"Do you mind turning my mic up a little?  Oh, I don't scream, I whisper."  That was my first impression of David Ramirez, a traveling musician from Austin. Then he began to sing and a Sugar Brown's normally overflowing with conversation became pregnant with silence.  His words were precise and without the normal fluff of many radio-ready artists. So, when we got a chance to talk, I was all ears.

So, how long have you been playing music?
Well, about 7 or 8 years now.  3 of them have been serious.  Before that,  I was just getting my feet wet.  Now, it is more business oriented so I can make a career out of it.

This is your full time gig then?
Yes,  I was living in Nashville, making coffee trying to make music but it wasn't happening.  I found out how much work goes into it and how deep the rabbit how goes.  I had contemplated giving it up and was doing a lot of questioning back then.  I decided to give music one more try, sold most of my belongings, and went out on the road in my car.  That was May 08.  Now I live in Austin and play shows 3 or 4 times a week.

When you were on tour, did you play established venues or more house shows?
At first, I played a lot of house concerts as they were more financially viable.  But now it has moved on to more established shows.  I am trying to bring it from the living room to the venue.

Who are some of your major influences?
Modest Mouse, because the vocalist uses his voice to its maximum potential.  He growls, screams, whispers,...the complete range of emotions are there.  Radiohead, as they showcase the most freedom in a band.  But in a way that is still very accessible to their listeners.  Musically, I would say Ryan Adams, because he is, I believe, one of the most prolific writers of our day. Other than that I don't really listen to much.  I try to keep it as small as spread as possible.

What would you say your favorite venues have been on your travels?
In Nashville there is this place called, the Basement.  It is literally below a record store, in the basement.  In New York City, I would say Googies.  It is an attic turned into a living room.  I really like spaces that are quiet where people can pay attention.  In Dallas, I would say City Tavern as it is a little bit bigger venue and Opening Bell Coffee.
How would you say your music has evolved since you began?
The first record I got was when I was 18, it was Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds Live.  Listening to that, I was trying to be complicated with my sonwriting, writing complicated guitar parts.  It was all over the place.  I have found as I have gotten older that simplicity is key.  Now, everything is laid out, nothing crazy, easy music.  I put more effort on the lyrics now. It has kind of gone like this, from pop to folk, from entertaining to thoughtful, and from complex to simplified. 

Since being on tour, are there any stories you thought were intriguing?
A musician has a job, but it isn't the traditional one.  A lot of people want to be friends with a musician and you get to see a wide variety of the human race fleshed out when you are a musician.  (laughs)  I was in Birmingham, Alabama recording an EP.  It was 2am and I asked the others if they wanted to get a drink.  They declined and so I went out and stumbled onto this bar called, Quest.  It was totally packed still.  It was a gay club...in Alabama. I shrugged my shoulders went in and got a drink.  I ended up hanging out until 6 or 7 that morning having a great time with those guys.  If I wasn't a musician, I wouldnt' have probably ever had that kind of experience.

Any final thoughts?
Only one.  As a musician, your whole life is playing it by ear.

Check out David playing his song, Arithmetic

Also, check out this music video for his song, Heaven Knows

You can check out David here:
David's Myspace
David's Website

This has been another edition of yellowhouse.

As Always,
Listen Local.

Alissa Beyer is an up and coming songwriter from South Plains College.  As the Browns' filled up on a normal saturday night, Alyssa set up stage to begin singing her heart out above the noise of common conversations.  The first note forward was a showing of her ability as a vocalist and crafting as a songwriter.  Afterwards, she sat down and answered a couple of questions:

What would you say your favorite venue would be?
I would say here at Sugar Brown's.  People actually listen and come to hear the music.  They are more in tune with actual music and not just popular music that is on the radio.

How long have you been playing music?
I first started playing the guitar when I was 7 and took lessons for about a month and then I stopped.  I started writing when I was around 12 or 13.  My senior year I jumped into it fully and decided that music is what I wanted to do with my life.

What are some of your influences?  What is on your iPod?
I really like rock stuff alot.  Whenever I get my stuff produced I think it is probably going to lean a little more into that spectrum.  I really like Gavin Degraw, Sarah Barielles, and Ray LaMontagne.  The really stripped acoustic stuff really gets me.

