Dollhouse Column: “Where were you when you attracted love?”

proofofpassion:

Valentine’s day brought out the Love in us, and hopefully in you too.

Read the column here.

Sony Uphoria Press Con: Train

Here we go! You guys know that although I’m a hard core hip-hop girl, I still love all sorts of music with just great songs. When it came to interviewing Train, I was only familiar with “Hey Soul Sister” and “If It’s Love” because of my former radio experience on The Dollhouse. 

But I’ll just tell you, talking to them in person and watching them live made me appreciate music even more. And just how powerful it can be to touch anyone’s heart when you speak from your own truth.

L-R: Scott (drums, percussion), Patrick (Lead Vocalist), Jimmy (guitar, vocals)

Read snippets of the Press Con below

You were talking about how people are all looking for why they’re here and have you guys, in a way figured that out? 

Scott: You know I try to think that’s part of the reason why we work together as a band. Like one of the things we had in common… When we all felt like this was what we were suppose to be doing. And we all felt very strongly about that and had that in common and I think that was part of the driving force in the early days of our success…Like there was nothing else that any of us felt we were suppose to be doing here except for this.

Now that was in the earlier days so what about now do you feel that your direction has changed in someway?

Scott: You know the big thing that’s changed from then is we all have families now. And I think having children is has given my life purpose. You know, being in a band and all of that stuff it nulls you…It sort of wore off at one point and then “What am I doing this for?”… like you feel like you can do more profound things… and I then I had children, and now my children are singing our songs. To know be in this band you kinda want more profound things again…

Fascinating! What are their favorite songs?

Scott: Hey Soul Sister… I just played them our newest song. We’re in the studio right now making a record I’ve written a new song…

Jimmy: My eleven year old daughter… I always test out the new material on her because she’s so brutally honest… Like she’d be half-way into a song and if she’s not into it, like of she’ll turn the radio over Disney channel or something. But I played her the new song that we just recorded the other day and her and a couple of her girlfriends flipped over it.

Patrick: I always say who ever loves daddy’s song gets a toy. (laughs)

So do they all get toys?

Patrick: Not always…

Now you’re saying that you’re working on some new material. Can you tell us about it?

Patrick: Yeah you know it’s an extension of “Save Me, San Francisco” in some way and an evolution in other way. We try to record in different places with different people. So Butch Walker, a friend of ours, he produced a lot of our songs and co-written a lot of songs like “So Much For My Happy Ending,” and stuff with Pink… So Butch bring more of a rock feel to the band.

So I think this next record is gonna bring more guitar and drum rock. We’re such big like classic rock like Led Zeppelin fans and it’s time for us to bring more of that out with our music. It’s probably a more rock record but the first single that you’ll hear is called “Drive By” and I would say it’s like an extension of Save Me, San Francisco. I would say that you can definitely hear that “Hey Soul Sister” on the same album.

With that shift in sound… a lot of your long time listeners from the way back ordinary days… when you came out in April they said “Wow that’s Train? That’s a different sound” I mean it it was a sweeter sound. Did you do that on purpose? Did you talk among yourselves that okay this is the direction we’re going or it just happened that I don’t know you were in that place at that time? 

Patrick: Yeah I think it has a lot to do with the place where you are in your personal life… Writing wise… definitely for me, I think the only way to be authentic is really to try and tap in to the truth about yourself in the writing of your song.

Like “Hey Soul Sister” was a reflection of how in love I am, and I was in a bad relationship years before…and so you know “Ordinary” comes out because you want to tell somebody I’m tired of being treated like I’m ordinary because I’m anything but ordinary…. I try to be myself in what words do I write because if I’m not I think it’s fraud and I’ll be found out eventually.

Patrick, How do you maintain your beautiful hair? *laughs*

Patrick: I use a hair product from Japan. (laughs) And I don’t know I’m trying to grow my hair out. I want to have a quick classic rock hair.

Sony Uphoria Press Con: Mike Posner

I’ve always been a fan of Mike Posner ever since he released “Cooler Than Me.” After downloading his mixtapes online, and listening to his first album, “31 Minutes to Takeoff,” you just know that this guy has something different to offer to the music world.

Here’s a little snippet of his interview during the Sony Press Con

What was your feeling the first time you heard you’re song on the radio?

Probably used a lot of the same words I’ve been using already. I remember I was in Los Angeles and my friend called me and said the DJ was about to play my song. I got really excited then I realized I didn’t have a radio. (laughs) Then I was like wait my alarm clock had a radio on it. It had one of those old school dials where you’re not really sure what station you’re on. But I figured it out…

Now you have a new song out, “Looks Like Sex”. What’s the influence behind that song?

I think you already know it! (laughs) Beautiful women!

So you’re coming out with an album early next year. [entitled Sky High] How is it different from when you first started making songs in your dorm to now?

I think it’s better. When I recorded “Cooler Than Me,” I’d been singing for like 3 months. I started off making beats. I wanted to be a producer like Dr. Dre or Pharell… But no one ever bought any of my beats.

So I decided to start singing on these beats myself and maybe people will listen. That’s what I did. But to answer your question, the things I can do behind the keyboard now and the things I can do with my voice now compared to making that music is like night and day. So the music is better in pretty much every way.

Are your songs all autobiographical?

Well, there are a few songs I took stories from you can tell.

Is it hard to be honest like that when it comes to making music?

Sometimes when you’re talking about someone you do care about… you don’t wanna put them in a bad position.

What’s the first thing you splurged on when you got your money?

I was actually really careful not to do that. I guess kinda like the way the music record deal works, like you get money before you really do anything. I got a record deal and got cut a check but I haven’t really succeeded yet. And I didn’t want to feel like I succeeded.

So I made a deal with myself that I couldn’t buy anything non-music related. I couldn’t buy a new car. Also I really wanted a new car. I had my dad’s old car and he has the car that really old people drive. But I made a deal with myself I couldn’t buy a car until I got a platinum plaque on my wall. But other than that I splurged on a lot of keyboards and microphones.

Was there ever a moment like “Yeah I made it?”

Anytime I talk to a young person and they talk to me that moment, it never comes. At least for me. I don’t feel like it ever will… I keep trying to do better. 

How bout you’re song Bow Chicka Wow Wow. Do you have guys come up to you and say yeah that song got the girl for me?

That was the aim. Coz I have one of those playlists on my computer that I put on when I have a special girl over. I have that ready. You should have that ready. You girls might have one too! And so I wanted to make a song that could be on other people’s playlist. I wouldn’t put it on my own. That would be weird.

How do you feel about Social Media?

First of all, I can make songs on my laptop. That wasn’t a possibility ten years ago. For me, I could never get started in music if it weren’t for these advances in technology… And then, when I finish a song I can give it to the people that I want to listen to it in five minutes. That’s unheard of. I can literally finish a song and give it… That’s really cool. There doesn’t have to be this lag time… Like, ‘Yo this is how I’m feeling now. Take it.’ Pretty cool.

What was the best compliment you ever got about your music?

The best compliments I don’t really believe… But I guess time will tell if in ten, twenty years people are still connected to my music.