Songwriters in Seattle

Tag: seattle

  • SiS Podcast: Jabi Shriki (aka Tobias the Owl)

    SiS Podcast: Jabi Shriki (aka Tobias the Owl)

    Jabi Shriki
    Pop/Rock musician Jabi Shriki is interviewed by SiS Organizer Chris Klimecky. Jabi shares tracks from his new album, Puzzle Pieces, and the philosphy behind them as well as a new tune played live.


    Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download

    Click here to read more about this podcast from Chris’s blog archive.

    Subscribe to the SiS Podcast on iTunes

  • Night Out Radio – Part 2 (Interview)

    Night Out Radio – Part 2 (Interview)

    Interview with Mark & Linda Gordon of My Seattle Night Out and Seattle Wave Radio

    With a website containing an online radio station focusing on local, Greater Seattle (and really the State of Washington) bands and singer/songwriters, Linda and Mark Gordon have jumped on a current trend that seems to be replacing the way we listen to music. These Internet radio stations not only reach our area through Seattle Night Out but throughout the US in most major cities (and many minor ones) through the “Night Out” organizations, with a total reach upwards of 40,000 people a day. In the previous article I listed why and how to sign up with MySeattleNightOut – for this week I was able to ask Mark and Linda a few questions about their organization and online radio:

     

    Jeff: So all this is free? I can just sign up and get my songs played? There’s gotta be a catch!
    Mark: Yes, it’s free – but since it is FREE, we ask all the artists and bands to promote and talk about our website and radio to all their fans, friends and family with routine endorsements publicly, and through their social media network.

     

    Jeff: What’s the best way to do that?
    Linda: To follow us on Twitter and fan us on Facebook, to engage us in conversation on those accounts, to make sure they post their gigs on our calendar of events on our website, and post on our newly launched Seattle Music Facebook fan page at https://www.facebook.com/SeattleWaveRadio. We will share with our “personal” page which has 4,380 friends. When gigs are posted on our calendar, we tweet about them @SeattleNightOut and @4SeattleMusic, plus they will auto-post to our “personal” Facebook page.

     

    Jeff: It’s free cost-wise but you’re hoping we invest a little time?
    Linda: I realize that takes a small amount of daily effort, but if they want more fans and to sell more CD’s, they have to “work it.” Our social media reach is very deep and we are highly rated and respected in the Seattle social media circles. Our total reach can be upwards of 40,000 people a day. This is worth more than any premium someone could pay for.

     

    Jeff: So how does one get airplay on your stations?
    Mark: To have your tracks spinning on our radio is not a pay to play, nor are there politics involved. We make judgments on how often a track gets air time based on quality of music and demand. Everyone, though, that submits quality recordings has their tracks played. We want everyone to be heard.

     

    Jeff: Is there anything I can do to say…get MORE noticed by you guys?
    Mark: When a band or artist promotes us, we will promote them heavily. As well, keep sending us new music, which keeps our programming fresh for the listeners.

     

    Jeff: So not only are you heard in Seattle but you’re nationwide, too?
    Mark: On our MySeattleNightOut.com website player there is a selection for “National.” What this is is a play-list of songs from all the 400 plus NightOut sites across the country. When an artist puts a link to a single mp3 track in their profile, that track will play on all the other NightOut Radio players.

     

    Jeff: I understand your national presence. Do you have any plans for a worldwide audience?
    Mark: With Seattle WAVE Radio, our goal is to have a global presence. We will do that through our mobile apps deployment, marketing and station programming, and of course, it won’t happen without Seattle’s great music.

     

    Jeff: Yesterday Seattle, today the nation and tomorrow the world…is there anything else you would like to say?
    Linda: We did not start up Seattle WAVE Radio for any more important reason other than we saw a space which needed to be filled; we did it to support the local music community, and the local businesses. We are not just another advertisement post on Facebook or Twitter; nor simply just a community billboard. We socially engage people in conversation, and are personally active in promoting businesses, bands and artists with value added features.

     

    If you haven’t yet signed up with MySeattleNightOut, access the first article in this series “Why and How To” and sign up. If you have quality recordings, and would like to have the prospect to reach a global audience of listeners every day, there’s no reason not to.
  • NightOut Radio – Part 1

    NightOut Radio – Part 1

    Over three years ago I began meeting with a successful podcast producer in hopes to start an Internet radio station. The station was to feature Seattle bands with an emphasis on Songwriters in Seattle. The Internet had become a major player in the broadcasting of music and this trend was only going to increase. The project fell through, needless to say, and although born from this desire were the podcasts that Chris Klimecky has done for us, we were still missing out greatly on the opportunity of utilizing the Internet as a broadcasting platform for Songwriters in Seattle.

