February 25 , 2008
Right - it's 2008. Let's get on with it shall we...(I've been a slacker what can I say?)
I went to the "Buzzies" on Saturday night. The "Buzzies," you say, what the heck are the "Buzzies?" Well, it is the 102.9 Local Buzz awards show and benefit for the National Kidney Foundation. I was nominated "Best Female Vocalist" for 2007. I was absolutely shocked and surprised to learn this about a month ago when the voting began. For the last three weeks you guys have been voting, and I'm so excited to have such great family and friends supporting me. You are a brilliant street team! Whoo Hoo!
So Saturday night I went out to hear the results, support the local rock scene and 102.9 the Local Buzz (who has totally been there for me), support the National Kidney Foundation, and see some amazing talent! I'd like to first congratulate all of the nominees in the "Best Female Vocalist" category including Heather Jacks, Lakota Gordon of Patience, Katie Kerkhover, and the winner, Hayley Williams of Paramore. I also heard some amazing bands, and I'd like to highlight Pilots Wish. I really dug them. Check them out!
A big THANK YOU to everyone who voted for me, to Aljon & Anna from 102.9 the Buzz, and for those who didn't vote - you can make it up to me by buying my album. Click here. THANKS!! :)
August 24, 2007
Have I expressed my feelings about the internet lately? I didn't think so. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with the online phenomenon. Mostly LOVE, but sometimes hate. The hate part comes from wanting to see people face-to-face rather than texting, blogging, myspacing, e-mailing etc. etc. I'd rather use the latter forms of communication as a 2 minute way to set up a time and place to meet someone and catch up face-to-face. It's much more personal. Sometimes I think with all the technology at our fingertips we are losing intimacy as a society. But that could be a very long topic indeed and I'd rather concentrate on why I LOVE the internet.
I LOVE the internet because it is worldwide and allows you to communicate with people you wouldn't see face-to-face unless you flew there - which could be very expensive. I can't imagine being an independent artist before the world wide web. How did people do it back then? I wouldn't be able to do then what I am doing now. In the last two months I have sold (through CD Baby) my album to people in France, Norway, Japan, and I just sold one to someone in Israel today! That is freaking amazing, and I am not signed to a record label!! To be able to communicate through my music with people all over the world is truly a blessing and a gift. Thank you God for that.
So oddly enough, I think the Internet brings people closer together for the most part. I just wish I could live during the time (if the world lasts this long) of teleportation. Then I could beam myself to Israel and thank that person personally for supporting my art. Until then, thank you and have a brilliant day! Shalom (Peace). Kol Tuv (May you be blessed with everything good).
July 23, 2007
Helloooooooo out there! Is anybody home? I am, at least physically, maybe not mentally. Cuckoo, Cuckoo! But I digress...
I would like to thank Aljon & Anna for having me as a guest on the 102.9 Local Buzz show last night. I had such a great time! I got there a little before 9pm (show is 9pm to midnight) and after playing a few songs from other local rockers (Ligion, Deadsun and Patience), I chatted with Aljon and Anna and they played three songs from "No Vacancy." The songs were "Ghost in the Backseat", "Little Wave Goodbye" and "Save Me." All in all it was a great interview and a great show! If you missed it, shame on you! You can buy my cd now to make up for it! But seriously, check out the Local Buzz show every Sunday night from 9pm to midnight and request your favorite song from "No Vacancy" by calling 615-737-1029. 102.9 The Buzz - Everything that Rocks! Thank you!
June 7, 2007
Well this has been an awesome week!! A lot of things are happening this week for some reason. First and foremost, my album "No Vacancy" has finally been released. Whoo Hoo! I've created my own record label called SpiritCore Records, and the Promotion People (me) have finally gotten their act together to get this record out and start marketing it full force. So, what has happened this week, you ask? Well...
"Ghost in the Backseat" is being featured on XM Satellite Radio Channel 43 tonight - 9pm CST!
"No Vacancy" is for sale on iTunes.
