I sang a little "Jackson" by the one and only Johnny Cash today with Gary Best from Los Dudes on KHAY 100.7.  We had a grand old time!  I'll be singing at the Johnny Cash Festival on Saturday, June 19th! Thanks KHAY for having us!  Here are some photos from the station.

Thank you so very much to Heather Janiga and the San Diego Troubadour for an awesome review of Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots!

SD TROUBADOUR HURRICANES AND FORGET ME NOTS REVIEW
Delaney Gibson
Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots
Written by Heather Janiga

You want to feel a sense of expansion and growth in the evolution of an artist's repertoire, and fiery-haired Delaney Gibson hits the mark on her sophomore release, Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots. Ten heavy hitting melodic empires cover vast ground on yet another well-polished studio exhibition. Gibson's sweet and soaring vocals strike deeper, more soulfully than ever before. She exudes sensuality and purpose, and proves to us yet again of her melody making genius.

Gretsch in hand and gemstone boots in tow, this album is a mix of moonshine and cosmos, barnyard banjos and pop/rock symphonies. In "A better Version of Me" Gibson croons "I'm getting back to my roots/hanging up my heels for some cowboy boots." One can surely feel a difference those cowboy boots make on songs like "Rain or Shine," a solemn country duet that

Willie Nelson and Co. would surely raise a glass to.

Then we have songs like "Paper Boats," which set us sailing with bombastic emotional power choruses radiating through the speakers - a song top forty radio would surely grasp onto, or "La Di Da," which hints at Lilly Allen perkiness. You wouldn't think the mix of these two styles would lend to easy listening throughout the album, but somehow it works. Perhaps it's the ever-present banjo plucking in the background, even on the pop/rock ballads behind the power chords of the electric guitars. Or maybe it's Gibson's heart-wrenching piano pulsing aside a wailing fiddle...whatever the formula may be, it proves to perk the interest of the listener and reel them in for the ride.

With each listen I find another song I think might be my favorite (a good sign), but I always find myself veering back to the melancholy ballads that Gibson does so convincingly well. The aforementioned "Rain or Shine" secures my top pick, featuring John Bartholomew's dreamy vocals exchanging sad little sonnets of love gone awry with Gibson. Next up is "Kill Me Now," which plays like a lullaby with a broken-hearted twist. The folky acoustic guitar strums aside Gibson's vocals in charmed company, and the symphonic onslaught of strings wafts through the background painting a landscape Bob Ross could only dream of.

Gibson's status of Pop Maven remains unchanged. She can write a catchy hook like the best of them and proof of this talent plays out in every note. Through artistic and emotional growth, Gibson conjures up her adventurous side while managing to stay within the realm of that which has come to define her. There have been a lot of natural disasters this past year, but Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots isn't one of them.

Here is a great article about Fan Funding by David Kusek who is the VP of Berklee College of Music. He talks about how "A growing number of musicians are looking to fans, not record labels, to help fund their albums and tours. And giving has its perks." One of the most notable artists to follow this model was Jill Sobule, who raised over $80,000 for her new record.  She had a few choice things to say about Fan Funding. “It definitely is humbling,” she says of asking fans for money. “I feel like I better do the job for my fans. I better bow down to them more than a record label. They’re the ones in control now, in a way."  The one thing she hadn’t counted on was the level of freedom fan funding brought her, both financially and creatively. “In the old model, you’d have to sell 150,000 albums for people to think you were successful,” she says, “and now you don’t have to.”

Please click on the link to read the full article. I'm really interested in what you think about YOU being my record label!

Thanks for your feedback and please check out The HAPPY PEOPLE Project to see what I'm up to and how you can get involved. :)

ARTICLE:
Where will the money come from? The Fans.

I was unable to attend the ASCAP Expo this year but, thanks to Bandzoogle, my website was featured as a good model to follow!  Sweet, looks like I'm doing something right haha.  Thanks to Mary Scholz for taking this photo and thanks again to Bandzoogle for being pretty darn awesome!  Here's my website on the big screen and I'm pretty sure you can make Slash out in the audience too.  Well, maybe not.

Meet Fluke, my new Ukulele.  I took him home yesterday.  I'll be debuting him at Zoey's Cafe on Friday, April 16th.  A new instrument for their brand new venue!  I hope you will join me for a wonderful night of music and celebration.  I'll be performing "Long Gone Lonesome Blues" along side Sally Jaye, Jamie Drake, Brother Sal and more for a very special Hank Williams Tribute!  See you there :)

For more info:
www.ZoeysCafe.com

Meet Fluke...

