On tour this June as June Carter-Cash w/Cash'd Out
I'm super stoked that Cash'd Out, one of the country's BEST Johnny Cash cover/tribute bands, asked me to not only start doing some shows with them as June Carter-Cash, but is having me jump right in doing their whole midwest tour with them. I couldn't be more stoked since this is a chance I finally get to do something I love AND put my college degree to use. (Theatre...i've never considered myself much of an actor but June Carter was more of a persona and a comedian on stage, so this will really be a lot of fun.)
My mom has been fitting me for some 50's style dresses (yes, historically accurate style) and I've been researching footage on youtube and the like, so it's gonna be awesome. June in June, here we go. :-) I made the nominations list - thank you to all who voted!
I got on the nominations list for the SDDT Young Influentials. Thank you to everyone who voted!
http://www.sddt.com/microsite/younginfluentials10/ In other news - I got asked to sing with a new project I am super excited about, but it will be under wraps until I take that stage with them. Couldn't be happier. Nominate me as one of San Diego's "Young Influentials." - voting ends April 16!
I would be truly honored if you would help me get a little credit for something that's always been a great joy to me - which is helping out people in San Diego's music community. If you know me, you know its important to me. If you don't know me, I'll tell you, a little nomination like this will definitely mean more than the album I am making this year. That's saying a lot!
It's hard to keep track of all the people I have offered my musical advice/mentoring and support to over the years, and I don't mind. But I do keep track of a handful of people I have helped on a consistent basis. I am thrilled to say have not only continued with music, but are truly thriving with their musical careers. It will take a minute to fill out as they ask you details about the person you are nominating. I have included those details below. Thank you so much!!! Note: Nominations close April 16th, so please get in your vote before then. :-) Nominate Vanja James as a "San Diego Young Influential" for being a supporter of San Diego's Music Community: http://www.sddt.com/microsite/younginfluentials10/ Suggested Nominee Company/affiliation: Vanja James, Singer/Songwriter www.vanjajames.com Suggested Nominee Title(s) (pick one or make up your own) Mentor in Music Community Supporter of San Diego's independent musicians Active Supporter of San Diego Music Community Mentor to Young Independent San Diego Musicians Nominee Email: Vanja@thejaspertone.com Nominee Phone: 619 994 1910 ________________ Hey everybody, The new year has been good to me! Here's a rundown of what's been going on: - I've been working super hard at my job saving up money for album #2 and for tour #2. So far its working - by mid spring (March/April) I should have a nice chunk of change set aside....enough to definitely get on the road again! - Finally met my long distance guitar jam buddy Chad in real life and we got to play some tunes that he wrote (guitar) and I sing/do my lyrics over. It's mega fun and I finally get to feel like I am acting my age, and have a little bit of FUN at the same time, while still accomplishing something. - Met w/another guitarist named Adrian (Republic of Letters) to discuss pulling together songs for my own album. I.e. my "ideal dream sound." I've got all these other songs in various styles that I will (still) be getting out of my system for album #2, but I think for Album #3, Adrian might be a big help in making it all sound cohesive cuz he gets that whole kinda intergalactic ethereal rock thing that I enjoy doing so much, and he gets it without trying too hard, which to me is super important. - I've been meeting really randomly awesome people! I met the Stage Manager for Alicia Keys a few weeks ago (Yo Stryker!) and then before that, I met this guy who lets Michael Jackson's MOM park her giant motorhome in his motorhome lot. He sells motorhomes. And he knows this guy A&R guy named Step Johnson....he wants Step Johnson to hear me play live....I guess he forwarded my album to him but live is really the way to go. - People have been giving me money lately...I got 200 bucks randomly after doing some songs on a piano after I sang some karaoke, and there were these lost cat signs all around my city, and wouldn't you know - I FOUND the missing cat. It was a $15,000.00 cat and the lady have me a $500.00 reward! - Exercise has sort of filled the void of playing less music while I'm working. Been doing "Hip Hop Abs." which has kicked my arse. Normally I get bored with exercise DVDs but the Hip Hop Abs is pretty decent. I've lost some inches and gained some muscle and a side benefit is that its really improved my singing/lung capacity. Yay. That's all I have. Vanja James, Singing out! Happy (Almost) New Year!
