Pheaturing Stephanie Sayers

Ready are you? What know you of ready? Hello, kids, welcome to the Phile, where it's Star Wars Month. You know, in the Star Wars films a bunch of characters loose their limbs. Luke lost a hand, Anakin lost an arm, Threepio lost everything... you get the idea. Well, as you know, I was also injured back in October. Not as bad as loosing a limb, but pretty bad. Well, this morning I went for a follow up with my fantastic surgeon, Benjamin Miller, and my arm is between 80 and 85% healed. I am so happy.  Man, that was a bad segue, comparing my injury to characters in movies. What else is going on?  Do you guys remember former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford? He is the guy who told his wife he was going for a hike and then went to Argentina to see his girlfriend. He was exposed as an unethical, lying, cheating weasel. In a stunning comeback, he has been elected to Congress, where he’ll fit right in. Sanford said his first order of business was improving relations with South America.  New predictions claim that 42 percent of Americans will be obese by the year 2030. They say the only way to stop it is for government to step in. Oh, yeah, that will work. When it comes to trimming the fat and tightening your belt, who knows better than the U.S. government?  According to Forbes magazine, Al Gore is now worth more than $200 million. This is what Gore meant when he talked about going green.  Do you know what cicadas are? Every 17 years they come up out of the ground and then they attack everything. This year they're expecting a trillion cicadas. Mayor Bloomberg is advising New Yorkers to move their marijuana plants indoors. The cicadas are back after 17 years, but they don't have their original drummer.   Domino's now has a thing where you go to your computer and you can watch them making your pizza. I liked it better when they just left that to the imagination.  Tom Hanks was voted the most trusted man in the United States. I was on the list but a little farther down. I was between Reese Witherspoon and Maury Povich.  A volcano in Alaska has been erupting for about five days. Alaska is a huge state. It's so vast, white, and frozen that the early settlers gave it the nickname "Nicole Kidman's forehead." They have some weird laws in Alaska. This is true. It is against the law in Alaska to awaken a sleeping bear. Who's going to break that law? "I've had a couple of drinks. I'm going to wake a sleeping bear." All this volcanic ash over Alaska can cause big problems. We're all worried about one thing: ash drifting into Canada and disrupting the hockey playoffs. Volcanic ash can really mess with airplanes. And we can't let this volcano disrupt our air travel. That's the government's job. Former NBA player Dennis Rodman has asked North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to release American prisoner Kenneth Bay. Rodman said, "I'm calling for Kim to do me a solid and release Kenneth Bay." How do you think the Koreans will translate "do me a solid?" I'm sure Kenneth Bay would be thrilled to hear that Dennis Rodman is on his case. Wouldn't it be something if it worked? How many can say they were saved from a North Korean prison camp by Dennis Rodman? Three or four? Eight, maybe. Why do I feel this somehow ends with Michael Jordan being forced to fly to Pyongyang to sign the Space Jam poster hanging over Kim Jong Un's bed in order to prevent nuclear armageddon?  Delaware became the most recent state to legalize same-sex marriage. That marks the 11th state to make same-sex marriage legal and the first thing I know about Delaware.  Movie fans, get this... a movie version of Dungeons and Dragons is in the works. It's expected to set all-time records for people saying, "Ticket for one, please."  Speaking of movies, this is year is the 30th anniversary of the movie Return of the Jedi. That movie of course introduced us to Jabba the Hutt, the Ewoks, the Sarlaac Pit, and of course one of the greatest creations in the Star Wars movies... Slave Leia. So this month on the Phile we are honoring that great creation. Check it out, fellas.

That's Carrie Fisher and her stunt double sunbathing.  One of the coolest things about the Star Wars movies is the Death Star. Now, if I created the Death Star it would look like this.

 
The target area is only two inches wide, it's a small thermal exhaust port, right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. I'm so stupid. She's really cute though, right? And check out her bow in her hair, it's Vader's Tie-Fighter.  A lot of people think George Lucas created Yoda, but actually Yoda was created by Dr. Seuss in the pretty unknown book "The Force Is the Force Of Course Of Course".

Don't ask me why it says "By Yoda".  Did you know they were once gonna make a Star Wars game show on TV? I have a screenshot from the pilot.

 
Rebel scum! I figured it out. LOL.  As you know one of the things I like to do in my spare time is to look up words on Twitter to see what people are talking about. One of the things I recently looked up was the ride I work at... Star Tours, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is one I recently found.

And now, from the home office on Coruscant, here is this week's...

 
Top Phive Phacts About Star Wars You Might Not Know
5. If Han Solo looked as George Lucas had originally imagined him, Harrison Ford would have had to wear a lot more make-up. Solo was initially conceived as as a fat green alien with gills, instead of a nose. He then became a fat pirate with a beard, before turning into the smoothly shaven, waistcoat-wearing Ford... who got the role only after reading out lines for Lucas as a favor.
4. Lucas said in an interview that he was influenced by a Japanese jidaigeki TV programme and liked the word, leading to the conclusion that the Japanese term for period drama inspired his creation of the Jedi, the religious peacekeeping brotherhood to which Obi-Wan Kenobi belongs.
3. Princess Leia’s pastry-shaped hairstyle has been widely copied and parodied. While the style has been linked to historic Iberian sculptures and the traditional fashions of Hopi Indian woman, Lucas said that the look originated from Mexico, referencing “a kind of Southwestern Pancho Villa woman revolutionary look”. Whatever its beginnings, Carrie Fisher found it a pain, saying she felt it made her face rounder and took two hours every day to create.
2. Actor James Earl Jones, who provided the voice of Darth Vader in the original Star Wars trilogy, suffered from a stutter in childhood. However, he was not the first choice for the baddie’s rasping tones: Lucas originally wanted Orson Welles to voice the part, but deemed him too recognisable. Jones worked alongside British-born bodybuilder and actor David Prowse in the role, as Prowse’s 6ft 5in stature made him a good physical fit for the arch-baddy.
And the number one phact about Star Wars you might not know is...
1. Clumsy alien Jar Jar Binks was introduced in The Phantom Menace for comic relief, but he was initially a two-faced mercenary who was to betray Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master played by Liam Neeson. Despite his friendlier role, the critics didn’t like bumbling Binks, citing him as an excuse for creating more merchandise (a criticism also levelled at Ewoks) and a racial caricature.

I actually like Jar Jar, no matter what anybody says. Those were all true facts, people. Okay, please welcome back to the Phile the intergalactic comedian straight from the Outer Rim...

Tractor: Hello. What did Palpatine get his mom for Mother's Day?

Me: Um... I don't know.

Tractor: Flowers. Unlimited flowers.

Me: That's stupid, Tractor.

Tractor: How about this one then? Which Jedi became a gynecologist?

Me: Obi-GYN?

Tractor: Close. OB-Wan Kenobi, and I have proof.

 
Me: Alright, Tractor. Very funny. You can tell one more.

Tractor: I have a limerick for you. The single primary factor, as to why the trash compactor, did not eat the mammal, known as Mark Hamill, was he wanted a more seasoned actor.

