Aesthetically Speaking: Ellie Maybe

Posted on October 11, 2011 by lisafindley

Today I’d like to introduce you to a bona fide rock goddess, Ellie Maybe. Ellie writes songs for and performs in about 5,000 different bands, and is awesome in all of them. She has a show coming up this week, Thursday, October 13, so be sure to check her out at LiveWire. Thanks for sharing, Ellie!

What is your name and city of residence?
Ellie Maybe – Chicago, IL

What medium do you work in?
Music

rock goddess

How often do you work on your art–is it a full-time endeavor or something you work on in your spare time?
I haven’t had a real job in three or four years. I’m gradually (read: barely) approaching the point where I’m actually making the majority of my income off of live music, which, while I am hanging by a thread and paying rent late every month, is pretty exciting. That said, I’m still looking for a part-time bartending gig so if you know of anything…… heh.

How does art fit into your life, in general? Is it something you think about and talk about every day, or every week, or only in certain situations, etc.?
Music is the basis and motivation for everything I do. I am a musician. Even odd jobs I work are based around music (music marketing, graphic design for artists, roadie gigs, et cetera). Every day I’m booking shows or rehearsing or promoting gigs or trying to start new bands and projects. It’s not something I could really go a day without — listening to music in the car while running errands makes me want to go home and pick up an instrument. My phone’s memo app is filled with song ideas, random lyrics, names of tribute bands I haven’t created yet. It’s a constant thing for me… there’s not a second of the day where I’m not (at least in some capacity) thinking about, creating or promoting music.

When you start on a piece, what kind of end result do you have in mind? Does it get performed or published, put in a permanent form or is it more temporary?
Music is intangible and the “end result” is inarguably emotional — what the listener experiences and, in cases of live performance, what the artist experiences while playing. Personally, I often envision reactions from an audience (or occasionally the person I’m writing for/about) while writing a tune… how will this make them feel? How will this lyric come across? Will my exboyfriend know I wrote this song about his best friend? Hahaha…

What goals do you set in relation to your art, both short- and long-term? Is it something you hope to make money doing, or is it something you want to keep uncommercialized? Does the term “sell-out” hold meaning for you or do you see the art/commerce relationship as a necessary one?
This is a topic on which I’m very vocal. I don’t believe that “selling out” is even a concept. Artists create to share their work with the world, and those with the proper talent and drive should be compensated to do so. Sure, there are certain companies I’d prefer not to sell my music to, but if McDonald’s wants to use one of my tunes in a commercial and it means I don’t have to *work* at a McDonald’s to make a living, I’m gonna do it. I am a musician by preference, but above all else, by trade. I consider this a job. I love it and I would play music if I couldn’t make a dime at it (and have), but I want to make a living doing this, and turning down opportunities simply because of an outdated stigma of “selling out” just seems silly to me.

I was once asked by a professor at an audition whether I would rather have a half-assed album that I was ashamed of go platinum and make millions, or an independent release I was incredibly proud of that only sold ten copies. I told him that I’d take the former any day, and use the proceeds to fund the marketing of the latter.

“Selling out” is what you make of it. Money makes our society move, and it’s important in this industry to have backing… It’s futile to attempt to preserve your artistic integrity by allowing less people to hear the music you create.

What role does collaboration with others play in your art, if any?
Music in and of itself is a collaborative medium. The writing end can be a little more personal… For the longest time, I refused to collaborate. Songs just kind of fell out of me. I’d get an idea, sit down to write, and it was done. I don’t like to edit. However, about six years ago I met a guy who was an amazing guitarist and fairly accomplished songwriter. We ended up working together on a lot of things. We were involved in a romantic relationship as well, so there was a comfort level there… I still refused to write with others until 2008, when I participated in Steel Bridge SongFest’s weeklong Construction Zone songwriting workshop. I ended up working with dozens of people I’d never met before (including freaking Jane Wiedlin of the Go-Go’s!!) and came home ten times the musician I was simply for the experience of interacting with these folks. I’ve since been able to cowrite with bands, producers, et cetera and I’ve become a much stronger writer for it.

