Tag: McGuckin PR

#SundaySpotlight – These Fine Moments @thesefinemoments @mcguckinpr

Published on by Jan Sikes33 Comments

Ten years ago, singer-songwriters Hilary Kaufmann and Robert Watts walked out of Mark Hallman’s  Congress House Studio in Austin, Texas with the five-song EP These Fine Moments, named after a line in one of their songs.

Today, I am super excited to introduce this musical duo to you and let them tell you a bit of their story. Their music is fresh and creative and I haven’t found one song on their newly released album I didn’t like! Their harmony is perfection and the unique chord progressions kept me engaged! I think you’ll agree with me when you listen. But in the meantime, they have a story to share about how the Pandemic has affected their lives.

How has the pandemic affected us, both personally and as musicians?
As far as the toll on us personally, we had already quit our jobs prior to the pandemic to tour more. So when everything shut down and little was expected of us, we stayed up late, slept late, developed our culinary skills, and drank entirely too much wine and Mescal. 
Hilary re-read all of the Harry Potter Books, and I read biographies and watched documentaries. We found common ground by re-watching all of the Marvel movies, the old Star Trek, Picard, and the new Star Trek Discovery series.
But as the reality set in, we were left with a void, and asked ourselves “what are we going to do now?” 
So we opened up our garage doors and gave concerts for the neighbors, learned how to live-stream, and started recording the songs that are on our new self-titled record.
Hilary was eventually able to go back to work part-time, and now she is around other people a lot. But I’m still home all day, and it’s hard on me being by myself so much of the time.  I probably drive Hilary crazy when she is home since she’s the only one I have daily contact with. But if I’m driving her crazy, she hides it pretty well.
From a musician’s standpoint, we don’t know what’s going to be left when the pandemic plays out, or what is our role is going to be. We’ve spent years making contacts and cultivating relationships with clubs and venues around the country, and most of those are probably not coming back.
For now we’re just doing what we can, a little live-streaming and some zoom interviews to promote our record. Having more time on our hands has not automatically translated into more writing and rehearsing, so we really have to put forth an effort to be creative and to stay in shape mentally and physically.
Being musical partners and being in a relationship has actually helped us get through the pandemic and brought us closer together, I can’t imagine trying to keep a band together during these times.

**I think a lot of us can relate to Robert’s words**

And now, here’s a snippet from their new album. Please leave a comment and let them know if you enjoy it!

You can connect with Robert and Hilary here:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Spotify

YouTube

#SUNDAYSPOTLIGHT – Will Carter @WillCarterBand – Fallin’ In Love

Published on by Jan Sikes12 Comments

Hi, and welcome to another Sunday Spotlight! It is with great pleasure I introduce this artist to you. Will Carter came onto the Texas music scene inspired by artists such as Mark Chesnutt, John Michael Montgomery, and Garth Brooks, to name a few.

He released his sophomore album in April 2019, and it quickly climbed the T3R, CDX Traction – Texas, MusicRow and other charts. He was nominated for Male Artist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year by the Texas Country Music Association.

In 2020, he’s released a new single, “Fallin’ In Love.” The lyrics are poignant and the melody catchy.

You can find a lot of information about any artist on the internet, but I love to get something more personal to share that is not available anywhere else.

So I asked Will Carter this question, “What was your biggest inspiration or ‘nudge’ that let you know you wanted a career in making music?”

Will replied, “My parents put me in dance and gymnastics at the age of three to learn balance and agility during my early developing years. My father was 6’4” – 250lbs and thought I would grow up to be a football player.  However, my mother is 5’3” – 100lbs. I landed somewhere in the middle. But I did not have the size to be a football player.  My parents later realized that I had a talent for playing and performing music. My father was unbelievably supportive and despite our family struggling financially, he did everything he could to push my music career. When I was 13, he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I had recorded a CD to sell and try to raise money for the family, once he could no longer work.  He listened to that CD non-stop 24/7 for the last three months of his life. The CDs would constantly burn up, and I would have to give him another one. Seeing the way he believed in me, and had always supported me motivated me to pursue this dream no matter the cost.”

To think of a father being so invested in his son’s music, gave me goosebumps.

One of Will’s hit songs off his “Good Bad Idea” CD was “You Feel Like Home.” So, I want to share it here.

From the age of 3, Will Carter has been wowing audiences and gaining fans. COVID-19 put a halt to touring, but it didn’t stop Will from putting out new music.

Deep love of family combined with a regimen that included homeschooling, breaking 
horses, milking goats and tending to crops, provided Will with an ideal backdrop to pursue his musical dreams effectively. As a result, few performers in any genre can match Will Carter’s blend of native, talent, determination and drive.

