making that personal connection with people and, hopefully, they listen because it's positive and uplifting, and not just because it has a danceable beat or something or because it has a cool horn sound. Ultimately, draw them in with all that and then, once they kind of dig into the lyrics a bit, having them be more meaningful and to really have an impact on people. 

Anything you want to say to your fans?

Thank you so much. You've got to thank the fans, all the time. Without fans, I am just a lonely guy in an apartment playing songs to myself so, yeah, everyone's been really awesome and supportive on this journey so it's great. 

Sam Burchfield             Facebook             Twitter             YouTube             SoundCloud