How do you think your music has evolved since you started playing?
I think it has widened.  My chord progressions and abilities have greatly increased since I started out at South Plains College.  I am actually studying how to put things together musically and how it all fits together. As for songwriting, in the past year it has come a long way.  The school has really helped me get stuff done.  You are either learning about music or you are in a practice room writing.  You are never just sitting there doing nothing. 

You said you were graduating this May, what are your plans after that?
Well earlier I was thinking about going to Belmont in Nashville.  I went and visited the campus, as well as Trivecca, which is also in Nashville.  I mean I would love to go there, but they are quite expensive.  I feel that making it in the music industry is more about self-discipline and how much you put yourself out there.  You could sit at home and teach yourself theory, or you could pay 30,000 dollars and have someone teach you the exact same thing.  It would definitely make connections though.  I was talking about going on a cruise line as a singer, save up money, and then go somewhere and promote the music. I think that is what I am going to end up doing.  I want to also get into some type of artist management.

Your songwriting, what does that process look like?
It is really cliche, but as people say in the hard times are when you spill out your emotions and I think that in my songwriting that is where it really comes from.  Other times though, I just sit down and start playing the piano and go off into, "la la la" and see where it heads. 

If you would like to learn more about Alissa, you can check out her stuff here:

Alissa's Myspace.

Here are a few videos of Alissa singing:

As always,

Listen Local.  It'll do ya good.

Much love, man.  You don't hear that much around these west texas plains.  Nor do you talk to often get to talk to a guy who has underneath his plaid pearl snap shirt, a tallit katan.  It makes for an interesting conversation.   His stage presence was that of an idealism many aspire to but few actually embody.  Songs of love and a call to action were the main pieces of his set which ended with a rousing version of Wyclef Jean's "If I was President."  As the stage was being dis-assembled, Cody was there helping tear down, and even offered to tip the barista's for allowing him to play @sugarbrowns that night.  And perhaps he is one of the only guys that can still make living in a van cool.  I was able to speak with him later on a phone call and we spoke about some of his aspirations and goals for his music. 

So Cody, How long have you been playing music?
Good Question.  I would say I got a guitar when I was five but didn't do much with it.  When I was ten, I learned, "Smoke on the Water." Then I was trying to be in a band that needed a bassist.  So I picked up the bass. That lead me to play bass for a church and gradually I came back around to the acoustic guitar. 

You call yourself a "homeless missionary", why?
Well, I have a heart for the less fortunate because I know what it is like to live on the streets.  When I was 18, my parents split up and my mom and dad moved away from Conroe, TX.  It was my last year of high school so I stayed and slept on the streets.  After high school I got a job and started making quite a bit of money.  More and more I became self-indulgent.  That was for about a year and then when I went on tour, I kept seeing ways to live a lot simpler.  If you want to know the full story, you can check it out here.

Who are some of your influences?
Let's see.  Lead Belly.  Nirvana.  Bob Marley.  Pete Townshend.  Matisyahu.  George Strait.  Steve Miller.  and the Doors. 

What are some of your favorite venues to play at, since you have begun touring?
Ah, well, there is this small little place called Durango Joes.  There is also a place called JavaJazz in Houston.  The Unity Center in Roswell, NM is awesome.  The Satellite Room and the Fuel Cyber Cafe in Humble, TX.

Since you are touring, you must have some cool or interesting stories to tell.  Would you mind sharing one or two?
Well,  I think one of the most powerful stories would be when we went to Skid Row in California.  Picture 90,000 people in a 50 block radius.  Full of people with mental illnesses, tons of gang violence.  Going out there and meeting those people was life-changing.  Or we could go with the time I almost killed Tyler.  One day we were coming to Lubbock for the first time and I was driving our van.  I got a phone call that was really important so we pulled over to switch.  As he was coming around the front, I opened the door and started to get out, and realized the car was still in drive, and if not for Tyler's swiftness, he would be dead.

You are a part of and started a ministry called, "Much Love."  How did that get started?
Well, we go all over the place speaking to churches and high school youth groups and a lot of the kids wanted to come with us to go feed and talk with the homeless.  A few of the church leaders didn't like it because they didn't see it as mission work.  So we started a non-profit organization, got all the paperwork done, and now it is legitimate.  We are based out of Houston, TX. We go out into the community, to places like Tranquility Park where I used to sleep at night, and speak with people.  The name, Much Love, came out of a conversation I had with a muslim man.  We were speaking and he told me, "It's all one love, it's all much love."  The name stuck. 

