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| Stephen Heller is Building Bridges |
by Serf |
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A couple of years back we did an interview with Indie pop artist Stephen Heller who proved to be as much a business man as a musician. We gravitated to this young artist because we quickly recognized his passion for the job in every way. Reading BandChi! interviews there's no way to escape the fact that our underlying theme is, 'what makes Indie Artists successful'.
While five thousand new artists have become casualties over the past two years (probably a lot more), Stephen Heller has kept his mind on business and continued to move his agenda forward. His most recent work, Burning Bridges, is set to release August 31st. Singles are being released weekly in a strategic effort to drive awareness for the full release. Another great marketing tool employed by a smart Independent musician.
He gets up early and stays up late promoting and contacting fans. He earned the title "Man for His Fans" while recording at Green Room Studios, Waldorf, Maryland. Back in the summer of 2008 Stephen set out on an aggressive East Coast Tour. He had a handful of songs and a strong acoustic show that he booked in strategic locations up and down the coast. We put him up for a couple of days on his pass through Florida. If he didn't have a show booked, he worked all day to find one. On a couple of occasions he even played open mics in the area to continue building his exposure. We witnessed first hand how aggressive this guy really is and how he genuinely works for a living.
Any artist that has done a self supporting tour knows how challenging and stressful the experience can be. After several months of performances, he settled back into his home near Annapolis, Maryland. There his sister, Casey Heller Curcio, a talented R&B singer, encouraged him to pitch in at the studio where she had been recording. They decided to work up one of his songs and in about three hours managed to lay the foundation for his first track. It was the first time he had worked with a professional producer, Adolph Wright III, known as Subwolfaa, and the results were impressive.
This wouldn't be the first time Stephen had worked with family. His father recorded tracks with him on his first solo effort, From East to West back in 2007. Those tracks, just like these new ones, are filled with great stories around the experience. What is most important to note is that Stephen comes from a background of professional musicians who are not only talented but understand the lifestyle. Stephen will be the first to tell you that being a successful Indie artist is not a 9-5 job; it's a never ending parade of tasks and efforts working to move one step closer to success. Plus, having his sister's awesome voice on this album is a special treat for fans and a little more assurance his music will find broader appeal.
Stephen spent several months practically living at the studio, pitching in to help on other projects while working feverishly to get his own material ready for release. What quickly became apparent was the diversity in these tracks. Who could imagine recording acoustic pop at an R&B and HipHop studio without coming away with some distinct influences? While most artists flee the idea of diversity in their music, Stephen is wise enough to know that the diversity is his best marketing angle.
The title track Burning Bridges, which was released as a single June 22nd, is a quick reminder of the old Stephen Heller, only this time around with the quality of production his music aptly deserves. What was once a smooth acoustic feel has given way to strong backing vocals and accentuated percussion sections that really make the song come to life. Moving through the album we hear Stephen's impressive vocals, creative arrangements and touching lyrics that drive home his passion for the craft.
The album in total has a really strong pop appeal with a nice blend of R&B and HipHop production that brings the sound into the mainstream of modern music. By releasing the tracks as singles Stephen is able to take advantage of the breadth of markets these songs can penetrate. Rearview, with backing vocals by Casey, has strong pop appeal while You Said to Me, dropping as a single August 10th, could end up topping out on Americana charts. All of that while For My City, a distinctively HipHop track to be released August 24th, has already gained positive attention; though an obvious departure from the Stephen Heller style. Burning Bridges, due August 31st, is a reward for long time Heller fans in some cases and a paradigm shift in others. Regardless, the guy is smart, talented, industrious and diligent. We expect to see Stephen go a long way.
Stephen Heller will be touring again this fall in support of Burning Bridges. Watch for concert dates and check out the pre-release clips on his web site at www.stephenhellermusic.com
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| This article was published on Friday 25 June, 2010. |
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