In The Spotlight: Pop/Rock Musician Vander

Another spotlight for y’all..today, we have pop/rock musician Vander!

Growing up on an industrial estate forty minutes outside of Sydney, Australia, Vander (born William Vandermade) revealed that he didn’t grow up with a lot of money. However, from his childhood, he learned to be grateful for what he did have and to have a positive outlook on life. “I wear that proudly on my sleeve today. And I think it in turn influenced the music that I connected with - music that was inspired by the working class,” Vander said. “U2, Bruce Springsteen, artists who started from nowhere but had the dream to be the biggest and the greatest acts in the world. I feel I connected to their roots and was also inspired by their ambition. I felt that with them, anything was possible.” 

In The Spotlight: Alternative Rock/Folk Singer Alluri

Another spotlight to start the week…check out our feature with London-based alternative rock/folk singer Alluri!

Alluri got his start in music through his father, listening to western classical music. He ended up taking violin and piano classes for a few years, but never really enjoyed it, so he stopped. The artist really had little to no contemporary music around him in his formative years. Eventually, others in his family were able to bring that influence to him. His older brother ended up introducing Alluri to his first taste of western rock music. Alluri then began to play the guitar around the age of 13, after his cousin introduced him to bands Deep Purple and Pink Floyd, and he’s been playing ever since. “[It] wasn’t until I played a few gigs in Finland while I was studying there in 2011 did I want to pursue this seriously,” Alluri said of his music.

In The Spotlight: Podcasters Chloe Zora and Chanel Glover of Overqualified & Drunk

Another great spotlight to start the week!

If you're a podcast lover, you may have heard about them...if not get ready! Ranked #5 on Podcasts In Color'a Top 5 LGBTQ Podcasts in 2016 List, Chloe Zora and Chanel Glover, the ladies of the Overqualified & Drunk podcast, are a must listen! 

I'm glad to have the chance to feature them on The Spotlight, especially because I wouldn't have pursued a career in radio if it wasn't for Chloe, one of my first college Resident Advisors.

In The Spotlight: R&B Singer Bahja Rodriguez

Another great spotlight to start the week!

Today, we have R&B singer Bahja Rodriguez (formerly of the OMG Girlz)! 

Bahja grew up on the Eastside of Georgia, supported by loving parents and others around her. “When I think about my childhood, nothing was impossible,” the singer said. “No one ever said to me, ‘You can’t do that.’” With that great mentality, Bahja started dabbling in singing at the young age of 5. She did a recording then of New Edition’s smash hit “Mr. Telephone Man,” along with Zonnique Pullins (daughter of singer Tameka “Tiny” Harris and former member of OMG as well). Though she started professionally at 12, she knew that day, at only five, that she wanted to sing forever!

In The Spotlight: Podcaster Loren "Lo Skeet" Gross

Happy to bring ya'll another great person to spotlight in 2017!

I recently linked up with a fellow BGSU alum, Loren "Lo Skeet" Gross, to speak about his podcast "Inaudible Raucous", which has currently been going on strong for 43 weeks straight! The podcast involves Lo speaking on a variety of topics including pop culture, health, sports, social justice, financial advice, etc. As a student of the radio art form since he was 13, Lo said he got the idea to do a podcast about three years ago when he started to see a shift in the radio industry. After much procrastination, the podcaster started his up last year in 2016. The idea for the name came after speaking with some friends about oxymorons that catch people's attention. From there, he thought of a "clever way to spin cliche terms like “Sounds from the Underground” or “The Quiet Riot." Lo stated, "I went to a thesaurus and picked those two words: Inaudible and Raucous."

In The Spotlight: Radio Host/DJ/Podcaster Alex "A.D." Davis

Happy to bring ya'll another great person to spotlight in 2017! If you or your client is an upcoming artist, designer, etc., and would like to be featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info.

Today we have CBS Radio’s 98.5 KLUC DJ/radio host Alex "A.D." Davis! 

A.D. currently handles working at KLUC out in Vegas as the night jockey every Monday-Friday from 6p-11p. He also balances co-hosting the Fresh DOPE podcast, writing for music site GroundSounds.com AND operating the brand Elevated Livin’ LLC (Check out our spotlights on Elevated Livin' artists Sav and J. Smith)! We talked mainly about the podcast, some fitness and sneaker talk, and how A.D. balances it all!

In The Spotlight: Pop Singer Suzy Olson

Another spotlight to start the week! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, producer, etc., and are interested in being featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info.

Today, we have rising pop singer, Suzy Olson!

