New Year....New blog!

Dear all,

I have now moved my blog over to Posterous.

The new link is http://shauncbryant.posterous.com.

Thanks for all your support and see you over there!


Happy New Year!

SCB x

"Embrace the Mattness"......my take on Matt Cardle's success

OK, let's get this straight....I cannot stand the X-Factor and what it represents but this year I have actually found myself watching some of the shows. The main reason....Matt Cardle.

Matt comes from Little Maplestead in Essex, which is a couple of miles away from where my lovely Angel lived for many years, being an Essex girl herself (born in Chelmsford to be exact). Obviously, Angel has been cheering Matt on and so have I. Not because he comes from Essex but because the guy is extremely talented and, thank God, normal. He has been playing pubs for years as a solo singer and in his band, Seven Summers, and has worked extremely hard to get to where he is. He took the bull by the horns and decided it was time to have a go at the X-Factor and saw it through to win the final. And, in my personal opinion, it could not have happened to a nicer guy.What I love about the guy is that even though he now in the headlines as an X-Factor winner and on all our screens and in the national newspapers, he is still honouring all of his solo and band commitments from before the X-Factor. This to me speaks volumes. Obviously, from a PR standpoint, it all works in his favour, but I think there is much more to Matt than that. He is a regular guy who fulfilled his dream and, more importantly, cares deeply about his supporters and fans, and the people and family who got him to where he is right now.

I also love the choice of the Biffy Clyro track, "Many Of Horror", for Matt as his X-Factor song. Renamed to "When We Collide" for Matt (probably as most people will ask for and look for the track as that), it is an inspired choice. Biffy Clyro are a superb band in their own right and, as usual, the bitter detractors are there, saying that Biffy Clyro have sold out to the X-Factor. Rubbish. Biffy Clyro would have had to give their permission for the song to be used, and if you look at Journey and last years X-Factor, with the track "Don't Stop Believing", it can only work in their favour and get them more success. Hey, I think Biffy Clyro have got it sussed. Think of the royalty payments when Matt's version gets to No.1 for Christmas. They're not daft.

For once, I think we need to applaud and congratulate Matt on his success. I really like the guy. He is just...normal. I, personally, really have had enough of all the bitterness everywhere. Sure, the X-Factor is not one of my favourite shows at all on many levels, but for once, they right guy won. Surely that is a good thing? Now, if Wagner had won, then we would have a problem, right? But, a guy who can sing and play superbly has won.

Here's a Twitter quote from Peter Gordon (@PGradio) who is the Breakfast DJ at 96.4 Eagle FM down in Surrey where I used to live:

"Reasons why Matt cardle deserves number 1: he has been a hardworking musician for years, he had the guts to do something about it and seems a pretty straight forward chap. And I'm fed up with people in this country being bitter about everything. So embrace the mattness".

(Peter - thank you so much for giving me an idea for my blog. Appreciate it!)

I, too, am a singer and songwriter who is waiting for that break (if it ever happens!). Whilst I would never go on the X-Factor for a HUGE number of reasons, I can totally see why Matt did. I agree with Peter Gordon. We are so bitter about anyone who has any success. Matt is providing pleasure to all who listen to him. I think he has a great voice and I loved the fact that he got a guitar out on the X-Factor when he sang. I challenge anyone who has never sung and played guitar at the same time to go try and do it. It is hard to do, let alone with millions of people watching, plus the X-Factor judges. Matt is talented, period. Leave the guy alone and let him enjoy his moment. He deserves it. I am sure we will see plenty more from him and his band.

I mentioned bitterness. We are so close to Christmas we can touch it. I suggest we all try and be close to our loved ones (snow permitting) and lose the bitterness. Be nice, and as Peter Gordon said, embrace the Mattness. There is too much bitterness in this world already, don't add to it.

So to all who read my witterings here, I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. Let's do our utmost to make 2011 a year we can all do our best to be proud of. Let's fight our demons and achieve our goals. Let's make that call to someone we love or better still, surprise them with a visit. Love thy family and thy neighbour. What was it the Beatles said.....? All you need is love.

Here's to a lovely festive season to you all....

Shaun x

Rejection......

Yeah, rejection sucks but you deal with it and you move on. I mentioned rejection in my previous post and here is another example.

I have just received my first rejection letter from a record label. I thought it would really hurt when I read the letter but it didn't. I just thought to myself, "Right. First one down, plenty more to go." I am sure I will get many more before anyone signs me, if they sign me at all. I really don't know what will happen. One thing I know for sure is that I really won't mind if I don't get signed...ever. I am here for my music. Everything else is a bonus.

