SHARIF IMAN.
SHARIF IMAN GETS HIS CHANCE TO ‘SHINE’.
Nashville,TN.interviewsofrecordingartists.com
Way back when singer/songwriters/recording artists still thought being signed to a major label was the ticket to fame and fortune, Sharif Iman (pronounced Ee-mon) was brought to Nashville by renowned country music producer Frank Rogers, soon after Rogers heard the up and coming performer at a small club in Myrtle Beach, S.C.Rogers, who would go on to helm projects by Nashville greats like Brad Paisley, Darryl Worley and Trace Adkins, told Iman he had the “X Factor” and could someday be a major pop/rock artist. With Rogers’ hands-on assistance, Iman honed his songwriting craft and quickly landed a co-publishing deal with EMI, signing him as a writer while helping him develop as a rock artist.A dream come true, right? ot quite. When the group who signed him moved on from EMI, so did Iman, in his own direction, packed with valuable lessons, a strong direction and a determined will to outlast anyone.Other publishing deals came his way, but he was dissatisfied with these arrangements. The music industry was shifting fast during this period and Indie labels and artists were rising in the changing tide. Iman realized this was his time to stay free of contracts, reflect, re-power his tools, write, watch and wait…for his opportunity to shine.But he was broke, soon had little more than his guitar and began that well-trodden journey of struggle for years as an aspiring artist in a town filled with great talent coming and going. Iman always had the option of returning home to Leesburg, Virginia, but knew if he did, he’d be giving up on his dream, giving up on himself. He chose to be homeless at times, finding beauty in all the connections the community had to offer, and wanted to share his journey of freedom and musical purity with anyone he touched. Nashville fed him, embraced him, loved him. And he loved back with his time, his helping hand, his heart, soul and his music. Iman's spirit was infectious and he felt his “family” growing at every turn and decided to remain in Nashville. The big, gentle man, “The Chocolate Soul Child,” as many began naming him, wasn’t going anywhere and certainly wasn’t going to give up.As a prolific writer of hundreds of songs, it was only natural for the powerful, indie pop/rock album, Shine, to be Iman’s national debut project; a musical journey echoing with hope, embracement and freedom. He was determined to share his inspiration and determination, and possibly awaken the same lying dormant within his listener.His soulful, infectious title track "Shine" and its accompanying video share this light of hope and connection. It’s a hard-hitting musical autobiography: “Said I wouldn’t quit till I reached the top/Well here I am and I’m still grooving/I’ve been working so hard, and I’ve been waiting so long…to Shine.” It reminds us we can never give up, and that our own life journey is connected to a much larger world family. No wonder it’s receiving advanced airplay in the Midwest and will soon be impacting AC and Hot AC stations nationwide.Nothing was going to stop Sharif Iman from living out his dream. It was easy to give up a professional soccer career or even a roof over his head to pursue his first love--music. “I was never going to find myself looking in the mirror at 50 or 60 asking, ‘What If?’ Scarier than not knowing how my musical dream would pan out was the prospect of not seeing this dream through to fruition.I’m glad I stuck it out.” “Shine is my debut album on the national level, and that’s making all the difference,” he adds. “What makes these songs stand out from my previous work is that I’m sharing many of the emotional and spiritual breakthroughs in my life. I’ve become a more mature and transparent writer, much happier with who and where I am, and the 13 songs on Shine reveal the raw ways I got a grip on my life and became satisfied in my own skin. I’m excited that songs like “Shine,” “Let It Go” and "Wake Up” are inspiring people to make their own breakthroughs and keep pursuing their dreams, but on a musical level I also think this is an album that people can really have fun with. It’s a ‘roll your top down, have a good time, life’s gonna be alright’ album.” Iman’s musical dream began at age two when he saw his brother Mark playing the guitar, loved the sound and began plucking at the strings. Growing up in Reston, Virginia, his heroes were Michael Jackson, Prince and The Police, and he knew he wanted to be an artist in the fullest sense of the word. He began writing songs at age eight and hasn’t been able to stop. He later took opera singing and diction lessons. His range as a singer was from liberal baritone 2 to tenor 2. He loved opera, but while attending Coker College in South Carolina, he focused on performance and spent many of his college years homeless, crashing in dorm rooms and writing on his acoustic guitar in the