Photo Credit: Michael Charlson

By Reilly Garrett

On April 7^th, teenage girls across the Boston area fell asleep with smiles on their faces. Was Justin Bieber in town? Well, no, not quite – but another heartthrob was! Andy Grammer, a 29-year-old pop singer/songwriter from New York, made an appearance at Boston’s House of Blues a short while ago, and put on a performance that was nothing short of delightful. Grammer followed his opening act Parachute, a Virginia-based pop/rock band that got the crowd pumped with energetic performances of their latest songs, one of which had a surprisingly raging sax solo. But when Grammer took the stage with his band, it was clear which group had attracted the hoards of screaming girls (and a few overly-enthusiastic moms).

Grammer opened with a popular radio hit of his, “Keep Your Head Up,” a catchy tune about maintaining a positive outlook on life. As the show progressed, it was clear which of his songs were most popular based on the number of audience members singing along. Grammer also took a stab at a few covers of other popular songs, including a surprising rendition of Macklemore’s “Thrift Shop,” and a mash-up of one of his tunes and the popular hit “Hey Ho” by The Lumineers. Grammer ended the set with another of his hits, “You’re Gonna Miss Me,” and, much to the joy of the bubbling audience, descended off the stage to walk amongst the crowd.

Maybe it was nearly getting run over by masses of girls attempting to get close enough to touch him, or the constant shrieks of energetic teens that nearly deafened me, but there was obviously something irresistible about Andy Grammer. Maybe it was his Gavin DeGraw-meets-Maroon 5 sound, or his charmingly good looks, but one thing is for sure: at that performance, the smiles were infectious.

Related Posts:

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• James Blake to Play Boston’s House of Blues on 5/8 in Support of New Album
• Review: Eric Whitacre at Symphony Hall
• Berklee Singer/Songwriter Arielle Vakni Brings Soulful Folk to All Asia [REVIEW]
• Boys Noize Blows Up House of Blues with Original Material and Captivating Visuals

Photo by Austin Abbott
(Homepage photo by Yasmina Tawil)

Our artist of the month for April is one of the most authentic artists we’ve ever come across at Berklee. Hailing from Westtown, NY, 6^th semester Contemporary Writing + Production major Matthew Politoski has been making a name for himself, or rather one of our favorite bands right now, Animal Flag. As a guitar principal here at Berklee, it’s no wonder that Matt’s music features some of the most carefully crafted and stunning guitar lines that we’ve heard at Berklee, but his effortless and soothing vocals are equally notable and reminiscent of some of the most respected artists in today’s industry.

After some incredible accomplishments, like playing at this year’s NAMM Convention, and having one of our favorite albums of 2012, Everything Will Be Okay, we knew we had to snag Matt for April’s artist of the month. Check out our interview with Matthew Politoski below and be sure to hit up his music when you’re done!

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Berklee Groove: How did you originally get started in music?
Matthew Politoski: When I was 10 years old my uncle asked me if I wanted to learn how to play guitar. I said yes not thinking anything would come from it. The next week I had my first lesson and I haven’t stopped since.

BG: What is the most important thing you’ve learned so far throughout your time at Berklee?
MP: Community is everything. You are nothing without the people that surround you. You could be the most skilled person in the world and get no where because you don’t have a community around you to help propel you.

BG: What has been your biggest accomplishment since you’ve been a student here?
MP: My biggest accomplishment since being at Berklee? Hmm, that’s difficult. Playing at the NAMM Convention in California this year was pretty awesome. All the traveling that I’ve done because of music has been amazing, even if it was to really remote places of the country that no one has heard of. I love going to those places and sharing my music with the people there and becoming friends with them. It’s all great to me.

BG: Who are your biggest influences as an artist?
MP: My biggest musical influences are Sufjan Stevens, Conor Oberst, Jimmy Tamborello, Ryan Adams, Ben Gibbard, Justin Vernon, Aaron Marsh, and Kanye West.

