10 Questions with...Team Spirit

This week at A.T.W.N., I have the pleasure of sharing an interview I did with Passion Pit's former synthesist & remixer, Ayad Al Adhamy. Ayad has gone out on his own and is now the frontman for the amazing Brooklyn based "rock-n-soul" band, Team Spirit. Let's get to it...

10 Questions with...Team Spirit

Ayad, what’s the biggest difference for you going from the back of the stage on keys with Passion Pit, to now being the lead with Team Spirit? 

The need to be in better physical shape! Singing, ripping guitar and flailing around on stage is quite tiring... Also the responsibility with leading a band into battle!

What was it like opening for the amazing Welsh rockers The Joy Formidable?

It was great! I’ve played with them in the past countless times (I even started a label to release their EP in the US!) and it was amazing to see them just rock out relentlessly. It was amazing!


Hardcover, Paperback, or Kindle?

Paperback

For those who are new to Team Spirit, tell us what bands have helped to influence your sound?
Thin Lizzy, Rolling Stones, The Replacements to name a few...

Movies or Books while touring?

Movies/TV shows. Ive exhausted most of TV by now... Currently watching Game of Thrones, Vikings and The Following.

Comics or Novels as a kid?

I was a little bit of both - I did have a serious comic collection - favourites included Cable and Deadpool series.

Avengers or Justice League?

Hmmm loaded question? In essence it could be Marvel vs DC... as a kid i was heavily into Marvel but never liked the Avengers. However the Justice League animated movies are pretty rad... Justice League!

Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Non-fiction, or fiction based on fact... But sometimes Fantasy, which I guess is total fiction...

One book, and one band.... 

Fatherland by Robert Harris is a great historical crime fiction book... I read it way back in high school and I remember loving it. And the band “Guards”!

Last question: What was the main source of inspiration behind your self-titled debut EP “Team Spirit”?

Freedom! And rock n roll!

****

Thanks to Ayad Al Adhamy for taking the time to stop by All The Write Notes and chatting. If you would like to keep up with the band, you can check them out on Facebook and on Twitter. You can pick up Team Spirit's debut EP here, and check out their live dates here. Trust me, Team Spirit's energy is amazing and they put on a show not to be missed.

Jay Spencer is a MG/YA writer, Visual Art teacher, music and book blogger, an extremely tall husband, and father to two amazing kids. If not at the rink or on the court with his young kids, he would gladly talk to you about any genre or decade of music, and anything Marvel or Star Wars.

Interview: Jennifer A. Nielsen

With author Jennifer A. Nielsen's second book in The Ascendance Trilogy, "The Runaway King",  hitting the shelves this Friday, I thought it would be a perfect time to chat with her about the role of music in her life, and how it has impacted her writing.

1. What is your favorite band/artist and why?
That’s so hard to answer! I’m listening to a lot of Mumford and Sons right now. I’m not super loyal to any one group though. I might like one song and play it nearly on a loop, but not connect to any of the band’s other songs.

2. If we were to peek at your iPod, what bands/artists would we see the most of?

I actually just did peek at it and decided my tastes are pretty diverse. I have four main playlists: soundtracks, musicals, writing music, and listening music. Of the latter, I’m all over the map for music choices. My top ten listens include Coldplay, Mumford and Sons, Eddie Vedder, U2, Snow Patrol, Simon and Garfunkel, and Linkin Park.

3.  Do you own any vinyl?

No, but I have great memories of huddling around a record player as a child and listening to my mom’s albums. As clean as the sound can be for music these days, nothing replaces the memories I associate with the needle on vinyl.

4.  Do you listen to music when you write?

I mentioned having a playlist just for writing. It’s pretty inconspicuous music, no lyrics, so it can just meld into the scenes as I work on them. T.J. Morgan is my current favorite artist to write to, but I also write to the soundtracks for Last of the Mohicans and Chronicles of Narnia. In my mind, when the new king is crowned in the end scene of The False Prince, music is playing from The Chronicles of Narnia.

5. What is your special connection to Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam? 

My husband actually introduced me to Eddie Vedder’s solo album for Into the Wild. I was immediately hooked on the music, but one song on that album became life changing. Guaranteed has a line in it that says, “I knew all the rules, but the rules did not know me, guaranteed.” At the time, I was working on a story idea but couldn’t quite pull it together. I felt the attitude of the song’s narrator was exactly the type of character my story needed. That story became THE FALSE PRINCE. Another song on that same album, Rise, had a big impact on the book’s sequel, THE RUNAWAY KING. Those who read the book and listen to the lyrics of that song should have no problem seeing the connection. Rise is actually my ringtone right now.

