Amanda Holmes

So its 2am and I’m in the library studying for my finals coming up. I got in here at 11pm and started working, and I drank a red bull, and now I’m too hyper to sleep! So I’m writing in my blog

Once all these finals are over I’m going home! Back up to the beautiful northern California! I will be in the studio finishing up my EP that I’ve been saying will come out for months now. We’re adding a track onto the EP and doing a few changes that my manager wanted. Then we will be set!!

Then once I come back back to LA in January, I will be working on getting my next EP out! I have pretty much all the songs written! I’m really excited about it. This EP I’m finishing up recording right now was a really difficult time in my life. Two of the five songs on the EP I wrote for one of my best friends, Nicole, that unexpectedly passed away. That album really is “From My Heart.” I put every piece of my soul into those songs. The single is called, “Don’t Leave Me Yet” and its all about how it feels to lose someone you love. Some lyrics from the song: “Photographs are all I have, memories gone like sand through my hands, what will be left?” “Calm composure walking through a mass of strangers who never knew, my mind was on you”

The next album I’m writing now, is the aftermath of all that pain. All the songs have a message that basically say, appreciate life. One is called “When Grapes Turn to Wine” the chorus lyrics go:

“When Grapes turn to Wine we don’t question the divine, caterpillars fly we don’t question why, when somethings so right you don’t have to try, love it for what its worth.”

Two others I’ve posted video blogs of the songs, one’s called “Your Touch” the chorus says:

“your touch is much deeper when you’re eyes do the feeling.” The lyrics to the bridge explain the song pretty well, “You can hold my hand you can hold me tight, but there’s one thing that does just right, its the look I cannot fight, you hold my heart when you stare into my eyes.”

Another one is called “Black and White” the song’s message is about not judging a book by its cover, the chorus goes:

“You think you know whats going on inside, but all you see is Black and White, you see a frame and you assume the lines, but all you see is Black and White.”

I’m very excited to get all this material recorded so people can hear it!! My website and my myspace have these recordings that are from 2004!! I’ve done so much work since then. So its nice to know that newer songs are going to be released very soon

from my heart,

Amanda

Insiders look into one of my songs thats a work in progress What do you think?! I just wrote it in the last week. Inspiration: Alanis…

Found

For all that don’t know, last summer 2008, me and my friend Shani Shousterman booked a 19 day, 21 gig tour up the coast of California! It was amazing!! She did her own set, and I did mine. We crashed on people’s coaches and saw a lot of coffee shops!!

I talked to Shani today about doing another one and it looks like its on!!! I’m so excited!! This next one is going to be longer, further, and better prepared! Well at least we’ll try to be more prepared… When you tour something is BOUND TO GO WRONG!! But we won’t be able to lock our keys in the car this time because my new car is dummy proof and won’t let the keys be locked in the car!!! Thats one problem solved

If anyone knows of any great venues to play on the West Coast let me know!! Or if you’re willing to let us crash on your couch! Let me know! Some new improvements we’re going work on this year:

Get SPONSORS! If you have any brilliant ideas of people that would want to sponsor us let me know! Our target audience is the usual 16-35 year old crowd that hangs out at coffee shops. Usually they enjoy reading, studying, caffeinated beverages, and live music!

More COLLABORATING with  singer/songwriters in their home towns! That way we can meet more people on the road and share more fans!! If you play music and want to collaborate, contact me!

More ADVERTISING in newspapers, through myspace, and whatever else we think up!

If you think this is really cool and want to be a part of the experience let us know, we need some STREET TEAMERS!! If we get anyone interested, we’ll figure something out so you can get some benefits!! Whether its free cds, free merchandise, free concert, hanging out with us! I wish I could say you could come with us in our tour bus… But we’ll be driving my prius which might be cramped as it is :P  But at least we’ll be saving the environment this year!! No more gas guzzler mondo truck!

from my heart

Amanda

I gave a sneak preview of Your Touch, thought I’d show the whole song Its a rough recording. Hope you enjoy!!

Your-Touch-demo

I’m recording my song “Change Your Mind” right now! We have piano and drums tracked so far. Tomorrow we’ll be recording vocals, bass, and guitar!! I should be posting the rough demo of that song very soon!! I’ll be mixing it over thanksgiving. Also, giving credit where its needed, Kevin Rivers is helping me with the whole process of recording and he’s an amazing engineer, producer, and friend He might mix the song too!

