Podcast

Apr 07 2023

Amie Bishop Female Fronted Hard Rock | Arkansas 2023

2023 Amie Bishop Update

Carly and I in 2021 had the pleasure of having a two hour phone conversation with singer/songwriter/songstress Amie Bishop of the now proclaimed Amie Bishop & The Slingerz.

The transformation of Amie Bishop’s music career from a singer on the hustle trying to keep a band together to putting together a solid unit and ultimately penning the name Amie Bishop & The Slingerz has been inspiring.

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz Black & White Band Promo Photo Arkansas Vanzig Studios — Amie Bishop & The Slingerz

There is so much drive, work and thick skin involved just to put band together and keep a band together let alone garnering positive press, doing photoshoots, pressing merchandise and booking shows in the hopes to build a fanbase.

Amie has been pulling it off over since our conversation back in 2021 and has set up a solid foundation to build on in 2023 to push the envelope even further.

The band has released two singles in 2023 streaming on all platforms: “Merry Go Round” and the Heart cover “Barracuda”. Between these two tracks it’s easy to hear Amie’s passion for music. I have heard a lot of Heart covers, but not anywhere close to how the band pulls it off.

I am really looking forward to having another phone with Amie regarding updates, plans & all her insight to what she is doing. Keep a lookout for this podcast episode either late February or early March.

Get yourself some killer band swag at AmieBishop.com.

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz – Streaming on All Platforms

Who is Amie Bishop & The Slingerz for?

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz is for those into female fronted rock band drawing influences from classic rock and 90’s alternative.

At this time it seems the band is still trying to figure out who they are by writing music in a few different styles. In my personal they should look to Heart & do the modern version of that mixed in with all of Amie’s personality.

Members

Vocals – Amie Bishop

Guitars – Dan Schoultz

Bass – Matt Stone

Drums – Darin Williams

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz Promo Photo

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz Origin

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz originate from Hot Springs, Arkansas and have relocated to Little Rock, Arkansas.

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz Sticker Art Arkansas — Amie Bishop & The Slingerz Sticker Art

Amie Bishop 2021 Podcast

Amie is a singer/songwriter, originally from Hot Springs, Arkansas, is hell bent on pursuing a music career. Amie is a rock, metal and alternative chick drawing influences from Heart, Led Zeppelin, Portishead, Rob Zombie, Siouxsie & the Banshees and Pantera. Her latest single, Raven (May 2021), can be heard on Spotify now.

I initially was introduced to Amie when she began submitting to opportunities on ReverbNation. In an earlier podcast episode Carly Quinn and I listened to some random artists that submitted and Amie’s submission, Tune In, was one we talked about. Amie listened to the episode and we have been in contact ever since. We chose her to be our first artist phone call conversation because she has a killer voice, no bullshit hustle mentality and is experiencing all of the classic trials & tribulations artists go through.

Amie talks about all of the classic roadblocks an artist can have such as solidifying a band of like minds to figuring out how to market and promote. We had a really great conversation and look forward to having more in the future. Amie is open to collaborating with other musicians to keep pushing out her art so if you are looking for a female rock, metal, folk singer she can kind of do it all. Don’t be shy, she might even share her keto beer and eclectic cheeses with you.

Visit AmieBishop.com for all info and follow her on instagram @TheAmieBishop.

If you would like to work with Vanzig Studios please send an email to Airheads@VanzigStudios.com or send a DM @VanzigMoshPit

Amie Bishop & The Slingerz T-Shirt Merch Art Arkansas — T-Shirt Merchandise

Tour

Let’s Talk Amigos!

Please hit us personally here at Vanzig Studios for any reason whatsoever using the Contact Form. If you’re curious where Carly and I come from then read over our bio.

SOCIALS

Feb 15 2023

How to Build a Fanbase in 2023?

Midnight Mob Carly Quinn & Mickey Squeeze Black Leather Acoustic Show Atlantic City, NJ

How to Build a Fanbase in 2023?

Musicians, artists, bands seem to have lost sight of what is actually important due to the convenience of streaming aided by an pandemic that turned the music industry on its head.

The conversation surrounding an artist’s success was always hype, energy and attendance at a live show. Due to streaming and social norms ironically favoring those not frequenting social gatherings & laziness the metric conversation became streaming numbers & social media traffic.

Musicians trying to create a music career were given some incredibly misguided information on how to build a fanbase due to this blip in the world & profound affect on the music industry. The truth is social media & streaming numbers can be bought, sold, gamed & faked, which is hardly new information.