Me: Clever, Tractor.

Tractor: Yes, it was a dianoga. But it was a dianoga with standards.

Me: Tractor Beam, everybody.

Tractor: Thank you, and don't eat the Bantha.

The 31st artist to be pheatured in the Phile's Art Gallery is Phile Alum Michael Banks. And this is one of his pieces, kids.

 

The great Michael Banks will be on the Phile in a few weeks.

Today's guest is a singer songwriter whose EP "Christmas Island" is available and she can be heard on the Graham Parker tribute album "Piss & Vinegar". Please welcome to the Phile... Stephanie Sayers.

 
Me: Hello, Steph, welcome to the Phile. Shit, I can call you Steph, right?

Stephanie: Of course.

Me: Steph, how are you?

Stephanie: I'm okay. It's been a really long winter and it's actually just snowed a little today. Trying to stay warm.

Me: Alright, I have to tell you that your version of Graham Parker's "Watch the Moon Come Down" from the GP tribute album "Piss & Vinegar". Did you choose that song to do?

Stephanie: At the time I was wandering around Paris and the chance came to do the recording in London. I was sent a handful of GP songs but the lyrics and sentiment of that one really knocked me out.

Me: Were you a recording artist long before that recording?

Stephanie: I think I had recorded a few demos that would end up on the first and only record about a year earlier.

Me: The tribute album originally came out in '96, but was just rereleased, Steph. How old were you when you recorded that track? You look so young now.

Stephanie: I must have been around 23 years old. I just turned forty last year so that's very nice of you to say.

Me: Were you aware of GP before you did that album?

Stephanie: Almost, sort of, vaguely.

Me: Have you ever met GP or were told what he thought of your version? I'm guessing he loved it.

Stephanie: No, I haven't. I hope he liked it. It's a fantastic song.

Me: Where are you from, Steph?

Stephanie: Originally, outside of Rochester, NY.

Me: You lived all over the States, right? Where did you go to college?

Stephanie: I didn't graduate high school. I think at some point I was sent an equivalency, but eventually had the opportunity to study composition and theory at Oxford with a very patient and kind teacher.

Me: Where are you living now?

Stephanie: London, UK.

Me: My home city. You had one release before the GP album and that was "Christmas Island". Was that a Christmas album?

Stephanie: No, it wasn't. I think I just liked the way the words worked together.

Me: Where is Christmas Island? There's a town called Christmas here in Florida, I don't know if you knew that.

Stephanie: It's really in the middle of nowhere. Somewhere between Australia and the West Coast of America. I didn't know there was a Christmas in Florida.

Me: Steph, you play guitar, but do you play any other instruments? I have a feeling you play a few.

Stephanie: I do. I really like to play the drums.

Me: Did you do the songwriting on "Christmas Island"?

Stephanie: Yes. I had written the songs just 12-string acoustic and vocal, then a lot of help from John Dragonetti, Rick Griffin, Kurt Ralske, Joe McGinty and Charlie Abbot. Mostly recorded at Downtown and Q- Division in Boston and one song with Joe and Kurt at Zabriskie Point NYC.

Me: I read that you were discovered by someone from Dreamwork Records. I don't know if discovered was the word, as you already had records out, but I have to ask, is that the same Dreamworks that puts out the Shrek movies. Spielberg's company?

Stephanie: Yes, it was the same Dreamworks. I don't know if I was discovered. A friend in Los Angeles was nice enough to let me stay at his place and I ended up meeting a really nice A&R person who heard me playing piano. I think I was playing "After the Goldrush". In any case, two weeks later I was in Lenny's office playing some songs on my 12-string Guild.

Me: I didn't know they had a record label. Anyway, when was this and how were you approached by them?

Stephanie: The record label was a bit short lived. This must have been around '97-'98?. It all just sort of happened once I got out to California.

Me: Wasn't Elliot Smith and the Eels also on the same label?

Stephanie: Yes.

Me: My dad was a big Smith fan. That's sad that he took his own life. Did you know him well?

Stephanie: Yes, it is very sad. No, I didn't know him.

Me: I met Emmett Smith the football player a few times. Anyway, was it fun working with Dreamworks?

Stephanie: I wrote a lot of songs and met a lot of wonderful people.

Me: Did they treat you good?

Stephanie: Lenny Waronker was very nice in that there was no contract and it afforded me to have my own little working studio above Phil Paolina's Boxing Gym on La Brea. At night there was a Korean Karaoke bar on the other side.

Me: Did you hesitate signing to a big label? 

Stephanie: Yes, I hesitated so much that I never signed. Typical.

Me: Oh. Alright, as well as the GP tribute album you also played on another tribute album... Galaxie 500. I'm not aware of them that much. What kind of music do they play?

Stephanie: They were a great band from Boston. Simple with lots of depth.

Me: Did you choose the song for that album, and were you a fan of theres?

Stephanie: I think that was Scott Fritz's idea. It was really nice of him to ask, I had always been a big fan. Plus it was the first proper recording I did at the little eight track studio. Exciting to hear it all come together.

Me: If I ever put together a Foghat tribute album I would want you to play on it. I wonder what song you would do. Hmmmm. Do you know Foghat's music?

Stephanie: "I'll Be Standing By". Very beautiful. Everything sits way back... drums, vocal. I don't think anyone could get the guitar tone or try.

Me: Wow, great song written by my dad Rod Price and very obscure. Okay, I have to ask you about "CLEO", a musical you are writing the music for. You are doing more then that though, right?

Stephanie: Actually, that's Robert Pollard (Guided By Voices) writing all the songs. I just took them back down to basics and recorded acoustic and vocal. Then we went into the studio and recorded the basic tracks. Something like 26 songs in three weeks.

Me: Is it a musical about Cleopatra?

Stephanie: I think so.

Me: When is it coming out, Steph, or did it come out already?

Stephanie: I don't know if it is.

Me: It's being directed by Steven Soderbergh. Did you get to meet Steven? How was that?

Stephanie: I think he's retiring now. We met at Musso and Frank's in Hollywood. I gave him a copy of "Odessey" and "Oracle" by the Zombies and some David Bowie tracks. I was very enamoured with the clarity and separation of the instrumentation on those records, also the transparency of the mixing. I thought conceptually it would be a good marker for the project and also for Pollard's writing.

Me: I think he did retire from making movies. I dunno. How long have you worked on that project?

Stephanie: I think he's painting now. Like I said, I worked for a about a month on pre-production and a few weeks in the studio. It was fun to work counterintuitively.

Me: You did say that. Duh. Are you still writing and recording, Steph?

Stephanie: I'm trying.

Me: Will you be releasing any of your own music, or do you prefer to work with other people?

Stephanie: I'd love to release an album. It's nice to work with others because it gets you out of the ego and frees everything up a bit.

Me: You seem to be very busy, which is cool, so I appreciate you being on the Phile. Okay, so this year I am asking random questions thanks to Tabletopics. Are you ready? This is random, and I think I asked someone this before, but here goes. Would you rather live by the beach or in the mountains? I'm guessing beach.

