Checking In With: Grace V. "Don't Wanna Be Waiting"

Grace V.

I first encountered Grace V. (the V. stands for Valerie) via an interview request from Project Publicity for the music site I write for, Chorus and Verse.

Every person I interview is uncharted territory until you have been there. Grace V. turned out to be a delightful intelligent woman who, in my book loves to do the most important thing in life, laugh...!

Here is the link to my full length interview with her for her first hit single "When The Lights Go Down" where she looked like a cute spandex mummy in the video.

http://www.chorusandverse.com/content.php?id=20110607A

Grace has been very busy since and has a new single and video out, now, called "Don't Wanna Be Waiting" let's "Check In" with the effervescent Grace Valerie!

MS: Hello gorgeous what have you been up to of late? 

GV: "I've been very busy lately promoting my new single "Don't Wanna Be Waiting". It is also produced by the one and only Randy Jackson! I just got back from NYC where I did a lot of press and radio appearances. I also had an amazing show in Connecticut at Sin City in Jan. I am gonna have few shows in LA in Feb-March".

MS: Initiate the unfamiliar with your music please.

GV: "I think my music is sensual, dancy, fun, very pure. I only sing what is dear to my heart; you want to drive your car and sing along with my songs very very LOUD. It is just awesome! I am very passionate about my craft. And I love to enjoy my life to the fullest"

MS: Chat about your music video.

GV: "My music video is exclusively released today on MTV logo. Tomorrow we are gonna upload it to my YouTube channel and I hope we can beat my "When The Lights Go Down" record!

MS: Do you have a motto? Most artist have a motto, tell us yours.

GV: "I recently found a great quote in The Bible: "For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under Heaven. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance." That's my MOTTO"

Check out the lyric video for the song, "Don't Wanna Be Waiting"...

Grace is the word at: http://www.gracevalerie.com/

Check out the official video for "Don't Wanna Be Waiting" at: http://www.newnownext.com/grace-v-dont-wanna-be-waiting/01/2013/

For Immediate Release: Guess Whose Opening For New Order On The West Coast? Run Run Run

Photo: Ron Geren

 Los Angeles indie rock quintet, Run Run Run confirmed today that iconic Manchester band New Order has hand picked the band to open the two West Coast dates of their upcoming October tour of North America. They are:

OCT 5 – New Order w/ Run Run Run – Oakland Fox Theater – Sold Out

OCT 7 – New Order w/ Run Run Run – Greek Theater – LA – Sold Out

Run Run Run recently returned from a brief visit to Russia (their fourth visit) with dates from Latvia to the Ural Mountains playing for more than 10,000 people and a solo club date in Moscow around their Russian language track, “Do Svidaniya”.  The band was also featured on national television and radio including MTV Russia, who called their music, ‘Energetic, sometimes gloomy, but in general, life-affirming and even incendiary music.” 

At the same time Run Run Run arrived in Europe, lead singer Xander Smith (www.xandersmithmusic.com) released his first solo CD, Hey San Pedro.  The first video from this record, “Oh Caitlin” landed him several additional live bookings, one of which was at the Blue Cat Café in Manchester. It was here that members of New Order, Johnny Marr’s band, Haven and the reformed Marion, joined Smith and all rallied their way through a set of Run Run Run and Neil Young songs. The seeds were planted here for the invitation to join New Order on the 2 West Coast dates.

“Run Run Run play epic music, as American as pumpkin pie, but with a deep rooted understanding and knowledge of where the most British bands like New Order come from and what makes them tick,” said noted British Xfm DJ Eddy Temple-Morris. “I'd turn up to the gig early if I were you....”.

Check out their video for "Pico"....


“The old joke “We’re big in Japan” really does apply to us,” said Run Run Run lead singer Xander Smith. “Except this time, we really are big in Russia and now we get invited to open for New Order. Not bad for a shoegaze band from Culver City, huh?”

From KCRW, KROQ, KEXP, WFNX and many more, Run Run Run has received many nods from U.S. tastemakers, but only modest commercial success up to this point here at home.  Now, with buzz growing in Australia, Europe, Canada and even the Russian Federation, it’s likely the band will be headed back to Eastern Europe shortly.

Before then, the band will head into the studio in Los Angeles this January to record a new full-length album with noted Russian producer Pavlo Shevchuk (Mumiy Troll, Ivan/Grisha Urgant).

Run to: http://www.runrunrunmusic.com/

10 Seconds With: Bonded By Blood

Bonded By Blood

Southern California has become a hotbed of talented thrash metal acts in recent years, however only one band has the chops to stand out above all others. Only one band has successfully taken the risks necessary to rise above the rest. From Pomona, CA, that band is “Bonded By Blood“.

Here to crack that thrash metal whip is “Bonded By Blood” bassist, Jessie Sanchez!

MS: Growing up did you like metal music a lot?

JS: Yeah, I grew up listening to a lot of punk and thrash metal. A lot of industrial music, I used to be really big into industrial.

MS: Oh really? I really like industrial too, what are some of the bands you are into?

JS: I’m a product of the MTV Generation, I like “Ministry” and “Rammstein” a lot. “Marilyn Manson” was probably what actually was my introduction to industrial.

MS: Musically I like a lot of “Marilyn Manson” but I can’t stand them live. They toured with “Hole” one time was the reason I even saw them.

JS: Oh really?

MS: Courtney Love would just stand on stage with her guitar and be magnetic, and Marilyn Manson did all these theatrics and I was bored out of my mind. It’s funny when I saw you on stage you were great, you are so kick back normally, but on stage!

JS: It’s like an on and off switch. (laughs)

MS: Yeah, it’s called performing, the way you whipped your hair around I kept thinking about that awful Willow Smith song about “whipping your hair back and forth”. (laughs)

JS: (laughs) Well it’s part of the work uniform that’s for sure!

MS: You guys are a good balance on stage. Talk about the “thrash metal revival”.

JS: The first album was a lot more “thrash” then the albums started to get more technical. And now with “Aftermath” which is our third album we are starting to sound more mature. The album coming out is pretty much the debut of the re-vamp of the band, it’s my first time on a “Bonded By Blood” record.

MS: Congrats!

JS: Thanks. The writing process was a different one this time around than the band was used to. It was a lot more laid back, this time, we were really honest with each other if we did not like something. We jammed out riffs and tossed ideas back and forth until we came up with something that we were all satisfied with. I don’t think the group has had that kind of honesty before, people weren’t as comfortable as far as communicating with each other. With the new line-up changes everyone is more comfortable, as we are all approachable people, and not afraid to be honest with each other. As a result of this we have a new record that there is nothing on I would go back and change. I think the whole band is satisfied.

Get "Bonded" at: http://www.facebook.com/officialbondedbyblood
"Aftermath" drops July 3rd...!