Bandcamp is Still Your Best Bet for Supporting Local Music
12 minute readAlthough Bandcamp has postponed their Bandcamp Friday initiative until the fall (expected to start up again September 2nd), the site is still your best bet for supporting local artists. Streaming apps like Spotify generally pay between $.003 and $.005 per stream, according to Business Insider. On Bandcamp Fridays, artists receive an average of 93% of the proceeds of the sales of their music, and on all other days they receive an average of 82%. On Friday, June 17, Bandcamp will also be fundraising in honor of the Juneteenth holiday by donating 100% of their share of the sales to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
This month, we are featuring Junatime’s new album Remember the Magic, which was released June 10 (available to buy on Bandcamp or locally at Fingerprints Music), as well as a playlist of artists that came out with new work between March and June. Long Beach is full of talent, so make sure you support local music! Please also send your suggestions for future features to erin@forthe.org.
THE JUNATIME MOTTO: THE MORE SYNTHS THE MERRIER!
Kate Bush’s 1985 song “Running Up the Hill (A Deal with God)” has started climbing back up the music charts thanks to its feature in the recently released season four of Netflix’s Stranger Things. (When originally released, it reached #30 in the U.S. on the Billboard chart, but more recently it cracked the chart’s top ten.) Though Bush’s heyday was a bit before Heather Jean Sommerhauser’s time as well, she was definitely not one of those folks in need of an introduction to the ‘80s icon. Sommerhauser, a.k.a. Junatime, credits the entire album the song comes from (Hounds of Love) as an inspiration for her new ‘80s-inspired synth pop album Remember the Magic.
Recorded last year at Long Beach’s own Big Ego studios, Sommerhauser also cites Tears for Fears’ album Sounds from the Big Chair as a big influence, as well as ‘80s icons Peter Gabriel, Prince, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner, and Hall and Oates. “The pop artists in the ‘80s were just so much more in-depth than pop music in any other time period,” she explains. “Take Hall and Oates, for example. They often use jazz chords, [and] the music is more complex but yet it still sounds catchy.”
Chris Schlarb, who runs Long Beach’s Big Ego studios, is the co-songwriter and producer of the album. Sommerhauser was pleasantly surprised he would want to collaborate with her since their favorite genres of music differ so much; he is much more into jazz, folk, and rock than the ’80s pop she loves. Sommerhauser soon realized that they are more aligned than they seem on a superficial level; both enjoy making music that “is easy to catch onto, but has deeper layers to it.”
Despite the throwback feel of the music, the outlook is current as it takes you on a journey through modern issues and universal human struggles. Subjects range from protecting the environment and fighting for justice to dealing with mental health as well as the benefits of taking time to build romantic relationships. With these experiences also comes a wide range of emotions, such as anxiety, empathy, and love.
The love songs didn’t come as easy to Sommerhauser. Despite being in a loving relationship with her partner, musician John Miranda, she said, “with this world that we are living in, I struggled to even add love songs to this album.”
Miranda helped her by drawing on their mutual love for belting out duets at karaoke or while alone in the car together.
After being asked for assistance, Miranda (who is credited with helping write the single “Take Time”) said, “I wanted to write something corny as hell, the cheesiest ‘80s song possible.”
Sommerhauser clarified, “Well, it’s a fine line between ‘Okay, let’s do this cheesy thing’ and ‘Let’s also have it be really good.’”
Heart’s caged and I’m giving you the only key
And I need someone who can guard it, and someone who can set it free
To carve love in a heart, and not break it apart
Sommerhauser immediately knew who she wanted to get on the song with her, Jeremiah Lloyd Harmon. Harmon, who made it to the top 6 on American Idol in 2019, was recording his album at Big Ego in between tapings and Sommerhauser had been asked by Schlarb to join a choir for one of his songs. Now she wondered if he would ask Harmon to join her. (Harmon is another collaborator that she wasn’t sure would be interested. She says he is more acoustic and gets comparisons to Jeff Buckley based on both his songwriting skills and vocal ability). Schlarb loved the idea and agreed to ask Harmon who he says immediately jumped at the chance to duet with her on “Take Time”.
Rounding out the record are a few other Big Ego regular studio musicians, including Danny Frankel (Lou Reed, KD Lang, Fiona Apple) who contributes percussion on her song “1000 Hummingbirds” as well as guitarists Davin Givhan (Lauryn Hill) and alto saxophonist Isaiah Morfin on title track “Remember the Magic” (his band Izzy and the Fins is also going on a mini-tour with Junatime).
Yet another collaboration fostered by Schlarb would help Sommerhauser bring forth a visual representation for the title track. Schlarb connected Sommerhauser to video artist Cogey and her partner, Sam, who are responsible for several humorous viral videos, like this Gen Z prayer, or this one about red flags.
“There’s something about connecting it to a visual that makes people hear it better,” she said.
Much like Schlarb, Sommerhauser says that Cogey and Sam brought the best out of her. She noted, “They just got the vision completely!”
Part of the magic Sommerhauser would like folks to remember harkens back to the days when it was common to put a new album on your record player and spend time listening to it from beginning to end.
“My hope is people will take a moment with it, like actually slow down and take the journey,” Sommerhauser said.