Stephanie: Yes, definitely the beach.

Me: Thanks for being here, Steph, go ahead and plug your website and anything else, and please come back on the Phile when your next project comes out. All the best.

Stephanie: Thanks so much for the opportunity. I'm at stephaniesayers.com.

There. That about does it for another entry of the Phile. Thanks to Stephanie for a great interview. The Phile will be back next Sunday with the kids from the band Navy Skies and then on Monday with Samuel St. Thomas from the band Bovine Social Club. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Chris Hamer

Hey, kids, welcome to the Phile. I'm your host Red Five, and I'm going in. Actually, I'm more like Strawberry Blonde Five. It's Star Wars Month on the Phile if you didn't know, so all this month there will be Star Wars related stuff on the Phile.  Today is Mother's Day. I have to say my son has one of the best mother's ever. Happy Mother's Day to all you mom's out there. For Mother's Day, Hooters is giving away free wings to all mothers who come in. Eating lunch with your mom at Hooters... I guess some guys never get tired of their moms saying, "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Americans will spend between $17 billion and $20 billion on Mother's Day. The average spending is about $169 per mom... which is the reason NBA players need so much money.  According to researchers, people in the 25-to-35 age group are now experiencing mid-life crises. Who thinks the best years of their lives are behind them at the age of 25? Besides the cast of "Jersey Shore," of course.  The Senate is now taking a look at the immigration bill and will provide sweeping changes if, in fact, the bill is passed. Passed? Tim Tebow's got a better chance of passing.  NASA is taking applications for people who want to live on Mars. Now here are the requirements: You have to be between the ages of 18 and 40 and insane. I know it sounds like a lot of fun. But the flight alone is six months to Mars. It's eight months if you leave from Newark. Mars is a frontier. It's wide open.  This coming Saturday I'm gonna see Paul McCartney in concert. I hope it's going to be a better show then the show he did in Brazil. During a concert in Brazil, he got attacked by a swarm of grasshoppers. That's a very unusual thing to have happen to you. But it didn't faze him at all. He just thought he was having an acid flashback. Police arrested 31 people involved in that big jewel heist in Belgium. That's a lot of people. Now $50 million worth of jewels sounds like a lot, but split 31 ways, it hardly seems worth the effort. One of the jewel thieves they captured yesterday was also a lawyer. That’s a shame. Now lawyers will get a bad reputation. Imagine being a jewel thief by night and a lawyer by day. You go from one job taking all that money and wrecking people's lives, and then onto being a jewel thief.  A giant African land snail was found. Authorities are worried there could be more. They carry potentially deadly meningitis. So far the snails have been found in Florida, Texas, and in the meatballs at IKEA. The snails have no natural predators. In fact, city officials are considering bringing in giant French people to eat them. So if you're in Houston and you see a giant snail coming toward you, walk slowly for your life.  This week marked the 10th anniversary of the professional networking site LinkedIn. Which is weird, because on LinkedIn it says it has 15 years of experience.  A new study found that women think men holding a guitar are more attractive, even if they’re not playing it. In a related story, guys with an accordion will die alone.  A new iPhone app can actually figure out how happy users are. Although if you need to download an app to tell you if you're happy, you're not.  The other day when I was playing on the internet I saw a picture from Iraq or some other third country of a camel, and I couldn't help to think of something else. Here is the picture I saw...

And this is what I thought of.

I must have Star Wars on the brain.  Disney revealed the poster for the Episode 7, and I don't know what to think. It looks very scary.

Star Wars: The Rise of the Greedy.  I'm just kidding, Disney is not greedy at all. They are a very generous company. Whew! Dodged that bullet.  Now a lot of people think the creatures and aliens in Star Wars are all fake, but that's not true. For example, Bantha's are real, and I have proof.

That is a real photo. I'm not lying.  One of the things I do in my spare time, which I don't have to much of, is get on Twitter and look up certain different words to see what people are talking about. One of those words I look up is Star Tours, the attraction I work at at Disney. This is a recent Tweet I found.

Jaymz is a wimp. LOL.  Well, this year is the 30th anniversary of Return of the Jedi, which gave us the death of Yoda, the Ewoks, Jabba the Hutt, and most of all... Slave Leia. So, for Star Wars Month on the Phile we are honoring her. Why not?

And now, for some sad news...

Ray Harryhausen
June 29, 1920 - May 7, 2013
Motion stopped.

If you spot the Mind Phuck email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com. Before we continue, a good phriend of the Phile wanted to come on today and give a special Mother's Day message. He is a singer, patriot and renaissance man. You know what time it is.

 
Good morning, humans. Honor your mother today. That's an order! Happy Mother's Day to my friends who are great moms... mine wasn't up to the task. C'est la vie. But I have you guys watching over me. NOT an easy task, I might add. So, here's to great moms! You ladies fuckin' rock!

Today's pheatured guest is the 30th artist to be pheatured in the Peverett Phile Art Gallery. He will be appearing next at Wizard World Philadelphia from May 30th to June 2nd. Please welcome to the Phile the very talented... Chris Hamer.

 
Me: Hello, Chris, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Chris: Top notch my friend, top notch!

Me: So, I met you though a Phile Alum named Michael Banks, Chris, at MegaCon this year. Do you do conventions often?

Chris: As much as I can, I love 'em, so much so I spend the majority of the year at comic, horror, sci-fi conventions around the US and the other half at Craft and Music Fest peddling my art.

Me: Do you ever show your work in real galleries, and exhibits?

Chris: I try every year to do a solo art show or at least take part in a few gallery shows, because they are a different animal that the conventions. This year, I have already done 3 gallery shows, and I have another 3 planed and in the beginning stages.

Me: Are you from Florida?

Chris: Nope- I'm a Georgia native, but as long as I have been around, my family has gone to Florida at least once a year, so I consider it a second home.

Me: Where did you first meet Michael Banks and how long have you known him?

Chris: A few years back at MegaCon I believe... but just in the last year, me him an Sara, his lady, have become super close buds. Good people.

Me: He's gonna be back on the Phile soon. Is there anything you think I should ask him?

Chris: How it was working on the illustrated comic.

Me: Alright, let's talk about your artwork and stuff. Your website and business is Urbnpop. Chris, did you leave out the 'a' in urban on purpose?

Chris: Yes, I wanted it to be something that you could visualize an idea of the style of art, but not stereotype it. When you add the 'a', at least to me, a whole new level of what kind of art it is comes to mind, but when you leave it out, it seems to change things. Maybe I'm basis, but... When the name Urbnpop came about, I was just starting doing art full time with out any other source of income, and I did not want to have a website or be know as just me, I wanted to have something that in my head would allow me to go crazy with trying new things, so I came up with a moniker for me and that is where the name Urbnpop came from.

Me: I wonder if anybody goes to your site looking for Keith Urban pictures. That'll be stupid, it would be Urbncountry, not Urbnpop. Anyway, how long have you been an artist, Chris?