BG: Where do you draw your inspiration from for your music?
MP: Inspiration comes from everywhere, I guess. A lot of it comes from experiences I’ve had. I write about girls a lot. The Bible is also a big inspiration for me. I find movies and paintings (or any visual art for that matter) to be especially inspiring. Whenever I’m doing anything creative I like to have an image in my head.

BG: Do you have a specific process you go through when writing?
MP: I don’t really have a specific process when I write. I don’t think it’s good to have a specific ritual or process when creating. It’s different each time and that keeps it exciting; however, there is a quote that I have been repeating to myself lately that helps me when I’m writing. I’m not sure who said it or if it’s even close to the original quote anymore, but I always say to myself, “Never pause to find the right word, only to see the picture more clearly.”

BG: Out of all of the songs you’ve written, which one are you the proudest of or means the most to you?
MP: Wow, that’s a really great question. It’s hard to choose a favorite song of my own because my taste changes a lot and I find it hard to be really satisfied with anything I do. But if I had to pick one that I’m proud of… I guess I’d say that my song “St. Cecilia’s” is good. I’m proud of how it came out and people seem to like it.

BG: What are your ultimate goals as a performer?
MP: My ultimate goals as a performer are to be able to make a living off of the songs I’ve written and to be able to have a fan base that I can play those songs for all over the world. That would be amazing. I hope that the work I’m doing now is propelling me toward that. We’ll see, though. Life changes a lot and things don’t always end up how you see them. So, we’ll see. As far as what’s next… I have a new album coming out on June 25th, which I’m excited about. I also might be doing some touring this summer around the US. I’m going to be living in Spain come fall of 2013 so that’s also exciting.

BG: What else do you want our readers to know about you?
MP: What else do I want the readers to know about me… hmm… I’m single. I like macaroni & cheese a lot. Elf is one of my favorite Christmas movies. Yeah, that’s it.

–

Want more Matt/Animal Flag? Check out the links below:
• Animal Flag Facebook
• Animal Flag BandCamp
• Animal Flag Twitter

Related Posts:

• Artist of the Month: Siv Jakobsen
• Artist of the Month: Kylie Rothfield
• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
• Artist of the Month: Caitlin Timmins
• Want to perform at SpringFest? Online submissions NOW OPEN!

© Jesse Ruben

By Caleb Hsu

Jesse Ruben is one of those artists who epitomizes what it means to be humble. With record labels exhausting the importance of the correlation between money and success, it’s beyond refreshing to see artists who aren’t solely interested in widening their wallets. Success can be viewed on many different levels and judged based on an unending plethora of criteria. However, the avenue of success I’m most respectful of is that which is brought on by individual efforts to initiate positive change and create something that’s collectively meaningful. Through the pairing of heartfelt lyrics with accessible melodies, Jesse does just that. Jesse’s songs aren’t meant to be one hit wonders, they’re meant to inspire (and that they do). Find out where his inspiration comes from and what life can be like as a singer-songwriter from Berklee.

Berklee Groove: How did you originally get started in music?
Jesse Ruben: My dad is a musician, his father was a musician, and his father was a musician. I first started playing guitar when I was 16 and a year later, I told my parents I wanted to go to Berklee to write. It was the only school I applied to and I was lucky enough to have parents who supported that decision. Once I got to Berklee, I just started playing as much as I could. It was an interesting experience for me as a guitar principle, being  surrounded by other guitar principles and having to solo with them when I didn’t have the performing experience many of them had.

BG: What inspired you pursue music as a career?
JR: The first time I ever held an acoustic guitar was the first time my life ever made sense. I spent most of my time with music and some people called me crazy. That’s how you know you’re doing the right thing – when other people tell you you’re crazy. A huge part of being a singer-songwriter is gaining the ability to move forward and deal with the unknown. You have to learn to be confident in your ability and sometimes people will tell you you’re crazy for it.