If you would like to learn more about Cody Vance or his ministry Much Love you can check them out here:

Cody's Myspace
Cody's Facebook
Much Love Ministries

This is a street interview of Cody when he is on Skid Row

As Always,
Listen Local

A man with a 'stache commands a presence.  always.  Bearing this in mind, a reserved young man quietly unlatched his guitar case amidst a growing crowd of hipsters @sugarbrowns.  With only a guitar, backup drummer, and a 'stache, Grady conquered the small stage and showed people that there was much more than a 'stache to this cheeky fellow. 

When did you start playing music?
Well, I received a guitar for Christmas my sophmore year, so about 9 years.  I had gotten a guitar when I was really little, about 4 or 5 years old, and I took lessons.  I had it down till we started going over barre chords and I wasn't able to, so I ended up quitting.  I look back and think if I had stuck with it during that span of time that I wasn't playing, how much better would I be than I am now.  Writing songs, probably around 4 or 5 years.

When you write songs, is there a pattern or inspiration that moves you?
I have found when writing I am more of a melody guy.  Even more so, I am a rhythm, percussive, and beat guy.  So I will have a good beat or guitar riff, then I will break it down into syllables.  Words that fit those syllables make it come together alot easier.  Lyrically, I would say that most of my songs deal with girls. 

Who are some of your influences, that influence you musically?
The one who really wanted me to get back into guitar again was Jack Johnson.  That was back in the day when he had just come out with "Brushfire Fairytales" and it just blew my mind.  Growing up in Paducah, it's a tiny little town and I had no idea there was any other type of music than what was on the radio.  We didn't have internet at my house, so the only music I ever heard was on the one country radio station. Then the second step was an ex-girlfriend gave me a cd of The Black Keys.  Jack Johnson has a bluesy feel, but I wanted to take the percussive thing that Jack does and mix the dirty blues of what the Keys do.  One more would be Corey Branan, who is more of a singer/songwriter.  That's how I started learning about songwriting and performance. 

Do you play any covers of theirs in your set?
For some reason in my mind, I don't want to learn my influences songs and put my stamp on it, because they put their stamp on me so much.  So there are certain people I just won't play.  I won't play a cover unless I think I can make it sound as good or better than the person who played it first.  Those three influences are really good, so I find it hard to add anything to their music.

What are some of your favorite venues to play at?
Probably right now, it would be the Jazz Kitchen.  The old wood floors, it is tiny, and you get a really good sound because of the wood floors.  My favorite venue of all-time is not even open anymore, it was called Jesse Janes.  It was between Post and Snyder.  It looked like a cross between a house and a post office.  These two people had bought it and they only opened it on the weekends.  They cooked burgers and it was B.Y.O.B.  All these country bumpkins would come around and they would come listen to music.  They weren't coming to drink, they weren't coming to party, but they were coming for the music.

You also play with a band called, the Griswulds.  How did you come up with the name?
When I bought my car, I was searching for a name and my brother mentioned it should be called Clark Griswald. So I wanted to keep the cars stance in my life.  It was either that or name the band after a tattoo. 

If you would like to know more about Grady Spencer you can check him out here:

Grady's Myspace
Grady's Youtube Channel
Grady's Facebook

Here is a video of Grady singing, "Soulshine" by the Allman Brothers Band.
http://www.youtube.com/user/GradySpencer#p/a/u/0/Cd7uKk45Xt0

As Always,  Listen Local.

If you miss a show, you miss more than the performance...you miss the personality and relationship that is found in that particular moment.  On Friday night, Aly Tadros and Douglas Jay Boyd played @sugarbrowns in the midst of ice and past fallen snow.  Inclement weather kept many from enjoying the melodies of the duo but those who did make it out were in for a sultry treat of musical passion.  One only has to press play on either one's myspace and be taken far away from the rolling plains of West Texas.  Both are on a tour called the Raggard Haggard and after leaving the LBK, they were making their way northeast.  Catching up with them on a phone call in Indiana, I asked them a few questions while they sat around a fireplace.

First off, how did y'all meet and begin playing music together?
Aly:  Well, we met about 2 years ago at a friends house party.  Doug was also a friend of my friends and we started talking.  Actually, we got really drunk and started jamming.  Our musical tastes hit it off really well.  We actually started gigging together and only 2 weeks after meeting played a show together in San Antonio.    When I was starting to put together this tour, I could think of no one better to go with than Doug. 