Chris: I should write Keith and ask him to change his name. I have been drawing all my life, but just in the last 6 years have I become a full time artist.

Me: I love your style and art. How long did it take you to define your style?

Chris: Thanks. I think it has been a natural progression over the last 6 years. I went from drawing just a little bit each day to drawing all day, and the more you practice your craft I think the better you become.

Me: A lot of artists use computers for their work, but I prefer Sharpies. Not like I am an artist. Do you use computers a lot?

Chris: I really got in to Photoshop and learning how to digitally color drawings, so yeah as of late, I have been a bit consumed with the computer... hahah. But I still love to get messy with paints.

Me: Some of the art I saw you did at MegaCon was with wood and paint. Was medium do you like to do best?

Chris: It's more of a style than medium. I would consider my self an assemblage artist, because I love building on top of pieces with found or vintage items. I love using wood, mainly because it allows me to keep building on it with layers of found objects. Because wood is much more sturdier that canvas I know I can keep building on it and will keep its shape and allow a strong platform to work with. To go back to your computer question, as much as I love using them for art, I will always love getting my hands dirty with paint and the application of assembling a piece of art.

Me: I wish I would of bought that TARDIS piece you did which is the TARDIS painted on some wood. Anyway, you do so many different genres, which one do you like best?

Chris: I love pop culture in general, its what help shape me as a creative person, so just when I say I'm the biggest fan of... I find holes in that statement, and change it to I'm now the biggest fan off...

Me: I saw that you get old magazine covers, or photos and draw over them in your Recycled Art series. Where did you first get this idea to do that, Chris? Do you just use a pen?

Chris: It is one of those ah-ha moments that hits. I found a tattoo artist in LA that was painting on old family photos, and moved me in such a way that it now I look back on those days as a huge inspiration, I feel silly, because I know he influenced me, but I can not remember his name, it was something random I found in the old Myspace days. I just remember loving it so much that I wanted to try my hand at it, and from there drawing on a photo's became picture, which became old magazines, comics... Over the last few years, I have just about drawn on everything kind of thing. One year I posted on my Facebook page that I would do a free drawing on anything that a person brought me to a convention, that was a weird year for sketches... haha. I mainly use microns and sharpies for random drawings on things, but the majority of the recycled art is done with acrylic paint.

Me: Where do you find those magazines? They look vintage.

Chris: They are, I have a routine that once a week. I scout out thrift stores, antique store and the interwebs for stuff to buy to make art out of. I have stocked piled so much stuff I could stop shopping now and make another 150 pieces... hahaha. But I won't its the adventure in the search that inspires the pieces I make out of the stuff I find.

Me: A lot of your characters that you draw have one big eye and one small eye, very Berke Breathed Bill the Cat. What made you decide that's they way they'll look?

Chris: Maybe its his fault. I love that comic strip as a kid. My approach creating a drawing, is to invoke confusion, and wonder in the characters face, some folks have said they look stressed, but I think they are more surprised. Or maybe they are stressed... who knows. I never really sat down, and said this is how I was going to draw, it just kinda happen.

Me: They look a little like Gary Busey, who also seems to have one big eye and one small eye. Did you ever draw him?

Chris: No, that is one dude who scared me, in that clown sorta way. I had a friend in Florida tell me she met him at a convention I did and that when she went to say hi, just just licked the side of her face from the neck up to the forehead. She was mortified and I would be do... hahaha.

Me: Speaking of eyes, you drew this furry blue character a few times with one eye, like a cyclops. Is he your own character and does he have a name?

Chris: That guy is my main dude, his name is Byron and he is the icon for Urbnpop.

Me: I could easily see plushes of him, Chris. Does he have a back story?

Chris: I have had a few of my more craftier friends make me some Byron plush toys, and they are awesome, so one day I would love to have a whole mess made but nothing is in the works right now. His back story is, he is a bit like me, the out spoken one, the one who wants to be the center of attention, loves to be involved with everything, but also has to deal with the daily grind and remembering he is just one monster... and can't do everything.

Me: Do you have any more characters?

Chris: You know I do, what artist would just stop with one. Another lil buddy I have drawn a few times is Oswald, he is a manic rabbit that is full of stress and anger, but loves to be loved. Pretty much I think I have drawn my personalities in the form of cartoons over the last 6 years... hahah.

Me: I like the stuff you did that is Star Wars themed and a few Marvel ones as well. I take it you're a Star Wars fan. A lot of artists do Star Wars themed stuff, Chris. Why do you think that is?

Chris: It's such a iconic movie, for me it was and still is one of my favorite movies. I remember being a kid and loosing my mind over it, and still to this day, get so excited and giddy, when I hear the them song. For me that is why I love to draw those characters, but then on the dark side of things. Sorry for the pun. Some folks draw them, because there is a million other folks that get just a excited as I do for it, that it is a easy sale at a convention.

Me: I mentioned your TARDIS piece. Do you do any other "Doctor Who" themed stuff?

Chris: I use to hate "Doctor Who", the old version, but over the last few years, I started to warm up to it, now I would consider myself a newbee fan. I'm still learning, so cut me some slack. I have a friend name David, who every year at MegaCon has asked me to draw a different Doctor for him, and after the first few, I started to want to do some more fan art, so I did a Doctor print of David, and then the TARDIS, but it is still something that I'm learning, and I have this thing where I will not draw something for me to have for sale that is not a commission that I do not know a little bit about, so as I learn more Who stuff. It is quite possible I will be doing more and more.

Me: You have done more Marvel themed pieces then DC, so are you like me, more of a Marvel fan?

Chris: I do lean more toward Marvel, but in the last year, the new "Batman" comic has change the playing field for me. So it's starting to sway back and fourth.

Me: Do you read comics? If you do, what do you read?

Chris: At one time, I collected comics, now I just read them, which is a huge sigh of relief, to know that the bag and board is not the be all to the comic... I loved Iron Man from the early 80s on, but beside that I have been reading a lot of IDW stuff, like "The Rocketeer" comic, and "Mars Attack" and "Tank Girl". I love the new Marvel and DC relaunches... but I also love a bunch of indy books. So the list could be huge if I kept thinking about it.

Me: I thought you must read comics, as you have your own comic out called "Pink Noise". What does that mean? What's pink noise? I heard of white noise, but not pink.

Chris: When I was looking for names for my comic, which is music based I found the term pink noise and being a novice to recording. I took it to mean, when the frequency reaching a level where it is pushing the sound harder and faster. But here is the official internet description... Pink noise or 1/f noise (sometimes also called flicker noise) is a signal or process with a frequency spectrum such that the power spectral density (energy or power per Hz) is inversely proportional to the frequency. In pink noise, each octave carries an equal amount of noise power. The name arises from the pink appearance of visible light with this power spectrum. Within the scientific literature the term 1/f noise is sometimes used a little more loosely to refer to any noise with a power spectral density of the form. That at least is the recording nerd version.