hallways at 2 a.m. Earning enough from part-time jobs to secure studio time, he recorded his first project and began pounding the pavement, passing out flyers for some local gigs he did in and around Florence, including Apple Annie’s, local coffee houses and private parties.He soon hooked up with Swirl, a group with a Hootie and the Blowfish-Edwin McCain vibe that became regionally popular. While playing acoustic guitar and working on his songwriting, Iman secured work at venues like the Hard Rock Café and House of Blues and performed everywhere from Charleston to Hilton Head to different venues in Virginia and Myrtle Beach, where Frank Rogers first heard him. Choosing to leave the band after a successful five year run was hard, but Iman had never abandoned his aspirations of becoming a solo artist and had to take the chance on Nashville.While Iman performed at local clubs like the Exit Inn, Rutledge, The End and 12th and Porter and worked day jobs painting and soccer training, he continued receiving encouragement from artists like Brian McKnight. He stayed highly focused on writing and recording projects for years, fine-tuning his sound before embarking on Shine, the debut album he’s chosen to bring to the world. “Shine features the awakened spirit of my life and artistry right now and I’m ready to share it and share it far and wide!” In fall 2009, Iman’s passion and faith in his dreams served him well when Liz Fox of Nashville-based Fox Music, LLC discovered his music online. She immediately recognized his tremendous talent and signed Iman to her Indie label with a plan to create his national, debut album he’s been ready to share. David Wilson and Mark Lambert of Nashville respectively were brought on to produce and master Shine. Iman’s longtime friend and colleague, Catherine Highfill, met him soon after he moved to Nashville. When she saw his was homeless she invited him to move into her home with her family and would encourage him with, “Sharif, you have it—it’s just a matter of time.” At that time Highfill had a PR agency located on music row and they both felt one day they would work together. They reconnected just before he began working on the project and during the making of Shine, they inked a management deal.I think that my life these days is so surreal, and having the opportunity to finally share my music with people around the world is an amazing experience,” he says. “I didn’t give up when everyone told me I should, and I didn’t give into those strong doubts we all can have at key times in our lives. People are ‘getting me’ and giving me that opportunity to ‘Shine.’ I want to write songs of hope and also give fans of pop and rock works of substance, like a buffet for their spirit. I want my album to help change the atmosphere of a person’s life so that they listen and understand that while life is often a hard walk, there is always hope. I want them to taste just some of the freedom I have found.”
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LOLA SPRIGGS.
LOLA SPRIGGS CELEBRATES HER NEWFOUND JOY WITH HER
NEW SINGLE “NOBODY BUT YOU,” .
LOS ANGELES,CALIFORNIA.interviewsofrecordingartists.com
The multi-talented Ottawa,Ontario based recording artist/singer Lola Spriggs is getting everything she’s been dreaming of and has worked hard for,with her breakthrough U.S. single and title track to her new EP “Nobody But You,”.No stranger to musical accolades,she’s scored numerous big radio singles in her native Canada since her 2004 debut EP Expressed and its mainstream retro-rock flavored follow-up Lifescrapes and opened for some of the country’s most notable acts, including Rock and Hyde, Parachute Club and Pursuit of Happiness.Spriggs’ solo recording career has included numerous Canadian radio singles (including “On Heaven’s Way,” “Braggin’”, “I Ain’t Crushed,” “Draggin Fly,” “Out of my Hands”) and three popular recordings which reflect true artist development as she slowly discovered her unique creative path. She donated 100 percent of the proceeds from the Expressed EP to local charities; reflected the angst, anger and troubled times of her younger self on the uniquely titled Lifescrapes; and showed her fearless attitude in a bluesy-country setting on her 2008 album Barefoot.But “Nobody But You,” the lead single from her upcoming new six-song “mini-CD,” put her into exclusive company she could only dream about a few years ago, when the devoted single mom began pursuing her musical ambitions after emerging from some dark emotional places. The song was written by internationally acclaimed producer/songwriter Marcus Kane (Snow, Joey Boy, Glenn Lewis), Bogene Williams, and Stan Stpor. Spriggs had initially approached Kane to work on the production of some new material they’d been shaping. “The vibe of ‘Nobody But You’ reflects the happy place I’m at now and have been feeling for the past few years,” says Spriggs. “My Barefoot CD, which had a heavier, earthy rock flavor to it, was a musical transition point for me and expressed where I was a few years ago. My focus on pop/AC came from being in a comfortable place with myself and the world around me. It’s a happy ending to a long and sometimes very challenging story, but what matters is that I’m here to sing and tell the tale.”Beyond the songs’ lush and layered vocal harmonies, the singer connected immediately to the song’s uplifting lyrics. For her, it’s a celebration of newfound happiness after years of hard fought struggles.