The 16-year-old from Arizona got her start in music by singing in church, alongside her four brothers. Her parents sang each week as well, and her older brothers played instruments, so she comes from a pretty talented family! Her mom was also a music teacher, and the artist began singing with her choir at the age of three. Suzy knew that performing was for her after her mom didn’t cast her in a lead role for a production when she was five. Undeterred, the young artist keeps working towards honing her craft. She’s also involved in shows at East Valley Children’s Theatre in Mesa, AZ, as well as her school productions and competitions at New School for the Arts and Academics.

In The Spotlight: Pop/Alternative Singer Samantha Paixao

Happy to feature another great rising artist! If you or your client is an upcoming artist, designer, etc., and would like to be featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info.

Today, we have pop/alternative singer Samantha Paixao!

Hailing from Toronto, the artist has been singing basically all of her life, stating that music has always helped to make her feel happy. “I thought that if there was a way I could create what made me happy, and help other people feel the same way, then I was going to try my hardest to make it happen,” Samantha said. Though she always wanted to pursue a career in music, the singer admitted that she can be shy around people. However, when she gets on stage, she’s like a whole other person!

In The Spotlight: French Alternative Artist Talisco

Another great spotlight to start the week! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, writer, etc., and are interested in being featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info!

Today, we have French alternative artist Talisco! 

Music piqued his interest at a young age, listening to his grandmother, who was Spanish, sing a lot, and Spanish music became his first inspiration. “I think it’s in my blood,” Talisco said of music in general.  By 11, he had a guitar and by 13, he composed my first song. As he went on to create a career for himself, he found other instruments to get into as well. “I like tinkering with sounds,” the artist admitted, also getting into producing. In terms of his unique stage name, Talisco revealed that he took the name to “pay tribute to someone who mattered to me.”

In The Spotlight: Actress and Entrepreneur Georgina Opoku

Another great spotlight for y'all! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., and are interested in being featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information.

Today, we have actress and entrepreneur Georgina Opoku!

This young woman right here is more of a Renaissance woman in my opinion...she does so much! She's the co-star of the YouTube series Quarter Water Juices, getting her PhD, starting her own business, and, most importantly, she's doing all this while being a mom! We got a chance to touch on all this and more in her interview....check it out below!

In The Spotlight: Pop/Soul Singer Tamtam

Another great spotlight for y'all! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., and are interested in being featured on The Spotlight, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information! 

Today, we have Saudi Arabian pop/soul singer Tamtam! 

The artist has had a thirst for music since she was a young girl growing up in the Middle East. I’ve wanted to do music since I was eleven years old," Tamtam revealed. "But back then, I didn’t think it
would be a possibility for me because I grew up in a more conservative society in the Middle East." When she was 13, she decided to sign up for a talent show at school to showcase her talent and love of music, the first time of many that she performed live in front of a big audience. Inspired greatly by Michael Jackson, Tamtam sang "Thriller" for her performance, and decided then that music was her life path. "Ever since that night, I knew that this was something I was going to pursue against all odds," the singer said.

In The Spotlight: Web & Graphic Designer Duane Lindsey II

Another day, another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Today, we have business owner and graphic designer Duane Lindsey II! 

Duane owns his own production company DLINDZ Productions, which offers web and graphic design, video production, and photography! He got his start back in the Myspace days, loving the celebrity page designs on the social media site, and soon started learning how to do his own custom layouts. Once the designer had the Adobe Photoshop program down and was creating his own layouts, he started designing layouts for other people. Soon after his high school graduation in Akron, OH, Duane moved to Atlanta, GA, where he has resided for the last 9 years. "[I] felt that it was more opportunities to excel here in whatever I decided to do for a living," he said of the move.

In The Spotlight: Alternative Singer/Songwriter Kinney

Another great spotlight for the day, and more on the way! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured!

Today, we have singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Kinney! 

Hailing from Annapolis, MD (DMV heyyy!), she spent a lot of time outside along the Chesapeake Bay, camping, sailing and playing. However, Kinney also has been performing her entire life. She started out as an acrobatic dancer, and went onto musical theater afterwards. She wrote poetry and music as well, but kept quiet about it for a long time. “It wasn't until I was in a rock and roll show in Las Vegas with a bunch of incredible rock musicians from some iconic bands of the 70's and 80's that I made the decision to dive in deep and really give music a go,” Kinney said. “I was surrounded by people who had lived and breathed music their entire lives and I realized there is nothing else I could do that would fill my spirit in the same way.” Calling music a "universal language," Kinney plans to use her music to bring about positive change!

In The Spotlight: Poet Jonte "Luki" Barrett

Another great spotlight for you guys! As always, if you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, model, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information on how to be featured on the blog!

Today on The Spotlight, we have brillianty talented and breathtaking poet Jonte "Luki" Barrett!  Hailing from Washington, D.C. ("It's DC or nothing!" sje confidently said), Jonte started creating poetry back in 2007, and has recently started performing as Luki (pronounced "lucky"). In fact, she recently performed  at the Moonz Conference 2016, an annual conference for fans of Wale to connect, support and build with each other!

