Kris' first official release "The Run Away e.p." is now available on Itunes, Amazon, etc |
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The "Run Away e.p." produced by Wade MartinThe e.p. I've been working on for my whole life (or the past 5 months production wise) is finally sitting here in my disk drive. It isn't for sale yet as it still needs to be bar coded, duplicated and the artwork needs to be selected and printed. Physical copy's of the e.p. will be available by June but electronic copies will be available through all major online retailers as early as next week. Hope you enjoy! Review of the Songwriter's Showcase
A while back a friend of a friend asked to interview me for a paper they were writing for their Rock History class. This is what she had to say. Thanks Dawn!
Dawn Robinson Rock History 12 Professor Yanez 07 March 2012 Kris Nelson Concert Review For many months my friend Jill has wanted me to check out her friend Kris Nelson. He is an up and coming artist from our area and she knew that I would love him. Jill and I are huge fans of Dave Matthews Band and this is why she knew that I would really dig Kris’s style of music. He plays guitar, sings and writes his own songs. He must be talented if he can do all three successfully. I love it when an artist writes their own music. They produce more emotion when singing their own lyrics. This makes the concert experience more memorable. My chance to see him perform finally came about a month ago. Kris has been performing at Tempe Center for the Arts (TCA) during their open mic nights. It was a Wednesday late afternoon and I met up my friends Jill, Kenny and Ryan at TCA. Kris was already there and I was able to interview him before he performed. We sat outside and I asked him a few questions about how it all began for him. He told me about the songs he would perform that night and who influences his music style today. To begin, I asked him about his style of music. He plays the guitar and writes about his real life journeys. The artists who have influenced him most are Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Dave Matthews, and Jack Johnson. These artists really put their heart and soul into their lyrics and their live shows are very different from their studio recording. The live performances are more memorable than the studio albums. Kris relates to the “more real”, not “manipulated” organic instruments that are used. He told me about two songs that he would sing that night. The first would be Song for LA. Kris spent some time in LA and uses that experience for this song. There is finger picking with an acoustic guitar and the melody is more of a folk ballad. This song isn’t traditional. It contains the first Verse then a second Verse, Bridge (hook), third Verse, (hook), last Verse. The song builds up to a climax and then slows and becomes mellow at the end. The lyrics represent how you can love LA and hate it at the same time. When you live in LA you feel like you want to just get out and when you do leave you always want to go back. The second song is one of my favorites. It is called Runaway. It represents being in love. The world around doesn’t matter and you are just running away with the moment. Kris calls it the “honeymoon” period in a relationship. The song starts off with two Verses then the Chorus. Verse two is repeated and you hear the chorus again. At the end you hear the chorus and the guitar sound gets quieter. There are many melody changes in this song. I really enjoyed this song because it is not typical with the melodies you hear on Pop radio today. For this open mic show I was only able to hear Kris and his guitar. I also got the pleasure to witness him on a Showcase event which will be aired on television. For this performance he sang 3 songs including Runaway with a full band behind him. This included a bass and electric guitar, saxophone, and drums. This was the first time that we had seen him play with a full band and he sounded amazing. I really enjoyed the saxophone player because the sound brought more feeling with Kris’s every word. Kris really seemed to come alive at the Showcase show. It was intimate with close friends and family who cheered throughout his performance. At the end of the third song he received a standing ovation. Kris Nelson is almost finished with his first album. It is being produced by a well known producer located here in the Phoenix area. He has worked real hard and had to sacrifice to get where he is today. When speaking with him you know how much he wants to perform and tell the world about life and how you should live it to the fullest while we are still here on Earth. Don’t take your life for granted, make it fun and smile the whole way through. I have to thank Jill who kept on me to see him perform. She was right, I love his music. Kris is on his way to a very successful career. I know that I will be right there cheering him on along the way. Songwriter's Showcase- Tempe Center for the Arts
Just thought I’d share some cool news with the fam and friends. Official announcement for the Tempe Center for the Arts Songwriter’s Showcase was released yesterday. I am 1 of 4 selected out of over a hundred participants in the weekly open mic at Tempe Center for the Arts. I will be performing in the showcase with a full backing band of highly qualified session players and the show will be taped for tv. This will be a really cool show. The first one was very close to full capacity and the popularity of the program continues to increase.
