I’m extremely lucky to live in an area full of so much local talent. There is a lot of talent in Utah that people don’t know about and I’m happy to introduce you to some artists that need to be on your radar. A few weeks ago I met a very unique individual. His name is David Batt. David was in the studio at Silverstain Records with producer Mitch Davis working on his upcoming EP Eyes To The Sky for his project Casting Quarters. I can describe my first impressions ofrt beat fast as if I had a crush on it. Therefore it is David using two words, “artistic crush.” His music literally makes my heart beat fast because of how great it is. David is an incredible musician, talented songwriter, and all around just a sincere, genuine person. I’ve never met an artist like him. I am honored to give you a track by track review of his amazing EP Eyes To The Sky
Shook Up: This song the perfect opener for the EP. The sound of the guitar plugging in and the introduction set the mood and captivate you. You’re introduced to David’s unique voice and his amazing songwriting. His lyrics are so clever and fun yet full of passion and honestly.
Eyes To The Sky: Basically this song makes me want to pack up, move to California, and follow my dreams. I really don’t know what else to say other than this song is perfection. The passion and honestly continue in this song and can give anyone hope that it is possible to make your dreams come true.
Back To You: You know those EP’s where maybe the first two songs are good and then the rest are alright? Well this is definitely not one of them. There is greatness in every song. I heard pieces of this song when I first met David in the studio. After hearing it in its entirety I love it even more.
Know Your Worth: This song is simply beautiful. The stripped down accompaniment makes you appreciate the how pure and gorgeous David’s voice is. There is so much passion in this song you can’t help but grasp its message. You can tell David put his heart and soul into every word.
Counting The Hours: This song was the first thing I ever heard from David. It captivated me and made me want to know more about him and his project. It definitely finishes the EP on a strong note.
Make sure you download Eyes To The Sky Available April 6th and like Casting Quarters on Facebook for more updates
Review by: Sydney Tycksen
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Photo Credit: Sydney Tycksen
1. Keeper
2. Light Up The Sky
3. Only One
4. Way Away
5. Breathing
6. Ocean Avenue
7. Empty Apartments
8. Twentythree
9. Believe
10. Shadows and Regrets
11. Five Becomes Four
12. Paper Walls
13. Awakening
14. Always Summer
15. Here I Am Alive
16. Sleep In The Snow
17. Telescope
18. Ten
19. With You Around
20. Hang You Up
21. Soundtrack
22. Sing For Me
23. Rivertown Blues
24. Holly Wood Died
25. Dear Bobbie
How did you meet and what inspired you to make music together? How did Anthony Raneri come into the picture?
All of us knew each other for quite some time going to school together throughout the years. The way the band formed was after Tim and Anthony’s old band stopped playing, they wanted to pursue music more seriously. So they added both Tom and I, and we have been a band now for about 2 years. Anthony Raneri produced our debut EP “Fast Hands, Bad Timing” and so our manager contacted his manager and sent him some of our demos. To our luck he liked what he heard and was interested in producing our record.
What are some of your influences?
I would have to say growing up would definitely be bands like Green Day, Blink 182 and Nirvana. Now I’m listening to even more wide ranges of bands and genres, just trying to be exposed to whatever is good music.
For people who haven’t listened to On The Fifty, describe your sound.
I believe we are more than just a typical pop-punk band, I think the band has much versatility in that we naturally create songs that have an edge to them. Also we write music from a very honest place with the hopes that other individuals can relate to our life.
What can we expect in the future from On The Fifty?
Just writing new material and hopefully going on tour soon. We are all college students so we will all be graduating college in the coming year.
What is on your current playlist?
Balance and Composure, Title Fight, Bayside, New Found Glory, the list can go on and on
One of my favorite things about music is when an artist I love releases a cover. I know a lot of people have mixed feelings about covers but personally I really enjoy them. There is something about recreating a song and being able to share your interpretation of the original artist’s work.
Today Jesse Wride of j.wride released a cover of Nikki Minaj’s Fly. When I first heard his take on the song my jaw literally dropped in awe. I was blown away. Jesse does an incredible job of highlighting Minaj’s strong and powerful lyrics in ways the original can’t. The beautiful piano accompaniment gives listeners a chance to get a feel of the message behind the song. This version of the song made me want to conquer the world. If you would like to experience this world-conquering mood, I encourage you to take the opportunity to watch this video once, twice, or more if you’d like. And make sure to like j.wride on facebook. Keep an eye out for their new album coming in 2013.
After a long day at work or school I eagerly await returning to my little apartment in Orem, Utah where my evening plans usually consist of doing homework, practicing my vocal warm-ups, listening to music, and blogging. Every Tuesday and Thursday as I’m sitting down at my desk to accomplish these tasks I am distracted by the familiar sounds of a rock band warming up. At that point I pack up my things and head to the library or put headphones in. This is not me complaining, if I was going to do that I would call the cops or the apartment manager like everyone else. I’m simply trying to set the mood before I introduce you to my neighbors, Chasing Chance. Chasing Chance has been together since September 2011. The band consists of Chance Young (Vocals/Rhythm), Nick Dutson (Bass), Jared Shepherd (Drums), and Tyler Pearson (Keyboard). They recently just got done recording their self-titled EP featuring “Background Music,” “Pleasing The Ladies,” “No Regrets,” and “NCMO (Non-Committal Make Out).” Being the awesome neighbor I am, I thought I would give my readers a track by track breakdown of each song on the EP.
Background Music: An introduction to who Chasing Chance is and what their sound is like, Background Music is the perfect opening track for the EP. With catchy lyrics and an infectious melody this song will be stuck in your head for a really long time….. and I’m not kidding.
Pleasing The Ladies: This song has always been one of my favorites by the band. It has a strong Pop/Punk vibe and is just down right clever. Chance has a way of sneaking in innuendos from some of his favorite artists. The question is, are you able to catch them?
No Regrets: The band showed me this song one night this summer and I fell in love. I think I listened to it on repeat for at least two days straight. No Regrets is all about following your dreams despite what other people say. At some point everyone goes through something like this. As I dreamer, I relate. There have been several times in my life where I was determined to do something and the people around me didn’t think I could make it happen. Listen to this song and live your life with no regrets.
NCMO (Non-Committal Make Out): Everyone has had one of those make outs where one person is interested and the other person is not interested. This song just tells it how it is in a hilarious way. I had the opportunity to lend my cell phone voice in the bridge which makes this one of my favorite songs.
Now that I’ve given you the breakdown of each song on the EP, do me a favor.
1. Go like Chasing Chance on Facebook
2. Tell them that I sent you there.
3. Message them your email and you can get all of these songs for FREE and enjoy!
- Sydney
PHOTO CREDIT: Sydney Tycksen
—Alex Gaskarth (All Time Low)
In honor of this weeks release of “Don’t Panic” we thought we would take a look back at our interview with All Time Low at the Vans Warped Tour this summer. Be sure to look out for “Sydney’s Top 25 Favorite All Time Low Songs” feature coming up in the next few weeks.
NIGHTNIGHT by DEDDY