The Raggard Haggard Tour, how long is it and do you have any stories so far?
Douglas:  Well, it is a 2 month tour, and we have been out on the road already for one month.  Cool stories, hmm?  Well, I have been a lot of places in this tour I have never been before.  Like California.  We were coming into california and were going to stay at another singer's house, which is right on the beach.  It was 9 or 10 at night and it was my first time to ever see the Pacific Ocean.  I saw the ocean, and turned to the singer and said I was contemplating running into the ocean.  It is the middle of winter mind you.  The singer said, "Man, its cold are you sure?"  I didn't do it right away, but a little later I said, "What the heck", and ran in.  I got about chest-deep before I had to turn around.  My feet were numb by the time I got out.
Aly: And then we played apples to apples.
Douglas: Yes, we did.
Aly:  For me, I am on this really big healthy kick.  I am trying to eat really healthy on this tour and we were coming into Seattle to play at this hostel called The Green Tortoise. There is a guy there named Keith, who does all of the sounds.  He is in his 40's or 50's, with really long gray hair. 
Douglas: Says the word man, alot.  (Editor's note:  Think, Leo from that 70's show )
Aly:  He call's out and asks if we wanted, at least what we heard, was wheat cookies.  He gives us the cookies and we started eating them and we got about to the door, and I went, whoa, these aren't wheat cookies.  And they were totally pot cookies.  So, we both played our 1st show high.  Everything was slow and relaxed. 
Douglas:  We only ate one,  everything was slow, and Aly giggled alot. 

Who are some of your influence?
Douglas:  Bill Withers, would be one.  I play a few covers of his stuff in my live shows.  Jack Johnson is another one.  I have picked up a few of my strumming patterns and his relaxed groove.  But on the flip side, I also love bands like Lamb of God, and Atreyu.  They may not come through my music in form but rather in the intensity with which I play.
Aly:  Ani DeFranco, would be one, because of her lyrics and her live performances. They are phenomenal.  Every single one changes and she is very present in each one.  I would like to say I picked that up from her.  Ali Farka Toure is definately one. He was an african blues guitarist from Mali.  Tom Waits, and Morphine.

What are some of your favorite venues that y'all have ever played?
Aly: There was this place in Washington called The Treehouse, and it is a bed and breakfast.  It was a house concert we were playing at and all I could think of was, "Holy Shit, I am playing music in a treehouse."
Douglas:  There is this one place in Elko, Nevada.  Aly found some people on couchsurfing.com that would let us stay at their place so we wouldn't have to go make an all night drive to the next show.  Elko, is in between Reno and Salt Lake City, and the guys we were staying with suggested we play this local wine bar called, Duncan Little Creek Gallery.  We got the show set up and showed up thinking that it was last minute so there won't be anyone there at all.  It was packed!  It is a smaller venue, but there were 40 to 50 people there and we played for 3 hours.  It was one of the most fun shows I can remember because they were happy to have us and we were happy to be there.
Aly:  Also, bars don't close in Nevada, so that helped.

(Editors Note:  To Check Out House Concerts or Couchsurfing, follow the respective links.)

So, to finish up, how has your music evolved since you began playing?
Douglas:  Well, I have been playing for about 16 years.  I started off and took guitar lessons but they didn't stick.  Then I played the trumpet in the band for about 9 years.  I was the annoying lead trumpet guy that always got 1st chair.  Anyway, I started writing when I was 17 and the first 4 years of my singer/songwriter-ness I didn't have my own voice.  Most of the songs that I wrote during that time I don't even touch because they aren't me.  About 3 years ago, I found my voice and style, which has a more bluesy soul feel.  The more comfortable I get, they more I can try to be experimental with my music.  I remember playing in witchita falls and I would have to stand up and play because if I sat down everyone would see my legs shaking. 
Aly:  I can play in time now, so that's good.  I have been playing the guitar for about 5 years.  I literally bought my guitar, left the country and traveled with it on my back.  I started out finger picking and my style was really loose, it was very unique, but not very good.  I mean I didn't know any chords then and now I still don't know about 75% of the chords.  But the more I honed my skills my guitar playing got better and I learned how to play barre chords.  Also, I changed my guitars, I had a fender strat but now I just love the way a classical guitar feels.  The nylon strings are all I use.  Recording got me better at playing in time and because I like changing time in songs learning to play in time worked wonders. 

