It’s been an amazing February for me, I’ll be sad to see it go. But this February I found a great new band…Young & Divine. These guys have been together for two years now (and pointed out on February 18th when I did the interview that it was their anniversary) and the band consists of JP Clark, 23 (vocals/bass), Jake Mai, 23 (guitar/vocals) and Joe Bortscheller, 22 (drums). Their debut full length album from RCA comes out this summer but their EP comes out on March 23rd. I got a chance to talk to these guys on the phone the other day and I have to tell you that it was a lot of fun.  They for sure make you feel at ease and are very easy to talk to. Now I talked to the three of them all at the same time and I found it really hard sometimes to figure out whose voice was whose so I apologize in advance if the wrong person is quoted.

Here is my interview with them. Edited out are the laughs and the many ehs sprinkled throughout.

On if people make assumptions about them because they have a lot of tattoos:
Joe: I feel like maybe a few years ago things were a little different but I think a lot of people have them now and it’s not taboo anymore. I’m not weirded out when I walk down the street see a guy with face tattoos, like I’ve see you before.

Jake: Except if you’re playing, if you walk into a venue and your playing with a bunch of hardcore bands and you walk in and you are all tatted up people are going to think you are like, “Oh they are hardcore band!” But then when we rock the stage when we are just a straight rock band sometimes people get fooled by that.

On how they became Young & Divine:
JP: Joe and I met in college and afterwards we took the plunge and recorded a record which right afterwards our guitar player quit the band and that point we went online trying to find a guitar player and we found Jake.

Jake: I was living in Dallas, Texas and I like throwing up some songs on myspace.com, my solo project or whatever, and I got a random friend request from Young & Divine. I just so happened to listen to the songs, and I thought they were great, so I said, “Hey guys, great song that’s cool there is still good bands trying to get their music out and I’m happy I listened to it.” JP sent a message back, “Hey dude, I really like your stuff. I like your voice.” And it just really worked out. He listened to the songs and I talked to them both on the phone and I had such faith in their music and with these two people. I quit my job and I broke the lease in my apartment and moved to New York.

On how they came up with the name:
JP: It was actually the name of the song [that] I wrote in another band a long time ago and when we started this band I stole that as the name and named [the other song] Kings. By steal I mean I stole it from myself. …So I didn’t press charges.

On how they would describe their upcoming album: Honest, Rocking and Infectious

Also in the interview we touched upon a lot of random facts. So here are some for your reading pleasure.

1. JP is half Canadian. His dad played on the Toronto Maple Leafs. (I know the answer do you?)

2. Joe loves to punch the air. He feels it relieves tension.

3. JP says clowns freak him. (They freak me out too!)

4. Jake is single and an Aquarius. (The rest of the guys agreed with his random fact.)

The guys were awesome to interview. I really hope that I have the pleasure of talking to them again soon. In the meantime check out their Myspace, Twitter or Facebook.

Tamar Kaprelian is an amazing new artist that I had to share with everyone. I listened to her song, New Day, for the first time and instantly connected with the lyrics. Tamar was found by entering a contest for OneRupublic and now is well on her way releasing her first album later this year. She is currently working with Ryan Tedder and Brent Kutzle closely for her new album. I think it’s great that she gets a chance to have such great mentors.

I had a chance to interview her last week. I knew that she was amazing and different from the rest so I asked new questions that I never have before. I think it turned out amazing.

On her favorite smell: Vanilla. From candles, to perfume, to lotion. I find the scent to be sexy and fresh. (A must have for all vanilla lovers: bath and body works vanilla bean lotion– Its seasonal—so they only sell it during the holidays)

On her guilty pleasure: Wearing shorts and high heels… while baking

On the phrase she overuses: “It is what it is”

On if she could go back in time, where she would go: I’ve always been fascinated by ancient Egyptian culture. Would have loved to have lived in the Pharaonic era.

On what inspired her to write ‘New Day’: “New Day” was written a couple years ago when everything from my career (being dropped from RCA), to my personal life (loss of my grandfather), was falling apart. The song was a result of me coming to terms with what I had to do in order to ‘fix’ all the things I was unhappy with. I realized, that sometimes old doors need to close in order for new ones to open.