Here's an example. I voted for Bon Jovi to get in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and the last time I looked they were storming it with 31% of the total vote with no-one else close. Check out this year's latest inductees and you will not see Bon Jovi anywhere. WTF? I, personally, am gutted for them as they are a hard-working, true-to-themsleves-and-their-fans, rock 'n' roll act who have worked their butts off for the last 25 years. Sure, so have the inductees listed for this year, such as Neil Diamond, but do you actually recognize some of those names? Again, Jovi aren't recognized for their efforts. I am sure Jon and boys will be disappointed but it won't stop them keeping the same work ethic, the same desire to create, keeping the faith for them and their fans. They have a fan base that will always support them in what they do. Sure, getting in to the Hall of Fame is nice, right? But I bet it won't stop them giving their all to their fans and their music...always.

One thing I do know is that my rejection letter has reinforced my will to work harder and get my album finished for the summer next year. I know I can do it. Just like Bon Jovi are probably disappointed, you just get up, brush yourself down and get on with it. You can apply that ethic to life in general. Just keep going, have faith and believe.

I had to make a business decision in my day job today as well and I just had to decide one way or the other. Whichever way I went, I was going to have to burn a bridge and end a business relationship. I made that decision around me, not them. Just recently, I have decided to go with my instincts, my gut feelings. Strangely enough, it seems to work. Go with what works for you, not what works for them. Even if it is a tough call, it will work out in the end. Your friends will respect you if you make a true decision based on you.

Talking of friends, before I forget....the Lovely Di (@DirtyDiamonds47) is interviewing me on her radio show this Friday (17th). The interview is at 8.30pm Eastern Time (USA) which is actually 1.30am on Saturday 18th here in the UK! So I will be up late. Don't worry. If you can't make it and you are tucked up in bed or clubbing, the interview will be recorded and become a podcast for later listening! 

You will find Di's radio show on www.unleashed-radio.com or www.x-factorradio.com Tune in if you can! Join me in the chatroom on the show too!

So, it's real simple. Work hard, ignore your critics and bumps along the way. Be true to yourself and your endeavours.

Remember, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right?

Love and peace to you all,

Shaun x

SCB nominated for the Online Music Awards - Thank you's all round!

Well, my first nomination for any music award...ever!


I would like to say thank you to everyone who responded to my request to nominate me to become a registered candidate for the Online Music Awards! (www.onlinemusicawards.org). You are all very, very nice people - thank you!


The lovely guys at Spaceship Days and Haunting Heather gave me the idea when I saw that they were going for the awards, so I thought I would test the waters and jump in with both feet.....scary but worth asking all of you to nominate me. You rewarded me with getting the official nomination emails late last week! I am now a nominee for Best Rock Act and Best International Unsigned Artist! Thank you!


So, this leads me on to a topic that all musicians face.....rejection. What happens if you or your music get rejected by a label, a company or even your fans? I was nervous when I asked you all to nominate me for the awards. I thought to myself, "What if they don't want to know? What if they don't like my music?", plus many other silly questions and thoughts that I won't bore you with. You didn't let me down and it all comes down to confidence and having faith in yourself and your ability. As the Jovi say, Keep The Faith (for Jovi fans, click on the link for a special Jovi treat).


In this game, and I am only the new boy, you have to BELIEVE. Believe that you can do it, Believe that you are who you are and believe in what you can do. I know I don't like the X-Factor much but every contestant on there has belief that they can win, otherwise they would not be there (even Wagner had belief in himself). Look at American Idol and the likes of David Cook, Daughtry and Adam Lambert. You have to push yourself to learn and believe you can do things you may not normally believe you can do. These guys had belief and were prepared to work damn hard and look at them now.


Let me give you an example. I picked up a guitar at 36 years old (I am 41 now) never believing I would ever be where I am now. I am no rock star or top ten band or anything like that, but I have surpassed anything I ever thought I could do. I have learnt how to play a guitar (I now have four and, trust me, I am still learning!), I have (and still am) learning how to songwrite. I realised I could sing and I now have a 5-track EP out there. I am now working on material for my album, which I am hoping will be ready by summer 2011. Check out the tracks from the EP on my ReverbNation page (click on the link).


Life is a learning curve and you learn from all of your experiences or something just appears and you have to deal with it. Or, you set yourself a goal and go for it. You have to have a great work ethic and work hard towards your goals. That way you achieve what you want. No easy rides, no free lunches. When your fingertips burn after a guitar practice session, when you buzz after a gig, you know you have worked hard and gave it your all. That is what you should look to apply to your whole life. Remember, you only get one shot without any rehearsals......