Interested in learning more about Will Carter and his music?

https://willcarterofficial.com/

https://www.facebook.com/WillCarterBand/

https://www.instagram.com/willcarterband/

https://twitter.com/WillCarterBand

Thank you for stopping by and PLEASE, share this everywhere. Let’s help this dedicated and determined singer/songwriter through this hard time, by purchasing his music!

#SundaySpotlight – George Navarro @GNavarroMusic

Published on by Jan Sikes21 Comments

Welcome to another segment of Sunday Spotlight where I get to share a unique and talented music artist with you!

I had the pleasure of conducting a Q&A with this young man, George Navarro, and his story is not only uplifting (which we can all use a bit of right now) but also inspiring! George is proof that you CAN follow a dream!

Let me first give you a little background:

George Navarro is a young artist, born in Chihuahua, Mexico and though being young in years, he already has a decades-long heritage of music and performing with his father and uncles Latin Grammy-winning band, Caballo Dorado. Leaving his home, family and country in search of a solo country music career in the United States landed him at his new home away from home, in Fort Worth, and most recently recording in a studio in Nashville.

​The U.S. country music scene is exactly where George wants to be and where he belongs.  While gaining experience on lead and acoustic guitar, he continues to add instruments to his ever-growing musical holster, and is also an accomplished bass, fiddle and mandolin player.  George’s biggest asset comes in the form of his signature vocals with his warm tone and wide vocal range he has the ability to perform emotional ballads to country rock anthems with ease.

Now on to our Q&A:

Q: First of all, tell our readers how old you are, George.

A: I’m about to turn 29 on August 12th.

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE!

Q: When did you first play music professionally and what was the circumstance that prompted that first performance?

A: It was a school talent showcase when I was about 6 years old, I performed as if I was born to do that. At least, that’s what my friends and family say. I have scattered memories about the day, but for sure it defined a lot of who I was gonna become later on.

Q: You were born in Mexico, but saw your opportunity in the U.S. Have you been disappointed, or has it been like you visualized it to be?

A: Since playing country music is my passion, I always thought of being in the U.S. as my ultimate goal. Despite all the adversities, I took the chance and worked really hard on building a career in the states, which thanks to all the support from my team and the audience has been growing since then.

That’s a wonderful testimony to the premise this nation was founded on!

Q: Let’s talk a little about the art of songwriting. What does that process look like for you? In other words, does the melody come first, then the lyrics, or do the lyrics pop out first or both together?

A: I am very driven by the beat, by the “Catchiness” of a melody in music. I think mainly that’s because English is not my first language, and whenever I heard albums growing up, I’d be attracted to the beat and melody more than to the content of the lyrics. So, I get an idea of a catchy melody, and then a beat as the base of what later I’ll try to relate with  words.

Q: Where do you look for songwriting inspiration?

A: As of right now I look for inspiration inside experiences, either personal or of someone close to me. I’ve been trying to experiment and expand the source of inspiration to other things but that is still in a very early stage.

Q: I’m going to shift gears for a minute and talk about how COVID-19 has affected you and your ability to get out and promote your new music.

A: Mainly I’m doing the radio tour to promote the new music. The live shows are a strong part of who I am as an artist, so that’s been affected, but my team put on an amazing promoting strategy which I was glad to do from home, and we got a great reaction. Also as many other artists have been doing, I’ve been using this downtime to learn new skills. I started learning piano, which has been relaxing and a lot of fun. Plus I’m still practicing fiddle, guitar and vocals.

Q: Do you ever see yourself returning to Mexico to live?

A: My whole family is still in Mexico, and I still like various aspects of the culture and society. It’s what I grew up with, and it shaped part of who I am right now, so definitely I feel I have a place both in the U.S and in Mexico.

Q: What does the future look like for George Navarro?

A: I think that’s always gonna depend on the country music fans out there. I love being on stage and in the studio. As long as I have an audience, I’ll be there pouring all my heart into my music.

Q: What advice would you give to someone who has your same dream – to break into the music business and make a big splash?

A: Hard work beats talent. And you should probably to stay hungry, looking for what’s next, and for the next opportunity. Having a good career should have a strong base.

Q: Anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

A: My love for the music is what keeps me grounded. It’s been my dream to be a country music superstar since I can remember. I’d love nothing more than to fill up arenas and take my shows to places where this great genre of music hasn’t been heard yet. I don’t know how close I am from bringing that into reality but I am giving all I’ve got to make it come true.

I think it’s safe to say that George Navarro has a great start on his way to realizing his dream! If you like what you have read and heard, head on over and pick up a copy of his new music!

Follow George Navarro:

https://www.georgenavarro.net/

https://www.facebook.com/gnavarromusic

https://song.link/j9gwQJwSP6TQr

Thank you for joining me for SUNDAY SPOTLIGHT! Please take a minute to hit the share buttons and tune again for another segment soon!