On her single, ‘New Day’, being featured on The Hills: It was a bit surreal. “New Day” went from being a song that I wrote sitting at my piano, to a song that people were listening and connecting to, all around the world.

On working with Ryan and Brent and if they helped write the songs on her new album: Ryan and Brent are two of the most talented (and humble) people I have ever had the pleasure of working with. The three of us ended up writing an amazing record. It’s called “Sinner or a Saint.” It will definitely be on the album!

On where she writes her music: I write my music on my beautiful Yamaha baby grand in my living room.

On her biggest influence: Biggest musical influence: Billy Joel. I am a lover of 60/70’s classic rock—The Beatles, Queen, The Eagles. My dad was also a huge influence—I grew up listening to him play piano and guitar around the house.

On what three words describe her new album: In three words: honest, intelligent, classic .

Tamar is so fun and honest! I can’t wait to hear the whole album. You can buy her single, ‘New Day’, on iTunes here.

I was introduced to Mary Sarah about two weeks ago by Buzz Edition. So I of course loving music checked her out. Mary Sarah completed a 40-city, KidzBop® World Tour as a featured soloist and ensemble performer in January 2008. And now she is on her way to a solo career. She is getting set for her meeting with Atlantic Records in just about a week. I have been talking to her on Twitter and had a chance to interview her. She talked about her new album, getting a song given to her by Taylor Swift (Permanent Marker) and her charity work.

What was it like working in the studio? It was amazing. I got to write my own songs, and then actually sing and hear them get done at the same time, like they came to life. Working with my producer, Dwight Baker was great. He’s very funny and when we did scratch copies of my music, he would have to sing it really HIGH like a little girl. He’s like 6 foot 3 and a big guy!

What is your favorite song on your new album, Invisible? I love Dear Diary the most, but Crazy Good is awesome. Well, What About Me? and I Don’t Like You Like That are awesome too! Dang. That’s hard question, because it’s like you love the songs you write!

Taylor Swift gave you her song, Permanent Marker, to sing. Did you get to meet her through that? No. But I would definitely love to meet her in the future. I love her music!

Are you excited about your meeting with Atlantic Records? Majorly! Of course! I’m super excited and we are working REALLY hard for the showcase in NYC. I will also get to sing with my band members that I was on tour with on KidZbop too!

I read that you are really involved in charity. Why do you think that’s important for someone to do? I am very thankful for the life I have right now, I really think my God given talent should be used to help others less fortunate than me. I support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation because it’s close to my family – my brother is a type 1 Diabetic and we want to help a cure be found!

You already have experience with performing because of your background. How do you think that will help you with your future as a musical artist? I think my being in front of large audiences already has helped me be less nervous. And the more you perform, the better you get at it too. I told my parents before, I used to get 5 butterflies, now I only get 2!

Do you write your own songs? Yes and No. I co-write now and am learning alot on how to write your own. My sister Emilee and I do a lot of writing together. I co-wrote on 5 of the songs on my new album.

Where do you see yourself next time this year? Hopefully on tour and doing my second full album! Signed with a record label and opening for Taylor Swift or Keith Urban or Jason Aldean.

I think she is well on her way to being successful. You can catch her on her MySpace or YouTube channel as well. An extra thank you goes to Susan at Buzz Edition for setting up the interview. Thank you!

The Used first formed their band back in 2001 and now in 2009 the members are Bert McCracken (lead vocals and keyboard), Quinn Allman (Guitar and back up vocals), Jeph Howard (Bass and back up vocals), and Dan Whitesides (Drums and Percussion).,  They just released their seventh album called, Artwork, that has made them head in a new direction. In an interview with AP magazine Bert said, “In the past, we’ve always kind of brought pop sensibility into heavy rock, but this is going to be all that much more tantalizing and brutal. Our songs are 10 times messier and noisier than they’ve ever been.” This will also be the first album to feature Dan, on the drums, since he first joined the band in 2006.

I had a chance to interview the band before they left on their tour for the album. The nationwide tour kicked off on September 21st and it reaches Europe for August and September, and then the,  U.S., with two Canadian dates for October and November.

Taylor Blue: Since you have been on tour a lot what has been your favorite venue to perform at?
Dan Whitesides: Well I like to play anywhere at anytime but I guess one of my favorite places is the Starland in New Jersey. The fans are crazy and the security guards are the baddest m—— f—— around.