"No Vacancy" is for sale on Awarestore.com
"No Vacancy" is an Editor's Pick on CDBaby.com
"No Vacancy" and songs from the Kristi Rush EP are available for license on Pump Audio
So, I can't wait to see what next week brings. Hopefully 5 more pieces of good news. I guess the Promotions Department isn't all that bad after all. Have a great week!
May 11, 2007
What's up? Well, it's been awhile. I've been busy and thinkin' and trying to figure out what to do next. I went to New York and had so much fun. I stayed with one of my best friends and we partied and caught up. I had a bunch of meetings with music folks, saw some live music, caught a Broadway show - "Curtains" with David Hyde Pierce from Frasier, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge ( really, I did), ate late night pizza (hmm), pub crawled in Brooklyn while snapping photos of every bartender, did too many Irish Car Bomb shots, met the guy whose dad was Mr. Snuffleupagus (he was lying) and lots of shopping! I love New York!! I can't wait to go back.
So, what is the latest, you ask? Well, I've decided to release my album "No Vacancy" myself. Yep - on my own! I've created my own record label. It's called SpiritCore Records. I'm psyched!! A lot of cool things are going to start happening - I can feel it! So keep your eyes and ears open because "No Vacancy" will be for sale soon. Awarestore.com has accepted it and will be creating my own personal store so that I can sell the album right through this website. Cool, eh? "No Vacancy" will also be coming to iTunes and loads of other digital music sites soon. I will keep you informed. Stay tuned...
March 22, 2007
Hello everyone! I can’t believe it is officially spring as of yesterday. Time flies! I haven’t even said Happy New Year to you yet. So Happy New Year to you! I’ve been a bit delinquent in my journal writing. I do apologize. I hope you are all well and happy and haven’t broken any of your New Years resolutions yet. I didn’t make any. I feel like my life is one big goal after another, so I said screw it. I have been very busy so far this year. I've got a new album that I've been shopping, and I’m doing everything in my power to make sure everyone hears it. I am off to the big APPLE next week to meet with whoever will listen! I’m really excited. I’ve got some great meetings lined up and who knows where that will take me. I’ll have a full report when I get back!
I’m also continuing to write – how could I not?! That’s how I get through this roller coaster of a business. I’m starting to compile songs for album #2. I have no idea the sound or shape of that record yet, but I’m writing away and stockpiling for now and then who knows what will rise to the surface! Well, that’s all for now kids. We’ll catch up when I get back from NY.
December 18, 2006
If you haven’t heard of it already, then I want to turn you on to this amazing documentary that I saw on Showtime last week. It’s called “All We Are Saying.” Rosanna Arquette directed it and basically interviews loads of legendary career artists as well as new artists. But these aren’t your normal interviews that you hear on TV where everything is so hyped and commercial and sometimes you wonder if it’s more about the interviewer than the interviewee. They are intimate conversations that don’t really feel like an interview at all. Some of the artists let their guard down a bit and seem to feel at ease enough to let you in to their life on the road and their life at home. I loved the way some of the artists talked about songwriting - how it is such a spiritual experience - a gift that comes from God or the universe or whatever you want to call it. I found the documentary truly inspiring which is saying a lot for me these days…I am always looking for inspiration and I was truly touched by these artists and grateful that they shared their personal feelings and insight about their art. I actually watched the whole thing 2 nights in a row – which is crazy for me because I get bored very easily. I’ve also got it recorded so that I can watch it whenever I need to feel inspired.
Patti Smith, Thom Yorke, Chrissie Hynde, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Nicks, Iggy Pop, Yoko Ono, Steven Tyler, Annie Lennox, Mary J. Blige, David Crosby, Sheryl Crow, Perry Farrell, Flea, Peter Gabriel, Sting, Macy Gray, Merle Haggard, Ben Harper, Debbie Harry, Tom Petty, Jimmy Iovine, Will.I.Am, Ann Wilson, Nancy Wilson, Sean Lennon, Anthony Kiedis, Marilyn Manson, Elton John
Go check it out at www.allwearesaying.net For a schedule of viewings go to www.sho.com and search for All We Are Saying Is. I highly recommend it!