My song "La Di Da" will be featured on tonights episode of The Real World D.C.  Please be sure and tune in to check it out!  Tonight, Wednesday, March 17th at 10pm.  Sweeeet :)

 

A little while ago Erin Everhart, Grammar guru; writer, reporter and editor extraordinaire, stumbled across my song "La Di Da" on The Bad Girls club. She was kind enough to write a neat piece on me and now she has followed up with an interview!

A couple of weeks ago, I stumbled upon my current music obsession through a lucky channel flip through reality television. This week, I caught up with Delaney Gibson on her recent album release, Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots, and how a little TV placement can reel in a whole lot of publicity.

Erin: So what are you doing right now?

Delaney: I’m in my apartment in downtown Ventura watching Criminal Minds. I have a major crush on Dr. Spencer Reed! Dr. Reed and Jim from The Office are my absolute favorite boys...

Check it out the full interview here: Behind the Lyrics Q&A with Delaney Gibson

Please be sure and wander around her blog a bit... she's a great writer!
THANKS ERIN!

Thank you so very much to Don Sechelski and The Muse's Muse for reviewing my new CD Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots!

"...Delaney Gibson is back with a strong follow up to her debut album, The Worst Kind Of Way. Hurricanes And Forget Me Nots shows that the excellence of her first album was no fluke. Gibson's remarkable voice shines again...

Hurricanes And Forget Me Nots is filled with musical gems. Good Company,Careful, the list goes on. Delaney's songwriting is in top form, the band is impressively tight, the arrangements and production are sterling, and Gibson's voice is the glue that holds it altogether. When I reviewed her first album, I said that Delaney Gibson was a star on the rise, a voice to be reckoned with. I'm convinced beyond any doubt."

Read the full review here www.musesmuse.com/mrev-delaneygibson-hurricanes.html

HAVE A GOOD DAY!!

Last night I had the extreme pleasure of playing the La Bellasera Hotel in Paso Robles. I was the scheduled performer for the local date night concert series put on by Mike Cosin and Discovery Point Entertainment. It had been quite sometime since I played a show up in Paso. I was a little hesitant on whether I would be able to draw a crowd up there. It’s always a bit nerve-racking playing out of town shows. Will you be playing to the walls of an empty room? If there are people there, will they even listen? Playing in my hometown of Ventura I tend to get very spoiled! Venues like Zoey’s Café, run by the remarkably kind owners Steve and Polly Hoganson make it easy to lose all desire to play out of town gigs! But, I am really trying to open up as many new listeners as I can and staying at home just won’t cut it. Well, I could not have had a more amazing out of town experience than my show last night.

Mike and his lovely family were extremely sweet and supportive. They really knew their stuff with promotion, sound and equipment. They even had a keyboard all setup and ready to go! This is the most annoying part of touring, my dreaded heavy keyboard! I had my sound check then went to dinner at the Enoteca restaurant in the hotel. I had a lovely glass of Opolo and cheese plate and Lex our server was very friendly. I have to admit I was still a little nervous, not about performing but, if people were going to show! Well, they did.

The room was full of an engaging audience. They were really there to listen to the music. I haven’t had this much fun playing a show in a long time. I was able to try out new material and really breathe through my other songs. It was so amazing to be in a room with everyone having a great time! The show was like an upscale house concert!

I just wanted to write a little about my experience last night. I am grateful for everyone that came out and bought CD’s and to Mike for putting on the show! If you are in the area I highly suggest checking out a show at the La Bellaserra. They have some wonderful performers. It truly is a magical experience!

Thank you again :)

www.discoverypointentertainment.com

Here are a few pictures from the night!








Me and the lovely Kristen

I'm starting to see the positive effects of getting my song placed on a television show!  Yeah, the royalties are nice but, I'm gaining exposure on a greater level than I could have ever hoped for!  TV really is the new Radio. 

Here is a very sweet blog written by Erin Everhart after she heard my song "La Di Da" on The Bad Girls Club

"...You just can’t look away, no matter how revolting the image is.

But on one particular Tuesday, something good, other than my satisfaction at the end of the hour, came out of this train wreck: I found a new artist. The lyrics that hooked me?

“You look like a casualty, but baby that’s okay with me
I’ve always been attracted to natural disasters.”

I spent near 45 minutes sifting through search results trying to find the owner of those lyrics (something I do quite often) and once the mystery was solved — Delaney Gibson — I immediately bought the CD on iTunes (something I rarely do: blame Limewire)..."  READ FULL BLOG

Song #1 of TEN in 2010 is available now!  So Help Me Jesus (Last Valentines) is the perfect Valentines Day song to send to that special someone in your life... if you want to send them a strong warning! This song is not for the easily offended :)

So Help Me Jesus (Last Valentines) is available for mp3 download in my Shoppe and the best part is you choose your own price!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

Today, I found this thread on yahoo answers!  I thought it was so cool that not only did my song "La Di Da" get placed on a TV show (Bad Girls Club) but also, people liked the song enough to try and find it!