     

    That’s where Linda and Mark Gordon of the nationwide NightOut Radio and website platforms come in. Focusing solely on local artists, Linda and Mark have put together a great bands section and a 24/7 radio station with 6 channels currently, featuring only local artists. Their eventual goal is 16 channels. With thousands of listeners and users this site is a MUST for all Songwriters in Seattle members with “Radio Ready” music.

     

    Not only reaching the Seattle crowd, there are “NightOut” websites and radio stations located in hundreds of major cities throughout the US (and the list just keeps growing) which are basing their programming on what Mark and Linda have started.

     

    MySeattleNightOut.com lists hundreds of hot-spots throughout the greater Seattle area from dining and drinking to entertainment and lodging but what really pushes our hot button at SiS is the BANDS section. The question SiS members should be asking is “How do I sign up?” and, “How much does this cost?” To answer the second question first it’s “FREE!” In answer to “How do I sign up?” here’s a step by step approach (hint: you can read it and sign up at the same time):
    ———————————————————–
    2. From the top right menu select “Register”
    3. Where it says “Business Name” type in your “Band Name”, “Stage Name”, or your own name. (Whatever name you’re using to promote you or your band).
    4. Username, email, and phone should be self explanatory.
    5. Password is randomly generated or you can type in your own.
    6. If you’re signing up due to this article,be sure to select “Other” for “How did you hear about us” and type in “Songwriters in Seattle.”
    7. Then click “submit”
    8. This brings you to a login screen – select “Login.”
    9. Under Category select “Bands” and fill out all appropriate info.
    10. E-mail mp3’s of your music (with proper meta tags) to Mark directly: mark.nightoutradio@gmail.com

     

    ((Coming next week: An interview with Linda and Mark Gordon of MySeattleNightOut.))

     

  • Jillian Graham

    Jillian Graham is a talented singer and songwriter who has been an active member of Songwriters in Seattle for over a year now. Her powerful and smooth alto voice has been compared to Chrissie Hynde, Martina McBride, Joan Baez and Natalie Merchant. Jillian’s songs describe love, loss & hope, and relating to others and the world we share. She captures thoughts, feelings and observations in a disarming and introspective way. Her delivery is powerful yet sensitive.

    Jillian has played all over Seattle both as a solo artist and with her band. In 2010 Jillian visited Seoul Korea and sang on radio and at an international Korean adoptee gathering. In the SiS podcast below, Jillian tells some fascinating stories about taking her American folk music back to Korea during this trip. She especially enjoys playing venues that benefit the community and important causes. Jillian also provides back-up vocals and rhythm guitar for local artists and bands.

    Also in the podcast, we hear some music off her new album Movin’ On, including an in-studio live performance. Please be sure you check out jilliangrahammusic.com for details and the latest happenings with Jillian and her band.

    Listen to the SiS podcast featuring Jillian:
    [audio:http://chrisklimecky.com/audio/SISPodcast4_Jillian.mp3]
    Click the play icon above to stream, or click here to download

  • Welcome to the New SongwritersInSeattle.com!

    Hello Everyone!

    This has been a long time in coming, but I am very proud to finally unveil my latest labor of love for Songwriters in Seattle: Welcome to our new home on the web at songwritersinseattle.com! Not only do we have a new look and tons of new content, but there is a whole new vision which accompanies this re-launch. We have shifted from a static “landing spot” for users to look at once and move on, to a dynamic community-building forum for all things related to our musical endeavors! This website will be an ever-growing resource for musicians as well as a place to contribute ideas, links, and discussion about our creative community and larger music industry.

    As you may be able to tell, I’m excited! I’ve put this together for you and will continue to contribute toward it’s growth, but I can’t (and don’t want to) do it alone. Anyone and everyone is invited to help generate “article” content. This could include commentary, reviews, links, stories…you name it – as long as it’s not just about you. If you want to advertise, we have a lovely sponsorship program. 🙂 Otherwise, offer something meaningful to the community and the community will give back appropriately. Often your best promotional tool is to be a trusted, consistent, and useful resource to others. This is part of the power of this new website.

    Maybe you already have a blog or you like to post articles on Facebook? Copy them here for additional visibility. Maybe you think of an “article” as a major writing endeavor – not necessary. Often the shorter the better. A link to a great article elsewhere with a few lines of your commentary is a good primer if you’re uncomfortable with longer form writing. At the same time, I don’t want to discourage in-depth articles. I know members of SiS who are great at detailed music reviews, helpful tips, and have deeper thoughts on the state of the music biz. These types of articles would be fantastic for songwritersinseattle.com and you’ll get the additional visibility for your work that you deserve! If an article really is exceptionally long, we’ll break it into parts for multiple releases, getting it even more attention.

    So, imagine the possibilities, then write to info@songwritersinseattle.com and request to get started. I’m really excited to see what we can do out here and watch our continued momentum skyrocket.

    Thank you, enjoy the new website and again, welcome!
    Chris