If you would like to check out their websites you can here:

Aly:
Myspace
Facebook

Douglas:
Myspace
Facebook

Also, here is Aly playing her song "Linger"

Here is Douglas playing his song, "Be Here Now"

As Always,

Listen Local.

4:00pm on a Saturday afternoon at sugar brown's; it is relatively slow, a few people drinking coffee and chatting, when all of a sudden the front doors swing wide open and two men waddle in at breakneck speed, carrying a piano.  Granted, breakneck speed while waddling won't break the sound barrier, but for waddling, they were booking it. Setting the piano down on the stage, they take a small deserved break and then silently walk out the door, get in their truck and leave.  From a quick hello earlier, I knew the taller man in the flat cap was Chris Hudgins.  Since the show wouldn't start for another 4 or 5 hours and he was already getting things ready, you could tell he was serious about his music.  Or he just liked to heave a piano around. 

Passion would be the word I could use to describe Chris' music. That and his voice is silkier than milk chocolate.  Combine the two and you get a very crafted performance that has genuine written all over it.  Very lyrical in nature, you won't find a trite spirit in these songs.
 
I sat down with Chris right before he went on stage to ask him a few questions:

Do you play music as your full-time occupation?

I am actually transitioning towards that.  It is my goal that in about 6 months to 1 year I will be doing this full-time.

What made you want to make that transition?

I would like to say that I do alot of things well, but music, music is my passion.  I think what made me want to do it was that I grew up in a real musical family.  Now that doesn't automatically make you want to do music, in fact it could push you away from music.  But, I would hear music, you know Jazz, Rock, and stuff that was meaningful melodically and was mesmerized by it.  It was a lot of 70's rock, you know, A-ha.  Those cool melodies always created a moment for me.  It was otherworldly for me.  And now, with my music, I try to recreate myself and create that moment for other people.  I always wanted to do that, it just wasn't always so clear in those ways.  So, when I got out of high school I studied music. 

You mentioned A-HA, who are some of your other major influences?

Bruce Hornsby, not because he is an amazing pianist, but there are melodies that are never sung in his songs that you want to sing along to.  These melodies are just something that he spits out so well.  Melody is a big thing for me.  Let me think back,  when I was younger I would listen to the radio station, 60's, 70's, and today.  Wow, that really dates me, crap.  The Thompson Twins., I said A-ha.  Once I started to grasp music, then I started to emulate their music and they became part of my music.  They became part of me by diffusion.  The Doobie Brothers, hah, and I'm almost ashamed to say it but my favorite doobie brothers songs are the ones with Michael McDonald.  Mainly because they are more melodic.

How do you go about creating your songs?

For me, melodies comes first.  Lyrics are usually the last thing that is put into a song.  Melodies are what start the song for me.  The lyrics seem to flow after the melody.  The lyrics are not an afterthought and just filling in rhythmic space.  Not at all.  One of the reasons that lyrics come later is because I need a frame to really think hard about where things go and where they fit. 

Have you collaborated with anybody?

Yes, even if the collaboration is just a yes or no.  That helps so much while writing a song. Not to say, that the people I have collaborated with only say yes or no to something.  I have worked with some really talented people

Who would you say, outside of your family, that your biggest supporters are?

The people that give the most encouragement would be my friends, such as the drummer I am playing with tonight, and Chris Brown of the band, The Road Less Traveled.

Here is a video of Chris singing his song, A Single Sideways Glance.

If you would like to hear more of Chris, or see where he is playing next, you can check out his myspace @

Chris Hudgins Music

Hey everyone, thanks for coming out to shows and taking the time to learn more about local artists. 

As always, Listen Local.

The name of the band conjures up images of fantastical lands where men still battle dragons to free the damsel in distress, or just a really off the wall bad hair metal band.  Yet when Rachel and Kasey sat down for an interview, I was immediately drawn by them into a spoken word version of Aerosmith's, "I don't wanna miss a thing."  Needless to say, it was an enlightening experience.  When the ladies took the stage, the humor and gaiety that they presented was infectious, especially their rendition of Outkast's "Hey Ya."