Taylor: Being a fan of many people I always get a kick out of hearing about other people’s fan stories. What is your favorite fan story of how that fan made you feel extra special?
Dan: At almost every show there’s one or two people that can’t get in or they don’t have any money so I’ll get them in. I think just talking with fans and getting to know them a bit before or after a show is really special for me and them.

Taylor: Who are your main musical influences that come out in the music you play?
Dan: There are so many but a few are Refused, Nirvana, At The Drive In, Motley Crüe, Led Zeppelin, Kerosene 54, Burning Airlines, Ink and Dagger, Earth Crisis, Tony Williams and so on.

Taylor: Do you have a certain muse, and or inspirational ritual, for lack of a better word that helps the creative juice to flow so you can write your lyrics?
Dan: Anything and everything is inspirational the best thing for us is to not force anything.

Taylor: Of all the albums you have released which one is your favorite one?
Dan: ARTWORK it’s probably the most honest record since the self titled.

Taylor: Now onto your new album, Artwork. I love how raw the album cover is by the way. I listened to the first track you released from it, Blood On My Hands, and noticed it has a different sound from the other songs on your previously released albums. What brought on this change?
Dan: That song just came out of nowhere. Quinn had a loop and we just started jammin and about an hour later the song was finished. That was one of those days that the creative juices were flowing for everyone.

Taylor: In all things there is always the bumps in the road. What was your biggest obstacle in getting your new album released?
Dan: Well the label kept pushing the release date back but that was probably for the best. Other then that there were no obstacles, we had all the time in the world.

Taylor: What was the main concept you were going for in the sounds and lyrics in the album?
Dan: Dirty, raw, poppy, heavy and to be able to do whatever we wanted when ever we wanted so that’s what we did. This album is exactly what we wanted it to be.

Taylor: You are heading off for a tour soon and there has to be a favorite and least favorite part of the whole experience, people like us can only imagine what it’s like. What is your favorite and least favorite part of being on the road?
Dan: I love playing every night, meeting as many people as possible that come to the show and seeing the world doesn’t suck either. I probably drink too much on tour so being hungover everyday kinda sucks. We have the best job in the world and there’s not too much to complain about.

You can catch them on their website, Myspace or Twitter.

Honor Society’s first album, Fashionably Late, is being released today. The group comprises of four guys, Michael Bruno, Alexander Noyes, Jason Rosen and Andrew Lee. Their new album is being described as “a funky, cool pop music album with a rock band vibe.” They have been featured in the movie,  Bandslam and also will in and have a song on the upcoming movie, Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel. They started their tour on September 13 and it continues until December.

I had a chance to interview the band about their favorite ice cream flavor, their album and how much they appreciate their fans. (The interview was done with Michael.)

On their favorite ice cream flavor: All four of us are classic chocolate ice cream lovers!

On coming up with the name Honor Society: The name Honor Society really just fit our vibe and our brotherhood as friends and bandmates. Plus it’s our way of saying to our fans that they are in the ‘honor society’ with us. We’re one big crew!

On how they all got together as a band: Michael, Jason and Alexander all grew up in the same hometown and we met Andrew though a friend. Michael and Jason started the band and it’s been about two years since all four of us have been Honor Society.

On presenting at the Teen Choice Awards: It was an amazing experience. That was a major moment for us, since we all grew up watching the Teen Choice Awards so to present on it was an honor and it was so much fun, awesome awards show!

On finding out their song would be in Bandslam: The whole Bandslam experience was terrific, having the song in the movie and on the soundtrack was awesome. The movie studio was really cool and set up for us acoustic performances in movie theaters across the country this past summer for people who had an advanced screening of the movie!

On if they got a chance to work with the Jonas Brothers one on one: Absolutely, Nick, Kevin and Joe all came by the studio frequently and we did some co-writing for the album as well.

On the experience of working with the Jonas Brothers: It was awesome. We learned so much from having them there. They taught us a lot about making an album and they’re such good friends so we had a blast when they would come by the studio.

On being excited about their album coming out: It’s a dream come true literally. We’ve dreamed of giving our fans the best possible Honor Society record and they are gonna get it on September 15th. We’re so grateful to be able to release an album and we hope the fans love it.