Me: Interesting. I was thinking it was something sexual, if you know what I mean. LOL. How long has the comic been out, Chris, and how many issues have been printed? It is printed, right?

Chris: It just came out in March of this year, and it is printed and only on issue one, I have issue two started but as of now, no set release date, just a plan to have it out by June.

Me: I have a picture of it here.

Me: So, tell the readers what "Pink Noise" is about. It's very original and cool.

Chris: It's the journey of this character named Jonah who has a TV for a head, that is told 100% thru lyrics from songs. So far many of the songs are old punk rock bands that inspired me and helped me thru alot of those years, where I was figuring out who I was a person. Music is such an important gift I think we take for granted some times, because there is so much garbage out right now that it is easy to give up and stop wanting to buy music or go to concerts. But if we look deep, it has always been there for us, when we find the right song or band. It's like an old friend that has always been there to help answer questions. I know music has helped me thru so many things.. The list goes on and on. When I was picking the songs, they in a way drew themselves.

Me: I take it you get permission from the bands you choose the songs off, am I right?

Chris: I did, I would have not done it if I could not have gotten it. it is very important to me that every band I picked understood what this project was about, before they gave me their blessing to use their song. I wanted to let them know, that "Pink Noise" was the fan in me wanting to do this, and not some business guy looking to make a buck. I have been very fortunate to have had the blessing and support from so many great people.

Me: What bands have you used, or what songs?

Chris: The first issue is Rob Huddleston from Ann Beretta, Tim Barry, it's a solo song, but he was the singer for a band called Avail, Damion Suomi and Strike Anywhere. The next issue is going to be Saves the Day, William Elliott Whitmore, Sleeping At Last and Hot Water Music. As for the songs, that is where picking up a issue or checking out the fan page on Facebook would be super rad.

Me: How about any Foghat songs? Whatcha think?

Chris: Not my speed, but I'm sure that it could work for someone else's comic... heheh.

Me: Where and how did you get the idea for "Pink Noise", Chris?

Chris: Music is another one of my loves in life. It's hard when your brain runs all the time thinking of creative things you want to do and not see stories in lyrics, and since I'm not much of a writer, I thought this was the perfect way for me to do a comic. I do want to thank Rob Huddleston from Ann Beretta for all his help with this project. Rob was one of the first folks I wrote to, and the first to jump on board, and has to this day, been a huge supporter of the comic.

Me: I like to ask artists that appear on the Phile what they think of the Phile's logo, so what do you think?

Chris: I think its pretty cool. Not sure what you were going for, but I like the retro look of the file cabinet like a rocket!

Me: If you were going to design a logo for the Phile, what would it look like?

Chris: Messy, creepy, fun. Hell, you have seen my art?

Me: I have to ask you about your tattoo's. What are they of, and how many do you have?

Chris: As long as you never call them sweet tat's are cool too' and end it with a brah, I'm okay with that... heheh... They are my reminders of places, and people and bands and nerdy moments in my life. I always say four. One on each arm and one on each leg, but now that is changing since tattoo my feet, neck and chest, so I guess alot is the best answer.

Me: Michael Banks probably has more then you I am guessing. That boy is covered in tattoo's. He used to be a tattoo artist, did you?

Chris: He does, I have yet to see him naked, but its looks like he does. No, I never did tattoo-in. Some days I want to, other days, I think its best I don't... haha.

Me: Alright, so, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics, so here is yours. This is a good one. Have you ever had an experience that led you to believe in angels or ghosts?

Chris: Okay, angels, just out of high-school, both my grandfathers passed away, and they were my best friends in the whole world and we were super close. I was driving to work one morning when my brake cable snapped on a sharp turn and my car rolled a few times in to a tree. I did not have a seatbelt on and I walked away from the wreck with only a few bruises to a ladies house to call my folks, when the cops showed up they were surprised that I was not dead, the cop actually said that looking at the crash, I should have been dead. Then last year, the 14th Street bridge sign fell on to I 75 in Atlanta, and we felt some debree fall on my van, and then looked in the rear view mirror and saw the sign hit the highway, we no more cleared under the sign 30 seconds before it hit. So, I believe in angels, I think I have two guardian angels that are with me all the time. I believe they are the folks who love us the most, who want us to succeed in life and long as we are good people and are trying our best to make the most of what we have.

Me: Wow, Chris. Chris, thanks for being on the Phile. Go ahead and plug all your websites and I wish you continued success. I hope to see you at a convention again soon.

Chris: Thanks for having me on the site. Folks can always go to my website urbnpop.com and say hi. But if you search Urbnpop you will find all the other great social media sites like Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr, to say hi to me on. But outside Urbnpop here is the fan page for "Pink Noise" and for another comic that me an Mr. Banks worked on together called "Illustrated Comic". Facebook.com/pinknoisecomic, Facebook.com/Illustratedcomic.

Me: Thanks, Chris, and I so want to buy that TARDIS piece.

There you go, that about does it for this entry, kids. Thanks to Laird Jim and of course Chris Hamer. The Phile will be back tomorrow with singer songwriter Stephanie Sayers. Spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. Bye, love you, bye. Strawberry Blondes Forever!

Pheaturing Carrie Johnson

Dun dun dun da da dun da da dun. Hey, kids, welcome to Star Wars Month: Episode 2 on the Phile. How are you? It's Return of the Sixth apparently. I don't know. The Phile has a new sponsor by the way.

Before we get into the Star Wars stuff, let's see what is in the news.  President Obama went to Mexico. He was on hand to celebrate Mexico's economic successes over the last few years. See, that’s how it works now. If President Obama wants to celebrate an economic success, he actually has to leave the country. While in Mexico, President Obama plans to promote his immigration policy. Is that really necessary? Seems the last place you have to promote immigration is Mexico. I think they've got it down. That's like going to San Francisco to promote gay marriage. President Obama also met with Treasury Secretary Jack Lew in the White House. The Treasury secretary meets once a month with the president... and he meets twice a month with the Chinese president.  Experts at the Department of Defense and the Pentagon said that they now know that Osama bin Laden was in that compound for a number of years. He would leave the compound about twice a year.  Last Monday, Martha Stewart announced that she is dating and desperately looking for a man. So she signed up on Match.com. In her biography, Martha says she likes surprises, but not from the Securities and Exchange Commission. You would think it'd be easy for someone like Martha Stewart, but it is not. It's tough for her. A lot of guys don't want to get involved with an ex-con.  In baseball news, the Chicago Cubs said they will move if improvements are not made to Wrigley Field. And today Wrigley Field said it will move if improvements are not made to the Chicago Cubs.  The U.S. government apparently spent millions of dollars in cash to fund various dubious government projects in Afghanistan... including solar panels and wind farms that never work. No, I'm sorry. That's what we did here. I had it backwards.  Researchers now believe the first settlers who settled in America, in Jamestown, resorted to cannibalism. The first settlers ate each other. Good thing that didn’t catch on. That would have changed Thanksgiving, don’t you think?   Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is in trouble. He was arrested this week for threatening to expose some sensitive government secrets. And you can tell it’s serious. His bail was set at 200 goats. That’s right. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was arrested. He claimed that he had evidence that their elections were rigged. When authorities asked him to prove it, he was like, "Uh, I'm president, aren't I?"  Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy are teaming up to build a new theme park in Alabama. You can tell because the sign on the roller coaster says, “You must be this shirtless to go on this ride.”  A new survey found that 49 percent of Americans think movie trailers give too much away about the plot. Especially that one trailer that starts with, "In a world where Bruce Willis is dead the whole time..." Vice President Joe Biden’s plane was apparently stuck in Arizona because of problems with its engine. Officials say they're trying to fix it as fast as they can. But Obama was like, “No rush.”  The FDA has just ruled that girls as young as 15 can now obtain the contraceptive Plan B without a prescription. Before that, most teenagers’ Plan B was getting a show on MTV.   So, a lot of people think George Lucas is really creative coming up with Star Wars and everything, but he ripped off the idea. the premise has been around a long time. Check out this proof...