6.  Do your musical interests have a direct impact on your writing?

Very much so, I think. There are certain songs that hit me so strong I know they’re going to form a story one day (Run by Snow Patrol, for example), or that almost turn into movie trailers for me where I can close my eyes as I listen and see certain scenes from the book play out visually (Clocks by Coldplay). Music, in fact, probably has a stronger external influence on what enters my writing than anything else I might be exposed to.

7.  What did you listen to while you wrote the sequel to The False Prince, The Runaway King? 

The strongest musical influences for THE RUNAWAY KING probably came from Eddie Vedder’s Rise, What I’ve Done by Linkin Park, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, and Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford and Sons. For the latter, there is one verse in particular that stuck with me throughout the writing:

It seems that all my bridges have been burnt,

But you say that’s exactly how this grace thing works.

It’s not the long walk home that will change this heart,

But the welcome I receive with the restart.

8. Is there a concert you will never forget?

This is my horrifying confession – I have actually never been to a concert. (Long pause while your readers pick themselves up off the floor.) I have no excuse for it – it’s just something I’ve never done.

9.  Is there a band/artist you wish you could have seen?

Which makes this a perfect follow-up question. Someone recently told me about having been at an Eddie Vedder concert where he played some of his Into the Wild songs and they said it was an unreal experience. Maybe if he does another tour, I think his would be the place where I would love to repent for Question #8.

10. Have you ever found a song you just couldn’t stop listening to?

All the time! And if I love a song, I won’t quit listening until I’ve memorized the lyrics because then I can replay it in my head even when I can’t hear the music. That current most obsessive song for me is Carry On by Fun.

11. Do you like listening to mixes of various artists, or full albums?

For rock music, I rarely listen to a full album, and if I do, that is true love. But I almost always do full albums for soundtracks and new age stuff. But there are a few albums I really enjoy – for example, even though it’s been around for a while, I don’t think there’s a single song on U2’s Joshua Tree album that I don’t like, and several that are all-time favorite songs.

12. Is there a songwriter you wish you could write with?

Ooh, what a cool question! Yeah, in a perfect world, I would love to write something with Muse. Their stuff is so different from most of what’s out there, and there’s so much depth in their lyrics, I think even if they only let me sit in a corner and watch their process, it would be a fascinating experience.

13.  Are there any bands/artists that you would like to recommend to everyone? 

I think Grouplove has put out some interesting and unique songs recently. Their Colours is so different, it’s worth hearing just to see how it’s put together. I’ve also just discovered Agnes Obel and she’s quickly rising as a favorite singer when I want something more ethereal to listen to.

14.  Is there a band/artist today you think Sage, your MC in The Ascendance Trilogy, would enjoy? 

Hmmm. I think a modern day Sage would be a music guy. I don’t know about specific groups, but he likes to dance and I think he’d prefer music he can move to. Also, having created him, I’m going to endow him with an innate love for REM. Just because I can.

15. Do you have a favorite album cover?

I love the self-titled album cover from The Airborne Toxic Event (2009). It’s spare, beautiful, and tells a story in itself.

THE GIVEAWAY!
This week, Jennifer has graciously offered all of our readers a chance to win a SIGNED, I repeat, SIGNED hardcover copy of "The Runaway King", the sequel to one of my favorite reads of 2012 "The False Prince". If you aren't the lucky one to win, or just can't wait, "The Runaway King" hits store shelves this Friday and can be purchased at any local indie-book store, or through Amazon, or Barnes & Noble. If you want to connect with Jennifer about the Trilogy or her previous books, you can visit her on her website, Twitter, or on Facebook . 

Jay Spencer is a MG/YA writer, Visual Art teacher, music blogger, an extremely tall husband, and father to two amazing kids. If not at the rink or on the court with his young kids, he would gladly talk to you about any genre or decade of music, and anything Marvel or Star Wars.

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Now we know Jennifer chose Muse as someone she would love to collaborate with, what about you? Leave a comment below, we'd love to know. 

The Next Big Thing

Readers comb through bookstores...agents scour slush...editors sift through submissions...critics devour debut novels...all searching for The Next Big Thing.

Me? I troll YouTube. Not for new writers, but for new artists. :)

Sure I'm on iTunes weekly *cough* daily *cough* checking out the Single of the Week and surfing through Genius recommendations, which many or may not be anywhere close to genius. But I'm not afraid to jump into the time-sucking YouTube waters either.

And YouTube is where I discovered Hannah Trigwell.* (Or technically, where my husband discovered Hannah Trigwell and I am henceforth taking half-credit. :D) A singer-songwriter from Leeds (I have a crazy fondness for English artists), Hannah is the real deal. We stumbled upon a clip of her singing a cover of Taylor Swift's song We Are Never Getting Back Together--it was a collaboration with Boyce Avenue, who is also now Hannah's label-mate--and Hannah's voice blew us away.