BG: Do you have a specific process you go through when you write?
JR: I never have any idea where my next song is going to come from. It sneaks up on you when you’re not paying attention and least expecting it. The goal is to get your brain in a place where you can pay attention to it. You have to put real life on hold so you can pay attention to the other things. Sometimes inspiration comes from waking up at night, walking down the street, having a session or anything really. The great thing about writing about is that you have no idea where it comes from. While I was at Berklee, I learned that you write with your heart until you hit a wall, then you use your brain to keep going. You find where you are musically and then figure out where you were going with it. It’s about finding a balance between the technical and emotional aspects of writing.

BG: Could you explain how social media is important and how you use it to connect with people?
JR: It’s all you – managing, PR, booking & finance stuff. Social media is huge. I spend multiple hours a day on it. Just don’t focus on the numbers (i.e. YouTube hits, MySpace connections, profile views, etc.). When you start focusing on the numbers, it’ll ruin you. Focus on what social media is actually useful for – connecting with people who inspire you.

BG: It looks like you’re really active with the Christopher Reeve Foundation – how did you get involved with them?
JR: I had to watch my best friend go through significant psychological and physical changes due to a horrible accident he had. It was pretty intense. While I was at school, I wrote a song about it called “Song for Zack” and sent it to the foundation. They loved it. It’s one of my proudest achievements because it took something so horrible and it summed it up into a four minute thought. I started playing at their events and in 2010 was asked if I wanted to run a marathon. I’ve done the NYC Marathon for the past three years. I’ve helped raise thousands of dollars and people have written to me who’ve been inspired by me, it’s all just really amazing.

BG: Your song “We Can” has really touched a lot of people. What’s the story behind the song?
JR: Seeing messages from people thanking me inspired a huge part of it. The great thing about social media is that it makes it so easy to connect with people. Jen Turner said her school was using my song as their theme song. The project idea came about because I wanted to inspire students to choose their “I Can” and make it a reality.

BG: What was the biggest thing you took away from your trip to Canada (inspired by “We Can”)?
JR: I performed two of the biggest shows of my life there. I was on the front page of the paper, on radio/news programs, and filmed an entire music video there. It was so amazing to have a whole community involved in something. It wasn’t about me – it was all about the “I Can” Project. It became this huge thing where the kids were all that mattered. There’s no way for me to fully describe the feeling.

BG: What can we expect from you in 2013? What would be your “I Can” statement now?
JR: I’m excited to go back to Canada. I’m trying to get the project initiative out to other schools. I’m talking to a bunch of teachers and setting up a blog that will feature a forum for pictures/videos from schools and directions to get set up to begin the process. I plan on continuing running marathons. I would love to play on the Ellen Degeneres Show, and I’d like to find a manager. I’m doing my first headlining tour this month and I hope to play as many shows as possible and continue to reach as a many people as possible. My first “I Can” statement was “I can run a marathon.” Now that I’ve done that, I just want to inspire people, sell out Madison Square Garden someday, and bring the initiative to 1,000 schools. I want kids to know that they can follow their craziest dreams.

BG: Do you have any advice for our readers and other aspiring singer-songwriters?
JR:

• Play as many shows as possible at Berklee so when you leave, you have a foundation to fall back on. Don’t wait until after you’re done to start performing seriously.
• Learn how to deal with the unknown. All of your friends who have “real jobs” are collecting actual paychecks. Us musicians don’t know where our money is going to come from. Accept that having to dealing with uncertainty will never go away. I never know where I’m going to be the next month or where the next month’s rent is coming from.
• Don’t always listen to other people; don’t let people change who you are or what you have to say. You know what’s right for you.
• Build something while you’re in school outside of the Berklee community. Once you leave Berklee, no one notices your rank within the singer-songwriter showcase. The real world doesn’t care about that stuff.
• Write as much as you can while you’re in school and have the time to. Grow as much as you can as a writer. You lose the luxury of having ample time to work on songs once you graduate.
• Believe that the amazing things you get to do make it worth. All of the struggles you face are worth it.