Made my week!!

Thanks for listening and reading!!

Here is the thread:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100202193022AAAs5Ww

TEN songs | ONE year | ZERO limits

It’s a new year and a new decade so why are we doing the same old thing? This year I am going to try something a little different!  I always want to keep creating music but, instead of going back into the studio to record a 3rd album this year, I am releasing TEN songs in 2010!

Each will be a unique moment in time. Quirky, sad, joyous, tawdry, funny, who knows! Whatever life throws at me I’m going to share with you, in real time. Stay tuned… It’s going to be a crazy year!

I will be releasing the first song “So Help Me Jesus (Last Valentines)” February 14th, 2010 on Valentines Day! It’s a quirky little country/folk song about love gone wrong and a few strong warnings for a certain boy!  It’s not for the easily offended :)

You will be able to download the songs right here on my website and then at the end of the year I’ll have them up on iTunes in a TEN in 2010 compilation album!



Until then, please tell your friends about Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots available on iTunes and my website.  I am so unbelievably proud of this album it is completely from my heart to your ears!

http://delaneygibson.com/blog.cfm?feature=377676&p...TEN songs | ONE year | ZERO limits It’s a new year and a new decade so why are we doing the same old thing? This year I am going to try so...

Live Local Review: Delaney Gibson CD Release Party at My Florist Cafe November 30, 1:21 PMSanta Barbara Concert Photography ExaminerChad ElderWhat better way to follow up an evening of aggression and ...

SUCCESS HAS A SECOND ROUND
Oxnard's Delaney Gibson to celebrate 'Hurricanes' release Saturday in Ventura
By Bill Locey

So much for the sophomore jinx: Local singer-songwriter Delaney Gibson has hit it out of the park on her second album, “Hurricanes and Forget-Me-Nots,” a love-lousy album of enduring and endearing heartache in a pretty package, all propelled by that wonderful voice. Gibson is set to share it all — except a burger — at her CD release party Saturday night at My Florist Café & Bakery in Ventura.

Often after a band comes out of nowhere with a great debut album — they’ve had their whole lives to work on it — the second comes with pressure and a deadline; not so for Gibson. Usually a girl with a keyboard when she plays locally, this time Gibson will front a whole band of local all-stars to make this one come to life.

A couple of members of Army of Freshmen came to one of Gibson’s gigs last winter and before she could say, “I don’t even remember his name,” she was making a new album and now she wants you to buy a copy. B. Willing of Shades of Day will open. The lady in question supplied the following answers:

So big CD party coming up — are you all excited?
Yeah. I’m actually ecstatic, yeah!

What’s your take on this one compared to the first one?
It’s a whole new thing. It was a whirlwind recording process and a whirlwind time of my life, so.

What inspired all this?
Well, I wasn’t getting ready to make an album at all. I played a show at Rock City in Camarillo in December and evidently, Chris Jay had done a thing on me for the MAVRIC Awards and came to the show and heard me for the first time and just said, “We gotta make a record.’’ He really motivated me to write all the music in a month. We started in January.

Wow that’s lightning quick by rock ’n’ roll clocks.
Yeah, it was really fast. I wrote all the music in a month and we recorded it all in two weeks.

Tell me about the venue. How’d you happen to choose this place?
My Florist? I was going to have it at Zoey’s at the Lodge and they weren’t sure if they were still going to be booking at the Lodge, so I was trying to find some place that was comparable in size. So I went in there and they had a grand piano, which is great for me to play, and good food, so I think it was a good choice. I’m going to have the whole band.

So, not just a girl and a piano then?
No, it’s going to be me on piano and guitar, Armand John Anthony on guitar, Joe Baugh on guitar, Sam Bolle on bass, and Laura Mihalka on cello and a couple of guest appearances.

So Chris Jay and the Army of Freshmen — never seen any of those wonderful guys before this show?
No. I never even met them, which is an odd coincidence for such a small music scene. I grew up here and never met them.

You’re a local from Ventura?
I grew up in Oxnard and went to Santa Clara but spent most of my time in Ventura; so yeah, I’m totally homegrown and I can’t believe I never met them.