Is that Latin? I think it is. So, you know Disney owns Star Wars now, right? Well, they are really using those characters. Check out this exclusive screenshot from the new Winnie The Pooh movie.

 
I don't think it'll be that good. Return of the Jedi is having it's 30th anniversary this year. I watched it recently and was surprised to see something in the background.

I never noticed it before. Wait, I think that scene is from Revenge of the Sith. Who cares? One of the things I like to do in my spare time is go on Twitter and look up different things to see what people are talking about. I looked up Star Tours, the ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios where I work and this is what I found...

I wonder who that guy was. It wasn't me. So, this year is Return of the Jedi's 30th anniversary. That movie gave us Jabba, the Ewoks, Mon Mothma and of course, one of George's best creations... Slave Leia. So, this month on the Phile we are celebrating Slave Leia. Here you go, fellas.

 
And now from the home office on Coruscant, here is this week's...

Top Phive Similarities Between "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" & Star Wars
5. Characters saddled with idiotic names.
4. Things to bizarre language patterns, subtitles are an unfortunate necessity.
3. Focuses on an obnoxious princess.
2. Villain is a colossal gurgling, chortling, formless mass.
And the number one similarity between "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and Star Wars...
1. Has no business being shown on something called The Learning Channel.

If you spot it email me at thepeverettphile@gmail.com.  Okay, before we continue I have to mention something. I mentioned this yesterday, a Phile reader named David Vandenberg sent me an email saying that late Friday night on April 26th a little 5 year old girl named Lydia Haney lost her dad when he was shot and killed while attempting to stop a fight in Denver. In the goodness of Dave's heart, he is gonna have an auction on Facebook which will begin on May 17th at 12 pm MST. & end on May 19th at 11:59 pm MST. He will be auctioning of concert photographs of different bands and it is a highest bidder format with bids for each photograph placed on the given artist photo. This will be a one of one photo in 8x10 format unframed. This is one of the pictures being auctioned...

Go to facebook.com/david.vandenberg1 for more information and to bid on those photo's. Okay, so, are you ready for some intergalactic comedy? Please welcome to the Phile, straight from the Outer Rim, the one and only...

Tractor: Thank you, thank you. So, where did Sebulba get interviewed?

Me: Um, I don't know.

Tractor: On a podcast. What did the poodoo say to the Bantha?

Me: I don't know, I don't know what a poodoo is.

Tractor: I am your fodder. Haha. Here's one more. Did you hear about the litigious Kaminoan?

Me: Um...

Tractor: Yeah... Lama Sue.

Me: I don't get it. Tractor Beam, everybody.

Tractor: Don't eat the Bantha. See ya, nerf herders.

By the way, Bantha fodder was a type of food eaten by Banthas. The phrase "Bantha fodder" was also used as an offensive term, as the substance smelled extremely foul. Alternatively, "poodoo"..."fodder" in Huttese, was used for the same purpose. I get the joke now, but it's not funny. Alright, the 30th artist to be pheatured in the Phil's Art Gallery is Chris Hamer, and this is one of his pieces...

Chris will be a guest on the Phile next Sunday.

Okay, today's pheatured guest is a singer songwriter whose CD;s "Strength to Move" and "Move the Sun" are available on iTunes. She will next be appearing at P.D. Walsh's Country Store in Falls Village, Connecticut on June 8th. Please welcome to the Phile... Carrie Johnson.

Me: Hello, Carrie, welcome to the Phile. How are you?

Carrie: Hey, Jason!! I'm great thanks for asking!

Me: Before we start I have to ask you what's that tattoo on your wrist? Does it say anything? I love tattoo's and finding out their meanings.

Carrie: Two of the tattoo's on the top of my wrist are Celtic scrolls... part of my family history is Welsh and Irish. One of the tattoos is actually a "doodle" that I had been drawing for years... so one night in Key West, FL I had it inked permanently! The name on top is my daughter, Julia, I had that done after she finished her last round of chemotherapy. She's a 15 year old cancer survivor! On the underside of my wrist, it says "Gratitude" because that's how I live my life... filled with gratitude!

Me: Wow, that's a lot of tattoo's. Carrie, I have to say, I first discovered you through the Graham Parker tribute album "Piss & Vinegar" that just had it's rerelease. On that album your band 22 Brides did a great version of "You Can't Be Too Strong", Graham's song about abortions. Did you pick out that song to do?

Carrie: Wow! That's so cool that you found me through Graham Parker... you just never know when or how a contact will be made! Yes, my sister Libby and I were (are) big fans of Graham's and we were asked to contribute to the "Piss & Vinegar" album... that song resonated with us the most.

Me: How did 22 Brides get to be a part of that album, Carrie?

Carrie: I believe that came through our record company at the time... we were asked to pick our favorite song(s) and record them for the tribute album. Naturally we jumped at the chance!!

Me: Have you met Graham, or did you receive any feedback from him on what he thought?

Carrie: No, I never did the chance to meet Graham... but I would love to! I recall he was very happy with the version of his song that we did, that's why it made it onto "Piss & Vinegar"!

Me: 22 Brides broke up, right? Was that your first real band you were in?

Carrie: No, I had been in bands since college, I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. I was in a punk band called Little Green Men, then I moved to New York City and Libby and I formed Mood Elevators with some great players, after that we put together 22 Brides and then got signed by Zero Hour Records at a show at the infamous CBGB's actually!

Me: You were in the band with your sister. You kept on playing music, did she?

Carrie: Zero Hour merged with Universal, then everything in the industry started to unravel. After our record company filed bankruptcy in 2001 Libby got pregnant again, and I was living in Tempe, AZ at the time. I put together The Carrie Johnson Band and have been writing, recording and performing under that name since then! The players have changed but right now I've got the finest musicians in my band: Len Bobinski on bass, Dennis Cotton on drums, Dave Martin on lead guitar and Dave Zucker on keys. I write all the songs, sing and play acoustic/electric rhythm guitar. I've released three original CD's since 22 Brides... "Geographical Fix", "Move The Sun" and "Strength To Move" plus a few singles. I'm recording songs right now for my next CD release untitled as of this writing! Libby also released two original CD's, "Annabella" and "Perfect View". She and I keep talking about recording together but she's in NYC and I'm in Hartford, CT and we are both very busy, but I know we'll get to it soon. But yes, she performs in the NYC area and I perform in the New England area... and once in awhile we grace the stage together!!