On opening for the Jonas Brothers and touring simultaneously: Being on one tour is a lot of work, being on two at the same time is slightly crazy, but we love what we do so none of it feels like work. We’re so grateful to get to do both!

On the favorite part of touring: It’s seems so simple but our favorite part is playing music. That’s why we tour and it’s the reason touring is so awesome.

On the least favorite part of touring: Doing laundry is so hard to do on tour! It’s always a struggle to figure out.

I also asked a couple of questions that I received from asking on Twitter. Here they are!

On if they get annoyed if people always comment to them on Twitter, Myspace and Facebook: Not at all, we love it, we love how passionate our fans are and we’d never ask them to change.

On the craziest fan encounter they have ever had: We had a fan tattoo our autographs on her foot this summer. That was pretty crazy!

On their first performance at the Staples Center: I’m (Michael) a huge Lakers fan so it was a big moment for me to play Staples. I’ve watched Kobe win 4 Championships on TV there so to play there was incredible, plus our California fans are AWESOME! no duh.

Catch them on their YouTube page and their Facebook page here.

Aaron Barnhart is new to the scene and with the debut of his first album, Missing Pieces, I think that he has a great chance to top the charts. His first single, Day In Day Out, is a pop songs that is instantly memorable. I have been singing the chorus in my head for weeks now.

Aaron’s album was recorded in Los Angeles over a 12-month period with renowned producer Stuart Brawley [who has over 32 million records sold worldwide, with such artists’ as Michael Jackson, Don Henley, Celine Dion, Josh Groban, Brandy, Avion, Lenka, and nominated for "Producer of the Year" at the Juno Awards]. The 10 tracks on the album showcase Aaron’s incredible musical range. Most of the songs on Missing Pieces came to life with Aaron writing melodies and lyrics while performing for local Los Angeles crowds.

I got a chance to interview Aaron I have to admit from the answers he gave he made me quite smitten with his music. I listened to the album this weekend and I have to say that it is one of my favorite albums now..

How would you describe your music? Think Elton John meets U2. Contemporary rock with thoughtful lyrics and memorable melodies.

What inspires you the most? Art that transcends the commonplace. I love seeing something original and thought provoking. There’s nothing like coming home from a show and being so inspired I just have to sit down at the piano and write.

What are your favorite artists that you look up to? I admire artists with longevity who have been able to constantly reinvent themselves. Sting, U2, Led Zeppelin and Herbie Hancock come to mind.

What do you listen to in your iPod? I have thousands of songs that cover a lot of different styles. I love jazz so I have the greats:,  Coltrane, Miles, Keith Jarrett, etc. I also love lounge and downtempo, so I have a ton of podcasts and mixes from DJ friends of mine.

What would be your perfect show if you could set it up that way? I would love to play Redrocks. I recently got to play with an 11 piece band including horns and background singers. It was an amazing experience getting to hear my music fully realized in such a big way. Id love to have that experience at a venue with as much vibe as redrocks.

What do you think you have to offer that is different from the other artists out there? I take the time to craft songs that have something new to offer every time you listen to them. I try to write lyrics that are thought provoking as well. I also feel its essential to have an engaging and dynamic live show. If you cant give 150% on stage, you shouldn’t be up there.

What’s it like to record your first album in a studio? Working with producer Stu Brawley was a great experience. He demanded the best from me, so it was a lot of work, but very rewarding. When you surround yourself with creative and professional people, you cant help but be elevated by the process. I really had to focus on the task of recording and tune everything else out. I didn’t answer my phone the entire month I was in the studio. I didn’t want to be distracted from making the best artistic statement possible.

More on Aaron…

Here are his tour dates that he has left so you can catch him live…

6/02 Sacramento, CA — Marilyns on K

6/03 San Francisco, CA — Red Devil Lounge

6/19 Ventura, CA — The Lodge

7/03 Ventura, CA — Zoey’s Café

You can also connect with Aaron on his website, MySpace or Twitter.

I love Twilight. I really do. And I love when women writers do something different and make a name for themselves.,  I met Lauren’s Bite through Twitter. Someone I knew told me that Lauren’s site was so funny that I knew I had to check it out. So, I started reading about Lauren and her PE (Pocket Edward) and their many adventures. Plus, there was many movie observations sprinkled in.