You’ve had some road adventures. How does a solo girl survive on the road?
It’s interesting. I just got back from driving to Nashville to play at a NAMM showcase there. So I played gigs all the way — Flagstaff, Albuquerque, Oklahoma City, all that stuff. It’s just fun. That’s all I want to do, be on the road so I completely embrace it. There’s been some crazy times and some crazy backwoods types fighting over an “I didn’t sleep with your mother!’’ type of thing — there’s always a fun adventure story. It’s sort of like that album: it just happened really fast. It was kismet. We had hired a violin player to play on one of the songs and he came into the studio but he wasn’t really cutting the part well, so we decided to find somebody else. We had the studio for the day so we drove up to Ojai for lunch and there happened to be a guy in the street playing violin, so we grabbed him off the street and asked him if he wanted to make a quick 20 bucks, so he did the part on the album.

Had any extra-strange gigs?
I think the strangest one was in a bowling alley in Eagle Rock that was also a Chinese restaurant.

Well, the food was good, anyway.
Yeah, it was good and I got free bowling. I didn’t get paid.

How did you get started in all this?
I was 5 years old and I got cast in the school musical. I played Noah’s conscience in the Noah’s ark play.

Five?
Yeah, I was 5 and I think I got the part because I had the best memory in the class for all the lyrics. Then it hit me that all I wanted to do was sing. Since then, anything I could do: talent shows, playing instruments, anything. I’ve done this my whole life, definitely.

You’ve also had quite a career as a background singer?
Yeah, backup singing, some television stuff, pretty much anything I could do to keep working.

Some people won’t do background work, but hey, it’s a job and Perla Batalla and Julie Christensen did OK with Leonard Cohen and way beyond that.
You would be surprised how many connections you make when you’re not totally at the forefront, just there networking to do a job. I’ve had such fun experiences out of it.

So how cool was it to grow with a cool name? There couldn’t have been that many Delaneys out there, right?
No, Delaney’s my middle name. My first name is Jessica but everybody in my family goes by their middle name and that’s kind of weird.

So all this since you were 5?
Yeah, since I was 5. But it was not until this album that I really feel that I have a shot at it. Before that, I was just going to try to keep working and improve my craft but now I think, just maybe, if all the cards fall in the right place, I might be able to do this, you know?

Is there a little-known fact you can reveal in a family newspaper?
I believe in aliens?

The local singer-songwriter will celebrate the release of her second CD with a performance at 7 p.m. Saturday at My Florist Café & Bakery, 76 S. Oak St., Ventura. The cost is $10 per person. Call 653-0003.

-- For CD reviews and more show previews, view Bill Locey’s “I Love Locey” videos in the Media Player section of The Star’s Web site, http://www.venturacountystar.com. E-mail Locey at blocey@pacbell.net.

SUCCESS HAS A SECOND ROUNDOxnard's Delaney Gibson to celebrate 'Hurricanes' release Saturday in VenturaBy Bill LoceySo much for the sophomore jinx: Local singer-songwriter Delaney Gibson has hit it ou...

Please pick up a copy of the Ventura County Reporter today. I had a great interview with Michel Cicero and she wrote some really, really, really weet and ispiring words about my new album. I'm truly grateful for the support!

FORGET HER NOT
Ventura singer-songwriter comes into full flower on her newest record
By Michel Cicero 11/12/2009

It’s been quite a year for Delaney Gibson. Relationships began, ended and began again. Awards were given, praise rained down, and disappointment often ruled as the singer-songwriter, whom VCReporter singled out as an “artist to watch” in this year’s local music issue, rode out the highs and lows of a life thoroughly lived. But great art usually takes root in pain and sorrow. And it’s a rich mix of such, along with the occasional shower of hope and joy, that allowed her newest record, Hurricanes and Forget Me Nots, to fully reflect the breadth of her talent. While her debut record, Worst Kind of Way, didn’t fail to impress, there was something noncommittal about it — fickle, unfocused, insecure and coy, like a female on the verge of womanhood. With Hurricanes, the girl has matured, and confidence is as powerful in verse as it is in demeanor. If this record, which she wrote in one month, doesn’t bring Gibson to the forefront of the singer-songwriter circuit, the genre should be re-examined — songs like these with a voice like hers are rare, even in a saturated market. Poignant, playful, clever, feminine, heartbreaking and ultimately optimistic, Gibson shows us the strength of vulnerability, the grace in surrender and the beauty that can be culled from life’s most crushing, suffocating moments when we remain receptive despite it all.

VCReporter: The title says “drama.” Life has been challenging since your last record?
Delaney Gibson: I’m trying to be optimistic but I went through a long relationship and a short breakup. I went through a bad breakup, but the album is about someone else. Meeting someone new propelled me. It was kind of a whirlwind process. I was living on friends’ couches, trying to figure out what I was doing. It was while we were working on the album. It all happened at the same time. Definitely a crazy year.