Hi all,
Hope you like my new website look - it got bit of a facelift, complete with some photos from past and present in the headers of me and my favorite people I've had the pleasure of playing music with. So - what did "Vanja James Music" accomplish in 2009? 1. I completed my first full length album. 2. I did my first tour - which was a month long tour covering 15 US states, and playing 27 show dates. 3. My album got some awesome writeups locally in the San Diego Entertainer, and the San Diego News, and also on websites like Bullfrog Music, Wildy's World, Citybeat, LunaKafe, etc. 4. The album got play on internet radio in Italy, Australia, and here in the US in Tennessee, Connecticut, Portland, and other cities. 5. I got to audition LIVE in front of Randy Jackson from American Idol. 6. I got in touch with some great people from Nashville who assure me that I don't need to pay anybody any money to "get my foot in the door" and if I do it right by spending some time there playing open mic nights and establishing a name for myself there, I will be able to get my record into the right hands. 8. I made friends with the talented Aja Alycean and her family, and (I think!) helped mentor her/the fam in putting her best foot forward as one of San Diego's best country acts. 9. Although short lived, I got to jam/play along with one of my fav. local bands, The Gift/Curse - and I learned that given the opportunity, I would LOVE to play keys and do some backup singing in a side type rock project. 10. I sang on Laserwolf & Thunderbolts album. Singing in a different way is fun. 11. I did a show w/The Penny Lanes (a beatles cover band) and figured out playing covers (especially beatles!) can be fun, but also challenging. 12. We got to play at the Las Vegas Rock N' Roll Marathon, for thousands of people running in the very-COLD early morning. This was the first time traveling with my band, and it was one of the best times I've had all year. Even though Adam couldn't play with us, Garrison played drums and it was a great time. 13. Got to play my first LIVE performance on TV - on fox 6's San Diego Living. 14. We got to play multiple shows on HOUSE OF BLUES' main stage - which is so much fun. Thank you Black Cherry Group for supporting us. Many Special Thank Yous to: Ishmael Velasquez for letting us use your van and heading to vegas - its been a blast Jason Kwak for playing all the HOB shows and being so much fun to play with Garrison Bailey for jumping in last minute to play the marathon - we loved it! Steven Welker for being on board as my last minute guitarist The Harbison Canyon crew for letting me put a tip jar out and buying my CDs Leyva, Ryan and the Black Cherry Group for your continued support Scott @ Seosmartsites.com for helping me learn so much about web stuff Jen & Tracy for helping make the LA audition happen, and for helping me out. Billy for keeping up the encouragement - its always appreciated Robert Ivy for having a good spirit even for our LA Jaunts. It helps! Randy Mayes for helping me have the best show on tour all year Peewee Moore for visiting us and showing San Diego what you got! Lety McKenzie for doing your best to book the best shows for us you can Haley and Nam Chi for helping the beatles thing to come together. I learned a lot from you guys. Lance/Quinn/Blue/all my Couchsurfing friends/Chemy/Brian/Jen/Melissa/G.R. Storey/The Shefstads/Kevin from Cornerstone/Tommy/Shane/D.S. Yancey/Marshall/Mick/anybody I forgot for helping tour be great. She Loves You (Yeah yeah yeah)
Howdy Y'all,
Some new songs have been trickling out for album #2. I kind of get divided between lists of songs that I stylistically categorize in different categories and feel like I should sort of "divide and conquer" stylistically by keeping things more genre specific. But another part of me feels like that's trying too hard.....so maybe I'll go zhen-style and try to be more organic than last time. Organic as in, the process. I kind of miss playing live as much but I have been working overtime trying to save funds for Album 2.. I was pretty good setting up a budget for myself for all kinds of expenses - it's crazy how "realistic" you start to get with your goals when you know exactly how many dollars you need (give or take a few) to get from point A to point B. The reality is that life as an indie musician can (at times) can be 90% administrative, and only 10% music. It's really acing those administrative skills (typing, letter writing, specially catered musical resumes) that will win you a keen ticket to success. If you can hustle on the phone and on the computer, there's really no limit to what you can do (without having to pay somebody else). But I confess, I did start paying somebody on a super duper part time basis and its helped me earn a little extra press coverage and some cooler shows - like playing the Rock N' Roll Marathon in Las Vegas, which I am super excited about. How much more Rock N' Roll can you get? Plus I've been helping out my hard working musician friends here and there when I can with shows n stuff. I am a firm believer in the idea of "What goes around comes around." That's all for now - see you guys soon. Good news timeline....
