Album Capsules
by Mark E. Waterbury
Terry Bozzio and Billy Sheehan - Nine Short Films
Click here for the review
Sarah Fimm - A Perfect Dream
Click here for the review
The Kudabins - Kudashudawuda
Click here for the review
John Austin - Busted at the Pearly Gates
Click here for the review
James Durst - Elements of Surprise
Click here for the review
Ritual Space Travel Agency - In: Ratbelly vs. Gorgotron!
Click here for the review
Tony Rooney - Back To Life
Click here for the review
David Ralston - 3rd Album
Click here for the review
Exus - Heaven and Hell Society
Click here for the review
Unisex Salon - Self titled EP
Click here for the review
Crossroads: Terry Bozzio
by Mark E. Waterbury
Click here
Industry Profile - Rhythm And News Publisher George Fletcher
by Mark E. Waterbury
Click here
Unsigned Spotlight - Sarah Fimm
by Mark E. Waterbury
Click here
Scott Turner's Song Publisher's Perspective
Click here
Music Biz Opportunities
Click here
Music Industry Marketing Showcase
Click here
Serge Home
Click here
Music Morsels archives
Click here
About Music Morsels
Click here
Submission Guidelines
Click here
Ad Rates
Click here
Scott Turner Tapes
Click here
Sponsorship Information
Click here
MUSIC MORSELS SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION
To SUBSCRIBE to our FREE e-mail version of Music Morsels, send an email message to MusMorsels@aol.com and put the word "Subscribe" in the subject field. That's it. Expect to receive your email issue the first week of every month. Please note: We do not share or sell our mailing list with anyone so your privacy is protected.
MUSIC MORSELS - The legal stuff:
Music Morsels is distributed worldwide the first week of the month by subscription.
The e-mail version is FREE. That's 12 educational issues brought to your computer screen! Feedback is always welcome at MUSMORSELS@aol.com. Thank you for your support!
Disclaimer: Just because we print the stuff that doesn't mean we necessarily endorse it. Problems with content? Contact us ASAP and we'll tell you how we can help.
Music Morsels reserves the right to reject certain advertisements based on content.
Copyright 2004 by Music Morsels, a Serge Entertainment Publication.
Editor: Sandy Serge
Contributing Columnists/Writers:
Mark E. Waterbury, Scott Turner
Music Morsels
P.O. Box 2760
Acworth, GA 30102
A division of the Serge Entertainment Group
|
|
 November 2002
Unsigned Spotlight - Sarah FimmBy Mark E. Waterbury
 Unsigned Artist Name: Sarah Fimm
Musical Genre: Rock and pop with alt & electronic influences
Birthplace: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Current Residence: New York City
Years In Music Biz: 5
Number Of Cds Sold: 2300
Size Of Fan Base: 130,000 (Hits On Mp3)
Web Site: www.sarahfimm.com
MM: You started out as a solo performer?
SF: Yeah, I spent a lot of time doing that just to make some money. My first real concert I made any money off of was when I was eleven years old. I was always singing, but at the time most of what I was doing to make money was not all that fun. If not playing in a band, then playing piano for rich bitch suntan type people that drop you a tip if you play them your favorite jazz song that you don't really want to play.
MM: When did you start writing your own music?
SF: I wrote my first song when I was in kindergarten, and it was about rainbows and gum. It was pretty goofy. It was about strawberry gum; my favorite. It's funny because I don't chew gum now, so maybe there is some weird karma there.
MM: What was the reason you decided to break away from the solo performing and put a band together before doing your CD "Cocooned?"
SF: I really, really wanted a group that I could work with. There's only so far you can go when it is just you, but when you bring in a whole different dynamic of people, emotions, people being pissed at each other, and people loving each other, it's really a whole new tomato. I really like working with my band and love them a lot, and they bring a lot to the table. You can tell on the new album that they are really something special.
MM: Once you had "Cocooned" recorded, what were some of the things you did to try to get the music out to the people?