The entire industry is aware of bloated profiles created by various individuals & agencies cornering the deceiving numbers market. An artist is wasting extremely valuable in person networking time if isolated at home hovering over a phone and a computer as well as killing their craft of songwriting.

Social media definitely has its place, but I would argue that its usefulness is connecting to music blogs, venues, promoters, record stores & other music fanatics not locally accessible. Social Media has created such a disruption for up and coming artists because it is hiding what is truly important for an artist.

There is only so much time in a day and most artists put a majority of their free time to social media instead of practicing the art of songwriting & performing. An artist’s number one priority is writing better music in order to stand out. The music will turn heads and speak for itself. The music is the product that creates a potential career.

An artist knows they have something special when you receive that repetitive super genuine reaction to their music every where they perform. The easiest way to gauge your music and skill as a self promoter / marketer is by making open mics a testing ground.

The proof in the pudding is the hustle everywhere you go. If an artist does not want to believe this then enjoy and revel in possibly 100K streams and most likely 1 in attendance at your local dive.

Everywhere I read regarding how to build a fanbase fails to mention performing at open mics . Open mics are completely free and already have the curated audience for you to network so there is no need to sift through people that might be interested in what you have to offer.

Open mics are a great place to create culture around your music Monday through Thursday, get in with venues & people others that may want help an artist succeed. It is also a good place for constructive criticism, free live content & zero stress.

Time and time I again I get asked how to get into certain venues and in with certain clicks. The response is always the same. Did you showcase for the venue or attend events at the venue? Did you start to build relationships with the bartender, security, DJ, promoter, local musicians?

You can answer most of these questions by doing an open mic on a Tuesday night from 8-10 for two hours instead of watching Netflix or creating the perfect social media post. Then after your open mic performance you can review the video footage and possibly post your performance and show how good you are. If the audio came out decent you can post it as a live performance to streaming sites adding to your EPK when you reach out to venues or other bands. Total cost is zero.

-Mickey Squeeze

Support Vanzig Studios “Rock N Roll for Airheads”

#vanzignation

VanzigStudios.com

Instagram: @VanzigMoshPit

Spotify as Mickey Squeeze & Carly Quinn Guitarist/Bassist for: Midnight Mob & Misfit Saints

Email: Airheads@VanzigStudios.com

Feb 01 2022

#41: Moon Tooth Guitarist, Nick Lee, Talks Perseverance, Dedication & Self Belief – 2022

Nick Lee | Moon Tooth

Moon Tooth – Long Island, NY

This episode is a phone call w/ Moon Tooth guitarist, Nick Lee. You can hear all sorts of metal influences in Moon Tooth such as Mastodon, Lamb of God, Pantera and a many others. There are moments during the “Crux” album where you can hear King X like textures.

We have known Nick & drummer, Ray Marte, for many years and have watched Moon Tooth grow incredibly over the years. All of Moon Tooth’s achievements have been the culmination of a serious work ethic, immense talent, pursuit of greatness and the undying passion for music.

Nick talks about the growth of Moon Tooth over its 10 year existence, new album this Spring, Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, working with The Machine Shop & Mark Morton (Guitarist/Lamb of God), playing acoustically, touring globally as Riot’s guitarist, gear and a more.

Update 2022:

The much anticipated follow up to the Crux album was released May 2022, entitled Phototroph courtesy of Pure Noise Records. I have full intention to do a proper write up on this record once I get a few more spins under my belt and have 100% focus.

In a nutshell, Phototroph is a beast of a metal album with unbelievable band chemistry, musical chops and is quite the hard rock metal rodeo cluster of prog madmen at work. All metal heads & metal musicians need to give this album a listen love it or hate it.

I have read many reviews of people praising it, hating it and everything in between. What I really dig about this album is that it is not Crux two. This album completely stands on its own and will most likely reach an entirely new audience helping break MT even further. Check it out!

Who is Moon Tooth?:

Revolver caught up with Moon Tooth and here is a solid summation of the Long Island Metal band’s origins of which Carly & I had the pleasure of playing the same scene of bands.