I love you all and thank you for giving me faith.


Shaun x

Bass players & backing tracks....

Well, it's official! I have now had a twang on a bass guitar for the first time and I really quite enjoyed it! However, I was not expecting the upper arm workout I got on my fretting arm. Wow! I found muscles and tendons I never knew I had. Totally different sensation to playing six string. So, Adrian, respect to you for working so bloody hard on various backing tracks. As I said in the previous blog, backing tracks are needed sometimes and certain people work damn hard to make sure they work and, more importantly, they are musically correct for the rest of a band. You geddit, right? Also, Adrian, the new semi-acoustic you got me just rocks! Thank you, my friend.

OK, this is sort of a continuation from my last blog about how this world seems to be getting more and more in to a world of auto-tune and remixed drum tracks. We need REAL music. Get on to iTunes and download some of the Beatles music. There is a band who innovated, created and worked damn hard. Why do you think they are held in such high regard now? Simple, they are icons of popular (pop) music. They have influenced countless bands; Bon Jovi, Oasis, Tom Petty...the list goes on and on. I mention the Beatles because just after the release (finally) of all their tracks on iTunes last week, my "favourite" show (not), the X-Factor jumped on the Beatles bandwagon with Beatles week.

I will be totally honest. I rarely watch the show. I just watched it because it was there last Saturday night and only one contestant on the X-Factor performed a Beatles song how it should have been and that was Matt Cardle with Come Together. He gets my vote (even if I did bother to vote, eh?). The performance was punchy, current and the guy has a superb, quite unique voice. But that was it for me. Wagner crucified Hey Jude in his usual tuneless fashion. Katie Waissel slowed down Help to a snail's pace and there was none of the joy and laughter that the Beatles gave us. Where was Yellow Submarine? Where was Maxwell's Silver Hammer or Ringo's speciality, Octopus's Garden? I found the whole show lacklustre and plain boring. No Twist and Shout, no I Saw Her Standing There. No rock and roll. No pulse, no soul.

This sums up how Cowell (and like many others, he is not the only one) is dumbing down superb music, even music from the likes of Lennon & McCartney. Another example was when the Jovi were on the show. The contestants made the chorus of Livin' On A Prayer sound like karaoke! (Notice: Wagner's mike was turned off during that performance - thank god).

It all comes down to one thing; real music is where it's at. Here are some examples that I really would like you guys to go and check out......

Haunting Heather - www.hauntingheather.com

Cherry Suede - www.cherrysuede.com

Amanda Couttreau - www.reverbnation.com/amandacottreau

Spaceship Days - www.spaceshipdays.com

Jack Stevens - www.jackstevensrocks.com

Lynn Carey Saylor - www.lynncareysaylor.com

These are just a few of the excellent bands and artists who write their own material, most of the time. Sure, they do a cover once in a while. Check out Lynn's cover of the Pat Benatar classic, We Belong, featuring the legendary Brian May (Queen) on guitar along with Eric Lowen, another class act in music, ably helping out on the track. Spaceship Days do a mean Pink Floyd cover (Comfortably Numb). These are guys (and girls) who rock and most importantly, CREATE. I appreciate Simon Cowell as a businessman. He is very shrewd and good at what he does but what he does is at the expense of good music. It is all dumbed down regurgitation of what was superb music and we all get sucked in. I was listening to Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys being interviewed on the radio last night and he made the comment that there is so much more drama and friction on the X-Factor since he saw it last year. I agree. But how much of it is real, or how much of it is contrived to get us to watch and increase Mr. Cowell's viewing figures? I'll let you decide, but I sure know where I sit on that one.

I want to see some REAL music on UK television. Sure it is there; Kings of Leon and Muse at Glastonbury this year, for example. Real bands, playing live. That is what I want to see. Something with an edge, something that really rocks my world, like the bands/artists I have just mentioned. Bon Jovi always inspire me because they CREATE and they want to create for their fans. Real music by real people. Here's a show you need to check out.....Private Sessions hosted by Lynn Hoffman on A&E TV. I don't think we can get that channel in the UK but I sure wish we could. Bon Jovi, Daughtry, Train...all superb bands playing live in an intimate setting....class. This is the sort of television needed in the UK.

