Clean  Modern & Reasonable:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Martha Davis ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Martha Davis of The Motels

The Motels recorded six records for Capitol. Their self titled debut was greeted with positive critical reviews in 1979, and exploded in Australia on the strength of the #2 Pop single,  ‘Total Control’ (which was later covered by Tina Turner for the We Are The World album). In 1981 their sophomore effort, Careful, went Top 50. Then, in 1982, the Motels released All Four One…the smash single ‘Only The Lonely’ rocketed into the Top 10, immediately propelled the album to gold status and truly broke The Motels in the United States. The group dominated the music scene and was voted Best Performance for  ‘Only The Lonely’ at the 1982 American Music Awards. 

Full interview here.

Starting Over:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Donice Cully ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Donice Cully of Fall Back Plan

Formed in 2007 by veterans of the Baltimore/DC Rock scene, Fall Back Plan is on its way to the top of the regional rock food chain. Fronted by Donice Cully, this powerhouse alternative rock act is gaining recognition quickly for energetic live shows, tight song-craft, killer vocals and undeniable hooks.

FBP started in July of 2007 as a writing project between Donice, Geoff Gill (Bass) and Brian Shealey (Guitar) during a lull in their respective bands' schedules at that time. Donice was fronting The Sikes, a regional mainstay rock act and Brian and Geoff were members of the band KaliCeleste. The 3 met in 2006 when their bands would play shows together throughout Baltimore/DC.

Full interview here.

In the Pink:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Donna Lewis ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Donna Lewis.

It was at the end of 1993 that this material came to the attention of Atlantic Records and so impressed Chairman Doug Morris that he flew her out to New York to meet her personally - and offered her a recording deal on the spot! Her debut album - 'Now in a Minute' - was released in 1996 to universal acclaim. The first single - 'I Love You Always Forever' - became an instant global phenomenon, climbing to the top of the charts in countries around the world. In the USA, it re-wrote the record books at radio by exceeding 1 million 'spins' to claim its place in music industry history as the most-played single ever, at that time. Her follow-up album 'Blue Planet' came out in 1998 and confirmed the arrival of a genuine new talent. It featured 2 more hit singles; 'I Could Be The One,' which did well in Europe and 'Love Him,' which went to the top of the Billboard Dance Charts in America. 

Full interview here.

The Summer Storm Journals:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Noe Venable ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Noe Venable.

Noe Venable is a singer-songwriter, composer, and poet. Having honed her songwriting and musicianship within the context of San Francisco’s rich experimental and jazz music scene, Venable has gone on to somewhat wider recognition through the release of five albums, as well as several national tours opening for such artists as Ani DiFranco and They Might be Giants.

Venable’s newest release, The Summer Storm Journals, has been four years in the making and may be her strongest statement to date. Written over the course of Venable’s transition from the west coast to New York City, and recorded in four different cities, this is an album about change: resisting it, fear in the face of it, surrender to it, and ultimately finding peace in the inescapable reality of uncertainty. Produced with Venable’s longtime collaborator, bassist Todd Sickafoose, the album features a stellar cast of musicians, including violinist Alan Lin, guitarist Adam Levy, (Norah Jones), and avant garde marimba virtuouso, Payton MacDonald, (Alarm Will Sound).

Full interview here.

A Broke Machine:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Terami Hirsch ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Terami Hirsch.

What sets Terami's music apart from other piano-based artists, is her near disregard for the purity of the acoustic instrument. Preferring to work with keyboards and digital editing software, Terami shapes songs as if they were paper and glue, allowing imperfections to texture her otherwise meditative and cerebral music. This approach is surprising to some—as many people equate digital with polished, smooth sounds. Terami's music personifies the heart in the machine, as she pushes the creative edges of reputably heartless software. Terami explains, "In album production, it's exciting to create unexpected terrain within the landscape of a simple song. By using my computer as an instrument, the whole process becomes flexible and dynamic in ways that continue to push how I express myself on record.” 

Full interview here.

Following the Call:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Ann Licater ©2008CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Ann Licater.

is a life-long silver flute player who discovered the inspirational and healing music of the Native American flute at a powwow. She uses her intuition and classical training to create beautiful, original melodies and breathtaking improvisations on these sacred instruments. 

Her “Flute for the Soul” workshops teach how contemporary replicas of ancient wood and clay flutes can be used as tools for personal discovery and spiritual practice. Her workshops explore how people are drawn to certain flutes or songs depending on what they are discovering about themselves at the time. She encourages listeners of her music to take the time to journal, meditate and reflect on an issue worth exploring and see how these sound vibrations help build intuitive skills for self-discovery. 

Ann studied classical flute at MacPhail Center for Music in Minneapolis, MN and Native American flute with master flutist R. Carlos Nakai at the “Renaissance of the Native American Flute” in Helena, Montana. In addition to recording, performing and facilitating workshops, Ann is a public speaker on the subjects of spirituality, creative expression and personal discovery. 

She holds a B.A. from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN and a Master of Liberal Arts degree in Creation Spirituality from Naropa University, Boulder, CO. Ann resides in the San Francisco Bay area.

Full interview here.

On the Way:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Abra Moore ©2007CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Abra Moore.