I also wrote a new song tonight I think its pretty. I’m going to let it sit for a few days, then I’ll do a rough recording of it and post it! Its a slower love lost ballad, which is more of my older style I was writing in last year, but I guess I’ve revisited that for this song. In the last few months I’ve been writing things that are a little bit more beat driven. It’s also because I’m writing on the guitar more often lately instead of the piano. My style changes depending on what instrument I write on.

If anybody out there is reading any of these blogs, leave me comment!!! I’ve posted some videos, pictures, songs, lessons learned

Hello all,

This week has been particularly amazing. On Monday night the bass player from Red Hot Chili Peppers, Flea, came and spoke in my songwriting class at school. Things he said that really resonated with me:

1.) Music isn’t always easy. Music isn’t always fun. When you’ve been on the road for 16 months straight and all you want to do is go home and see your family, its hard to take. But if you work through the slumps knowing that its not about you, its about the people listening, you’ll come out on top. Thats what makes or breaks having music as a passion, versus a career.

2.) Music should be selfless. Give every piece of your heart and soul, then you will recieve.

3.) Learn as much about music as you can, then there’s more to break free from

4.) Drugs get in the way of the natural flow of energy, doing drugs will only bring you down not raise you up.

5.) Entertain. While still being true to who you are.

I also had the privilege this week to meet music producer Glen Ballard. He has many credits to his name, a few including the album “Jagged Little Pill” -Alanis Morrisette, “Man In the Mirror” -Michael Jackson, “Tragic Kingdom” -No Doubt. He has been in the industry for over twenty years, and he still lives and breathes music.

Even more ridiculous, I was honored to spend a little time with Lamont Dozier. If you don’t know him, look him up! He is the man responsible for MOTOWN! He wrote great classics like “Baby Love,” “I Hear a Symphony” “Stop in the Name of Love” “How Sweet it is (to be loved by you)” and the list goes on and on and on… He is still writing every single day, to this very day! Its unbelievable!

I’ve come to the conclusion… to have longevity in the music industry, you need to be a good person, because if you treat people bad, its hard to stick around. This industry is small, and stabbing someone in the back is a sure fire way to get kicked out fast! All three of these gentlemen I’ve gotten the chance to spend time with this week have all been so giving and kind. They thrive off of music. Its in their every movement. You can see it in their eyes when they talk, their just as excited about music now, than they were 30 years ago. All three people share the same desire to please the people listening. They live to give! The music flows through them, as Flea commented, they’re only a vehicle to transmit music. They want nothing more than to make their audience happy by staying true to themselves and writing from their heart.

Here’s my two cents for the day I’m recording tomorrow, should have a rough recording of another song soon!

from my heart,

Amanda

Here’s a little recap of highlights from my show!

Hey guys!!

I thought if you’d take the time to check out my blog, I’d give you a little sneak peak at one of the songs I’m working on! I just wrote it yesterday! So its obviously a work in progress. But hope you enjoy!! Tell me what you think!!

Hey hey

The video from my show opening for Jane Carrey is coming soon!! I just need to edit the footage Here’s some photographs to tide you over!

Jane Carrey and I

Katie Fellman, Max Delbecq, Jack Kovacs, ME! Alex Pfender, Matt Jung, Erica Mau

The Band!!

The acoustic part of the set, Jack, Erica, and Katie

Cool pic from Emilie!

Enjoying the moment with Alex Pfender

Slinky and I :)

Me playin the piano, watch out! :)

Jammin out! :)

-Amanda

My Uncle Joel passed away this weekend at age 53, random accident that caused him to have a heart attack. I’d seen him just the week before and he was telling me about how any one of us could die at any moment, who knew. I’m writing because he deserves a moment of dedication.

My uncle Joel always talked about his “Breakfast for Champions” which really meant a Bloody Mary. His favorite thing to do at age 53 was to take a ride on his motorcycle. He loved trouble and managed to do some damage on the way. This man had the most scheming, loud, crackling laugh I’ve ever heard. He laughed every chance he could. In fact, before he died he said something along the lines of “If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna go laughing.”I wrote a little poem inspired by some of his last words:

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause age don’t bring you beauty, thank God I’m staying young

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause the heavens need a shaker to rock their trees

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause its too crowded in the corner of contentment

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause when the cloud rains above my head, he’ll know my heart cannot get cold

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause if my soul should leave this land, further than my harley can take me, I want the wind to be my smile, the thunder to be my crackle, the sun to be my victory

If I die, I’ll die laughing, cause not even death can stop me from laughing.

God bless you Uncle Joel, may you rest in peace

Sneak preview of one of my newer songs that I will be performing at my show October 25th!!