Here's that clip, but wait. Don't listen . . . yet.

Then we listened to her cover of Hallelujah (just-wow), and proceeded to watch heaps of her videos. The girl has her own YouTube channel, which is impressive. Talk about knowing how to reach an audience and being a savvy social-media marketer which is key in today's digital world. Hannah recently inked a deal with 3 Peace Records, which makes me all kinds of happy, because it means I'll get to hear more from her.

But back to Hannah's voice. It's amazing. Rich, textured, emotive. It's got qualities that remind me of Taylor Swift, Natalie Mechant, and Ingrid Michaelson, and yet, Hannah is just Hannah.

Of course, the minute I left YouTube, I went straight to iTunes (yup, no willpower y'all. My Christmas giftcard didn't last long!) and downloaded her original album, Pieces, which has three songs: Headrush, Pieces and Give It Up. Headrush is my favorite track, but all three are fantastic.

Here's a YouTube clip of Headrush. I chose this video because you can see her album cover but this clip is just her voice. So sit back, close your eyes, and listen. 

Amazing right? Now go back up and listen to her cover of TSwift. Totally awesome, I know. :)

Here's another clip of her singing an original song, Give It Up. It's just Hannah, a microphone and a guitar. Check it out...

What kills me is how many people just walk by Hannah . . . and never stop to listen. Many don't even look her way. 

Are we really all that busy? How many books have people missed because they don't recognize the name, or are too busy to stop and read the back jacket of an unknown debut author, one that didn't have all the hype?

I don't know if Hannah is the Next Big Thing or not. I do know that her album rocks, and that if she comes to the States anywhere close to me, I'll go see her. In the meantime, I'll enjoy her U.S. debut. She may not be a big name (yet) but I like her voice and her music, and I'm so glad I stopped to listen. 

So take a chance. On an unknown writer, on a hometown band just starting out or on a singer-songwriter halfway around the world. You just might be surprised.:)

What new artists/bands have you discovered lately? And do you think they just might be the NBT?

*FYI: You can find out more about Hannah Trigwell on her website and on Twitter.

Tuning Into Writer's Block

I’m the Nashville girl, which I guess makes me the country girl? Well, something like that.
 
I live in a town that is so fueled by music, we earned ourselves the official title of “Music City.” There is music everywhere–good music too–new, talented artists flock here on a daily basis, looking for a chance to make it.

As a writer, I sort of luck out with that.

I’m not sure what the connection is between music and imagination. I’d like to learn more about it though, because I know it’s a strong one. So strong that the main way I develop story ideas is through listening to music–live, radio, award shows–you name it, I want to daydream to it. 

Writers deal with writer’s block in all sorts of ways, but over the years, I’ve developed a method that seems to be almost foolproof for me: I drive. I get in my car, hit the scan button on the radio and turn the ignition key.

I let the songs on the radio skip and surprise me until a sound, a lyric, or a feeling sets my daydreaming on a determinate path. I daydream about a lyric my character might’ve said or if the sound of the song could be the background music to a particular scene. I drive and drive until I’m daydreaming in three-dimensions. Then, typically, I pull over and make voice memos to myself about it so I won’t forget.

I’m not saying my music daydreaming will work for everyone, but it’s one that has worked in my favor time and again.

For example, I’m working on a story right now that’s a twist on Greek myth. It deals with gods, zodiacs and fate. Over the holidays, I was explaining my idea to my dad. He shook his head and asked me how I came up with such a thing. I laughed and I told him I didn’t know.

But I do.

I was trying to outline the new novel and I was failing. In fact, I had five different outlines saved on my laptop and I hated every single one. But then I'd gone over to a friend's house to watch the AMAs (the American Music Awards) and saw Taylor Swift’s performance of “I Knew You Were Trouble.” Halfway through her set, something in my brain clicked about the character I was trying to create and I thought to myself, “Now she would be TroubleTROUBLEtrouble.”

The outline that followed turned into 330 pages of a manuscript. 

So if you're stuck, my advice is to get in your car and let the radio surprise you or watch some of last night's GRAMMY performances and let your imagination go. 

But if you've got a full proof writer's block method that works for you, let us in on it! I want to know.
 

Timing is Everything

Timing is Everything

From One Writer to Another

In the writing/publishing world, like life in general, timing is everything. Unfortunately, in most instances, we don't have much control over the element of time. Let's take a look at a couple of the ways timing is important in the publishing world. 