Junatime – Remember the Magic
Released June 10
Tomisin Oluwole
Ode to Pink II, 2020
Acrylic and marker on paper
14 x 22 inches
Click here to check out our interview with Tomisin Oluwole, a a literary and visual artist based in Long Beach.
Instead of gunking up our site with ads, we use this space to display and promote the work of local artists.
MARCH – JUNE BANDCAMP RELEASES
Soular System – “good life”
Released March 18
Soular System is Tom Kendall and Anthony Lynn, but they also collaborate with other musicians, such as harpist Gracie Sprout (a.k.a. Grey Seaa), when bringing their music to the stage or recording studio. The smooth tone of Lynn’s vocals soar nonchalantly over Kendall’s brilliant production, which belies the DIY approach the group has always taken. Born and raised in Long Beach, both guys can also often be found jamming with the house band at Que Sera’s Fight Club or working with other talented local artists like Seafood Sam (his latest, Something for the Sunrise, features a song with vocals by Lynn and another with production by Kendall).
Ellen Warkentine – “I Have a Thing For You”
Released March 18
An original song written and composed by Warkentine, “I Have a Thing For You” fits right in with the rest of the jazz standards she covers for her newest album, Now at Last. Recorded at Big Ego studios, this gorgeous album features the studio’s team of virtuoso musicians, including Anthony Shadduck on double bass, Danny Frankel on drums and percussion, Isaiah Morfin on alto saxophone, and Joe Cunningham on tenor saxophone.
Bootleg Orchestra – “Solidaritron”
Released March 25
Bootleg Orchestra, which includes Long Beach Poly alums Menchie Caliboso (producer, guitarist) and Vanessa Acosta (vocals, trumpet) as well as producer and guitarist Andrew Dixon, creates electronic soul music with messages of anti-imperialism and anti-fascism. Their latest release was inspired by its accompanying artwork: Long Beach artist Bodeck Luna’s piece titled “Solidaritron,” which he created as part of the Chinese American Museum Los Angeles’ “Collective Resilience” show.
Micah Bournes – “By Now (Live)”
Released April 1
Singing “I’m supposed to be a wise man now / But I’m feelin like a lost young child,” Micah Bournes reflects on his life and everything society is telling him he needs to be. Emotions run high, but Bournes (who is also an accomplished poet) isn’t afraid to share them with the world. You can hear his voice breaking as he struggles to reckon with feelings of inadequacy based on societal expectations, until he finally reaches a conclusion that there isn’t anywhere else he “should” be other than where he is right now.
Vicky Farewell – “Kakashi (All of the Time)”
Released April 8
Vicky Farewell (Vicky Nguyen) is from Garden Grove, but you may recognize her from her place behind the keys at Que Sera’s Fight Club, jamming with a rotating line of (mostly male) musicians. Believing that representation matters, she was eager to take complete control of her music and used the isolating time of the COVID-19 pandemic experimenting and creating Sweet Company. Upon playing her new album for musician Mac Demarco, she was “offered a deal on the spot” with his record label (“Mac’s Record Label”). Sweet Company was written and produced by Nguyen, mixed by David Pizzimenti, and mastered by David Ives.
Chase Petra – “Keanu Reeves”
Released April 8
Chase Petra’s album 4 o’clock in the Afternoon is accompanied with the hashtag #early2000ssadboy and is described by the band as “quarter-life crisis pop rock.” The trio features Brooke Dickson on vocals and bass, Hunter Allen on guitar, synth, and vocals, and Evan Schaid on percussion, slide guitar, piano, and vocals.
Asi Fui – Gold
Released April 15
Asi Fui, which translates to “how I was/went” in Spanish, is what lead vocalist/bassist Tatiana Velazquez’s grandma used to write on the back of old photos. Velazquez is joined by Miguel Vasquez on guitar and Ryan Reiff (formerly of Free Moral Agents) on drums. You can watch the music video for “Gold” (the title track from their newest EP) here, which was conceptualized and co-directed by Velasquez. Gold was recorded at Hybrid Studios and produced by Asi Fui and Brian Frederick.
Alyssandra Nighswonger – “Survive Sunrise”
Released May 27
Nighswonger’s new album Will You Stay was recorded at Compound Studio with Antoine Arivizu in Signal Hill. She describes it as “made to aid the alchemy of a broken heart” and “immersed in the mellotron.” An EP release show will be held on Saturday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. in the garden on the grounds of Rancho Los Cerritos.
Phileano – “DMT Karaoke” ft. 2Mex, Mesidge
Released May 31
In Phileano’s newest album Cirilo, “DMT Karaoke” includes some of the most “underrated rappers on Earth,” according to featured artist 2Mex (The Visionaries). The album is actually stacked with notable underground artists, including Toko Tasi (who was tragically shot to death in Long Beach in 2019 and had worked with members of Sublime and Slightly Stoopid) as well as LMNO, Opie Ortiz, I-Man, Block McCloud, Agallah Don Bishop (who also released the album The Year of the Tiger on June 3), Garrett Douglas, and Disciples of the Sick.
slowsleepwaves – “Colossal” feat. Apache Prophet
Released June 4
Each of the one word named songs on slowsleepwaves’ experimental trip hop album Mortal creates an atmosphere out of explorative beats that often feels ominous. “Colossal” is the only song on the album that features vocals, which are powerfully provided by rapper Apache Prophet. An instrumental version of “Colossal” is also included.
erin@forthe.org