December 4, 2006
The new website is here! It's ALIVE!!! I am so excited to share with you my new album, "No Vacancy." Make sure you visit the Music page, or listen to the music player on any page, to hear clips of every song on the album. I really wanted to include clips of every song because this album is based on a concept and themes that take you on a journey from beginning to end. Now, they are only clips. I didn't put the songs in their entirety out there because I've got to keep a little mystery going so that when it is released you'll have a reason to buy it! Right?!
Also, check out the photos page for photos from the "No Vacancy" photo shoot as well as in the studio during the recording of the album. Do you like the moonheads? See, I told you that you would see what I mean by "moonheads."
A big THANK YOU goes out to Stephen for another fine job on my website. He worked many hours on it and I'm very proud of it. BRAVO! It looks brilliant, even if I do say so myself!
November 20, 2006
Stephen (my fearless husband) and I spent the entire weekend updating my website. Now you might be saying, “Well why the heck hasn’t it changed then?” Well, we’re not finished yet! But, soon, very soon, this website will be revamped. I will have clips from my new album as well as new photos and a new look to the website. So stay tuned for the new, absolutely amazing, totally unbelievably awesome www.kristirush.com. How’s that for shameless self promotion. Hell YEAH!
November 12, 2006
I’d just like to send a shout out to David Bean (photographer extraordinaire), Julie Forester (fabulous pop/country artist and makeup artist), John Grimes (brilliant stylist of hair), and Heather Cart (keeper of the moonheads). Thank you all for capturing the concept and image of my album so beautifully.
For everyone who is like, “What the hell is a moonhead?” Just wait, my friends, you will find out soon enough…
November 3, 2006
Yesterday I had my photo shoot for the album. It was really fun and a bit dramatic! We were on location shooting away and then all of a sudden security came busting through the doors telling us we had to evacuate! Everyone had to evacuate immediately! We found out that there was a bomb scare – I won’t say where we were to protect the innocent – but apparently they get calls a couple of times a month. I guess that’s how some nutbags get their jollies because it ended up just being a crank call. Thank goodness. So, anyway we ended up going to the photographer’s studio to finish up, which I think turned out just fine. In the end I’ll get a mix of photos in both locations.
September 29, 2006
Hey kids rock 'n roll, rock on...
I don't know why that is in my brain. Probably showing how dorkified I am. Oh well. This journal entry is dedicated to Herky. If you don't know who Herky is - see entry below. I went back to the studio a few days ago to finish mixing my album (tweak it up even more) and found out that Herky died. It's very sad. I don't know if Geoff knows that I'm writing this. Probably not. The cat lived for 15 years - it sounds like she had a good life, but I was sad to hear that news.
We ended up in the studio all night long - I got home about 5am and had to go to work at 8am. YES, exactly the place I wanted to go after a long night. After an hour and a half of sleep, I did the happy dance all the way to work. Awesome.
September 16, 2006
Well, it’s been a long week, especially for my mixing engineer (Geoff), but it’s been extremely productive. We started mixing my album on Sunday, September 10, and Geoff didn’t leave the control room until about 4am this morning. Ok, not really, but almost. I would say he spent most of the day (the start of a day varies for musician types, but it could be anywhere from 10am to 2pm, or whenever…who is a morning person? not me, not me), all of the night and sometimes even hours into the next morning working on it. He did go home some, but by Friday when I got there to meet my producer, my engineer, and Geoff to go over all the songs, he showed up with his cat, Hercules (Herky for short). She had asked Geoff if she could come listen to the songs too. You see she was starting to feel left out because she had been left alone all week. So when he brought her to the studio and she started critiquing everything, you can see how annoyed I became. Ok, not really, cats can’t talk, silly! But Herky did hear the songs and I think she approved because she made herself comfortable right in the middle of the rug in the control room for most of the evening while we played through them. But, I digress…
We got through most of the songs and did a bit of tweaking. Now we’ll probably live with it for a week, do a bit more tweaking and then on to mastering...