 SF: I'm kind of obsessive, so I basically sat on my computer fifteen hours a day for a year and a half, when I wasn't playing or working or whatever. I think that the internet really makes things accessible that are not accessible to people like us who do not have the capital or the money to invest or hire ad agencies and all that crap that you wish you could. When you look at it, you have all of this information available at your fingertips, and it's really low cost. We just made some MP3s and we put them up, and I spent most of my time making up tons of sample CDs. Tons...I think we made about eighty-five thousand so far, all on the same burner. We always plaster the MP3 on everything so that was how I started. It's become this thing for us, because the internet is really the only way to get things out when you have no money and nowhere else to go.
MM: What about live shows? Is that something very important to you as well?
SF: Oh yeah, that's the best part. Of course, they take money and they take time, and none of us can really have full time jobs because we end up having to quit whenever we get a show that is scheduled during a time when we are working. We're kind of like vagabonds; we roam around and see what happens. But I try to play anywhere I can which is why we never really started regionally. We went on tour as soon as we got together. I told them that we were going out, we were going to do this, and it was going to be awesome. It was a complete disaster, but it was a really fun one.
MM: Looking at your new CD "A Perfect Dream", do you feel it is a growth process over your first one, both for you and your band?
SF: Definitely. It's more that that, you can tell in the music. When we went into the studio this time, it was a completely different perspective. It was so wonderful because we actually used most of the money from the first record to make this one. I decided to spend a month in the studio which cost a considerable amount of money just so we could be more relaxed in making a full length album. The place was so amazing - we had a firepit and sand castle buildings, and we worked with Mac Ritchey who is one of the most amazing people. He is really inspiring. He's also kind of a lunatic and that helps. When you put people together in that kind of place, it's really wonderful, and it was one of the most liberating experiences I've had in quite awhile.
MM: Did that experience also translate into your lyric writing or did you have the songs ready when you got into the studio?
SF: It kind of varies. When I went into the studio, I had most of the ideas for the lyrics. Then we went in to just see what happened, and a lot of times it was good. Most of the lyrics bounced around for a couple of months before they went to paper, so it's really a 'let's see what happens' kind of thing. I think that's where the magic happens. If you draw everything out, nothing good can come of it. It's like trying to wear pants that aren't ready to be worn. I do go in there with an idea just in case. The lyrics for "A Perfect Dream" came from lunatics I met on the street. I decided it was something that was really important enough that someone had to put it down. I really was not even planning to do an album when this happened to me, but I met this guy named Dale who was this fellow on the street. He had this gold cauldron with a couple of things in it and he had this steel cane which was one of those twisted fire poker rods. He said that was his tool for his guardian angels in heaven. I thought that was cool. I had my mini-disc player with me so I sat down and talked to Dale for about ten hours. It is really something that you can't even get it to people and you wish you could. I recorded it and put part of it down and wrote the title track for "A Perfect Dream". Everything else kind of came with that beginning. I just went out walking...and it finds you if it's supposed to.
MM: When you first had a chance to listen to "A Perfect Dream" after finishing it, what was your reaction to it?
SF: F**k yeah! (Laughs) We just said a big f**k yeah. We were very, very happy and we toasted some marshmallows. It was a good night.
MM: What are your marketing plans for "A Perfect Dream" compared to what you did with "Cocooned?"
SF: I'm going for world domination. I'm trying to blanket the whole world with our music. While most people have these focused marketing methods, that's not really my forte. The best thing I can do is find the people to do what they are the best at, and then I will sit up here with this idea of blanketing the world and everything will work out. It's not the most organized plan, but it works for motivation. I would like to think people feel a certain way about the music. I think it's very important to talk to your fans and know who they are. I love it so I talk to every one of them and answer thousand of e-mails a week. I keep in touch with people and they take things very personally. About six months ago, it got pretty overwhelming.
MM: Do you think you have what it takes to reach that high level of success, the "world domination" that you speak of, and why?
SF: I hope so. I have a lot of faith in us because I don't do anything else. This is my entire life. I really don't have anything else to do. The only things I have to do are make sure that we can eat, make sure that we can get to our shows and make sure that people know who we are. I really don't have another agenda; sometimes people have other agendas. But I just want this. I can't explain it and I get yelled at for it a lot by people around me. They think I'm obsessed and they're right! It's a really tough life. You don't know if it's going to be good or bad for you, but it must be good for me because it makes me feel so warm to get these letters from our fans and to know that we're making people just a little more awake then they were yesterday. It's a wonderful feeling.
|
|