The creation of music is a very personal experience, but I’ve learned that the challenge of pouring your heart out into a song with another writer can actually be quite therapeutic — and often times the piece comes out stronger than it could have with only one perspective.

collaboration in action

How conscious are you of your artistic influences? Who are your artistic influences?
While I have very defined favourites who I would usually list as influences (Tom Waits, Foreigner, KISS… yes, seriously), there are very few instances in which I really push my style to emulate them. Actually, as far as musical influences go, I take a *lot* from rap music. Syncopation and literary devices fascinate me, and there is a heavy emphasis on that in hip hop. There’s nothing quite as cool as getting that perfect lyric — the one that not only expresses the sentiment clearly, but makes you think, “How has no one already said this?” Rappers have a flare for this — it’s what they do.

Since this is a travel blog, how does travel relate to or affect your art? (Themes in what you produce, road trips to perform your music, thoughts on what happens to your painting when you ship it across the country to a customer, etc.)
Travel is one of the reasons I am a musician. My goal in life is to pack my dog and my guitar into an RV and tour the country. I’m currently writing a new solo record so that I can make this dream a reality — my freaking Twitter tagline is “I want to go everywhere and meet everyone.” And it’s true. I haven’t been many places (outside of the Midwest I could probably list them on one hand) and I’m thrilled by the concept of discovering new dive bars in small towns across the country, seeing baseball games in different parks, and making new friends who will give me a reason to come back and visit. One of these days I’m hitting the road and I’m not getting out of the damn truck for at least a year.

And finally, a right-brain question: If your art was a map, what would it be a map of?
The El. Seriously. I still think west is up on a compass because of the damn Elevated maps. The CTA ruined me. Maybe I should take a navigator with me in that RV…. ha!

If you’d like, share your website/Facebook page and any upcoming gigs/plans you’d like readers to know about.
Thursday, October 13 @ 10:00PM
LiveWire (3394 N Milwaukee Ave in Chicago)
The Sonnets (my band) with Black Market Parts & Tiny Riots (from Madison)

www.emaybe.net (me)
www.the-sonnets.com (my band)
www.slutter.net (my all-lady KISS tribute)
www.twitter.com/ellie_maybe

Slutter, all-lady KISS tribute band. YES.

My Kind of Town Monday

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view of the skyline from the Tall Ship Windy, Chicago, IL

the sails of the Tall Ship Windy, Chicago, IL

Where in the World Wednesday

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Kalkaska, MI, October 15, 2004

Aesthetically Speaking: Branden Johnson

Posted on October 4, 2011 by lisafindley

Please welcome Branden Johsnon to Aesthetically Speaking. He’s a renaissance man of the arts, playing music and writing many things. I’ve seen These Guys These Guys perform, and they do a great live show of moody, Peter-Gabriel-era-Genesis-type instrumental music. They have a show on Friday, October 14 so check them out. Thanks for sharing, Branden!

What is your name and city of residence?
Branden Johnson – Resident of Oak Forest, IL, a suburb of Chicago

What medium do you work in?
I’m primarily a writer and a musician. It really does fall about 50/50. I write novels and short stories, as well as screenplays (specifically for a web series called Kole’s Law), and I play piano and guitar in post-rock band These Guys These Guys.

How often do you work on your art–is it a full-time endeavor or something you work on in your spare time?
As much as I would love to be creative full-time, I’m a wage slave like most everyone else. My passion for working on my art comes and goes in waves. When I’m not working on music to prepare for a gig, I’m writing alone at my desk or collaborating on a screenplay.

How does art fit into your life, in general? Is it something you think about and talk about every day, or every week, or only in certain situations, etc.?
My creative work is incredibly important to me. Sometimes I forget that. Those are the times I find myself the most down. When I remember the joy I get from creating, it’s like getting a second wind in a big race, and I can’t wait to get off work so I can get home and create some more.

on keys

When you start on a piece, what kind of end result do you have in mind? Does it get performed or published, put in a permanent form or is it more temporary?
It varies, really. I’ve had a few short stories published in some journals, which felt great at the time. And when the band plays a gig, we get the satisfaction of interacting with the crowd, which is immediate feedback.

What goals do you set in relation to your art, both short- and long-term? Is it something you hope to make money doing, or is it something you want to keep uncommercialized? Does the term “sell-out” hold meaning for you or do you see the art/commerce relationship as a necessary one?
The term “sell-out” to me is far from a bad word. It really depends on the artist’s intention. If my goal is to write a novel and get it published, then certainly I’d like it to sell. If it’s not selling, why did I work to get it published? But if I create an intensely personal piece, I may only want to share it with some close friends or family. In the long term, I want to create for a living. And I’m at a place where the term “create” has a bit of flexibility. If my band scored a big recording contract — great! If a novel I write is published — awesome! If one of my web series is discovered and appreciated by a Hollywood big-wig — terrific! I so enjoy the various projects I’m involved in that any one of them could become a career for me and I would be perfectly happy.