Here’s the link’s to the event: http://www.tempe.gov/tca/Showcase030510.htm http://www.tempe.gov/newsroom/Archive/201002/9C6F2BBA-E602-437D-9833-3A0D0A74303E In other news...I got word from my Producer that the EP is expected to be finished by the end of the week...then the fun begins! Thank's for tuning in! kris **Videos** -- Live at Fine Line Music Cafe -- Minneapolis
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/12e472d8a104d72d279f90d82369aad9/video/9971421
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/dec55003dc165767d375dd341430ebf5/video/9974981 http://sharing.theflip.com/session/096450dfcf772232b527e43f3eca233a/video/9977636 http://sharing.theflip.com/session/dec55003dc165767d375dd341430ebf5/video/9975115 http://sharing.theflip.com/session/dec55003dc165767d375dd341430ebf5/video/9974981 2010 A.D.
I can remember a time when 2010 seemed so far away that I couldn't even imagine what the world...and "my world" would be like. Would we be like Jetson's flying around in spaceships with robots feeding us our meals which consisted of a simple pill that we take three times daily? Would we be confined to glass houses minimally decorated with "Ikea like" funiture and only space to be seen when we'd look out the windows? This time in civilization seemed so far away as child of the 80's and now it's here (I was actually alive in the 70's as well...but only for 23 days...)
So here I sit at my laptop on January-21- 2010 and thankfully none of these childhood imaginations have come true as of yet (although I know "they're" working on it). haha I find myself content in my life...more content than I've ever been actually. Past indescretions and feeling's of should of, could of, would of have transformed into ambitions more along the lines of can I, do I, will I. This is the way I'm striving to live life these days and I find that it makes the day a lot brighter and dreams more vivid. I feel and know that a lot of the world is in turmoil and realize that I "have it so good" in my safe little existance. Chances are that if you're reading this from the comfort of your home that you do too. I get to eat when I want to eat, drink when I want to drink, fly when I want to fly...and drive my car to my home with running water everytime I turn the faucet. I have a family...I have friends...I have love and most of all...I have life! At the risk of sounding too preachy...if you are in a similar boat as my own...help others out this year when they could use a boost. Put the shopping cart back in the cart holder at the supermarket...if you still use plastic water bottles recycle the things at least...smile at the store clerk when they ask how you're doing...maybe even donate some of your precious time to a program or charity that can use some more hands. You get where I'm going....get off the couch and "be the change you'd wish to see in the world"-Mahatma Gandhi. Be a positive part of your community! I didn't make any real resolutions this year as the clock ran down the last minutes of 2009 and the ball dropped...they are too easy to break for a guy like me. I did make a pledge to myself to do even more living this year than I've ever done before and I will be sticking to it. The new fully produced e.p. is almost finished. All instrumentation has been laid down along with "scratch vocals". Next week we do the final vocal mixes and harmonies and then it's off to mastering and release via itunes, Amazon and record stores etc. The record is being produced by super producer Wade Martin and we're both really proud of what is happening and anxious to see what the future holds. Here is the studio if you'd like to take a peek www.wmstudios.tv Till next time PEACE Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and baby it's cold outside...It's been a bit since I last blogged and its (blogging) on my list of things to start and stick with for 2010 and beyond...so without further ado.., here it goes. (By the way...I do realize that not many people probably read this currently. However....soon enough...my music will be infiltrating the airwaves and in turn possibly persuade some people to tune into my ramblings from time to time. Plus its kind of fun to talk to nobody in particular and anybody in the world at the same time) The end of 2009 was a good few months for me artistically. I wrote, I sang, I played out over and over again...even when I definitely didn't feel like it. Most importantly, I made a plan for my music and what I wanted to do... and here's the clincher...I followed through! I'm now working with Mr. Wade Martin on my debut, fully produced and mastered EP, for wide release in early 2010. . Wade is a world class producer with a state of the art studio that many major and indie labels frequent in the valley. www.wmstudios.tv I am not signed to a label, nor am I I represented by a label. I am 100% owner of my works and I'm proud of that for the time being. So now begins the push to continue playing out often with an actual product to promote and leave behind with the friends I meet. I am beyond excited to get this ball rolling. 2010 is shaping up to be great! For my friends and family in the Midwest... I will be playing a show at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Dec. 28th. Tickets are completely free and I'd love to have as many people there as possible. I'm very excited to have the luxury of playing at a venue like this while I'm out of my home state and on vacation for the Holidays. I will be putting everything into this show. Please bring friends! here's the link to their website and calendar. http://www.finelinemusic.com/calendar/view_entry.php?id=932&date=20091228 Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and Baby it's cold outside.....brrr kris Shows, Meetings, Exciting Times...