As a songwriting major, I really struggled with some classes. I’d play a song that I poured my heart out over and then hear 25 things wrong with it that needed to be changed. For me, you have to do the work you’re super proud of. If your work doesn’t move you, then you’re not done yet. If you’re still the same person at the end of the writing process, then you still have work to do. The songs I’ve written have saved my life as much as they’ve helped other people.

–

Bring a date and see Jesse live on Valentine’s Day at Café 939: www.vendini.com/ticket-software.html?t=tix&e=9d987a7af96e2f588b183ae022b12b43
Listen: jesseruben.com/jesseruben/music
Buy: itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jesse-ruben/id269249439
Definitely check out the official video filmed while Jesse was in Canada: Jesse Ruben – “We Can”

Related Posts:

• Ron Pope to Kick Off Tour at The Middle East on 4/19
• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
• Artist of the Month: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag)
• Femi Kuti is Coming to Town [Interview]
• Berklee Singer/Songwriter Arielle Vakni Brings Soulful Folk to All Asia [REVIEW]

Photo credit: Hillary Hawkins.

By Alliz Nicholas

• Sounds like: Soul, funk & folk
• Soundcloud picks: Dear Beloved & Free
• Ear plugs: No

Amid Berklee’s profusion of talented singer-songwriters, be sure to listen to the uniquely soulful folk-style songs of Arielle Vakni. This Santa Cruz musician is not afraid to play around with form to express her ideas, and her refreshing sounds are worth checking out. At her All Asia show in late December, which also featured singer/songwriters Georgia English and Bane & Doe, Arielle presented her solo works with a backing band for the first time. It was filled with a capella, contrasts, and spontaneous breaks. Her compelling voice was complemented with lyrical strings and driving rhythms from Berklee students Alex Cohen (bass), Remy Felsch (drums) and Vicente Espi (violin). Highlights included “He Isn’t You,” “Dear Beloved,” and “Save Your Best.”

Related Posts:

• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
• Show Review and Interview with The Last Bison, Indie Folk Band
• Review: Eric Whitacre at Symphony Hall
• Livetronica Duo Big Gigantic Melds Sax Solos and Wobble Bass at House of Blues
• Can DJ Duo Cazzette Rise to Avicii’s Level? [REVIEW]

Review and photos by: Lisa Occhino

[Click here to view the rest of our Ed Sheeran concert photos]

Singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran, whose hit single “The A Team” has been dominating radio airwaves, is proving to be as much a phenomenon here in the U.S. as he is in his native England.  In response to his rapidly increasing popularity, the British troubadour has added a number of new dates to his first-ever North American headline tour, much of which had already sold out within minutes of going on sale.

Ed’s VH1 You Oughta Know Tour kicked off on September 8th in Orlando, followed by newly announced stops in Charlotte, Milwaukee, Columbus, and right here in Boston last week. Although Ed performed completely alone, he managed to fill up the entire House of Blues stage with his energy and stage presence. He often used a loop pedal to build his songs from the bottom up, layer by layer, until it was as if a full band were performing on stage with him. He balanced out rather impressive beatboxing and Jason Mraz-esque sing-rapping with heartfelt singer-songwriter ballads, melting the hearts of every tween girl (and their moms) at the sold-out Wednesday night show.

The eagerly anticipated tour followed the recent chart success of Ed’s acclaimed debut album, “+.”  Thanks to his single, the album entered the SoundScan/Billboard 200 at #5 – the highest debut for a British solo artist’s first full-length album since 2009.