September 8 , 2006
WHOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! “Why the exclamation,” you ask? “Why the excitement,” you exclaim?! Well, I’m excited because I’ve finished all the vocals for the album. YES!! Now I can eat cheese, drink coffee with milk in it, eat chocolate, and drink alcohol till I’m silly. Now you must be thinking I’m a freak and an alcoholic. I’m probably a bit of a freak, but I’m not an alcoholic. Anyway, I’ve been avoiding dairy because it coats the throat and that can be weird when recording. Also, drinking alcohol is dehydrating and just depletes your energy so I’ve been avoiding that too. Now, the things I like most to eat and drink are ice cream, chocolate, Mexican food (hello, loads of cheese), coffee every morning with milk, Italian (pizza and pasta – again the cheese thing), wine (alcohol), beer (alcohol)…do I need to go on. Anyway, I can eat and drink normally again. Although, if I eat too much of all that stuff, I’ll turn into a big fat cow – so nothing to excess, kids. No really – More than all the food and drink, I’m totally excited that the vocals are done, because that means that we can start mixing (this starts in 2 days). I can’t believe we’re almost done - (smiling deliriously on one hand, but boo hooing on the other because I really enjoy the recording process).
August 18, 2006
What up, my peoples! For real…I’m excited because today I finished the last song that will be recorded on the album. You know the one that didn’t get written in time for the last tracking session (for those of you not keeping up, please see below at the August 10th entry – and shame on you!). I actually co-wrote this new song with my producer. I think it is great (of course I do, I’m kinda vested in it, but hey).
August 10 , 2006
Well it has been another crazy week in the life of this album. I can’t believe how much we’ve gotten done. I mean really! This has been the tracking week for the second half of the album. I take that back, we did not get one song done in time so we’ll have to catch up on that one, but oh well. That song still has to be written. That’s how it goes. It keeps things interesting. You never quite know what songs are gonna make it onto an album until you’re done. I quite like it this way. You never know what little surprises are going to pop up.
Actually I thought I had all my songs ready before we started recording. I had a bunch already written, and I had carefully chosen which ones I thought would work for this album regarding the sound I was going for and the concept/theme/lyrical content. But we ended up throwing 2 out because after recording the first half of the album those 2 just didn’t fit anymore. And you know, you would think that would be hard for me to do because every song is like your baby – you create it and work so hard on it. But I didn’t feel that way at all because the producer was right, it didn’t fit with the other children. So they were banned from this family. Ok – that’s a little harsh – they are still in the catalog, just not on the album. We still like them, ok?
Anyway, I ended up going through my catalog and finding this one song I had written that I had completely forgotten about. I played it for my producer and he was like, this totally fits, where have you been hiding this??! So that was a nice little surprise. It was like a kid came back to life. I was so excited that this kid was going to get his time in the limelight on my album. You made it! Oh, I’m so proud.
July 27, 2006
Hey, Hey, Today we started vocals! Yeah. We’re doing this album in halves. So we track the first half, do some overdubs, then the vocals – then start all over again – track the second half, do some overdubs, then the vocals. It’s a good way to break it up. It gives you perspective, and for me, a little time to prepare before going in to sing – which is really nice. I like to be very prepared and then when it’s my time to sing I want to go in and sing – not screw around. So we’re taking our time on this album, but not too much time, because you don’t want to lose momentum either. Gotta keep up the energy!! So the first vocal is officially done – it was fun! Later…
July 14, 2006
So, I’m driving down 440 in Nashville today mouth open in shock, hand over mouth, crying, laughing out loud, by myself, in disbelief in my car. If people happen to look over at me from their car, they probably think I’m a raving lunatic. Why so many mixed emotions, you ask? Well, not to sound arrogant, but I’m listening to rough mixes of my first 5 songs for the album for the first time and I just can’t believe how great it sounds. We spent 4 days tracking (so far), I was there for all of it, heard every musician layer on their piece, but I guess it’s a different story when you actually step back and listen to the song as a whole. I’ve been hearing these songs in my head for a year, but it’s a whole different ballgame when you actually “hear” them for the first time. And we’re not done yet…
July 11, 2006
Have I told you lately how much I love the studio?! Well, I love it…and I’m especially loving it this week. Yesterday I started recording my debut album. What a trip this is gonna be. After putting in four hours at my part-time day job, we get in the studio at 1pm in the afternoon and stay until it gets done. Last night we got done around 11pm, but then went to the bar to wind down a bit. So I was in bed at 1:30am only to rise and shine this morning at 6:30am. But it’s cool, I’m having so much fun. Yesterday we started tracking the first 5 songs on my album. We started off with drums and bass. I’m having so much fun working with these musicians. They are first class. What a great group of people. After just one day, I’m convinced that this album is gonna rock and I can’t wait to hear how it’s gonna turn out. But I don’t want to wish this time away because I’m having too much fun actually doing it – which is the whole point, right?!