Hello all,
As always thanks for tuning in...lot's of exciting things going on lately and I can't talk about much of it unfortunately. I will be able to talk soon regarding the home I've found for the release of my debut album. Currently in talks with a couple major label's and a couple strong Indie labels that are showing a lot of interest in what I'm doing. One way or the other, I believe that the album will sound the way that I've always dreamed it would, and that is a dream in and of itself. Thank you for your overwhelming support on this journey... I will be playing Martini Ranch in Old Town Scottsdale on Thursday, December 10th (take stage at 8:30pm) It would mean so much to me to have as many people there as possible, as this is a shot at booking large gigs from here to L.A. if all goes as planned. Tickets can be purchased here for $10 and I promise a good time for all!! Hope to see you then! http://webookbands.musictoday.com/SeanHealyPresents/moreInfo.aspx?event=128861&outlet=558 City of Angels
There is something about Los Angeles that just grabs me the right way. Maybe it is the not so subtle bohemian quality of many of the residents that somehow coincides with the "sharks" we have all grown to expect in the music industry. Maybe it is the way that you can be immersed in a completely urban environment for a lunch meeting and 15 minutes later be driving Laurel Canyon towards Sunset Blvd. and feel like you are in the middle of the forest. The aura of this city pulls me in and gives me sense of calm even though it's one of the busiest around. I lived in North Hollywood beginning in 2001 and I had the time of my life with some of my favorite people in the world, and I played music day and night the entire time I was there. One thing I didn't do enough of was playing out around town. It wasn't that there were not opportunities...there are plenty of course. It was the simple fact that I was young and addmittedly a little cocky, and all in all I was perfectly content to dream about music successes from the comfort of my apartment while spending my time and resources to immerse myself in the nightlife of the Sunset Strip. I didn't give myself a real chance to shine publicly and now living in Phoenix I am creating those chances for myself by getting out there and playing...mixing and mingling on a weekly basis. My live performace and songwriting has grown in the years that have passed since my L.A. days and I am grateful to live in Phoenix as it is the next major metropolitan city east of the City of Angels and an easy trip west for opportunites that arise. I will be announcing my first show at the legendary Roxy on Sunset Blvd in the next couple months and I can't wait for that opportunity to sink or swim where so many before me have done the same.
Tomorrow my wife and I are heading out to L.A. for the Taxi A&R convention in Manhattan Beach. There will be Hundreds of very talented members performing and meeting with a very generous handful of Major and Indie Label execs along with numerous professional songwriters that have had great success in their fields. I personally am scheduled for meetings with 8 differant major and indie label executives. For those of you who aren't familiar with Taxi they are a company that specializes in the placement of songs into film, television and multitudes of other licensing opportunities. Basically when a film needs a score they go directly to Taxi and ask them what they have available that will work and they set up a meeting. This enables your music to get right into the decision makers hands rather than sitting downstairs in the mailroom with thousands of other unsolicited "demos". I have been with them for a little less than a year now and although I haven't had my "big break" yet with a placement/licensing of one of my songs, I have learned so much from their expertise in the entertainment industry and I am very excited about the the opportunities that could present themselves in the coming 5 days. As always thank you for tuning in and I look forward to sharing big news in the weeks to come. ~Kris You just never know...
You just never know what is going to come of the day until you get off of the couch and make it happen. It isn't always going to turn out the way you want it to but sometimes it will and sometimes isn't even a possibility unless you give yourself a shot by getting out of your comfort zone every once in a while. This is probably one of the simplest changes that a person can make in their life and at least in my own life, over comfort is one of the hardest ruts to over come. (little play on words there...not spelling)
I've been writing and recording songs since I was 16 and I'm 29 going on 25 now. I've taken meetings with people that could have changed my life in music on the spot but for one reason or another they didn't. I've been ridiculed and I've been loved...and none of these experiences would have taken place if I would have sat on the couch in a stupor thinking about all of the "great things" I could or should do. The moral here is that life is a "choose your own adventure" story where a right turn instead of a left can be catastrophic or just the turn you needed to make to find your place in this life...and the point is to be sure to make your turns. I'll see you out there! By the way...I've never had a professional website for my music before...never had a blog that I plan on updating regularily...never played every week at open mic just to see what doors would open if I got out there and mingled more...never been booked for 5 seperate shows (2 headlining) in a week....had never been the interviewee on the radio....but I got off of the couch one day and I can now say yes I have to all of these things. Whats next? Thank you for tuning in....now go outside! -Kris 
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your music..
YOU ROCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
LOVE IT! KEEP IT UP, MAN! 