What role does collaboration with others play in your art, if any?
Our collaboration in the band is incredibly important. We write together. We make all our decisions together. If a compromise has to be reached, we reach it. My solo writing, of course, is primarily just me — but even then, writers’ groups (like online group Zoetrope.com) have provided me with valuable feedback that has helped me grow as a writer.

How conscious are you of your artistic influences? Who are your artistic influences?
I’ve been influenced by a number of writers. One of the major writers would be Neil Gaiman. I never read his comics, but his novels, and particularly his short fiction, have really spoken to me. Musically, I grew up listening to video game scores (being then, as now, a huge nerd), and have taken a great deal of inspiration from Japanese composers such as Yasunori Mitsuda and Nobuo Uematsu.

the glasses mean "writer"

Since this is a travel blog, how does travel relate to or affect your art? (Themes in what you produce, road trips to perform your music, thoughts on what happens to your painting when you ship it across the country to a customer, etc.)
I don’t want to only write what I know. I want to learn more, grow more. Staying put doesn’t do much to help with that. My experiences in other places have helped me extend my perspective, which can only benefit my writing. As far as my music goes, well… We haven’t really toured yet. But that could happen soon!

And finally, a right-brain question: If your art was a map, what would it be a map of?
It would be a map of the Midwest as drawn by a maniacal 4th grader.

If you’d like, share your website/Facebook page and any upcoming gigs/plans you’d like readers to know about.
Twitter: @brandenjohnson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/brandenjohnson
These Guys These Guys: www.theseguystheseguys.com
TGTG on Facebook: www.facebook.com/theseguystheseguys

Kole’s Law: www.koleslawshow.com
Kole’s Law on Facebook: www.facebook.com/koleslawshow

Upcoming Show Details:
El Mamey
Friday, October 14
2645 W. North Ave, Chicago, IL
21+/8:00pm/$7
With: Mountains For Clouds & I Know Everything

Photo 1 credit Keith Kosmal. Photo 2 credit Jenny Schuler.

My Kind of Town Monday

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Broadway and Lawrence, Chicago, IL

New Centerstage Review Up!

Posted on September 30, 2011 by lisafindley

I saw my first Victory Gardens show last week. It’s always a little weird to go from storefront theater companies with hardly any budget to an established company with a board of directors and a solid budget for costumes, set design, and so on. If only every theater group had these resources! It’s a Sarah Ruhl play, so there was lots of lofty discussion and several surreal moments. Lovely. Here’s an excerpt of the review:

Dr. Givings (Mark L. Montgomery) treats women with “hysteria,” that particular female condition caused by various problems with the womb, be it too much moisture, lack of children, or any number of things. What the well-to-do ladies in town do is enter the operating theater, lie back on a table, and allow the good doctor to apply his mechanical device under her skirts on her, er, area.

Read the rest of the review here. Enjoy it this weekend. Have a great one! I’m in Montreal on vacation and will, of course, report back soon.

Where in the World Wednesday

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Portland Japanese Garden, Portland, OR, November 18, 2005

Aesthetically Speaking: Catherine Adel West

Posted on September 27, 2011 by lisafindley

This week’s interview was conducted with Catherine West, a colleague of mine at work. We found out we actually grew up blocks from each other in Evergreen Park, and now years later we’re working as editors in a small office in downtown Chicago. Small world. Catherine’s blog makes me laugh every time I read it, and I’m looking forward to reading more as the inspiration strikes her. Thanks for sharing, Catherine!

What is your name and city of residence?
My name is Catherine Adel West and I live in Chicago, IL.

What medium do you work in?
I am a writer. Whether or not I am a legendary writer remains to be seen.

Catherine West, legendary writer

How often do you work on your art–is it a full-time endeavor or something you work on in your spare time?
I write in my spare time. Mostly I write after work or during breaks. It’s for the most part when inspiration hits me, which is more and more often these days.

How does art fit into your life, in general? Is it something you think about and talk about every day, or every week, or only in certain situations, etc.?
As I have to edit other people’s words, I think about my work and my words all the time, every time. It actually helps to know what techniques work in writing and which ones do not.