June 29, 2006
Today we started pre-production. I’ve written tons of songs over the last year – some I never finished because they sucked, some that I finished but then recorded a demo and decided they just weren’t as great as I thought they were, some that were great, but not the right style for the album (maybe ones I could pitch to another artist), and then some that I think will be perfect for my album. These are the ones that will fit together on an album that will take you on a ride, on a journey – that will be cohesive in sound and centered around themes that you will begin to pick out when you dig into the lyrics. This is my vision and hope.
My favorite artists are the ones who let you into their world and then make you feel like it’s your world – like the things they are saying could be my life, or the music they are playing makes me feel so passionately that I forget all the other bullshit of life for that moment. My favorite artists are the ones, who after years, I can put their album on and still love it so much even though I’ve listened to it a thousand times. Whether they die early in their career, have a lifelong career, or have a few albums under their belt, artists and bands like Jimi Hendrix, Bob Marley, Led Zepplin, Nirvana, U2, Fiona Apple, Nine Inch Nails and Muse are just some examples of music that no matter how much I listen I still can’t get enough. Why are some artists like that while others end up in a drawer? I’ve been thinking about this question a lot, because this is the kind of artist I want to be – an artist who makes a lasting statement.
June 22, 2006
So I took the plunge…I took the leap of faith…I decided on a producer. I have been writing the songs for my first full-length album for the last year. They have become a part of me and I have this whole vision for this album. So choosing a producer has been a little nerve racking because I want to make sure I pick the right one. One that will get my music, get me (that means read my mind), see my vision and then take it to a whole other level. No pressure.
So I’ve been meeting with lots of people lately – for the last few months – trying to suss out who I want to work with…and I can tell you I’ve met so many talented people. Nashville is such a great town with such a wealth of talent. It’s so cool to live here and be a part of it. After many engaging meetings, many talks with my husband (poor man), and much toiling over it, I’ve selected someone who I believe is going to be truly awesome! He is a rock dude through and through, we like a lot of the same music, he’s a musician, a writer, and a producer, and just a really cool person who really knows how to make a person feel good, confident, and totally motivated. That is so important. So we are going to embark on this journey together to record this album and I couldn’t be happier. What a relief – I can finally get started on the album I’ve been dreaming of making for years!!
June 13, 2006
Last Friday night was a night out in
May 7, 2006
I should've written this Wednesday of last week, because what I'm going to talk about is the scene at The Basement. I performed there last Tuesday on the New Faces Nite. If you live in Nashville or visit Nashville and have not been to The Basement, you must check it out. It's a club in the basement of Grimey's (an independent local record store owned by Mike Grimes) on 8th Avenue South.