In The Spotlight: Hip Hop/Pop Artist Drew Parks

Another great spotlight for you all today! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, poet, dancer, etc., and are interested in a featured on The Spotlight, visit our Features/Submissions page for more information!

Today, we have hip hop/pop artist Drew Parks! Drew, originally from Detroit, is also a producer and songwriter, and has gotten major love from top networks and magazines like MTV, ESPN’s First Take, Billboard, Respect Magazine and VIBE. He started getting into hip hop around eight or nine years old, and became obsessed. “As a kid, I listened to a lot of Bob Marley, Sergio Mendes, and anything and everything that was on the radio,” Drew said. “I’d spend all day rapping along with songs and memorizing lyrics.”At just 10, Drew recorded his first song, and by 12 or 13 had started making his own beats using some recording software his parents had bought for him. “By 14 I had released a self-produced album, and started making music with kids I went to middle school and eventually high school with,” he said. “I’ve continued doing music ever since.”

In The Spotlight: Hip Hop Artist J. Smith

Time for another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Our latest spotlight artist has been one of my favorite up and coming artists for a very long time! His name is J. Smith, hailing from the Euclid/Cleveland area in Ohio. Attending the same high school as Kid Cudi protégé King Chip, who was a few years ahead of him, J. Smith said he got his start from a "fluke situation" when he was asked to be in a rap group by a fellow rapper by the name of Pyro. Smith said he went home, found a microphone, downloaded the Adobe Audition program and hasn't looked back since!

In The Spotlight: Soul-Pop Duo (In)Body

Another spotlight, and more on the way! Today, we have soul-pop duo (In)Body, a collaboration between singer/songwriter Ryan Amador and producer/multi-instrumentalist Daniel Weidlein!

Ryan always had a love of music, and began writing songs on his own when he was 8 years old. He soon developed a love of theater, and even ended up going to college to study theater director while still singing and writing songs. After college, Ryan moved back to LA to focus on music. Daniel himself was “pretty hell-bent” on a career in music for as long as he can remember. The producer started out studying piano at age 5, and moved towards the saxophone, focusing on that throughout his college years. Daniel also got involved in music production at a young age, graduated from college, and eventually opened up his own recording studio, The B(e)at Cave! 

In The Spotlight: Alternative Pop Singer/Songwriter Madyx

Another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., and are interested in a feature, please visit our Features/Submissions page for more information!

Today, we have alternative pop singer/songwriter Madyx! Born Michelle Blanchard, the artist has wanted to be in the music industry since she was a kid. “When I was 8 years old, my parents bought me a guitar for my birthday and my life was forever changed,” she said. Growing up, Madyx’s parents also always played a variety of music from classic rock to country, and that helped shape her diverse writing style. After playing in a bunch of bands during high school, Madyx moved out to LA to really build her music career and even started a band called Life Down Here. “We made a pretty good name for ourselves: getting to open for Paramore, played a bunch of high schools across SoCal and several LGBT pride festivals in addition to the Warped Tour,” she said of her band experience. However, as she grew older, her musical style changed and she parted ways with the band, and branched out her own as Madyx! “It’s been a wild ride ever since,” the singer excitedly admitted.

In The Spotlight: Neo-Soul/R&B Artist K. James

Time for another spotlight! If you are or represent an upcoming artist, designer, dancer, etc., please visit our Features/Submissions page for more info on how to be featured on The Spotlight! 

Today, we have neo-soul and R&B artist, K. James, whose music video for track "Koolin' " was recently featured on the site. The artist has always had a great appreciation for good music with a message, containing real experiences. "Music has always been in my blood," K. James said. "Since I was 5 years old, I grew up listening to my mother’s radio full of artists such as Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Teddy Pendergrass, R. Kelly, and The Temptations." He went on to add, "It has been a dream of mine to express my creativity through song, giving people something to relate to and making a living while doing something I love was all the motivation I needed to pursue this dream of mine."

In The Spotlight: Rock Group Bakers Eddy

Another great spotlight! Truly honored to feature all of these amazing rising stars!

Right now, we have rock group Bakers Eddy! Formed in Wellington, New Zealand back in 2009, the group consists of Ciarann Babbington (guitar/vocals), Jamie Gordon (drums/backing vocals), and twin brothers Ian and Alex Spagnolo (bass/backing vocals, guitar/backing vocals). They got their start together during their high school years, putting in hard work to create the sound and chemistry they have today, and saw themselves continuing to create music even after graduation. "Finishing high school we were kind of expected to do the university thing or get a proper job," the group said in a statement. "But the thought of doing something most people said was unachievable excited us and still does. So we asked ourselves if we should give it a crack, and the balls been rolling ever since."