Me: By the way, did you know there is a new comic book called "22 Brides"? I have a picture of it here.

Carrie: Of course!! I own the original art work to the covers! Haha! Actually the comic was written and published in 2000. Comic book icons, Jimmy Palmiotti and Joe Quesada were the inspiration behind "22 Brides" comics. We also were tied into "Ash" and "Painkiller Jane" comics as well. I love the fact that I have been immortalized with big boots, big boobs and big guns... avenging the death of our mother! That's the gist of the comic storyline...

Me: Oh, wow. That is cool, Carrie. So, will that band ever reunite?

Carrie: Never say never, Jason!!

Me: With both you and your sister being musicians, is there anybody else in your family that are musicians as well?

Carrie: In my family on both my mother and father's side, there are many musicians... vocalists, bagpipers, guitarists, piano players, fiddlers... just some of the family heritage! Music is definitely in the bloodline.

Me: My dad was a musician. Both my sister's are somewhat musical, but not me. I play the kazoo, that's about it. How old were you when you started to play and write musically?

Carrie: Foghat was the FIRST concert I ever went to!! That's too funny... Hey, don't underestimate the kazoo!! I started playing guitar when I was eight years old. I was on stage performing by the time I was ten... so pretty much all my life I've been a player. Songwriting came later... and it's a craft that I continue to hone to this day.

Me: Who did you grow up listening to?

Carrie: No... the question is who DIDN'T I listen to!? Traditional bluegrass, classic country, blues (Bessie Smith, Robert Johnson, Bonnie Raitt) folk (Bob Dylan, Judy Collins, Joni Mitchell) pop (Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel, Carol King) rock (Traffic, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, Led Zepplin) Broadway (everything... my mother was a broadway singer) Classical, Scottish Pipe music... you name it we listened to it!

Me: Carrie, I downloaded your two albums, "Strength to Move" and "Move the Sun" from iTunes, and enjoyed them both. Which one is the latest one you released?

Carrie: "Strength To Move" is the latest... it's more of a "country" vibe. I spent a lot of time in Nashville over the past several years, so the songs on that album tend to reflect that.

Me: You also have a few singles up there on iTunes. Are you currently working on a new album and will those singles be on it?

Carrie: As a matter of fact was in the studio on to record two new songs, just finished up another one... so as I said earlier, what I'm doing is recording new tunes. I don't know yet if I'll just release them as singles, or if I'll go ahead and create a new CD... in this digital world we live in it's almost easier (and more affordable) to release singles! But, it's always nice to have merchandise to sell at gigs... and most people, myself included, enjoy holding a tangible CD complete with liner notes and photos. I will let you know what I decide soon!

Me: Let's talk about "Move the Sun". How did that song get to be the title track?

Carrie: Ahh, "Move The Sun". That album is very close to my heart... for many different reasons. It's my "empowering" album. I was going through SO much at that time. My daughter was recovering from cancer, I was going through a divorce, financially life was "tight", and I was in recovery and getting sober... over 7 years now. I almost felt like I was walking through life blind. The only thing that kept me sane was songwriting. The first line of "Move The Sun" is: "Move the sun, get it out of my eyes..." - I couldn't see the future... I WANTED to, but I just kept moving one small step at a time... and have come out of a very difficult time victorious!

Me: We have to talk about this, as both my parents passed away from cancer, so cancer has been a big part of my life. Your daughter was seven years old when she had bi-lateral ovarian cancer. She was the youngest in the country, am I right?

Carrie: She was ONE of the youngest. The most unusual aspect to her cancer was that it was an "adult" cancer. Dysgerminoma... which usually affects adult women. It's a fast acting, fast spreading cancer and we caught it JUST in time. Her cancer had metastisized, but fortunately had not reached the lymph nodes. My father also passed away 4 years ago from liver cancer so it's a part of my life too, Jason. I'm sorry to hear about the passing of both your parents from this terrible disease.

Me: Carrie, how is she now? She's good, right?

Carrie: Julia is 15 now, and a happy, thriving freshman in high school! Doing well too... blessedly, her health is stable these days!

Me: Do you think Julia would love to be a singer or a musician?

Carrie: Julia is an amazing singer and songwriter and guitar player! She has already recorded several original songs. I was really pushing for her to continue doing that until horses came back into our lives! She is an avid and talented horseback rider. Hunter/Jumper for all you horse enthusiasts. She also has her sights set on becoming a civil rights lawyer!! I've always inspired my daughter to follow her heart and dream BIG!! I do have plans for her to finish at least one CD of original music. I want her to at least explore her musical gifts a little bit more. Whatever she does... it is with great passion and I love that about her. She will be singing on my new releases... she and I have a very unique blend when we sing...

Me: You wrote this beautiful song "Little Bird" for her. When you first played that song for her did you play it live or the recording?

Carrie: I think I played it live for her. In our living room. I don't think she really got the meaning of it and why I wrote it. Basically I just wanted to capture the night we were waiting in the hospital for 8 hours while she was in surgery. At the time, we didn't know she had cancer... we thought it was a benign tumor. So the moment we were told otherwise was just surreal... blurry and heartbreaking.

Me: I bet there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

Carrie: The first time I performed "Little Bird" I couldn't sing it through... I started to cry. Which, as a lifelong professional performer was difficult for me! It got easier as time went by, but I can still get choked up when I think about Julia if I'm singing... if I detach I can sing it through without losing it. Yea, usually I see a few tears in the audience when I perform that song. I don't mind though, I am also moved emotionally if I can write a song and it makes people cry, obviously I've touched a nerve...

Me: Carrie, from there you started The Little Bird House Concert Series. Can you tell the readers about that?

Carrie: When Julia got sick our medical bill were astronomical and insurance didn't cover her chemotherapy, which is incredibly expensive. The people in the town where we live rallied around us and gave us so much support... emotional, and financial through fundraisers. It was an overwhelming experience. I thought the best way to give "thanks" and pay it forward would be to do house concerts... giving all money from those concerts to The Connecticut Children's Medical Center where Julia was treated, so I began The Little Bird House Concert series. Fundraiser's are tricky though... it's better to do one BIG one than many small ones. I'll be planning another concert for the fall of 2013 and will invite my favorite songwriter's to help the cause.

Me: I am guessing with everything you've been through "Strength to Move" is a great album title and song name. Was that the reason you wrote that song?

Carrie: Actually, my husband was having a bad day. We all have them from time to time. I wrote that song for him but then realized it was a universal message... it can be for anyone struggling to get through a difficult time. I'm proud of that song, it's one of my favorites that I've written. As for the songs on that album, I co-wrote some of them... but I wanted an overall happier feeling on that release. I recorded most of the tunes in Nashville which gives it more of a country feel. I think "Strength To Move" captures a brighter future kind of feel... and after "Move The Sun" I needed to write some more upbeat songs.