Part of Moore’s journey has been rediscovering the joy of simply singing for the love of the music. To that end, she’s been revisiting one her favorite pastimes—singing jazz standards. It’s something she did in Austin in the early 90s before she headed of to Europe. She’s been doing it again without fanfare for the past couple of years. “Singing jazz standards four hours a night, taking little baby breaks, keeps me grounded and connected,” she says. “It’s something I can always do. It’s something I’ll have when I’m an old lady. It’s great for my voice. It keeps it strong. Vocally it keeps that instrument flying.” 

Reveling in the sheer joy of making music, living in the moment and enjoying the process is an integral part of Moore’s journey. That’s why On The Way is so aptly titled. It’s all about the journey—life unfolding in all its mystery, agony and majesty. True art holds a mirror up and reflects back the hard truths, as well as the ones that enlighten. On The Way is a masterpiece of mood and honesty from one of the preeminent artists working in popular music.

Full interview here.

Devour, Rise and Take Flight:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Shikhee of Android Lust ©2007CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Shikhee of Android Lust.

Born in Bangladesh, Android Lust auteur Shikhee has been exploring the cutting edge of desire, rage, and panic in her songs since her first independent release in 1998. Borrowing elements from diverse musical styles, Android Lust presents a blend of electronic rock that is provocative, engaging, and fiercely emotional. Shikhee has been making quite the name for herself in the indie electronic music community. Her music evolves with each release, showing a greater musical range than the plethora of unoriginal and copycat bands in the scene.

Shikhee continues this trend with Devour, Rise, and Take Flight (2006 Projekt Records), her new full length release since 2003's The Dividing. Devour, Rise, and Take Flight is an unforgiving electronic rock assault carried across twelve powerful tracks. Shikhee's commanding voice takes center stage, set against her most challenging, yet accessible songwriting to date. And in true Android Lust fashion, she saves her best hooks for her most vicious sentiments, all while taking modern electronic music even further to the edge.

Full interview here.

Careful What You Wish For:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Jonatha Brooke ©2007CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Jonatha Brooke.

Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jonatha Brooke has been issuing albums that merge folk and pop since the early '90s; first as a member of a duo called the Story, and then later as a solo artist. Brooke formed the Story (originally called Jonatha & Jennifer for their first few years together) along with another vocalist, Jennifer Kimball, while the pair was both attending Boston's Amherst College in the early '80s. Despite playing locally on a regular basis during their college career, the duo never issued any demos or albums, and took a break for a period after graduation; during which time Brooke joined a dance troupe. But by the end of the '80s, the group had re-formed, now called the Story, and issued a demo called Over Oceans in 1989. The Story was promptly signed to the independent Green Linnet label, which issued the duo's debut full-length album, Grace in Gravity, in 1991. It wasn't long before Elektra Records expressed interest in the band, in turn reissuing their debut the same year, as well as a sophomore effort, The Angel in the House, two years later.

Full interview here.

Koala Motel:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Anne McCue ©2007CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Anne McCue.

Anne's career has covered punk, Lilith Fair, Australian awards and Vietnam. She has released her fourth solo album, Koala Motel to critical acclaim and has recently co-produced two albums by other artists - Stephen Rowe and Leila Florentino. She has appeared as guest guitarist/vocalist on albums by Michelle Shocked and Gina Villalobos. Her two most recent albums, including Roll‚ (Messenger Records) was recorded at Dusty Wakeman's Mad Dog Studios in Burbank, California. McCue and Wakeman co-produced the album. Going in with the philosophy of some of Anne's favourite three piece bands she played the guitars, Dusty played bass with Dave Raven on the drums. The three jammed on the material, some of which McCue was still writing at the time.

Full interview here.

Back to Francois:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Rachelle van Zanten ©2007CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Rachelle van Zanten.

Rachelle van Zanten is an up and coming Canadian icon- "as both a songwriter and a slide guitar player van Zanten is turning the heads of music industry folk the world over" (Nextfest 2005). Van Zanten's charismatic stage presence is infectious and charming, leaving her audience feeling inspired. 

Raised in the foothills of northern British Columbia, van Zanten grew up playing bluegrass and old time country with her family. She spent the majority of her preteens singing to Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Hank Williams Sr., and Johnny Cash recordings. By age 13 she was well schooled in piano, drums and trumpet but wanting to be modish with the 90's rock movement, took up guitar. 

Full interview here.

This Crazy Life:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Joanna ©2006CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Joanna.

Spend your formative years on the road with a national touring company. Dedicate your teens to preparing to take the music world by storm. Throw in the scrutiny of MTV cameras documenting your every move. If this had been your day-to-day existence, you’d probably call your debut album This Crazy Life too. And if you happened to be Geffen recording artist Joanna, you’d have the confidence and talent to come through it all with aplomb. “The title represents my journey,” Joanna explains. “I’ve struggled, been on such a high and such a low. But my purpose in life is to touch people with my music. I’ve always turned pain into
strength.”

Full interview here.

Many Worlds Are Born Tonight:
Cutting Edge Voices Talks with....Happy Rhodes ©2006CuttingEdgeVoices

Cutting Edge Voices  is proud to present an interview with Happy Rhodes.

Happy Rhodes  is an enigma. This is according to the Music Industry, which has never been able to pigeon-hole her into any category. Her music is otherworldly yet substantial and her 4-octave voice has a haunting familiarity to it. Most listeners find her work difficult to describe and yet she incites an almost unheard of devotion among her fans. She goes from Kate Bush highs to David Bowie lows and you find yourself being beckoned to follow her into her futuristic worlds. She is now working on her 11th full-length album and is looking forward to doing some live shows soon.

Full interview here.