Posts (page 2)
Hey IB.. I thought I'd post this power pop ballad for fun.. I hope you like it... :-).. this is gonna be my last musical post for a few months..
x
Hey everyone... I've put a new forum online: http://susiewilkins.freeforums.org where you can post messages, talk about any gigs of mine you've been to recently, or find out what I'm up to these days.. as I'm sure I have millions and millions of fans checking my vox every day, I expect to see loads of registered users by the end of the day... Go on.. you know you want to.. make me look popular... :-)
Blimey.. I have no idea what's going on, but I'm up to 132 plays today on my myspace.. more than I've ever had in a day, so that's exciting.. Things have been pretty hectic of late.. I have a new manager - Mike Maska - he manages Joe Jackson, and really seems to be doing a lot of cool stuff for me already. I was played on WXPN in the States on Friday - if you go to their blog, you can still download 'No Answer'.. and leave a comment if you like.. :-)
And it looks like I'm heading off to the States in January to do some recording.. I'll give you all some more info as soon as everything's confirmed...
So I thought I'd go against the grain and post a cover... I did this version of Sunny Afternoon by The Kinks for a guy at EMI Asia.. needless to say nothing ever came of it.. long story.. anyway I like it.. also I thought you'd be interested to hear it cos Patrick Murdoch and Geoff Holroyde from Big Linda are playing.. and Big Linda are about to be HUGE.. we recorded this in their living room in Notting Hill.. it was a good day...
enjoy...
I got this message on myspace today and it amused me, so I thought I'd share it with y'all..:
' Hi,
We are liking your profile and wondered if you would be interested in featuring on our Summer Compilation CD and Nationwide tour taking place throughout England with top UK unsigned Artists.
Artists that have performed so far include Aggro, N Dubz, Tinie Tempah, DJ Ironik, K Sounds, including special appearances by Big Narstie and D Fam plus many more. CLICK HERE - We only have the last spaces avaiable, so please hurry. Please do not reply to this email as I can't open my inbox. Thank you'
Ummm... does anyone think this might be spam perhaps...? I can just see myself on the same bill as Big Narstie.
From this:
Seriously I want to get back as soon as possible.. it's amazing how productive and creative one can be with a proper night's sleep and no stress...
And now I am trying to figure out how to convert the evil that is a Windows Media File into a Quicktime Movie so I can make a new showreel.. I am currently thwarted... Any ideas?
Okay so this is a rant of sorts... Not really a rant so much as a statement of fact. Where are all the female artists? Artists with substance.. the serious troubadours..? Is this a reflection of us as consumers, or the industry at large? Why is a 30 something stubbly male singer/songwriter palatable, whereas a woman isn't? (without the stubble of course...).. The UK seems to tolerate indie bands, 'serious' male singer/songwriters, young pretty girls, or kooky yes KOOKY females. To succeed as a female artist in this country in the mainstream it seems you have to be kooky.. although I applaud KT Tunstall and Amy Winehouse for managing to break through.. But this is not enough.. And sure enough a twatty fashion band won the Mercury Music Prize when Amy's album was blatantly the best of the year... *sigh*..
I took the liberty of looking at the Columbia UK roster. I counted 5, yes 5 females out of 53 acts (including the ones in bands)... This is not a dig at you Columbia - like I said, this is a statement of fact. This is the sad truth about commercial music. I honestly cannot say whether it's because people wouldn't buy records by moaning 30 year old women like me, or because people just buy what they're given. Who can say...?
So female artists keep working away in the background, gigging, selling, doing whatever they can, and working 10 times harder. But perhaps this inevitably leads to greater freedom and more fulfilling success. Check out Ani DiFranco. I idolise this woman. She's done everything herself, comes to the UK, sells out venues like the Shepherds Bush Empire, and yet I am amazed at how few people have heard of her. A perfect example of a brilliant, talented artist who would never be signed by a major label, and yet her talent has got her to where she is. It is possible ladies, so keep on working...
So I had a weird/great dream the other night that I went guitar shopping on Denmark Street with Bonnie Raitt.. which was pretty awesome by the way.. if any of you haven't heard her you really should check her out.. She's one of the best live artists I've ever seen.. and an incredible guitarist.. which leads me on to this strange and interesting story..
When I first came to London I was pretty miserable.. I missed my family, I missed the sun, and I missed being able to make a living from music.. So I spent a lot of my time in internet cafes talking to friends and avoiding the rain. One day I stumbled upon an online magazine called Rockrgrl, and noticed they had a competition going.. Which was one of those 'write 50 words starting with I am a Rockrgrl because'... So I entered, and to this day I really can't remember what I wrote..
Anyway I'd totally forgotten about the thing until a month later when I got an email saying 'Congratulations You've Won'... and a week later on my doorstep was a Custom Shop Bonnie Raitt Signature Series Strat.. signed by Bonnie Raitt.. I had my picture taken with the guitar and was in the Fender Magazine and everything. How utterly weird and random. But also great. When I was at a particularly low point in my life this cool thing happened and cheered me up just at the right time...