I want you all to think back 20 years and think about music you used to listen to and, perhaps, go and see live. I saw the likes of Bryan Adams, Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Magnum and Heart. These bands/artists rocked and still do to this day. Now think forwards to today. How many bands of today can you see lasting that long? Do you see what I am trying to get across here? Longevity, continuity and the ability to maintain a standard that is really hard to match.

Wagner....go watch and listen to the Beatles play Get Back live on the roof of Apple Studios in Saville Row in London in 1969 (click on the link). I was born that year and they are tight.....bit like you should have been when you sang Hey Jude, eh? That's the sort of music I appreciate.

Enough said.

SCB

I love REAL music and REAL musicians!

OK, so a lazy Saturday morning watching the MTV EMA nominees for Best Live Act got me thinking. Scary, huh?

I love some of the nominees; Bon Jovi, Muse, Kings of Leon etc. Still not sure about Lady GaGa though as I am (and always will be) a rocker at heart. I saw the Jovi at the O2 in London in June of this year and nothing can compare to a group of talented rockers getting over 20,000 people bouncing up and down to Livin' On  A Prayer! Probably why they are getting the first MTV Global Icon award! OK, enough hero worship...on to the blog.

I love REAL music. Now when I say real music, I am talking about music that is played...on a guitar, on a bass, on drums, on keyboards, on a harp, whatever it takes. I am not partial to all of this auto-tune out there and remixes, samples and drum machines. To be absolutely honest, I can't stand all that crap. OK, the band I play and sing in use a laptop for drum and bass, but that is because we don't actually have a drummer or a bass player. It is in this case, a necessary evil and other bands we have played with have commented that we need a real drummer. I would love us to have a real drummer and bass player. Any takers? LOL.

I was watching my step-son show me the preview of Rockband 3 on the xBox today also. It has support for a cheap (maybe not so cheap as it is Fender who designed it) plastic guitar that can do "real" chord progressions and has strings. Now my step-son is thinking this is really cool and I really do appreciate that these games are getting our kids in to music. But here's the question....is it getting them in to REAL music? Nothing can replace playing live to a crowd. Whether it is one man and a dog or 60,000 in a stadium. You get a reaction, always. You cannot replace the true mechanism of picking up a REAL guitar and playing it. My left (fretting) hand now always has callouses on the fingers through playing and practice. I can't see that happening on an xBox. When you get up on stage to play live with that strange feeling in the pit of your stomach. You won't get that in front of an xBox.

What I am trying to say here is that REAL music should be shared. Not played in front of a TV screen through a games console. My step-son took a few guitar lessons and I tried to help him but because the right sounds weren't immediately apparent and it took a lot of work to get them right and there were things like technique, posture and practice every night, it just didn't happen. Now I am not blaming my step-son here, I am blaming a whole society who seem to want everything NOW. Playing a real guitar properly can take years and years. I have only been playing for 4 years and it is bloody hard work to get it right. Right down to getting the finger pressure right, avoiding fret buzz and the like. You won't experience any of that on a games console! Take the likes of Santana, Clapton, Sambora and Gilmour. All guitar legends but they have become legends over decades and I bet they will all still say they are STILL learning. 

I would much rather see the young kids get REAL guitars and REAL drum kits and set up in a garage and make loads of noise until they get it right. Bon Jovi started out like that in Sayreville, New Jersey over 25 years ago. It is REAL, and more importantly, has true soul. It builds up friendships and camaraderie that you just don't get on gaming consoles. It involves REAL people doing something REAL.

You have to work damn hard to be a REAL musician. I will never be as famous as the likes of the Jovi and I would be more than happy to get a millionth of their fame and adulation but I am willing to work hard with REAL guitars, REAL vocals and songs I have written. Not samples of other peoples work, nor covers. I love doing covers with the band though. But in that environment, we are celebrating the original artists and having fun playing music we love by REAL artists that we love.

We are at risk of moving in to a musical world of mediocrity where people copy others and plagiarise other people's material. We are also and risk of removing the road that young people need to take to become REAL musicians. The xBox being a prime example. Shows like the X-Factor are also at fault. They work the other way by encouraging people with zero talent to think that they have. I applaud the contestants on these shows who ARE talented, but Wagner? Please, give me a break. I have seen more musical talent in a house brick. Simon Cowell does know talent when he sees it but all he goes for now are viewing figures. Why do you think the likes of Wagner and Jedward get through to the final rounds? So that people watch it on TV! Also, Mr Cowell exploits those poor contestants who are good. you can now download their live performances. The artist gets 0.01p per download. That is just cruel. You can guess where the rest of the money goes right? Isn't it about time Cowell and Walsh put their money in to festivals and live venues that are going down the pan right now due to the economy, instead of lining their pocket's? The public would love it and they would still get to see live acts who they could sign? Surely a better model to work to? I'll let you decide.