The Basement is a small, dark, vibey little bar with a great little stage that makes for an intimate music experience. What's cool is the variety of music I heard on Tuesday night and the talent to go with it. After I performed my set, I sat back, relaxed with a pint of Yazoo and truly got inspired by the other artists/bands I heard that night. I heard Faith Gilmore, a soulful artist/writer that you must hear live. She reminded me of Joss Stone even though I hate to compare people, but that gives you an idea. The next artist was Joni Allen who just moved here from L.A. (I can't find her on the web!) Her songwriting was very inspiring and she reminded me of Tori Amos, but with an acoustic guitar instead. Very cool. I stayed for one more act, a band out of Bowling Green, KY called The Secret. It was a kid in high school with his band and they just rocked. It cracked me up. They had all their friends standing right in front of the stage in a line dancin' away like crazy and waving their arms - that's what I'm talkin' about!! They reminded me of a British rock band - maybe a younger/raw Artic Monkey! They were kickin' butt, sweatin' away and ended the set by falling into the drum kit alla Nirvana. I loved it!!
My next show will be at the Family Wash in East Nashville on Tuesday, May 30th. If you haven't been to the Family Wash, you gotta check this night out. The show starts at 8pm with Chelle Rose, the host, followed by Kylie Harris at 8:30, Braden Land at 9pm and last but not least, ME at 9:30. The Family Wash has great Shephard's Pie!! My husband loves it and he's English - straight from Stratford-upon-Avon - so that's saying a lot. And they have great pints. So what are you waiting for, come on out!!
April 24, 2006
Hey everyone! I want to give a big ole SHOUT OUT to WRLT Lightning 100 and especially Gary Kraen. You guys rock!! We are so lucky here in Nashville to have an independent radio station that is so supportive of independent artists and local artists. They have been very good to me, playing my song "Calling" off of my EP many times. Not to embarrass him, but Gary responded to a thank you note I sent him for playing my song saying, "'Calling' really is a great song and a great sounding record. I'm proud to play it. More stations should be playing it." I think he's right, don't you?! More stations should be playing it. So if any of you djs are reading this out there, I'd be happy to send you a copy of the song to play on your station!
Let's see...what else is news? Hmmm...I'm still writing a lot. I'm trying to write those 10-12 songs that I deem album-worthy. It's hard to get to a point to say ok this is it, but I'm getting close. Knowing me I'll probably write one while we're recording the album that I'll have to have on it. I've also started meeting with producers and it's been a lot of fun meeting people and very informative. I've also got a show coming up at The Basement next week, May 2nd at 7pm. It's my first time to play there, so I'm excited about it. Come check it out if you're in Nashville!
Thanks for checking my website and thanks for all your e-mails and feedback! Keep it coming.
March 27, 2006
What’s up everybody?!!
Well first I want to thank you for checkin’ out the new site. Next, I want to thank you for getting this far to actually reading my journal. I have mixed feelings on the whole journal thing. On one hand I’m like, “Who gives a #@!_* what I have to say” – It’s a bit narcissist. I mean I’m sure you woke up this morning thinking “hmmm… what is Kristi Rush up to? I MUST read her website and find out.” On the other hand, I think what a cool way to keep in touch with everyone… Now, keeping in touch works both ways. So please go to the contact page and let me know what’s up with you! Seriously…
Now that we got that out of the way…
I am really excited about my new website, and I have to send a huge THANK YOU out to my lovely talented husband for putting up with me and putting sooo much time into redesigning the website for me. THANK YOU!
I am feeling like I’m in a very happy, positive, but most of all creative space in my life right now. I am working on my first full-length album. I love this so much and I am so thankful that I can do this because in a previous life I worked 50-60 hour weeks in cubicle hell. Back to the album…The last few months I have been writing a lot. I’ve also been doing a lot of pre-production (recording demos of all the songs I’ve been writing over the past year). Ultimately I’d like to have 15-20 great songs to choose from to record a great album. I have also started meeting with producers. I’ve had a couple of great meetings with a label who has started connecting me with some people. My goal is to find the right producer for my project who will work with me and my vision, take my music to another level, and then help me find the right label. I want to have the album done this year and then who knows…Stay tuned.
Well, guys, this has been fun. Now, please let me hear from you. Tell me what you’ve been up to. Tell me your deepest, darkest secret….Ok maybe not. I hope ya’ll have a wonderful day. Go out and party it up tonight – have a drink for me and I’ll have a drink for you!! I guess that means I’ll be very drunk... huh?