I got a chance to talk to her about all the things that make her blog awesome…

Taylor: How did you come up with the idea of your blog?
Lauren: I read the Twilight Series way before all of the hype, and there were few people that I could chat with about Edward Cullen. At the time, I had my own personal blog (and still do) and there I discovered that many of my readers had read and enjoyed the series as well. I thought, “Hmm…I should start my own blog exclusively about Twilight…” so I did. And it was a success. However, in the fall of 2008 I had a lot of haters, which drove me to the difficult decision of shutting down the blog. After a few months of people begging me to bring “Lauren’s Bite” back, I did…with renewed vigor and thicker skin . So in short, I started Lauren’s Bite as an outlet for myself…and surprisingly other people like it too. Who knew?!

Taylor: You use Lamespice alot in your blog to describe almost everything. Where did Lamespice come from?
Lauren: Lamespice actually is a word my sister-in-law came up with. She said it so often, I caught the lamespice bug and then took it a step further and started adding “spice” to practically everything. One of my readers even asked whether “spice” can only be added to make words negative. The answer is NO WAY! For example: Rob Pattinson is looking “hottspice”. This site is “awesomespice”. So Sierra made up the word, but I brought it to the internets.

Taylor: Why did you start calling your doll Pocket Edward? And then shorten the name to PE?
Lauren: Honestly, I thought it was quite ridiculous that there was an Edward Cullen “Action Figure” in the first place. So ridiculous that I refused to call it by that title. I didn’t even give it any thought, I just thought…”Hmm…Pocket Edward…that’s a good name.” And the rest was history. Actually, I think the first time I ever mentioned “Pocket Edward” was in a comment on Letters To Rob, and everyone was all, “What the effspice? What’s a Pocket Edward?”…psh. They had no idea what they were getting themselves into.,  Anyway, I didn’t shorten Pocket Edward to PE…that’s what my readers shortened it to. I guess their fingers got tired? I’m not a fan of the “PE”, it reminds me of elementary school P.E.

Taylor: Do you really take PE everywhere you go?
Lauren: No, I don’t purposely take Pocket Edward everywhere with me…but he is ALWAYS in my Juicy Couture bag. If I am carrying a different bag that day, and he isn’t inside, sometimes I get sad because I miss out on awesome photo ops. sigh…the life of a blogger.

Taylor: What is your favorite post?
Lauren: I have two favorite posts. They are so different, I couldn’t decide between the two. I love my very first Pocket Edward post where I showed him helping me cook in the kitchen. I love it because at the time I had no idea how popular he would become. It became an internet phenomenon! One of my readers recently bought some Twilight merchandise from Border’s and the cashier asked her if she wanted “to purchase one of their Pocket Edwards”…what the?! Ha ha. My other favorite post would have to be one of my more recent posts entitled “Realistic vs. Unrealistic Expectations” in regards to the male characters in Twilight. It balances the perfect amount of humor and serious advice. Plus, it is flooded with hot pictures of Rob. What could be better than that?

Taylor: How do you notice all these neat things about Twilight?
Lauren: I have always been a deep thinker and have enjoyed really pulling apart literature that I love. At first I enjoyed reading Twilight for the wonderful love story but after a while, I began to love it for it’s beautiful themes. I love to get in a good Twilight discussion with another passionate Twi-fan. It always makes me want to re-read the series…and each time I do, I pick something else up

Taylor: How do you write with such a sense of humor?
Lauren: Honestly, I write EXACTLY how I speak. I like to write posts as if I am right there having a conversation with someone. I really don’t think I am that funny…sometimes I am ashamed at how boring I am in comparison to other bloggers. It is always delightful when people enjoy what I write.,  I love making people laugh…it’s my favorite thing ever.

Taylor: Do you have any tips on girls who want to write just like you?
Lauren: Ha ha! Well, I don’t know if anyone really wants to be me, but if they did…this is what they should do: Love yourself. Love who YOU are. Love that you are unique. Love that no one else in the history of the world is just like you…you are amazing because you are your own person. When other people see that you are proud of the person that you are becoming, they will undoubtedly be magnetized to you. It’s amazing what high self-esteem can do.

I love how positive Lauren is. It was a joy to interview her. You need to check out her blog, full of Edward and humor.