West To Balmorhea "gigs" around town at various bars and establishments, such as "O" bar, JAZZ, and Buffalo Wild Wings.  They played mostly lively covers that kept the audience paying attention but played a few of their own songs for the crowd's enjoyment. 

How did you come up with the name West to Balmorhea?

Rachel:  Well it's a place.  It's in Texas, by Fort Stockton. 
Kasey:  It's a big lake and you can swim in it.  It looks like a pool and has a concrete bottom.
Rachel:  Yeah, you can go in and there are little fish that kiss your feet.  It's actually a natural sping.
Kasey:  Their biting, their not actually kissing.  I think we went to the lake at different ages.  I went as a small child and it wasn't fun.
Rachel:  Yes, when I went, I just thought, "Aww, fish trying to kiss my feet."

Sidenote: Being curious as how a concrete bottomed lake could be a spring, I researched it. 

This video is what it looks like.

and of course there is a wiki link.  Balmorhea Lake.

So how did you start gigging around town?
Rachel: We are both audio engineers at South Plains College, and I run sound for Broken Days, a local band.  They play at Jazz on sunday nights and we both happened to be there and played a few songs, and it kind of snowballed because the managers from the "O" bar, and Buffalo Wild Wings were all there.
Kasey: Our first night we got booked to play at the "O" bar.
Rachel:  They called us the next day to ask us to play later on that week.
Kasey: It was crazy because we only had 3 songs, and we were going to have to play for 4 hours

What is your favorite venue?
Rachel:  I would have to say that the "O" bar is. 
Kasey:  Yeah, people really like to sing to our songs.
Rachel:  Its where I feel the most comfortable.
Kasey:  And we get free beer.
Rachel:  It's really dive-y and is on 34th and Flint.

Who are your biggest supporters?
Kasey:  Who has been to every show?  Jared Etheridge.  We actually used to have a band mom.  She is younger than us but would come to every show and give us duct tape if we needed it, which is most of the time.  We don't have a mic clip for the second mic so we just duct tape it on.

Here is a performance of Rachel and Kasey performing Outkast's, "Hey Ya."

If you would like to check out their music, especially a haunting version of Damien Rice's "Volcano" or their own "1000 times more" zip on over to their myspace.

West To Balmorhea's Myspace

And As Always,

Listen Local.

Dust was not the only thing that was blown in by the west texas winds last night.  A singer/songwriter by the name of Jason Wyatt took the stage at Sugar Brown's and commanded the audience with ease as he related his down home stories to each and every song.  Coming from the South Plains Music program, he has taken his music to the Mecca of Country Music,Nashville, and is quickly earning a reputation as a songwriter.  I was given the opportunity to sit down with Jason for a few moments and speak with him about his rising career.

I have noticed you are fairly new on Myspace and your website is still being worked on.  Are you just gigging or in the recording stage?

Well, when I signed on with the management company I am currently with, they decided not to go with my original name, Jason Kuhn, because radio broadcasters would have a hard time pronouncing it correctly.  So everything I had been doing with my real name was put on hold.  Everything had to start over.  The idea too, was that they weren't going to release pictures and when the website is ready then everything will be released in timing.  It is very intentional.  It is like starting a new business, you have to scale back and then build it up again.  I took the last name Wyatt from my first son's name.

Your self-titled EP, Jason Wyatt, touches on religious themes quite a bit, especially your single, Jesus Loves You.  It is a lot more explicit than some of your contemporary country singers, and I was wondering if you would talk about that a little bit.

The concept of the song specifically is to not talk about religion, but to get down to the brass tax of it.  I think Jesus came so we don't have that religious mind set.   God is big and a lot of times we don't understand him, but one thing we do know is Jesus loves you. The question I had was, what is wrong about saying that Jesus loves you, or why is it weird to hear that saying.  I wasn't trying to be political and I wasn't trying to be conflictive.  I was just asking the question of why are you offended when someone says I love you, and the answer a lot of people give is that the church hurt them.  But people are human and humans will always hurt each other.  The goal of the song was to take all that away, take all the buildings, excuses, and all the things you can touch away, and leave you with the idea that Jesus loves you.  I really try to write songs that are encouraging and positive.  I also believe in talking about the hard times in life, it just so happens that these first five songs on the EP ended up that way.  I wanted to make them light, love-driven, and that is why the songs are like that. 