1. Timing in writing: Pacing is a major factor in any and all writing, whether fiction or nonfiction.In fiction though, the entire plot depends on the concept of time - to keep the reading suspenseful one needs to reveal information at a calculated time, to increase tension a writer needs to create conflict which many times includes issues with time, and the climax has to occur at a precise moment. 

2. Timing in landing an agent/editor: Anyone who's written a novel or roughed it in the query trenches knows the saying, "It only takes one yes." And it does. But think about all those rejections we get. There are many times a writer gets a no not because of poor writing, but because of bad timing. Maybe that agent or editor all ready has something similar on their list, maybe the manuscript isn't marketable at that time, maybe...You get my point. It's timing.

3. Time you spend on craft: As writers we spend countless hours thinking, preparing (researching, making outlines, making playlists, whatever), writing, editing, revisions, learning, reading. And we all know, the more time we spend doing these things, the better writer we'll become.

4. Time you spend making connections: If you're a writer, you've heard of building a platform, making sure you have a web presence. So we put time into blogs, facebook pages, tweeting, going to writing conferences and time connecting to readers, in an effort to build relationships, to get our name out there. This is not just time consuming.

5. The time you spend dreaming: I really hope you all do this, whatever your goals are. Dreams can motivate you, propel you forward, give you hope. Dreams inspire. This is time well spent.

As writers (or anything we dedicate ourselves to), we often work against the clock. We cram writing in whenever we can, working it in between day jobs and life. We rush here and bust ass to get there, all in a race against time to accomplish EVERYTHING. And let's not forget about looming deadlines. There's never enough time.

Time, or the lack there of, can send us all in tailspin. It's get a pretty bad rap. So, today...let's turn it around. Let's celebrate time and how important it is to us on so many levels. Here's a fun playlist of tracks that have to do with time in some way or another. And some great music videos, too.

Time is On My Side - The Rolling Stones

Times Like These - Foo Fighters 

Time to Pretend - MGMT

Good Riddance (Time of Your Life) - Green Day

Time - Hootie and The Blowfish

Good Time - Owl City & Carly Rae Jepson (Don't judge, my kids like it.)

Check out this acoustic version of It's Time by Imagine Dragons

And, as the lyrics by Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol say, 

"This is your life, this is your TIME."

These are words to remember. 

Go do something you've always wanted to do. 

Cast fear aside, seize the day,and make your dreams come true. 

This is your life. This is your time!

Cheerleader out, yo!  

If you haven't watched this video before, you really should indulge. It's funny. 

(Why yes. I do have a not so secret obsession crush on Gary Lightbody.)

Have any tracks you recommend that involve the element of time?
Why do they rock your world?

                                        Tonya

Music Monday - The Rural Alberta Advantage

Welcome to…All The Write Notes. As you can tell, we are pretty excited around here, and I am lucky enough to have the honor of getting us started here at ATWN.

So, let’s get to some music…

Music Monday – The Rural Alberta Advantage
Jay C. Spencer   Monday, January 28th, 2013

Finding new music has always been a passion (some call it an obsession) of mine since I was a teen.  I have always loved reading reviews, searching through forums, and spending more money than I would care to admit. That being said, it should come as no surprise to anyone that music is the backbone of my artwork, and my writing.  Without certain albums and artists, I truly believe I could never have gotten to this point with my WIP.

Credit: The RAA

One of those artists, Canadian indie-rock band The Rural Alberta Advantage, unknowingly helped me through the “type everything down even though most of it will be garbage” first draft of my current WIP.  Formed in 2005, Nils, Amy and Paul built a huge indie buzz through their relentless touring of their intense live show. After the success of their first album in 2009, “Hometowns”, and with their dedicated following behind them, I was constantly bombarded with chatter about them at concerts. BTW, my writing thanks whoever you were for being so persistent.

This three-piece, with their rich folk-rock sound, has a spirit throughout their honest lyrics that just hits home with me.  I can recall many morning writing sessions over the past few years, before finding my #5amWritersClub on Twitter, where it was just me, my writing, and The RAA.  After the critical success of their latest album, ‘Departing’, and having already been well received by the likes of Rolling Stone, New York Times, and SPIN Magazine, they are currently in the studio working on their third release.

Now, to celebrate our new blog, we are raffling off a copy of their sophomore release “Departing.” Not just a regular local bought version, but a SIGNED COPY that I had the band autograph when discussing this blog with them on their recent tour with Dan Magnan.

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If you would like to hear more from The RAA, you can find their catalogue at iTunes, Saddle Creek Records (US) or at Paper Bag Records (Canada).


What band(s) does this for you? Leave a comment below.