When you start on a piece, what kind of end result do you have in mind? Does it get performed or published, put in a permanent form or is it more temporary?
When I begin a story, it is very fluid. I never know where I’m going to end up which is most of the fun. My result varies with each story I create; I want to make you laugh; I want to make you cry. My overall goal is always the same and that’s to make the reader feel something powerful. I will publish my work on a blog. I am, however, experimenting with the idea of being more aggressive and entering short story competitions.

I think the lines that one is willing to cross determine the extent to whether they will be able to ultimately live with their decisions or not. I think in the end, I will be able to live with my decisions and do so happily.

What role does collaboration with others play in your art, if any?
Collaboration, if any, for me comes mostly in the editing process. I give my stories to a few trusted people and they give me their honest feedback. We will go back and forth about things that can be edited or changed. However, writing is mostly a very single and lonely process.

How conscious are you of your artistic influences? Who are your artistic influences?
I think anyone who performs music, paints, writes, or whatever is constantly trying to live up to an ideal person. With every note played, word written, or brush stroke comes a constant questioning of how would this person handle it or how can I put my own unique spin on my art form. I am no different.

I read and re-read every line and compare myself. How I write, every word used has little bits of Zora Neale Hurston or Dean Koontz or Anne Rice or Chuck Palahniuk. I try to write to combine love of ethnicity and mystery and description and dark humor. I want my writing to be all of these things in a unique shell.

Since this is a travel blog, how does travel relate to or affect your art? (Themes in what you produce, road trips to perform your music, thoughts on what happens to your painting when you ship it across the country to a customer, etc.)
Travel mainly affects the way I describe a place in my writings. A lot of it I pull from different places I’ve visited. A hotel room in Paris; a casino in Vegas; the way the Pacific Ocean beats the sand in Santa Monica — all this helps me give a place or setting as much depth and feeling as the characters themselves.

And finally, a right-brain question: If your art was a map, what would it be a map of?
As much as I dislike the wilderness, I would actually compare my art to the forest. There is a lot of beauty, dense and raw, and it can be hard to get through, but once you hit that beautiful meadow, and the sun is shining off the picturesque lake, the trek was totally worth it!

If you’d like, share your website/Facebook page and any upcoming gigs/plans you’d like readers to know about.
I have a wonderful blog titled “Ghetto Yuppies.” It’s funny and crazy and a good read so I invite all people to check it out! http://catherineadelwest.blogspot.com/

My Kind of Town Monday

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detail of a turret, North and Oakley, Chicago, IL

RIP Troy Davis

Posted on September 22, 2011 by lisafindley

Last night, at 11:08pm Eastern Time, the State of Georgia executed Troy Davis by lethal injection. Davis was convicted in 1991 for the 1989 slaying of a police officer. Davis maintained his innocence until the end, and considering there was no physical evidence against him and seven of the nine witnesses identifying him as the killer have since recanted, I am one of the many people who believe him. His death is a perfect example of how very flawed the legal system is, and how blind to justice those who work it are willing to be.

"I Am Troy Davis" supporters keeping vigil

There are a lot of smart arguments against the death penalty (it’s heinously expensive to taxpayers, it’s applied disproportionately to poor and non-white people, it does not actually deter violent crimes), but the possibility of innocence is perhaps the most compelling for people who otherwise think capital punishment is just. Groups like The Innocence Project meticulously track the many cases in which the reasonable doubt is too strong to justify a conviction, let alone the extinguishment of a life. In some cases, DNA testing has proven innocence posthumously, which ought to be as clear-cut and scientific proof as anyone could ask for. Yet it’s legal in almost every state in the country, and as the recent presidential debate showed, a lot of people are enthusiastically for the death penalty.

I want safe streets and punishment for violent crimes, just like anyone else. But I don’t want it at the expense of real justice.

Last night I attended a rally in Daley Plaza attended by some 100 people who waited anxiously to hear whether there would be a last-minute stay of execution. I left at 7pm Central Time when it was announced that he’d been given a seven-day stay and there was more fighting to be done. We cheered and grinned at one another at this new glimmer of hope. It turns out we were misinformed or the court decision changed, of course. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t more fighting to be done. There are hundreds of capital punishment cases throughout the United States, and laws on the books at the state and federal level. There’s a whole system to transform.

Troy Davis’s last words were: “I ask my family and friends to continue to fight this fight. For those about to take my life, God have mercy on your souls. And may God bless your souls.”

Rest in peace, Troy Davis, and know that you will not be forgotten. We will continue to fight this fight.