For the latest on Ed Sheeran, visit the following links:
Website
Facebook
Twitter

Related Posts:

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• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
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• Livetronica Duo Big Gigantic Melds Sax Solos and Wobble Bass at House of Blues
• Imagine Dragons’ Night Visions Tour Electrifies Boston at House of Blues [Live Show Review]

Photo by Taylor Winn

Our artist of the month for August, Siv Jakobsen, along with fellow Berklee student Maddie Rice, will be leaving in September for a tour in Norway – a tour that most Berklee students only dream about. Not only will Siv and Maddie be performing throughout one of the most beautiful places in the world (including a performance in front of 1,500+ people) but they will be representing our school with every performance and clinic they do as well. Nevertheless, Siv isn’t our artist of the month solely because she’s going on an incredible tour. Siv epitomizes what our artist of the month series is all about: Berklee students who are truly dedicated and overwhelmingly passionate about their music, above all else — and Siv is just that.

Check out our interview with Siv below!

Photo by Veronika Morscher

Berklee Groove: How did you get your start in writing and performing?
Siv Jakobsen: I started ‘performing’ when I was about four years old when I joined a local choir and I’ve been doing it ever since. I got into solo performances in high school when I studied at a performing arts high school in Oslo. I started exploring and writing my own songs in high school but it wasn’t until last summer that I really started to get into it. I decided that I would just write whatever came to mind for a while, to take the pressure off. All of the sudden, I was a singer-songwriter.

BG: Who are your biggest influences as a musician? Do you identify with any specific genre?
Siv: Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun is one of my all-time favorite artists and probably my biggest inspiration for songwriting. I also really admire Ray LaMontagne, Corinne Bailey Rae, Laura Marling, and Brandi Carlile – amongst so many others. I grew up listening to a mix of classical and traditional Norwegian music, as well as soul and blues, which has had a definite impact on my songs. If I were to specify my music with a genre, it would have to be what my friend Raven Katz described as “ethereal folk with an edge.”

BG: Do you have a specific method or process that you go through when you write?
Siv: My songs usually start with me having some sort of a “song seed,” as songwriting teacher Mark Simos brilliantly calls it — a little guitar part, a lyric, or melody line which sets me off into writing the song. The mood of the song seed usually shapes where I end up going with the story. Before I start crafting the song further musically, I usually map out what I want the story to be.

BG: How did you and Maddie Rice start playing together?
Siv: Maddie and I met when I was going to perform one of my songs in the Women’s Musician Network concert this past spring. She ended up playing guitar for my performance and we’ve been playing together ever since!

BG: You and Maddie will be traveling to Norway to represent Berklee. What was the process like being selected for that? What will you be doing there?
Siv: I contacted numerous offices at Berklee inquiring about who I might talk to about representing Berklee. A few meetings and a five-page proposal later, we were set to go. I think it’s all about being proactive and professional, proving that you have something to offer. In Norway, we’ll be playing gigs around Oslo and the surrounding areas, and we’re also doing clinics at some performing arts high schools and after school music programs. We’ll also have time for some sight-seeing – I can’t wait to show Maddie all the sights!

BG: How does it feel knowing you’ll be performing in front of 1,500+ people in Norway at the end of September?
Siv: I don’t think I’ve quite realized it yet that that’s happening. I’m so thrilled that someone back home thinks that it is worth it to fly me back to play that gig. I am so also really nervous. I don’t want to mess up with that many people watching!

BG: How else has being a student at Berklee helped you in developing a career path for yourself?
Siv: I think Berklee has made me realize more about what it takes to be an artist. When I came here, I hadn’t really thought it through. All I wanted was to be a professional singer but I had no idea how to make it happen. Being able to study so many different areas of music has made all the difference to me – from music business to songwriting to freakin’ instrumental afro cuban jazz. I would have never been able to study all of this anywhere else. More so than helping me develop a career path, being a student at Berklee has helped me figure out what I want to do as a musician.

BG: What are your ultimate goals as a writer and a performer in the future? Where do you see your career heading?
Siv: As of right now, I am focusing on my own career as a singer-songwriter, but I would really like to write for other artists in the future. My dream is be able to live off of being an artist; writing, recording and performing my own music on a full time basis.