“The first thing I thought of when presented with the song ‘Nobody But You’ was my teenage son, who is at a transition point in his life, with both of us facing many upcoming changes. The song inspired some deep soul searching and it’s all about understanding and accepting what life gives you and not sulking about it, but figuring out how to stay strong.” After participating in theatre arts in high school, the native Montrealer—whose parents were born in England,left home at 16 and went through years of bad decisions and difficult challenges. She later faced the ongoing heartache of a marriage that turned abusive and, finding her way out of that painful situation, did her best to provide for her son as a single mom. While continuing to endure difficult circumstances at such a tender age, one night, someone in the crowd heard her singing and invited her to start recording radio jingles and government tourism spots that aired extensively on local stations; the tourism spots also ran internationally. She later headlined at venues across Ontario and Quebec and played in a variety of regionally popular bands with unforgettable names: Rough Edges, Centerfold, Brass Monkey, Great Aunt Alice, The Republic, Split Image and 3DB Down. These experiences in the “indie music rat race” helped her grow a thick skin and prepare for all the challenges of being an indie artist.A true survivor, Spriggs is dedicated to her passion and creativity, but has also achieved success in her life as a tough, no-nonsense business consultant. But it was when her mother, with whom Lola held an extremely close relationship with, asked on her death bed to promise that she return to her one true passion: music. “Lola” is a nickname from childhood that her uncle gave her before those rebellious teen years when life took its rough turns; in many ways, it brings her back to a happy childlike innocence. These days, life could not be better. Some years past the darkness, Spriggs lives in the serene countryside of Ottawa, a pastoral locale that inspires her to write beautiful songs. Although she has written many songs and plans to record some of them on future projects, she considers herself first and foremost a singer and vocal interpreter. While fans typically think an artist is more connected to a song that he or she has personally written, Spriggs has a very unique take on the expansive emotional possibilities of recording tunes penned by outside songwriters: “I remember writing a song once while I was sitting on a train headed to Montreal to visit someone, and every time I sang it live, I was singing from the memory of being on that train, in the mindset I was in at that moment. The connection wasn’t too deep, just a moment in time.”“It’s a continuous journey, roads with many twists and turns,” she says. “Those destinations you set your heart on can change, because when you get to one place you think is what you wanted, it may not be exactly the place for you. But I’ve always known it was possible for me to achieve greater success in my life with music. As an independent artist, it’s difficult sometimes overcoming those speed bumps and challenges, but doing it and getting to the happy place I am lets me know it’s possible. My mother was very musical and raised me to believe that what you want to be, you can make happen. In the depths of despair, I doubted sometimes that dreams were possible, but now I know they are. And I’m very grateful that I had to courage to persevere.” With the success of “Nobody But You” and the impending release of her new mini-CD, Spriggs is looking forward to getting on the road again and is currently in the process of assembling a new live band. As deeply as she connects with the song that is defining her to this point for American listeners, she’s eager to let people know that her emergence in the U.S. is simply one stop on a wild rollercoaster lifetime of many destinations. She plans to do release party/showcases in Montreal, Toronto, New York, Detroit and other Midwestern cities. “I think one day in the future I would love to talk to young people who are out in the street having a hard time in their lives—letting them know that they too can overcome adversity and make something of their lives. More than ever now, I believe everything happens for a reason and to teach us something important.”
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