Bon Jovi are up for an MTV EMA Best Live Act award and are getting the first MTV Global Icon award. Bon Jovi rarely get awards because they are quite often not the music press favourites for some weird reason. Now after 25 years in the game, it is happening. This is what I mean. It is not a NOW. They have worked bloody hard for a quarter of a century playing LIVE for the majority of that time so that their fans can see and hear them. I know which route to music I prefer. I prefer the one where the band get rewarded for the labour of love, art and dedication they put in. The Bon Jovi road must have been testing at times but they put in the hard work and still do. They didn't have an xBox to give them that sound right here, right now, when they wanted. They evolved, developed and became the global icons they are today. That is why they have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this year and that is why I voted for them, plus David Bryan (keyboards-Bon Jovi) has just won a Tony award for his score in the Broadway show, Memphis. 

The likes of Bon Jovi epitomise what is REAL about music and all that to me is soul, art, whatever you want to call it but it sures kicks the crap out of a games console generation of plastic musicians.

I talk about Bon Jovi alot don't I? That is because they inspired me to be a singer/songwriter. I am sure they inspired many other bands and artists that I also love to listen to; Spaceship Days, Haunting Heather, Jack Stevens, Tombland, Top Hat Alleycat, Rob Holmes Band and Trigga-Boo to name but a few. These are all independent bands working hard to make their mark and I have been privileged to play the same live venues with some of them! They all love their art and work extremely hard. None of them learnt their craft from a games console. None of them rely on auto-tune, samples or remixed drum machines. It is REAL music with REAL musicians!

If you want to invest in your kids musicality this Christmas, buy them a REAL instrument, not a games console, plus get them some lessons in that instrument. 

The best gift you can give them is encouragement and investment in something they love to do. Who knows? Maybe in twenty years time they will be accepting an MTV award, a Grammy, a Tony, or if in the UK, maybe an Ivor (Ivor Novello award from BASCA) for songwriting.

You just never know and if you don't invest in that talent properly, you never will.

Have a great weekend!

SCB

Just a quick Shaun C Bryant update.....

Well, I did promise more blogs but the day job got in the way!

Times are tough right now in the CAD world (my day job) so I am working hard to get work in. Just got to keep plugging away, I guess.

OK, music! Well, the new tracks for the album are coming along; Running Out Of Time now has a scratch demo where we are sorting out the drum and bass tracks, 3am is nearly there lyrically and the latest track, Brotherhood has an amazing intro courtesy of Adrian, lead guitarist in the band (Cyanide). There are also some lyrics there now too. Amazing what you come up with on a 4 hour train journey.

One of my lovely Twitter fans has been pestering me for a Shaun C Bryant hoodie (you know who you are! LOL), so I got on to my ReverbNation page and started designing. It is extremely easy to set up so now we have Shaun C Bryant T's, hoodies, long sleeved T's, you name it! Hop on over to my ReverbNation store to have a look here!

I have a few ideas for more tracks on the album, but I need 12 tracks. I would love it if one of you (or more) have ideas on what I should write about; world events, stories of good (and bad), personal experience and so on. If I do write about your idea, I will credit you in the album sleeve! Maybe even sort out a signed copy on its release in return for your idea. How does that sound?

On another music note, I am loving gigging with the band Cyanide right now! Not only is it just great fun but I am learning so much! Stagecraft, sound checks....it all helps! So thanks to Nikita, Adrian, Lewis and Allison for being such good friends! Next gig is 18th Oct so if you are in the Norwich area, head on down to The Brickmakers for 9pm. We'd love to see you!

As a special thanks to you all, I have set up a 50% discount offer on my EP, Angel & Other Stories, on my Bandcamp page (http://shauncbryant.bandcamp.com). Just buy the EP and when you do, use the discount code "angel" and you will get my EP half-price! Just a little thank you for all your support so far!

Don't forget....if you are not a fan already. sign up at www.reverbnation.com/shauncbryant. That way, you get the emails that give you exclusive notice of what is going to happen in my little world first!

Peace and love to you all,

Shaun x

(BTW, I am really looking forward to the release of the new Bon Jovi's Greatest Hits on Nov 1st! Hop on over to bonjovi.com and listen to their new single, What Do You Got?. IMHO, one of their best tracks to date)