VCR: Hurricanes is definitely more mature and focused than your first record. Have you found your voice or has your voice just grown up?
I think with the ending of my relationship and this record, it’s the first time in my life I did something the way I wanted. I always assumed everyone else knew better than me, from parents to friends. This was the first time I went “F” it: I don’t know if it’s finding my voice or finding the strength to do what I wanted.

VCR: Unrequited love is a recurring theme throughout. Is it easier to write from a place of heartache?
I think for me, I get most inspired when I can’t have something, and I focus on it and obsess, and I think it comes more naturally rather than when I’m happier or even just sad. I tend to write about unrequited love a lot. I might seek so I can write about it. [Laughs]

VCR: On “Better Version of Me,” you make reference to hanging up your heels for cowboy boots. This record has some hints of country; is that where your roots are?
I just always like a hint of it. Dolly Parton was one of my biggest idols, so I always have a bit of country and my dad is from Muskogee, Okla. I have a lot of Okie family. I never want to go too far in any direction, I want to keep it as singer-songwriter as possible, but I’ll always have a little twang. I’d rather say ain’t. [Laughs] I live in Ventucky.

VCR: At one point, you considered moving to Nashville to sing other people’s songs. Is it difficult to continually come up with new material?
What’s hard is to convince people that they like it. It’s easy to be a singer. I do consider myself to have a good voice. And sometimes people get really focused on that, but this is the first time I’ve been able to say, “Yeah, wait, I write songs, too.” It’s hard to write your own songs. The Nashville community wants you to either sing or write. It’s the old-school mentality.

VCR: It’s not good enough anymore to just have talent, and you work harder than many. Do you find it discouraging that an artist has to do so much peripheral work to be noticed?
I was telling somebody that I haven’t written a song in a month because I do all my Web design, flyers, booking — everything. Sometimes it gets so overwhelming. Plus, having a full-time job to support it. I have nothing, no management. I think this record might be good enough to get some attention. It gets really tiring, but I want it so bad.

VCR: What is that you want?
I want to be able to do it for a living. To be on the road, to get with a bigger act and tour. Get as many CDs out as I can. Fame: take it or leave it, I just want to do it. It’s so hard to keep your head above water, it’s so expensive to keep it going.

VCR: You’ve drawn from quite a pool of local talent. Are you ever surprised by the level of musicianship in this town?
I’m surprised every day. I grew up here and there’s always really extremely talented people. I moved to L.A. expecting it to be a million times more, and there’s so much more here. When talented people support you, you relax. I feel very lucky.

VCR: What’s next for Delaney Gibson?
After the party, I’m going to start shopping it to as many agencies, licensing companies and management companies as I can. I want to start touring. I don’t want this album to fall to the wayside. Music is the first thing on my mind all the time.

VCR: And your love life?
I have something (that) is happening but not with who I thought. The whole way the record came about, there are so many little kismet, fate experiences, and one of them was me leaving one person for another person. I’m more proud of this than anything I’ve ever done. I can actually listen to this and go, “Wow!”

Delaney Gibson’s record release party is Saturday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m. at My Florist Cafe & Bar, 76 Oak St., Ventura. 653-0003, www.delaneygibson.com
michel@vcreporter.com

Please pick up a copy of the Ventura County Reporter today. I had a great interview with Michel Cicero and she wrote some really, really, really weet and inspiring words about my new album. I'm truly ...

Helloooo,
  Well, we had our 2nd of 3 band rehearsals last night!  The guys (and Laura) sound freaking amazing!!  I am getting so excited for the RECORD RELEASE SHOW next Saturday.  Here is a picture from last night:

 

Anyway, I just wanted to give you a little update and let you know we only have 20 SEATS LEFT!!!  Be sure and make your reservations here www.DelaneyGibson.com/shoppe.cfm  See you all next Saturday!!!

{{HUGS}}

Helloooo, Well, we had our 2nd of 3 band rehearsals last night! The guys (and Laura) sound freaking amazing!! I am getting so excited for the RECORD RELEASE SHOW next Saturday. Here is a picture f...

Yay!After searching for the perfect venue we finally found it last night! My Florist Cafe & Bar is absolutely beautiful! It has a big enough stage for the bandand even a grand piano! They have won...

I suppose it happens to everyone that stays in the music business long enough. That magical moment you walk out to your car after a successful gig, so thrilled that you made enough money to pay for f...

Stealing internet and more fun adventures from the road...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O93sEp7-rHc Check this out! I sang on a demo my friend Andrew Synowiec made and it ended up getting used on the Jimmy Kimmel Show! I sing for all of two se...