August 19:
Audition for Randy Jackson August 28: Hear from songwriter named David Campbell, who likes my stuff and is down to write new songs starting in the beginning of next year. He's had a lot of success in Europe - very impressive resume: http://www.myspace.com/dcjrsongs August 31: Hear back from www.transitionmusic.com - they want to sign "On Your Own" with a publishing deal to hopefully get it in some movies. September 2: Get an offer to be on San Diego Living. On Live TV (Channel 6!) for the first time, with Nam Chi & Jason (heck yea!) September 3: Get a note from The Music Director of San Diego Entertainer Magazine offering for me to be on a compilation called San Diego Local Music Alliance, vol.1. They said, "For qualities sake, we are only offering these spots to about 20 bands per playlist. We recognise you as one of this cities stronger bands, hence the invite." I dunno whats next..........I play House of Blues thus Saturday, and .there's a songwriter competition on Tuesday at Humphreys. I'm gonna go compete but the question is - which song to sing. Yeahhh. Getting in touch w/some hit songwriters.
Due to an ad I posted searching for songwriters on Craigslist, I pulled a big fish!
He's from far away, just moved to the states, but has had a LOT of success on major labels in other countries (like, the albums stay #1 in the charts for a few consecutive weeks.) I pretty much spit out my drink aDue to that ad I posted searching for songwriters on Craigslist, I pulled a big fish! He's from far away, just moved to the states, but has had a LOT of success on major labels in other countries (like, the albums stay #1 in the charts for a few consecutive weeks.) I pretty much spit out my drink a little when I saw the "#1" in my email. Cuz I was thinking, "Man, it would be really nice if I can find some #1 hit songwriters to work with." But I did not specify to the universe what country they should be from, and...I don't really think it matters. Hallelujah. I'm pretty excited about the whole Beatles cover band thing. I think it will give me some swell vocal and playing chops. For all of you who freak out about playing covers, I say, SHHH don't knock it. It's hands down, the best way to build vocal endurance/stage presence. I liken it to being an athlete. Olympians practice all the time. If I wanna win a gold medal, shouldn't I go the extra mile? I hope you all like my shorter blogs! Concise is the new black. little when I saw the "#1" in my email. Cuz I was thinking, "Man, it would be really nice if I can find some #1 hit songwriters to work with." But I did not specify to the universe what country they should be from, and...I don't really think it matters. Hallelujah. I'm pretty excited about the whole Beatles cover band thing. I think it will give me some swell vocal and playing chops. For all of you who freak out about playing covers, I say, SHHH don't knock it. It's hands down, the best way to build vocal endurance/stage presence. I liken it to being an athlete. Olympians practice all the time. If I wanna win a gold medal, shouldn't I go the extra mile? I hope you all like my shorter blogs! Concise is the new black. New tour press!
Special thank you to Mary Leary for writing this:
www.sdentertainer.com/2009/05/21/vanja-james-goes-off-on-her-own/#more-303 Tour, blog articles, and read all about tour on my facebook page.
I've been written about in blog land. They say nice things. Whoo hoo.
inspirewomen.blogspot.com/2009/04/vanja-james-is-female-musician-on-tour.html themusement.blogspot.com/2009/04/san-diego-musician-vanja-james-on-tour.html You can read all about my tour happenings via my facebook page, where I post a blog daily. Feel free to befriend me there. HOUSE OF BLUES again April 22 and a sweet new Album Review, and an MP3 at the bottom to listen to.
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