BG: Do you have any advice to aspiring musicians?
Work hard and, I know this sounds so cheesy, but believe in your own talent. Also, if you’re a singer, learn another instrument! I just picked up a guitar a year ago, and it has opened up so many doors for me, including helping me become a songwriter.

—-

Photo by Veronika Morscher

For more Siv and Maddie, check out these links below:
Siv Jakobsen Official Website
Siv Jakobsen Music – Facebook
Siv Jakobsen Music – YouTube
Maddie Rice Official Website
Maddie Rise Music – YouTube
Siv + Maddie Tour Blog

For information on how to apply to become The Berklee Groove’s artist/band of the month in the future, please email thegroove@berklee.edu.

Related Posts:

• Artist of the Month: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag)
• Artist of the Month: Dominic Florio
• Berklee’s Dave Wentling Shares His Experience Managing Tony Bennett’s Tour
• Berklee Singer/Songwriter Arielle Vakni Brings Soulful Folk to All Asia [REVIEW]
• Alum Profile: Wayne Krantz ‘79

Press release and photos provided by Stunt Company

After spending much of the last year putting the finishing touches on her now world-renowned “In Your Arms” music video (made with more than a quarter-million Jelly Belly Jelly Beans) and touring in Europe, Asia and Australia, Los Angeles-based singer songwriter returns home for her most ambitious North American tour yet. Following in the success of 2011′s World In Front Of Me Tours, which saw more than 2 dozen sellouts around the world, Kina’s In Your Arms World Tour has already sold out a dozen rooms in Europe before venturing into two legs of mostly sold out dates in Southeast Asia and Australia.   The tour’s US leg begins at San Diego’s Porter’s Pub on April 9th and wraps around the continent, making stops at Washington DC’s 9:30 Club and New York City’s Irving Plaza before ending with shows at San Francisco’s Fillmore and Los Angeles’ John Anson Ford Amphitheater.

Kina recently garnered international attention when her aforementioned music video for “In Your Arms” off debut album Stairwells, became a viral sensation.   Made over the course of 22-months with 288,000 jelly beans, “In Your Arms” earned Kina appearances on Ellen and Jimmy Kimmel Live, features in Time Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, on The Today Show and Good Morning America and an iTunes Free Video Of The Week among countless others.  The video was also added across all MTV platforms, VH1 (where Kina was January’s Posted Artist of the Month) and Nickelodeon.  Additionally, the track reached #1 on iTunes’ Singer-Songwriter Chart and Kina was on the cover of Pollstar this past December.

In addition to promoting Stairwells and “In Your Arms,” Kina recently launched Run Team Kina, an initiative that both informs, promotes and encourages a more active, healthier lifestyle and also raises money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, who has recently nominated her a finalist for Woman Of The Year.  Through the Run Team Kina site – www.runteamkina.com – fans can donate to LLS or enlist themselves as fundraisers and even follow alongside Kina’s marathon training with realtime updates and messages.

Be sure to catch Kina perform at Paradise Rock Club on April 27th!

Related Posts:

• Kina Grannis Plays Paradise Rock Club During “In Your Arms” World Tour
• Show Review: Andy Grammer with Special Guest Parachute at the House of Blues
• Artist of the Month: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag)
• Alum Profile: Singer/Songwriter Jesse Ruben
• Femi Kuti is Coming to Town [Interview]

Related Posts:

• Band of the Month: Art Decade on Mixing Art, Music, and Technology
• Artist of the Month: Matthew Politoski (Animal Flag)
• Artist of the Month: Caitlin Timmins
• Artist of the Month: Dominic Florio
• Berklee Students Dominate the 15th Annual John Lennon Scholarship Songwriting Competition; Q&A with 1st Place Winner, Lisa Occhino