Me: As well as writing a song about Julia you also wrote a song for your husband, and performed it at your wedding, am I right? What is the name of that song?

Carrie: Haha!! Yes! I wrote "Perfect" for my husband when we realized our relationship was getting "serious" and I was thinking about love, and loving someone again, giving it all I have... and wouldn't it be perfect to have it all go right this time? So far, so good!!

Me: That's so sweet, Carrie, if my wife wrote a song about me it'll be called "A Pain In the Ass". Do you always write from your heart? It sounds like you do?

Carrie: Haha! I've never written a song called "Pain In The Ass" but I've certainly eluded to it!! Do I always write from the heart? I always TRY to! I have so many beginnings of songs... some I finish, but if I'm not connecting with it then, to me, it's not worth finishing, it won't be my best, or not from my heart. Songwriting is a craft that I strive to improve upon each time I write a new song. Hopefully that comes through. The songs I'm writing now are true stories about my life. I've been going back in time to capture where I've been and where I am now. I think they're filled with a lot of heart and I am very excited to finish and release them!

Me: Where are you from, Carrie? Where do you live now?

Carrie: I'm from all over the place, Jason. I spend the first part of my childhood in New Jersey and Connecticut, then when I was 8 years old my family moved to Kenya, East Africa! I came back to the States when I was beginning high school, then Boston, then NYC, then Arizona, then Virginia and now I've come full circle and I live in Connecticut in a small town outside of Hartford.

Me: You have been working with some talented kids, Carrie. You must work well with children. I love kids myself, more then adults. Who are some of the kids you are working with?

Carrie: I work with some very talented kids... well, teens. In addition to performing, I also am a vocal and guitar instructor. I've met several young artists who initially came to me for vocal or guitar lessons, but who are talented enough to create a presence in this business. A few of them wanted to start songwriting but didn't know much about it, how to take an idea, put a melody to it and most importantly "trim the fat" and finish it. So, I expanded my musical endeavors to include Artist Development. So far, I have 3 co-writer's with EP's released via Tunecore... available on most any download music stores. Riley Lynch, Lauren Brave and Olivia Plaut. I'm very proud of these talented artists!

Me:  They are all under 15 or so, am I right?

Carrie: Riley is 15, Lauren is 16 and Olivia is 10...

Me: Do you think because of YouTube, and show's like "X Factor" and "American Idol", we are starting to discover younger talented kids all the time?

Carrie: Absolutely! The internet and shows like that are perfect platforms for any artist, and especially younger ones. But it's more than just releasing music or getting on a show. You still have to go out into the world and perform, get a buzz going, do a cool video that perhaps could go "viral" and most of all WRITE A GREAT SONG!! I tell these kids that just because the internet and TV shows make you more accessible, it doesn't mean you don't have to work your ass off. I hear all the time how kids just want to be "famous". Songwriting and performing is SO much more than that. It takes A LOT of time and energy and love of your craft to be successful in the music industry today. Because there is so much access, it's actually more competitive. So I teach and prepare my students to be ready to go out into the world and be self sufficient by recording and releasing their own records, owning their copyrights and publishing, and preparing them to perform. Fame is fleeting. Someone is always next in line. But I write music and perform because I LOVE to do it. Not for money or fame, but for the absolute love of music and being a performing and recording artist... and I've been doing this for a fairly long time now. That's what I try and inspire in anyone I work with.

Me: Speaking of those shows, are any of them going to audition for those shows?

Carrie: Riley Lynch will be auditioning for "The X Factor" this spring... I'm very excited for him. It would be WONDERFUL to see him make it through finals and get on the show! He's such a talented vocalist and now songwriter, and a really nice guy as well.

Me: How is it writing and working with kids, Carrie?

Carrie: It's a wonderful experience working with teenagers. They have a different perspective on life, love and the world in general. I am a melody maker... and usually I supply the melody and help form the lyrics that the artists I'm working with bring to me. There is always a moment when I know the song idea is special and different. I love being in the position of mentor and co-writer. I want to align myself with talented, young artists... they have A LOT to say. I think my years of being in the music industry is helpful to them... plus I've written over 200 songs so I can guide them, and help them to form a well-written song that's ready to record and release. Which is what I'm doing with about 5 artists now...

Me: What do you teach and where?

Carrie: I teach vocal, guitar and songwriting privately from my home, and I also teach at a music center... Music & Arts in Avon, CT.

Me: So, if any of those kids wanna be interviewed for the Phile, what do you think?

Carrie: I think it would be great! Let me know who you want to interview and I will have them contact you.

Me: You also, and correct me if I'm wrong, worked with Debbie Gibson? When was that? When she was a kid or more recent?

Carrie: My sister and I were Debbie's background vocalists on all her albums. She was, still is,  incredibly talented. I met her when she was 16 years old. "Out Of The Blue" and "Electric Youth" were hit albums for Debbie... it was an honor to work with her. 

Me: Who else have you worked with?

Carrie: As a background vocalist I worked on Paula Abdul's album, Belinda Carlisle, Samantha Fox and so many artists in the early 90's! Too many to even remember... haha! I was also a jingle singer and did commercials for Burger King, Hellman's Mayonnaise and Diet Coke!

Me: Carrie, on the Phile I ask random questions thanks to Tabletopics. Here is your random question... What's your dream job?

Carrie: Well I would say I'm living it, Jason! My entire vocation is music... writing, recording, performing, teaching, Artist Development... so I feel very blessed that I can support myself entirely through music. BUT I would love to see one of my songs in a movie or television show... either one I've recorded, or co-written! Licensing is another area where I have my finger in the pie, so to speak. So my latest "dream"? To have a song I have written... either on my own or with a co-writer, get placed in a show or become a "hit"!!

Me: Thanks so much for being on the Phile, Carrie. Bring your family down to Orlando. Do you play down here often?

Carrie: I haven't been to Orlando in quite some time... but might be coming down to Florida this May actually! I will let you know!

Me: Go ahead and plug your websites, and when your next CD comes out this year can you come back on the Phile? 

Carrie: Thank you so much, Jason, and thank you for inviting me to be on the Phile. Yes, I would love to come back... give you some time to listen to the new music and we can chat about it! My website is: Carriejohnson.com. You can also find me on Radio Airplay, Facebook, Twitter... I'm all over the place!!!

Me: Thanks so much, and take care. I cannot wait for the new release. Will it have Move in the title?

Carrie: No, I think I'll stand still for awhile. Thanks again. Peace and love to you and your family.

Well, that about does it for this entry. Thanks to Carrie for a great interview. The Phile will be back next Sunday with artist Chris Hamer and then on Monday with singer songwriter Stephanie Sayers. So, spread the word, not the turd. Don't let snakes and alligators bite you. May the Force be with you, and remember... Strawberry Blondes Forever! Bye, love you, bye.