You seem to be breaking from normal country songs, and juxtaposing some of the more I'm going to leave you type songs with, I'm going to leave you on a beach with the memory of the best day you've had.  How is that working in Nashville?

I've noticed that people outside Nashville kind of think that all country is the same, but the reality is that a lot of the lyrics are really tough.  You really have to be able to twist the lyrics and make them fit for someone to want to cut the song.  It has to be clever and it has to be relevant.  Country is really lyric-driven, and yeah some of the chords do get really old, but country is definitely more lyric oriented.  That is why the album is arranged the way it is.  I love it because a lot of ladies when they hear the song get made at the first part of the song, I'm going to leave you, but when it hits that turn around, they really get it and can enjoy the song. We try to do that a lot in our songs.

Who are some of your influences?
Newgrass Revival is a big one.  I love 70's rock, even some of the Bachman stuff. 

I really enjoyed that tonight, people got the experience of seeing musicians jam and have fun, and still sound excellent. What did you think?

I tried to keep the energy going from the very beginning and you know there are wrong notes and stuff but it's live and it's real.  The other musicians are quick and when I throw numbers at them and they are able to go off of that.  That's what I love about it.

Here is a video of Jason singing his single, "Jesus Loves You."

You can check out Jason Wyatt's music on his websites:

Jason's Myspace or

http://jasonwyattmusic.com/

Each one gives you a link for a free download of the single "Jesus Loves You." 
Also, you can request to hear Jesus Loves You on 99.5 The Bear @  Request Here!

Check out the photos and as always.

Listen Local.

amid the drone of a whirring and clicking espresso grinder, clinking coffee mugs, and general conversation, a young dark haired girl by the name of Tori Vasquez stepped onto the small stage at Sugar Browns' coffee and began to play.  All other noises became the background to a wonderful set of well versed originals and well done covers.  Each song drew more applause than the last and there were many in the house left without a seat.  The most notable original was, "I love the night" with its enticing and smooth vocal melody.  Also notable was a version of Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog."  One listener described it as, "amazing and very well done."

Outside, under the awning of the porch with the rain tapping on the tin roof above I was very graciously given the opportunity to ask Tori a few questions after her performance.

Where did you come up with your version of Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog" cover?

Well, Robert Plant and Alison Kraus started playing together after their album came out, and they played a version of that song and we just took what they had done and changed it up a little.

I have noticed you have been playing a lot of shows around here recently, are there any plans for touring?

I am hoping for that. A management company found my music and we are getting a contract figured out.  It is such a long process and I have learned to be patient throughout it all. We are hoping to sign with this management company and they will get gigs for us, Micah (brother) and I.  Hopefully they will be around Texas and then onto other states around the country.  I am really excited and ready to get busy.

How was it working with Clif Magness, an award-winning producer?

It was great!  He actually used to live in Lubbock, so my Dad knew him and by the time I was eighteen, I went to California to go see him and we clicked instantly.  We work really well together and he knows what I like to write.  I am really blessed in that area and lucky to be able to work with him.

What are some of your influences, other than Led Zeppelin?

I would say that Radiohead is a massive influence, the Beatles, Muse, but the wierd thing about it is that the songs that I write sound nothing like the songs that I listen too.  They don't now but that is kind of the road I want to go down.  But I'm still learning a lot and haven't written many songs. Eventually I would like to write all my own songs since most of the songs I have now are co-written. 

How has your music evolved from when you first started playing?

When I first started playing,  I was really shy and always played with my hair in front of my face and I would try to hide things.  Throughout the years I have become more confident in my playing and I love music more and more.  Back then I thought I loved music, but now it's so much more.  I want to breathe music, you know, I want it to course through my veins.  It is something I want to be extremely involved with.

Who are your biggest supporters?

I would have to say my parents because they have shown me so much.  My family as well and Danny, (Daniel Gross) who helped me co-write the song "I love the night."

What is one of your favorite venues to play?

I would have to say the coolest place was in Winnsboro, TX where my guitarist, Kate, lives.  It's kind of a bakery slash pub called Brokebaker's Pub. It has a really good energy and I like working off of energy.  It makes it so much more fun to play. 

If you weren't able to come to the show, here is a video of Tori playing her song, "I love the night." Enjoy.

This next video is of Tori performing her song "Rush" with special guest Jason Wyatt

If you would like to know more about Tori and her music you can check out her website:  Tori's Myspace