Courtesy of Revolver interviewing vocalist John Carbone:

“Nick Lee, Ray Marté, Vincent Romanelli and myself on guitar, drums, bass and vocals respectively. We formed when Nick and Ray’s previous band Exemption ended as their singer-bassist Tom Moran was moving on to make incredible music of his own. I was playing drums in our brilliant friend Derek Smith’s band Rice Cultivation Society. Nick had joined that band on second guitar so that’s how I met him [and] Exemption and fell in love with their music. When they had disbanded, they made it clear that Ray and Nick were gonna keep going. So I wrote Nick a letter telling him how passionate I was about his music and that I knew I was the singer for the job. I got the gig after they watched me sing with my own band and saw what I did with a demo of theirs. Vin was their friend, playing bass in a band called Give Up the Goods and they said he was the first choice both musically and personally. I met Vin at the first practice and we both immediately felt like we had found a brother in each other. Then it was writing and playing 100 shows all in the first year. It all clicked right away because it was clear that the four of us needed to not only make music but throw absolutely every part of ourselves at it. It’s been life or death for us from day one.” – John Carbone (Moon Tooth Vocalist)

Previous Moon Tooth Releases:

Follow Moon Tooth:

Instagram – @MoonToothShreds

Bandcamp

Support Vanzig Studios

“Rock N Roll for Airheads”

#vanzignation

Spotify as Vanzig Studios & Carly Quinn – Guitarist/Bassist for: Midnight Mob & Misfit Saints

Email: Airheads@VanzigStudios.com

Bands Mentioned:

Moon Tooth, Riot, Exemption, Midnight Mob, Misfit Saints, Lamb of God, Mark Morton, Mastodon, Pantera, Black Label Society, Kings X, Judas Priest, Scorpions, Michael Schenker Group

Official Moon Tooth Music Video:

Dec 31 2021

#40 Conversation w/ 50q Record Label Founders Sid Riggs & Lee Caruso Jr. Music is Passion, Genuine & Oozing w/ Coolness | Pittsburgh, PA – 2021

Record Label 50Q

This episode is a phone call with 50q Records Co-Founders Sid Riggs & Lee Caruso Jr based out of Pittsburgh, PA.

Sid is a drummer, songwriter, engineer & producer working with major labels and such acts as Alice Cooper, Rob Halford, Seether, Saliva, John 5 and many others.

Lee Caruso Jr is a guitarist, singer, songwriter, engineer, producer and fronts his band Big Atlantic. Both dudes share our passion for music & helping others taking a stab at the music industry by sharing experiences, information & expertise.

This is a must listen episode for musicians looking to push their career. Hearing this back even months later after posting still hits home. The core of this conversation centers around just goin for it. Stop overthinking next steps and book your show play for one. If you are a musician the chance of you doing anything using a social media approach first have less than a one percent chance at having a career.

Follow 50q Records :

Instagram – @50qrecords

Support Vanzig Studios “Rock N Roll for Airheads”

#vanzignation

VanzigStudios.com

Instagram: @VanzigMoshPit

Spotify as Mickey Squeeze & Carly Quinn Guitarist/Bassist for: Midnight Mob & Misfit Saints

Email: Airheads@VanzigStudios.com

Bands Mentioned:

Alice Cooper, Seether, Saliva, John 5, Guns N Roses, Taylor Swift, Smashing Pumpkins, 21 Pilots, AC/DC, Abba, Aerosmith, Midnight Mob, Misfit Saints

Dec 26 2021

#39 Reverand Beat-Man – Punk Rock Freedom or Squalor in Mediocrity w/ the King of Blues Trash Punk Rock N Roll from Bern, Switzerland – 2021

Punk Rock Reverend Beat-Man Voodoo Rhythm Records Founder Switzerland

Choice Track from Reverand Beat-Man & his Monsters

Reverand Beat-Man -Punk Rock Icon

Phone call with Reverand Beat-Man, a one man punk rock band proclaimed King of Blues Trash hailing from Bern, Switzerland.

Reverand Beat-Man is also known as the frontman & guitarist of The Monsters. The Monsters released a new album in 2021 called “You’re Class I’m Trash” and the label Voodoo Rhythm Records released compilation #5.

Beat-Man is a true punk rock one man band, not only his live performance, not only founding/running Voodoo Rhythm Records, but also packaging all of the audio with incredible graphic design.

If Reverand Beat-Man had a dance it would be called the Trash Hustle and requiring you to go after what you want in life in order to achieve your true purpose.

Visit Beat-Man:

Reverend Beat-Man & Izobel Garcia 2019 Baile Bruja Muerto Album Promotion

2022 Update:

Misfit Saints pulled down all music from all platforms to be remastered & re-released Fall 2022. Plenty of music will be released during late 2022 and throughout 2023.